Guy and Kakashi rushed out simultaneously. Kakashi charged at Kisame, while Guy dashed toward the Kirigakure Genin.
In order to quickly deal with the enemy, Guy didn't hesitate or test the waters and went all out immediately. In the Kirigakure Genin's eyes, every time he blinked, Guy appeared in a new location.
"So fast!" The Kirigakure Genin hurriedly threw several shurikens to try to block Guy from getting closer.
But he couldn't even track Guy's movements, so how could the shurikens hit him? Guy continued his rapid charge with incredible speed.
The Kirigakure Genin kept retreating, seemingly terrified of Guy closing in, but how could his speed possibly match Guy's? The distance between them kept shrinking.
As Guy was about to close in, the Kirigakure Genin's lips curled into a smile, and he threw a kunai with an explosive tag attached a short distance ahead of him.
Since the shurikens couldn't hit him, the explosive tag, with its larger range and greater power, should work, right?
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
But the Kirigakure Genin still underestimated Guy. Just as he was about to get close, the chakra gathered in Guy's legs exploded. Using the multi-burst technique of Soru, Guy's speed instantly surged, and he appeared at the Kirigakure Genin's side, kicking out with a Whirlwind Kick.
The Kirigakure Genin barely raised his hand to block but was sent flying by the sheer force of Guy's powerful kick. Due to the angle, he was kicked right into the spot where the kunai with the explosive tag landed.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed, and the Kirigakure Genin, caught in the blast at close range, immediately lost consciousness.
Seeing the unconscious Kirigakure Genin, Guy swiftly rushed toward Kisame, who was battling Kakashi.
"So fast..." Kisame, noticing Guy's movement, instinctively glanced in his direction. His expressionless face turned somewhat grim.
Kisame's attacks suddenly became more aggressive, even willing to trade injuries if it meant wounding Kakashi.
Realizing Kisame's intentions, Kakashi immediately switched to a defensive stance. Now, it was Kisame who needed to worry.
The distance between them wasn't far, and with Guy's speed, he would soon arrive.
Once Guy joined the fight, Kisame no longer dared to be reckless. Facing two strong opponents aggressively wouldn't be confidence—it would be suicide.
"Huff, huff..." As Guy and Kisame engaged, Kakashi took a deep breath.
He had already taken down Zabuza, rendering him unable to fight back, and then faced two Kirigakure ninjas alone, one of whom was quite powerful. His stamina was almost drained, and his body was extremely fatigued.
"Guy, I'll leave this guy to you for now," Kakashi said, deciding to rest for five minutes. If Guy hadn't dealt with Kisame within that time, Kakashi would join him in finishing the fight.
He was too exhausted, and in his current state, he might make a mistake that Kisame could exploit, which would only burden Guy.
Moreover, Kakashi was really worried that other squads might show up. By using this time to recover some strength, he'd be better prepared for any surprises. After all, given the current situation, victory was almost certain.
"Kakashi, don't worry and rest up! I'll take this guy down!" Guy shouted.
Seeing that Kakashi had truly stepped back from the fight, Kisame immediately channeled all his strength into his fist and struck toward Guy.
Unwilling to back down, Guy threw a straight punch to clash with Kisame.
Boom!
A dull sound of impact echoed as both Kisame and Guy stepped back two paces.
Guy looked at Kisame with a hint of surprise. He had been using Total Concentration Breathing combined with the power of two gates from the Eight Inner Gates, yet this shark-faced man was able to match him in strength.
Kisame was also shocked. Aside from Rin, who had that obviously abnormal strength, this was the first time he'd seen someone smaller than him who could rival his power.
"A strong opponent indeed. You're worthy of me opening the third gate. Gate of Life, open!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Guy opened the third gate of the Eight Inner Gates, and his chakra surged.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
Guy channeled most of his power into his legs, and with the chakra surge from opening the third gate, his strength and speed increased once again. He swiftly kicked toward Kisame at full speed.
Seeing Guy's aura rise even further, Kisame's expression grew more serious. He concentrated all his strength into his arms, attempting to block Guy's Whirlwind Kick.
But the combined force of the third gate and Total Concentration Breathing in Guy's kick was not something that could be easily stopped.
Boom!
Kisame managed to hold off for only two seconds before he was sent flying like a cannonball.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
One tree after another was shattered as Kisame crashed through them, suffering additional injuries.
Even with his tough physique, Kisame couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood from the heavy blow. His arms, which had attempted to block Guy's kick, were trembling uncontrollably.
"What's with this green bodysuit brat? How can Taijutsu be this powerful?" Kisame etched Guy's kick deep into his memory.
Though part of it was due to the prolonged fight wearing him down, he realized that even at his peak, it would be incredibly difficult to block that kick with pure Taijutsu.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
After landing, Kisame quickly got up, formed hand seals, and gathered a massive amount of chakra to unleash a powerful ninjutsu.
This was not a technique Kisame would casually use now, as it consumed an immense amount of chakra, and he couldn't afford to exhaust himself. But the current situation left him no choice—he couldn't afford to hold back any longer.
Pouring out chakra without restraint, Kisame spewed out a wave of water, turning the surroundings into a world of water. A massive oval-shaped Water Prison began to form.
