Danzo Uchiha's string of godlike blunders had plunged the shinobi world into chaos. And now Hashirama Senju had just snagged a universal buff. Was that… cause for celebration? No one knew. But it definitely felt chaotic.
Hashirama: "I wonder what buff I'll get this time. By the way, where's my sister? Dad, where are you? Uh… Mom?"
Madara: "You only have a brother, not a sister."
Hashirama: "Oh, right. You're my brother now! Fine… but where's that mysterious sister I never heard of?"
Madara (coldly): "Tobirama, watch him. I'll be right there. I swear, if I smack him, he won't dare fight back."
Tobirama: "Yes, Father. About time someone tamed him."
System:"Time to assign a world punishment… How about sealing one of his legs?"
Rasa: "That's harsh. Doesn't seem fitting."
Madara (laughing): "I don't mind. With Susano'o, I'll catch up to Rasa in no time."
Rasa: "..."
System:"Half-day field trip to the shinobi Pure Land begins now.All souls in the Pure Land may visit the shinobi world for half a day, and all living beings in the shinobi world may tour the Pure Land for the same. No large-scale interference allowed. Souls caught interfering will be erased."
Hashirama: "What? No buff?"
Tobirama: "Visiting Konoha's current state could be interesting."
Madara: "What's there to see? A rotten village."
In a flash of light, everyone including the Sage of Six Paths blacked out. When vision returned, they stood beneath Konoha's blazing sun.
The Pure Land had always been muted, misty. Now, the sunlight here was nearly blinding. Fortunately, the system's protections kept everyone safe.
System:"Question Four! How will the upcoming battle end?"
A) Six-Path Madara unhurt; Might Guy deadB) Six-Path Madara near death; Might Guy unhurtC) Both Six-Path Madara and Might Guy near death
"This is a multiple-choice question.Correct answers win a random jutsu or taijutsu from the video.Wrong answers extend current penalties feminization, sealed hands, kidney exhaustion by one week.You have three minutes."
Madara (groaning): "Seriously? Still more questions? A single fight and four rounds? What's next?"
Mito: "Brother, calm down. This is a choice. You have to answer."
Madara: "Of course I'll answer A. Guy's going to die, mark my words. Even Jesus couldn't save him!"
Might Guy (smiling): "Well, you know me. My father always supports bold youth."
Fourth Raikage: "I get it. My two arms can't stop you either. Go for it, Guy."
Kakashi: "You're annoying… but I respect you, Guy."
Few in the shinobi world followed the banter closely. But they all understood this much: Six-Path Madara was the Sage's heir, a god among men. Could mere taijutsu ever wound him?
A strange silence spread.
Then, unexpectedly, the Seven Swordsmen quietly chose C. They had seen the Seventh Gate firsthand. The Eighth Gate… it might truly slay a god.
Surprisingly, everyone from Konoha who knew Guy personally also chose C.
They believed.
They remembered him.
Running 500 laps around the village while shouting, "If I don't finish before sunset, I'll do 1,000 push-ups!"Then 2,000 laps if not done by dawn.
He had lived this every day. After losing his father, he trained alone. Then met Kakashi. Then Rock Lee.Guy's life was nothing but youth, sweat, and endless forward motion.
System:"Time's up.Votes: A = 232,413B = 0C = 4,513"
No one believed Guy could win. Opening the Eight Gates was a suicide technique. One second in the Eighth Gate meant certain death.
Lee: "Guy-sensei!"Might Duy: "Guy!"Kakashi: "Guy!"Tenten: "Go, Guy!"Neji: "Guy-sensei!"...
Guy (shouting): "Then witness my youth unleashed!"
Madara (smirking): "Heh…"
Video Playback:
A Truth-Seeking Orb hovered over Guy's prone form. Kakashi's Flying Thunder God kunai was still far away.
Suddenly, Rock Lee burst onto the battlefield, crimson-faced, his Third Gate wide open.
He caught Guy in his arms.
Rock Lee: "Lee, Rock Lee!"
The crowd gasped. His timely rescue had saved Guy from the fatal orb, which smashed into the ground in a violent crash, smoke and shockwaves blasting upward.
A sigh of relief rippled through the world.
That orb attack wasn't flashy, but it bypassed all defense jutsu and even Edo Tensei's regeneration. If it hit, there was no saving you.
Kakashi (thinking): "No hope in taijutsu alone…"
At that moment, his Mangekyō Sharingan awakened. For the first time, those present saw its power.
Guy (quietly): "Time to transform into the crimson beast…"
Kakashi's eyes widened, Sharingan glowing, unblinking.
Kakashi: "Are you… about to open the final Gate of Death?"
End of Chapter 29