Just as Black Zetsu was about to say something, she suddenly felt a chill beside her, as if she had been plunged into ice for a thousand years, a coldness that penetrated to the core, making her shiver involuntarily. She turned her head and saw Kaguya's face covered in frost, her clear eyes radiating a cold light.
Black Zetsu trembled and grabbed Hinata's hand, ignoring her protests, and fled to a distant location. Seeing Hinata struggling to break free and reach Kaguya, Black Zetsu frowned and struck her unconscious, carrying her to the back of a distant mountain.
She could already sense the coldness in Kaguya's heart and knew that the next step would be an attack on them. If they remained there, they would inevitably be caught in the crossfire. Despite not liking the girl named Hinata, Black Zetsu understood she was important to Kaguya and decided to save her, even if reluctantly.
Meanwhile, the cat-eared loli, always timid, had already crouched behind a distant rock for cover.
At the same time, the battlefield began to shift.
"Eight Gates Style, Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder, Open!" Guy shouted as a massive surge of chakra erupted from his body, like a blazing flame. The resulting shockwave shattered the ground, sending fragments into the air.
With a powerful step, the ground beneath Guy cracked and shattered, propelling him forward like an arrow.
Kaguya, expressionless and cold, slowly raised her arm to meet Guy's attack. Around her palm, three spinning Truth-Seeking Balls appeared, shooting towards Guy like lightning.
Just as the Truth-Seeking Balls were about to hit Guy, Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing his crimson Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Kamui!"
The space around the Truth-Seeking Balls distorted. The Balls halted and were swallowed by a black hole in an instant.
At this moment, Guy reached Kaguya, his fist extended with a fierce wind, aiming to strike her. Kaguya moved gracefully, sidestepping his attack and countering with a palm strike.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Guy spun in a kick, aiming for Kaguya's hand but felt as if he had struck steel. The force of her counterattack sent him flying, but Guy remained undeterred. He landed, the ground cracking beneath him, and charged again with the speed of a hurricane.
Guy was swift and agile, his techniques seasoned and like a whirlwind. But for Kaguya, it wasn't enough; his attacks couldn't even graze her. She remained composed under his relentless assault, effortlessly evading his strikes.
Realizing his attacks were ineffective, Guy's eyes sharpened, and he crossed his index and middle fingers, shouting loudly.
"Daytime Tiger!"
A powerful burst of energy erupted from between Guy's fingers, forming a giant wave shaped like a white tiger, charging directly at Kaguya.
"Boom!"
With a deafening explosion, Guy was thrown back, tumbling like a kite with a broken string, and crashed into the ground, creating a large crater. Kaguya was also struck, landing gracefully and sliding back over ten meters before coming to a stop.
"Are you okay, Guy?" Kakashi rushed over from a distance, helping Guy to his feet.
"Nothing much, just a broken right arm and a few ribs," Guy said through gritted teeth, clutching his right arm.
"Even taijutsu, which we relied on, is ineffective," Kakashi said with a heavy expression. "What are we supposed to do now? She's too strong." He looked up at Kaguya, who floated in the air.
"Wait, Kakashi, it's too early to say taijutsu is ineffective," Guy stood, his voice steady, his eyes showing determination.
"But—"
"Our youth has not faded!" Guy shouted. "Do not abandon hope. Wishes might not always come true, but without them, how can you achieve what you want? I'm not doing this out of pride."
"You can't mean—" Kakashi's eyes widened as if he realized something.
"The Blue Beast of Konoha will now become the Red Beast," Guy said with a smile on his face.
"Guy-sensei, do you really think it's come to that?" Rock Lee asked, startled, his fists clenched and tears in his eyes.
"Lee, don't make that face," Guy said, giving Lee a thumbs-up and a wink, his white teeth shining brightly. "Don't worry. I won't kill that girl."
"No, Guy-sensei, that's not what I meant," Lee began to say, but before he could finish, Guy shot forward like an arrow.
"Eight Gates Released Formation!"
Suddenly, a red aura like flames erupted from Guy's body, and a massive wave of energy surged forth, roaring in all directions like a tsunami.
They all knew how powerful Kaguya was—after all, she had defeated Uchiha Madara effortlessly. They had no illusions about Kaguya's strength, and their failed attacks had only confirmed this. The only way to defeat Kaguya was to open all eight gates.
Though opening all eight gates meant certain death...
"Red steam... so this is the blood vapor unique to opening all eight gates?" Kakashi crossed his arms in front of him to shield against the rushing energy wave, using chakra to anchor himself to the ground to avoid being blown away. His eyes were filled with shock. He had always known about the Eight Gates and their power, but seeing the Death Gate for the first time, he realized its strength was ten times greater than he had imagined.
Guy's figure flickered and instantly appeared in front of Kaguya, moving so fast that even Kakashi couldn't see clearly, only a black shadow flashing by. Only Kaguya could see it clearly—Guy had propelled himself into the air near her by forcefully stepping on the air, a feat requiring immense speed and power.
"Evening Elephant!"
"First Step!"
A punch was delivered with such force that the compressed air shot towards Kaguya like a cannonball.
Evening Elephant is a taijutsu that strikes the air to create a shockwave, essentially an air cannon. Despite being an air cannon, when the speed reaches a certain level, its power is terrifying. Just like a small pigeon can cause a plane crash if it hits at high speed.
For the first time, a trace of shock appeared in Kaguya's usually calm eyes. She extended her flawless, snow-white arms to shield her chest. The Truth-Seeking Balls floated in front of her, forming a barrier.
"Boom!"
Kaguya was struck by the air cannon and momentarily staggered, but she wasn't blown away. The attack was stopped.
But the next attack followed immediately.
"Second Step!"
Unable to withstand the immense force, Kaguya was sent flying, her clothes finally tearing under the tremendous impact.
"Third Step!"
"Fourth Step!"
The subsequent attacks came like a violent storm. Under such intense assault, the barrier of Truth-Seeking Balls shattered instantly. Kaguya, unable to retaliate, was tossed around like a ragdoll, continuously hit by the air cannons in the air.
With a loud shout, Guy swung his arm, charging it with immense energy as he prepared for the final blow. But then, as if remembering something, his movement hesitated, and his force diminished.
"Fifth Step!"
Struck heavily, Kaguya plummeted like a meteor, tearing through the sky and crashing rapidly to the ground.