"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
In the air above Training Ground 19, two figures collided violently. The clouds, scorched by flames, had turned red like the sunset.
Each of Guy's attacks came like an overwhelming wave. The offensive force generated by his incredibly fierce fists enveloped Naraku. Continuous shock waves bombarded Naraku's body. The lightning-fast nunchaku would unexpectedly appear before his eyes at unpredictable intervals.
Naraku gripped Kurikara tightly. Every swing of the jet-black sword brought forth sparks that instantly exploded into blazing flames.
Each flash of the blade was surrounded by an unstoppable cutting edge, condensing into a sharp force that could slice through anything!
Even though the Eight Inner Gates granted Guy astonishing speed and power, no matter how fast he moved, he was countered by Naraku, who seemed to anticipate his every move.
Gradually, Guy realized that Naraku appeared to have completely seen through his techniques, making his increasingly powerful attacks ineffective.
This feeling reminded him of his previous battles with Kakashi, where his movements were sometimes predicted by the Sharingan. But Kakashi had always struggled to match his speed, so the disadvantage hadn't mattered much.
Now, though Naraku's speed wasn't quite equal to his own, it wasn't far behind either, making it difficult for Guy to land hits with his taijutsu.
Even when Guy attempted to use special techniques, Naraku somehow stopped him at crucial moments.
"Is this really how Jōnin fight?"
Naruto Uzumaki stared blankly at Sasuke Uchiha beside him. He no longer understood how humans could create battle scenes like this.
Sasuke watched the two shinobi fighting with gleaming eyes, occasionally glancing at the unconscious Kakashi nearby. The desire for vengeance in his heart grew wild like weeds.
"It's truly frightening. Even Teacher Guy is no match for Master Naraku!"
Rock Lee scratched his head, somewhat incredulous.
Tenten wanted to retreat from the training ground, feeling it was too dangerous. The massive sea of fire had nearly reached their position!
"That's it..." Neji Hyūga had already activated his Byakugan. Watching the two fighters, he muttered to himself, "This power could help me break free!"
...
"Huff... Huff..."
Before he knew it, Guy's breathing had become rapid and laboured.
The boost provided by the Eight Inner Gates to a shinobi was terrifying, but the burden it placed on the body was even greater. Even Guy, who had trained for many years, couldn't maintain it indefinitely.
What no one knew was that Kurikara was constantly helping its master recover strength and chakra.
The moment Guy paused to catch his breath, Naraku seized the opportunity.
"Crescent Moon Sky Rush!"
A large amount of chakra condensed at the blade's tip, then was released by Naraku. Instantly, a black crescent-shaped energy wave rushed forward and slashed toward Guy!
"SHIIING!!!"
The sound of the sword rang out across heaven and earth!
Kurikara was displaying its power to the world!
The approaching blade energy instantly made Guy's hair stand on end. His muscles tensed as he burst into full speed. The crescent-shaped attack flashed before his eyes at the critical moment.
The crescent moon that tore through the air easily cut a straight path through the earth, shattering everything in its path until it reached the horizon, splitting a distant mountain in half.
Guy stared at this sight, his thick eyebrows trembling as cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"Go down!"
The voice came from above his head. Guy looked up to see Naraku descending. Then Guy's body fell uncontrollably to the ground. A deep crater appeared with a thunderous roar.
"THUD!"
Kurikara pierced the ground near Guy's ear, startling him so much that his eyes widened and more cold sweat formed on his brow.
Suddenly, a hand extended from the gradually dissipating smoke and dust. Naraku smiled and offered his hand to Guy.
The battle was over!
The green energy that had been flowing throughout Guy's body faded away, and his flushed skin gradually returned to normal. He grasped Naraku's hand and struggled to stand.
"I feel completely exhausted..."
Despite his loss, Guy wore a happy smile.
"Naraku, you nearly killed me just now."
"No, I was holding back!"
Naraku raised his eyebrows, pulled Kurikara from the ground with a metallic sound, and returned it to its scabbard. The sword gradually disappeared.
"How much of your power did you actually use?"
Guy looked at Naraku questioningly. He had already sensed that his opponent wasn't fighting at full strength.
But before Naraku could answer, Guy's legs weakened, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.
"Alright, stop being so stubborn!"
Naraku simply placed Guy's arm across his shoulders and helped him walk step by step toward the edge of the training ground.
The spectators outside were staring blankly at the horrific aftermath of Naraku's final attack, speechless.
Only occasionally could they hear the distant sound of boulders falling as the mountain peak that had been sliced in half continued to collapse.
"Hey, what are you all staring at? Why so serious?"
Naraku called out as he approached, snapping everyone out of their daze. They all regarded him with complicated expressions, taking a long moment before anyone spoke.
"Naraku, you guys really went overboard!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, prepare to face the consequences. The old man definitely won't let this slide."
"Naraku, even for a sparring match, there was no need to be so extreme. The entire village is in a panic."
"Hehehehe... Are you hungry? Why don't we all go get something to eat?"
Waving his hand casually, Naraku glanced at the still-unconscious Kakashi with surprise. He realized he might have struck too hard, forgetting that Kakashi didn't yet possess the strength he would have in the future.
After considering for a moment, he asked everyone to disperse.
Then he called to Naruto and the others, who were keeping their distance, looking like bewildered children, "You guys, go find two stretchers."
"Huh? Oh, right, right..."
The group of young shinobi ran off, and it wasn't clear if they had understood his request or not.
The battle had clearly frightened them.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Biting his index finger, Naraku performed the Summoning technique.
With a puff of smoke, a blue-white figure appeared.
"It's young Naraku. It's been a while since you summoned me."
A gentle, peaceful, and even cute voice was heard as a five or six-meter-long blue and white Katsuyu appeared before everyone.
This was Naraku's Summoning, the Slug Sage, one of the Three Great Sages!
Everyone present nodded respectfully to show their regard.
For years, Katsuyu had accompanied Tsunade and saved countless Konoha shinobi. The entire Hidden Leaf Village deeply respected the Slug Sage.
After all, she had saved many lives!
"Lady Katsuyu, please help heal these two shinobi!"
Naraku pointed toward Guy, who was leaning against him, and the unconscious Kakashi.
"Oh, of course, leave it to me."
Katsuyu agreed gently and kindly, then divided her body into two smaller forms that climbed onto Kakashi and Guy, respectively and began to heal them.
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