Might Guy stood between Kakashi and the advancing Root operatives. A dense, roaring aura of blue steam radiated from his body—the physical manifestation of his evaporating sweat, superheated by the sheer friction and energy of the open Gates. The pressure in the clearing was suffocating.
"Guy, go back," Kakashi rasped from the ground, his body entirely paralyzed by chakra exhaustion. "This has nothing to do with you. Do not throw your life away for my vengeance."
Kakashi's Internal Monologue: Tonight was a suicide mission. I intended to kill Danzo and die in the process. But Guy's presence changes the variables. I cannot allow him to be branded a traitor and executed by the village because of my personal vendetta.
Guy did not turn around. He simply gave a thumbs-up over his shoulder.
"My father taught me that the Eight Inner Gates are a forbidden power with a strict condition," Guy stated, his voice devoid of its usual comedic tone. "They are only to be opened to protect something precious. You are my most important rival and friend, Kakashi. I will protect you, even if it costs me my life. That is the proof of my youth!"
Kakashi closed his eyes, overwhelmed by a complex mix of frustration and profound gratitude. The village had lied to him, manipulated him, and desecrated his father's memory, but Guy—acting in direct defiance of the village hierarchy—was willing to die for him.
Ten meters away, Danzo Shimura sneered.
"Kill them both," Danzo commanded coldly.
The Root operatives surged forward. They possessed no concept of camaraderie or bonds; Danzo's word was absolute law.
Guy intercepted them in a blur of blue light.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
Despite operating in the Seventh Gate, Guy consciously pulled his punches. He shattered bones and knocked operatives unconscious, but avoided lethal strikes.
Guy's Internal Monologue: These are Konoha shinobi. They are my comrades from the village. I only need to incapacitate them to secure Kakashi's escape.
However, Root operatives were trained to ignore pain. Several of the shinobi Guy had severely injured dragged their broken bodies across the dirt, crawling past Guy to plunge their kunai into the paralyzed Kakashi's throat.
Seeing their relentless intent to murder his defenseless friend, a fierce anger ignited in Guy's eyes. The illusion of 'comrades in the village' shattered.
Guy abandoned all restraint.
In a terrifying display of speed and power, Guy systematically executed fourteen Root operatives in less than fifteen seconds, crushing skulls and chests with lethal precision.
Watching his newly recalled elite force get decimated in seconds, Danzo felt a spike of panic. Jin Uchiha had slaughtered his primary forces yesterday, and now this eccentric taijutsu specialist was annihilating his reserves.
Danzo bit his thumb, smearing blood on his palm, and slammed it into the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Baku!"
System Explanation: Summoning Jutsu is a space-time ninjutsu that transports an animal or entity to the user's location via a blood contract.
A monstrous, elephant-like chimera the size of a small mountain materialized behind Danzo. Baku immediately inhaled, generating a localized hurricane to suck Guy into its massive, crushing jaws.
Guy anchored his feet into the shattering earth. He pulled his fist back, compressing the air around his arm to absolute density.
"Daytime Tiger!" (Hirudora)
System Explanation: Daytime Tiger is not ninjutsu. It is an advanced taijutsu technique that punches a highly compressed pocket of air forward. The air expands explosively upon impact, creating a blast radius comparable to a high-yield bomb.
A roaring tiger formed of pure, pressurized white air shot forward. It ripped through the vacuum of Baku's suction and slammed directly into the massive beast. The resulting shockwave obliterated Baku instantly, reducing the giant summon to a mist of blood before it could even fully manifest.
Danzo was blown backward by the gale-force winds, his eyes wide with utter disbelief.
Danzo's Internal Monologue: Impossible. Might Guy is widely considered a taijutsu simpleton. Yet this destructive output easily surpasses Kage-level! Even Hiruzen would struggle against this power. If I engage him now, with my Izanagi reserves dangerously low, I will die.
Danzo immediately rationalized his cowardice. 'I am the foundation of the village. I must endure this humiliation and survive to guide Konoha's future. Retreat is a strategic necessity.'
Without a second thought, Danzo turned and vanished into the treeline, abandoning the few remaining Root operatives to their deaths.
Two minutes later, the clearing was silent. Every Root operative was dead.
Guy's blue aura faded. The severe physical backlash of the Eight Gates struck him immediately, tearing at his muscle fibers. Wincing in agony, Guy forced himself to remain standing. He walked over, carefully hoisted the paralyzed Kakashi onto his back, and began the slow trek back toward the village.
Kakashi lay against Guy's back, his mind racing to process their new reality.
Kakashi's Internal Monologue: My suicide run has failed. Danzo is alive. Furthermore, Guy and I have just murdered an entire platoon of Konoha black-ops and attacked a Village Elder. The Hokage will brand us as S-Rank rogue ninja immediately. The Anbu will hunt us.
Kakashi evaluated their survival options.
Option A: Seek out the Sannin (Jiraiya or Tsunade). Discarded. They were not in the village, and historically, they had failed to protect those closest to them from political crossfire (Nawaki, Dan, Minato).
Option B: Seek asylum with another noble clan. Discarded. The Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, and Aburame were politically subservient to the Hokage. They would turn them in.
Option C: The Uchiha Clan.
The Uchiha had just launched a massive, successful strike against Root and openly defied the Hokage. They possessed the military infrastructure and the political motivation to harbor high-level defectors.
"Guy," Kakashi rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "Do not go to my house."
"What?" Guy stopped walking, wincing at the pain in his legs. "We need to get you home, Kakashi. Then I need to report this incident directly to the Hokage so we can clear your name."
"No," Kakashi ordered firmly. "The Hokage will execute us to appease Danzo and maintain order. Go to the Uchiha compound."
"The Uchiha?" Guy asked, bewildered. "But they are in conflict with the village!"
"Exactly," Kakashi replied, his analytical mind cold and focused. "Right now, the Uchiha Clan is the only faction in Konoha with the power to keep us alive."
Guy hesitated. His instinct was to trust the village hierarchy, but the bodies of the Root operatives attempting to assassinate Kakashi were fresh in his mind. The village had betrayed his friend.
"Trust me, Guy," Kakashi urged.
Guy let out a long sigh, adjusting his grip on Kakashi. "Alright. I trust you, my friend."
Changing direction in the dark, the two severely wounded shinobi bypassed the central village and headed directly toward the imposing gates of the Uchiha territory.