Might Guy was currently performing an S-rank infiltration and reconnaissance mission.
According to intelligence, a group of rogue ninja had been active near the border recently, seemingly trafficking some kind of dangerous explosive clay.
Guy adjusted his breathing, trying to make his conspicuous green jumpsuit blend into the surrounding foliage.
"Infiltrate... infiltrate..."
Guy muttered to himself, 'Just like Kakashi said—be silent and invisible as a shadow.'
Two rogue ninja on patrol walked along the path below.
They scanned their surroundings warily as they walked.
"Did you hear something up there just now?" one of them asked, looking up toward the canopy.
Guy's heart skipped a beat.
*Had he been spotted?*
*As expected of enemies in an S-rank mission; their senses are incredibly sharp.*
Since he had been discovered, there was no other way.
To prevent intelligence from leaking, he had to end the fight before they could sound the alarm.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
Guy leaped from the canopy, spinning his body at high speed as his right leg swept out with a whistling gale.
The blow was incredibly heavy, lacking any flashy chakra—it was a pure explosion of muscular force.
*Thump!*
The rogue ninja who had just looked up didn't even see what hit him before a foot slammed into his neck.
The massive impact sent him flying, snapping two small trees the width of a bowl before he collapsed, motionless.
The other rogue ninja was frozen in shock.
He stared at the bowl-cut weirdo in a green jumpsuit who had suddenly descended from the heavens.
"You're... from Konoha..."
The rogue ninja fumbled tremulously for the kunai at his waist.
*This is bad,* Might Guy thought. *I can't let him realize I'm a Konoha shinobi!*
"Leaf Hurricane!"
Guy didn't give him a chance to draw his weapon, launching another kick straight into the man's abdomen.
The rogue ninja's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as his body curled like a shrimp; he fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
Guy landed, striking a perfect finishing pose.
"Phew..."
Guy wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead. "That... Sage Sovereign was right. As long as I knock out everyone who sees me, it's a perfect infiltration."
He hoisted the unconscious captive onto his shoulder and kicked off, transforming into a green whirlwind as he dashed toward Konoha.
...
Konoha, Training Ground 3.
This remote location was usually deserted, but now it had become Might Guy's exclusive training ground.
"A-ta-ta-ta-ta!"
Guy was shirtless, his muscles bulging and his skin flushed with an eerie crimson hue.
He was unleashing a barrage on a massive iron post. His fists fell like raindrops, making the solid iron pillar hum with a dull resonance, its surface already riddled with deep fist imprints.
Jiraiya sat cross-legged on a nearby rock, his hands formed into a seal as he gathered Sage Chakra.
"Sage Art: Natural Infusion."
Jiraiya gave a low shout and thrust his palms forward, releasing a visible wave of natural energy through the air.
This wave wasn't offensive; instead, it acted like an invisible film that instantly enveloped Guy's body.
"Ohhh! Here it comes! This is the feeling!"
Guy let out a strange cry, feeling every cell in his body ignite. His exhausted muscles were suddenly flooded with explosive power.
Yet, he was simultaneously enduring immense agony.
Natural energy was violent and difficult to tame; if an ordinary person absorbed it, they would instantly petrify into a toad statue.
Guy lacked the talent for Senjutsu; his body could neither store nor harmonize natural energy.
So, Jiraiya had come up with a crude solution.
Instead of letting Guy absorb it, Jiraiya controlled the natural energy himself, using it to "forge" Guy's body from the outside.
Just like a blacksmith forging iron.
He used the violent natural energy to relentlessly batter Guy's skin, muscles, and bones, squeezing out his physical potential and tempering his bodily strength.
This method was extremely dangerous; a single slip could damage the meridians. Only a Senjutsu master like Jiraiya, paired with Guy's resilient constitution, would dare attempt it.
"Stop screaming so much!"
Jiraiya wiped sweat from his brow and grumbled, "I'm exhausted too, okay? Controlling natural energy with this level of precision is more taxing than fighting Orochimaru."
Watching the still-vibrant bowl-cut man, he couldn't help but criticize, "I finally understand why Danzo rejected you back then. Root needs emotionless machines, not hot-blooded fools who burn through their youth all day long."
"Thank you for the compliment, Jiraiya-sama!"
Guy completely missed the jab, looking moved instead. "Is this the bond of youth? I feel like my physical strength has taken a massive leap forward!"
He clenched his fists, feeling the power surging through him.
"This external tempering method is painful, but the results are outstanding."
Guy grinned, flashing his white teeth. "One day of this is worth a month of my usual weight training! Please, increase the intensity!"
"Do you think I don't get tired?"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes and deactivated Sage Mode. "Take a break. My chakra doesn't just grow on trees."
Just then, Minato Namikaze approached with Gamakon.
"It seems the special training is paying off."
