Fitz and his team, along with the chemical Defense Force, arrived at the fire station where the they began disinfecting the area.
Fitz held an instrument and methodically scanned everyone present, ensuring no one was left unchecked.
"All clear. No signs of static energy," Fitz reported.
Skye, observing the process, asked, "What about the other firefighters?"
Simmons explained, "They'll be taken to a S.H.I.E.L.D. biohazard facility for quarantine and observation."
The Chitauri soldier's helmet was placed in a sealed containment box, ready for transport.
Skye, noticing the procedure, asked with some suspicion, "Did anyone else notice they're putting the infected alien object on our plane?"
Coulson, calm as ever, responded, "We're taking it to 'The Sandbox.'"
Killer Bee, confused, asked, "The Sandbox?"
Simmons clarified, "It's a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility in the Atlantic, specifically for studying dangerous objects."
Both Killer Bee and Skye nodded in understanding.
Coulson, looking more serious, said, "If your theory is correct, and this truly is a virus, then the firefighters may have been infected. They'll need an antidote."
"Find the cure," he instructed.
Simmons nodded, "Yes, sir."
Coulson and his team returned to the plane, which immediately took off, heading toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility in the Atlantic.
After securing the object in The Sandbox, they planned to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, where the Cloud Village ninjas had already arrived in New York.
…
Coulson entered the cockpit and asked May, "What's our estimated time of arrival?"
"3:37 a.m. West African Time," May replied.
Coulson glanced at his watch and sighed, "These next 4 hours and 26 minutes are going to feel long."
Hearing this, May turned her head and asked, "Are you okay?"
Coulson paused for a moment, then said, "I'm fine. I just want to get rid of this alien artifact as soon as possible."
The plane was on autopilot, so May turned fully to face Coulson, saying, "Do you want to talk about your medical checkup?"
Coulson shook his head, "There's nothing to discuss. It's just my therapist updating some records or whatever."
May, now with a serious expression, pressed, "If something's wrong, you'll tell me, right?"
"Of course," Coulson reassured her.
At that moment, Simmons's voice came through Coulson's earpiece, "Sir, I think I've found something. Can you come to the lab?"
"I'll be right there," Coulson responded.
Before he left, May said, "Phil, you did everything you could for that firefighter."
Coulson looked at her for a moment, then nodded and walked out.
…
Meanwhile-
Charles Doyle faced the combined attacks of three powerful opponents. Despite the pressure, he remained calm and in control.
With one swift kick, he sent Might Guy flying, blocked Jiraiya's Fire Style: Flame Bullet with a Water Wall, and even directly clashed with Tsunade's monstrous strength, matching her power blow for blow.
"Boom!"
Uchiha Shisui, watching from the sidelines, widened his eyes in amazement and exclaimed, "Lord Charles's strength is terrifying!"
Uchiha Obito nodded in agreement, "Of course, it's Lord Charles. If only I had even a fraction—no, a tenth—of his power, that would be enough."
After effortlessly knocking back all three attackers, Charles called out, "Not enough! Send three more!"
Seeing this, Might Guy crossed his arms in front of him and shouted, "Eight Gates: Gate of View, open!"
With a roar, a torrent of green chakra surged from him, forming a whirlwind around him.
Lee, astonished, yelled, "Neji, Tenten, look! Guy-sensei has opened the sixth gate!"
"The chakra he's emitting—this is Kage-level," Neji remarked, clearly impressed.
Sarutobi Asuma, Uchiha Sasuke, and Yamato, who were just about to step forward and join the fight, stopped in their tracks, sensing the intense energy.
Naruto, awestruck, shouted, "Wow, Bushy Brows-sensei is amazing!"
Smack!
Naruto's mother, Kushina Uzumaki, hit him on the head, scolding, "Be respectful! Call him Guy-sensei."
Naruto rubbed his head but still grinned, "Okay, Mom, I got it."
Charles's expression grew more serious as Guy unleashed his power.
"So, the Eight Gates, huh? I know that technique too."
"Gate of View, open!"
Boom!
Charles's already enormous chakra surged even more, becoming a physical force that filled the entire training ground.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s chakra detectors went haywire, triggering alarms. However, after confirming the source was from Charles's base, they simply logged the event without taking any further action.
Kakashi Hatake lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan, "Such a massive amount of chakra… and its density is incredible."
Nearby, Hyuga Neji activated his Byakugan, but beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead as he observed Charles's chakra.
In response to Charles's power-up, Guy leaped into the air and shouted, "Morning Peacock!"
Guy's fists struck the air at high speed, generating friction and igniting flames. The resulting barrage of fire-filled air blasts resembled a peacock's feathers as they rained down toward Charles.
Boom, boom, boom!
The widespread flames forced Jiraiya and Tsunade to step back, dodging the intense barrage.
As the smoke from the attack billowed, it obscured everyone's view.
Tenten, anxious, asked Neji, "Is Lord Charles hurt?"
Neji, dripping with cold sweat, replied, "N-no… his chakra hasn't weakened at all."
As the smoke cleared, Charles emerged unscathed, his upper clothing burned away by the flames. He had stored his Merlin robes in his storage space and chose not to use his Vibranium suit.
The injuries he had sustained from Guy's attack quickly healed, and within moments, there was no trace of any burns or wounds.
Tsunade, witnessing this, remarked, "Is this the same Sage Body as my grandfather's?"
Charles looked at Guy with a serious expression and said, "Now it's my turn. Take one of my punches."
Boom!
Charles charged toward Guy, moving so fast it seemed as though he was walking on air. The sheer speed of his movement created a sonic boom as he reached Guy's altitude in an instant.
Boom!
Charles threw a punch toward the air, but the force generated was far greater than Guy's Seventh Gate: Daytime Tiger.
Sensing danger, Minato Namikaze, observing the fight, realized the severity of the situation.
"This is bad!"
"Hiraishin!"
In an instant, Minato appeared behind Guy, grabbing his shoulder to teleport him out of harm's way.
Boom!
Though Minato was fast, Guy still took a slight hit from Charles's attack, which inflicted considerable damage.
Minato brought the injured Guy to the medical area, and as they landed—
Cough!
Guy coughed up blood as Shizune rushed over, quickly assessing his condition and removing his shirt.
"Hiss~"
Everyone gasped as they saw the distorted and contorted state of Guy's abdomen, as if it had been hit by a tremendous force.
"Medical Palm Jutsu!" Shizune immediately began healing him.