"The cockpit of this mecha uses a fully enclosed chakra-isolation coating and features a mental barrier modified from Uzumaki sealing arts."
"In other words, unless you can control this pile of steel with genjutsu, your illusions will be completely useless."
A hint of gravity rarely seen on his young but steady face appeared on Uchiha Itachi.
He instinctively looked at Shisui beside him.
Shisui's brow was also furrowed. The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun slowly as he tried to find a flaw in the giant machine.
For the Uchiha clan, genjutsu was one of their sharpest weapons.
Especially against strong enemies, a single look could determine the outcome.
But now, their teacher had directly rendered their genjutsu unusable.
In the words of that man, he had effectively banned their genjutsu.
"It's only fair,"
Gamakon, the purple toad perched on Minato's shoulder, added nonchalantly.
"The future enemies, the Otsutsuki clan, possess the Rinnegan and Tenseigan. Their visual prowess is far superior to your Sharingan."
"Using genjutsu on them is like trying to soak the ocean with a water gun. Aside from annoying them, it does nothing."
"So, Sensei is merely setting up an opponent where genjutsu is unusable."
Gamakon grinned, showing his white teeth. "As for how to fight, that's for you students to figure out."
"Alright, small talk's over."
Inside the cockpit, Jiraiya's arrogant laughter boomed through the loudspeakers.
"Brats! Don't say this Sage is bullying you! I'll go easy on you!"
Having received the notification, Jiraiya had already arrived in the mecha.
Boom!
Along with the roar of the engine, the massive red mechanical arm of Unit Zero surged upward.
A simple wave of its hand kicked up a gust of wind that blew sand and rocks off the ground.
"Here it comes!" Kakashi barked, the White Fang blade unsheathing instantly.
No need for tactical communication; the chemistry between the three was displayed perfectly at this moment.
"Scatter!"
At Shisui's command, three figures turned into afterimages, dispersing in three different directions.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Uchiha Itachi finished his hand seals mid-air.
He took a deep breath, his chest swelling before he forcefully exhaled.
Boom!
A massive fireball five meters in diameter, carrying rolling heat waves, whistled as it slammed into Unit Zero.
Simultaneously, Uchiha Shisui appeared on the left side of the mecha.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Nail!"
Several shuriken wrapped in flames, like dancing phoenixes, shot precisely at the knee joints of the mecha.
Since genjutsu was ineffective, they would use high heat to melt the joints!
However, facing this pincer attack of Fire Style, Jiraiya in the cockpit didn't even bother to dodge.
"Too naive! This level of heat isn't even enough to singe the paint on my mecha!"
The giant red mecha stood its ground, letting the fireball and shuriken impact the armor.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Flames exploded and dust rose.
But when the dust cleared, everyone's hearts sank.
Completely unscathed.
There wasn't even a scorch mark on the red armor.
The special Land of Snow chakra armor materials used by Orochimaru, combined with Mount Myoboku's sage art coating, gave this mecha nearly absurd magic resistance.
"Ninjutsu attacks of this level will be directly neutralized by the chakra shield on the armor's surface," Minato Namikaze analyzed calmly from the sidelines. "To cause damage, you'd need at least an S-rank single-point penetration jutsu, or..."
His gaze fell on the silver figure moving at high speed.
Kakashi.
By now, Kakashi had used Itachi and Shisui's feints to silently slip to the mecha's right heel.
That was where the hydraulic transmission shaft was located—theoretically the weakest point in its defense.
"Slash!"
Kakashi's eyes were sharp. No chakra glowed on the White Fang blade, but it emitted a heart-stopping, razor-sharp aura.
It was Blade Intent, the result of highly concentrated spirit and focus.
Clang!
The blade light flashed.
The White Fang short sword struck the thick transmission shaft heavily.
Sparks flew!
The screeching sound of metal on metal echoed throughout the field.
Kakashi felt a jolt of numbness in his palm; the short sword nearly flew from his hand.
He narrowed his eyes and his pupils suddenly constricted.
Only a shallow white mark was left on the shaft.
