"Day Tiger!"
The air bomb formed by Guy's overwhelming physical force made a sound like the roar of a mighty tiger echoing across the battlefield, and as the concentrated energy passed through the water prison, it gradually tore the aquatic barrier apart with systematic precision. The technique demonstrated the absolute pinnacle of what pure taijutsu mastery could accomplish when pushed beyond normal human limitations.
"How could anyone's taijutsu possibly be so devastatingly powerful?" Kisame, whose body had fused with Samehada into a grotesque hybrid form, spoke with genuine shock and disbelief written across his transformed features.
The next moment, the tiger-shaped air bomb directly enveloped his entire body in a maelstrom of concentrated kinetic force that defied conventional understanding of what human beings could achieve through physical techniques alone.
"Bang!"
The tremendous gust of wind swept across the battlefield with hurricane-like intensity, suddenly tearing open and completely destroying the entire water prison that had seemed so inescapable moments before. The technique that Kisame had believed would guarantee his victory was reduced to scattered droplets and dissipating energy.
"Guy... this incredible guy," Nawaki murmured with a mixture of awe and deep emotional recognition as he witnessed the spectacular display of power.
Such a scene brought back vivid memories of another figure who had been willing to sacrifice everything to save the Konoha army many years ago during a desperate battle that had seemed hopeless. The legacy of Might Duy's ultimate sacrifice was now being carried forward by his son.
The seedling that Mighty Duy had tried so desperately hard to protect, even at the cost of his own life, had now grown into a towering tree capable of protecting not just the village, but potentially the entire world itself.
The brilliant white air waves continued to expand outward with unstoppable force until they had completely destroyed every trace of the water prison technique, and then gradually began to dissipate as Guy's technique reached its natural conclusion.
High in the air above the battlefield, the unnatural fusion between Kisame and Samehada was forcibly interrupted by the overwhelming power of the Day Tiger technique. The separation was violent and traumatic, leaving both the ninja and his weapon in severely compromised condition.
Kisame found himself seriously injured and experiencing difficulty performing even the most basic physical actions. His body showed the effects of both the forced separation and the tremendous impact he had absorbed from Guy's devastating attack.
Guy followed up his advantage immediately, understanding that in the current war situation, the Ninja Alliance had not yet achieved any substantial tactical victories against their legendary opponents.
If he could eliminate Kisame here and now, it would undoubtedly change the overall strategic balance of the battle to some significant extent, potentially creating the momentum needed for broader coalition success.
However, just as Guy was preparing to close the distance and finish his defeated opponent, a figure surrounded by crackling lightning suddenly burst from the dense forest like a predatory wolf seeking prey.
The Fourth Raikage A appeared with fury written across his scarred features, but his presence on this battlefield indicated that he was indeed no match for the overwhelming power of the First Raikage in sustained combat.
"Swoosh!"
The First Raikage materialized beside Kisame's fallen form with the kind of speed that had made him legendary during his original lifetime. He lifted the injured shark-ninja along with Samehada, clearly intending to extract him from the dangerous situation.
Swish!
However, under the tremendous enhancement provided by the Seventh Gate, Guy's speed had also reached extreme levels that allowed him to follow closely behind even the legendary First Raikage's movement. His pursuit was relentless and determined.
The Fourth Raikage joined the chase, creating a high-speed pursuit through the forest that demonstrated the incredible physical capabilities possessed by masters of lightning-enhanced combat techniques.
"Crack!"
At that critical moment, the ground directly behind the First Raikage's escape route suddenly split open with tremendous force, and a distinctive wooden coffin rose up from the earth with the ominous markings that indicated another Edo Tensei summoning.
"It's another reincarnation technique! This is absolutely endless!" Guy gritted his teeth in frustration and launched a powerful punch directly at the already opening wooden coffin, hoping to prevent whatever legendary opponent was about to emerge.
A figure flashed out from within the wooden coffin with fluid grace, but when Guy's enhanced vision identified the newcomer, the movement of his attacking hand suddenly stopped in mid-strike.
The man standing before him wore the distinctive green jumpsuit that was identical to Guy's own outfit, and his hair possessed the same shiny, well-maintained appearance. However, his eyebrows were drawn together in an expression of intense concentration and determination.
