"Gate of View, open!"
Seeing that the fifth gate wasn't enough to take down his opponent, Might Guy's aura surged once more. The green steam surrounding his body became more solid. From the fifth gate onwards, each gate of the Eight Gates technique provided a qualitative boost. However, the difficulty of unlocking them and the price to be paid also increased sharply.
The sixth gate, huh!
Kakuzu was on high alert, and he wasn't bluffing when he claimed to have extensive combat experience. Decades of ninja battles had equipped him with strategies to deal with various situations. Against such a taijutsu master, he had his own methods.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground beneath the Konoha ninjas turned into a soft swamp, aiming to restrict their movements, especially Might Guy's.
"Ha!"
Might Guy crouched slightly and leaped, defying logic to escape the swamp. He charged forward at a speed almost impossible to track with the naked eye.
So fast!
Even Kakashi couldn't help but be amazed by his close friend's strength. His Sharingan struggled to keep up with Might Guy's current speed.
The other Konoha ninjas were even more astonished, their expressions a mix of shock and admiration. They never realized such a powerful fighter was hidden in Konoha!
Kakuzu was also surprised, but he quickly deduced that the green-clad ninja had used an explosive burst of energy to forcibly escape the swamp.
What a formidable opponent!
The Lightning Release and Fire Release heart creatures simultaneously unleashed large-scale lightning and fire attacks. Attempting to hit such a fast enemy with ordinary jutsu was foolish. Using wide-area jutsu was the only sensible choice.
Might Guy, having opened the Eight Gates, didn't intend for the battle to drag on. His figure suddenly halted mid-air, right in front of Kakuzu and Hidan. He clenched his fists, ready to strike.
"Morning Peacock!"
"Witness my youth!"
In a series of rapid punches that seemed to warrant a soundtrack of "Ora Ora Ora," Might Guy's punches were so fast they ignited the air, creating flames. These flames, generated by friction, were propelled toward Kakuzu and Hidan by the shockwaves of his punches.
The continuous barrage of flaming punches filled the sky in an instant, resembling a peacock displaying its feathers. This was the origin of the Morning Peacock technique's name.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" "Earth Release: Hardening Technique!"
The Water Release heart creature unleashed a torrent of water, but this water jutsu, which should have countered fire, was utterly ineffective against the fiery shockwaves of the Morning Peacock. Like raindrops in a wildfire, it evaporated instantly, turning into steam.
What kind of temperature was this, to evaporate such a large water jutsu without losing any power!
Kakuzu abandoned any hope of emerging unscathed from this attack. As a fellow Eight Gates practitioner, the unassuming green-clad ninja had developed a perfectly matched taijutsu technique.
What a terrifying enemy!
Boom!
The intense collision scattered the high temperatures of the Morning Peacock, igniting the entire block and forcing the Konoha ninjas below to retreat and avoid the flames.
"Guy... Guy is this strong!" Asuma, who wielded dual Flying Swallows, dropped his cigarette in shock. The same expression was mirrored by Kurenai and the other Jonin.
They watched Guy's seemingly comical and self-abusive training every day, thinking he was just a taijutsu-type ninja who barely made it to Jonin through sheer effort. While he was indeed a taijutsu ninja, no one expected him to be this powerful!
"Hey, I won't dare joke about Guy anymore," a special Jonin remarked, realizing how foolish it was to mock such a powerful man.
"Me too," his companion admitted, legs trembling in fear.
Though shocked, Kakashi was relatively composed, having known about the Eight Gates technique for a while.
The most important thing now wasn't to stand around in awe but to seize this opportunity to defeat the enemy!
Lightning flickered in Kakashi's hand as he concentrated chakra in his feet, quickly running up the burning buildings.
"Cough! Cough!" On the battlefield, Hidan coughed awkwardly. The recent attack had genuinely frightened him. Even with his immortality, he would have been instantly carbonized if hit.
Fortunately, Kakuzu saved him at the last moment, though it cost him his Earth Release heart.
On the surface, losing one of five hearts seemed minor, but Kakuzu's strength was effectively halved.
Missing one element in his perfect five-element synergy created a weakness. Without Earth Release, he lost his near-invincible Hardening Technique, significantly reducing his close-combat defense.
"Lightning Cutter!"
Kakashi dashed past the heavily breathing Guy, using his Sharingan to observe and strike from a tricky angle.
"I've been waiting for you, Kakashi!"
Unfazed, Kakuzu launched a Wind Release attack at Kakashi, only to see him poof into smoke.
A clone!
Kakashi's real body emerged from below the rooftop, successfully destroying the Fire Release heart.
"Hey! Hey!"
"Kakuzu, are you done for?" Hidan shouted anxiously. If Kakuzu fell, he wouldn't stand a chance either!
"Shut up!" Kakuzu glared at Hidan with his beady eyes. Though unwilling, he had to admit he was no match for these Konoha ninjas.
However, Kakuzu wasn't worried about dying. After all, Deidara and Sasori were still in Konoha, just not visible. If things got dire, he could always call for their help.
Hmm? What is this feeling?
Suddenly, everyone felt enveloped by a chilling aura. They looked up at its source.
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, the intense battle seemed to be reaching its conclusion. A giant spectral Shinigami appeared behind the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, exuding the chilling aura.
"This is... the Dead Demon Consuming Seal!" Kakashi's eyes widened. He had learned about this ultimate sealing technique, capable of subduing even the Nine-Tails, from his teacher Minato Namikaze.
But the cost was the user's life and soul.
Lord Hokage! Kakashi silently cried out in his heart.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled the souls of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, into the Shinigami's belly. However, he failed to seal Orochimaru, allowing him to escape.
"Hey! Kakuzu down there!"
"I remember now. There was a ninja who betrayed the Hidden Waterfall Village and stole Earth Grudge Fear. They said it was because he failed a mission and was going to be executed by the village."
"So your mission back then was to assassinate me!"
Hashirama remained unfazed, showing no fear of being sealed. Instead, he continued to chat casually.
"But I really can't remember you ever trying to assassinate me!"
"Ugh!" Kakuzu spat out blood, feeling both aggrieved and resigned.
Damn you, Senju Hashirama! Stop talking already!
No, he convinced himself, the blood was from his earlier injury, not from anger!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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