Depth... less than three millimeters.
'What?!'
Kakashi was horrified.
This was the White Fang blade that could cut through iron like butter, and even with his newly realized Blade Intent, he couldn't even break its defense?
"Hahaha! Kakashi, are you giving this Sage a pedicure?"
Jiraiya's mocking voice drifted down from above.
Immediately after, the massive mechanical foot lifted and stomped down with the force of a collapsing mountain.
'Not good!'
Ignoring the pain in his hand, Kakashi forced a Body Flicker Technique, sliding across the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook violently.
A giant footprint half a meter deep appeared where Kakashi had just been standing.
If he had been half a second slower, he would have been turned into a meat patty.
'Is this... absolute attribute suppression?'
Uchiha Shisui landed on a tree trunk in the distance, watching the nearly invincible iron giant. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Ninjutsu was ineffective.
Genjutsu was ineffective.
Even Kakashi's indestructible swordsmanship couldn't pierce its defense.
Yet the opponent only needed one casual hit to crush them to pieces.
This sense of desperate powerlessness was like facing a true natural disaster.
"This is reality."
Looking at his three disciples struggling in battle, Minato Namikaze showed no pity, only the sternness of a strict teacher.
"While the physical strength of the Otsutsuki clan isn't as exaggerated as this mecha, it's certainly not something ordinary ninjutsu or swords can easily harm."
"If your attacks can't even scratch the surface, then so-called combat skills and tactical cooperation are meaningless."
Perched on Minato's shoulder, Gamakon shook his head, his tone tinged with disappointment.
"This is a classic high-attack, high-defense monster."
"Against such an enemy, fancy maneuvers are useless."
"Your ninjutsu is countered, and your taijutsu isn't strong enough. You're left with no choice but surrender."
In the field, the battle continued.
But rather than a battle, it was more like a one-sided game of cat and mouse.
Jiraiya seemed to be enjoying himself.
He controlled Unit Zero, occasionally doing a ridiculous deep squat or waving a giant arm to shoo the three away like flies.
Though the movements were clumsy, the sheer size and absolute defense forced Itachi, Shisui, and Kakashi to flee in embarrassment.
Their chakra was depleting rapidly, and their stamina was fading.
Yet Unit Zero remained standing, with hardly a scratch on its paint.
'Damn it...'
Uchiha Itachi knelt on one knee, gasping for breath.
Though his Sharingan could see every movement of the mecha and even predict its trajectory...
So what?
He could see it, but he couldn't damage it.
That was the true source of despair.
"Is there really no way?"
Shisui flickered to Itachi's side, supporting the trembling Kakashi.
Their faces were as grim as could be.
They were the geniuses of Konoha, the best of their generation.
But today, before this monster representing the union of science and ninjutsu, their pride was crushed to dust.
"Of course there's a way."
Just as the three were about to give up, Minato Namikaze's voice suddenly rang out.
The three snapped their heads up.
Minato still stood by the side, that familiar gentle smile on his face.
"When skill cannot bridge the gap in power, use even greater power to shatter it."
Minato pointed toward the entrance of the training ground.
"Since ninjutsu and swordsmanship are useless, return to the most primitive, purest form of combat."
"Taijutsu."
Taijutsu?
The three were stunned.
If even Kakashi's sword couldn't cut it, what use were ordinary punches and kicks?
Just then...
An incredibly exaggerated, hot-blooded roar echoed from the distant forest.
"Youth!!"
"This is the burning of youth!!"
The voice grew closer at an astonishing speed.
Then, a green whirlwind kicking up fallen leaves charged into the training ground with brutal momentum.
"That's..."
Kakashi's eyes widened.
He saw a man in a green spandex suit, with a bowl cut and thick eyebrows, charging like an enraged bull.
His chakra was restrained within his body.
The visible green energy steam surrounding him was merely the unique phenomenon of sweat evaporating instantly under high heat.
"Might Guy?!"
Shisui and Itachi recognized the newcomer.
The taijutsu ninja who always shouted about youth and passion in the village, often regarded as an eccentric.
