***
**Chapter 26: The Six Gates of Battle**
The dull pain in his chest continued to spread, but the blood lust in Rubik's eyes burned even brighter. He gazed at Might Guy in the distance, whose aura blazed like a rainbow, wrapped in raging steam. Rubik grinned, revealing a feral smile tinged with blood.
"Not bad at all—you're the top taijutsu master certified by Madara Uchiha himself. This fiery atmosphere is getting me pumped too."
Rubik slammed his hands together, and his chakra nature shifted dramatically within him.
"Lava Release: Chakra Mode!"
With a low growl, dark red, viscous lava radiating terrifying heat oozed from his body like a living creature, spreading and solidifying in an instant. A ferocious, heavy suit of lava armor encased him entirely, its surface flowing with dark red glows and emitting scorching waves that warped the surrounding air.
These were the spoils he'd claimed from the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, during his travels with Jiraiya—and one of the inspirations for his own ninjutsu-enhanced taijutsu! {T/N :- Roshi was the jinchurki right?}
"I am not done yet!" Rubik kept moving, slamming his hands to the ground again.
"Earth Release: Granite Technique!"
Rumble! The ground shook violently as massive, hard granite boulders gleaming with mineral sheen erupted from the earth, encircling Rubik's lava armor to form a second, even thicker layer of rocky fortification. Now, Rubik resembled a war bastion clad in dual armor of lava and granite!
"Oh?! Lava Release—a kekkei genkai?!" Guy's eyes erupted with fierce battle intent, though caution flashed in his mind.
He could clearly sense the terrifying heat and defensive power of that lava armor. Close-quarters combat was his specialty, but facing this flowing, destructively hot armor meant every strike carried huge risks—not just from absorbed or deflected force, but from instant burns!
*Tricky!* Guy thought.
*Regular taijutsu strikes would lose effectiveness against it, and I might even hurt myself! I need faster speed, stronger power... or a change in approach!*
"Youth means burning brighter with every challenge!"
Guy laughed heartily, his surrounding chakra steam boiling furiously. He made his decision in an instant—close combat was too risky; he needed overwhelming burst power to shatter the defense!
"Oooohhh—!! Rubik! I feel your passion! This soul-igniting power deserves my hottest youth in return!!"
"Sixth Gate: Gate of View—Open—!!!"
Boom—!!!!
A torrent of chakra, like a tangible tsunami far surpassing the Fifth Gate, exploded from Guy's body! The ground beneath him cratered into a massive pit. Deep green steam nearly swallowed his form whole. The Sixth Gate unleashed destructive might!
"Morning! Peacock—!!!"
Guy's roar shook the heavens. His fists blurred into afterimages beyond visual limits—fast beyond measure, numerous beyond count!
Bang bang bang bang bang—!!!!
Countless visible flame shockwaves, born from pure high-speed fist friction with the air, burst forth like a peacock's radiant, lethal tailfeathers, aimed straight at Rubik in his lava armor!
Guy opted for the Sixth Gate's remote area assault, using sheer volume and impact to forcibly blast through—or destroy—that pesky lava defense!
"Remote bombardment? Right up my alley!"
Facing the onslaught, Rubik grinned with excitement. In this world of scheming shinobi, full-on clashes like this were rare gems.
"Lava Release: Meteor Volcano—Modified!"
Dozens of fist-sized, ultra-condensed lava fireballs glowing with blinding red light formed instantly. Instead of straight shots, they arced in tricky, eerie trajectories like a dense meteor shower, carrying incinerating heat to meet the incoming barrage head-on!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions rang out endlessly. The training field center blazed like a rising sun! Flame air bullets clashed wildly with dark red lava orbs mid-air, erupting into dazzling, perilous fire rain and shockwaves. The entire field was scoured by storm and flame!
Surprisingly, the onlookers—Lee and the others—took no damage; both fighters had masterfully contained the battle's range.
As fire rain and smoke obscured vision, Guy hung briefly airborne after his Morning Peacock, on the verge of landing.
On the ground, Rubik's lips curved in triumph. Hidden by the smoke, his hands had already finished the final seal!
"Earth Release: swamp of the underworld!"
Splurt—!
The solid ground beneath Guy's landing spot softened and liquefied instantly into a small but bottomless swampy maw!
"What?!"
Guy's face shifted. The Sixth Gate's power let him surge chakra to break free, but Rubik's trap had unnatural viscosity and suction, trapping his waist and legs below in a flash!
Now!
Rubik's eyes flashed. He whipped his head sharply!
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu!"
His signature spiky black hair exploded from his scalp like living black pythons, growing and extending at lightning speed. With a sharp whoosh, they precisely coiled around Guy's waist and arms—just as he wrenched free from the marsh but hadn't fully escaped!
"Urgh?!" Guy felt immense binding force; the tough strands dug into his Sixth Gate-hardened skin and muscle. He struggled fiercely, his monstrous strength stretching the hair taut with creaking groans, but Rubik's full-power Wild Lion's Mane, aided by the marsh's delay, temporarily restrained the humanoid beast!
"It's over, Guy!" Rubik growled, hands forming seals again. Potent chakra gathered in his palms, priming a decisive blow to the bound foe!
"..." Guy eyed the gathering chakra, feeling the hair and marsh restraints. His fierce battle intent ebbed like a receding tide. The raging green steam around him dissipated rapidly, veins fading beneath his skin, his aura deflating instantly.
He... voluntarily closed the Sixth Gate.
"Huff... huff...!" Guy panted heavily, sweat pouring down, but a relieved, utterly satisfied smile spread across his face. He flashed Rubik a thumbs-up, teeth gleaming in the sunlight.
"Incredible! Rubik! Your tactics and power are flawless! In this clash of youth, I concede!"
Rubik dispersed the chakra in his hands. The Wild Lion's Mane loosened from Guy, and the swamp of the underworld hardened back to earth. Looking at the exhausted yet beaming Might Guy, respect welled in Rubik's heart.
"You have the honor, Mr. Guy."
Rubik smiled too.
"You're the strongest pure taijutsu shinobi I've ever faced."
"Oooohhh—!!!" Guy bounced back with vigor, body trembling from high-gate exertion, but he pumped his fists excitedly.
"Defeat is youth's greatest fuel! Next time! We promise an even hotter showdown!!"
Before Rubik could reply, Guy barreled on:
"It's a deal! That's youth!!" Guy's bellow echoed across the field again.
Lee teared up in excitement nearby, Tenten facepalmed at her teacher's antics, and Neji pondered the duo's clash.
Yet, what Rubik didn't expect was running into an unforeseen figure on his way back to Naruto's place after bidding Guy's group farewell.