"Was it already this powerful with just a single strike?"
From the rear, Kiyohara watched quietly.
Might Duy had reduced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into what could only be described as the "Lucky Trio," a display so terrifying it defied belief.
At the same time, Kiyohara also noticed that fragments had been blasted away, none of them landing in the nearby bushes. For a moment, it was unclear where exactly they had gone.
"Senior Duy, do you… have any last wishes?"
Kiyohara was the first to walk forward.
He knew that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had already been crippled by Might Duy. As for the three who escaped, none of them would dare to turn back.
With Might Duy in his current state, looking as though he could lose his last breath at any moment, there was no hope of survival—unless someone possessed a power on the level of Six Paths Naruto's Yin–Yang Release. Otherwise, there was no saving him.
Hearing this, Might Duy stiffly turned around.
Once the Gate of Death was opened, the process was irreversible.
All chakra, all blood—everything that could burn would be burned to its absolute limit.
In the end, only what remained would be like firewood reduced completely to ashes—charcoal.
"Last wishes… this is precisely the youth I have always longed to burn."
The blood-red steam swirling around Might Duy gradually dissipated.
His body, too, was continuously collapsing and breaking apart, scattering away.
At that moment, Might Guy, Ebisu, and another shinobi emerged from the forest, weaving through the trees.
Clearly, after sensing the tremendous disturbance here, Might Guy could no longer put his mind at ease and had come to search for his father.
"Dad."
The moment Might Guy saw Might Duy's condition, he knew—without a doubt—that his father had opened the Gate of Death.
And the Gate of Death was something irreversible.
Once opened, there was only one ending: death.
"Do not cry, Guy. Death is not the end. At this moment, it is the very climax of youth."
Hearing his father's words, Might Guy clenched his teeth and lifted his head, doing his utmost to stop the tears from falling.
To cry now would be an insult to his father.
"Every generation has its own things it must do. I can only help you up to this point, Guy."
Might Duy gazed at his son with eyes full of boundless affection.
This was the meaning of the "Will of Fire."
Passed down from generation to generation, the flame never extinguished.
Now, he would pass this fire of youth to Might Guy. What came next would depend entirely on Guy himself.
"I understand, Dad."
Might Guy's tear-streaked face grew ever more resolute.
"Kiyohara and Kakashi are both excellent companions. Do not let them down. Go and spill your youth together with them."
Might Duy's voice grew weaker and weaker.
In the end, he revealed a broad smile, raised his thumb, and flashed a set of gleaming white teeth.
The next instant, countless magma-like cracks spread across the surface of his body, those fissures gradually dimming.
Finally, everything turned to dust, drifting away on the wind—
Carried toward the distant horizon.
This was a man who, having elevated himself to the utmost limit, bloomed with the most brilliant radiance of all.
Even Kiyohara, rarely so affected, fell silent.
This world was simply like that.
Some people trained bitterly for twenty years just to achieve a single fleeting moment of brilliance.
Others were born already possessing everything.
Yet no matter what, the vast majority of shinobi lived out their lives in obscurity, passing through the world without leaving a mark.
The will that Might Duy unleashed here was more than enough to leave a profound and lasting impact on Might Guy.
He was dead—and yet, it was as though he would live on forever.
"Recover the shinobi tools."
In the end, it was Akiyama Shoma, the captain of the escort unit, who stepped forward and ordered his men to retrieve the weapons.
Specifically, the four shinobi blades:
the Blunt Blade Kabutowari,
the Twin Blades Hiramekarei,
the Sewing Needle, Nuibari,
and the Explosive Blade Shibuki.
"Let's move. Don't linger here."
After seeing his subordinates retrieve the fallen weapons, Akiyama Shoma spoke.
Spending time searching for fragments of the Executioner's Blade was meaningless now. The enemy could return at any moment. Continuing the journey was the priority.
Their most important mission was to escort the Hyūga main family safely away.
"Yes, Captain Shoma."
One of Akiyama Shoma's subordinates, a chūnin, nodded quickly.
Kakashi patted Might Guy on the shoulder. Might Guy bent down, picked up the remnants of his father's clothing left on the ground, and silently nodded to Kakashi in return.
The others began tidying up one after another. The Byakugan users scanned the surroundings while the route was replanned.
The disturbance here had been far too great. Continuing along the original path would likely result in an ambush.
Watching the shinobi retrieve the four swords, Kiyohara couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy. Still, he knew that none of these items were something he could take. They could only be handed over to the authorities.
The swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen held immense symbolic significance for Kirigakure.
They would spare no cost to reclaim them.
Thus, Kiyohara knew that even if they were seized now, under Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership, they would still have to be returned obediently.
"My future self."
Kiyohara tapped lightly on the urn with his thoughts.
The spiritual form of Magnet Release Kiyohara appeared once more.
Kiyohara briefly explained the situation, saying that if he could obtain a fragment, it would increase the chances of defeating Pakura.
"Is that so."
Magnet Release Kiyohara crossed his arms, well aware that Kiyohara didn't just want to use this to defeat Pakura—he wanted to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
He partially possessed Kiyohara's right hand, transforming chakra into magnetic force.
A peculiar magnetic pull emanated from Kiyohara's hand, and under the cover of night, a small fragment flew over and landed in his palm.
"I paid attention earlier. No Byakugan users were watching this area," Magnet Release Kiyohara said, releasing the possession.
"Thanks."
Kiyohara felt a surge of joy in his heart.
This was the greatest gain of all.
Although it wasn't a fragment of the Lightning Blade Kiba, which left him somewhat regretful, obtaining a fragment of the Executioner's Blade still made him extremely pleased.
Each of the Seven Ninja swords possessed its own unique effect.
The Executioner's Blade's defining ability was its capacity to absorb the iron content in an enemy's blood to repair itself, as well as siphon blood to restore stamina—hence why it was regarded as an unbreakable blade.
If he could fuse it into his own sword, just how much maintenance money would he save?
"This fragment, once melted down, could probably be thinly plated along the blade's edge."
Kiyohara weighed the fragment in his hand, then quietly slipped it into his shinobi pouch.
The Executioner's Blade was the largest among the seven swords, so this fragment was correspondingly sizable.
Now, the real question was how to melt and integrate this fragment.
The team continued their retreat amid an oppressive silence.
The image of Might Duy turning to drifting ash was deeply etched into everyone's mind.
It was a kind of tragic grandeur born of utter combustion, mixed with the sorrow of losing a comrade and the relief of having survived—a complex, indescribable emotion.
Akiyama Shoma directed the team forward at speed until they were dozens of li away from the battlefield, finally ordering a rest once they reached a concealed valley.
Everyone's stamina had been severely depleted and desperately needed recovery.
The Land of Whirlpools was vast—so vast that they still needed another two hours to reach the coast.
And that was calculated based on a shinobi's pace.
Along the way, they had primarily focused on avoiding enemies, constantly detouring, which was why so much time had been spent.
Had there been no enemies, they would probably already be back in the Land of Fire by now.
Here, only the faint rustling of people eating dry rations could be heard. No one lit a campfire, to avoid revealing their position.
Might Guy sat with his head lowered, while Ebisu and the other companion silently stayed by his side.
Kakashi leaned against a rock wall, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Kurenai assisted Rin in tending to the Hyūga clansmen who had suffered minor injuries during the earlier shockwave.
(End of Chapter)