Chapter 292 – The Appearance of the Crimson Beast, Eight Gates Formation
"Are you still not going to move?" Uzumaki Mito asked as she looked at Yusuke. "If the Nine-Tails is extracted, even with the tremendous vitality of the Uzumaki clan, it will still end in death."
"Wait a little longer," Yusuke replied calmly. "There's still one person who can stop this."
"What? That's impossible. Even Hashirama has already lost his ability to fight. Right now, there's no one who can stop him," Mito said, her face filled with disbelief.
"Want to make a bet? Forget it. Even if you lose, you'll still die anyway," Yusuke said with an expression that looked almost regretful.
"…Who is it, really?" Seeing how confident Yusuke was, Mito couldn't help but grow curious.
Yusuke's gaze shifted toward the green-clad figure on the battlefield.
"Him? But he can't even use ninjutsu. Taijutsu… I suppose with that Uchiha boy's condition, ordinary ninjutsu really is useless. Only Senjutsu and Taijutsu work," Mito muttered.
"But even so, with just his Taijutsu, it's impossible for him to fight Madara, isn't it?" Madara was known to possess terrifying Taijutsu, nearly on par with Might Guy after opening the Fifth Gate.
On top of that, Madara had Hashirama's cells, and after becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, his body had long since surpassed human limits.
"Just watch," Yusuke said quietly. "He's someone I admire."
His eyes, fixed on Might Guy, changed—shedding their usual complexity and becoming firm and resolute.
In truth, Yusuke could stop Guy if he wanted to. But if he did, the Red Beast of Konoha would never appear again. That would be an immeasurable loss for the shinobi world.
"Someone you admire?" Uzumaki Mito genuinely couldn't see anything special about Might Guy.
"That's right," Yusuke said seriously. "He's someone with no talent, yet possessing extraordinary resolve. This is the moment for his efforts to be revealed—to let the shinobi world know the name of Konoha's Monster, Might Guy."
Throughout countless years of shinobi history, the number of people capable of opening the Gate of Death could be counted on one hand. And fewer still could, with a human body, nearly kill a being on the level of a god. A man like Might Guy deserved his admiration.
"I want to see for myself whether he's truly as incredible as you say," Mito said, her eyes locked onto Guy.
"Watch carefully," Yusuke replied. "This is the moment the Crimson Beast takes the stage."
On the battlefield—
"If ninjutsu is useless, then it's finally my turn," Guy declared as he stepped forward. "Konoha's Blue Beast is entering the fight!"
"Eight Gates… Gate of Wonder, open!"
In an instant, an overwhelming visual aura erupted from his entire body.
"A blue aura? The gate before the Death Gate? So it's not red?" Madara said with mild interest. "Looks like I'm being underestimated."
At this moment, Madara's hair had turned snow-white, and he wore a cloak reminiscent of the Six Paths.
Seizing the opening, Guy charged at Madara. His speed had clearly surpassed the sound barrier.
"Amazing… this really isn't movement a human should be capable of," Mito said, following Guy's motion with her eyes.
"But…" she could already tell that Guy was still far from being a match for Six Paths–level Madara.
"Daytime Tiger!"
Guy's strike slammed straight into Madara's face. A devastating explosion engulfed the area in thick smoke. When it finally cleared, Madara was sent flying far away—while Guy himself was blasted backward as well.
The technique known as a sure-kill move looked utterly insufficient against Madara, who had reached the realm of the Six Paths.
Madara retaliated, sending the Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him hurtling toward Guy. At that critical moment, Rock Lee arrived and pulled Guy out of danger. With Minato's coordination, they barely managed to block the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
"Even Guy's Taijutsu isn't enough… damn it," Kakashi muttered, staring at the blade in his hand, regret filling his eyes.
"Wait, Kakashi," Guy said. "Isn't it too early to conclude that Taijutsu is useless?"
"But—"
"Our youthful spirit hasn't faded yet. Don't be so pessimistic," Guy said, sounding slightly annoyed by Kakashi's attitude.
"Kakashi, there may be hopes that never come true. But that's exactly why we have to try, isn't it?" Guy said as he looked up at Madara hovering in the air.
"Don't tell me you're planning to open the Death Gate," Kakashi said in panic. "Wait! Nii-san will definitely arrive soon!"
"Kakashi," Guy said with a wide grin, giving a thumbs-up, "this time, I want to stand on the front line too—to protect everything behind me."
With that, he ran toward Madara. The steam rising from his body slowly shifted from blue to red.
Chakra began to converge toward the Gate of Death.
Both Yusuke's Six Eyes and Madara's Rinnegan could clearly perceive the drastic change in Guy's chakra.
"Father… this time, I'll open that forbidden gate too," Guy said quietly. "The Blue Beast will become the Crimson Beast."
"Gate of Death… open. Eight Gates Formation."
Crimson steam instantly engulfed Guy's entire body.
"Even if it costs me my life, I will protect everything I cherish."
Madara floated in the air, looking down at Guy with arrogance.
"Red steam… so this is the sign of the Eight Gates fully opened?" Madara said. "At a glance, there's nothing special about it."
"Like an autumn leaf, about to fall," he continued.
"You're right," Guy replied calmly. "But before I fall, I'll become nourishment for the new sprouts."
He glanced at Rock Lee, whose face was already streaked with tears.
"So let me bloom one last time… in the final moments of my youth!"
In the next instant, Guy leapt straight at Madara.
"Evening Elephant."
"First step!"
Guy's strike crashed into Madara with terrifying force.
Shock filled Madara's face, followed by a slowly rising battle lust. In this moment, Madara truly acknowledged the man standing before him.
"So strong… Guy has surpassed me," Kakashi said in disbelief, as the words of his father and older brother echoed in his mind.
Sakumo: "That child will become an incredible shinobi someday."
Yusuke: "Kakashi, train seriously. In the future, he'll surpass you—but by then, you'll also lose your closest friend."
"So that's how it is…" Kakashi whispered. "Nii-san… you knew it all along, didn't you? This is all my fault. Why… why am I so weak…"
Tears finally spilled from his eyes.
"Incredible… I never imagined that after opening the Death Gate, he could reach such a terrifying level," Uzumaki Mito said in awe. Both she and Kakashi stared at Guy in shock.
"Of course," Yusuke said emotionally as he watched Guy. "That's the power gained by burning away what remains of his consciousness."
"You're amazing, Guy," Yusuke continued with a faint smile. "Even your strength is enough to stir my blood a little. But… it's still not enough."
"Are you really just going to stand there and watch your friend die?" Mito asked sharply. She understood the Eight Gates all too well—and the inevitable end of opening the Gate of Death.
"I won't let him die," Yusuke replied, his smile filled with absolute confidence.
"I don't understand you at all," Mito said. "Why haven't you moved until now? Those two boys you're watching are on the brink of death."
"Relax," Yusuke said calmly. "Someone will save them. But before that, there's someone I should go meet as well."
"…Who?"
"The Sage of Six Paths," Yusuke answered. "I have many questions."
"You truly are different from everyone else," Mito said.
"There's no other choice," Yusuke replied with a faint smile. "I'm simply too strong."
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