I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

The fog is getting thicker and thicker.

The wheels of the cart crunched over the gravel, the sound amplified countless times in the silent canyon.

Shuoge walked at the front, his three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotating in the mist.

He couldn't see the enemy, but he could smell it—not a scent, but chakra. A thick, bloody chakra pressed down from the rock walls on both sides of the canyon, washing over his head like a tide.

He stopped and raised his hand.

Kai and Hong stopped at the same time, and Dai stopped too. The handle of the cart slipped from his hands, and the wheels stopped turning. The canyon was so quiet that only the sound of the wind and the muffled sound of waves crashing against the rocks could be heard.

Then six people emerged from the fog.

The one at the very front was burly and carried a large sword taller than a man, its blade covered in barbs like shark teeth.

Suigetsu Hobutsuki, Greatsword Samehada.

To his left was a tall, thin man holding a long, thin knife with a straight blade, like a needle.

Chestnut-scented skewer, long sword and sewing needle.

On the right is a short, stout man carrying a huge double-edged axe with runes engraved on the blade.

Those who use grass and wild bait can cut it with a dull knife.

Behind him were three people—Juzo Biwa, wielding the Broken Sword, the Executioner's Blade; Jinpachi Munashi, wielding the Blunt Sword, the Kabuto-giri's other sword? No, that was the Exploding Sword, the Frozen Sword; and Raiga Kurosuki, wielding the Thunder Sword, the Fang.

Six people, six ninja swords, six S-rank rogue ninjas.

Kai's pupils contracted.

His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but he didn't back down.

The red kunai slipped from her hand, but she caught it again. Her hand was trembling, but she didn't back down.

Dai stood beside the stroller, his smile still on his face, but his eyes had changed—not with fear, but with seriousness. He released the stroller handle, walked in front of Kai, and shielded his son with his body.

"Dad..." Kai's voice changed.

"Step back." Dai's voice was flat, unlike the usual jovial, perpetually low-ranking ninja.

Suigetsu Hobutsu was the first to speak.

His voice sounded like it was coming from underwater, muffled and deep.

"Konoha's supply team? Just these few people?" His gaze swept over Sakugo, lingered on the sword for a moment, then moved to Dai, a grin spreading across his face.

"There's one more, no, two more kappa."

"Green skin, watermelon head..."

"It's so ugly."

Juzo Biwa chuckled briefly, like a blade slicing through stone. "Kill him. Don't waste time."

Suigetsu Hozuki raised Samehada. The barbs on the greatsword opened like a shark's mouth, and chakra surged from the blade, forming a blue halo.

Shuoge drew his sword.

It wasn't an attack, it was a defense. He stood in front of the cart, his sword held horizontally in front of him, his three-tomoe Sharingan fixed on the six people.

He knew the disparity. One Chunin, three Genin, against six S-rank rogue ninja—this wasn't a battle, it was a massacre.

But he did not back down.

Behind him were supplies, the front line, and those who were waiting for this batch of medicine and explosive tags to survive.

"Kai, Hong, take the supplies and go." Shuoge's voice was calm. "Dai, you stay."

Kai was stunned for a moment. "What—"

He was stunned, partly because Shuoge told him to leave, and partly because Shuoge told his father to stay.

"Let's go!" Shuoge didn't turn around; Kai and Hong staying behind would only be a hindrance.

Matt Dai, ten thousand years of genin?

One of the three great hoaxes in the ninja world—Konoha's scary "genin"!

Hong grabbed Kai's arm and dragged him backward.

Kai struggled for a moment, but Red's hand was like an iron clamp, her nails digging into his flesh.

He'll be alright.

Hong's voice trembled, but she did not let go.

Kai gritted his teeth and followed Hong out of the canyon.

The cart remained where it was, with the three sealing scrolls on it; Shuoge hadn't taken them with him.

— Material capital is the bait.

Shuoge knew there wasn't much inside at all.

Dai stood next to Shuoge, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

"you also--"

The word "walk" had no way out, because the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon had moved.

Samehada cleaved down from above, carrying a blue chakra light, so fast that it tore the air apart.

Shuoge's sword met the attack, the blade colliding with Samehada, the sound of metal scraping together was as piercing as bones breaking.

Shuoge was forced back three steps, his hand went numb, and he almost dropped the knife.

Suigetsu Fuguki didn't stop; his second slash had already come down.

It moved.

His speed was so fast that Sakugo's Sharingan only saw a green shadow. His fist slammed into Suigetsu Hozuki's sword, deflecting Samehada.

Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon took a step back, looked at Dai, and his eyes changed.

"This guy..."

—Is he really just a genin?

When did Konoha's genin reach this level?

It can withstand his Samehada!

Dai did not answer.

He pulled his fist back, then threw it out again.

