Worthy of...

"Ah, aaah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!!!"

Kakashi's pupils seemed to collapse as if struck by 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're full of openings."

Pain Rin formed hand seals, dashed forward, and struck Kakashi's defenseless abdomen with her small palm!

--Summoning Technique!

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

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

As though 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 collapsed facedown on the ground.

"..." Pain Rin reached toward Kakashi's left eye, paused slightly, then... withdrew her hand after all.

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 missiles. Under cover of the explosion's smoke, he leaped upward with all his strength, spun as he descended, and launched a fierce surprise attack at the Asura Path...!

"He hasn't noticed me at all... I got him!!"

But at that very moment, the Yata Crow sweeping through the sky... caught sight of it with its Rinnegan!

"Crack!" The Asura Path's head bloomed open like petals, and a laser burst from the core opening in its head!

--Asura Path: Head Laser Cannon!!

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

"Is that also an ability of the Rinnegan...? Hm?" Obito, who had been closely watching their battle, seemed to sense something and looked toward the streets behind him before drawing himself into Kamui.

"Whoosh!"

After reappearing, Obito looked at Kakashi lying unconscious in a pool of blood and said in his own voice, "Even with the eye I bestowed upon you, you're still a genuine piece of trash... Kakashi."

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

"Was that huge bird that just 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 the green aura around him 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.

"Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrr...!!!" He roared fervently, "This is the roar of Konoha's Green Beast! Feel the blazing heat of youth!!! Daytime Tiger!!!!"

"Boom boom boom boom boom!!!" The blazing shockwaves produced by his bare fists rubbing against the air spread out like a peacock displaying its 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!

"This is truly scorching. I have to return the favor with everything I've got!!!"

"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 pieces of Mechanical Armor several times larger than its body unfolded from within. After assembling together, they became a rotating twin-barreled turret that spun wildly and fired at the sky!

--Asura Path: Back Anti-Aircraft Cannon!

"Boom boom boom boom boom...!"

Cannonfire and flaming fists, ground-to-air and air-to-ground—the inhuman taijutsu of the Eight Gates and the Rinnegan's ruthless technology clashed in an utterly unadorned bombardment over Konoha's southern streets...!!

"Roarrrrrrrrrr...!!" Feeling the pressure, Guy increased the force of his punches amid his roaring!!

"Boom boom boom boom boom!!"

The shockwaves from the explosions began to demolish large stretches of the surrounding houses...!!!

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

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

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

"Damn it... To fight evenly against Guy in that state, just who is this enemy!?"

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

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

"We can only pray they're all right. 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 it's clear that Nagato truly wants to destroy Konoha..."

"Though I don't think you have what it takes just yet. Well, go ahead and make as much trouble as you like."

"Whoosh!" He slipped into a Kamui vortex and left!!

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

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

"Not good!!!" Guy wanted to forcibly interrupt his technique and rush over to save him... but the pressure from below left him powerless to act!

Just as he watched helplessly and tragedy was about to strike... black pillars suddenly formed 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 storm... Might Guy landed, drenched in sweat, the green aura around his body already difficult to sustain.

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

"This is about the level we're at right now. How about we stop here for the time being?"

Guy clenched his fists. "That isn't for us to decide!!"

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

"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 onto a stretcher. He was not in mortal danger.

"Ha!" Might Guy let out a breath of relief, utterly exhausted. He braced himself against the shattered ground with his fists, steadying his breathing as doubt filled his mind. "What exactly is going on? I really don't understand it. What is the enemy's goal?"

Compared to the uproar in Konoha's southern district.

The silence in the northern district seemed somewhat eerie.

A tall figure walked down the rain-soaked street. As he passed through the shadow cast by a utility pole, his footsteps abruptly stopped. The Rinnegan in his fleshy face slowly shifted toward the "shadow" beneath his feet... Then, thoughtfully, he looked past the utility pole toward the "eave" sheltering rain nearby.

Tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps sounded beneath the eave. From within the utility pole's shadow emerged a man with his hair tied up in a shape resembling a black pineapple.

The man kept his hands in a seal, his expression calm. The scars on his right cheek and right eyebrow added a touch of weathered maturity to his young face.

"Flames are soaring into the sky in the distance, yet your steps are as leisurely as a stroll. Even wearing a Konoha forehead protector cannot conceal your identity as an invader..."

"As expected of Shikaku Nara."