Chapter 244
To be honest, Haruto Saito had no idea. The original story never mentioned the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from this era. In fact, it never even stated when they first appeared.
The earliest generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist referenced in the original work existed during the Third Great Ninja War. Their most glorious battle record was fighting Might Duy head-on, where both sides suffered heavy losses. Might Duy perished in that battle, and most of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen also died.
Might Duy, the father of Might Guy, was recorded in the original work as the first taijutsu ninja to master the Eight Gates Release Formation. He was known as the "Eternal Genin," having trained tirelessly for two or three decades without ever advancing beyond Genin—at least, when not using the Eight Gates.
Each time a gate was opened, the user's power would increase exponentially. Opening all eight gates would grant power dozens of times greater than an average Kage!
A truly terrifying force!
However, in the original story, it was Might Guy who, in the Eight Gates state, possessed power dozens of times greater than a Kage. Might Guy with all Eight Gates opened had Six Paths-level combat power, strong enough to clash head-on with Six Paths Madara!
This is why he earned the title Emperor Guy!
As for Might Duy, Haruto Saito always believed that he wasn't as strong as his son in the Eight Gates state. The fundamental gap between them was too significant. Might Guy was already a Jonin without using the Eight Gates, whereas Might Duy, without them, was just a Genin!
That said, this was only relative. Even if Might Duy couldn't reach Six Paths level, his Eight Gates state would still place him at the pinnacle of the Super Kage tier.
And if the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist during the Third Great Ninja War were strong enough to fight Eight Gates Might Duy head-on, then each of them—if not all Kage-level—had at least a few members at Kage level, with the rest being close to that tier!
Every generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was a force to be feared. Any one of them alone would be classified as an S-rank assassination target. Even more terrifying, they operated as a team. Their combined combat power was not just an addition of individual strengths; their synergy amplified their strength exponentially.