Morning Peacock

The Eight-Tails, manifested by Killer Bee, watched as Jiraiya kept his palms pressed together, realizing the man was preparing some kind of secret technique.

Though he did not know what this technique might be, the white-haired man before him was one of the legendary Sannin of the Ninja World; he could not afford to be arrogant and allow his opponent to complete it.

Without further hesitation, Killer Bee braced his arms against the earth and lunged once more at Gamaken, who met the charge with his steel fork held high.

Although Gamaken was a top-tier summoning, there was still a gap in strength between him and a Tailed Beast, leaving him on the defensive throughout the exchange.

Fortunately, Gamaken was a master of both offense and defense, making it unrealistic for the Eight-Tails to defeat him easily.

Boom, boom...

Just as Gamaken neared defeat, two old toads were summoned onto Jiraiya's shoulders: the Sages, Fukasaku and Shima.

"Little Jiraiya, are you intending to fight the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?"

"No wonder you had to summon us two old geezers; a Jinchuriki who can perfectly control a Tailed Beast is indeed a rare sight."

The moment the two Sages appeared, they understood Jiraiya's predicament.

Without further exchange, the two began to coordinate with Jiraiya to enter Sage Mode.

Soon, wart-like bumps appeared on Jiraiya's face, his nose enlarged, and even his teeth became sharp and ferocious.

Watching Jiraiya undergo such a drastic transformation in both appearance and aura, the Eight-Tails could not help but freeze.

What kind of ninjutsu was this?

"To be precise, I am no longer human. Mount Myoboku Toad Sage, Jiraiya, has arrived. Let's go."

Whoosh!

Jiraiya leaped from Gamaken's back, kicking bare-handed at the chin of the Eight-Tails Gyuki as it grappled with the toad.

Boom!

The massive body of the Eight-Tails was sent flying backward by Jiraiya's flying kick, carving deep furrows into the ground as it landed.

When Killer Bee scrambled up and raised his head to look at Jiraiya, his large bull eyes were filled with shock and suspicion.

What on earth was this secret technique?

The boost to his physical capabilities was simply too monstrous.

Fighting this version of Jiraiya gave him the same feeling as clashing with his big brother, the Fourth Raikage. This... how could this be possible?

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On the other side, although the Cloud Village lacked Killer Bee, they still had the Fourth Raikage.

Conversely, with Jiraiya tied up by Killer Bee, the Konoha Village no longer had any Kage-level powerhouses left to deal with the Fourth Raikage.

Thus, the Fourth Raikage, cloaked in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, began to weave through the battlefield, wantonly reaping lives on the Konoha side.

Just as the Fourth Raikage finished off a few more men, a chorus of a thousand birds chirping rang out, and a figure wreathed in lightning charged toward him at high speed.

It was a young boy, one eye a normal black, the other a blood-red Sharingan with three black tomoe.

Kakashi?

Well done!

The Fourth Raikage looked at the one who dared to attack him head-on, a look of approval crossing his face. The boy was truly the student of that man; such behavior did not dishonor that man's name.

Facing Kakashi's Chidori, the Fourth Raikage swung his arm to block.

Yet, just as the Raikage's arm was about to strike, Kakashi used the insight of his Sharingan to spot a flaw in the Raikage's defense.

As the arm swung, Kakashi ducked slightly to evade the blow, then thrust his hand with all his might toward the Raikage's heart.

Kakashi's palm, fueled by the Chidori, pierced the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Armor and struck his body.

The Fourth Raikage looked at the blood slowly trickling from the wound, his face showing a hint of surprise as he spoke.

"To be able to wound me—your performance is quite impressive."

"But this is as far as you go."

As he spoke, the Fourth Raikage grabbed Kakashi's shoulders with both arms. Because his right hand was pinned deep in the Raikage's chest by the tightening of the man's muscles, Kakashi could not pull it free. Feeling the crushing power of the Raikage's grip on his shoulders, his heart sank to the bottom of his chest.

Trouble!

Was this the end?

With the Fourth Raikage inches away, Kakashi could already see the savage glint in his eyes. If nothing changed, his fate would be gruesome.

"Die, brat!"

The Lightning Release Chakra on the Fourth Raikage's body flared as he prepared to hoist Kakashi into the air.

At this critical moment, a figure wrapped in green chakra arrived above the Fourth Raikage, delivering a heavy, powerful axe kick toward the top of his head.

"Leaf Great Strong Whirlwind!"

