In the narrow gorge, two equally domineering and peerless auras clashed with the force of a tidal wave. The resulting tempest of swirling wind sent shattered stones skittering across the ground. The Hidden Cloud ninja, caught in the crossfire of this immense pressure, found themselves struggling to breathe, their faces pale with a primal terror.
"Who... who is that man?" a ninja stammered, his eyes wide as he stared at the figure who had appeared from nowhere. His voice trembled uncontrollably.
The stranger wore a peculiar white coat, the back of which bore two large characters inscribed in bold, black ink—characters they had never seen before.
Justice? What kind of organization used a symbol like that?
"I have no idea. I've never seen him in my life!" another replied, his voice strained. "But... his power is immense! Just his presence alone feels like it's going to suffocate me!"
Dodai's expression was incredibly grave, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. This man who had materialized out of thin air was, without a doubt, a top-tier powerhouse. His strength was likely on par with that of the Raikage himself.
Just as the tense standoff reached its peak, Garp made his move. He completely disregarded the wary gazes of the lesser warriors, his sight locked firmly on the Third Raikage.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Garp's wild, unrestrained laughter echoed through the canyon, drowning out the terrified whispers.
"What are you waiting for?!" he boomed. "Let's begin!"
He grinned, and then, to the utter astonishment of everyone present, he stomped his foot—on the empty air!
*Bang!*
The air itself seemed to detonate with a muffled explosion. Garp's body launched upward, as if he were climbing an invisible staircase, and he began to walk, step by deliberate step, through the sky toward the Third Raikage on the other side of the gorge.
"What?!"
"He... he is walking on the sky?!"
"What kind of technique is that?!"
The eyes of the Hidden Cloud ninja threatened to pop from their sockets, their jaws hanging open in disbelief. They had never witnessed such an outrageous, physics-defying method of movement.
However, something even more outrageous was about to happen.
Garp's arrogant display in the sky completely enraged the rampaging Eight-Tails, Gyuki.
**ROAR!!!**
A deafening roar ripped through the air. The Eight-Tails, its body larger than a mountain, suddenly twisted, its crimson, hate-filled eyes locking onto the tiny black dot suspended in mid-air. It swung a thick, impossibly strong octopus tentacle, the tip of which was clenched into a gargantuan fist.
*WHOOSH!*
The giant fist, trailing a gale-force wind that tore through the air, smashed heavily toward Garp. The sheer power of this single blow was enough to level a small mountain.
"That fool!" one of the Hidden Cloud ninja couldn't help but blurt out upon seeing the spectacle. "How can he be so arrogant in front of the rampaging Eight-Tails!"
"Does he truly believe he's as powerful as Lord Raikage?!" another sneered.
"He's finished! He is absolutely finished!"
The surrounding ninja all wore expressions of grim satisfaction. In their eyes, this foolhardy intruder, who so clearly underestimated the danger, would be pulverized into a bloody pulp in the next second.
However, suspended in mid-air and facing the sky-obscuring fist, Garp's smile only grew brighter.
"BWAHAHAHA!" he laughed. "An octopus!"
Not only did he not dodge, but he charged forward, meeting the colossal fist head-on. He raised his own right arm and clenched his hand into a fist. That fist, when compared to the gargantuan appendage of the Eight-Tails, was as tiny and insignificant as a single grain of sand.
But the moment he clenched that fist, a terrifying aura erupted from his body.
"Get out of my way!" Garp roared.
He threw a punch.
In the next second, the tiny fist and the giant fist collided violently in mid-air.
**BOOM!!!**
A dull, yet world-shaking, impact sound erupted. A visible, concussive wave of white energy, centered on the point of impact, exploded outward, spreading wildly in all directions. The entire Cloud Gorge trembled violently. From the cliffs on both sides of the canyon, countless massive boulders were shaken loose, crashing down into the abyss below with a deafening rumble.
The Hidden Cloud ninja were thrown off their feet by the shockwave, their faces masks of pure terror. When they finally managed to scramble to their feet and look up at the sky, they were all rendered speechless. The mocking sneers on their faces froze, morphing into looks of abject horror, as if they had just witnessed a ghost.
