The Seven Ninja Swordsmen scanned their surroundings and confirmed—
Only three Konoha ninja were trapped within their encirclement.
At once, their expressions grew cautious.
"The Uchiha who injured me with that kunai isn't here."
Jinpachi Munashi spoke in a low voice.
"Forget about him. He probably ran away in fear."
"Heh! Killing these three is just as good!"
Fuguki Suikazan grinned viciously.
Swinging Samehada, he leapt down from a tree—
Slashing horizontally toward Sarutobi Shun's waist.
At the same time, two other members attacked Hyuga Koji and Uzuki Sena.
The remaining four stayed back, guarding against any hidden threat.
Their coordination revealed one thing clearly—
They were seasoned killers.
Facing Fuguki's sudden assault, Sarutobi Shun's expression shifted.
But he didn't panic.
"That Uchiha you mentioned?"
"Yeah, he ran away like a coward!"
"The one who'll kill you today… is me—Sarutobi Shun!!"
As he spoke, two strange weapons appeared in his hands.
He raised them to block Samehada with all his strength—
But the overwhelming force sent him flying the instant they clashed.
Boom!
His body slammed into a tree over ten meters away, blood spraying from his mouth.
Before he could recover—
Fuguki was already upon him again, grinning.
"You think you can turn this around with your pathetic strength?"
"Next life… learn your place."
With another brutal swing—
Boom!
Sarutobi Shun and the massive tree behind him were cut clean in half.
But at that exact moment—
Poof!
The body turned into a log.
Substitution Jutsu.
Fuguki sneered.
"Not bad, kid… but that's as far as you go!"
Before he finished speaking—
He spun and kicked backward.
Sarutobi Shun, who had just reappeared to launch a sneak attack, was struck head-on—
As if he had thrown himself into the blow.
He was sent flying over twenty meters, crashing into another tree and coughing up blood.
Elsewhere—
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms… Rotation!!"
Hyuga Koji was locked in battle with Kushimaru Kuriarare.
Nuibari, the man's weapon, was like a giant needle over a meter long.
His attacks were swift and unpredictable.
Even while injured, he completely suppressed Koji—
Forcing him to activate the Hyuga clan's absolute defense.
"How long can you keep that up?"
Kushimaru's voice was cold as he attacked from every direction, seeking an opening.
Meanwhile—
Seeing both teammates overwhelmed, Uzuki Sena, as a medical ninja, was at a complete loss.
In that brief moment of distraction—
A sinister voice whispered behind her.
"What are you looking at?"
Her body trembled.
She turned around in horror—
Only to see a massive hammer crashing toward her head.
Kabutowari.
Jinpachi Munashi's weapon.
Just as the blow was about to land—
Two kunai shot out from the shadows.
One aimed at his heart.
The other at his throat.
"He's here!!"
Jinpachi's expression changed drastically.
He immediately withdrew his attack to defend.
This time, reacting head-on—
He barely managed to save himself.
But the chance to kill Uzuki Sena was lost.
And for the first time—
He felt shaken.
The other four idle members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen saw everything clearly.
Hearing Jinpachi's warning, they immediately entered combat readiness.
But scanning the battlefield—
There was no sign of the enemy.
Everything had happened in an instant.
Then—
A wave of scorching heat surged from behind.
Firelight illuminated the dark forest.
The four turned sharply—
And saw it.
A massive fireball, over ten meters in diameter, roaring toward them.
Its speed and power were overwhelming.
They leapt in different directions to evade.
But—
It was as if their escape routes had already been calculated.
The moment they moved—
Four massive water spheres suddenly formed behind them.
Splash!
In an instant—
All four were trapped within water prisons.
"So that's the Uchiha brat…"
On Fuguki's side, the battle was already decided.
Against a mere Chunin, it had taken longer than expected.
As he turned, he saw his teammates being restrained.
Dragging Samehada downward—
He tore across Sarutobi Shun's shoulder, pinning him to the tree as blood sprayed outward.
Sarutobi was already on the brink of death.
Fuguki grinned, then glanced toward Kushimaru, who had also disengaged.
"There!"
Kushimaru leapt into the air, charging toward the darkness ahead.
But the moment he moved—
Three kunai shot out from the shadows.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
If he didn't retreat, at least one would strike.
Forced to defend, he swung Nuibari to block—
But the impact knocked him back to the ground.
"So this is that Uchiha…"
Fuguki's expression turned serious.
Jinpachi, still shaken from earlier, reappeared nearby and stared into the darkness.
"It looks like…"
"…taking him down won't be easy."