"It's really them... Tsunade... Why are they here?" Haruto Saito stared intently, murmuring to himself.
He could infer everything else—if Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had entered the Poison Forest, they would have been discovered by the Blue Feather Eagle and subsequently located by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. That was only logical!
The only real question was: why were they here?
Haruto quickly scanned the surrounding forest.
Everywhere was a scene of destruction. The forest had been ravaged—trees lay burning, signs of flooding and lightning strikes were visible in all directions!
He had no idea how long they had been fighting, but the sheer devastation suggested it had been quite a while.
It had been many years since a battle of this scale had occurred in the Poison Forest!
Both sides stood in a tense standoff.
They all appeared injured.
From the current situation, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had completely surrounded Tsunade and her team, giving them the clear advantage. There was no need to analyze further—individually and as a unit, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were simply much stronger!
Momochi Akagen was speaking, but Haruto couldn't hear what he was saying due to the distance.
Suddenly!
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist moved simultaneously! Tsunade and her team responded in kind—the battle erupted once again!
Tsunade looked pale and exhausted, her face showing clear signs of fatigue. Though her body bore bloodstains, no wounds were visible, a clear indication that she had been injured before but had already healed herself.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening sounds of battle echoed continuously from a distance!
Tsunade and her team fought while retreating, attempting to shake off the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. But that was easier said than done! The Swordsmen clung to them like leeches, refusing to let go!
Haruto observed a little longer before swiftly descending the cliff, heading straight for the battlefield!
He was going to fight!
Of course, he was going to fight!
For Tsunade!
With his current strength, Haruto was fully capable of facing non-Kage-level members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist head-on. He couldn't take on all seven alone—he wasn't that reckless—but with Tsunade and the others holding off most of them, he could definitely pull off some surprise attacks!
That was exactly what he planned to do!
Ambush them!
Catch them off guard!
Give them all a nasty surprise!
...
On the battlefield, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were locked in fierce combat with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Momochi Akagen led the charge against Tsunade, with two others assisting in the attack. The remaining four split into pairs to take on Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
The Swordsmen had the clear advantage in numbers!
Tsunade and her team never dared to stray too far from each other, always assisting one another. They knew very well that if they got separated and surrounded, they would be finished!
Haruto stealthily crept closer, concealing himself in the shadows before activating his Byakugan!
He needed to fully assess the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—their identities, abilities, and specialties!
The strongest among them wasn't Momochi Akagen. In terms of reputation, two others were on par with him. However, since Momochi Akagen was their leader, his reputation included his status, meaning these two could actually be slightly stronger than him!
Haruto observed closely. His first attack had to be carefully chosen!
Because he only had one perfect opportunity to strike!
After this, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist would be aware of his presence and be on guard. That would make further ambushes much harder!
He studied them for a full thirty seconds before finally selecting his target!
**Name:** Ringo Arashi
**Affiliation:** Kirigakure Assassination Tactical Special Forces, Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist
**Reputation:** 18,946 points
**Disposition:** Hostile
**Specialties:** Swordsmanship prodigy, adept in Lightning Release
Ringo Arashi was short, cold-faced, and around thirty years old. At that age, a near-Kage-level shinobi was undeniably a prodigy! He had exceptional talent in swordsmanship and Lightning Release, wielding the twin-bladed **Thunder Swords: Kiba**, one of the legendary Seven Swords.
Those short blades carried deadly curved spikes.
Haruto chose him as his assassination target for two reasons:
1. He was relatively weak, with a lower reputation and strength.
2. His combat style relied on close-range combat with swordsmanship and Lightning Release, meaning he lacked strong long-range abilities—perfect for Haruto to exploit!
It was time to strike!
"Alright, buddy, let me send you straight to hell!"
Haruto muttered, slipping through the grass as he swiftly closed in on Ringo Arashi!
...
Ringo Arashi was focused on fighting Orochimaru! He wasn't Orochimaru's equal, but with an ally assisting him, he had managed to maintain the upper hand!
His ally, Renmu Fukuoka, wielded the **Sewing Needle Blade**, and had a reputation exceeding 23,000 points—far stronger than Ringo!
"Ninjutsu: Pit Dragon Path!"
Orochimaru swiftly completed a series of hand seals, dark chakra waves surging around him!
The ground before him suddenly caved in—a hundred-meter-wide pit appeared as if the earth had been hollowed out. Ringo Arashi and his ally plummeted into the depths, only to be swarmed by countless white serpents lunging at them!
"Water Release: Waterfall Crush!" Renmu Fukuoka executed a Water Release jutsu!
WHOOSH!
A terrifying torrent of water flooded into the pit, washing away the serpents before transforming into a massive flood aimed at Orochimaru!
Meanwhile, Ringo Arashi leapt up, forming hand seals!
"Lightning Release: Thunder Strike!"
Combining his special twin swords with his Lightning Release, he unleashed two colossal bolts of lightning—
Not at Orochimaru, but into the water itself!
Lightning fused with water!
The result—a devastatingly powerful electrified flood hurtling toward Orochimaru!
"Explode!" Orochimaru uttered a single word.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The water surging toward Orochimaru suddenly erupted into continuous explosions—the white serpents in the water had all detonated!
Water splashed dozens of meters into the air, blocking everyone's vision. Orochimaru successfully neutralized the attack—if he hadn't, the electrified flood would have been dangerous for both Tsunade and Jiraiya as well!
Ringo Arashi and Renmu Fukuoka immediately positioned themselves on opposite sides of the pit, closing in on Orochimaru in a pincer formation!
The water was still cascading down from above, shrouding the battlefield in a heavy mist under the cover of night.
Ringo Arashi moved swiftly, his body low to the ground—
Suddenly!
A kunai shot out from the darkness, attached to a chakra thread linked to an explosive tag!
Ringo sensed the attack from behind! Reacting instantly, he dodged to the side, but the explosive tag still detonated just two meters away!
BOOM!!!
A massive fireball erupted into the sky!
But the real nightmare was just beginning…