In the Heavenly Screen...
In the center of the battlefield, Gate of Death Might Guy leaned against a nearby boulder, his entire body radiating a crimson aura like burning flames.
Sweat mixed with blood slid down his cracked skin, leaving tiny craters in the scorched earth. His breathing was heavy, like a bellows, each inhale accompanied by the faint sound of muscle fibers snapping.
(That's the only option...)
He slowly raised his trembling arms, braced himself against the ground, and arched his back like a beast gathering strength.
The Six Paths Madara in the distance appeared calm, but his breathing was actually disordered. The continuous bombardment of Evening Elephant was not without effect—his internal organs were damaged by the impact, and his Chakra flow was temporarily sluggish. But at this moment, his Rinnegan was flashing with unprecedented excitement.
"Chakra flow at the heart acupoint..." Six Paths Madara licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned maliciously, "The next strike will be your final dance!"
Gate of Death Might Guy did not answer.
His muscles began to vibrate rapidly, and the crimson steam no longer dispersed but instead swirled around him.
"Product--!"
With a roar, a terrifying shockwave erupted! The surrounding rock layers, dozens of meters high, shattered instantly, and the raging Chakra formed a hurricane that crushed everything in the center of the battlefield into dust!
"This... this kind of momentum..." Rock Lee, desperately resisting the overwhelming pressure from behind, his pupils contracted sharply. "It's not Evening Elephant... could there be an even stronger technique?!"
Kakashi's Forehead Protector was blown off by the blast, his silver hair flying wildly. He stared at the crimson figure, his single eye reflecting the words his father had once spoken to him—
("That kid named Might Guy... might be even stronger than you in the future.")
(Dad... you're right.)
"Roar--!"
A deafening dragon roar echoed across the battlefield! The crimson steam surrounding Gate of Death Might Guy condensed into a ferocious, crimson dragon head, its whiskers waving so wildly that even space itself began to distort!
Six Paths Madara's Rinnegan suddenly contracted.
"Such Chakra... Hahaha!" He laughed wildly, spreading his arms wide, his white hair whipping wildly in the storm. "I acknowledge you! In Taijutsu, among all those I've fought, no one is better than you—"
"I, Madara, hereby acknowledge you as the strongest!!"
Gate of Death Might Guy remained silent.
His right leg slowly retreated, his foot slamming into the ground, channeling his last bit of power into this strike—
"Night..."
Space began to collapse.
"Kai!!"
"Boom--!"
A crimson dragon roared forth! Kai's figure transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, shattering space like glass wherever he passed! Six Paths Madara had just raised the Truth-Seeking Orb Staff when he discovered that even this divine artifact was bending in the distorted space!
(What?! It can even distort space?!)
But it was too late.
"Bang--!"
That kick landed squarely on Six Paths Madara's chest! A terrifying shockwave exploded out in a fan shape, instantly obliterating Six Paths Madara's left half! His body flew backward like a meteorite, crashing through several boulders before finally slamming into the God Tree!
"Snap!"
At the same moment, Kai's right leg bones shattered into pieces, beyond repair even by Medical Ninjutsu.
He also fell heavily to the ground. Before losing consciousness, Kai looked at the moon in the sky and thought to himself.
(This is... everything I have.)
In the center of the battlefield, Gate of Death Might Guy lay face up on the scorched earth.
His body was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, like a crimson terracotta figurine about to shatter. His skin was carbonized and peeling away, revealing the charred muscles beneath, and each weak breath brought out fine frothy blood. The Chakra within him was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
Far away--
"Boom..."
Amidst the dust and smoke of the collapsing mountain, Six Paths Madara slowly propped up his mangled upper body. His left half had been completely obliterated by "Night Guy," but the flesh at the wound was writhing and regenerating at a visible speed, the stark white bones, the tangled nerves, the covered muscles... all reconstructed as if woven by an invisible hand.
"Ha... haha!" He suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with unprecedented joy. "You almost killed me, you bastard!"
The pupils of the Rinnegan contracted slightly, focusing on the body on the verge of collapse.
(Has he lost consciousness...?)
Might Guy lay still, like a torch that had burned out. Only the barely perceptible rise and fall of his chest proved that he had not yet turned to ashes.
Six Paths Madara slowly floated up, his regenerated left arm flexing its fingers. He stared at his palm, a sinister smile suddenly appearing on his face:
"Though you are now a flickering candle in the wind..." He raised his hand and a jet-black Truth-Seeking Orb appeared beside him, "You have pleased me."
The Truth-Seeking Orb began to rotate, and destructive energy condensed at its core.
"This is my gift of gratitude." Six Paths Madara's voice suddenly turned icy. "Before that body turns to ashes—I will personally end you!"
"Whoosh--!"