"Fighting in the water, huh? I'll have to finish this in one go," Guy muttered as he didn't stop his charge. Instead, he took a deep breath and unleashed his full power, diving into the more than eight-meter-high Water Prison.
As a normal human, Guy couldn't breathe underwater, so he wouldn't be able to use his Breathing Technique inside.
Thus, Guy planned to end the battle in one powerful strike, avoiding the issue of not being able to use the Breathing Technique underwater.
Guy pushed his Stone Breathing technique to its limit, fully unleashing the massive chakra provided by the Eight Inner Gates. At this moment, his strength had reached its peak—stronger than he had ever been before.
The water dragon Kisame had summoned was instantly shattered by Guy's kick, causing the water inside the Water Prison to churn violently.
"How is this possible? Using such powerful Taijutsu in the water?!" Kisame stared at Guy in shock, his worldview
Perhaps due to his immense strength, when Guy charged into the Water Prison, the force caused a gap to appear in the water, allowing him to maintain the power of his Breathing Technique for a few extra seconds.
Kisame formed hand seals and used a Water Release Ninjutsu, controlling the water to form a water dragon that surged toward Guy.
"Noon Leopard!"
Guy's eyes widened as he stared at Kisame. At that moment, all of his terrifyingly condensed power erupted, so strong that the water at his feet was forced aside, allowing him to run as if on land. He sprinted toward Kisame and unleashed his strongest kick.
Boom!
The water dragon Kisame had summoned was instantly shattered by Guy's kick, and the water flow in the Water Balloon became agitated.
"How is it possible that such a Taijutsu can be used in the water!" Kisame looked at *Guy in shock, and his view was refreshed.
At this moment, Guy was very close to Kisame. Although Kisame could move freely in the water, his speed was reduced due to his previous injury, so he was unable to dodge Guy's full-strength attack.
Boom!
Splash!
A loud explosion echoed as Kisame was sent flying out of the Water Prison by Guy's powerful kick. Without Kisame's chakra to maintain it, and combined with the force of Guy's strike, the Water Ballon shattered, and torrents of water rushed in all directions.
"Guy has become even stronger," Kakashi thought as he watched the scene unfold, feeling a bit sentimental.
Despite working hard to catch up to Guy, he couldn't shake the feeling that the gap between them was only widening.
"Is this how Guy felt before?" Kakashi wondered.
He had only been chasing after Guy for a few months, while Guy had been chasing him for over three years. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but Kakashi was determined to keep pushing forward. People had to take responsibility for their actions, and there was a period when he had given up on himself. Now, he needed to make up for that lost time in training.
"You've got to be kidding me... even Kisame, that monster, was defeated by someone who looks smaller than him and is wearing a skintight suit," Kurosawa muttered in disbelief as he watched the scene unfold.
In terms of age and experience, Kurosawa was far senior to Kisame. He had only been willing to follow Kisame because he was impressed by Kisame's strength. Kurosawa felt that even if three of him teamed up, they might not be able to defeat Kisame.
The monster he once thought he could never surpass had now been defeated, and the one who did it was just a young Genin from the Chunin Exams. Kurosawa found it hard to accept this outcome.
"What's going on? There's actually a candidate this strong?" Mei, who was still handling a two-on-one fight with ease, was shocked by the power of Guy's full-force kick.
"I hope he also only knows Fire Release ninjutsu and doesn't know Wind Release or Earth Release," Terumi Mei prayed silently.
If Guy only mastered Fire Release, Mei still believed she had a chance against him. She was particularly skilled at handling Fire Release ninjas and Taijutsu users.
If not, Mei felt her chances of taking first place in the Chunin Exams were slim. Originally, she considered Kisame to be her greatest rival for the championship, but now she had given that spot to Guy.
"Guy, you did great!" Obito couldn't help but punch the air in celebration.
The intensity of this battle reminded Obito of the time when the three of them teamed up to fight a Hidden Cloud Jonin.
Although there wasn't a single overwhelmingly powerful opponent this time, there were two waves of enemies, and their combined strength was much greater.
"Teaming up to bully my dearest friend? You'll have to ask if I agree with that first," Guy said as he stood over the fallen Kisame, looking down at him.
At this moment, Kisame was in a miserable state, with multiple broken bones, and every movement brought him intense pain.
"What's your name?" Kisame coughed up blood and asked.
"Might Guy, the man who will become the strongest in Taijutsu!" Guy cheerfully answered Kisame's question, giving himself a thumbs up.
"I'll remember your name. If I survive to the next round, I'll face you again at full strength and settle this," Kisame said, staring intently at Guy.
Kisame wasn't fully convinced. Before fighting Guy, he had already gone through several battles. If it weren't for the exhaustion from those fights, he was certain he could've created a larger Water Prison and unleashed even stronger attacks inside it.
"Hahaha, you want to challenge me again? I accept!" Guy laughed in response.
He had immense confidence in himself. Even if they fought again with Kisame at full strength, the winner will only be him.
"This is not good," Kisame said as he fell completely, and Terumi Mei instantly felt a tremendous amount of pressure. With Kisame down, she was the only visibly strong ninja left on the Mist side. She could sense that all the Konoha ninjas were now focused on her.
---
Don't forget to check out my patreon where you can read up to 50 advanced chapters https://www.patreon.com/CrazyNinja