This time it wasn't a single punch, but a series of blows—the speed was so fast that the fist left afterimages in the air, and each punch slammed into Samehada's blade, forcing Suigetsu Hozuki to retreat repeatedly.

Pipa Juzo charged in from the side, his guillotine slashing across Dai's waist.

Dai jumped up, dodging the knife, and used the momentum of the blade to kick Biwa Juzo in the face. Biwa Juzo blocked with the blade but was kicked back two steps.

Shuoge's sword followed from behind, not to kill people, but to sever chakra.

Wind Release: Invisible Blade - An unseen wind flew from the tip of the blade, severing the chakra connection between Juzo Biwa and the Executioner's Blade.

Pipa Juzo paused for a moment, the knife slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. He bent down to pick it up, but Sakugo's knife was already in front of him.

Pipa Juzo retreated, dodging the blow, but did not pick up the Executioner's Blade.

Kuri-kai Kushimaru's longsword thrust in from the side, too fast for Sakugo to dodge. He parried with the blade, but the tip of the longsword pierced through the blade and emerged from the other side, embedding itself in Sakugo's left shoulder.

It's not deep, just skin and flesh.

But blood seeped from the wound, staining the cuffs red.

Shuoge did not retreat.

He loosened his grip on the hilt with his right hand, caught the sword with his left, and with a backhand slash, severed Kuri-kai Kushimaru's long sword.

The broken tip of the blade fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Kushimaru Kurihara stared at the half-broken longsword in his hand, his pupils contracting.

This knife had been with him for twenty years and had never been broken.

"That brat—"

He didn't finish speaking because Kai rushed back from behind.

A green shadow burst from the mist, slamming a punch into Kushimaru Kurihara's back.

Kushimaru was sent flying, crashing into the rock wall and sliding down, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Kai stood where he had been standing, his fist covered in blood, not his own.

His eyes turned red, not from Sharingan, but from anger.

"I said I'm not leaving," Kai said in a low voice.

Kurenai has returned. She stands to Sakugo's left, her hands forming hand seals; the illusion is complete. Chakra emanates from her fingertips, weaving a net that covers the entire canyon.

"Three people are enough," Hong's voice was steady.

Dai looked at them, his eyes a little red. He smiled, not a fawning smile, but a genuine, heartfelt smile.

"Okay. Let's do it together then."

Suigetsu Hozuki's expression changed. Not out of fear, but out of seriousness. He glanced at Kurishari Kushimaru, then at Biwa Juzo, and finally at Dai.

"The Eight Gates—" His voice was low. "You, a mere genin, actually know Konoha's forbidden technique, and you can even open it—"

Dai did not answer.

He pulled his fist back and placed it at his waist.

Chakra surged from his body, forming a layer of blue steam.

First door, open the door, open.

The second gate, the Rest Gate, is open.

The third gate, the gate of life, is open.

His skin began to turn red, and his veins bulged. He moved so fast that Shuoge's Sharingan could only see a blurry shadow.

The fourth gate, the wound gate, is open.

The fifth gate, the Du Gate, is now open.

The sixth gate, the View Gate, is open.

The body's water vapor bursts out at a speed so fast that the air is burning.

The Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon charged up.

Samehada, imbued with blue chakra light, slashed towards Dai.

Dai didn't dodge; instead, he punched Samehada's blade, bending it.

The Watermelon Pufferfish Demon was knocked back, his hand split open, blood sliding down the hilt of his sword. He looked down at his hand, then at Dai, and fear finally filled his pupils.

"The Seventh Gate—" Dai's voice changed; it was no longer the carefree, perennial genin, but something deeper, heavier. "The Gate of Shock, open!"

The green steam turned blue, moving so fast that even Shuoge's Sharingan couldn't keep up.

Dai's figure weaved through the canyon, each punch landing on one of the Seven Heroes.

Pipa Juzo was sent flying by a punch, crashing into the rock wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Wu Li Shenba was kicked in the chest, and the sound of his ribs breaking was crisp.

Tongcao Yeren used a blunt knife to parry, but the knife was bent by the impact, and he was sent flying, sliding several meters on the ground.

As Black Hoe Raiya's lightning blade slashed down, Dai dodged to the side and punched him in the shoulder, the sound of his shoulder blade shattering echoing through the canyon.

Kushimaru Kurihara was unable to stand up and was panting against the rock wall.

Suigetsu Hozuki was still standing, but his hands were trembling. Cracks had appeared on Samehada's blade, and chakra was leaking out. He looked at Dai, his lips quivering.

"What...what exactly are you?"

Dai didn't answer. His body was smoking, his skin was cracking, and blood was seeping from his pores, staining him red. His breathing was heavy, like a bellows.

But he was still standing, his fist still clenched.

He's getting ready to open the eighth door.

—Because he realized that the seventh gate alone was not enough to defeat the enemy before him; only the eighth gate…

Matt Day took a deep breath, his body trembling slightly from the pain.

