They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 255 I, Xinyue, am willing to acknowledge you as the strongest!

"Damn it, a Konoha genin..."

Hozuki Shingetsu watched as Might Guy, with his long red hair flying high and his chakra aura flowing wildly in all directions like a rushing river, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

There was no way around it; as a transmigrator, he simply had a strange, irritating reaction to the words "Konoha Genin."

However, despite his thoughts, Hozuki Shingetsu knew that Might Guy was different from future Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and even Might Guy, so he felt a headache but not fear.

After all, Hozuki's secret water transformation technique is a counter to pure physical techniques. Unless Might Guy can simply evaporate his entire water-transformed body with his super-fast punching speed...

Just as Hozuki Shingetsu was deep in thought, a red figure suddenly swooped down in front of him with lightning speed. Might Guy fiercely raised his right fist high and, to Hozuki Shingetsu's incredulous gaze, slammed it into his jaw.

"Daytime Tiger!"

hold head high!

A majestic tiger-head-shaped creature appeared out of nowhere on Might Guy's right fist, and viciously bit at Hozuki Shingetsu's jaw.

boom!

Hozuki Shingetsu's upper body, resembling a water-filled balloon, was directly shattered by Might Guy's punch. Amidst the scattering of water, Hozuki Shingetsu's headless "corpse," like a zombie, leaped backward several times and left the scene.

Then, with a shudder, a pool of liquid gradually gushed out from Hozuki Shingetsu's lower body, reforming his original body shape.

"That speed...it's truly terrifying..."

Hozuki Shingetsu, whose body had "regrown" back, reached out and touched his chin, looking at the blood on his fingertips with lingering fear.

In that instant, Might Day's fist didn't actually touch him. What actually hit his jaw was the high-pressure wind generated by Might Day's high-speed punch.

Even at a distance of fifty centimeters, the fist could still generate such power, which is truly worthy of being called the Eight Gates Technique, a divine technique for the underdog to turn the tables in the original work.

"Just now, the Water Transformation Technique consumed significantly more chakra than usual. Was it because the water was evaporated by that super-fast fist wind during the battle...? The power gained by burning one's life force is truly terrifying!"

Hozuki Shingetsu felt a portion of his chakra disappear from his body and was secretly alarmed.

Recalling how Might Guy could create flames simply by friction between his fist and the air after opening the Seventh Gate in the original work, one can't help but feel even more respect for Might Guy.

Although Kirigakure had previously seized this ninjutsu from Sky Village, he knew that mastering it required immense perseverance. Therefore, Hozuki Shingetsu had always used it as a national stimulant. This was the first time he had witnessed the power of the Eight Gates Released Technique with the Gate of Death opened.

However, if it's only at this level, it's far from enough to defeat him...

At this thought, Hozuki Shingetsu had a sudden inspiration and couldn't help but think of a famous scene.

"This chakra... I acknowledge you! In terms of taijutsu, no one I've ever faced is stronger than you. I, Crescent Moon, acknowledge you as the strongest!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was immediately speechless and in tears.

Although this statement isn't inappropriate given Hozuki Shingetsu's current status and identity, why does it still feel so strange?

Even Might Guy, who was eager to launch another attack, stopped and, after a moment of stunned silence, politely replied:

"Uh... thank you. So, shall I attack now?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Might Guy launched his attack, without waiting for Hozuki Shingetsu to react, knowing that his body was declining every second.

"Evening Elephant!"

boom!

Might Guy spun around and arrived beside Hozuki Shingetsu with a speed almost like a space-time ninjutsu, delivering a powerful whip kick aimed at Shingetsu's head.

Through the attack just now, he knew that Hozuki Shingetsu possessed a strange ninjutsu that made him immune to physical attacks, but he knew that the activation of any ninjutsu could not be without cost.

So after Matt Dai finished his roundhouse kick, without even checking the effect, he immediately followed up with his other leg, alternating between the two legs, and a rapid kick similar to the "Foshan Shadowless Kick" was performed in front of everyone.

Meanwhile, Hozuki Shingetsu was also eager to hunt.

