"I'll handle this."
As Might Guy's voice rang out through the rain, Akimichi Choza abruptly turned his head and stared at the eight year old child beside him. Rainwater streamed continuously down Guy's face, yet those eyes remained frighteningly bright.
"Now is not the time to act recklessly," Choza said heavily.
"I'm not acting recklessly," Might Guy replied immediately before raising one hand and pointing forward.
Choza instinctively followed the direction of his finger.
Within the curtain of rain, the thirteen Iwagakure Ninja had already completed their formation. They were not charging recklessly in disorder. Instead, they spread apart with perfect coordination, maintaining strict distances between one another while slowly tightening their encirclement.
Three on the left.
Three on the right.
Seven in the center.
Their retreat path toward Mount Kikyo had already been completely sealed shut.
Choza's pupils contracted sharply.
"This formation..."
Earlier, his mind had been focused entirely on creating an opportunity for the children to escape, causing him to overlook the enemy's movements. But now that he looked carefully, his heart sank immediately.
The enemy never intended to let any of them retreat alive.
At the very center of the formation stood Iwami Jūzō with his arms folded across his chest while a cruel smile spread slowly across his scarred face. The moment he noticed Choza's gaze, the corners of his lips curled even wider.
"So the Akimichi brat wanted to let the children run first?"
He shook his head slowly while laughing coldly.
"You can't run."
"Tonight, none of the four of you will leave this place alive."
With a single wave of his hand, the thirteen Iwagakure Ninja began slowly advancing forward together. Their footsteps remained synchronized while dense killing intent filled the rainy battlefield.
Choza inhaled deeply before turning back toward Might Guy.
"Are you confident?"
Might Guy grinned brightly. The smile looked exactly the same as it had three months ago. He raised a thumbs up confidently while his white teeth flashed brilliantly beneath the rain.
"Yes."
Then he turned toward Ebisu and Shiranui Genma.
Ebisu had already removed his sunglasses and tucked them carefully into his chest pocket.
"I'm an elite Ninja!"
Shiranui Genma removed the toothpick from his mouth and clenched it tightly within his palm.
"I've been ready for this for a long time."
Choza silently stared at the three children standing before him.
Three eight year old Genin.
Three months ago, they had still been inexperienced Academy graduates.
But now, while facing thirteen enemies in the middle of a deadly battlefield, there was no fear visible in any of their eyes.
Only seriousness.
Only resolve.
Only the determination expected from true Ninja.
Choza remained silent for two seconds before finally smiling faintly.
"Good."
Then he turned back toward Iwami Jūzō.
"In that case..."
Choza inhaled deeply as his entire body suddenly began expanding violently.
"Multi Size Technique!"
His body instantly transformed into a giant over three meters tall while his enormous palms smashed downward like massive gates.
"Break through!"
The moment those words fell, Choza had already charged directly into the enemy formation with terrifying momentum while aiming straight for Iwami Jūzō himself.
Jūzō's eyes sharpened instantly as he raised both arms to block.
Bang!
The collision caused the muddy ground beneath them to shake violently while rainwater and dirt exploded everywhere.
At the same time, Choza's other massive arm swept horizontally and struck one of the nearby Chunin before he could dodge away.
Bang!
The enemy Chunin was sent flying violently through the rain.
"One less!"
Choza roared loudly.
Every enemy he could personally remove was one less burden placed on the children.
Iwami Jūzō had already been intercepted by him while another Chunin had been blasted away. However, two Chunin and nine Genin still remained.
The remaining Iwagakure Ninja immediately revealed vicious smiles before charging directly toward Might Guy and the others.
"Three little brats!"
"Kill them!"
"Don't let that Akimichi escape!"
The rain poured even harder than before.
Ebisu gripped his Kunai so tightly that his palms became soaked with sweat.
Genma held five shuriken between his fingers while preparing to attack at any moment.
Just as the two prepared to move forward, a calm voice suddenly sounded beside them.
"Eight Gates..."
"The Third Gate..."
"Gate of Life..."
"Open!!"
Boom!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted violently from Might Guy's body.
The surrounding rainwater exploded outward instantly, creating a temporary vacuum around him.
Ebisu's vision blurred.
