Starting from the roots of Konoha, they were the masterminds behind the scenes.

Chapter 222 The Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the Eight Gates!

In the forest, three figures leaped and moved quickly. They were Might Guy, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui, who had become Chunin and had begun to act independently, leaving their team leaders.

Of course, they were not sent to the front line, but were assigned to the third line of defense, responsible for intercepting the Kirigakure who might infiltrate into the heart of the Land of Fire.

The Land of Fire is vast, and Konoha's military strength is insufficient, so it is impossible for them to defend it rigorously and make the defense line impenetrable.

Moreover, ninjas are known for their infiltration and penetration tactics.

Even the Fourth Shinobi World War was not like the Fourth Shinobi World War, where a large number of troops were gathered and then charged into battle.

It's more about infiltration and reverse infiltration, and the struggle for key nodes.

Large-scale battles often occur in crucial decisive battles.

"Someone's there!"

Genma Shiranui suddenly shouted.

The three of them immediately stopped.

Might Guy landed on the ground, while Genma Shiranui and Ebisu landed on a tree branch, just above and behind Might Guy.

At the same time, the figures on the opposite side also stopped.

"It's a Kirigakure ninja!"

Might Guy made a fighting gesture; there were four people opposite him.

"It's just three brats! Take them down!"

The four Mist Ninjas looked at Might Guy and his two companions with smiles on their faces, but their gazes were calm.

As soon as the words were spoken, the four figures vanished simultaneously.

"Be careful!"

Ebisu shouted loudly.

He and Genma Shiranui vanished almost simultaneously, and immediately afterward, shuriken were driven into the tree branches.

Ding!

The air crackled with the clang of metal, sparks flying everywhere.

After clashing with the enemy's ninja sword while holding a kunai, both of them landed on the ground. Genma Shiranui immediately leaped again, and his shuriken landed right where he had landed.

On the other side, Ebisu and Might Guy each engaged in close combat with a Mist Ninja, and the two were evenly matched.

But then a mist began to rise in the forest.

"Oh no, it's the Misty Concealment Technique!"

"Some of them might be skilled in silent assassinations!"

Genma Shiranui shouted a warning.

He had heard Xingxia Xiu mention the techniques of concealment through mist and silent assassination.

The warning sound had barely been rang out when a whooshing sound followed. Genma Shiranui immediately changed his position, dodging the attack from the shuriken.

After dodging, Genma Shiranui immediately unleashed the Water Release ninjutsu he had prepared.

Three columns of water rose up and surrounded him.

Immediately afterwards, Genma Shiranui formed hand seals and used the Water Clone Technique to replace his original body.

He had just finished using the clone technique and concealed his main body when two Mist Ninjas attacked.

While manipulating three water pillars, Genma Shiranui was also fighting against two Mist Ninja, but he was completely at a disadvantage and looked very disheveled.

Sudden.

The two mist ninjas retreated, followed by two surging streams of water.

Rumble!

The water flow converged and crashed, instantly destroying Genma Shiranui's water column, and he was knocked down by the current.

Snap snap snap~

The two mist ninjas sped along the current, knowing that such a current could not possibly sense a person.

One of them rapidly formed hand seals, and water snakes immediately condensed in the water, wrapping around Genma Shiranui's body.

Meanwhile, another person leaped up, thrusting his ninja sword down and precisely piercing through Genma Shiranui's body.

Whoosh!

Genma Shiranui's body collapsed into a stream of water.

"Water clone!"

The ninja's expression changed, but before he could retreat, a hand had already grabbed his foot.

Then, with a splash, the Mist Ninja was pulled into the water.

The other Mist Ninja couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear the sounds, including his companion's cries of alarm. He immediately knew something was wrong and charged forward to try and rescue his comrade.

However, Genma Shiranui acted even faster, slitting the enemy's throat before the rescue arrived. Blood gushed from the water, followed by the corpse.

The Mist Ninja rushed over to the rescue, only to see the corpses of their comrades. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, and there were no other sounds except for the sounds of fighting in the distance.

Underwater, Genma Shiranui slowly formed hand seals.

On the water's surface, the mist ninja coldly shouted, "You must still be hiding underwater, right?"

"How long can you hide?"

"You're about to burst."

"You're dead the moment you get out of the water. I'm going to chop your head off!"

He is provoking the enemy.

He can rush in as soon as the opponent shows a weakness.

A recent graduate like him probably doesn't have much chakra left, right?

Sudden.

The ninja heard the gurgling sound of water, but her smile froze as she exclaimed, "How is this possible?"

The water beneath his feet surged up at that moment, then converged into the air, transforming into a water dragon.

Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

The Mist Ninja never expected that a mere brat would master such a high-level technique. With a tremendous roar, the water dragon swooped down and crashed into the Mist Ninja, plunging him into the water. The terrifying impact caused him to spit blood from all seven orifices.