His eyes hardened.

Shuoge saw it.

— Dai's hand was already on his waist, chakra was gathering, and the blue steam began to turn red.

Death Gate.

Those who open the gate of death will surely die.

Shuoge knew, Kai didn't know, and Hong didn't know.

But he knew.

Shuoge used a teleportation technique to rush forward and landed next to Dai.

"Stop!"

Dai didn't listen. His hands had already formed a hand seal—the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, open—

Shuoge's blade slammed into Dai's wrist, breaking his hand seal. Dai was stunned for a moment, looking at Shuoge. There was no anger, no confusion in those eyes, only weariness.

"you--"

"You underestimate me, don't you?" Shuoge's voice was calm as he released his hand from Dai's.

"It's not time for you to risk your life yet."

"And Kay is watching."

Dai's pupils contracted. He turned his head and looked at Kai.

The child stood in the fog, covered in blood—not his own, but the enemy's. His eyes were red, his lips trembled, but he didn't cry.

He looked at his father, wanting to say "no," but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

Sakugo turned around to face the remaining seven. Suigetsu Hozuki was still there, Biwa Juzo was still there, and Kurosuki Raiga was still there. The other three were no longer able to stand.

His sword was held horizontally in front of him, his three-tomoe Sharingan swirling in the mist, and the wind flowing over the blade.

-

"You should leave."

Shuoge held his knife horizontally in front of him, the notch on the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

The wound on his left shoulder was still bleeding, staining half of his sleeve red, but his breathing was steady, his hands were steady, and his three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated in the mist.

The Watermelon Pufferfish Demon looked at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"How dare a brat say such a thing?"

He raised Samehada, and blue chakra light exploded on the blade.

Pipa Juzo flanked from the left, his cleaver dragging on the ground, carving a deep furrow.

Black Hoe Raiya circled around from the right, his lightning blade crackling and sparking.

Three ninja swords, from three directions, blocked all of Sakugo's escape routes.

Shuoge did not retreat.

His left hand loosened from the hilt of the knife, forming a mudra.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough. A gust of wind erupts from his palm, not as an attack, but as acceleration—from his own body.

The wind pushed against his back, propelling him forward at such a speed that before Suigazan Fuguki's pupils could contract, Sakugo had already appeared in front of him.

A flash of light.

It's not a slash, it's a stab.

The Hatake-ryu throat-stabbing knife is pierced at a tricky angle and moves so fast that it tears the air apart.

Suigetsu Hobutsu used Samehada to parry, the tip of his blade piercing Samehada's blade and sparking a string of sparks.

Sakugo did not sheath his sword. With a flick of his wrist, the blade slid down the Samehada blade, slicing straight down into the fingers of Suigetsu Hobutsuki.

Suigetsu-san Fuguki let go, and Samehada slipped from his hand.

He took a step back, and Shuoge's knife was already at his chest. The tip of the knife pierced half an inch, and blood seeped from the wound.

Suigetsu Hozuki's pupils contracted—this brat really could kill him.

Pipa Juzo charged in from the side, his guillotine slashing across Sakugo's waist.

Sakugo's Sharingan had already seen it.

He drew his sword from the chest of the Water Spinach Fuguki, flipped in the air to dodge the guillotine, and used the momentum of the sword to kick at the face of the Hibiki Juzo.

Pipa Juzo blocked with the blade of his sword but was kicked back three steps.

Black Hoshiraiga's lightning blade slashed down from the right, crackling and exploding with electricity on the blade.

Shuoge didn't dodge; he met the attack with his sword. The blade collided with the lightning sword, and an electric current traveled along the blade, paralyzing his arm.

But his left hand had already formed the hand seal—Fire Release: Phoenix Fire.

Six fireballs flew from his palm, not at Black Hoshino Raiya, but at the ground beneath his feet.

The fireball exploded, sending debris flying. Black Hoe Raiya was forced to retreat, and the electricity in his Raiya blade was interrupted.

Shuoge regained feeling in his right hand, and swung his sword upwards, unleashing Wind Release: Invisible Blade. An unseen wind flew from the tip of the blade, slicing through Kurosugi Raiga's armor and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his chest.

Kurozuki Raiga looked down at the wound on his chest, then at Sakugo.

The brat stood in the mist, knife tip pointing downwards, blood dripping from the blade. His breathing was still steady, his hands were still steady, and his three-tomoe Sharingan was still red.

"Wind Release... Fire Release... Sharingan... and the Hatake-ryu swordsmanship..." Raiga Kurosuki's voice was low. "Is this brat—a monster?"

Suigetsu Hobutsu picked up Samehada and looked at the notch on the blade—the one left by Sakugo's tip.

His face looked terrible.

He glanced at Hibiki Juzo, then at Kurosuki Raiga, and finally at Sakugo.

"Let's go together."