Hearing Tobi's words, Deidara's inner turmoil finally reached its breaking point as old wounds were cruelly torn open once again. Yet in the face of Tobi's mockery, he truly had no words to throw back.
On the battlefield, Might Guy had already activated the Seventh Gate. Facing Thorne Ashveil, he had no other choice. If he did not open the Seventh Gate, then before Kakashi could even arrive, their entire team would likely be wiped out by the terrifying anomaly standing before them. Ashveil was simply too overwhelming.
After receiving Might Guy's support, Rock Lee's expression turned heavy and conflicted.
"Guy-sensei…" Rock Lee spoke with deep guilt in his voice.
He had believed that opening the Sixth Gate would at least allow him to force Ashveil back, perhaps even injure him. But reality had struck far harder than expected. He was completely outmatched.
Might Guy immediately noticed Lee's emotional state and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Lee, this is not your fault," Guy said firmly. "If anyone must be blamed, then it can only be because the man standing in front of us is far too strong."
He paused, his tone turning grave.
"To be honest, even with my Seventh Gate open, I am not certain I can defeat him."
Rock Lee's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even Teacher Guy, with the Seventh Gate activated… might still lose?
That realization made Lee's chest tighten. If the Seventh Gate was not enough, then the only path left would be the Eighth Gate. And that path led straight to death.
"Guy-sensei…" Lee whispered, his voice trembling.
Sensing his thoughts, Might Guy immediately struck a familiar pose, giving Lee an exaggerated thumbs up. His teeth flashed brightly in the sunlight.
"Do not worry, Rock Lee. Your teacher is incredibly strong."
Hearing those confident words, Rock Lee clenched his fists.
Teacher Guy was standing before an enemy who could very well claim his life, yet Lee had been drowning in frustration over his own failure. Compared to this, his despair felt shameful.
With renewed resolve, Rock Lee retreated and focused on what he could still do.
He carefully moved TenTen and Neji to a safer position.
Thankfully, despite the Akatsuki's overwhelming strength, their arrogance worked against them. When Ashveil declared he would handle the fight alone, neither Deidara nor Tobi intervened. If Deidara had joined the battle, the situation would have been far more dire.
After ensuring TenTen and Neji were secure, Rock Lee looked back.
Might Guy noticed his actions and nodded approvingly.
"Well done, Lee," Guy said warmly. "Now your teacher can fight without any worries."
Rock Lee's eyes grew wet with emotion as he shouted encouragement.
"Guy-sensei, give it everything you have. I will be waiting for your victorious return."
The true battle began.
Watching the bond between master and disciple, Ashveil let out a quiet sigh. For a brief moment, he felt like the villain in someone else's story, and that thought weighed faintly on him. Still, he did not move.
Might Guy took a deep breath and advanced.
Without hesitation, he launched a probing attack.
With the Seventh Gate open, Guy's speed surpassed the limits of ordinary perception. Afterimages filled the battlefield as he surged forward, his fists cutting through the air with explosive force. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Ashveil.
High above, Deidara stared down at the scene with his mouth hanging open. He had never imagined that a shinobi focused purely on taijutsu could reach such a terrifying level. This speed was beyond reason.
Even if Might Guy turned his attacks on him, Deidara knew he would not be able to evade them. From his vantage point, he could barely track Guy's movements at all. Only flickering afterimages remained.
They claimed the Land of Lightning possessed the fastest shinobi, but compared to this, even the Raikage would fall short. A mere jonin was unleashing power that defied common sense.
Tobi noticed it as well. Beneath his mask, Obito narrowed his eyes.
This kind of speed was precisely why the Second Hokage had developed countermeasures against the Uchiha. At such velocity, hand seals became impossible, and even predicting movement was meaningless when the body could not keep up. Unless one possessed Kamui, facing Might Guy directly was nearly hopeless.
On the ground, Guy's fists rained down around Ashveil.
The sheer force of his blows caused the air to ripple violently, as if space itself were cracking under the pressure.
Boom.
Boom.
Each strike landed with explosive power, aimed directly at Ashveil's head and torso.
Yet none of them connected.
Every punch collided with an invisible wall.
Ashveil stood calmly, his body enveloped in a dense Conqueror's Haki barrier that absorbed the full force of the Seventh Gate without yielding even an inch.
Pain surged through Guy's fists as he pulled back slightly, his eyes narrowing.
He had expected Ashveil's defense to be formidable.
But not like this.
Even with the Seventh Gate open, his attacks barely brushed the surface of that invisible shield. It was as if he were striking an immovable mountain.
Frustration flickered across Guy's face, but his resolve did not waver.
There had to be a weakness.
Refusing to stop, Guy circled Ashveil at blinding speed, launching relentless barrages from every angle, searching desperately for even the smallest flaw.
The sheer velocity of his movement generated violent whirlwinds around Ashveil's body.
Hundreds of punches followed.
Yet no matter where he struck, the Conqueror's Haki barrier remained perfectly intact.
Guy was stunned.
Ashveil had already unleashed devastating techniques earlier, yet he still possessed enough power to maintain such an overwhelming defense.
Neji's earlier observation echoed in Guy's mind.
Ashveil's energy felt different.
Now he understood why.
It felt endless.
Above them, Deidara and Tobi watched with amused expressions.
"You do not seriously believe brute force alone can break through Ashveil's defense, do you?" Tobi said lightly. "We have seen it with our own eyes. Even a Tailed Beast Bomb could not break it. What can your fists accomplish?"
On the sidelines, Rock Lee watched with growing fear, his gaze locked onto his teacher.
Guy-sensei… please hold on.
As Might Guy finally drew back from his relentless assault, the air around the battlefield fell momentarily silent.
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