Yamanaka Haiichi of Konoha, your head is mine!
The moment that ghastly, death-reaper-like voice sounded from behind, Yamanaka Haiichi—who had been running for his life—instinctively turned his head. What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief. His legs faltered, and he tumbled face-first to the ground. Lying there in panic, he muttered in despair:
"How… how can a monster like you even exist?!"
Masks—like the faces of awakened demons—peeled themselves off Kakuzu's body, detaching and forming independent entities that could move freely.
Those pitch-black threads tangled together into grotesque forms, while the eerie masks howled with strange, otherworldly cries.
Cracking his neck and flexing his wrists, Kakuzu said coldly:
"Once you've become my target, there's only one conclusion—you're doomed. I was going to toy with you for a while, but… to wrap this up quickly, I'll let you have a taste of hell."
The masked monsters spread out, surrounding Haiichi from all sides, slowly closing in. Every path of retreat was sealed. Even if Haiichi could open the Eight Gates like Might Guy, he would never be able to escape this encirclement in time.
His expression twisted in despair. Four masked beasts penned him in completely—his chances of survival had been reduced to nothing.
To Kakuzu, there was no thrill, no anticipation—only business. To him, Konoha's so-called "jōnin" were nothing more than heads with different bounty values.
Of course, the most valuable prize would always be the Hokage's head. If Kakuzu could claim that, he would be delighted. But the Hokage lived at the very heart of Konoha, protected by the ANBU and countless shinobi. No matter how greedy Kakuzu was, he wasn't foolish enough to storm Konoha by himself.
So instead, those unlucky Konoha shinobi who strayed outside the village became his prey. And among them, Yamanaka Haiichi's bounty was far higher than average.
After all, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio represented one of Konoha's great clans. Their secret arts were renowned across the shinobi world—of course, their heads would fetch a greater price.
Meanwhile—
Godzilla had just torn free from the Shadow Possession Jutsu. Finally regaining its freedom, the beast raised a massive claw and roared furiously, swiping straight down at Nara Shikaku. The strategist's kunai gleamed, but Godzilla didn't care in the slightest—it brought its claw crashing down without hesitation.
Crack!
Shikaku crossed two kunai and somehow caught the descending strike. His wrists trembled violently under the monstrous pressure, sparks bursting from the clash of claw and steel.
Sizzle!
Godzilla pushed harder, grinding its claws against the kunai, spraying brilliant sparks that bounced uselessly off its armored scales. Not even scratches were left behind.
Shikaku cursed inwardly. Godzilla's brute strength was beyond terrifying—even worse than a taijutsu master. No wonder—looking like a dinosaur, this summoning beast truly possessed monstrous power.
But if Godzilla's strength was terrifying, the creature called Kong was even worse. Not only was its strength overwhelming, but it wielded a weapon with the dexterity of a human. Wielding the axe hewn from Godzilla's dorsal fin, Kong had already left Hatake Kakashi bleeding with several wounds.
Kakashi had tried to rely on his agility, stalling for time. But his chakra reserves were thinning fast. Several times, he barely avoided Kong's devastating swings using only pure taijutsu.
That axe wasn't some cheap weapon from a roadside smith. Forged from Godzilla's dorsal plate, it could cleave through ninjutsu itself.
Kakashi's strongest element—Lightning Release—proved useless. The axe split it with ease, and even Kong's thick fur absorbed part of the damage.
If only Kakashi hadn't abandoned his family's kenjutsu… with a proper blade, he wouldn't be struggling this badly. After all, kenjutsu required only stamina and skill, not chakra. Though not as flashy as ninjutsu, its efficiency in killing was no less. But ninjutsu demanded both stamina and chakra—a heavy cost in prolonged combat.
Elsewhere—
Might Guy had already opened the Fifth Gate and unleashed the advanced taijutsu technique, Morning Peacock. He had thought—even if it couldn't fatally wound Aoyama, it should at least cripple him enough to end the fight.
But to his shock, even after withstanding a full Peacock assault, Aoyama still stood—battered but unbroken—and countered with an even more devastating move: Fist of Fire Meteor.
Guy's mind reeled. From childhood, through countless days of training side by side, no matter the storm, Aoyama had always been there. To Guy, Aoyama was like family. Even if Aoyama had betrayed Konoha, Guy never once thought of killing him. He only wanted to defeat him and drag him back, begging the Hokage for forgiveness.
But now… with Yamanaka Haiichi's pained cries echoing from not far away, Guy knew he couldn't hold back anymore. Haiichi's strength was not great—if he fell, Guy would never forgive himself.
His comrades could not be allowed to die. Which meant Guy had no choice but to get serious.
His eyes blazed, filled with the fire of unshakable resolve. That scorching will was so intense it felt like real flames burning in the air. Under Guy's gaze, Aoyama felt that overwhelming fighting spirit directly, and his own heart pounded with equal excitement.
The clash resumed.
Boom!
Two figures blurred like lightning, crossing paths in an instant before separating. Yet in that single heartbeat, they had exchanged dozens—hundreds—of blows. Fists and kicks collided in rapid succession, producing shockwaves as violent as exploding tags.
Guy gritted his teeth, roaring:
"Aoyama! Forgive me… but I'll open the Sixth Gate! At this rate, I cannot defeat you. I need more power!"
The Eight Gates was a forbidden technique, a path of pain and ruin. Forcing chakra through the eight vital nodes of the body, each gate pushed the limits of human ability further—at the cost of one's life.
The final gate was aptly named the Gate of Death—to open it was to die.
But even before that, each gate demanded a terrible price.
Aoyama had tried opening the Sixth before. Yes, it worked—but the toll was unbearable. His body broke down afterward, leaving him crippled and bedridden for weeks. The gain in short-term power was hardly worth the long-term cost.
So when Guy declared he would open the Sixth, Aoyama's heart skipped a beat. The Guy before him… was about to grow even more terrifying.
Guy crossed his arms, lowering his stance. His face flushed crimson as chakra surged wildly through his body, blazing like fire as it erupted into the air. The sheer pressure ripped trees from their roots as a gale roared outward.
Terrifying.
Even just sensing Guy's aura made Aoyama feel like he was facing a monster beyond comprehension.
If tailed beasts were the measure of ultimate chakra, then at this moment, Might Guy had reached a tailed beast's level.