Worthy of...

"Ah, aahhh, aaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!!!"

Kakashi's pupils seemed to cave in like an earthquake. The lightning in his palm faded, and after pulling free from the bloody hole in his shoulder blade, he staggered backward in panic!

"Sorry, but you were full of openings."

Pain Rin formed hand seals, darted forward, and slapped her small hand against Kakashi's completely unguarded abdomen!

--Summoning Technique!

"!!!" Kakashi's collapsed pupils instantly dilated wide.

"Crack! Crack...!" The clothes on his back tore apart. "Screech!!" The Yata Crow emerged from the cramped space and flew into the sky!

As if all his strength had been drained away, Kakashi dropped to his knees with a thud, his expression vacant. "Sizzle!" As the Sharingan vanished, his body finally went limp, and he collapsed face-first onto the ground.

"..." Pain Rin reached toward Kakashi's left eye, paused slightly, and in the end... withdrew her hand.

She bent down to pick up the cat-faced mask, put it back on, and vanished in a flash.

"Fifth Gate of Limit, open!!!"

At the critical moment, Might Guy used the speed boost from the Gate of Limit to evade the Asura Path's missile attack. Concealed by the smoke from the explosion, he leaped upward with all his strength, spun as he descended, and launched a sudden attack on the Asura Path...!

"He didn't notice me at all... I got him!!"

At that exact moment, the Yata Crow sweeping through the air... caught sight of the scene with its Rinnegan!

"Crack!" The Asura Path's head opened like blooming petals, and a laser blasted from the core's hollow opening!

--Asura Path: Head Laser Cannon!!

"What!?" Might Guy's expression changed drastically. Relying on his powerful physical capabilities, he adjusted his posture in midair and narrowly avoided the laser's path!

"Is that also an ability of the Rinnegan... hmm?" Obito, who had been closely watching the battle between the two, seemed to sense something. He looked toward the streets behind him and sucked himself into Kamui.

"Whoosh!"

After reappearing, Obito looked at Kakashi lying unconscious in a pool of blood and spoke in his own voice, his tone low. "Even with the eye I bestowed upon you, you're still a worthless failure in every sense of the word... Kakashi."

After landing, Might Guy quickly put some distance between them and watched the movement in the sky.

"Was that giant bird that flew past summoned by Kakashi's enemy? I have a bad feeling about this. I need to end this battle as soon as possible!!"

Drawing back his gaze, Might Guy crossed his arms before his chest.

"I'll use my strongest move yet!!

--Sixth Gate of View, open!!

"Boom...!!!" Guy's pupils and skin turned dark red from the rush of blood, while his green aura surged even more violently!!

"I'll end this battle with this move!!!"

"Boom!" Might Guy shot into the air, his fists swinging with terrifying force.

"Raaaarghhhhhhhhh...!!!" He roared with blazing fervor, "This is the roar of Konoha's Verdant Beast! Feel the scorching heat of youth!!! Daytime Tiger!!!!"

"Boom boom boom boom boom!!!" The shock flames created by his fists rubbing against the air resembled the magnificent spread of a peacock's tail!

Watching through a screen and experiencing it firsthand from below were completely different sensations!

Even Nagato, dozens of kilometers away, had sparks dancing in his eyes!

"Now that's truly scorching. I have to return the favor in kind!!!"

"Crack!" "Crack!"

The Third Kazekage Asura Path leaned forward. Iron Sand merged with its limbs to form a "base." Its entire back opened, and two mechanical armor plates several times larger than its own body unfolded from within. After assembling together, they became a rotating twin-barreled turret that spun wildly as it fired at the sky!

--Asura Path: Back Anti-Aircraft Cannon!

"Boom boom boom boom boom...!"

Cannon fire and fist flames, ground-to-air and air-to-ground—the inhuman taijutsu of the Eight Gates and the Rinnegan's technological brutality clashed in an unadorned bombardment over Konoha's southern streets...!!

"Raaaarghhhhh...!!" Feeling the pressure, Guy increased the force of his punches amid his roars!!

"Boom boom boom boom boom!!"

The blasts' shockwaves began to bring down large swathes of surrounding houses...!!!

Obito slung Kakashi over his shoulder, avoided the collapsing walls, and leaped to higher ground to watch the hellish scene.

The cries of alarm from the ninja on the outskirts rose one after another!

"The battle over there is so intense! Is that Guy!!!"

"Damn it... to trade blows evenly with Guy in that state, just who the hell is the enemy!"

"We can't get involved at all!!"

"This is bad. There may not be many, but civilians live in that area too, right?"

"All we can do is pray they're alright. The Third and Fourth have already been deployed!"

Obito tossed Kakashi into a conspicuous spot and slowly pulled up his hood.

"Looks like I should leave. At least I can tell Nagato truly wants to destroy Konoha..."

"Though I don't think you have what it takes to do that yet. Still, go ahead and make as much of a mess as you like."

"Whoosh!" He slipped into the Kamui vortex and departed!!

"Mom!!!" At that moment, a child's cry came from a house below that had been caught in the destruction!!

"!!!" Might Guy turned his head in midair and saw a child sprawled on the road, with a collapsing wall about to crush him!!!

"Oh no!!!" Guy wanted to forcibly interrupt his technique and rush over to save him... but the pressure below left him willing but powerless!

Just as the tragedy was about to unfold before his eyes... black pillars suddenly gathered from the ground and propped up the falling wall!!

Guy could hardly believe what he was seeing. "Iron Sand...!? Could it be that guy..."

"Boom!!!"

Both sides' firepower came to an end at the same time!!!

Amid the gale... Might Guy landed, drenched in sweat, the green aura around him already difficult to sustain.

The Asura Path put away its equipment... Guy noticed that one corner of the "base" forged from its Iron Sand was now missing.

"At our current level, this is as far as we go. How about we leave it here for now?"

Guy clenched his fists. "That's not for us to decide!!"

"Boom!" Though he was at the end of his strength, Guy still charged forward with burning blood in his veins!!

"Whoosh!!" A storm of Iron Sand blocked his path.

When it dispersed, his enemy had already vanished without a trace.

In the distance, the medical team had placed Kakashi on a stretcher. He was not in mortal danger.

"Whew!" Might Guy let out a breath of relief. Completely exhausted, he braced himself against the shattered ground with one fist. As he steadied his breathing, doubt filled his mind. "What exactly was that? I really don't understand. What was the enemy's goal?"

Compared to Konoha's southern district, which was in utter uproar,

the quiet of the northern district seemed somewhat eerie.

A tall figure walked along the rain-soaked street. As he passed through the shadow of a utility pole, his steps came to an abrupt halt. His Rinnegan slowly shifted toward the "shadow" beneath his feet on his fleshy face... Then, seemingly thoughtful, he looked past the utility pole toward the "eave" sheltering from the rain not far away.

Tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps sounded beneath the eave. From the utility pole's shadow emerged a man with tied-up hair shaped like a black pineapple.

His hands remained in a hand seal, his expression calm. The scars across his right cheek and right eyebrow lent his young face a touch of weathered maturity.

"Flames soared into the sky in the distance, yet your footsteps were as leisurely as if you were taking a stroll. Even wearing Konoha's forehead protector cannot conceal your identity as an intruder..."

"Worthy of you, Shikaku Nara."