Chapter 438: The Man of Youth Takes the Stage
"Well then! Next up, Kakashi and I will take the stage," Guy spoke up.
Looking toward the fresh recruits, he gave a light chuckle. "Watch closely, everyone. This is the absolute peak of what a normal shinobi can achieve. After us, what you'll be seeing aren't normal shinobi anymore, but the true pinnacle of a shinobi's power."
He was boasting a little, of course.
What Kakashi actually meant was the ultimate limit of standard ninjutsu and taijutsu users.
Seeing that it was the Sixth Hokage himself, the recruits' eyes lit up with excitement.
This man was far more famous than the two who had come before him.
Still, who was the guy standing beside him in the green jumpsuit and bowl cut?
"That's Master Guy! He's an instructor at the Ninja Academy now, and he's the strongest taijutsu shinobi in all of Konoha! Just watch—he's incredibly powerful," Metal Lee chimed in, his eyes glowing with thrill.
To think he'd actually get to see Master Guy go all out right here!
His father had always told him that Master Guy was Konoha's absolute strongest taijutsu shinobi, possessing physical prowess second to none in the entire village.
This display was bound to be spectacular.
On top of that, performing alongside the Sixth Hokage guaranteed it would be a mind-blowing show.
"The strongest taijutsu shinobi? For real? I heard Konoha has been specifically training a new batch of taijutsu specialists lately using a special training facility. Does that mean he's already passed the Trials of the Eight Great Tremor?" another student asked out of curiosity.
The Eight Great Tremor Training System had already made a massive name for itself across the Shinobi World.
It was an advanced training program designed to hone a shinobi's physical body and martial prowess.
The most famous aspect of it was the system's ultimate honor.
As announced by the World Shinobi Association, any ninja who successfully cleared all the trials of the Eight Great Tremor would be awarded the title of Three-Star Taijutsu Master—a mark reserved for the absolute strongest.
"No, he hasn't passed them yet. But I'm going to surpass Master Guy and become the world's very first Three-Star Taijutsu Master!" Metal Lee declared proudly upon hearing the question.
That was his ultimate goal for the future: to surpass his father, and to surpass Master Guy in the realm of taijutsu.
"Oh, so he hasn't actually done it yet? Then calling him Konoha's strongest taijutsu user is just bragging, isn't it?"
A few students remained skeptical of Metal Lee's claims.
If he hadn't even completed the trial, how could anyone claim he was the strongest? It sounded completely ridiculous.
Hearing that, Metal Lee snapped back indignantly, "Hmph! Master Guy is the strongest! You'll see for yourselves in a second! Back in the Fourth Great Ninja War, he was the legendary figure who nearly killed Madara Uchiha using pure taijutsu!"
The Fourth Great Ninja War had become a staple subject in blockbuster movies across the Shinobi World.
Any movie involving ninja simply couldn't skip over that monumental conflict, as it marked the grand turning point where the world finally transitioned toward lasting peace.
Naturally, the legendary figures of that era—including Madara Uchiha—had become household names, serving as benchmarks for supreme power.
Many people loved comparing famous figures from the Fourth War, and developers had even adapted the conflict into countless video games.
"Is that so? Guess we'll see then. Anyone who can spar on equal footing with the Sixth Hokage has to be pretty awesome, but who knows if he's as crazy strong as you say."
Naturally, the freshmen weren't entirely convinced yet.
Still, seeing that the Sixth Hokage and Might Guy were about to fight, anticipation began to build in their chests.
Listening to the students' spirited debates, the veteran instructors all shared knowing smiles.
Kakashi and Guy chuckled even louder.
"Guy, it's been a while since we had a real fight. This will be our 99th match. The tally stands at 54 wins and 54 losses—I'm definitely not losing to you today," Kakashi said, turning to his rival.
Might Guy flashed a dazzling thumbs-up. "Haha! Not a chance! I'm taking the win today for sure and showing these kids what real strength looks like!"
BANG!
The moment the words left their mouths, both men vanished from the giant bird's back in a flash of the Body Flicker Technique.
When they reappeared, they were standing opposite each other atop a colossal boulder on the island below.
Before the freshmen could even register what was happening, a deafening shockwave shattered the air.
BOOM!
A violent gust of wind swept across the terrain as two figures collided in midair.
Pure, unadulterated taijutsu alone generated hurricane-force winds, putting their massive growth over the recent years on full display.
Kakashi's taijutsu was by no means lacking; in fact, it was exceptionally formidable.
Having been a master swordsman in his youth, his foundation in close-quarters physical combat was inherently top-notch. Even without a blade in hand, his taijutsu remained second to none.
After retiring from his post as Hokage, Kakashi had by no means slacked off on his training.
When he wasn't reading fanfiction variations of Make-Out Paradise, he spent most of his time developing and refining new techniques.
After losing his Sharingan, the original Lightning Blade was no longer suitable for his combat style, forcing him to adapt and master new arts.
Furthermore, his tenure as Hokage had granted him unrestricted access to the Scroll of Seals, allowing his overall mastery to advance by leaps and bounds over the years.
Crack, crackle!
Silently, purple lightning crackled around Kakashi's right hand as his speed surged exponentially, allowing him to reappear right beside Guy in the blink of an eye.
"Haha! Kakashi, don't go thinking you're the only one who's mastered brand-new techniques! Check this out—First Stance: Explosive Tread!" Might Guy roared with a boisterous laugh.
Green chakra erupted violently from his body, enveloping him in an aura of raw power. Planting his feet, he stomped heavily against the ground, the immense explosive force shattering the surrounding earth and sending rocks and dust flying into the air.
In that split second, Might Guy vanished from the spot like a bolt of lightning, moving at a speed that defied human comprehension. Caught off guard, Kakashi felt his heart jump into his throat as he tried frantically to track Guy's movements, only to realize the man was moving far too fast for his eyes to follow.
The next instant, Kakashi sensed a terrifying presence looming right behind his back. Before he could even react, Might Guy had already materialized behind him. Enveloped in an intimidating aura, Guy whipped his legs through the air in rapid succession, every single movement sending violent shockwaves through the surrounding atmosphere.
As the force behind Guy's kicks continued to build, a faint, rumbling thunder echoed through the air. The sound grew deafeningly loud, as if the surrounding space itself was on the verge of being ripped apart by the terrifying force. Seeing that Guy was about to land a devastating strike, a cold sweat broke out across Kakashi's forehead...
"Second Stance: Wild Lightning Blade!"
"Lightning Flash!"
At the critical moment, relying on his vast combat experience and high tactical intelligence, Kakashi utilized a newly developed Lightning Body Flicker to evade Might Guy's devastating assault just in time.
RUMBLE!
Accompanied by an earth-shattering boom, rolling thunder erupted across the sky as if the world itself were splitting open. Immediately after, the ground trembled violently; cliffside rocks crumbled into dust, and massive fissures tore open across the island floor.
Amidst this terrifying storm of destruction, Might Guy stood tall and immovable like a god of war, his bowl-cut hair fluttering wildly in the wind.
Having undergone the grueling training of the Eight Great Tremor System, his physical body had reached a level of raw strength far beyond ordinary imagination. Even without opening the Eight Gates, he could effortlessly whip his arms through the air using sheer physical power alone.
The air struck by his strikes distorted instantly, forming visible atmospheric vortices that rippled outward. When these hyper-velocity shockwaves collided with the island, they unleashed catastrophic destruction—whether it was solid bedrock or ancient trees, anything that came into contact with the force was instantly ground into fine dust.
"Holy shit, Guy! We're just putting on a show for the kids—are you seriously going all out?!"
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