Chapter 111: The First: Kushimaru Kuriarare

"A ninja unleashes their greatest power when protecting what they hold dear?"

Orochimaru turned his head to look at Yamanaka Chujiu: "Chujiu, you stopped me to make me believe in this—this green frog Genin."

"Just because he is hot-blooded and simple?" This book is first published on the preferred reading site Daily Reading Novels, ttks. tw, which is super awesome, providing you with an error-free and non-scrambled reading experience.

Yamanaka Chujiu nodded and said: "Of course not."

"Might Duy is indeed hot-blooded and simple-minded, but it is precisely this simplicity that allowed him to reach the extreme in the Eight Inner Gates."

"Might Duy is very strong, exceptionally strong!"

Orochimaru was slightly stunned: "The Eight Inner Gates, isn't that a useless Forbidden Jutsu from the Scroll of Seals? It is fundamentally impossible to master..."

"Wait, you mean..."

Yamanaka Chujiu nodded solemnly: "Yes, Teacher Orochimaru."

"Might Duy has successfully mastered it."

Orochimaru widened his eyes: "Konohagakure still has such a monster? And he is actually still a mere Genin?"

Yamanaka Chujiu curled his lip: "The Land of Fire is rich in resources and Konohagakure has a large population; it shouldn't be strange for any kind of genius to appear."

"As for Might Duy's Genin rank, I can only say that this is a manifestation of the Third Hokage's incompetence."

Orochimaru regained his composure: "Oh hehehe, what you say is very interesting. Then let me see just how incompetent my teacher Sarutobi really is, and what kind of genius ninja he missed out on."

"And I also happen to need a rest; running around looking for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist is quite tiring."

Yamanaka Chujiu smiled: "I will watch with you, Teacher."

"It's just that in the end, I will still need Teacher Orochimaru to save a life."

Orochimaru also smiled: "Rest assured, I know that opening the Gate of Death in the Eight Inner Gates means certain death, but with me, Orochimaru, here, 'certain death' won't happen."

"I am not as good as Tsunade at healing, but Tsunade is not as good as me at keeping someone alive."

Yamanaka Chujiu looked at the smug Orochimaru, raised his thumb, and praised: "As expected of Teacher Orochimaru, I shall wait and see!"

On the other side, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist heard Might Duy's declaration and all shook their heads with a sneer:

"How ridiculous. The weak can never defeat the strong; this is an iron-clad fact, unchanging since ancient times."

"Otherwise, why would the strong be called the strong?"

"Facing us, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he actually thinks that shouting a laughable slogan can reverse the disparity in power? How has this green-skinned frog lived until today?"

Might Duy ignored the mockery and ridicule of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist entirely; he focused all his attention on adjusting his chakra, preparing himself to risk his life.

He took one last look at his son, then resolutely stepped toward the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

As he walked, he said loudly: "I know no Ninjutsu, nor do I know Genjutsu. To protect the people I love, I have trained day after day, spending a full twenty years honing the only Ninjutsu-Taijutsu I can master: the 'Eight Inner Gates Formation'."

"My ninja way is all contained within it. Today, I will use the blood of you Mist Ninja to prove that my hard work was not in vain and that it can bloom with brilliance!"

There is no one in all of Konohagakure who is a purer believer in the Will of Fire than Might Duy; the Will of Fire has solidified within him into a heart of protection!

Now, the conviction to protect burns fiercely!

"Guy, do you remember the self-imposed rule I taught you?"

Guy recalled the instructions Duy gave him when teaching him the Eight Inner Gates and answered loudly: "I remember, Father!"

"That self-imposed rule was prepared for this very moment!"

"Seventh Gate, Gate of Shock! Open—"

Might Duy opened the Gate of Shock. This was the final gate before the Gate of Death; it proved his determination to fight to the death, yet also showed he was still reluctant to leave his son behind.

After the Gate of Shock opened, his chakra erupted crazily, his body temperature rose sharply, and sweat poured out in large quantities, evaporating instantly.

The steam produced by the evaporating sweat surrounded Might Duy like blue flames, making his presence look incomparably terrifying.

As his state stabilized, Might Duy unleashed even more violent chakra, and a shockwave boomed out, shattering and blowing away the earth and stones all around.

"What the hell is this chakra?"

"Why would a Genin have such terrifying chakra fluctuations?"

"What is that technique he mentioned?"

Feeling the massive chakra fluctuations erupting from Duy and seeing his momentum shaking the battlefield, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist could no longer sit still; they jumped up one after another, taking up fighting stances.

They no longer held the slightest bit of contempt, and each of them felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Because this was truly a powerful enemy capable of taking their lives!

"Children, stay away from me; don't get caught in the crossfire."

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were, after all, elites among the Mist Ninja; they did not foolishly wait for the enemy to strike, but instead launched their attack first.

The first to strike was Kushimaru Kuriarare, who held the Longsword Sewing Needle.

This guy was over two meters tall with a streamlined physique; he was like a cheetah, possessing great impact and explosive power, a typical speed-type ninja.

After launching his attack, he appeared in front of Duy in an instant.

That longsword, known for being able to pierce through everything, cleanly and decisively pierced through Duy's heart.

The three young Genin screamed in fright, and the tension on the faces of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist began to ease; they even started to mock again: "The momentum was scary, so it turns out..."

Orochimaru's golden slit pupils flashed slightly: "Truly impressive..."

Yamanaka Chujiu, however, had an "it should be like this" attitude, watching Might Duy's heart being pierced without being moved.

Because he knew that Might Duy, having opened the seventh gate, was one of the fastest ninjas in the Ninja World.

The only ones who could surpass him in speed were the late Fourth Hokage and the Fourth Raikage, who had been defeated in frustration.

Among the ninjas present, not a single one could exceed Duy in speed.

Kushimaru Kuriarare's sneak attack was merely showing off before an expert, nothing more than self-humiliation.

His greatest speed was like an ant's before Duy.

Sure enough, the Duy who had been pierced through the heart turned into an afterimage and quickly faded away.

Only then did Kushimaru Kuriarare realize he had struck an afterimage!

At the same time, a terrifying threat of death suddenly descended, scaring him into a panic, and he desperately used Body Flicker to escape.

Unfortunately, the speed he took such pride in was meaningless before Might Duy.

Might Duy's figure appeared beside Kushimaru Kuriarare, his fist wrapped in blue Qi flames blasting through the air, shattering the defense and landing solidly on his abdomen.

Kushimaru Kuriarare's body was nearly snapped in two by the punch; intense pain eroded his nerves, and his brain entered a blank state of self-protection.

Kushimaru Kuriarare was sent flying into mid-air by the immense force, violently spitting out a mouthful of blood that trickled down his mask.

While his upward momentum was still ongoing, Might Duy appeared above him and kicked down from the sky.

Boom!

An irresistible, immense force pierced through Kushimaru Kuriarare's body; like a ragdoll, he was twisted into a bizarre, backward-bending posture, whistling as he crashed downward.

Boom!

Before he could fall to the ground, Might Duy landed first, striking his face directly with a Rising Dragon Fist, instantly shattering the terrifying mask.

Kushimaru Kuriarare was knocked back into the sky again, no longer able to control his body, and the Longsword Sewing Needle in his hand was flung away.

Then, he was intercepted by Might Duy once more and struck back down.

Next, he was knocked back into the sky again!

Might Duy's strikes changed from the rhythmic "Boom! Boom! Boom!" to a continuous, unbroken "Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom—"