Feeling the force of the leg strike coming toward him, the Fourth Raikage dared not be careless. He shoved Kakashi away, then raised his arms to block the blow.

Bang!

The leg, wrapped in green chakra, collided with the Fourth Raikage's crossed arms, producing a deafening boom.

"Guy?"

Having narrowly escaped death, Kakashi looked at Guy, who was enveloped in green chakra, with a flash of astonishment in his eyes.

He never imagined that the one to save him today would be this bowl-cut youth who had always treated him as a rival to chase.

At this moment, Guy looked at the Fourth Raikage, who had blocked his Strong Fist Whirlwind with nothing but his arms, and couldn't help but lament that the man was a monster. With such terrifying power, it was no wonder even Kakashi's signature technique couldn't faze him.

Seeing the Fourth Raikage's hand reaching out to grab him, Guy hurriedly kicked off the ground, putting distance between them before landing beside Kakashi.

"Kakashi, are you alright?"

Facing Guy's concern, Kakashi shook his head.

"I'm fine. I really owe you for that just now."

Knowing Kakashi was unharmed, Guy's heart settled.

Then... it was time to go all out.

"Kakashi, this guy is incredibly strong. It seems we'll have to work together and let our youth bloom! Yeah!"

With that, Guy let out a loud shout and pressed his arms downward, his aura surging instantly by a significant margin.

"Eight Inner Gates...

The Sixth, Gate of View... Open!"

The Fourth Raikage watched as an exaggerated aura erupted from the unremarkable bowl-cut youth, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes, followed immediately by a surge of intense killing intent.

He had long heard of Kakashi's reputation as a genius, and the boy was the direct disciple of an old rival; it was one thing for such a person to trade blows with him.

But the performance of this unknown brat was even more outrageous than Kakashi's. What exactly was going on with Konoha Village?

Were freaks popping up one after another?

It wasn't just the Fourth Raikage; even Kakashi felt a sense of unfamiliarity looking at Guy. The chakra surging from Guy right now was practically like that of a Jinchuriki. When had this guy become capable of opening the sixth gate of the Eight Inner Gates?

He hadn't expected that this man, who had always viewed him as a lifelong rival, had grown to such a level without a sound.

Being surpassed by the one who had always chased him—the feeling was truly complex for Kakashi.

However, he couldn't afford to dwell on his emotions now. Instead, he cautioned Guy, "Be careful of this guy. His Lightning Release Armor has incredibly strong defenses; even my Chidori couldn't truly injure him. To deal with someone like this, we can only harass him—do not act recklessly."

In truth, Guy didn't need the reminder. Having traded a single blow with the Fourth Raikage, he knew clearly that the enemy before him was a human monster.

But having finally found an opportunity to show his worth in front of Kakashi, Guy said eagerly, "Kakashi, remember, I originally intended to use this move to challenge you... Here I come!"

As the words fell, Guy transformed into a streak of green light and dashed toward the Fourth Raikage at high speed.

Such speed. This guy's secret technique is truly no simple matter.

The Fourth Raikage mused inwardly, but his expression grew even more ferocious.

"Little brat from Konoha, let me see what you're capable of!"

With that, the lightning crackling around the Fourth Raikage surged once more, to the point where even his hair began to stand on end. Without a doubt, his speed and defensive power in this Lightning Release Chakra Mode were now incomparable to before.

Seeing the Fourth Raikage's aura skyrocket, Guy felt not a shred of fear. Transformed into a green blur, he arrived before the Fourth Raikage in an instant and began to swing his fists with blinding speed.

His fists moved so fast that the friction against the air ignited, producing balls of fire.

The fireballs, generated by the friction, struck the Fourth Raikage in a relentless barrage. Soon, the Fourth Raikage's figure was swallowed by the countless flames.

If one were to observe from above, they would see that Guy appeared to be standing within a peacock made of fire.

The continuous stream of fireballs formed the body and wings of the peacock.

This exaggerated skill was the taijutsu secret technique that could only be unleashed after opening the sixth gate of the Eight Inner Gates: Morning Peacock!

Rumble!

Watching the Fourth Raikage being engulfed by the countless flaming fists, the expressions of those present varied.

The Konoha side was naturally ecstatic; with such an exaggerated offensive, surely even the Fourth Raikage couldn't withstand it.

As for the Cloud ninjas, though their faces held a hint of tension, they mostly remained convinced that their Raikage would not be defeated so easily...