Chapter 610: 573. Stubborn Friendship
On the other side of the battlefield,
Kakashi leans against a rock, resting to recover his chakra. Obito's body lies beside him, his life and death unknown.
"O-obito!"
Kakashi looks at Obito, then glances toward the battlefield. Just now, he witnessed the sealing of Ten-tails by Naruto and the group.
"They did it!"
Kakashi heaves a sigh of relief. He attempts to stand up, but his body refuses to move.
"Looks like it will take me a bit more time to recover. Gai is also down."
Kakashi glance at Might Gai snoring beside Obito's body. He is laying still as a rock while releasing thunderous snoring sounds.
Kakashi inserts his hand in his holster and takes out a small device. He presses a few buttons on it and connects to the HQ.
"Shikaku-san, it's Kakashi here! How's the situation on the battlefield?" Kakashi enquires.
"Naruto and the group successfully sealed the Ten-tail while the secret group is fighting against Madara."
"Madara!" Kakashi glances at Obito and clenches his fist. Kakashi disconnects the call.
"I hope things go smoothly."
Poof…
Soon, a massive cloud of white smoke envelops the battlefield, and seven massive-tailed beast appear.
"Huh!"
BOOM…
A loud explosion echoes throughout the battlefield. The roof of the massive dome-shaped barrier present at the other end of the battlefield cracks open.
Shoom…
Kakashi notices a small shadow flying out of nowhere and lands amidst the tailed beast.
Bang… bang… bang…
The next second, several explosion echoes throughout the battlefield.
"This isn't good!" Kakashi's expression turns ugly as he senses the chaos.
The elite shinobis of the Allied Shinobi Force fled in all directions.
Shoom…
Soon, a powerful repulsive force outward from the battlefield, and the seven-tailed beasts are sent flying in all directions.
Boom… Bang…
A massive body made of sand crashes at some distance from Kakashi.
"SHUKAKU! SHUKAKU!"
Kakashi calls Shukaku to understand the situation.
Huh!
Shukaku slowly turns his head while grimacing in pain.
"You are that white-haired guy with that black-haired kid." Shukaku recognizes Kakashi as a colleague of Izuna.
"What just happened on the battlefield?" Kakashi nods his head in acknowledgment and asks Shukaku.
"It's Madara. Somehow, he has acquired the Rinnegan… the real Rinnegan, not the fake Edo Rinnegan."
Shukaku grunts and slowly stands up.
"I have to get back to the battle." Shukaku charges towards the battle.
"Things aren't looking good!"
The trembles from the battlefield could be felt all the way to his location.
Kakashi notices several giant purple chains wrap around the tailed beasts. Soon, the beasts disappear from the battlefield.
After a while, even Eight Tails and Nine-tails appear on the battlefield with similar chains.
"If Eight tails and Nine-tails are also here, then does that mean…" Kakashi's expression turns ugly.
"Naruto, I hope you are alright!"
Rumble… Rumble…
Soon, Madara summons the Ten tails.
ROAR…
A powerful roar echoes across the battlefield, producing powerful shockwaves.
Swish… swish… Slam…
Kakashi makes a series of hand signs and slams his palm on the ground.
An earth wall erupts in front of him, protecting the group. The shockwaves subside after a few seconds.
Poof…
With a massive cloud of white smoke, the Ten-tails disappear from the battlefield.
Shoom…
Suddenly, a chill spread across Kakashi's spine.
"This feeling… it's even stronger than Obito."
Kakashi clenches his fist. His instincts warn him of an extremely strong being.
"All combat and non-combat personnel still present on the battlefield evacuate as far from the battlefield as you can. This is an order of highest priority. Abandoning the battlefield won't be considered desertion. So, I repeat, all shinobis evacuate as far as possible from the battlefield."
Suddenly, Kakashi receives another message from the HQ.
"As expected…"
Kakashi grits his teeth and slowly stands up. He grabs Obito's and Gai's bodies with his hands and pulls them away.
Ugh… Agh…
Obito and Gai grunt. Both of them slowly open their eyes and notice Kakashi struggling to move them.
"Kakashi, there is no need to drag me with you. I am already at my rope's end." Obito shakes his head. But Kakashi ignores him and continues to drag him away.
"Kakashi, what just happened?" Gai frees himself from Kakashi's grip and stands up.
