When two forces collided.
Suddenly, the mountain trembled violently. Everything around it shook as visible ripples spread wildly through the air.
At the point where the two forces met, space itself began to distort. Light bent toward the center of the collision, as if a strange wormhole were forming in midair.
The scene left the Fourth Raikage and the others momentarily stunned.
Then everyone abruptly turned and fled.
The shockwave from the explosion swept outward, crushing the surrounding ground in an instant. Dense cracks burst across the surface, spreading like a massive spiderweb.
Even the sky seemed to split apart.
The Fourth Raikage and the others leapt dozens of meters away, hiding behind a massive boulder as terrifying air currents surged around them.
Their heartbeats accelerated uncontrollably.
Such terrifying power made it difficult to believe that this was a battle between ninjas.
Both fighters were monsters.
They had always known Shigure was a monster, but none of them had expected Might Guy to unleash such horrifying strength.
"The Eight Gates Release… this technique can truly be called the greatest taijutsu in the ninja world," the Fourth Raikage said gravely.
Darui and C nodded in agreement. The sheer power displayed here was far beyond what ordinary shinobi could achieve.
To fight Shigure to this extent… there were probably very few people in the entire ninja world capable of doing so.
Ōnoki sighed.
"This is the legacy of Konoha. Even an ordinary elite jōnin can possess terrifying combat power."
As he spoke, a bitter smile appeared on his face. If Iwagakure had a ninja like this, he would feel far more at ease as Tsuchikage.
"Fortunately, Shigure has already left Konoha and joined Kirigakure," Kurotsuchi said. "Otherwise, Konoha would be even more terrifying now."
Deidara, standing nearby, pouted.
"This kind of battle has no art at all. It's just brute force. Too boring."
Boring?
Ōnoki was speechless.
A ninja pursuing art? And explosions counted as art?
It was no better than brute force.
But now clearly wasn't the time to lecture Deidara.
The thunderous roar continued for more than ten seconds. When the sound finally subsided, the surroundings looked completely different.
The area had been flattened by the terrifying shockwave.
What had once been rough and uneven terrain was now smooth and level, as if it had been carefully polished.
The Fourth Raikage cautiously peeked out from behind the boulder and looked toward the battlefield.
Shigure stood calmly in place.
In front of him lay Might Guy.
His body was charred black, and his life force was rapidly fading.
Shigure looked at him with rare seriousness.
"As expected of Konoha's master of taijutsu. The Eight Gates truly deserve to be called the strongest taijutsu."
Although Shigure spoke quietly, the Fourth Raikage and the others heard him clearly. A group of samurai from the Land of Iron were also hiding behind rocks, secretly watching the scene.
Shigure lowered his head.
His clothes were already torn to shreds.
"This is the first time someone has made me look this miserable."
As he spoke, a faint light flashed in his eyes. The torn fabric of his clothes began to repair itself automatically.
This was merely a minor application of his ability—something he could easily accomplish.
However, his gaze soon returned to Might Guy lying on the ground.
At that moment, Kakashi arrived.
He stopped about ten meters away from Guy and froze completely.
Guy's current condition clearly showed that he had exhausted all his strength. His life was almost at its end.
Kakashi let out a helpless sigh.
For the peace of the ninja world, Guy had given everything.
Unfortunately, he still failed.
Even so, everyone in the shinobi world should remember that there once existed a ninja who fought with everything he had for their peaceful lives.
At this moment, Shigure stepped forward.
He approached Guy, slowly crouched down, and raised his hand toward Guy's chest.
Kakashi was startled.
"Shigure… what are you doing?"
Shigure glanced at him.
"It would be a pity for a ninja like this to die."
As he spoke, he began using the power of the Six Paths Great Sage to stabilize Guy's life force.
In the original history, Naruto had saved Might Guy using the power of the Six Paths Sage.
Now, Shigure could do the same.
However, the rain also ensured that Might Guy would not suffer any permanent aftereffects.
[Great Sage: Analyzing…]
[Six Paths power activating]
A faint light flashed.
Might Guy's tightly shut eyes slowly opened.
At the same time, the injuries covering his body began to fade. His charred skin gradually returned to normal, and his vitality began to recover.
Although he had not fully recovered, Guy's condition was far better than in the original outcome of opening the Eighth Gate.
His breathing stabilized.
Kakashi quickly stepped forward and examined Guy's condition. But what surprised him was that Guy didn't seem to have any critical problems at all.
Kakashi was stunned.
Guy had just opened the Eight Gates Release—a technique that should inevitably lead to death.
Yet Shigure had saved him.
What kind of power was this?
Kakashi felt completely bewildered.
Shigure slowly stood up and looked toward the approaching Hinata and Fugaku.
"Alright. It should be over now. Let's return to the village."
As he spoke, Shigure glanced in the direction of the Fourth Raikage and the others.
"It's a pity that war couldn't be avoided."
"If you still refuse to hand over your Tailed Beast… then come."
"Kirigakure will not fear war."
After saying this, Shigure turned and left, taking Hinata and Fugaku with him.
Meanwhile, Tsunade finished checking Guy's condition and immediately spoke to Kakashi.
"Take Guy back to the village immediately. He needs a complete medical examination to ensure there are no lasting effects."
Tsunade and the others quickly departed.
Only the Fourth Raikage and the other Kage remained behind, silently watching Shigure's retreating figure.
Continuing the fight seemed meaningless.
None of them believed they could defeat him.
And now the real question remained:
Should they truly unite and wage war against Kirigakure… or simply end the matter here?
Konoha had already withdrawn.
If only Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure fought alone, it would not be easy to challenge Kirigakure.
The Fourth Raikage, Ōnoki, and Gaara exchanged glances.
None of them had the will to fight anymore.
After witnessing Shigure's terrifying power firsthand, maintaining the courage to oppose him would require extraordinary resolve.
Far away, someone had silently watched the entire battle.
Madara slowly stood up.
"The Ten-Tails… there's no mistake."
"That boy's body contains the chakra of the Ten-Tails."
Madara frowned slightly.
"That's strange. How did he manage it?"
"The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path (Gedō Mazō) is still in our possession. So how could he possibly obtain the Ten-Tails' chakra…?"
(End of Chapter)
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank you for your support!