However, Might Guy knew very well that even with the combined strength of Team Guy, they were no match for Uchiha Itachi.
At the same time, Kisame Hoshigaki was an extremely dangerous opponent. Guy needed to defeat him as quickly as possible so he could regroup with Sasuke and reinforce Naruto.
As Might Guy and Kisame continued their fierce battle, Naruto's Great Rasengan collided head-on with Deidara's C0 Self-Destruction.
BOOM!
Since the two battlefields were only a few kilometers apart, the explosion instantly reached Guy and Kisame's location.
The devastating shockwave swept across the area, forcing both men to abandon their attacks and focus entirely on defense.
But the explosion wasn't the end of it.
The compressed Wind Release power contained within Naruto's Great Rasengan erupted immediately afterward.
Countless razor-sharp wind blades spread outward, carrying the profound principles of rotation, compression, and cutting force. They tore through everything in their path, reducing the surrounding landscape to ruins.
Might Guy threw a powerful punch into the ground, attempting to raise a barrier against the incoming shockwave and wind blades.
Unfortunately, the earth itself was shredded within moments.
Without hesitation, Guy leaped backward and took cover behind a massive boulder.
Kisame was equally shocked.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
He quickly formed hand seals, summoning a massive surge of water in an attempt to lessen the impact of the explosion.
For a moment, violent winds, towering waves, and thunderous explosions collided together.
The entire battlefield was transformed into a scene of utter devastation.
"What... was that?"
Standing atop the turbulent water, Kisame stared toward the distant battlefield with a frown.
Even Might Guy couldn't hide the cold sweat on his forehead.
"Was that... Naruto's technique?"
"How terrifying..."
Meanwhile, Team Guy had just caught up with Sasuke and was trying to stop him from chasing Itachi.
The powerful shockwave struck them as well.
BOOM!
Sasuke instinctively raised an arm to shield his face, but the force still pushed him backward.
Rock Lee, Neji, and Tenten also struggled to keep their footing.
"What was that?!"
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Could that have been... Naruto's Great Rasengan?"
He had seen Naruto use that technique once before on the open sea near the Hidden Mist Village.
Back then, Sasuke had even offered Naruto some advice, helping him complete the technique for the first time.
Although it had been imperfect, its aftershock had spread across more than ten kilometers, making the sea itself seem to boil.
The howling winds, towering waves, and overwhelming destructive power had left a lasting impression on him.
The explosion they had just witnessed felt remarkably similar.
However, there was also another source of overwhelming explosive force.
It had most likely come from one of the Akatsuki members.
Tenten looked at Sasuke in disbelief.
"So... that really was Naruto's power?"
Neither Lee nor Neji spoke.
Sasuke remained silent as he stared at the enormous mushroom cloud rising into the sky.
The others wisely chose not to disturb him.
For the first time, Sasuke had completely abandoned the thought of pursuing Itachi alone.
That, at least, was a good sign.
Neji quietly observed Sasuke.
He understood exactly what Sasuke was feeling.
Naruto's unimaginable strength had forced Sasuke to recognize the gap between them.
Facing someone as powerful as Naruto made him realize just how far he still was from defeating Itachi.
His rivalry with Naruto no longer inspired only determination—it also forced him to question himself.
That realization finally calmed him.
Although Rock Lee couldn't fully understand Sasuke's emotions, he instinctively sensed the reason behind his silence.
"The only person capable of stopping Sasuke... has always been Naruto."
Tenten silently agreed.
"The last time Sasuke tried to leave, Naruto was the one who brought him back."
"And now... it's happening again."
Sasuke silently watched the distant flames until the violent winds finally subsided.
The smoke slowly dispersed, and the dust settled.
Only then did he speak.
"Let's go."
The three members of Team Guy finally let out relieved sighs.
"That's more like it, Sasuke!"
Rock Lee smiled brightly.
"Let's hurry and support Guy-sensei and Naruto!"
Sasuke simply nodded.
Without another word, the group turned around and rushed back toward the battlefield.
---
Meanwhile, the battle between Might Guy and Kisame continued.
However, after witnessing the terrifying explosion, neither of them had any desire to prolong the fight.
Seeing Sasuke and Team Guy return, Guy relaxed slightly.
His biggest concern now was Naruto's safety.
After such a catastrophic explosion, no one knew whether Naruto had survived.
Kisame grinned.
"It seems today isn't the right day for a decisive battle."
"We'll settle this another time... my precious beast."
"I just hope you'll remember me."
With that, Kisame rested Samehada on his shoulder and disappeared across the waves.
Guy didn't pursue him.
"Let's move!"
"We need to check on Naruto!"
Although Sasuke said nothing, he was the first to rush forward.
The closer everyone got, the more shocked they became.
Everything within a twelve-kilometer radius had been completely destroyed.
The landscape had become a barren wasteland, as though the world had returned to its primordial state.
Near the center of the explosion, the ground had transformed into an enormous crater.
It resembled the impact site of a giant meteor.
The destruction was almost beyond imagination.
"Naruto..."
Sasuke's worry only deepened.
Although they constantly argued and mocked one another, both understood that they were each other's closest rival and truest friend.
No one else understood their loneliness the way they did.
Closing his eyes briefly, Sasuke let the image of Itachi fade from his mind.
Only Naruto remained.
"Before I defeat you..."
"You'd better not die."
His chakra surged once more as he accelerated toward the battlefield.
"Over there!"
Neji activated his Byakugan and finally located Naruto.
The group rushed toward him.
Naruto was kneeling beside Gaara's body, protecting it with everything he had left.
When he saw Sasuke and the others arrive, he smiled weakly.
"Good..."
"You came back..."
The next instant, he collapsed.
"Naruto!"
Everyone shouted in alarm.
However, Naruto suddenly vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"A Shadow Clone?"
Sasuke frowned.
It turned out the Naruto before them had been the Shadow Clone left behind to guard Gaara.
During the explosion, it had protected Gaara until it could no longer maintain itself.
"Where's the real Naruto?"
Before anyone could answer, a figure descended from the sky, breathing heavily.
"S-Sasuke..."
"I'm here."
Only then did Sasuke quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Unlike Lee and the others, however, he didn't rush forward.
He simply stood behind everyone, unwilling to show how worried he had been.
"What was that explosion?"
"Was that your Great Rasengan?"
Naruto had exhausted nearly all of his chakra and strength.
Lee and Neji immediately moved to support him.
Naruto nodded weakly.
"Yeah..."
"But it wasn't just my Great Rasengan."
"That Akatsuki guy..."
"He blew himself up."
Everyone finally understood.
The devastating explosion had been the combined result of Deidara's self-destruction and Naruto's ultimate technique.
Rock Lee couldn't help but exclaim,
"Naruto... even if the enemy self-destructed, your technique is unbelievably powerful!"
Neji remained silent, still staring at the devastated battlefield.
Tenten sighed in frustration.
"Naruto, we almost got caught in that explosion too!"
"Be more careful next time!"
________________________________________
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