"Gai, how is your condition?" Kakashi asks him.
"I have recovered from most of the fatigue after the consecutive use of the Seventh Gate. If I use it again in this state, then I am afraid I will spend a month in the hospital."
Gai grabs Obito and slung him on his back. With his other hand, he supports Kakashi. The duo continues to flee the battlefield as Kakashi narrates the situation to Gai in his absence.
Gai turns to Obito and asks him.
"How are you still alive after the extraction of Ten-tail and Rinne-Rebirth Jutsu?"
Kakashi is also curious to know.
"The Ten-tails' Jinchuriki is slightly different from the other Jinchurikis. Not only does it grant the user a massive amount of vitality that almost makes him immortal, but it also gives access to the Six Paths Sage Mode. This energy is more potent than the normal chakra or nature energy." Obito slowly explains.
"The extraction of Ten-tail did take its toll on me. But the vitality I absorbed during that time gave me enough lifespan to last another five to ten years."
"Then how come you are on the verge of death?" Gai enquires.
"Resurrecting Madara sapped me of all my vitality. It even took a portion of the Six Path's chakra I absorbed. Because of this, I can only live for a few more hours. Even now, I only woke up because of the resonance of Madara's Six Paths Chakra with my own. So, there is no need to drag you with me and slow yourself down." Obito shakes his head.
"Madara has already achieved his goal. If you delay any further, you will get caught in his plan." Obito insists.
"I won't abandon you a second time." Kakashi resolutely shakes his head, silencing Obito.
"The Kakashi I knew wasn't this stubborn!" Obito sighs and leans against Gai's back.
"Time changes everything!"
Suddenly, Obito's expression turns ugly.
"Kakashi, RUNN! Madara is coming for me to get back his eye."
"No, I won't abandon you. Even if it means I will die here."
"Kakashi, it's not the time to be so stubborn." Obito's expression turns ugly, noticing Kakashi's resolute expression.
"Gai, please do me a favor and escape with Kakashi!"
"I think it's too late! He is already here." Gai turns towards a streak of light in the air.
"Then just destroy my left eye. With this, he won't be able to complete his plan."
"Found you!"
Madara notices Obito and Kakashi. He leaps towards them.
"Damn it!" Obito grits his teeth.
Fwoosh…
Kakashi recovers enough chakra to activate his left eye.
Shua…
He sends Obito away to the Kamui dimension.
"Sixth Gate: Gate of View: Open,"
Gai instantly opens the Sixth gate. The powerful chakra emitted from his body repels Kakashi and even stops Madara in his tracks.
"Hmm… Another user of the Eight Gate Formation!"
Madara curiously stares at Gai like a rare specimen.
"The color isn't red, so this isn't the eighth gate!" Madara recalls an event from twenty years ago, where a shinobi opened the Eighth gate and destroyed the entire entourage of Seven Mist Swordsman."
He witnessed the entire battle after sharing his senses with the Zetsu.
"Gai, you!" Kakashi grits his teeth.
"Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder: Open,"
Gai crosses his arm in front of his chest.
"Hmm… blue sweat! So, it's still not the final gate."
Gai clenches his fist and releases an air punch in Madara's direction.
Swoosh…
Madara raises his black staff and blocks the attack.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Gai circles Madara at full speed and rains a barrage of attacks from all directions.
Bang… bang… bang…
His punches blast a hole through the ground and lands on Madara's body.
HAAH…
Madara creates a small shield made of Truth-seeking orbs around him. The air punches explode on it, dealing no damage.
Gai flinches slightly at the sight.
"If that's the case…"
He clenches his fists. A blue and green aura wraps around his arms. Gai waves his arms in a circular motion.
"HIRUDORAAA!!"
After compressing all of his aura and energy, he blasts it forward in one singular attack.
ROOAARR…
A massive white tiger with blue and green eyes leaps at Madara with its maw open.
"Haha… Interesting! Very interesting!"
For the first time, Madara feels a sense of threat from the incoming attack.
"This attack has the potential to kill me?!"
He raises his staff in front of him while shrouding himself with the Truth-seeking Orbs.
BOOM…
The massive white tiger explodes upon contact, releasing an enormous air pressure spanning several kilometers engulfs Madara, pushing him to the other end of the battlefield.