"What can taijutsu do?" Itachi was confused. "Even Kakashi-senpai's blade..."
"Just watch."
Gamakon interrupted Itachi's question, his toad eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"In this world, there is a kind of power that defies all logic."
"And that is—with enough power, even a brick can fly!"
In the field, charging forward, Might Guy instantly spotted the massive red mecha.
There was no hesitation in his eyes, only a burning fighting spirit.
"What a huge monster! Such powerful pressure!" Guy roared, flashing a brilliant white smile. "This is the perfect opponent to test my training!"
"Jiraiya-sama! Forgive me!"
Guy skidded to a halt fifty meters from the mecha.
He took a deep breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His muscles bulged like they were being inflated, stretching his green suit nearly to the point of bursting.
"Eight Inner Gates: Sixth Gate of View—Open!!"
Boom!!
A violent wave of green air exploded from Guy as the center, radiating outward.
The ground cracked instantly, and countless stones hovered in the air before being crushed into dust by the terrifying pressure.
Kakashi and the others were forced to shield their eyes from the blast, their faces filled with shock.
This is... taijutsu?
This surge of chakra was more violent than a Tailed Beast!
"Oh? That thick-eyebrowed kid?" Inside the cockpit, Jiraiya looked at the glowing green dot on the screen and raised an eyebrow. "Interesting, but the armor of this mecha is..."
Before he could finish his sentence...
Guy vanished.
No, he didn't vanish—he was just moving too fast!
With a thunderous bang, the ground where Guy had stood exploded into a crater.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Unit Zero, mid-air, eye-to-eye with the giant iron head.
"Morning Peacock!!"
Guy's fists blurred into afterimages.
Countless shockwaves wrapped in flames, like a meteor shower, slammed frantically into Unit Zero's chest armor.
Thud thud thud thud thud!!
The rapid-fire impacts sounded like war drums.
The once indestructible armor actually began to dent under the storm of blows.
Alarms blared frantically inside the cockpit.
[SYSTEM: WARNING! CHEST ARMOR DAMAGED! VIBRATION COEFFICIENT EXCEEDING LIMITS!]
Jiraiya paled and scrambled to control the mecha, waving its arms to swat the fly away.
Only then did he remember the fear of being dominated by Might Guy.
But Guy, with the Gate of View open, was moving at extreme speed.
He performed a nimble mid-air twist, evading the massive mechanical arm, then kicked off it, launching himself like a cannonball toward the mecha's right knee joint.
That was the same spot Shisui had attacked with Fire Style to no effect.
But this time, the one attacking was Might Guy.
The Blue Beast of Konoha.
"Since it's a machine, I just have to rip the parts off!!" Guy roared in mid-air, his right leg cocked back. His muscles were tight to the limit, even the sound of fibers snapping could be heard.
All his strength, all his speed, all his youth were concentrated into this one strike.
"Leaf—Strong Whirlwind!!"
CRACK—!!!
A screeching sound of snapping metal drowned out everything else.
Under the horrified gazes of everyone...
Unit Zero's right knee joint—three people thick and made of high-strength alloy—twisted grotesquely under Guy's heavy kick.
Then...
It snapped!
Countless parts flew and sparks showered the air.
That giant mechanical leg was forcibly kicked off!
Losing the support of one leg, the multi-ton Unit Zero lost its balance instantly.
Rumble—
The massive body tilted to the right and slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Aaaaah! My back!!" Jiraiya's scream came from the cockpit. "My mecha!!"
"Tsunade, I've failed you!"
...
The dust settled.
Under the setting sun...
Might Guy stood on one leg atop the wreckage of the severed mechanical leg.
The green steam around him was slowly dissipating. His chest heaved; that strike had clearly taken a toll.
But he still stubbornly turned around and gave a thumbs-up to the dumbfounded trio of Kakashi, Itachi, and Shisui.
His white teeth gleamed in the sunset.
"That's youth, Kakashi!"
Kakashi: "..."
Uchiha Itachi: "..."
Uchiha Shisui: "..."
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