The Truth-Seeking Orb transformed into a deathly black light, shooting straight towards Kai's heart!
The real Shinobi World...
Land of Fire - Konoha Training Ground
Kakashi's Forehead Protector was askew, and his Sharingan was fixed on the Heavenly Screen, his breath catching in his throat for a moment.
(Night Guy...)
The instant he kicked out, he even felt his retina being burned. Space distorted, mountains collapsed, and half of Six Paths Madara's body was reduced to ashes—this level of destructive power completely exceeded the scope of "taijutsu" (Taijutsu).
(That guy Kai... didn't he say before that he was going to save a secret move for me?)
Kakashi mechanically turned his head to look at Might Guy beside him.
At this moment, Kai was in tears, his arms raised high, his green bodysuit fluttering in the wind.
"Kakashi! Do you see that?!" His voice trembled but boomed, "This is my youth!!"
Kakashi: "..."
He opened his mouth, momentarily unsure whether to retort, "You call this youth?" or question, "When you revealed your ultimate technique, did you conceal the mortality rate?"
Finally, he took a deep breath and reached out to pat Kai on the shoulder.
"... Next time we spar, let's play rock-paper-scissors."
The air seemed to freeze over at another Training Ground.
Tenten's eyes widened, the scroll in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and her lips trembled slightly.
"That Madara... he's a monster! Even Guy-sensei's powerful attacks couldn't kill him?!"
She watched as the Six Paths Madara, mangled body rapidly regenerated in the image, while on the other side, Might Guy's body began to carbonize, his skin peeling off inch by inch, like charcoal that had been burned out.
(Teacher Kai...)
It felt like something was stuck in her throat, Tenten clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms.
"Waaaaah... Teacher Kai--!"
Rock Lee's cries were deafening; tears and snot covered his face as he knelt on the ground, pounding his fists into the earth.
"Why... why can't even such an attack defeat him?! Teacher Kai was risking his life!!"
Neji stood to the side, his Byakugan fixed on the recovery process of Six Paths Madara in the Heavenly Screen, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
(This is different from the Impure World Reincarnation I've seen before...)
He recalled the Five Kage versus Edo Tensei Edo Madara that had been shown on the Heavenly Screen some time ago. At that time, although Madara Uchiha could regenerate infinitely, he at least had Sealing Jutsu to counter him.
(But now he... seems practically unkillable!)
(No, it's not just a matter of resilience...)
Neji's Byakugan narrowed slightly, clearly capturing the vast, ocean-like flow of Chakra within Six Paths Madara's body.
(His Chakra reserves are practically like those of Tailed Beast... no, perhaps even stronger!)
(How should we deal with an enemy like this?!)
He subconsciously glanced at his companions beside him— Tenten was biting her lip, her eyes red-rimmed; Rock Lee was crying so hard she almost passed out.
(If we were to face such an enemy in the future... what could we do?)
(Is it really just like in the Heavenly Screen, where we can only watch helplessly as Teacher Kai burns his life away, yet still be unable to change the ending?!)
Neji took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
(No... absolutely not!)
When he opened his Byakugan again, a determined flame had ignited within them.
"Li." He suddenly spoke, his voice low but firm.
"Ah? Waaah... Neji?" Rock Lee raised his tear-filled face.
"Starting tomorrow, the training volume will be doubled," Neji said coldly. "No, tripled."
"Huh?!"
Rock Lee stared blankly at the two of them, then suddenly wiped away a tear and jumped up abruptly:
"Wow!! Is this the intense training of youth?! Neji! Tenten! Let's get stronger together!!"
Neji: "..."
Tenten:"..."
(This guy... his mood changes way way too fast!)
But for some reason, the originally heavy atmosphere seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by this shout.
Under the shade of a tree in Konoha, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji were lounging lazily, munching on potato chips and gazing up at the Heavenly Screen.
"Wow... Kai-sensei's kick was absolutely amazing!" Ino exclaimed excitedly, waving her arms. "It even warped space!"
Choji stuffed a handful of potato chips into his mouth and mumbled, "Mmm! But the fact that those spots can actually recover is just too amazing..."
Just then--
"Whoosh!" Shizune suddenly appeared in Body Flicker Technique.
"Shikamaru," she pushed up her glasses, "Lady Tsunade has ordered that starting tomorrow you will be going to the Hokage's office to assist with some matters."
"Pfft—!" Shikamaru spat out a mouthful of tea. "Wait! I'm just a Genin! And why me?!"
Shizune gave a "kind" smile, "Because 'lazybones with an IQ over 200 shouldn't be wasted' -- Lady Tsunade's exact words."
Shikamaru: "..."
(This is so troublesome...)
He scratched his head, and finally replied dejectedly, "... I understand."
Shizune nodded in satisfaction, then vanished in a flash.
