[Konoha, Year 60. Hokage Office]
Tsunade and Hiruzen were both instantly overjoyed. The gloom that had hung over them because of the Akatsuki instantly lifted.
Tsunade even stood up from her chair, leaning forward with her hands on the desk, her eyes fixed on the green figure on the screen, making sure she hadn't misheard.
'Great!'
They had been worrying about the Akatsuki threat lately—but who could have guessed that the solution was right inside the village all along.
"From now on, until the Akatsuki threat is neutralized, let Guy's team stay in the village," Hiruzen spoke first.
Ever since the Sky Screen showed the scene of Nagato destroying Konoha, he had been haunted by that image. Every night when he closed his eyes, he saw that orange-haired man standing atop the ruins, arms spread wide.
Now, with Konoha's current forces aging and its younger generation still green—and even Jiraiya and Tsunade being no match for Nagato—if the other Akatsuki members were added, Konoha would definitely be in big trouble.
But who would have thought such a huge surprise would suddenly appear.
Guy's strength was actually that remarkable? He had assumed at best Guy would reach Kage-level after opening the Eighth Gate, like Might Duy—enough to kill a few Elite Jōnin.
But this—even Nagato was no match for Guy!
Hiruzen rubbed his chin, a thought crossing his mind: 'Can I learn the Eight Gates too?'
Even though his old bones might not be able to handle it, but what if?
Tsunade nodded in agreement, crossing her arms. "Mm. But we'll still compensate him at S-rank mission rates."
She paused, then added, "For now, Guy's team gets double pay, funded by the village."
Hiruzen glanced at her, thinking she was certainly generous, but didn't object.
After all, if it could protect Konoha, what was a little money?
---
The other villages, meanwhile, were deeply dismayed.
Konoha had yet another hidden powerhouse!
A loud crash came from the Raikage's office—likely another desk had been destroyed.
Ōnoki wobbled midair and nearly fell again, looking like he had swallowed a fly.
Rasa's face was even more sour—he had been digging sand until his back ached, while Konoha could just pull out some monster capable of beating Super-Kage level fighters.
Only Kirigakure's people quietly took pride in it. If Might Guy was that strong, then his father, Might Duy, couldn't have been far behind. At least now no one would mock the Seven Ninja Swordsmen anymore.
Losing to a monster like that was nothing to be ashamed of.
---
[Akatsuki Hideout]
Itachi looked at the Sky Screen's portrayal of Guy and felt a trace of confusion.
Might Guy—of course he knew him. An Elite Jōnin highly skilled in Taijutsu, Kakashi's close friend, and the passionate man who never stopped talking about youth.
He remembered, as a child in Konoha, occasionally seeing that green jumpsuit-clad guy walking on his hands in the training ground, or running laps around the village, shouting things like "youth" and "passion."
The man was indeed strong… but not to the point where Itachi felt he needed to be wary.
But going by the Sky Screen's meaning—he and Kisame together couldn't even force Guy to reveal his true trump card? And even Nagato was no match for him?!
Itachi found it hard to believe.
With his current understanding, it was truly hard to accept. His own Mangekyō, Nagato's Rinnegan—both held catastrophic power. How could a man who only used Taijutsu surpass them?
Kisame, not far away, let out a scoff. "The screen sure knows how to talk big. Whether we can win or not—we'll know when we fight. That bowl-cut guy—I hope I don't run into him, because I'd really like to test his mettle."
He pulled Samehada off his back, spinning it in his hands, the blade humming with vibration.
Deidara, always enjoying a good show, sidled over with a sly grin. "Kisame, what if you lose?"
"Lose?" Kisame bared his teeth in a dangerous shark-like grin. "I don't lose."
Hidan curled his lips, "You sure are confident."
Kakuzu said nothing. Though he didn't fully trust the screen's claims either, he had lived for nearly a century—caution was second nature to him.
Besides, that guy probably didn't have much of a bounty, and the risk of killing him was too high. Only an idiot would bother.
