Gate of Death

Uesugi Shinji and Might Duy's battle once again became the focus of the entire battlefield. Ever since Duy opened the Gate of Wonder, one of the Eight Inner Gates, the powerful aura he passively exuded had drawn everyone's attention. Even Kisame, the elite Jonin who had recently made a name for himself, had been beaten so badly by just one or two of Duy's punches that he could barely take care of himself. Now he lay on the ground, on the verge of death.

And yet, someone so absurdly powerful had been taken down by Uesugi Shinji in a single encounter. This, too, was beyond the understanding of the ninjas present.

Though Uesugi Shinji was also widely recognized as a top-tier Jonin, capable of matching Konoha's Yellow Flash, he had never before used such a powerful technique. Many Kirigakure ninjas looked at the white-haired Uesugi Shinji, whose appearance had changed completely, with awe, secretly wondering whether his strength had already surpassed that of the Fourth Mizukage.

At that moment, Kirigakure's morale soared, while the Konoha ninjas grew increasingly anxious. Without Might Duy holding him back, Uesugi Shinji would be free to sweep across the battlefield. They might even be wiped out to the last man!

Though Kirigakure seemed to have the upper hand, the expression on Uesugi Shinji's face grew ever more solemn. He could sense that Might Duy's presence inside the Ice Crystal Pillar hadn't weakened. In fact, it seemed as though Duy was preparing some terrifying technique.

Uesugi Shinji leaped onto the Ice Crystal Pillar and swiftly formed Hand Seals. A seal immediately appeared on the pillar's surface beneath his feet.

"Inner Ice Release: White Lotus!"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless Ice Spikes burst out from inside the pillar. They spread in every direction from Might Duy's position, looking like a crystalline white lotus blooming open.

Though the technique looked beautiful, it was cruel beyond measure. With no powerful means of defense, Might Duy would be torn to pieces in an instant by the thousands of Ice Spikes surrounding him!

But at the very moment the ice lotus bloomed, a crimson glow shone through the ice, turning the entire lotus red. As the light appeared, the once-impenetrable ice lotus began disintegrating from within, layer by layer. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed completely, dissolving into a thick cloud of steam that dispersed into the air.

The sudden crimson glow came from the chakra Might Duy unleashed as he burned through his own life.

The chakra was so overwhelming that, as it surged out, it mixed with the blood in his body and the heat pouring off him. Once it escaped through his pores, it formed a cloud of crimson steam around him.

His eyes and skin had taken on an unnatural shade of blood red. His chakra coursed through him at tremendous speed, pushing every pathway in his body beyond its limits. Veins bulged all over him, making him look terrifying.

Might Duy had now opened the final gate of the Eight Inner Gates—the Gate of Death!

Though he had opened just one more gate, the power he gained was several times greater than the combined strength of the first seven!

In the future, even after opening the Seventh Gate, Guy would still be within the normal range of a ninja's strength. But once he opened the final gate, the Gate of Death, he would unleash enough power to thrash Six Paths Madara. He would come within a hair's breadth of kicking the Hokage story to its grand finale.

That showed just how terrifyingly much the Gate of Death increased its user's power!

Fortunately, Might Duy's talent for Taijutsu was nowhere near as great as his son Guy's. The power he unleashed after opening the Gate of Death was not on the same level as the future Night Guy. Otherwise, forget the likes of Uesugi Shinji and the others present—even all Five Kage together wouldn't have been able to withstand a single punch from him.

But even so, Might Duy now possessed enough power to overwhelm everyone on this battlefield!

Every ninja on the battlefield stopped fighting at the same time, their eyes fixed on the unstoppable Might Duy.

Even Uesugi Shinji, who had remained remarkably calm until now, couldn't hide his shock. A cold bead of sweat trickled slowly down his forehead.

Standing in the distance with Guy on his back, Shiranui Genma dropped another Senbon from his mouth. "So the strongest ninja in the Shinobi World is Uncle Duy!"

Beside him, Ebisu was carrying Kakashi. Hearing Genma's words, he only nodded blankly, unable to say a thing.

"No. This is power he's gained by sacrificing his life!"

At some point, the gravely wounded Guy had regained consciousness. He stared blankly at his father in the distance, so unlike the man he knew, as tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

To him, his father was complicated—kind yet strict, clumsy yet wise, comical yet dignified. But none of those sides could be reconciled with the fierce, contorted figure before him.

The others didn't know why Might Duy possessed such tremendous power, or what price he would have to pay for it. But Guy, who had also been training in the Eight Inner Gates, understood all too well.

He had never imagined that his father's first battle on the battlefield would become his last, and that he would never again have the chance to fight alongside him.

Shiranui Genma and Ebisu understood as well. Their excitement sank to the bottom of their hearts, and they didn't know how to comfort the sobbing Guy.

"Wherever the leaves dance, the fire will never cease to burn!"

At that moment, Might Duy's rough voice rang in everyone's ears. He spoke the words that embodied Konoha's spirit in a barely audible voice, yet his powerful chakra carried them across the entire battlefield.

The Konoha ninjas who heard Might Duy's voice all lifted their heads. A light called faith appeared in their eyes.

Hearing the words, Guy couldn't help murmuring them to himself, repeating the phrase softly. When he looked up again, he realized his father was looking at him too, his gaze seemingly filled with words he could never finish saying.

But for all the words he might have spoken, what Might Duy ultimately voiced was the Will of Fire passed down through generations of Konoha shinobi. He believed his hopes had reached his son!

Might Duy slowly raised his arm, then suddenly punched toward Guy and the others. Relying solely on the pressure created by his chakra's explosive release, the punch carved a huge crater into the empty ground in front of them. Its sheer destructive power left everyone dumbfounded.

Might Duy wasn't attacking his son and the younger shinobi, of course. He was only warning them to leave the battlefield at once.

Shiranui Genma and Ebisu understood what Might Duy meant. Without hesitation, they turned and retreated. As rookies, they could no longer do anything useful on a battlefield like this. They were better off getting their wounded comrades out of danger while they still could.

Once Guy and the others had left, Might Duy, relieved, turned to face Uesugi Shinji.

The ninja before him was a worthy opponent, one of the finest Jonin around. If Duy hadn't mastered the secret art of the Eight Inner Gates, he wouldn't have been worthy of fighting him at all.

But now that the Gate of Death was open, no one—friend or foe—would survive!