"Dad...?!" Guy suddenly halted all his aggressive actions, his voice carrying a mixture of shock, pain, and disbelief.
The reincarnated fighter standing directly in front of him was none other than Might Duy – his own beloved father who had sacrificed his life to protect Konoha and had become a legend through his ultimate demonstration of the Eight Gates technique.
However, Duy, who had completely lost his original consciousness and free will due to the Edo Tensei control, immediately rushed out from his summoning position and launched an attack against his own son without any sign of recognition or hesitation.
"These bastards!" Guy's expression became increasingly dark and grim as the full implications of what his enemies had done became clear to him.
Rather than dodging his father's incoming attack, Guy chose to meet it head-on with a punch of his own, his decision driven by both tactical necessity and emotional turmoil.
With the tremendous power provided by his seven opened gates, Guy understood that Mighty Duy could never realistically be his opponent under normal circumstances. The gap in their current power levels should have been decisive.
However, Guy suddenly discovered that his father's body was trembling with building energy, and an astonishing force was beginning to emanate from his reanimated form.
"Sixth Gate: Gate of Joy, Open!" Duy announced as his own forbidden technique activated.
A brilliant green light suddenly rose from around Mighty Duy's position, indicating that he was successfully accessing the same power that had made him legendary during his final battle.
"How is this even possible?" Guy's eyes trembled with shock and confusion as he processed what he was witnessing.
The dead fighters who were resurrected through Edo Tensei should not have possessed physical bodies in the conventional sense, which meant they should not have been able to perform forbidden techniques like the Eight Gates formation that relied entirely on pushing the human body beyond its natural limitations.
"Bang!"
The two men's fists collided with each other in a tremendous impact that created a dull, echoing sound across the battlefield. Guy's figure was forced to retreat repeatedly as he absorbed the unexpected force of his father's enhanced attack.
"He can only exert the power equivalent to six gates at maximum," Guy observed with tactical analysis even as his breathing became noticeably heavier from the exertion.
The Day Tiger technique was not something that could be used casually or repeatedly without significant recovery time, so Guy would need to rely on the superior power provided by his seven opened gates to systematically defeat his father, who could only access six gates worth of enhancement.
But even with just six gates available, Mighty Duy represented an extremely troublesome and dangerous opponent who could potentially inflict serious damage before being defeated.
While the First Raikage was successfully extracting Kisame from the immediate danger zone, Samehada was simultaneously using its own stored chakra reserves to rapidly heal its wielder's injuries through its unique regenerative capabilities.
After his strength and combat effectiveness were restored to functional levels, Kisame gripped his legendary sword once again and rushed back toward the active combat zone with renewed determination to continue the fight.
At that same moment, the Fourth Raikage had also managed to follow the pursuit and rejoin the developing confrontation between multiple legendary opponents.
The First Raikage also turned back with Kisame in tow and met the Fourth Raikage in a face-to-face confrontation that would test the limits of both lightning-enhanced fighters.
Seeing the tactical situation developing before him, the Fourth Raikage understood that he could not dare to confront both legendary opponents simultaneously in direct combat. He was forced to retreat temporarily and reassess his strategic options.
The rapidly evolving battle situation in this sector was being continuously transmitted back to the coalition headquarters through the real-time sensor water sphere that monitored chakra signatures across all active battlefields.
"Dad, please let us go to the front lines! Bushy-Brow Sensei can't hold on much longer!" Naruto spoke with obvious anxiety and frustration as he stood beside Minato at the command center.
Everyone else had been deployed to critical positions where their abilities were desperately needed, but he and Sasuke remained confined to the headquarters despite their desire to contribute directly to the fighting.
Sasuke appeared much calmer and more composed than his teammate, demonstrating his understanding of exactly what strategic concerns were weighing on Minato's mind regarding their deployment.
However, if any single front of the ninja coalition forces suffered a decisive defeat on the main battlefield, the psychological and tactical effects would ripple through the entire war effort in ways that could prove catastrophic.
If they waited until that point to make deployment decisions, it would almost certainly be too late to effectively influence the overall outcome.
"Mom, please try to convince Dad to let us fight," Naruto pleaded as he turned toward Kushina when Minato continued to ignore his requests.