Huff~ Huff~

Genma Shiranui appeared on the water's surface, kneeling on one knee, panting heavily: "I hope... Ebisu and Gai can..."

His chakra was depleted too much, and he wouldn't be able to provide support in the short term.

but.

The two mist ninjas were dealt with, and the thick fog began to dissipate rapidly.

When the fog dissipated, the two fog ninjas paled, and while fighting Kai and the others, they had to spare some attention to guard against Genma Shiranui.

Most importantly, the deaths of their two comrades panicked them and robbed them of their will to fight.

Might Guy's intuition was extremely sharp. Without hesitation, he opened all three gates, and his speed and power increased dramatically. With just a few quick movements and creating illusions, he easily defeated his opponent with a single punch.

With his only companion killed, the remaining Mist Ninja completely lost the will to fight and immediately turned to flee.

Ebisu was not about to let such an opportunity slip by. He conjured a Rasengan in his hand and, taking advantage of the opportunity created by Genma Shiranui's shuriken, slammed the Rasengan into the enemy's back, sending the Mist Ninja flying.

Battle over! Total victory!

Having already consumed the soldier's rations, Genma Shiranui hurriedly said, "Guy, Ebisu, recover your strength as soon as possible. The Mist Ninja have already infiltrated this area, and we may encounter the enemy at any time."

"clear!"

Ebisu and Kai nodded in unison, then took out their soldier rations and rested.

Half an hour later, the three continued their journey.

This is not their defensive line yet.

Another hour passed, and the three arrived at the third line of defense, found the Jonin in charge, and received further instructions.

So, after only half an hour of rest, the three of them set off again and arrived at the designated location.

For the next period of time, the three of them will be responsible for patrolling and defending this area.

If you encounter a large number of enemies that you cannot withstand, you must fire a signal flare.

For three days in a row, the three of them did not encounter any enemies.

On the fourth day, Genma Shiranui and his two companions saw a signal flare rising into the sky and immediately went to the rescue without hesitation.

When the three arrived, the battlefield was in chaos, with fighting everywhere.

"Kai, Ebisu!"

Genma Shiranui glanced around and immediately locked onto a group of Kirigakure ninja.

It was a three-person team, fighting around two Konoha ninjas.

Might Guy and Ebisu immediately understood Genma Shiranui's meaning. They exchanged a glance, and the former immediately opened three gates and rushed forward at an extremely fast speed.

Next up was Ebisu, who gathered a Rasengan and, taking advantage of Might Guy's high-attack, high-speed attack that caught the enemy off guard, launched a sneak attack. The Rasengan hit directly, blasting a Mist Ninja away.

However, Ebisu was immediately kicked away by another enraged Kirigakure ninja.

"Such speed and such power!"

"Kai, watch out!"

Ebisu, who was unable to get up after hitting the tree trunk, shouted loudly.

Matt Kai shouted, "I understand!"

Bang bang bang!

Kai, having opened three gates, rushed forward to engage the enemy in close combat, using speed to his advantage and hold them off.

At this moment, Genma Shiranui also completed his ninjutsu.

Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

"Kai, scatter!"

Shiranui Genma shouted loudly.

The next moment, Kai's body flew backward, only to be kicked away by the enemy.

But he did it on purpose.

In such a battle, this is the only way to escape quickly.

Just as Kai was sent flying backward, the water dragon swooped down from the sky and smashed into the mist ninja.

With a thunderous roar, water gushed outwards, and a heavily injured Mist Ninja lay on the ground.

Kai glanced at it, then rushed towards another Mist Ninja.

Genma Shiranui glanced at Ebisu, then took out a kunai and charged forward.

It was three against two before, now it's four against one!

Three minutes later, the battle ended.

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Mist Ninja died, and two of Kai's crew members were injured, including Ebisu.

However, Ebisu suffered only minor injuries, while another Konoha Chunin was seriously injured, his left arm nearly being cut off by the last Kirigakure ninja.

After the battle here ended, Kai and his two companions immediately went to support the others.

The battle finally ended as the sun gradually set.

Ignoring the corpses strewn about, the exhausted Genma and his two companions plopped down on the ground and ate their soldier rations.

Xingxia Xiu had warned them that, whether on the battlefield or on a mission, they must recover their strength as quickly as possible and maintain a good condition.

Therefore, they immediately took soldier pills to restore their strength after the battle.

After resting enough, they carefully cleaned up the battlefield together with the others.

Night falls.

Ebisu, who was camping under a tree, couldn't help but say, "I wish Mr. Hide was here."

He misses the cabin under the stars.

"Do you think Teacher Xiu is really dead?"

Ebisu asked again.

Might Guy said, "I think Teacher Xiu is just injured."

