As Uchiha Akira finished speaking, not only did Might Guy's expression change, but so did the expressions of Kakashi, the Third Hokage, and many other seasoned ninjas.
Might Duy had always been a lowly Genin in Konoha.
However, years ago, Might Duy opened the Eight Gates, single-handedly facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, killing some and forcing the rest to flee.
That accomplishment was nothing short of legendary.
The forbidden technique, the Eight Gates, which trades life for immense power, left many in awe.
But now, Uchiha Akira said he was going to open the Eighth Gate!?
"Opening the Eighth Gate? Has he really managed to master the Eight Gates to the point of opening the final gate!?" The Third Hokage looked at Uchiha Akira in disbelief.
As for whether opening the Eighth Gate would lead to his death, the Third Hokage didn't care at this point.
He had already used the Reaper Death Seal, meaning he was destined to die.
He was prepared to take Uchiha Akira down with him, so death didn't scare him anymore.
In fact, had he known that Akira would open the Eighth Gate, he might not have bothered using the Reaper Death Seal—he could have just laid down and accepted his fate.
While the Third Hokage was resigned to his fate, Kakashi, Might Guy, and the other ninjas were all shocked, finding it hard to believe.
The Eight Gates is a powerful forbidden technique that requires years of arduous training to master, and it's not something one can open just because they want to.
Even Might Guy had only recently managed to open the Seventh Gate after nearly fifteen years of training.
In the original series, when the thirteen-year-old Rock Lee opened the Fifth Gate, Kakashi was shocked, recognizing Lee's talent in taijutsu.
Kakashi himself had trained in the Eight Gates but had only managed to open the Second Gate.
Yet now, after just six months of training, Uchiha Akira was claiming that he could open the Eighth Gate?
This seemed impossible by conventional standards!
But then again, in just one year, Akira had evolved his Sharingan to the three-tomoe level.
In that same year, he had grown from an ordinary child to a full-fledged Jōnin.
It seemed that conventional logic didn't apply to him.
Moreover, at this point, it was unlikely that Uchiha Akira would boast about something he couldn't do, especially in such a critical situation.
Whether they believed it or not, everyone was stunned by Akira's words.
Uchiha Akira was not one to waste words.
Similarly, this was not a time for wasting time.
In the Uchiha clan's district, Clan Leader Fugaku and the others were likely still fighting fiercely, buying Akira time.
The fact that no members of the Anbu had appeared suggested that they were all being held off by his clan members.
After saying what he needed to say, Uchiha Akira noticed the varied expressions on the faces around him—some filled with doubt, others with shock and disbelief.
Without further ado, Akira acted, understanding that actions speak louder than words.
He extended his hand, pressing his thumb against his chest.
At the same time, Uchiha Akira's chakra surged even more.
The sheer force of his chakra was so intense that it blew his hair back, making him resemble a Super Saiyan.
The blue steam that had been emanating from him slowly turned crimson, like blood.
These were the signs of his blood boiling and evaporating!
The blue steam of the Seventh Gate was a result of evaporating sweat; the crimson steam of the Eighth Gate was from evaporating blood!
At the same time, his hair and eyebrows turned the same blood-red color.
Red—Uchiha Akira's entire appearance was now a brilliant red!
His hair, eyebrows, the steam around him, and the crimson Sharingan...
He looked like an ancient demon that had emerged from a pool of blood!
The terrifying chakra he emitted was so overwhelming that it seemed to suffocate everyone around him.
"The Eighth Gate... He really opened the Eighth Gate... He's actually reached this level of mastery?"
Might Guy felt as if his entire worldview had crumbled.
The Eight Gates were something he had taught Akira.
He himself had trained for years, and only recently had he managed to open the Seventh Gate.
He hadn't even fully mastered the Seventh Gate's accompanying technique, the Daytime Tiger.
Yet, in just six months, Uchiha Akira had completely surpassed him, leaving him in the dust?
"Is this really it? Am I just a failure?"
"No, it's not that I'm a failure. Uchiha Akira is just a monster..."
Shaking his head, Guy, who had briefly doubted himself, adjusted his thoughts.
The ninja world was full of geniuses, but now Guy believed that there were two kinds of geniuses in the ninja world.
One was Uchiha Akira, and the other was every other genius who wasn't Uchiha Akira!
"The Eighth Gate... So this is what it looks like?"