Minato looked at the deformed iron post, a hint of praise in his eyes. "Guy's talent in Taijutsu is truly in a league of its own in Konoha."
"Hokage-sama!"
Guy immediately snapped to attention and saluted, his voice booming.
"No need for formalities."
Minato waved it off. "Guy, I mentioned before that future enemies might possess the ability to absorb Ninjutsu. In such cases, Taijutsu will be the key to victory."
"Absorb Ninjutsu?"
Guy scratched his head. "Then I'll just punch them until they can't absorb anything anymore!"
"A simple and crude theory."
Gamakon, perched on Minato's shoulder, chewed on a food pill. "But sometimes, the simplest methods are the most effective."
Suddenly, Gamakon stopped chewing.
His golden horizontal pupils constricted as his gaze pierced through the training ground's fence, looking toward the sky northwest of the village.
An extremely obscure chakra signature had intruded upon his sensory range.
Although the intruder was deliberately suppressing their aura, to Gamakon—who possessed natural energy perception—the sense of rejection that clashed with the world was as conspicuous as a torch in the dead of night.
"He's here."
Gamakon spat out the remains of the food pill, his tone becoming more serious than ever before.
"Who's here?" Jiraiya instantly became alert, leaping down from the rock.
"Isshiki Otsutsuki."
Gamakon's voice was low. "That guy parasitizing the monk's body. He's even more impatient than I thought, coming straight to Konoha."
Minato's gaze sharpened instantly.
Without hesitation, he pressed his hand against the ground.
An invisible ripple radiated from Minato, instantly covering the entirety of Konoha and its surrounding areas.
A second later, Minato locked onto the target.
"Northwest, three kilometers away."
Minato stood up, his Hokage cloak fluttering despite the lack of wind. "Only one person. It seems he was drawn here by Kaguya's aura."
"Walking into a trap?"
Gamakon sneered. "Interesting."
"Guy."
Minato turned to Might Guy. "Today's special training curriculum has changed."
"Sir!" Guy didn't know what was happening, but he instinctively entered a combat-ready state.
"A live combat exercise."
Minato said, "The opponent is a monster who only uses Taijutsu and Space-Time Ninjutsu, and can absorb any chakra-based attack. Do you have the confidence?"
"Ohhh! I'm fired up!"
Guy flashed a thumbs-up, the fires of passion burning in his eyes.
"Let's go!"
Minato grabbed Guy and Jiraiya by the shoulders.
A flash of golden light.
The three of them vanished from the training ground.
...
Outside Konoha, in the northwestern forest.
Isshiki Otsutsuki—or rather, Jigen—was suspended in mid-air.
He held a monk's staff, his black robes snapping in the wind.
His black pupils looked down at the forest below, a contemptuous sneer playing on his lips.
"Found you."
Jigen muttered to himself, "Though well-hidden, the nauseating stench of that chakra can be smelled from miles away."
It was the aura of the Ten-Tails' husk—the Demonic Statue.
And the scent of that wench, Kaguya.
"It seems you really have been resurrected, Kaguya."
Jigen tightened his grip on the staff. "But it looks like you're not in top form. In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless. Once I consume you, I can plant the God Tree and harvest the Chakra Fruit."
Just as he prepared to move toward the center of Konoha, space rippled in front of him.
A flash of golden light.
Four figures appeared out of thin air on the treetops before him.
Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, Might Guy, and the purple toad perched on Minato's shoulder.
Jigen halted, his gaze sweeping over the interlopers.
"Oh?"
Jigen arched an eyebrow, his tone laced with blatant arrogance. "It seems I've been detected. For lower lifeforms on this planet, your senses are quite keen."
His gaze lingered on Minato and Jiraiya for a moment before moving on, as if he were looking at two slightly stronger monkeys.
Finally, his eyes landed on the purple toad.
"A creature of Mount Myoboku?"
Jigen narrowed his eyes. "It seems that fool Kaguya has joined forces with you natives?"
"Stop calling everyone a native."
Gamakon hopped onto a branch, crossing his paws. "Isn't the body you're parasitizing right now just a native monk? Isshiki Otsutsuki, that's like the pot calling the kettle black."
Jigen's face darkened when he heard his true name uttered by a toad.
"It seems you know quite a lot."
Jigen tapped his staff against the void. "Knowing who I am, you still dare to stand in my way? Who gave you such courage?"
His gaze finally swept over Might Guy.
A green jumpsuit, a bowl-cut, thick eyebrows—the aura he emitted wasn't particularly powerful.
Jigen let out a scoff.
"A Hokage, a toad... and a Taijutsu ninja who looks like he's missing a few brain cells."
Jigen shook his head. "Is this the lineup you intend to use to stop an Otsutsuki? Kaguya truly has regressed."
"Don't underestimate Guy."