To be honest, ever since he successfully mastered the chakra modes of water and lightning techniques, very few people have been able to compete with him in the field of taijutsu.

In the past, those he fought, including Madara Uchiha or members of the Kaguya clan who were extremely skilled in taijutsu, were often able to easily strike out from the gaps in their attacks once he activated his speed.

Even without a direct confrontation, Hozuki Shingetsu's speed often makes him invincible.

However, this speed advantage was completely lost when facing Matt Daly.

Having opened the Gate of Death, Might Guy's strength at this moment is not only the accumulation of his past experience, but also the ultimate sublimation of his life. Under these circumstances, even Hozuki Shingetsu cannot surpass him in speed.

Perhaps only Minato Namikaze, who had mastered space-time ninjutsu, could be said to have surpassed Might Guy in long-distance movement at this time.

Faced with this situation, Might Guy held back his strength. Hozuki Shingetsu, confident in his ability to handle the remaining unforeseen events, excitedly abandoned his ninjutsu and engaged in a brutal, hand-to-hand combat with him.

boom!

boom!

The two sides fought back and forth, and the battlefield expanded continuously from the plains and forests, eventually shifting all the way to the mountainside along the deep "ravines".

At extreme speeds, the afterimages of the two sides could be seen flashing by between punches and kicks. One side had the advantage of having the Gate of Death open and being fearless of death, while the other side had the Six-Tails as its backing, making it extremely resistant to blows.

Adding to the mindset of both sides at that moment, the fight between the two was actually made to sound like a brawl between hundreds of people.

Following the rugged mountainside, the two fought their way up, their powerful movements causing the deep mountains to rumble and echo across the vast land. The woodcutters deep in the mountains mistook the sound of thunder for the roar of the thunder god Takemikazuchi, who was hiding there, and they all knelt down to pray.

"Haha, that's awesome!"

Hozuki Crescent flew backward, its heavy body blasting a deep hole in the mountain. It then excitedly wiped the blood off its face and rushed out even faster, retaliating by kicking Might.

Might Guy was the same; ignoring his wounds, his emotions surged like the blood gushing from his body, and he once again engaged in fierce combat with Hozuki Shingetsu.

For him, this was arguably the last battle of his life, and for this old man to end his final battle in this way was perhaps the most fitting ending.

Close-quarters combat may not be the most suitable fighting style for Hozuki Shingetsu, but it is certainly the best way to vent the participants' emotions and best embody this primal passion that gets the blood pumping.

Under this extreme aesthetic of violence, the battle between the two, which can be described as the pinnacle of martial arts in the world, completely stunned the onlookers.

This kind of battle, in which no one could even intervene, was something that everyone had never heard of before.

Looking at the man not far away, who was fighting Hozuki Shingetsu to a standstill and exuding a terrifying aura, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

To be honest, at first, he didn't want Might Guy, a perennial genin, to join this elite raiding team.

However, considering that Muneto Uzumaki was proficient in various sealing techniques, there was a possibility that the group might be overwhelmed if there was a sealing technique that could seal a specific type of ninjutsu. Therefore, they specifically requested to find several ninjas who were proficient in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.

He could handle ninjutsu as a specialist, as could Hiruzen Sarutobi, while the Uchiha clan had genjutsu specialists. Only taijutsu specialists were available. After thinking for a long time, he finally remembered Might Guy, this oddball.

If we disregard everything else and focus solely on taijutsu, Might Guy probably already possesses the strength of a Jonin. However, in the world of ninjas, how can one go far with only ninjutsu?

Even a disciple of Konoha's Dragon God, who was so powerful, died on the battlefield because he only knew taijutsu. How much more so for a ninja like Might Guy, who only knew the Eight Gates.

These Eight Gates were originally unfinished experiments by Tobirama Senju before his death. He had just completed the development of the first six gates when he had to terminate the research and development work due to the First Shinobi World War.

Based solely on Tobirama Senju's experimental notes, it was symbolically deduced that "after opening the Gate of Death, one can obtain power comparable to that of a Hokage; no one has ever witnessed the state after fully opening all eight gates."

