However, just because Kakashi and Guy were still holding on didn't mean everyone else could.
For shinobi of average strength—or those who specialized in ninjutsu rather than taijutsu—these serpent monsters were nothing short of living nightmares.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
One ninjutsu after another exploded like fireworks against the monsters—
Only to vanish the instant they touched the creatures' bodies, erased without leaving even the faintest trace.
By contrast, the shinobi's comparatively fragile bodies were utterly defenseless against the monsters' reckless, unstoppable charges.
"AAAAH—!"
"Help!"
"No—!!"
Screams echoed endlessly.
A Sunagakure ninja attempted to defend himself with puppets, only to be smashed aside together with them—his chest torn open by claws before he even hit the ground.
A Kirigakure ninja relied on the Hydrification Technique, attempting to nullify physical attacks—only for one monster to inhale sharply, sucking his liquefied body straight into its maw, followed by a sickening crunch. Silence followed.
With such overwhelming defenses, the serpent monsters had no fear at all.
They rampaged through the shoreline like tigers among sheep, slaughtering shinobi at will.
Every form of resistance looked pitifully weak before them.
"No good! These things are too freakish—nothing works on them!"
An Iwagakure ninja finally broke down after watching comrades die one after another.
He screamed in terror and turned to flee the beach.
But after only a few steps, a serpent monster appeared behind him like a phantom. A claw flashed—
RIP!
He was torn clean in two from top to bottom before he could even scream, his blood and organs splattering across the sand.
That brutal sight completely shattered what remained of many people's resolve.
"No… no! We can't win! I don't want to die!!"
Another shinobi turned and ran in blind panic.
Once someone broke, fear spread like a plague.
More and more shinobi abandoned the fight, desperate to escape this hell.
But they quickly discovered an even crueler truth—
Those who fled, exposing their backs, were targeted first.
The monsters seemed to prefer running prey, chasing them with even greater speed than those who resisted.
Though there were only ten of them, they rapidly surrounded everyone.
"They're… they're playing with us!"
"They're not leaving us any way out! Are they trying to wipe us all out?!"
"It's over… it's all over…"
A suffocating sense of hopelessness—no way up, no way down—crushed everyone's hearts.
The beach of Rogue Island had become a meticulously crafted death trap.
"Kakashi…"
Might Guy kicked away yet another charging monster, his breathing finally growing a little heavy. His expression was grim as he looked at his lifelong rival and closest friend.
The screams of dying shinobi and the monsters' screeches blurred into background noise, highlighting just how dire the situation had become.
"…Yeah."
Kakashi exhaled sharply, sweat sliding down his temple.
Constant evasive movement, repeated ninjutsu testing, and the burden of the Sharingan had drained both his stamina and chakra. He understood what Guy was about to say.
Guy met his gaze, eyes unwavering.
"I'm going to open the Seventh Gate — the Gate of Wonder. I'll force a path through and hold the monsters back."
"Kakashi, be ready. The opportunity might last only an instant."
Kakashi fell silent.
No one understood the Eight Gates better than him—especially the terrifying toll of the Seventh Gate on the body.
Given the monsters' horrifying defenses, Guy's Seventh Gate might repel them—maybe even kill some—but annihilating them all was nearly impossible.
And once the power burned out, Guy would be left helpless.
Before these monsters… that meant certain death.
He was planning to trade his life for Kakashi's chance to escape.
Guy, seeing Kakashi's silence, instead broke into his trademark wide grin, teeth gleaming brilliantly. He clapped a hand onto Kakashi's shoulder, his voice loud and resolute.
"Hahaha! It's fine, Kakashi! This is burning youth! To bloom in the hottest battle, protecting one's comrades—that's my ninja way!"
Looking into Guy's eyes—clear, passionate, utterly free of hesitation—Kakashi knew he couldn't refuse.
The intelligence here was too important.
If he hesitated, no one might survive.
Kakashi drew a deep breath, crushing down all his emotions, and nodded heavily.
"…Yeah. I understand. I'm counting on you… Guy."
"Leave it to me!"
Guy laughed once more—then his expression turned ice-cold.
A terrifyingly violent chakra erupted from his body, surging outward like a storm.
He stomped the ground, cracking the earth beneath his feet. Leaning forward slightly, arms crossed before his chest, he roared with a voice that shook the battlefield:
"Eight Gates—First Gate…"
"Second Gate…"
…
"Seventh Gate — Gate of Wonder—"
"OPEN!!!"
BOOOOM—!!!
Vast torrents of blue vapor blasted from every pore of Guy's body like a volcanic eruption!
His skin flushed deep red, veins bulging like coiled dragons. His muscles swelled to their absolute limit, radiating terrifying heat and shockwaves!
The rock beneath his feet shattered into fragments under the pressure!
The blue steam shot skyward, the violent energy alone forcing even the restless serpent monsters to recoil!
The Gate of Wonder—opened!
At the instant the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates Formation was unleashed, tangible blue vapor surged upward, and a storm of overwhelming energy swept across the entire beach!
This sudden, unfathomable power—far beyond anything present—instantly drew every gaze on the battlefield.
Both the struggling shinobi… and the rampaging monsters.
"What… what is that?!"
"S-so much chakra…!"
"It's Konoha's Proud Blue Beast! He still had a trump card like this?!"
The surviving shinobi stared in shock at Might Guy, shrouded in blue steam like a war god, a faint spark of hope rekindling in their hearts.
"Hahaha…!"
Enduring pain that felt like his body was being torn apart, Guy still laughed boldly. He locked his gaze onto the serpent monsters blocking the way ahead, his fighting spirit surging.
"Snake-skinned freaks! Come on! I'll show you the might of Konoha's Proud Blue Beast—hm?!"
With a roar, he was about to launch himself like a blue meteor, ready to smash aside every monster in his path and open an escape route for Kakashi—
But just before he could move—
Something changed again.
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