"You can't escape!"
Guy's expression remained steady as he watched the Fuguki vanish beneath the waves.
Without hesitation, he channeled immense power into his left leg and lunged forward.
BOOM!
The impact of his takeoff ripped through the sea, carving out a massive ten-meter-wide trench across the water's surface.
His sheer explosive speed compressed the surrounding air into an almost tangible force, displacing the ocean itself.
A path—a dry corridor—formed straight down to the seafloor, as if the sea had been momentarily split apart.
To the stunned onlookers, it was as if a high-speed train had shot through the ocean, leaving nothing but a gaping void in its wake.
A deafening silence fell over the battlefield.
Then, a cascade of seawater finally began to collapse back into the unnatural vacuum Guy had left behind.
"This… this is insane!"
Konoha and Kiri ninjas alike stared in shock, their gazes locked on the lingering trench and the still-churning waves.
The sheer force of the moment had shattered their understanding of combat.
"Did that… really just happen?"
Among them, those with keen eyes and battle experience couldn't help but mutter in disbelief:
"That was… just Taijutsu?"
He had witnessed Guy's explosive power firsthand. Adjusting his dislocated jaw and pinching his thigh hard, he finally convinced himself that this wasn't some kind of illusion.
"Genma… Have we been slacking off?"
Ebisu's voice was filled with disbelief as he watched his comrade's overwhelming display.
For years, he and Genma had been training at a steady pace, believing they were improving. Yet, compared to Guy—this hot-blooded fool who had somehow reached such an absurd level—they suddenly felt as if they had been standing still.
Shouldn't they be pushing themselves harder?
"Yeah… maybe we should cut back on trips to Pleasure Street."
A brief silence fell between them.
Then, gritting his teeth, Ebisu clenched his fists as if making the toughest decision of his life.
"Once we spend all the money on our membership card… we won't go back!"
Genma said nothing.
Both of them knew the truth. If only the Hokage hadn't dragged them along to Pleasure Street in the first place, they might have actually progressed over the years.
Bang!
Before they could dwell on their regrets, the ocean—previously settling from Guy's devastating assault—suddenly erupted in a massive explosion of water.
There was no need to guess.
This was Guy's doing.
As the mist and seawater rained down, a small, dark figure was sent hurtling through the sky, spiraling uncontrollably.
Ebisu squinted, focusing on the airborne silhouette.
"That tiny speck up there… Is that… Fuguki?"
"That… kind of looks like a pufferfish?"
The black dot soaring through the air had a vaguely human shape, but the bloated, round form made it resemble a fat fish more than anything else.
In the distance, Mei was locked in battle with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. She had already overwhelmed them and was about to finish them when—
Thud!
A large, shadowy figure crashed down, interrupting her next attack.
Mei frowned, taking a step back as she examined the comically swollen form in front of her.
"Fuguki?"
She barely recognized Fuguki. His already rotund body had swollen grotesquely from the impact, making him look more like a bloated sea creature than a ninja.
Unable to stop herself, Mei let out a scoff and—without thinking—spat a mouthful of corrosive acid in his direction.
"Honestly, this is ridiculous! How does a ninja even end up looking like this? You're not part of the Akimichi clan, are you?"
With an exasperated sigh, she turned her attention away from her unfortunate ally and toward the approaching figure closing in fast.
Might Guy.
The sheer force of his movement was splitting the ocean apart. At impossible speed, he sprinted across the surface, leaving behind a streak of white foam—a perfect trail carved into the sea that lingered long after he had passed.
Mei narrowed her eyes.
"Judging by that momentum… this one's a real problem."
"Guy… You arrived just in time!"
Seeing Guy's figure rushing toward them, Nara Shikaku let out a subtle sigh of relief. He had a general understanding of Might Duy's history, so it was no surprise that Guy would relentlessly chase after the Fuguki upon spotting him.
Still, Shikaku hadn't expected Guy's pursuit to solve his immediate problem so conveniently.
"Mei, stall him for me!"
Fuguki wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and without a moment's hesitation, he plunged back into the water, attempting to flee once again.
His arrival at Mei's battlefield had not been a coincidence—it was a calculated move. He understood that, among everyone on the battlefield, only Mei had a chance at halting the terrifying force that was Might Guy.
It was only fair, after all. She had left him behind to stall for her escape. Now, it was her turn to return the favor.
"Pathetic coward..."
Watching his bloated figure merge with Samehada and vanish beneath the waves, Mei clenched her teeth in frustration.
That spineless fool had no right to wield Samehada. If he somehow survived this battle, she would personally make sure he paid for his disgraceful retreat.
But for now—
"Water Style: Water Dragon Blast!"
Without hesitation, she formed the necessary seals and unleashed a devastating torrent of water at the incoming Guy.
