Did the Seven Swords Escape?

"Kyōichi-sama, I truly admire you. This is a member of the Hōzuki clan. How did you manage it?" Gekkō Hayate couldn't contain his curiosity.

Kyōichi had previously saved Hayate, so his address of "sama" was utterly sincere.

"With the help of Senior Hayama, otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to capture him," Kyōichi replied with a smile.

Hayama Shirakumo's old face turned red as he waved his hand and said, "Oh, it was nothing. I just used a Great Breakthrough. It was Kyōichi-sama who, despite the danger, investigated and located the slightest disturbance. He then used Earth Release to lock the position and immobilized the enemy with a single sword strike."

"Earth Release?" "A single sword strike?"

The three Jōnin nearby exchanged looks of amazement.

Using Earth Release to pin down a member of the Hōzuki clan...

It was a striking image!

Theoretically feasible, but the Hōzuki clan aren't fools; they wouldn't just wait for Kyōichi to capture them.

This meant that Kyōichi's hand seals and sword speed were incredibly fast, faster than the enemy could react.

And then there was the Thunder God's Sword!

All of them were Jōnin, they could infer much from just a few words.

They all admired Kyōichi secretly.

Even with the Thunder God's Sword, they doubted they could capture a Hōzuki clan member.

"By the way, besides the Hōzuki clan member, we also encountered a Mist ninja with light green hair. Does anyone know who he is? I suspect he might be one of the leaders of this invasion," Kyōichi said gravely.

"Light green hair?"

Hayate Gekkō frowned, thinking hard, then his eyes lit up, "I remember now, his name is something Yagura, I don't know his full name, but he must be an important figure."

"I've heard that the Third Mizukage has been having health issues in recent years and rarely appears in public, delegating many tasks to a subordinate," Shirakumo Hayama added.

Though Shirakumo Hayama was no longer in Anbu, he had traveled to many places, including the Hidden Mist Village, until this year.

"If that's the case, it could very well be him," Kyōichi said solemnly.

"No wonder he's so powerful," Shirakumo Hayama nodded.

He then described how Yagura had tried to rescue the Hōzuki clan member Chikage.

Upon hearing this, Hayate Gekkō and the others became solemn.

Such strength...

At least an elite Jōnin.

Kyōichi's suspicions seemed highly likely!

"Let's wait for Inoichi first," Kyōichi concluded after some thought, deciding not to dwell on it further.

Speculation was fruitless.

They were still unaware of the enemy's stronghold. Even if they could identify Yagura, it wouldn't be helpful, especially since Kyōichi was not in a position to divulge Yagura's identity or specific abilities.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Inoichi, arrived shortly after, teleporting in hastily.

"I've dug up quite a lot! He's a big shot!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"What did you find out?" Kyōichi immediately stood up.

"This man is called Hōzuki Senkei. His brother, Hozuki Mangetsu, is a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.."

"In addition, the other person you clashed with is called Yagura Karatachi, a strong contender for the next Mizukage. He has been handling the affairs of the Hidden Mist Village recently and is very powerful," I explained.

"However, the Hōzuki clan also aspires to the position of the Fourth Mizukage, so some members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist don't really heed Yagura's commands."

I slowly relayed the gathered intelligence.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn.

This intelligence, if they had to find it themselves, would likely cost many spies and might still remain unknown. Now, having captured a living member of the Hōzuki clan, they knew everything.

As expected.

The Hōzuki clan did hold many secrets.

After a moment of contemplation, Kyōichi clapped his hands, "This is bad. By capturing Hōzuki Senkei, we've alerted the enemy. If Yagura pressures them, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen might follow his orders."

"There's no other way. How else would we have gotten this intelligence?" Inoichi shook his head, understanding Kyōichi's point.

If the Swordsmen didn't obey commands, it could lead to chaos, potentially ending disastrously for them. Now, with Kyōichi capable of capturing Hōzuki members, the situation was entirely different.

Kyōichi could only sigh.

He and Inoichi weren't on the same page.

Given the current situation, the Swordsmen wouldn't infiltrate as they did in the original timeline. Kyōichi had hoped to ambush and capture them all in one swoop.

He sighed again and then asked, "Senior Inoichi, did they retreat because they discovered us?"

Inoichi nodded.

"That explains it. No wonder there were so many unprocessed details. If only I had been quicker..."

Shirakumo Hayama slapped his thigh in frustration.

If they had a strong sensory ninja in their team, they might have had a chance to intercept the enemy earlier.

Unfortunately, the strongest sensor was himself, and he was only half-trained!

"Considering the strength Yagura has shown, it might not have been good even if you caught up," Kyōichi shook his head.

Shirakumo Hayama was relatively strong, but what about the others?

A great explosion of water from Yagura would take out Might Guy and the others, leaving Shirakumo Hayama helpless.

After all, the opponent was a potential "Kage" successor. The idea of defeating him in one strike was unrealistic.

"Let me deliver the intelligence scroll. I can have a slug help and send it directly to Tsunade," Kyōichi offered.

"Really? That would be great," Inoichi couldn't refuse.

Transporting intelligence was risky, but with a summoning animal, the risk was almost nil. He was more than happy!

Then, Inoichi understood.

No wonder Kyōichi was chosen as the commander.

Aside from his strength and sharp mind, there was another important reason – Tsunade!

This was paving the way for Tsunade.

Given the current situation, the Third Hokage might be considering retirement, and the best choice would undoubtedly be Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage and student of the Third.

Her heritage, position, experience, and prestige were all impeccable!

Kyōichi knew he couldn't hide it from Inoichi.

In the original timeline, Inoichi showed great wisdom.

How could someone in the intelligence division not be sharp-minded?

Kyōichi took the scroll, summoned a slug clone, and had the slug help deliver the intelligence.

This task was routine for the slug.

Seeing the same type of summoning animal as Tsunade and considering Kyōichi's medical ninjutsu skills, everyone was stirred again – the arts of the slug!

Thinking of Kyōichi's performance in the second round of the Chūnin Exams, Inoichi asked, "Kyōichi-sama, how effective is your slug technique?"

"It should last a while. I think I can cover about three kilometers around me. I'm not sure how long or effective it is exactly. Also, I have a secret technique that can absorb chakra, but the conversion rate is only one-third, and it's not very fast," Kyōichi explained his capabilities.

Regarding slugs and medical ninjutsu, there was no need to hide anything from Konoha. Sharing this would earn everyone's respect.

Little did he know, this information astonished Inoichi.

Inoichi originaly thought that Kyōichi's range and duration would be a lot more limited.

But the effect...

While not on Tsunade's level, was still remarkable.

Moreover, Kyōichi could absorb chakra...

Even with a one-third conversion rate, this ability's impact on the battlefield was profound.