"Oh?"
For the first time, the indifferent expression on Naruto Uzumaki's face changed.
He looked at Might Guy, now shrouded in blood-red vapor, a flicker of genuine curiosity flashing through his eyes.
"The Eight Gates?" Naruto said lightly. "I've seen Lee open them before. Pretty interesting. Guy-sensei… I hope your Eight Gates can actually surprise me."
Even now, he spoke from a position of absolute superiority.
"Seventh Gate of Shock—OPEN!"
Guy roared. Blue steam surged skyward, and the sheer force caused the space around him to distort faintly.
But he did not attack.
Instead, he shouted toward the ruins behind him.
"Sasuke! Go!"
Sasuke took one deep look at Guy's back. Without hesitation, he used the last of his chakra and vanished into the distance.
Naruto glanced in the direction Sasuke fled, made no move to stop him, and merely smiled faintly.
Run wherever you want. I can always catch you later.
His attention returned to Might Guy.
Guy stared at Naruto's still-contemptuous expression. In his mind surfaced the image of his father, Might Duy—the will he had inherited, and the resolve to protect Konoha.
He grinned.
A dazzling, almost foolish smile—yet one filled with absolute, unrepentant resolve.
"The Eighth Gate…"
"Gate of Death—OPEN!!!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
But in that instant, the entire battlefield changed.
The blue steam transformed into a tragic, blazing blood-red vapor, like a sunset soaked in crimson.
Terrifying energy rippled outward.
The ground cracked.
The air screamed.
Even the sky seemed dyed red.
Guy's hair stood on end. His skin flushed deep crimson. Every drop of blood in his body boiled and burned.
He had become a scarlet sun descending upon the world.
"What—?!"
For the first time since the battle began, Naruto's face truly changed.
He could clearly sense it—
Compared to the Seventh Gate, this wasn't a mere increase in quantity.
It was a qualitative leap.
A hundredfold rise in power.
This strength—born purely from burning life itself—was violent, tyrannical, and overwhelmingly destructive. It was so intense that even Naruto's Rinnegan throbbed with pain.
"This power…" Naruto said, his expression completely serious now.
"It's absurd."
All traces of mockery vanished from his eyes.
In the real shinobi world, everyone's hearts leapt into their throats.
They might not understand the Eight Gates, but they could clearly see the change in Naruto's expression.
They could feel the terrifying aura leaking through the projection—an inferno threatening to burn everything to ash.
"W-What kind of jutsu is that?!"
"That monster… he's actually feeling pressure?!"
"Might Guy… he…"
Might Guy himself stared up at the future version of himself—then broke into a wide grin.
"Future me… nicely done!"
Neji and Tenten were completely stunned.
That usually unreliable, overly passionate teacher… was this strong?
"A final dance fueled by life itself," someone murmured.
"This… is the ultimate form of awe and tragedy."
On the projection, the cold ridicule on Naruto's face had fully disappeared.
In its place was sharp focus and solemn respect—
as though he were facing a true opponent worthy of his full attention.
"Guy-sensei," Naruto said quietly,
"come."
"Let me see your conviction."
At this moment, Guy's blood was boiling into vapor. Pain like billions of needles pierced every cell of his body. He could no longer speak.
But he heard Naruto's words.
Beneath the blood-red steam, his face seemed to twist into a painfully strained—yet proud—smile.
Conviction…
My conviction… is protection.
The Lotus of Konoha—bloom once more!
Without the slightest hesitation, driven by power that had reached its absolute limit—
He moved.
"Daytime Tiger!"
BOOOOM—!!!
The air was compressed and blasted forward by sheer physical force, forming a colossal crimson air cannon, visible to the naked eye. It tore through space at near-warping speed, far beyond sound, and smashed toward Naruto!
"First Step!"
Naruto's Rinnegan spun wildly. Truth-Seeking Orbs surged forward, forming a defensive barrier as he braced himself.
The Truth-Seeking Orbs—
their first true appearance.
CRASH!!!
The impact was so violent it felt as though eardrums would rupture.
The Truth-Seeking barrier shook violently, and Naruto was driven backward dozens of meters, his feet carving deep trenches into the ground!
"Second Step!"
Without pause, an even more violent crimson air blast followed!
Naruto's pupils contracted. He dared not take it head-on again and vanished instantly to evade—
But—
"Third Step!"
Guy had already predicted the movement. The third blast came at a vicious angle, sealing every possible escape route!
"Shinra Tensei!"
Naruto was forced to unleash repulsion again, barely deflecting the attack—but the overwhelming force shattered through the repulsive field almost instantly.
"Fourth Step!"
"Fifth Step!"
Crimson air cannons fell like a relentless meteor storm, hammering the space Naruto occupied.
The earth shattered.
The sky trembled.
The battlefield itself seemed to wail under Guy's mad assault.
Naruto pushed the Rinnegan's power and speed to their limits. Repulsion was useless. Spatial movement barely kept up.
He could only rely on the Truth-Seeking Orbs for defense—
And was, shockingly, forced completely onto the defensive by the ultimate pinnacle of taijutsu!
In the real shinobi world, everyone held their breath, staring in disbelief.
Taijutsu… could reach this level?
That invincible world-destroyer… was actually being suppressed?!
"Kai…"
Back in Konoha, Genma, Ebisu, and others who knew Guy were already in tears.
Kakashi's exposed Sharingan brimmed with sorrow—and pride.
Even Itachi Uchiha, watching the burning figure on the projection, showed a trace of respect in his eyes.
On the projection, Guy's assault abruptly ceased.
He dropped to one knee.
The blood-red steam flickered like a candle in the wind.
His life was nearly spent.
But he raised his head, locking onto Naruto, who hovered in the air—slightly disheveled.
His last strength.
His last light.
His final… conviction.
All of it condensed into a single strike.
Guy slowly assumed a starting stance—
A posture drawn with life itself as fuel.
The final, and most beautiful, form.
"Night…"
His hoarse voice sounded as if it came from the abyss.
"Guy…"
Blood-red steam surged violently into his right leg, compressing into a blazing sphere of crimson energy—like a miniature sun radiating annihilation!
Space twisted.
The ground collapsed layer by layer, unable to withstand the pressure.
Naruto's expression changed drastically.
From this attack—
He felt, for the very first time,
the threat of death.
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