"Water Style: Water Rush!"
Despite her frustration, Mei couldn't simply stand by and watch a fellow Kiri ninja get killed by a Konoha shinobi.
That being said… this was the extent of her assistance.
"Break!"
Guy didn't hesitate in the slightest as waves of Water Dragon Bullets and large-scale Water Style techniques surged toward him.
He simply threw a punch.
"Did he just… punch through it?"
Mei's sharp eyes widened in disbelief.
What had she just witnessed?
The Water Dragon Bullets meant to hinder him had been shattered into mere splashes upon contact. The massive rushing wave she had summoned to intercept him had been blasted open.
By a single, raw punch.
A gaping hole, nearly three meters wide, had been carved straight through her attack, and the blue-green blur that was Might Guy shot through it with blinding speed before Mei could even react.
"The ninjas from your village… are truly something else."
Watching Guy's figure rapidly disappear into the distance, Mei shifted her gaze toward the trio still standing before her.
I honestly don't even know how to react to this.
"…Guy is always like that."
Watching as Guy completely ignored his greeting and instead continued chasing after the fleeing Fuguki, Shikaku couldn't help but let out a bitter sigh.
A savior had finally arrived, yet he barely acknowledged him or anyone else.
"Looks like it's about time to retreat."
Mei scanned the battlefield. There was no sign of Uchiha Toshiro—an absence that left her both perplexed and relieved.
Meanwhile, the Kiri ninjas fighting to buy time for their comrades were starting to falter. There was no point in dragging this out any further.
She turned toward Ao, who was struggling to fend off relentless attacks from the Hyuga clan.
"Ao, send the signal—it's time to withdraw!"
As Mei issued the order and began coordinating the Kiri ninja's retreat—
"Damn it! This kid… He's a real problem!"
Deep beneath the waves, Fuguki—now fully fused with Samehada into a monstrous, bloated, fish-like form—stared up at the figure above him. His distorted face was filled with despair.
Years ago, this brat had been nothing more than an insignificant worm he could have crushed without a second thought.
Now?
Not only had he inherited Might Duy's terrifying techniques, but he had also mastered them to an unimaginable level.
And that woman—Mei Terumi—had barely tried to stop him before completely disregarding him.
"Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!"
Hidden beneath the water, taking advantage of its natural cover, the Fuguki split into over thirty water clones, each fleeing in different directions.
He had noticed something—the enemy before him, for all his overwhelming strength, didn't seem particularly skilled in ninjutsu. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could use clones to throw him off.
As for staying and fighting head-on? That notion had vanished the moment he witnessed the sheer destructive force his opponent unleashed.
Bang!
His plan wasn't bad, but unfortunately for him, Guy didn't need to be a ninjutsu expert to counter it.
With another devastating punch, Guy shattered the water beneath him, sending a shockwave that forcibly expelled every single clone from its hiding place.
"Morning Peacock!"
For dealing with multiple targets at once, nothing was more effective.
"Not another one of these attacks!"
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Realizing what was coming, the clones of Fuguki reacted swiftly, weaving signs to erect a massive water barrier.
Despite his cowardice, Fuguki wasn't entirely brainless. He knew his opponent's attacks were raw, explosive bursts of power. If he could just endure—if he could just stall long enough—there might still be a way out of this.
"Looks like this is my only option."
Guy narrowed his eyes at the numerous clones and the towering water walls continuously forming before him.
Then, without hesitation, he landed firmly on the sea, clenched his fists, crossed them before his chest, and began channeling his strength.
"Seventh Gate: Open!"
At that moment, the Fuguki felt his heart clench as though gripped by an invisible force. His face drained of color.
There was no hesitation—no second thoughts. He knew he couldn't stay here. While his opponent was still gathering power, he dove back into the ocean, attempting to flee once more.
But it was futile.
"It's useless. With my new technique, you won't have time to escape!"
Guy's eyes burned with fierce determination. His body emitted an intense blue steam, powerful enough to force the surrounding seawater away.
"This punch is for my father. So... feel the weight of my years of effort!"
Fixing his gaze on the water below, Guy adjusted his stance—his fist poised in a familiar yet devastating motion.
And then—
"Daytime Tiger!"
BOOM!
A blinding white explosion erupted, instantly followed by a deafening shockwave that reverberated across the battlefield.
Every ninja—ally and enemy alike—froze, their eyes drawn to the massive cloud of energy expanding over two to three hundred meters.
"Shikaku… I heard that Guy… specializes in Taijutsu, right?"
Yamanaka Inoichi stiffly turned his head, his voice filled with disbelief.
Because if that was just Taijutsu—
Then what were all their secret techniques?
Worthless tricks in comparison?
"..."
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