Chapter 78: The Fifth Gate
As the words fell—
An incomparably terrifying and powerful chakra erupted from Naruto in an instant.
This chakra was like a pillar holding up the sky—soaring into the heavens, straight into the clouds, resounding through the sky.
After everyone felt the terrible pressure of this chakra, they were shocked and trembled.
Then, they saw it in astonishment.
Red flames burned on Naruto's body.
The flames were very strong, like a wildfire spreading across a plain. Burning.
No—they weren't flames.
It was chakra.
Red chakra.
Like the terrifying chakra of the Nine-Tails.
The red chakra clung to the surface of Naruto's body, burning fiercely like flames.
Constantly released from Naruto's body.
Not only that—
With the appearance of this chakra, Naruto's aura multiplied.
Everyone could feel that the Naruto standing before them now was several times stronger than before.
That's right.
This was Naruto's power.
The Eight Inner Gates—Naruto had opened up to the Fifth Gate in a single go.
Although Naruto could open more, he knew it wasn't necessary.
Only the Fifth Gate was enough to take care of the Third Hokage.
In fact, he could deal with the Third Hokage without opening the Eight Inner Gates at all.
After all, he had many other methods.
Every single one of them was enough to match the Hokage.
The reason he activated the Gates was because Naruto wanted everyone in Konoha to know—
Just how terrifying it was when anger suppressed for thirteen years finally erupted.
To let everyone know how massive the price would be after this bloody reckoning came.
To let them know the consequences of trying to sacrifice Naruto.
Not only that—
Naruto also wanted to show everyone that the Third Hokage they trusted, looked up to, and admired—the aloof Hokage—would soon be humiliated at Naruto's hands.
Thinking this, Naruto steadied his breathing. He looked at the Third Hokage with cold eyes. His body suddenly flashed—and disappeared.
The terrifying speed made everyone tremble just watching it.
The Third Hokage noticed Naruto's transformation and that ghostly speed. His pupils contracted sharply.
The next moment, Naruto suddenly appeared in front of the Third Hokage.
He looked at the Third Hokage with cold eyes, raised his fist, and threw a punch.
Seeing Naruto appear out of nowhere, the Third Hokage was shocked. His pupils shrank. He tried to defend himself.
But Naruto was too fast.
So fast that the Third Hokage had no chance to resist.
The Eight Inner Gates—they were the key to unlocking human potential and bursting forth with tremendous power for a short time.
Guy—using strength above elite jonin level to open the Gates—had been able to directly challenge Uchiha Madara after Madara obtained the power of the Six Paths. He had beaten Uchiha Madara himself.
Not to mention Naruto, whose own strength was far beyond ordinary levels.
Even though he had only opened the Fifth Gate, Naruto's power at this moment was absolutely terrifying.
It was simply not something an ordinary person could resist.
Immediately—
That fiery fist, without waiting for the Third Hokage to make any counterattack, struck him directly.
In that instant—
The power in the fist exploded.
The terrifying force caused a violent cyclone to erupt around the fist.
In the end, the Third Hokage managed to block it with the Adamantine Staff in time.
But after the fist struck—
The terrifying power bent the Adamantine Staff. Blood burst from the black staff's surface.
But the power didn't stop there.
When all the force of the fist poured out—
The indestructible Adamantine Staff simply couldn't withstand it.
The remaining power slammed into the Third Hokage in an instant.
The Third Hokage was blasted back—blood spraying from his mouth. His face was full of horror as his body flew backward.
He flew dozens of meters before crashing hard into the ground.
On the ground, a massive crater appeared from the terrible remnant force of the punch.
When the people around saw this scene, every single one of them opened their eyes wide. Their pupils trembled with shock.
That punch had been simply terrifying.
It had shaken the entire air.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen—the Third Hokage they admired, respected, and looked up to—who had been able to withstand the combined attack of the First and Second Hokages without falling—
Had been sent flying by a single punch.
It was almost unbelievable.
How powerful was Naruto's punch?
After everyone saw it, they couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
The Third Hokage crawled out of the crater. A trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. He looked at Naruto with shocked pupils.
He also hadn't expected Naruto's punch to be this terrifying.
As the one who took that punch, his experience was even more profound than those watching from the sidelines.
That punch had felt like a mountain crashing down on him—making him feel completely unable to resist.
If it weren't for the Adamantine Staff—transformed from the Ape Demon—helping him absorb most of the force, that single punch would have caused him severe injury.
As soon as the Third Hokage's horrified thought finished, he heard a bang.
The black Adamantine Staff in the Third Hokage's hand turned into a puff of smoke.
The figure of the Ape Demon reappeared in everyone's view.
But the Ape Demon at this moment didn't have the mighty, majestic presence he'd had at the start.
Instead, he looked like a wilted monkey—bloody, shrunken, and panting heavily as he stared at Naruto in horror.
Then, the Ape Demon spat out a mouthful of blood and said in terror:
"Sarutobi... what kind of monster is that? Why is he so terrifying?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know how to answer the Ape Demon's question.
He was even more shocked than the Ape Demon. His face was full of bitterness. His heart was filled with incomparable shock and disbelief.
This was the boy he had kept under surveillance for thirteen years.
Yet at some point—the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto—had suddenly grown this powerful.
Naruto saw the shock and horror in the Third Hokage's eyes—the look of disbelief—and smiled lightly.
He walked toward the Third Hokage, looked down at him calmly, and said:
"What's wrong? You feel like you've been monitoring me for thirteen years, but now I'm beyond your control and imagination. A little hard to accept?"
"Can't believe I can do all of this?"