Gamakon grinned. "He's a 'special gift' prepared just for you."
"A gift?"
Jigen was dismissive. "I could crush a piece of trash like this who only knows how to swing his fists with a single finger."
Before he finished speaking, Jigen suddenly raised his hand.
Several black rods appeared out of thin air, whistling through the sky toward the group.
They were incredibly fast, nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
"Scatter!"
Minato shouted.
The group dispersed instantly.
Only Guy didn't dodge.
He stared at the incoming black rods; there was no fear in his eyes, only excitement.
"Is this the challenge of youth!"
Guy roared and charged forward instead of retreating.
He stomped down hard, the branch beneath him shattering instantly.
Using the reaction force, Guy launched himself like a green cannonball straight at the rods.
"Seeking death."
Jigen snorted coldly.
Those rods were products of Yin-Yang Style; they could seal chakra and were far harder than steel.
A body of flesh and blood hitting them would only turn into a sieve.
However, what happened next caused a crack to appear in Jigen's eternally stoic expression.
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
Guy forcibly twisted his body mid-air, his right leg becoming a blur as it slammed into the sides of the rods.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
A series of sharp metallic clangs rang out.
The rods, which were capable of piercing through rock, were actually kicked away by Guy, scattering into the surrounding tree trunks.
"What?"
Jigen was stunned.
Pure physical strength could actually deflect his black rods?
Before he could react, the green figure had already reached him.
"Don't look away, you bastard!"
Guy's face rapidly expanded in Jigen's vision.
Jigen instinctively raised his hand, aiming his palm at Guy.
"Karma: Absorption!"
He activated the Karma's power, attempting to absorb the chakra in the attack.
But there was no chakra.
This punch from Guy was a pure compression and explosion of muscular strength.
Jigen's absorption ability failed.
*Boom!*
A foot wearing an orange leg warmer planted itself firmly on Jigen's pale face.
The massive force caused Jigen's neck to crack, and he went flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing violently into the forest below.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
Guy performed a backflip in mid-air and landed steadily, striking a cool pose.
"Konoha's Proud Blue Beast, enters!"
On the treetops, Jiraiya stared in disbelief.
"That... that actually worked?"
Jiraiya swallowed. "Isn't that guy an Otsutsuki? How did Guy kick him away just like that?"
"Because he's a glass cannon."
Gamakon explained, "Jigen's body is just an ordinary monk; it can't handle Isshiki's full power. While he can absorb Ninjutsu and shrink objects, his physical durability is actually quite mediocre."
"Furthermore, his resistance to Taijutsu is very low."
Gamakon watched the dust below. "It's what's called 'high attack, low defense.' As long as we don't give him a chance to keep his distance and kite us, Guy is his ultimate nemesis."
"Plus, he's being blindsided by an information gap."
"Damned pests..."
A furious roar echoed from the ruins below.
Stones exploded outward.
Jigen floated up from the crater.
A clear footprint marked his face, and his once-pristine monk's robes were now tattered.
Since being ambushed by Kaguya, he hadn't suffered such humiliation in a thousand years.
Getting kicked in the face by a mortal who used no chakra.
"Unforgivable."
Jigen's right eye transformed into a golden wheel-shaped pattern.
That was Isshiki Otsutsuki's dōjutsu—Sukunahikona.
"I'll shrink you all and crush you under my heel!"
Jigen roared, and the staff in his hand instantly enlarged, crashing down toward Guy like a pillar holding up the heavens.
"Guy! Watch out!" Minato warned.
"Leave it to me!"
Guy showed not a shred of fear.
He took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest.
The veins on his skin bulged, and green chakra steam began to rise around him.
"Eight Inner Gates: Sixth Gate of View, Open!"
*Boom!*
A storm of green energy swept the area, bending the surrounding trees.
Guy's figure vanished instantly.
A second later, he appeared beneath the gargantuan staff.
"Morning Peacock!"
Guy's fists turned into countless afterimages. The high-temperature flames generated by air friction resembled a peacock spreading its tail, stubbornly holding back the falling staff.
"This power..."
Jigen looked at the man glowing green below, a hint of solemnity finally appearing in his eyes.
This seemingly comical bowl-cut man was apparently not as simple as he had thought.
"Minato, Jiraiya."
Gamakon watched the battle. "Don't just stand there. Guy will take him head-on; you two provide support from the flanks. Don't give him a chance to escape with Space-Time Ninjutsu."
"Understood."
A special kunai appeared in Minato's hand. "Since he's a gift delivered to our doorstep, there's no reason to let him leave."
"Even though I'm not that great with Sage Art, I won't let him escape."
Beside him, Jiraiya was clapping his hands together to gather Sage Chakra. Hearing those words, he almost lost his footing.
'If you're going to talk like that, should I keep gathering Sage Chakra or not?!'
---
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