Cough… cough…
Gai's knees buckle down and he almost falls to the ground, coughing out some blood. The blue and green aura around him disperses as he returns to his usual state.
"GAIII!! Are you alright?" Kakashi shouts in worry.
Chapter 611: 574. A True Shinobi
Kakashi quickly inspects Gai's body and notices several torn muscles and ligaments. Most of Gai's body is swollen from overexerting himself.
"Gai, are you alright?!"
Huff… Huff…
"I-I am fine! Only my right arm and a few ribs are hurting. The rest is just some muscle sprain" Gai pants.
Kakashi opens his mouth but no words come out. Gai's condition is more severe than he describes.
"Kakashi, you have to run as far as possible. Madara is after your eye. We can't allow him to steal your eye." Gai places his hand on Kakashi's shoulder.
"But Gai… you!"
"It's alright, Kakashi! Our youth hasn't faded yet. So, we can't let the next generation bear all the burden for us. Naruto and the rest have already done their best. So, it's about time I give it my all."
"G-Gai… don't tell me… you- you're going to…!"
"Kakashi, my best friend and rival… It's true that everything we wish for will not come to be… but something must be done to secure a better future."
Gai turns to Kakashi with a smile on his face.
"Because that's what a Ninja strives for!"
HAAH…
Gai crosses his arms in front of his chest.
"Eight Inner Gates: Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder: Open,"
Shoom…
Blue sweat evaporates from Gai's body.
"I am sorry Kakashi!" Gai grabs Kakashi and throws him forward in the air with full strength.
"GAIII… YOUUU!!"
"Also, I am very grateful to you for being the only person to acknowledge my strength and treat me as a true rival!"
Kakashi reads Gai's lips while flying in the air.
"GAI!"
A teardrop leaks from Kakashi's eye.
"Gai, you will always be my one and only rival!" Kakashi wipes his tears and smiles at his friend's resolve.
Gai turns around with a smile on his face.
"The end has come for the Leaf's blue beast… It's time for the red beast to emerge!"
Whoosh…
Suddenly, a black orb flies out of nowhere, striking Gai's location.
Whoosh…
A shadow escapes from the location before the impact.
Boom…
A massive cloud of dust and debris rises at the site of the explosion.
"Hmm… you are still as stubborn as ever!"
Madara floats in the air, glancing at Gai.
"Madara, behold! I will show you the resolve of a shinobi."
Swoosh…
Gai charges towards Madara. A green aura emerges from his body and mixes with the blue sweat. Gai pokes his heart Tenketsu points with his thumb, releasing the limiter on his body.
'Hmm… his chakra is spreading towards the heart's Death Gate Tenketsu point.'
A blood-red aura slowly seeps out of Gai's body.
"The Eight Gate: Gate of Death: OPEEENNN!!!"
Boom…
A massive beam of red light rises from Gai's body. The red light forms a pillar of light that pierces through the sky.
Rumble… Rumble…
The surrounding land crumbles under the sheer pressure from the releases of such a massive amount of chakra.
Boom… boom… boom…
Numerous cracks spanning a radius of a kilometer spread across the ground.
RUMBLE… RUMBLE…
Blood-red chakra flames erupt from these cracks.
BANG…
Suddenly, Madara feels an immensely powerful force act on his body.
BOOM…
He is sent flying away several kilometers away while coughing out a mouthful of blood.
'My ribs are broken!'
Madara wipes the blood from his mouth while glancing at the huge cavity in his chest.
'My eyes couldn't even follow his movements. I didn't even see how he attacked me.'
A crazy expression appears on Madara's face.
"Interesting! This is going to be very interesting!"
Madara's injuries heal rapidly.
"Finally, there is someone with enough strength to contest against my current power."
Shoom…
Madara stabilizes himself and flies towards the red pillar of light.
The commotion created by Gai's opening of the Eight Gate attracts the attention of the shinobis.
"What's that red pillar of light?" Several shinobis questions.
"Is it Madara?" someone asks.
"No, it's not him!" A sensor shinobi shakes his head.
"I clearly felt Madara's sinister chakra before. This chakra and pressure is on par with him, but it's not Madara." The sensor shinobi shakes his head.
"Is it a tailed beast?" Another shinobi remark.
"They also have a similar red chakra!"
"I don't know!" The sensor shinobis shakes his head.