There, in mid-air, the mountain-sized Eight-Tails, Gyuki, had actually been knocked back by that one, tiny punch. Its massive body lost its balance in the air, stumbling back more than ten meters before it crashed heavily to the ground.
*RUMBLE!*
The earth itself seemed to groan in protest.
"H-how is that possible?!" a Hidden Cloud ninja stammered, his trembling finger pointing at the figure in the sky who still held a punching stance. "He... he sent the Eight-Tails flying... with one punch?"
The world fell utterly silent. The only sounds were the pained roars of the Eight-Tails and the heavy, ragged breathing of the stunned Hidden Cloud ninja.
Even the Third Raikage, who had been on high alert, now felt his pupils suddenly contract. He stared intently at Garp's fist, which was still smoking from the impact. His eyes were no longer just filled with solemnity; they now burned with a blazing fighting spirit.
This man... is strong. Unbelievably strong.
The Third Raikage's pupils constricted to the size of pinpricks. He stared at Garp, the warrior's spirit in his eyes practically boiling over. *This monste r... has no chakra flow. He didn't use any jutsu. It was pure physical strength. Pure, unadulterated, utterly unreasonable physical might! And he sent the rampaging Eight-Tails flying with it!* What terrifying strength he possesses??
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Garp landed back on the ground with a thud, and the earth beneath his feet cracked under the force. He shook his slightly numb fist, the excitement on his face growing even more intense.
"Not bad! Not bad at all!" he declared. "This world of yours is quite interesting!"
He completely ignored the Eight-Tails as it struggled to get back up, his gaze burning as he looked at the Third Raikage. This muscular, dark-skinned man was his true target.
"Dodai!" the Third Raikage suddenly roared.
"Lord Raikage!" Dodai responded immediately.
"Lead everyone and retreat at once!" The Raikage's order was firm and unyielding.
"Barrier Squad!" he roared again, his voice like rolling thunder.
"Sir!" several ninja in specialized attire stepped forward.
"Activate the highest-level barrier immediately and completely seal off the entire Cloud Gorge!"
"What?!" At these words, all the Hidden Cloud ninja were stunned into silence.
"Lord Raikage! You mustn't!" Dodai was the first to rush forward, his face a mask of anxiety. "If you seal the canyon, then you, the Eight-Tails, and that mysterious man will all be trapped..."
"Silence!" The Third Raikage suddenly whipped his head around, his eyes as sharp as newly drawn blades. "This battle is not one you can interfere in! To stay here is to die in vain! This is an order!"
His aura was like a physical weight, pressing down on Dodai so that he couldn't utter another word of protest.
The Barrier Squad ninja exchanged a quick glance and no longer hesitated. "Yes, sir!"
They rapidly formed a series of hand signs in unison. "Four Violet Flames Formation!"
*Buzz!*
Four pillars of violet energy shot into the sky, rising from the four corners of the canyon. Immediately after, a massive wall of purple energy, emitting an ominous and powerful aura, rapidly rose from all four directions, closing in above the canyon to form a roof.
*BOOM!*
The entire Cloud Gorge was transformed into a giant, inescapable cage, completely isolated from the outside world. Outside the barrier, the evacuated Hidden Cloud ninja looked at the purple dome that cut them off, their faces filled with worry and fear for their leader.
Inside the cage, the Third Raikage slowly turned around, his attention once again fixed on Garp. His Lightning Release Armor crackled and hissed, the electricity dancing around him even more violently than before.
"Now," he said, his voice deep and powerful, resonating with an uncontrollable fighting spirit, "no one will disturb us."
Garp grinned broadly, clenching his fists again until his knuckles cracked like popping beans.
"BWAHAHAHA! That's just what I was hoping for!"
Their gazes collided in the air, sparking with invisible flames. And behind them, the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, finally recovering from the staggering punch, struggled back to its feet. Its crimson eyes were firmly locked on the two tiny humans before it, and its furious roar once again echoed throughout the enclosed canyon.
**ROAR!!!**
The stage for a three-way, free-for-all battle had been definitively set.