"Guy-sensei, could it be… are you going to use that technique?" Rock Lee cried out.
Guy answered him with his actions.
"First Gate, the Gate of Opening: Open!"
"Second Gate, the Gate of Healing: Open!"
"Third Gate, the Gate of Life: Open!" With each gate he opened, Might Guy's chakra surged. The Eight Gates Formation—a technique that burned one's youth, burned one's very life. It was also the technique Naruto was most wary of. He himself could only open up to the fifth gate at most. A Might Guy with all eight gates open could absolutely crush him in taijutsu.
"Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain: Open!"
"Fifth Gate, the Gate of Closing: Open!"
"Sixth Gate, the Gate of Joy: Open!"
Facing the Naruto who had so easily defeated the Third Hokage, Might Guy didn't dare to be careless. He directly opened the first six gates. Guy's body entered a semi-active state, a green energy swirling around him as the chakra within his body skyrocketed. It had already completely surpassed that of the chakra-deficient Kakashi and the other Jonin, even reaching and exceeding the Third Hokage's chakra levels.
The Sixth Gate, once opened, would cause the user's entire body to emit a green energy, but the body itself would not change, reducing the physical strain and damage. When needed, he could instantly unleash his full power.
Just the sixth gate is already putting pressure on me? Naruto thought, his expression grave.
Might Guy was the only opponent in Konoha he was truly wary of. But since a battle was unavoidable, Naruto would not back down.
In the next instant, the two clashed.
Might Guy launched a torrential assault on Naruto, some of his movements beyond what a normal human could perform.
BAM, BAM, BAM.
Each of Might Guy's punches was accompanied by a violent sonic boom. But Naruto was not to be outdone. He instantly opened the third gate, matching Might Guy blow for blow. The figures of the two combatants flickered across the battlefield, each strike kicking up a wave of air. The Konoha 12 had already retreated to the edge of the arena, their naked eyes unable to even follow their speed.
"That Naruto can also use the Eight Gates! And he can match Guy-sensei's fifth gate with just his third!" Rock Lee's face was a mask of horror. This meant that, in his base form, Naruto's taijutsu was already stronger than Guy's.
Naruto's genjutsu can control hundreds of people, his ninjutsu can rival the Third Hokage's, and his taijutsu is even stronger than Guy's? Does such a genius really exist in this world? To be in the same generation as such a genius, all of one's own brilliance would be overshadowed. It was a blessing, but also a curse.
So… why was this Naruto Uzumaki so weak? The genin looked at Naruto Uzumaki, a strange light in their eyes.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" Naruto Uzumaki's face flushed red. "I'm not any worse than him," he retorted, but his words were weak and powerless.
BOOM!
After another clash, the two separated, their figures flickering. The green energy still swirled around Guy. Feeling the immense force from his fists, his heart grew heavy. A Naruto with only three gates open could fight him to a standstill. He couldn't gain any advantage, and the terrifying power even sent a chill down his spine. If this continued, he would definitely be worn down and defeated! He couldn't let this go on.
"Morning Peacock!" Having made his decision, Guy's speed suddenly skyrocketed. The green energy surrounding his body began to show a reddish tint. In an instant, he was upon Naruto, delivering a high-speed straight punch!
Hiss.
His fist broke the sound barrier, the friction with the air creating flames. The fire, combined with the air currents stirred by his punch, formed a sharp shockwave. The chakra turned red, and his high-speed figure, combined with the sparks from his fist, created the illusion of a peacock spreading its tail feathers in the air—a beautiful, deadly display. The heat from it was so intense that the grass beneath his feet began to smolder.
Faced with such a move, Naruto didn't dare to underestimate it. He directly opened the fourth gate.
"Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain: Open!!"
After opening the fourth gate, the Eight Gates Formation would begin to damage the body. Even Naruto used it with caution. His speed and power instantly surged, but he still didn't dare to meet the attack head-on. He was not a reckless brute who liked to clash with others.
"Bakudo Number 62: Hyapporankan!" Several beams of light shot towards Guy. If they made contact, they would bind him.
"AHHH!!!" Guy roared, shattering the light beams with a straight punch.
Even Bakudo 62 can't stop Morning Peacock?
Looking at the burning Guy, for some reason, a ripple appeared in Naruto's calm heart, which gradually grew into a tidal wave. He… was actually getting excited!
"Although this battle is a bit rushed, and I haven't chosen a good burial spot for you, I will go all out and make this place your grave!" Naruto roared to the heavens.
Chakra and Reiatsu coated his fist, and he met Guy's attack.
BOOM!!!
After a deafening roar, a shockwave erupted, and both figures were sent flying backward. Naruto's robes were torn to shreds, and the ground beneath his feet cratered. At the last moment, he had managed to deflect most of the force.
On the other side, blood flowed from Guy's mouth, instantly vaporized by the searing heat. His arms trembled, the muscles already showing signs of injury.
