"Come on out. The Mizukage, in her infinite mercy, has decided to let you go."
Inside the dungeons of Kirigakure.
A masked Mist ninja addressed Guy, who was doing endless push-ups behind the iron bars.
Guy, who had been killing time sweating through his exercises, paused for a moment upon hearing the Mist ninja's voice. Then, he propped himself up and stood.
"Great! I told you this was all a misunderstanding!"
Guy grinned as he looked at the Mist ninja unlocking the cell door.
As for why an iron door could confine the Blue Beast of Konoha, it was simple. Last time, he lost fair and square and didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for Konoha. He knew the Hokage would send someone to rescue them, so he had been waiting patiently. Still, this waiting period had dragged on a bit too long...
"Hey, could I have one more meal before I leave? The food here is made with so much love..."
As Guy stepped out of the cell, the mental barriers that had kept him grounded were lifted as well. But now that he was free, he realized he was hungry...
Remembering the delicious prison food that he would soon have to part with, he made this strange request.
This was, in fact, the result of orders given by Jūzō. Despite being prisoners, Guy and the others had been provided with excellent meals and comfortable conditions. Guy's strength and skills had earned him this special treatment. A true master receives respect no matter where they are.
The guard listening to Guy's request found it rather odd but, recalling that this man had always been peculiar, chose not to comment.
"Fine. Wait here. You can eat at my place."
Unlike the still-energetic Guy, Kurenai seemed somewhat fatigued. She was greedily inhaling the clean, free air outside the dungeon.
"Where's my companion?"
After a moment of not seeing Guy, Kurenai asked with some confusion, her mind racing.
"Go take a bath or something first. The people from Konoha are here to pick you up."
The Mist ninja ignored Kurenai's question and simply turned to leave, speaking in an indifferent tone.
It was clear that Kurenai didn't receive the same warm reception as Guy...
Meanwhile, Guy was enjoying a few drinks and snacks with the guards, laughing and crying as if he were bidding farewell to comrades in a trench.
"Asura, don't you think it's a bit suspicious that the Mizukage agreed so easily to let us take Guy and Kurenai back?"
Kakashi stood half a step behind Itachi, his tone curious.
"Asura, let me handle this. You don't need to worry about it."
Without turning his head, Itachi responded curtly, his gaze lingering on the gates of Kirigakure with interest.
"We've been rescued... I wonder who came to get us this time."
Kurenai looked at Guy, who was clutching his stomach and blushing slightly from the alcohol, and spoke with a sense of relief.
A bearded figure flashed through her mind, and she thought, If it's Asuma who came, I'll agree to his pursuit.
Every woman dreams of a prince on a white horse or a hero rescuing her. She was no exception.
Especially during her time in the dungeon, where she had experienced the highs and lows of solitude, she found herself reminiscing about Asuma's courtship.
Being cherished is truly a wonderful feeling...
"I'm not sure... but whoever it is, they must be good brothers of ours," Guy said, his eyes slightly glazed as he looked down the road ahead, still intoxicated by the memory of good food and drink.
"I heard they're waiting for us at the main gate. We'll see them soon enough."
Kurenai spoke, her feelings mixed as she glanced at Guy's lack of awareness.
She began to wonder if her earlier thoughts had been too impulsive. If she accepted too quickly, would Asuma not appreciate her value?
Lost in her little world, she followed Guy as they walked toward the village gates. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as they neared the entrance.
Guy, who had been nonchalant moments ago, suddenly had a glint of focus in his eyes. Without saying a word to Kurenai, he launched himself forward like an arrow, heading toward the white-haired figure standing with his back to them.
"That silhouette is unmistakable. The hairstyle's a bit different, but... Kakashi, my dearest friend... so it's you who came!"
Muttering under his breath, Guy quickened his pace. It had been a while since he last saw Kakashi. He wanted to spar a little, and his opening move was his peak speed without unlocking the Eight Gates. Faster than a body flicker technique, his powerful physique propelled him forward with overwhelming momentum.
"Guy..."
By the time Kurenai softly called out, Guy had already closed the distance to Kakashi and Itachi.
The rapidly retreating Guy was too far to hear Kurenai's voice.
Meanwhile, the two at the gate, momentarily distracted, noticed the rapidly approaching figure, their eyes lighting up slightly...
Kakashi found it a little strange—Guy was still as spirited as ever.
At the same time, Kakashi was trying to figure out how to handle the situation. How could he intercept the attack without revealing his identity to Guy?
Just as Kakashi prepared to respond, something unexpected happened—it was Itachi who moved first.
That Itachi would take action left Kakashi momentarily stunned.
Kakashi turned his head slowly.
When he looked back, the two had already exchanged blows.
Itachi's heart burned with excitement as he charged at Guy with incredible force.
The last time they fought, although Itachi could follow Guy's attack trajectory, his body couldn't keep up. Not being a true Sharingan user himself, his agility was limited despite his ability to form hand signs with one hand. No matter how precise his observations, he couldn't match Guy's speed. He had learned firsthand what it meant when people say, "In the world of martial arts, speed is unbeatable." Moreover, Itachi didn't want to rely on his powerful genjutsu in that battle, which left him frustrated as the fight dragged on.
But now that his physical condition had improved, he was eager to test himself against Guy again.
Without opening all Eight Gates, Guy's movements were still visible to Itachi's sharp eyes and dynamic vision, even without activating his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Although his speed might be slightly inferior to Guy's, the gap was marginal.
In the past, even with the advantages of forming hand seals quickly and predicting Guy's attacks, his body simply couldn't react in time.
Additionally, speed in forming seals didn't mean seals weren't necessary—it still required time and chakra flow. Guy, on the other hand, could unleash multiple attacks in a single second. Pure ninjutsu wasn't enough to land a hit on Guy, whose physical strength was also extraordinarily high. A single misstep in combat could mean the end.
As the distance between them closed, Itachi pushed all these thoughts aside.
Even though he hadn't activated Sage Mode or the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and his current strength was only about 20% of his prime, he was confident he could fight Guy to a draw without using genjutsu.
Even if Guy opened the Sixth Gate, Itachi believed he could hold his own without resorting to illusions.
At this point, many of his techniques were unnecessary.
Sometimes, when a physical shortcoming is addressed, it eliminates critical weaknesses, pushing combat ability up by several levels.
What might seem like a minor difference could actually represent a gulf as vast as heaven and earth.
Especially at their level of strength, even the slightest disparity could lead to vastly different outcomes.
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