Guy caught sight of it from the corner of his eye, and his pupils shrank.
The Akimichi Clan's secret pills.
The Tricolor Pills!
Green: Spinach Pill.
Effect: Unleashes hidden potential for a short time, increasing strength more than threefold.
Side effect: Once the effects wear off, the entire body aches, leaving the user weak and powerless.
Yellow: Curry Pill.
Effect: Greatly enhances vitality and chakra, taking strength to another level.
Side effect: Once the effects wear off, the user is left powerless, with their life force severely depleted.
Red: Chili Pill.
Effect: Strength increases a hundredfold! Chakra enters Butterfly Mode!
Side effect: The body is pushed past its limits. Death is almost certain!
Choza's fingers paused over the three pills for a moment.
Then he picked up the green Spinach Pill.
Without hesitation, he popped it straight into his mouth.
He chewed twice.
Then swallowed.
"Ugh—"
Choza grunted.
His body suddenly swelled another size.
His muscles bulged, veins standing out.
He looked like a moving mountain.
He grinned at Iwami Shigezo across from him.
"Come on."
Iwami Shigezo's eyes narrowed.
"The Akimichi Clan's secret pills..."
He gritted his teeth.
"You think taking a pill means you can beat me?"
He quickly formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
The ground split open, and more than a dozen sharp stone spears thrust up from beneath it, aimed straight at Choza.
Choza didn't retreat. He charged forward.
His enormous palm slapped down, snapping the spears in half.
But Iwami Shigezo hadn't been trying to hit him.
He'd been trying to hold him back.
"You two!"
He shouted at the remaining Chunin.
"Go kill that brat!"
The two Chunin exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.
They turned and charged at Guy with the nine Genin.
This time, there was no contempt.
No sneering.
Only seriousness.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
One Chunin pressed both hands to the ground, and a wall of earth rose in front of Guy, blocking his view.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
The other Chunin's arm became coated in rock. Gripping a kunai, he charged from the side.
The nine Genin spread out, too.
Some formed hand seals, some drew kunai, and some circled around behind.
They worked in perfect coordination.
Their formation was disciplined.
This was what a real battlefield looked like.
Not a duel.
A coordinated kill.
Guy stood there, watching them charge.
Green steam still rose from his body.
He had the Eight Inner Gates' Third Gate open.
But that alone wasn't enough.
They had two Chunin and nine Genin.
They knew how to work together.
They wouldn't foolishly charge in and get themselves killed like the last one.
He needed to change his approach.
Guy's gaze swept over the nine Genin.
They were spread out, inexperienced, and half a beat slower to react than the two Chunin.
There were a lot of them.
But they'd be the easiest to kill.
"It's better to sever one finger than injure all ten."
The words suddenly came to Guy.
Before, he'd caught the Chunin off guard and killed him, getting the greatest possible result.
Now that the enemy was on guard, he'd have to take them down one by one!
He gripped his greatsword.
"Ebisu! Genma!"
"Here!"
"Cover me!"
The moment he finished speaking, Guy was already in motion.
He didn't charge at the two Chunin.
He charged at the nine Genin.
His green silhouette streaked through the rain like a blur.
He was too fast.
Before the Genin could react, he'd already plunged into their midst.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
Whoosh—
He swept out a kick.
A Genin screamed as he went flying.
"Precept-Breaking Blade, Third Form!"
A flash of steel.
The second Genin clutched his throat and fell.
Blood splashed into the rain, instantly washed away.
The two Chunin came to their senses and roared as they gave chase.
But Guy was too fast.
He didn't engage them at all.
He simply darted through the crowd.
Kick.
Slash.
Kick.
Slash.
One slash, one down.
One kick, one down.
The green steam traced streaks through the rain.
At the end of every streak, a Genin fell.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A fireball shot in from the side, hitting a Genin who'd been trying to sneak up on Guy.
The man caught fire and rolled on the ground, screaming.
Ebisu panted, his hands still trembling.
But his eyes shone with excitement.
"I—I hit him! I hit him!"
On the other side, Genma threw all five senbon in his hand at once.
Not to attack.
To block their path.
Three Genin trying to retreat were forced to stop, right in Guy's path as he charged in.
A flash of steel.
Two more fell.
Guy kicked the last one flying.
"That's five."
Guy's voice carried through the rain.
He sounded as calm as if he were counting.
Iwami Shigezo's face turned ashen.
He hadn't expected the brat to be so fast.
His men couldn't even react in time.
He wanted to charge over.
But Choza was blocking his way.
After taking the Spinach Pill, Choza was like a mountain.
"Your opponent is me."
Choza's voice was low.
"Don't even think about getting past."
Iwami Shigezo gritted his teeth.
"Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!"
Rock coated his right arm, turning it into an enormous fist that slammed toward Choza.
Choza didn't dodge.
He took the blow head-on.
"Bang!"
Both men staggered back a step.
Iwami Shigezo's eyes narrowed.
That strength!
The Akimichi Clan were a real handful after taking their pills.
But it didn't matter.
He still had more men.
No matter how fast that brat was, he couldn't kill them all...
"The seventh."
Iwami Shigezo had barely had the thought when Guy's voice rang out again.
Iwami Shigezo turned to look.
In the rain, the green figure had just finished sheathing his blade.
Two more lay at his feet.
In the time it had taken, the nine Genin had been reduced to just two.
The last two stood frozen in place.
Their legs were shaking.
Their hands were shaking, too.
They could barely hold on to their kunai.
"Monster..."
One of them murmured,
"He's a monster..."
Guy raised his head and looked at them.
Rainwater mixed with blood ran down his face.
His eyes were still terrifyingly bright.
He grinned.
"Two more."
He looked just like a demon from the rain.
"AHHHHH!"
The two Iwagakure Genin completely lost their nerve.
They dropped their Kunai and turned to run.
"Where do you think you're going!"
One Chunin roared, but couldn't stop them.
Guy didn't chase them either.
The Eight Inner Gates had a limited duration.
It was best not to waste his strength on two Genin.
In a flash, he appeared in front of the two Chunins.
The massive blade in his hand, its edge already chipped and rolled, pointed at them from afar.
"Now—"
"It's your turn."
The two Iwagakure Chunins, who had been furious just moments ago, froze in unison.
A thought that went against everything they believed suddenly surfaced in their minds.
"Should we run?"
But in that instant of hesitation,
they had already missed their best chance
to escape.