With a loud boom, Hagoromo leapt down from the descending Yatagarasu, landing on the ground behind Might Duy—with Pakura in tow.
"Uncle Dai?" Hagoromo asked.
Hagoromo's sudden appearance caused the enemies' gazes to briefly bypass Duy and fall upon Hagoromo and Pakura, before returning to Duy himself.
Because of Might Guy, Hagoromo and Duy were acquainted. Still, this was the first time Hagoromo had ever seen Duy like this. From the air, he had hesitated, identifying him only after careful confirmation.
"That voice… Hagoromo?" Duy didn't turn around, but he recognized him immediately.
At this moment, the chakra radiating from Might Duy had surpassed all normal limits—effortlessly exceeding Kage-level by pure sensory perception alone.
Which made the technique he was using obvious:
The Eight Gates.
"Uncle Dai… can the Eight Gates still be stopped?" Hagoromo asked quietly, emotion seeping into his voice. He already knew the answer.
The enemies ahead were not only monstrously strong, they also held a numerical advantage. In such a situation, Duy had no choice but to unleash everything.
In theory, if Duy were only at the Seventh Gate, then with Hagoromo fighting at full strength, they could either stall or escape without issue.
But—
It was already too late.
"Opening… Gate of Opening, Rest, Life, Pain, Limit, View, Wonder… and Death," Duy said calmly.
"To be precise, this state is known as the Eight Gates Formation."
Because of his condition, his voice sounded slightly different than usual—but Hagoromo could still hear the serenity and composure within it.
"So until I die, my chakra won't stop flowing… and this technique won't stop either."
Or rather—
The moment his chakra stopped maintaining this extreme state would also be the moment his life ended.
The Eight Gates were classified as forbidden techniques for good reason. It wasn't just the unbearable strain during training and activation—
Opening the Gate of Death meant that death itself became irreversible.
In that sense, it was no different from Deidara's C0.
Hagoromo could already see Duy's ending.
And there was nothing he could do to change it.
Crimson vapor erupted from Duy's entire body, mingling with the torrential chakra surging around him. This exponential amplification of power granted unimaginable strength in an instant—
At the cost of life itself.
Death was already decided.
Duy's hair had turned dark red, the same color as the mist bursting from his body.
It wasn't chakra.
It was blood.
A true death technique.
"…Then all I need to do is witness this," Hagoromo said softly.
In this state, Might Duy didn't need help.
Even if his enemies were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—
Or rather, the remaining five, after two had already fallen to Hagoromo.
Still, there was nothing to fear.
Once Duy entered the Eight Gates Formation, his true enemy was no longer the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—
But his own body, pushed beyond its ultimate limits.
If his chakra held out until the end, then those fated to die would not be limited to him alone.
Perhaps no one alive could withstand even a single strike from him.
Perhaps not even the Mangekyō Sharingan could follow his movements.
"Mm. The Eight Gates are the only technique I gained from twenty years of training," Duy said with faint joy.
"And now, everything I wanted to protect… has already been protected."
At this moment, Might Guy and the others had safely escaped.
"Though… now that I'm in this state, I realize I might be able to do more than just stall them."
"I wonder… can I stop the elite jōnin of the Hidden Mist?"
By stop, he clearly meant kill.
The difference between the Seventh and Eighth Gates was dimensional. Having never reached this realm before, Duy had underestimated himself based on his past experience.
His earlier talk of merely delaying them was a severe underestimation.
So unlike how he had urged Guy and the others to flee, he didn't tell Hagoromo to leave.
He believed he could handle it.
Even if he was "just" a genin—
And his enemies were five elite jōnin.
"Do you want me to set up a barrier?" Hagoromo asked.
"To prevent… anyone from escaping."
This was Duy's battle. Hagoromo wouldn't interfere.
But he could ensure the stage remained intact.
"As a shinobi, this is the best possible curtain call for you," Hagoromo thought.
"I don't want anyone ruining it."
"No need," Duy replied.
"Just watch. With my speed now, no one will escape."
To Pakura, listening from behind, this conversation sounded almost absurd.
Yes, the chakra before her was terrifying—but even against a tailed beast, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen could still put up a fight.
Yet from these two men's words, it sounded as though the Mist shinobi were already dead.
"Then…"
Hagoromo said no more. He retreated with Pakura, leaving Duy alone to face the enemy.
"The end of Konoha shinobi Might Duy—witnessed by fellow Konoha shinobi Uehara Hagoromo!"
"To witness the birth of the strongest—I am deeply honored!"
Indeed—
At this moment, who in the shinobi world could stop the Eight Gates?
Might Duy never turned back.
As Hagoromo's words fell, the battle began.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been waiting. They hadn't attacked earlier—not out of caution, but because Hagoromo's arrival had altered their strategy.
Duy had stepped forward to protect his comrades.
Now, another ally stood behind him.
So if someone attacked Hagoromo, Duy would surely intervene—
And in that moment, the rest could strike him down.
After retreating to a safe distance, Hagoromo set Pakura against a rock and stood beside her, watching the battlefield.
"Who… is he?" Pakura asked.
She had never heard of such a powerful shinobi in Konoha.
"Until today," Hagoromo answered,
"just an ordinary genin."
"And after today…" He paused, then glanced at her.
"Yes—a hero."
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen struck first.
They could all feel Duy's overwhelming pressure. Originally, this would've been a brutal frontal battle—but Hagoromo's presence gave them an opening.
Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of the Longsword Nuibari.
Judging from his build and weapon, he specialized in speed.
And indeed—he was fast.
Despite Hagoromo keeping his distance, the moment Kushimaru attacked, he appeared in front of Hagoromo almost instantly.
The blade said to pierce and stitch anything was less than ten centimeters from Hagoromo's heart.
Yet Hagoromo didn't react at all.
Because here—
In this moment—
Any attempt to compete in speed was nothing but showing off before a master.
No one—
Was faster than Might Duy.
Before Kushimaru could even register the thought I've got him, an all-consuming terror swallowed his mind.
An illusion?
No.
It was simply the crimson figure appearing directly above him.
Duy's attack was nothing more than—
Leaf Strong Whirlwind(Konoha Senpū).
In Hagoromo's vision, Duy's right leg smashed into Kushimaru's back, driving him straight into the ground with overwhelming force.
BOOM!
The earth collapsed instantly at the point of impact.
Then—
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The ground, unable to absorb the force all at once, imploded outward in expanding concentric circles.
Under the Eight Gates, the Leaf Strong Whirlwind(Konoha Senpū) received both speed and power multipliers.
This single strike was like one of Saitama's so-called "normal punches"—
Utterly abnormal.
A single blow.
Kushimaru Kuriarare never rose again.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen's strategy was sound.
Duy did move to protect.
But—
Where, exactly, was the opening?
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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