Genma Shiranui paused for a moment before saying, "After all, there are four Kage."

The rumor circulating in Konoha is that Hoshino Shu was besieged by four Kage.

Meanwhile, rumors circulated in the ninja world that the four Kage had killed Hoshino, and that the Third Mizukage had died in battle.

This event was certainly very shocking, but the Fourth Shinobi World War broke out immediately afterward, so there was no time or space for it to ferment.

But no matter what, Kai still believed that Xingxia Xiu was not dead.

Genma Shiranui was somewhat pessimistic.

While Hoshino Shu is undoubtedly very powerful, he is still one of the four Kage.

Moreover, he is more mature than Ebisu and Might Guy.

If Hoshino Hideaki hadn't died, the other ninja villages wouldn't have attacked Konoha.

The three remained silent.

Nothing happened that night, and the next day, Kai and his two companions began their mission with renewed vigor.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and Kai and his two companions did not encounter any more enemies.

However, Ebisu, who was in charge of collecting supplies that day, brought back some news.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist infiltrated the rear.

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"

"They're all Jonin, how did these guys infiltrate?"

Genma Shiranui looked solemn.

If they were to encounter such a person, wouldn't they be completely wiped out?

Ebisu said, "Our defenses are too weak, and we lack sufficient troops."

"However, the village must already know about this, and they should send someone over soon."

Genma Shiranui sighed, "I hope so!"

Matt Kai said, "We shouldn't be that unlucky as to run into them, right?"

Swish!

Genma Shiranui and Ebisu both looked at Might Guy.

Kai scratched his head, looking bewildered. "What's wrong?"

Ebisu gritted his teeth and said, "It's best not to say things like that."

Genma Shiranui nodded: "It's bad luck!"

Kai chuckled sheepishly, "Oh, okay!"

After setting up the supplies and replenishing their own ninja tools, rations, and other supplies, they continued with their respective missions.

Meanwhile.

After news of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist reached Konoha, Might Guy couldn't sit still any longer and immediately left the village, rushing to the battlefield as fast as he could.

……

In the afternoon, looking at the seven strange Mist Ninja across from him, Genma Shiranui broke out in a cold sweat.

Wearing sunglasses, Ebisu gritted his teeth to keep from trembling: "Kai, you jinx!"

Matt Kai was also sweating profusely at this moment.

Seven Jonin!

Even against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, there was absolutely no chance of victory.

No, they couldn't even escape.

"Genma, Ebisu, I'll hold them off, you guys escape!"

Kai gritted his teeth and said.

Genma Shiranui immediately said, "Don't talk nonsense. They are the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Your Eight Gates Formation can only open up to the fifth gate at most. You are no match for them at all."

The fifth gate is the Gate of Du (杜门).

Once Guy opens this gate, his combat power can indeed be greatly enhanced. According to the previous evaluation by Hoshino Shu, he can be comparable to a special Jonin, but he can't maintain it for long.

Let alone stall them, Genma Shiranui doubted that the three of them would even have a chance to send out a distress signal when facing these seven people.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were quite relaxed as they watched the three trembling little ones.

"I didn't expect even a kid to know about us!"

The first to speak was Pipa Juzo.

Then, Raiga Kurosuki laughed and said, "I think we should give them a grand funeral!"

"Do as you please, but don't give them a chance to fire a signal flare."

Watermelon Pufferfish Demon said, "This should be the last line of defense. Don't be too careless."

Kushimaru Kurihara laughed and said, "Then leave it to me. Let's finish this quickly."

Just as he was about to move, he suddenly looked up and saw a green figure descending from the sky.

"dad!"

Matt Kai exclaimed, "You...how did you get here?"

"Get out of here! You're just a genin, but they're all jonin!"

Genma Shiranui and Ebisu were also surprised, but they quickly sensed that something was wrong.

"Kai, it seems Uncle Dai has also opened the Eight Gates."

Genma Shiranui.

Kai was immediately stunned, because his Eight Gates were opened by Xingxia Xiu, while Might Dai had not taught him, and he did not know that Might Dai knew the Eight Gates.

Might Guy turned his head slightly, gave a thumbs up, and smiled, saying, "Even if you can't escape, you must protect what's most important to you."

After saying that, Might Guy turned around, stared at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and opened the Seventh Gate.

boom!

A massive burst of chakra erupted, a shockwave swept through, and the green light turned blue.

Sensing this power, Pipa Juzo and the others couldn't help but change color.

Is this supposed to be a genin?

But Matt Dae didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately opened the Death Gate located in his heart, which is the Eighth Gate.

An even more terrifying power erupted, and the original blue true energy turned blood red.

boom!

Might Guy vanished, and the ground exploded.

boom!

Before Kushimaru Kurihara, who was about to make a move, could react, he was sent flying and killed instantly.

(End of this chapter)