Naruto and Might Guy made their stance clear through their actions.
They were unwilling to compromise.
They were ready to fight this group to the very end.
Kakashi sighed lightly and raised his hand, signaling the Anbu to move in with him.
As long as Might Guy didn't open the Seventh Gate—or worse, the Eighth Gate—the situation was far from reaching a decisive conclusion.
More than ten minutes passed.
Naruto and Might Guy gradually fell into a disadvantage. If it weren't for the Anbu holding back and trying to capture them alive, they likely would have been defeated by now.
Kakashi spoke softly, "You can't hold on much longer. It's better to surrender."
"It'll save us all a lot of effort."
But his words fell on deaf ears.
Naruto and Might Guy ignored him completely. In fact, his words only seemed to ignite a ferocity within them.
Guy dodged a light punch and used the momentum to reposition himself. He was prepared to abandon his limits and open the Seventh Gate of the Eight Inner Gates.
But his chakra was draining fast.
A soft sigh came from the side.
"That's enough."
The sigh carried an immense pressure, suppressing all chakra fluctuations. Even the air around them seemed to grow heavier.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the source of the sigh.
It was a young man in a kimono.
Kakashi's face changed drastically—it was Uzumaki Chito, the name that made all of Konoha tremble.
"Originally, I intended for you to serve as Naruto's whetstone," Uzumaki Chito said softly, his gaze sweeping over the Konoha forces. "But I didn't expect Konoha to make such preparations."
He stepped forward, his tone calm yet chilling. "Stand down, or you will anger me."
"Otherwise, be prepared to die here."
The ninjas of Konoha froze in place.
Naruto looked at Uzumaki Chito, his expression slightly embarrassed. "Grandpa Chito."
"In just half a year, you've made considerable progress," Uzumaki Chito said, shaking his head slightly. "But there's still a significant gap between you and the peak combatants of the ninja world. Go back and train some more."
Naruto nodded, ready to follow Uzumaki Chito and leave.
"Don't be afraid; he's just a clone," a voice suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone turned in shock toward the speaker, a member of the Hyuga clan.
"A clone?" The crowd was stunned, their gazes locking onto the Hyuga ninja in disbelief.
"Yes," the Hyuga ninja confirmed, his tone fervent. "This is just a clone!"
He pointed toward Uzumaki Chito, his voice rising with excitement. "We don't need to fear him. It's only a clone. His true body isn't here. We might not stand a chance against his true body, but this? This is just a simple clone!"
The Konoha forces' morale rose instantly. Eyes filled with newfound determination, they exchanged hopeful glances.
A clone?
This was their chance.
Clones, whether shadow clones, earth clones, or water clones, all shared one fatal weakness—they were fragile. Except for the First Hokage's wooden clones, these techniques could be dispelled with a single effective strike, even by a shuriken from a novice shinobi.
If they could land just one hit on Uzumaki Chito's clone, they could break it and capture the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Kakashi waved his hand. "Go!"
The Konoha ninjas surged forward with renewed vigor.
Uzumaki Chito didn't panic. He merely sighed softly. "What gives you the illusion that even my clone is something you can challenge?"
"Is it because... I didn't destroy Konoha last time? Because I didn't kill anyone?"
"Do you think that makes me a good person?"
Uzumaki Chito slowly raised his hand, lightly tapping the air.
Twelve glowing ninja seals materialized in the void, radiating violent chakra fluctuations. The seals transformed into golden chains that shot out, binding the Konoha forces tightly with a resounding clink.
"There is always a price to pay for provoking a god."
Uzumaki Chito's gaze was cold as he slowly clenched his fist.
A scorching flame erupted from the golden chains. In an instant, the flames curled around the bound ninjas, reducing them to ash. Their remains scattered to the ground like dust.
In a moment, they were gone.
On the bridge, only Kakashi and the trembling members of the Seventh Team remained.
Uzumaki Chito's cold gaze swept over them. With a slight wave of his hand, the golden chains disappeared.
"I killed them to teach you a lesson," he said indifferently.
"As for sparing your lives..." A faint smile crept onto Uzumaki Chito's lips. "It's not time for you to die yet. It's much more interesting to keep you as pawns in this game."
Kakashi's face darkened.
The implication was clear. They were nothing more than pieces on Uzumaki Chito's chessboard, to be manipulated as he saw fit.
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