Ino patted Shikamaru on the shoulder sympathetically. "My condolences."
Choji handed over a bag of new flavored potato chips. "Want to have a snack to cool off?"
Shikamaru took the potato chips with a look of utter despair, and the three of them looked back at the Heavenly Screen.
At this moment, the scene was playing as Six Paths Madara had finished regenerating, but Might Guy had already carbonized and collapsed to the ground.
"That future enemy is just too outrageous!!" Ino's eyes widened. "They can withstand that kind of attack?!"
Choji even forgot to chew his potato chips. "This recovery ability is simply unbelievable..."
Shikamaru stared silently at the Heavenly Screen, his brows furrowed.
(Six Paths Madara... This level of enemy is simply beyond the norm.)
He recalled another future scene that had been shown on the Heavenly Screen earlier—a battle between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Both were ridiculously strong, but compared to the current Six Paths Madara...
(Based on the timeline displayed on the Heavenly Screen, the previous video should have shown a battle from a later period.)
(Since Naruto won in that future, it means that Six Paths Madara was ultimately defeated...)
But thinking of this, Shikamaru frowned even more.
(Something's not right.)
(Given the strength and combat experience demonstrated by Madara Uchiha in Six Paths Madara, even if Naruto and Sasuke were stronger, their chances of winning wouldn't be great...)
(Unless--)
His pupils suddenly contracted.
(There are other key factors that haven't been shown on the Heavenly Screen yet!)
"Hey, Shikamaru?" Ino waved her hand in front of his eyes. "What are you spacing out for?"
Shikamaru snapped back to reality and shook his head, "No, it's nothing..."
(Forget it, let's not think about such mind-bending questions. Even the future projected on the Heavenly Screen might not come true.)
He leaned back and collapsed onto the grass, groaning, "Ugh, this is so troublesome! Instead of worrying about the future, I should be thinking about how to escape the Lord Hokage's oppression tomorrow! I'm still a child!"
Ino & Choji: "..."
(This guy's style changed way too fast!)
Konoha, Three-Colored Dumpling Shop.
The light and shadow projected from the Heavenly Screen shone on the wooden eaves, and a sweet aroma wafted from inside the shop.
"Hey, Anko, all alone?" Asuma, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, led Red by the hand into the store, greeting her with a smile.
Anko, who was stuffing a skewer of glutinous rice balls into her mouth, looked up when she heard this, her lips still smeared with sauce. "Ah, it's you guys! Come, come, sit here!"
The three of them sat around a table by the window, Anko generously ordered several more servings of dumplings and tea.
"The content broadcast on Heavenly Screen lately has been getting more and more outrageous..." Anko mumbled, taking a bite of a dumpling. "I never imagined that Guy was this strong. That 'Night Guy' kick was even more powerful than the Five Kage combined!"
(If only I had that kind of power...)
Her eyes darkened slightly as the image of that man— Orochimaru —flashed through her mind.
(Perhaps I can finally end his life myself...)
Asuma exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a wry smile, "Yeah, I always thought he was just an overly enthusiastic idiot when I saw him running laps around the village handstands. I never expected..."
Hong took a small sip of tea and nodded gently in agreement, "Senior Kai's efforts have indeed paid off."
Just then, the scene in the Heavenly Screen suddenly changed—
"Boom--!"
Night Guy's crimson dragon tore through space, and half of Six Paths Madara's body vanished into thin air!
"Wow!!" Anko slammed her hand on the table, making the meatball jump. "Did you finish it?!"
However, the next second--
Six Paths Madara's tattered body regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his maniacal laughter echoed through the sky!
"Hey, hey, hey..." Asuma's cigarette fell to the ground. "This enemy is way too overpowered! They can't even kill me with that kind of attack?!"
Kuro's pupils contracted slightly, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the teacup. "The power of that attack just now was enough to make one break out in a cold sweat... but not only did that Madara Uchiha not die, he recovered so quickly..."
Anko's expression also turned serious, and the bamboo skewer in her hand snapped in her hand with a "crack": "What a joke... This can't be described as 'powerful,' it's a monster!"
The other customers in the store were also in an uproar and discussing the matter.
"Even Kai, with Eight Gates open, couldn't defeat him. How did he manage to win in the future?"
"Are we going to rely on sheer numbers?"
"Don't be silly! Sending more people wouldn't make a difference in a battle of that level!"
Asuma lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "It seems the future Shinobi World is more dangerous than we imagined..."
Hong gently grasped his hand and whispered, "Fortunately, Heavenly Screen Bar has already shown us this possible future."
Anko suddenly grinned, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Who cares! All I want now is two more skewers of dumplings—boss! Add an extra serving of Anko filling!"
Asuma: "..." (This guy is so oblivious!)