Furthermore, since the development of these Eight Gates techniques, very few people have mastered them, so gradually no one has paid attention to this ninjutsu.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi's encouragement of Might Guy was always symbolic, and he never had any expectations for him. It was only in this special situation that he had no choice but to replace him.

However, he never expected that this substitute ninja, whom he had never held any hope for, could achieve such a level. What surprised him even more was that even after achieving this level, Might Guy, who had burned his life force, was still unable to defeat Hozuki Shingetsu.

"Lord Hokage, is the Eight Gates technique really that powerful?"

Having adjusted to the burden of the Mangekyou Sharingan, Fugaku Uchiha also recovered and came to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side.

Although the two were master and disciple, they both knew the truth behind their relationship. So, in private, Fugaku Uchiha still addressed him as "Hokage-sama," and Hiruzen Sarutobi never stopped him.

"No, this ninjutsu was actually Tobirama-sama's unfinished work. He only selected a group of test subjects, including Might Guy, to experiment on and train in order to complete it. All the test subjects in the entire village failed. We thought that Master's ninjutsu development had failed, but we never expected..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi also shook his head with a sigh.

"The last flame of hope for life is about to extinguish, and such a powerful figure is about to perish... It's truly heartbreaking!"

Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan naturally allowed him to see Might Guy's physical condition better than ordinary people. Compared to the powerful aura he exuded, his spiritual fire was like a candle flame in the wind, barely visible.

The Uchiha clan is a proud clan, but also one that respects the strong. Might Guy had earned Fugaku Uchiha's respect, both in terms of his spirit and his strength.

"...That's fate."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, then summoned another Enma, transforming it into the Enma Golden Cudgel, and stretched his body in preparation for the next battle after Might Guy's defeat.

"Oh, right, Fugaku."

Amidst Fugaku's puzzled expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced discreetly at the distinct crescent shape in Fugaku's eyes, then turned away and said, "There's no need for such formality between us, master and disciple. I think 'teacher' is a perfectly fine title."

Fugaku Uchiha remained silent for a long time, his head bowed. How could he not know the root cause of Hiruzen Sarutobi's change in attitude?

However, the cautious, or rather indecisive, Uchiha Fugaku never considered turning against Konoha. So, after a brief moment of thought, he ultimately disregarded his past grievances and accepted Hiruzen Sarutobi's goodwill.

"...Yes, teacher."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Fugaku Uchiha were putting on a touching scene of "teacher-student affection," the battle between Shingetsu Hozuki and Might Guy finally came to an end.

"Huff... huff..."

"Is this the end of my youth?"

The once powerful red chakra on Might Guy's body had dissipated, revealing his scarred body and his ashen face, which looked as if it had been burned due to the high temperature of his body.

Even so, Might Guy's eyes remained bright and piercing, his gaze sharp as he looked at Hozuki Shingetsu.

"...You're very strong, really very strong."

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at Might Guy, barely managed to raise his fractured left arm and give him a thumbs up, sincerely uttering those words.

He embodies both the strength of Jing Mait Dai and the unwavering spirit he has cultivated over decades, ignoring the opinions of others and forging his own path.

To be honest, he knew he definitely wouldn't have done that if it were Hozuki Shingetsu.

Or rather, if he had that kind of perseverance, he would have achieved great success in his previous life, and wouldn't have ended up here to start his second dream.

Perhaps sensing the true meaning in Hozuki Shingetsu's words, Might Guy managed a weak smile on his ashen face, before his eyes gradually lost their luster.

Seeing this scene, Hozuki Shingetsu couldn't help but sigh deeply. He really hadn't expected that Might Guy would ultimately die in the Third Shinobi World War, and even die at his own hands.

However, mindful of his spirit, Hozuki Shingetsu stepped forward and gently stroked his eyes to bring him peace.

"Well then, it's the two of you next..."

He slowly turned around, and with a clatter, he straightened Hozuki Shingetsu's broken forearm under the Six-Tails' chakra, and looked at the positions of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Uchiha Fugaku.

"A kaleidoscope that's 99% fresh is truly a rare find..."

(End of this chapter)