The green figure beside him had already vanished.
No.
He had not vanished.
He was simply too fast.
So fast that the falling raindrops had not even finished descending.
So fast that the hideous smiles on the enemies' faces had not yet disappeared.
So fast that the leading Chunin only managed to glimpse a streak of green light flashing toward him before everything changed.
"Great Vajra Whirlwind Leg!"
Whoosh!!!
Might Guy spun violently through the air while green steam exploded from his body. Golden force wrapped around his right leg like a raging tornado.
No.
It was not merely a tornado.
It was the fusion of multiple techniques into one terrifying attack.
The ferocity of the Great Vajra Leg.
The rotational force of Konoha Senpu.
The explosive speed granted by the Third Gate of the Eight Gates.
All three merged completely together.
Bang!!!
Might Guy's kick smashed directly into the Chunin's neck.
Crack!
The sound of bones shattering rang out sharply across the rainy battlefield.
The Chunin's eyes widened completely.
His mouth remained frozen in the middle of a cruel grin.
Yet his entire body had already been blasted away violently.
No.
It was not merely blasted away.
It was launched like a cannonball.
Bang!
His body crashed directly into a massive tree five meters away. The trunk split apart instantly while the Chunin became embedded deeply into the wood.
His neck twisted unnaturally.
His body no longer moved.
Dead.
He had not even managed to perform a single Ninjutsu before being kicked to death instantly.
For a brief moment, even the rain itself seemed to pause.
The battlefield became completely silent.
The remaining Iwagakure Ninja still had not managed to change the expressions on their faces.
The cruel smiles remained there.
The killing intent remained there.
Yet all their movements had frozen completely.
They stared blankly toward the corpse embedded inside the tree.
Then they slowly turned toward the green figure standing calmly beneath the rain.
Green steam continuously rose from Might Guy's body. Every raindrop that approached him evaporated instantly before touching his skin.
He slowly lowered his leg before standing upright once more.
Then he raised his head.
Those eyes shone with frightening brilliance.
Ebisu opened his mouth as though trying to speak, yet his mind had already become completely blank.
Only one thought remained.
He had seen this scene before.
One year ago.
Behind Konoha.
The night Might Guy kicked apart that Ninja Bear.
That same green steam.
That same terrifying presence.
"Konoha's Vajra Beast..."
"It has appeared again."
"No... this time it feels even more terrifying..."
Ebisu unconsciously muttered those words aloud.
Meanwhile, the cruel smile on Iwami Jūzō's face had already vanished completely.
For the very first time, genuine seriousness appeared within his eyes as he stared directly toward Might Guy.
"Ninjutsu...? No... this is Taijutsu!"
He clenched his teeth tightly.
"Konoha's Taijutsu... what a terrifying brat..."
Choza himself had also fallen briefly into shock.
He stared fixedly at Might Guy's back while observing the green steam erupting from his body.
Three months.
He had led this child for three entire months.
During all that time, he only knew that Guy possessed strong Taijutsu, heavy kicks, and excellent reactions.
But this speed...
This level of speed should not have been possible.
Then Choza's gaze sharpened instantly.
"The Eight Gates..."
"He actually opened the Third Gate!"
"This child is a genius!"
Choza understood very clearly what it meant for an eight year old child to reach the Third Gate of the Eight Gates technique.
Such talent was monstrous.
And immediately afterward, a single thought surfaced within his mind.
"This child absolutely cannot die here."
Might Guy was a young leaf of Konoha.
A leaf that was growing vigorously.
No matter what happened tonight, Choza absolutely could not allow him to perish on this battlefield.
Choza inhaled deeply before reaching one hand into his vest pocket.
When he withdrew it again, a small rectangular wooden box rested inside his palm.
The crest of the Akimichi Clan was carved clearly onto its surface.
He slowly opened the box.
Inside lay three pills quietly arranged side by side.
One green.
One yellow.
One red.
{🥳 Loving the story so far? Craving more chapters? 🥰
Support me on Patreon and unlock 30+ advance chapters right now, plus 3 fresh chapters every two days to keep you hooked! 🎉
✨ Subscribe or grab lifetime access with a one-time purchase...your choice, no pressure!
👉 patreon.com/mythborne}