Right now, his top priority was to help Konan sell more Explosive Tags!
Iwagakure had just placed a big order, and the other major nations—including Konoha—were asking for quotes.
This was the busiest time.
If it weren't for the leader and Konan insisting everyone watch the Sky Screen together, he would have wanted Konan to keep working.
Making money was what mattered! All this fighting between people was ultimately about profit.
Kakuzu calculated in his mind: once this batch of Explosive Tags sold, he'd make another tidy profit. As for some "Blue Beast" or "standing shoulder to shoulder with the gods"—what did that have to do with him?
He had seen the God of Shinobi with his own eyes.
---
[Land of Rain, Amegakure]
Nagato stared at the screen, lost in thought.
Was this "Blue Beast of Konoha" really that strong? Even he couldn't beat him?
He was deeply skeptical.
Even if he faced both Itachi and Kisame at once, he would probably have to go all out to win—and even then, he'd need to be careful, since no one knew what other trump cards Itachi had, like Kotoamatsukami.
Yet Might Guy wouldn't even need to use his full power?
And when he went to Konoha to capture the Nine-Tails in the future, he had been lucky?
If this intel was true… then capturing the Nine-Tails would be a real problem now.
He wondered if bringing the entire Akatsuki would be enough to guarantee a win against Konoha.
His mind raced, comparing the two sides' strengths, but no matter how he calculated, he couldn't find the confidence. One Might Guy was already enough of a headache—plus the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi… and that growing Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Nagato's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
---
[Somewhere on a cliff in the Shinobi World]
Obito unconsciously touched his own face, then spat in disgust.
"I don't believe that dead-last is that strong."
"Hmph!"
That damn Guy—he had even failed to make Chūnin back then! If the screen hadn't mentioned him, Obito would have almost forgotten.
It made Obito want to go pick a fight with Guy.
He had Kamui after all, and in this timeline, Minato was already dead. A Taijutsu-only user like Guy was no threat to him. What good were fists and feet if they couldn't land a hit?
He started to stand up, but then sat back down.
'Forget it. Patience is the key.'
All the Hidden Villages have been hunting him like mad dogs across the world lately. So he'd let it slide for now.
Obito took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. The Eye of the Moon Plan was all that mattered; everything else was secondary.
---
[Konoha, Year 83. Naruto's home]
Boruto sat on the sofa, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg. "Isn't that… Guy-sensei?"
He often saw that man in a wheelchair, but he never imagined he was this strong.
"Mm! Bushy Brow-sensei is really strong—arguably the greatest Taijutsu master in the entire world," Naruto said, his tone full of respect.
"WOW!!!" x2
Boruto and Himawari both exclaimed in unison.
Boruto then clenched his fists. "I want to be that strong too!"
Naruto smiled and ruffled his hair, "You'll have to work hard then. Right now, you're a long way from Bushy Brow-sensei."
'Boruto, I hope you grow up quickly… After all, your future responsibilities seem just as heavy.' Naruto thought silently to himself. 'But don't worry—your old man won't drop the ball.'
Himawari looked up, her eyes full of curiosity, "Dad, why is Guy-sensei in a wheelchair now?"
Naruto fell silent for a moment, "Because he opened the Eighth Gate—the final gate of the Eight Gates Jutsu. His power surpassed countless people, and he landed a super incredible kick."
Himawari nodded, not fully understanding but accepting it anyway.
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Team 3's location]
Guy stood in the training field, tears streaming down his face. "This is youth! Someone has finally noticed me!"
Lee stood beside him, equally tearful. "Guy-sensei! You're amazing!"
"Lee! You can do it too!" Guy gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing with a gleam of light.
"As long as you keep working hard, one day you'll reach that height too!"
"Yes!" Lee's tears flowed even harder.
Now Neji couldn't laugh anymore. He no longer even wanted to watch the screen—he just wanted to go practice the Eight Gates.
The taste of freedom had never felt so close.
*****
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