The surging chakra around Yuichi swelled like a storm.
Air currents spiraled outward, turning into howling whirlwinds that wrapped around his body.
The chakra tide poured out violently, like an ocean about to burst its banks.
Shikaku's expression finally cracked. His eyes widened in genuine horror.
"What… what is this power?!"
Even the famed strange strength of the Senju clan wasn't this terrifying.
It felt like standing before a tidal wave of chakra—an endless sea about to drown everything.
If that fist lands…
No one dared imagine the result.
Above, Might Guy continued to fall, dropping closer and closer into Yuichi's attack range.
Every eye in the square locked onto Yuichi.
The overwhelming chakra radiating from him froze even the most seasoned jōnin. Their minds went blank.
"Byakugan!"
Hyūga Hiashi activated his eyes, staring at Yuichi's fist. His pupils constricted.
This chakra… does Yuichi intend to kill Guy?
Up in the air, Guy's face was drenched with sweat. His limbs flailed, trying uselessly to halt his fall.
If that fist hits me… with this much chakra…
I'll die!
Fear stabbed through him. For the first time in years, Might Guy truly felt terror.
But Yuichi stood below, head lowered so his face could not be seen.
Then it happened.
The very air seemed to be sucked away.
A storm howled into existence around Yuichi, blasting in all directions.
Guy's eyes widened as Yuichi's fist drew back, blazing with chakra so dense it distorted the air.
In that instant—
In Guy's vision, Yuichi was no longer a boy.
He saw a colossal Buddha looming over him, its enormous arm glowing with silver light, descending like divine judgment.
BOOM!!
The strike landed.
The sound ripped through the air like a cannon.
Shockwaves burst outward, rolling like walls of compressed air.
A blinding white light erupted from Yuichi's fist, washing over the square.
For a heartbeat, everyone saw nothing but pure white.
When their vision cleared—
The ground itself had been annihilated.
Cracks radiated outward in every direction. Stone shattered into fragments, then dust, then nothing.
Chakra geysers roared up from the fissures, reducing earth and rock to powder.
Then—
Hum! BOOM!
A pillar of light blasted into the sky.
The surrounding air was dragged inward, forming a raging hurricane that spun violently around the beam before exploding outward in a tidal wave of wind.
The roar echoed for miles.
When the dust finally settled—
The square was gone.
In its place yawned a massive crater: thirty meters across, ten meters deep.
For a long, silent moment, no one moved.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
It was as if the entire village had turned to stone.
Only when a chunk of rock tumbled into the pit did the spell break.
Gasps erupted. Throats swallowed hard. Cold sweat poured.
Shikaku, Kakashi, Kurenai, Anko—all of them rushed to the crater's edge.
At the center stood Yuichi, slowly straightening, his chest heaving.
In front of him lay Might Guy, flat on his back, staring blankly at the sky. Sweat streamed down his temple.
The blue sky above looked so impossibly calm, in contrast to the destruction around him.
Guy turned his eyes toward Yuichi.
That fist—
If it had struck directly, with that power comparable to his own Seventh Gate—he would be dead. Without question.
It felt as though Yuichi had shown him the very gates of death.
"Guy… are you okay?" Kakashi called down.
For a moment Guy didn't answer, chest rising and falling heavily. Then, forcing a smile, he raised a trembling thumb.
"Absolutely… fine!!!"
But Kakashi didn't buy it. He knew Guy's eyes too well—there was no bravado there. Only awe.
Shikaku stepped forward, eyes narrowing at Yuichi.
"Yuichi… that punch…"
Yuichi exhaled, chakra dispersing slowly around him. He met Shikaku's gaze.
"A combination of Wood Style chakra and strange force."
He lowered his fist.
"I call it… Diamond Force. So… was that considered cheating, or do I pass?"
Shikaku fell silent for a long moment. Technically, Yuichi hadn't used Wood Style ninjutsu—it was taijutsu enhanced with chakra. It was within the rules.
"Diamond Force… truly worthy of the name."
Finally, Shikaku spoke with authority.
"Being able to face Guy in the Third Gate and force this outcome… in taijutsu, you are more than qualified."
Yuichi exhaled deeply, relief flashing across his face.
Because honestly—if Guy had opened even the Sixth or Seventh Gate, Yuichi knew he wouldn't stand a chance. At best, he'd be a punching bag relying on regeneration.
But for now—he had proven himself.
The surrounding jōnin, still reeling, exchanged stunned glances.
That was Might Guy—the man who had made taijutsu alone enough to become a jōnin. And even after opening the Third Gate, he had been defeated.
"Unbelievable… his taijutsu really is on this level."
"It seems we've underestimated him."
In the stands, Utatane Koharu whispered to Homura, eyes still on Yuichi.
"This child's strength is beyond what we imagined."
Homura frowned. "Taijutsu is impressive, yes. But what matters most is his ability to lead and complete missions. That is what will decide his true worth as a shinobi."