"Anyway, let's get as far away as possible from this place. This battle isn't something that we are even qualified to witness. We will only get ourselves in trouble if we are too curious."
"Let's go!" The shinobi group increases their pace.
Similar conversations happen across several shinobi teams.
On the previous battlefield,
Minato and Tsunade free everyone from the effect of the Black Receiver Rod.
Shoom…
Suddenly, they also feel the sudden intense chakra and the massive red pillar in the distance.
"That's… what's that?"
The Kages and commander ask with worry.
Only the expression of shinobis from Konoha turns ugly.
"That's a pillar of blood chakra!"
Shisui opens his mouth.
"Blood chakra?!" A and Onoki turn to him.
"Sensei!"
Suddenly, Lee falls to the ground with tears in his eyes.
"Sensei… sensei…"
He punches the ground with tears in his eyes.
"Sensei, if only I wasn't so weak. Then… then… I could have…"
"It's alright, Lee! This is Gai's choice. We have to respect it." Minato pats Lee's shoulder and sighs with remorse.
"Still, we can't let Gai's resolve go to waste. We have to aid him in his battle."
"I will go with you!" Lee wipes his tears and holds Minato's hands.
"Lee- you…"
Minato stares at Lee's resolute expression and sighs.
"Very well!"
"We will also go with you!" Tsunade, Mei, Itachi, Shisui, Tenten, Neji, and the rest insist.
"No!" Minato decisively shakes his head.
"You haven't even recovered enough chakra to move properly, much less fight. So, it will be futile! Also, I don't have enough chakra to carry you all."
The group grits their teeth and withholds their sentiments.
"Only Lee, Kushina, and Itachi will go with me. The rest will stay here."
The three people stand beside Minato and place their hands on his shoulder.
Fwoosh…
The next second, the group disappears from the battlefield.
After Minato's departure, the rest of the shinobis turn to Shisui and other members of Konoha for an explanation. Even a few higher-ups of Konoha turn to Shisui, who seems to know the depth of the matter.
Sigh…
Shisui sighs and explains.
"It's Might Gai's Forbidden Jutsu!"
"Might Gai!"
The group glances at each other and recalls the unremarkable appearance of Gai. Other than his strength, which is only slightly lacking compared to a Kage, none of his other features are noteworthy. Well, maybe except for the fact that he is a Taijutsu expert and only uses Taijutsu in battle.
However, none of that is impressive since there were several shinobis in the past of such caliber.
"Wait, Might Gai…Might Dai!"
Suddenly, an elder of Kirigakure recalls some very old information.
"Back then, during the third shinobi war, there was a shinobi from Konoha, whose name was Might Dai. There are records of his battle against the Seven Mist Swordsman."
The elder continues.
"It is a piece of very confidential information, but it was written in the records that the shinobi 'Might Dai' single-handedly wiped out more than five members of the Seven Mist Swordsman in a battle. Only two people survived the battle, the first person died shortly before the medical help could arrive and the only living member succumbed to his injuries a few years later."
"W-what?!"
This time even shinobis from Konoha are surprised.
"I know Might Dai!" A veteran from Konoha nods.
"We were in the same batch in the academy. Other shinobis were quickly promoted in ranks, but as far as I remember, only Dai was struck at being a genin. It was due to his inability to clear the chunnin exam because of his lack of chakra." The veteran recalls.
"Later, he died during the Third Shinobi War. Since he was only a genin and several genins died during that battle, not many people paid any attention to it. However, I didn't expect him to be…"
The veteran stops, but his words and intentions clear.
"That's Gai's father." Shisui nods and continues his explanation.
"Might Dai created an extremely powerful technique that allowed the user to obtain a power comparable to the Sage of Six Paths for a brief moment. However, the cost of this technique is that, after the technique ends, the user will definitely die with zero chance of survival. No kind of medical herb or technique can save him."
Everyone turns their attention to Tsunade, who nods her head.
"When we went to recover Dai's body, not even a trace of it was found. The burden sustained by his body after removing his limiter was so great that his body turned to ashes after the end of the technique."
"Then does that mean…"
Everyone's expression turns solemn and the respect in their heart for Gai skyrockets.
"Now that's what a true shinobi is!" someone proclaims.
Everyone silently agrees with him while etching Gai's name forever in their memories.
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