However, the expression visible on Kushina's face remained extremely calm and composed, suggesting that she shared her husband's assessment of the current strategic situation.
Just when Naruto was preparing to make another passionate appeal for deployment, Kushina suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm with gentle but firm pressure.
Within his mind, Naruto heard Kushina's voice speaking directly to his consciousness through their shared connection.
"Naruto, stop talking about this. Guy and the others are going to be fine, I promise you."
"According to our calculations, our reinforcements should be arriving at the battlefield very soon now."
"Reinforcements?" Naruto responded with genuine confusion and surprise. "The five major ninja nations have already committed and deployed their elite combat forces, so where could additional reinforcements possibly come from?"
Kushina shook her head at him with a meaningful expression and spoke quietly to ensure their conversation remained private.
"Don't make any noise or draw attention to this. Their true identities absolutely cannot be revealed or discussed openly."
Naruto didn't fully understand the implications of what his mother was telling him, but under Kushina's careful guidance and advice, he gradually managed to calm down and control his anxiety.
At that moment, except for Sasuke who appeared somewhat confused by the cryptic exchange, everyone else present in the headquarters was focused entirely on monitoring the situation across various battlefields and had not noticed anything unusual about their conversation.
Back in the dense forest battlefield, Guy's strength was being greatly depleted due to his sustained use of the Seventh Gate technique, and he found himself being systematically suppressed and overwhelmed by Might Duy's relentless attacks.
The Fourth Raikage was being defeated again and again by the coordinated efforts of Kisame and the First Raikage working in tactical combination, their combined abilities proving too much for even his legendary lightning techniques.
As a result of these developing disadvantages, Nawaki found himself becoming distracted from his own evenly matched confrontation with the First Mizukage, his attention divided between multiple crisis situations.
"Madara, you absolute bastard!" Nawaki gritted his teeth in fury and disgust as the full scope of their enemy's psychological warfare became apparent.
Not only had Madara chosen to resurrect and use Nawaki's own grandfather and respected village elders as weapons, but he had even summoned Might Duy, who had died as a true hero of Konoha while protecting his comrades.
However, in the brutal reality of warfare, the outcome was ultimately determined by success or failure rather than the moral acceptability of the methods employed. Victory justified almost any tactical choice, regardless of its emotional or ethical cost.
Under the mounting pressure from multiple fronts, Guy's body, which was already approaching its absolute physical limits, began to stagger with exhaustion. He found himself unable to respond quickly enough to defend against Mighty Duy's next incoming attack.
However, Guy certainly could not allow himself to be defeated in such a manner, especially not by his own father who was being controlled against his will.
"In that case..." Guy looked at Mighty Duy's attack that was about to connect with devastating force, and his eyes suddenly filled with renewed determination and resolve.
Whoosh!
At that critical moment, countless pieces of white origami paper suddenly began floating down from the sky above Guy's position like snow falling from heaven itself.
The paper constructs moved with purposeful intelligence, directly lifting Guy's body up and carrying him safely into the air just before Mighty Duy's attack could land with its intended impact.
Guy raised his head with amazement and saw an angel-like figure with distinctive purple hair floating above him. The woman possessed huge paper wings extending from her back that allowed her to soar through the sky with graceful ease.
"How could it possibly be her?!" Guy exclaimed with genuine shock and disbelief.
Not long ago, Konan had participated in an attack against Konoha alongside Nagato, making her appearance as an ally completely unexpected and confusing.
Just as Guy was processing this surprising development, another series of vibrations began shaking the forest floor below their aerial position.
"Boom! Boom!"
Both the Fourth Raikage and Kisame turned their attention toward the source of these new tremors, watching as a tall figure slowly walked out from behind one of the massive trees. The newcomer's body was covered with distinctive black markings that resembled writhing tentacles extending across his skin.
"You people have actually chosen to stand on the side of the Ninja Alliance?" Kisame looked at the approaching figure with complete disbelief and confusion written across his features.
Kakuzu regarded Kisame with eyes that held a distinctly greedy and calculating gleam, and he smiled with the cold satisfaction of someone contemplating a profitable business transaction.
"If I were to deliver your body to the appropriate bounty exchange, it should fetch quite a substantial price for my efforts."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~