"Seventh Gate, the Gate of Wonder: Open!!" Guy didn't stop, roaring in fury.
BOOM!
Before everyone's shocked eyes, Might Guy's chakra skyrocketed, forming a blue vapor that kicked up a monstrous wave of air, cracking the very ground.
"This level of chakra!! So this is Might Guy's trump card! This is his true strength!" Kakashi watched this scene, his heart filled with a mixture of relief and bitterness. He, the former genius ninja, had unknowingly been left behind by the former loser.
"Maybe… he can win!!" A glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the Jonin.
An unparalleled amount of chakra erupted from Might Guy. His clothes and hair flew wildly. His skin turned red, and the blue chakra surged violently.
"The seventh gate already? The one before the Gate of Death." Naruto frowned slightly, feeling the howling gale of chakra wash over him. He didn't know if he could withstand a Might Guy like this.
In the ninja world, there had always been a chain of disdain looking down on taijutsu. Taijutsu was difficult to train, and progress was slow. The only well-known taijutsu user was the Raikage. Other than him, almost all famous ninja were those with Kekkei Genkai or who excelled at ninjutsu. In the minds of most ninja, the upper limit of taijutsu was not low, but it was still inferior to that of Kekkei Genkai users.
But in this moment, that perception was shattered. Might Guy, who had no Kekkei Genkai and was once considered a loser, had erupted with an amount of chakra that could crush everyone else. That violent power, that madly surging chakra, shocked everyone! Even the unconscious Third Hokage was jolted awake, staring at the scene in disbelief.
"NARUTO!!" Guy roared, charging at Naruto once more. His speed and power were at their peak, his skin red, his hair standing on end! His entire being seemed to be on fire!
So fast! My eyes… I can barely keep up! Naruto was horrified. He realized that he had still underestimated Guy!
"Fifth Gate, the Gate of Closing: Open!!" Naruto opened the fifth gate. This was already his limit.
After opening the fifth gate and pushing his Reiatsu and chakra to their absolute maximum, his speed and power finally, barely, managed to keep up with Guy's. But it still wasn't enough.
"Hollowfication." A grim, bone-white mask appeared on Naruto's face. With this enhancement, his speed and power finally matched Guy's.
"As expected of Naruto," Guy said, his expression grim. He never thought that even with the seventh gate open, he still couldn't defeat Naruto. But thinking about it, it made sense. After all, Naruto was a peak powerhouse who had defeated the Third Hokage and countless Jonin. To defeat him, he needed to be prepared to die!
With this thought, Might Guy roared, and the chakra in his body erupted once more as he used the ultimate taijutsu of the Gate of Wonder!
"Watch closely! My burning youth!!"
"Daytime Tiger!!"
Guy instantly brought the fingers of both hands together, striking a strange taijutsu pose. Suddenly, he compressed all the air around him, forming a powerful air cannon, which he then launched. The air cannon transformed into a white tiger in mid-air, baring its fangs, and erupting with an earth-shattering aura.
"ROAR." Dust and smoke billowed, and the fierce roar of a tiger seemed to echo through the air.
"Well met! As expected of the Sublime Blue Beast! You've actually managed to get my blood pumping!" Naruto's eyes widened, a grin slowly spreading across his face, which then turned into a wild laugh.
VWOOM.
The Reiatsu and chakra in Naruto's body erupted as a white energy, enveloping him and forming a roaring dragon.
The two fists met.
A violent explosion ensued.
The entire ground instantly cracked and collapsed, and the figures of Naruto and Guy were completely swallowed by the rising dust and dirt.
When the dust settled, everyone saw that Guy had collapsed to the ground from the side effects of using Daytime Tiger, panting heavily.
And Naruto…
He had been blown back several dozen meters, his robes slightly tattered, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. But his aura was still strong; he didn't seem weakened at all.
"So terrifying. Even that couldn't defeat him? He's only lightly injured," the crowd said in despair.
"Let's end this here." Even Naruto was slightly out of breath now.
"No! It's not over yet! My youth can still burn!" Guy stood up, trembling, his staggering movements making it seem as if he could fall at any moment.
Rock Lee watched Might Guy struggling to persevere, and a wave of sadness washed over him. "Guy-sensei, could it be…"
Guy glanced at the anguished Kakashi and suddenly smiled relaxedly. "Kakashi, my eternal rival, just as I have always challenged you, I will not give up. So please, do not give up hope either."
"Kakashi, stand up! Go back to being the Kakashi I was always chasing!!"
"Lee, train hard in taijutsu. Unleash your youth."
"Naruto Uzumaki, I like your youth. You will always be Konoha's Naruto Uzumaki." Guy seemed to be giving his last words.
"Guy, could it be you…" Kakashi's face changed.
"That's right! Konoha's Sublime Blue Beast will disappear from this day forth!"
"The time has come to transform into the Crimson Beast!"
"Lee, watch closely!"
"This is my final battle!!!"