Meeting like this again was something Might Guy never could have anticipated. Luckily, he arrived just in time otherwise Kakashi's life would have been in grave danger.
What he saw with his own eyes had become a clear line drawn between them, a boundary separating their roles.
In Guy's heart, Ye Zi would always be his teacher. That fact wouldn't change, even if their relationship now included being enemies.
But the current Ye Zi was a threat to his comrades. For that reason, there wouldn't be the slightest hesitation in Guy's fists when striking at him.
Respect for Ye Zi remained in his heart, yet there was no hesitation in his actions. This contradiction felt natural and acceptable, such was the nature of Konoha's Blue Beast.
Guy stood upright like a pillar, his gaze unwavering as he focused on Ye Zi.
The kick he had delivered in time to save Kakashi was powerful. If not for Ye Zi's Hashirama-cell-enhanced regeneration, an injury to his sword arm would have affected his combat ability.
From the speed and strength of that kick, it was evident that Guy's taijutsu had grown much stronger.
However, the longer this dragged on, the more complicated it would become. If Ye Zi wanted to end it swiftly, he would need to activate Sage Mode.
Ye Zi held his sword horizontally in front of him. Seeing that Guy didn't move, he too remained motionless. This gave his arm time to heal and allowed him to absorb natural energy to enter Sage Mode.
"Kakashi, step aside," Guy said, keeping his eyes locked on Ye Zi.
"Are you kidding me? You think I'd back down now?" Kakashi stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Guy. Despite narrowly escaping death earlier, he refused to retreat out of fear.
"I'm worried you won't keep up," Guy said earnestly.
Kakashi's face darkened at those words. He knew Guy wasn't mocking him but was genuinely concerned.
"Ye Zi is incredibly strong. You can't beat him alone. Our only chance is to work together," Kakashi said, fully acknowledging the gap in strength from their earlier exchange. He had no qualms about having a partner in this fight.
Whether it was him or Guy, facing Ye Zi alone would be hopeless.
"Alright," Guy nodded firmly. He knew very well how strong Ye Zi was. Even after landing that powerful kick, Ye Zi appeared completely unaffected.
Although he had initially wanted Kakashi to retreat, it wasn't because he was confident in his ability to fight Ye Zi. On the contrary, he had no confidence at all. He simply didn't want Kakashi to be in danger.
With Kakashi's help, even if they couldn't win, they could at least stall Ye Zi long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
This shared understanding caused the fight to pause momentarily, allowing Kakashi and Guy a brief exchange of words.
Then, their expressions suddenly shifted. A vague but overwhelming sense of danger enveloped them, as if they were prey being targeted by a snake.
"What is this…?"
They looked at Ye Zi in surprise.
The sharp contours of Ye Zi's face were now adorned with eerie purple markings, and his eyes had turned into yellow, slit-pupiled snake eyes.
Ye Zi had activated Sage Mode, his sensory abilities sharpening. He could feel a steady stream of people converging in their direction.
The natural energy surrounding him seemed ready to bend to his will, completely under his control.
Lowering his blade, Ye Zi allowed his arms to hang naturally by his sides and took a step toward Kakashi and Guy.
The two Konoha shinobi tensed, their nerves immediately on edge.
Ye Zi took another step forward, then a third, his demeanor relaxed, showing no signs of defense.
Kakashi and Guy exchanged a quick glance and nodded slightly before launching their attack together.
Guy moved to the left, Kakashi to the right.
Taijutsu was Guy's forte, while Kakashi excelled in swordsmanship. Both required close-range combat to maximize their strength.
In a flash, the two closed in on Ye Zi's sides and attacked simultaneously.
Leaf Strong Whirlwind!
Hatake Hidden Blade Style: Gale Slash!
Guy's foot, glowing with bright blue chakra, shot toward Ye Zi's left side with incredible speed and force!
Meanwhile, Kakashi's short sword radiated a brilliant light, extending its blade with chakra as it slashed diagonally toward Ye Zi's right side!
Faced with their pincer attack, Ye Zi's expression remained serene. His gaze didn't shift, staying focused ahead as if he hadn't noticed their strikes. He continued walking forward, as if strolling casually, completely unfazed by their combined assault.
Just as Guy's powerful kick and Kakashi's intricate sword strike were about to land, Ye Zi didn't make a single move. Instead, an invisible force suddenly crashed into both of their faces.
Boom!
Two muffled impacts.
Guy and Kakashi groaned as they were sent flying in opposite directions. One crashed through a building, collapsing it entirely, while the other broke through several trees before finally coming to a stop.
From the moment they attacked to the instant they were inexplicably knocked away, Ye Zi hadn't paused for even a second. He continued walking forward, his steps steady and unhurried.
After sending Kakashi and Guy flying, Ye Zi didn't bother to check on them. As he walked, he expanded the sensory abilities of his Sage Mode, taking in everything within a vast radius.
He knew that because Kotoe had the ability to use Wood Release, Konoha would likely research her body, hoping to uncover the secrets of the technique.
If that was their intent, her body would probably be in Konoha's hospital, which had specialized facilities for autopsies and human research.
Fixing his gaze in the direction of the hospital, one of the most heavily guarded locations in Konoha and not far from the Hokage Rock and Hokage's office, Ye Zi murmured softly, "Kotoe… wait for me."
With that, he prepared to move toward the hospital at full speed. However, at that moment, a group of people emerged from the street ahead, running toward him.
The identities of the newcomers surprised Ye Zi slightly. While he could sense people approaching, he couldn't discern their identities until they came into view.
The group consisted of Kurenai, Obito, and Rin.
Originally, Asuma and the others had been with them, but upon seeing Manda rampaging through the village, they split up, with some going to deal with the giant snake while Kurenai, Obito, and Rin headed to the training grounds to investigate.
Dressed in a red dress, Kurenai froze upon seeing Ye Zi. She hadn't expected to see him again today, of all days, wearing this meaningful dress.
Rin and Obito were similarly stunned by Ye Zi's sudden appearance. Obito immediately took out a specialized kunai marked with the Flying Raijin seal.
"Ye Zi… sensei," Kurenai muttered, staring at him in a daze.
Ye Zi's cold gaze swept over the familiar faces of his former students before pausing briefly on Kurenai's dress.
This dress… if he remembered correctly, it was the one he had given her during the mission to escort Miko.
"Where are Kakashi and Guy?" Obito demanded, glancing at the scene before locking his eyes on Ye Zi.
"Who knows…" Ye Zi replied coldly, his snake-like eyes gleaming with a chilling light. His gaze lingered momentarily on the specialized kunai in Obito's hand, identical to the ones used by Minato for the Flying Raijin technique.
It didn't matter who stood before him, nothing would stop him from advancing.
If you want to read more...
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 467 - Kimimaro's Illness