Konoha's Vajra Beast, It's Appeared Again!

"I'll handle this!"

As Guy's voice fell, Choza whipped his head around.

He looked at this eight-year-old child.

Rainwater streamed down that face, but the eyes were terrifyingly bright.

"This is no time for self-will."

"I'm not being willful."

Guy cut him off.

He raised a finger and pointed ahead.

Choza followed the direction of his finger.

Within the curtain of rain, those thirteen people had already fanned out.

They weren't charging in a chaotic mess.

They were methodically widening the distance, forming a semi-circular encirclement.

Three on the left, three on the right, and seven in the center.

The retreat path back to Kikyo Mountain was completely sealed off.

Choza's pupils constricted slightly.

"This formation..."

He had been too focused on making them retreat earlier to look closely.

Now that he saw it, his heart sank.

The enemy had no intention of letting them leave at all.

Iwami Shigezo stood right in the center, arms crossed, a cat-and-mouse grin on his face.

Seeing Choza's gaze, his mouth curled even wider.

"Kid from the Akimichi clan, trying to let your people run first?"

He shook his head.

"You aren't getting away."

"Tonight, none of you four are leaving."

He waved a hand.

Those thirteen people began to close in slowly.

Their steps were uniform.

Their killing intent was palpable.

Choza took a deep breath.

He turned his head to look at Guy, his tone heavy:

"Are you sure about this?"

Guy grinned.

That smile was exactly the same as it had been three months ago.

He gave a thumbs up.

His teeth flashed.

"I am."

He looked toward Ebisu and Genma.

Ebisu had already taken off his sunglasses and tucked them into his pocket.

"I am an elite, after all!"

Genma took the toothpick out of his mouth and clenched it in his palm.

"I've been ready for a long time."

Choza looked at these three.

Three eight-year-old children.

Three months ago, they were still green recruits who had just graduated from the academy.

Now, facing thirteen enemies, there was no fear in their eyes.

Only seriousness.

Only the resolve of a ninja.

Choza was silent for two seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Good."

He turned back to face the jonin.

"Then—"

He took a deep breath.

His body swelled violently.

"Multi-Size Technique!"

In an instant, he transformed into a giant over three meters tall, his massive hands slamming out like barn doors.

"Break through!"

Before the words had even faded, he had already charged into the enemy ranks.

His target was none other than Iwami Shigezo.

Iwami Shigezo's eyes sharpened as he raised his hands to block.

"Bang!"

The two collided, the impact shaking the ground and sending mud and water spraying everywhere.

At the same time, Choza's other hand swept out horizontally, swatting a chunin who hadn't managed to dodge in time.

"One!"

He roared.

Every one he could take out was one less for the others!

Iwami Shigezo was pinned down by him, and that chunin had been sent flying.

But there were still two more chunin and nine genin.

They grinned hideously as they charged toward Guy and the others.

"Three little brats!"

"Slaughter them!"

"Don't let that Akimichi get away!"

The rain grew heavier.

Ebisu gripped his Kunai tightly, his palms slick with sweat.

Genma held five Shuriken between his fingers, ready to strike at any moment.

Just as the two were about to move.

"Eight Inner Gates—"

A voice rang out in their ears.

"Third Gate—"

"Gate of Life!"

"Open!!"

Bang!!!

A wave of pressure exploded violently from Guy's body.

The rain was blasted away, creating a momentary vacuum.

Ebisu felt his vision blur.

That green figure had already vanished.

No.

Not vanished.

It was just too fast.

So fast that the raindrops couldn't even fall.

So fast that the hideous grins on the enemies' faces hadn't even faded.

So fast that the chunin charging at the very front only saw a flash of green light.

And then—

"Vajra Whirlwind Leg!!"

Whoosh!!!

Guy's body spun in mid-air.

His right leg, trailing golden light and wrapped in green steam, moved like a whirlwind.

No.

It was a whirlwind.

The ferocity of the Vajra Leg.

Combined with the rotation of the Leaf Hurricane.

Added to the speed of the third gate of the Eight Inner Gates.

The three became one.

"BANG!!!"

A kick, slamming heavily into the neck of that Chunin.

"CRACK!"

The sound of bone snapping.

Crisp.

Piercing.

Extraordinarily clear in the rainy night.

That Chunin's eyes were wide open.

His mouth agape.

The savage grin still frozen on his face.

But his entire body had already flown away.

Not flown.

Shot out.

"BANG!"

He slammed into a tree five meters away.

The trunk split down the middle.

The man was embedded in the tree, his neck twisted at a grotesque angle.

Motionless.

Dead.

He hadn't even had the chance to use a ninjutsu.

Just like that, kicked to death by Might Guy!

The rain seemed to pause for a heartbeat.

The whole world went quiet.

The expressions on the faces of the remaining Iwagakure ninjas hadn't even had time to change.

The savage grins remained.

The gazes remained.

But their movements had all stopped.

They looked at their companion embedded in the tree.

Then they looked at the green figure standing in place.

Green steam rose from his body.

The falling rain evaporated before it could even touch him.

He slowly retracted his leg.

Stood straight.

Raised his head.

Those eyes were terrifyingly bright.

Ebisu opened his mouth.

He wanted to say something.

But his mind was a blank slate.

Only one thought remained.

He had seen this scene before.

One year ago.

Konoha Back Mountain.

The night Might Guy kicked over the Ninja Bear.

That figure shrouded in green steam.

"The Vajra Beast of Konoha..."

"It appeared again."

"No... this time, it seems even more terrifying..."

Ebisu muttered aloud.

The savage grin on the face of Iwami Shigezo finally vanished.

He stared at Guy, a look of genuine seriousness appearing in his eyes for the first time.

"Ninjutsu... no! It's taijutsu!"

He gritted his teeth.

"Konoha's taijutsu... what a formidable brat..."

Akimichi Choza was also stunned.

He looked at Guy's back, watching that green steam.

Three months.

He had been training this brat for three months.

He only knew that his taijutsu was decent, his kicks were heavy, and his reflexes were quick.

But Guy's speed.

It shouldn't be that fast!

And that familiar green glow.

A sharp light flashed in Akimichi Choza's eyes.

"It's the Eight Inner Gates!"

"He actually opened the third gate!"

"This child is a genius!!"

Akimichi Choza knew exactly what it meant for an eight-year-old child to be able to open the third gate of the Eight Inner Gates.

"I absolutely cannot let anything happen to him!"

Once he realized this, the thought immediately surged in Choza's heart.

This was a tender leaf of Konoha.

A tender leaf that was growing sturdily.

He absolutely could not let Guy die in this place.

Choza took a deep breath and reached into his robe.

When he pulled his hand out, there was a small rectangular box in his palm.

It was wooden.

Palm-sized.

The crest of the Akimichi Clan was carved onto the surface.

He opened the box.

Inside, three pills lay quietly.

One green.

One yellow.

One red.