Kakashi raised his hand to shield his face, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
At this moment, the Chidori he had been holding as a deterrent was dissipated.
There was no need to attack. Just from the explosive chakra waves alone, Kakashi realized that his Chidori was no longer a threat to Uchiha Akira. It was better to let it go.
"Not bad... To witness the opening of the Eighth Gate before I die is quite a sight..."
Seeing Akira activate the Eight Gates, the Third Hokage felt at ease.
Since Akira had opened the Eighth Gate, his death was now inevitable.
Without hesitation, after opening the Eighth Gate, Uchiha Akira locked his gaze onto the Third Hokage!
"Akira, wait..." Seeing Akira with his sights set on the Third Hokage, Might Guy shouted.
He quickly rushed toward Akira, trying to stop him.
But the crimson figure flashed by, moving so quickly that even Guy, who had opened the Seventh Gate, couldn't keep up.
The difference between the Seventh Gate and the Eighth Gate was like night and day!
The Third Hokage was gone.
Whether he went peacefully or not, no one could say, but at the very least, he felt no pain.
With a single punch, Uchiha Akira unleashed a terrifying chakra explosion that instantly vaporized the Third Hokage's body!
Yes, it was as if he had been vaporized, rather than merely blown to pieces.
As the Third Hokage was instantly killed, the Death God he had summoned, ready to reap souls, also dissipated in vain.
Not only was the Death God unable to claim Uchiha Akira's soul, but it also failed to take the soul of the Third Hokage, the summoner.
Perhaps this was the first time the Death God had ever come up empty-handed.
After killing the Third Hokage with a single punch, Akira glanced at Danzo's corpse.
His body was still there, indicating that Izanagi had not been used.
But just to be sure, Akira delivered another punch, completely obliterating Danzo's remains!
With this, both the Third Hokage and Danzo—Konoha's two power players, one in the light and the other in the shadows—had fallen at Uchiha Akira's hands!
"Akira, why? Why would you risk your life to kill the Third Hokage!?" Might Guy asked, his voice filled with anguish, as the remains of the Third Hokage and Danzo lay scattered.
But Akira didn't answer Guy's question.
At that moment, though the decapitation plan had succeeded, Akira was still worried about the Uchiha clan's situation.
Apart from Itachi, there were still the Konoha Anbu, the Root, and Uchiha Obito to contend with.
Who knew how things were going in the Uchiha district?
Were Keiko and the old man still safe?
Without responding to Guy, Akira's eyes flicked to him before he took off at lightning speed, heading towards the Uchiha district at full throttle.
The Eight Gates Formation was a forbidden technique that burned one's life force.
Akira had just activated it and killed the Third Hokage, but he hoped he could hold on a little longer, at least until he reached the Uchiha district.
Whoosh!
In his Eighth Gate state, Uchiha Akira's chakra levels were dozens of times greater than those of even the strongest Kage-level ninjas.
At full speed, he moved like a red streak of lightning in the night, a blur across the landscape!
At this speed, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the fastest in the ninja world.
Even with his three-tomoe Sharingan, he felt as though he could barely keep up with his own movement.
The scenery around him blurred into a single line as he sped through.
As Akira disappeared into the distance, the Sarutobi clan's territory fell into dead silence once more.
If not for the fact that everything within several kilometers had been reduced to rubble, one might have thought it was all just a dream.
Moreover, with Akira in his Eight Gates state, the sheer power he displayed was suffocating.
Not only was there no one who could stop him, but no one even dared to think of trying.
As they watched Akira leave, Might Guy's expression turned thoughtful.
"Where is Akira rushing off to?"
Even after killing the Third Hokage, where was he headed?
"That direction leads to the Uchiha compound," Kakashi pointed out.
"Got it!"
Realization dawned on Might Guy as he nodded. "Akira must know he's going to die after opening the Eighth Gate, so he's trying to go home."
Yes, if possible, everyone would want to return home to die in peace.
"I don't think that's the reason," Kakashi disagreed, shaking his head.
"Akira looked urgent, like he had something important to do."
"And considering the Konoha Police Force and Anbu haven't shown up yet..."
"The Uchiha compound is in trouble!" Kakashi's words finally clicked for Guy, who shouted in alarm before rushing toward the Uchiha compound.
As for the thousand or so ninjas left behind?
After exchanging puzzled glances, they too began to follow, curious about what was happening at the Uchiha compound.
*****
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