Red, searing steam continued to pour from Might Guy's body, evaporating into the air in waves of pure, scorching energy.
"Teacher Guy!"
Rock Lee's voice cracked as tears flooded his eyes. He knew exactly what this meant — once Guy opened the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, it would be the end. There was no coming back from it. His mentor… his father figure… was about to die.
Lee's trembling hands clutched the small green scroll pouch Guy had given him earlier — his final gift. His chest ached with grief.
He had been called a fool since childhood. A failure. The boy who could never use ninjutsu or genjutsu, who could only rely on taijutsu. For years, the shame weighed him down. That is, until he met Might Guy — the man who believed in him, who pushed him to grow stronger, to find pride in his own path.
For Lee, Guy wasn't just a teacher. He was a father.
And now… Lee hated himself more than ever. Why was he still so weak? Why could he only open the Sixth Gate? Why couldn't he stand beside his teacher in this final, glorious battle?
Elsewhere, Kakashi staggered to his feet, his Sharingan eye narrowing at the sight of the crimson steam. His face tightened.
"Damn it… that idiot Guy. He's opened the Gate of Death!" Kakashi's voice was harsh, but his throat felt tight. "If that's the case, then…"
He couldn't finish.
Kakashi had seen death countless times. It was part of being a shinobi. But losing Guy now, so soon after knowing Obito was on the brink… it was too much. His closest friends were leaving him one by one.
Not far away, Minato Namikaze stood still, his blue eyes locked on Guy's back. His chest swelled with respect and sorrow. He understood exactly what Guy was doing — holding off Uchiha Madara, buying precious time for Naruto and Sasuke to fulfill their mission.
On the battlefield near the roots of the God Tree, the Five Kage led the Allied Shinobi Forces in a relentless assault against the monstrous trunk.
Tsunade and Sakura worked side-by-side in the rear, channeling massive amounts of chakra into a large-scale healing technique. They summoned multiple divisions of Katsuyu, Shizune's slug summon, and scattered them across the field. Wherever the slug fragments touched a wounded ninja, healing chakra flowed into their bodies, letting them return to the fight.
On Guy's front line, Madara's lips curved into a dangerous smile.
"So… the red steam appears at last," the legendary Uchiha said, excitement glinting in his Rinnegan and Sharingan. "Before I take the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails… why not enjoy a fight with someone wearing the full Eight Gates Formation?"
His tone dripped with dark amusement.
"Come then. I found no joy in my battle with Hashirama. Perhaps you can provide me with some entertainment. Don't disappoint me!"
Guy exhaled sharply, his gaze locked on Madara, and then — with a burst of speed — he was gone, a blur of motion. He circled Madara at blinding speed, kicking up a storm of dust that formed a perfect ring around the Uchiha.
Madara gave a low chuckle, unimpressed.
"So, you open the Eight Gates… just to run in circles?" His Sharingan tracked Guy's movements. "I expected more from this so-called ultimate taijutsu."
Guy's answer was action. He leapt high into the air, twisting his body as his muscles roared with power.
"Evening Elephant — First Step!"
With a thunderous crack, Guy's foot swept downward, releasing a colossal shockwave of compressed air. The cylindrical blast rocketed toward Madara like an invisible cannon.
Madara's grin faltered. He swung his Shakujo staff into place, blocking just in time — but the force was overwhelming.
"Urghhh—!"
The ground beneath them split apart, fissures spiderwebbing outward from the impact. With a deafening BOOM, the blast drove Madara deep into the earth, his staff shuddering under the strain.
Across the battlefield, shinobi paused mid-fight as the shockwave tore through the air.
Lee shielded his face from the wind and stared, awe and pride in his eyes. "So this… this is the Evening Elephant Teacher Guy spoke of! Such power… unbelievable!"
Nearby, Jiraiya dropped down beside Minato, throwing up a secondary barrier to shield them from the debris. His expression softened as he watched Guy.
"That man… Might Guy… a true genius among ordinary men."
Minato nodded solemnly. "Born with no kekkei genkai, no great clan, no secret techniques… and yet, on this battlefield, he surpasses all who do."
"Evening Elephant — Second Step!"
Guy prepared his next strike, but a white-hot pain shot through his bones. His body screamed in protest. For a brief moment, he faltered — just as he had in his original life.
But Guy had been here before. He grit his teeth, forced his body to adjust, and then pressed forward.
In the crater below, Madara's eyes narrowed.
"To think… striking the air itself could generate such devastating force…" He touched a hand to his head — a jagged fragment of his horn had snapped off from the earlier blow. His expression darkened.
"No… I cannot allow myself to be hit four or five times in a row by this technique. Even I would be in danger."
Madara rose to his feet, leaping into the sky.
"Very well, Eight Gates warrior — you have my full attention now! Come, dance with me!"
His voice rang with ambition and bloodlust.
Guy was already in motion, sprinting through the air itself with footfalls so fast they seemed unreal. Madara's eyes widened slightly.
"To run through the air like that… what kind of beast are you?"
Guy's next attack came instantly.
"First Step!"
The air cannon roared toward Madara. In a flash, he conjured a Truth-Seeking Ball, molding it into a spherical shield before him.
"So fast!" he muttered — but before he could even reset—
"Second Step!"
The second shockwave slammed into his face, bypassing his guard entirely.
"Third Step!"
Madara's body locked up, immobilized by the sheer concussive force.
"Damn it…!"
Guy didn't waste the opening.
"Fourth Step!"
"Fifth Step!"
Evening Elephant was a five-step technique, each strike faster and stronger than the last. Guy hammered forward relentlessly. Madara panicked — a rare sight — and quickly wrapped himself in his Truth-Seeking Ball shield, choosing defense over counterattack.
In his original life, Guy's assault had been aided by Minato, Lee, and Kakashi. But here, he was alone.
Guy's final blow smashed into the black shield, driving Madara deep into the ground once more. The pit shook, dust exploding outward.
Gasping, Guy dropped from mid-air, his chest heaving. Madara, still encased in his shield, had taken far less damage than in the original battle — but blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, proof that Guy had gotten through.
Floating upward again, Madara wiped the blood away and smiled fiercely.
"Good… very good! You've succeeded in exciting me!"
Guy's teeth clenched. "Damn it… even Evening Elephant wasn't enough…"
There was only one technique left. The ultimate taijutsu.
Night Guy.
Meanwhile, exactly one minute had passed elsewhere on the battlefield.
Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha — each impaled through the chest by the other's attack — lay lifeless. Then, with a faint dripping sound, both stirred.
Naruto's eyes flickered open. He sat up slowly, then looked around — and smiled faintly.
Turning his head, he wasn't surprised to see the ethereal form of the Sage of Six Paths floating before him.
A sly grin tugged at Naruto's lips.
"Old man… I knew you'd have a backup plan."
He stretched, unbothered by the mortal wound that had just killed him.
"You told me when you brought me back before — that it would be the last time we'd meet. Guess you lied. You're pretty damn good at surprises."
His eyes darted around. "Where's Sasuke? Don't tell me you're keeping an eye on him too, old man."
Dear Readers
For 60 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon 🥺