Chapter 29: Bait? Pincer Attack!!!Down in the arena, Might Guy's surprise attack had already reached Naruto!He did not use any fancy Taijutsu, opting instead for the simplest, most direct straight punch. The wind from his fist hissed, and the air was compressed until it let out an explosive crack!To everyone's surprise—Naruto did not dodge or evade. Instead, he twisted his waist to generate force and met the attack head-on with a straight punch of his own, completely devoid of any frills!The fist wrapped in golden light and Might Guy's fist, brimming with the amplified power of the Gate of Opening, slammed into each other in mid-air!"Bang——!!!"The sound of the impact was dull and extreme, as if two giant boulders had collided!A visible ring of shockwaves exploded outward from the point where their fists met, sending the dust on the ground sweeping outward in a radial pattern!The specially reinforced stone tiles beneath their feet instantly shattered into spiderweb-like cracks!"Good!!"The light of excitement in Might Guy's eyes flared brightly. He felt the astonishing recoil force transmitted through his fist, as well as the overbearing power attached to his body—attempting to erode and dissolve his own Chakra.But this only stirred up an even stronger fighting spirit within him!"Now that's what I'm talking about! Front Lotus!"Might Guy's figure suddenly blurred, his speed increasing once more!Transforming into streaks of green afterimages, he launched a storm of attacks on Naruto from every angle!Elbow strikes, knee strikes, whip kicks... Every blow carried the power to split stones and break monuments, tearing through the air with a shrill whistle.Naruto was slightly hurried at first, but he quickly steadied his footing.He did not use any Ninjutsu, merely wrapping his limbs in golden Chakra and responding with the most basic blocks, dodges, and counterattacks.However, every one of his blocks was exceptionally solid, every counterattack was heavy and powerful, and his speed did not fall behind in the slightest!As the two exchanged blows, the explosive sounds were incessant. The golden and green Chakralights burst forth continuously in their high-speed collision. The entire training ground seemed to have turned into an anvil being struck repeatedly by a giant hammer, with dull thuds and vibrations echoing endlessly.The situation seemed to be at a stalemate..."Not bad, Hiruzen."In the observation room, Utatane Koharu watched the intense Taijutsu duel below and spoke slowly,"After Might Guy opens the 'Gate of Opening,' his standard strength is already close to, or even reaches, the level of an Elite Jonin.For the Jinchuriki to be able to go head-to-head with him without falling behind—this baseline capability is truly astonishing.""No."Danzo Shimura's cold, chilling voice rang out, interrupting her assessment.Leaning on his cane, he stared intently at the scene below with his single eye, "It is not a stalemate; it is suppression.""Look closely, Might Guy's Chakra flow is becoming sluggish, and his attack rhythm is half a beat slower than it was at the start.The golden Chakra overflowing from the Jinchurikiseems to possess some kind of erosive assimilation property that we do not yet understand, and it is slowly but steadily weakening Might Guy's state!If this continues, it will be Might Guy who loses!"Danzo's insight was far sharper than that of these Advisors and elders who had spent years in the rear, far removed from bloody, real-world combat.Below, Kakashi, through the insight of his Sharingan, had also reached a conclusion nearly identical to Danzo's.The basic intelligence gathering was nearly complete:Naruto's endurance in this state was extremely high; his defensive power was astonishing, and he could erode an opponent's Chakra; his Chakrareserves, strength, speed, and reflexes had all received a massive, comprehensive boost...He must not get drawn into a war of attrition!The battle had to be decided quickly!"Might Guy!"Kakashi gave a low shout.Years of tacit understanding allowed Might Guy to instantly grasp his intent.He feigned gathering strength, launching another powerful, heavy punch toward Naruto's face. Chakra condensed highly at his fist, creating an intimidating momentum.Naruto's eyes narrowed, and he likewise condensed more Chakra into his right fist, preparing to take this seemingly decisive blow head-on.The moment their fists made contact, the Chakracondensed on Might Guy's fist suddenly dissipated. Using Naruto's force, he leaned his body backward along the momentum of Naruto's punch, while simultaneously pushing off with his feet, his body retreating rapidly as if launched by a slingshot!Naruto's punch struck empty air, and inevitably, his force faltered for a split second."Now! Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"Kakashi, who had seemed to be lingering outside the battle circle, had finished forming his hand signs before anyone noticed.He took a deep breath, his chest expanding, and then spat it out violently toward the front!"Rumble——!!!"A terrifying torrent of water, like a bursting river, surged out from his mouth!A massive volume of water instantly filled half of the training ground, turning into raging waves several meters high, crashing down upon Naruto—who had just finished his attack—with the force of a landslide!The sound of water roared, spray splashed everywhere, and the entire underground space echoed with the sound of the surging current.Facing this sudden Ninjutsu attack, Naruto did not panic.He merely crouched slightly, pulled his right fist back, and then, toward the oncoming giant wave, swung his fist again, which was wreathed in Black Flash—"Black Flash!"A twisted shockwave of intertwined gold and black tore through the air, colliding head-on with the rushing wall of water!"Hiss——!!!"The monstrous flood was forcibly "split" down the middle by this twisted power, diverting to both sides. The crests of the waves crashed down on either side of Naruto's body, sending spray splashing several yards high.However, at the very moment Naruto broke through the water and his vision was obscured by the spray—"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"Kakashi's cold voice rang out, seemingly right against the soles of his feet!A palm suddenly burst out from the stone tile beneath Naruto's feet, five fingers curled like hooks, clutching a dark blue Kunai, and struck with lightning speed toward his ankle tendon!Naruto's reaction was extremely fast; without thinking, he stomped his right foot, wrapped in golden Chakra, downward with great force!"Bang!!"The stone tile beneath his feet shattered completely, and dust mixed with water vapor exploded outward!That arm which had burst from the ground, along with its owner, was directly "stomped" into pieces by this immense force!But, the expected scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere did not occur!There was only the crackling of blinding blue electrical light, darting everywhere—"Lightning Release: Shadow Clone!"Naruto's pupils constricted slightly.The real killing blow was only now baring its fangs!Beneath the water surface behind him, a blurred figure broke through the water silently like a ghost—It was Kakashi's true body!In the palm of his right hand, a blindingly intense white lightning light was frantically condensing, compressing, and hissing, emitting a sharp noise like the chirping of a thousand birds!The radiance was so intense that it momentarily dispelled the dimness of the underground space, illuminating Kakashi's calm face and Naruto's profile as he whipped his head around in a stark, snowy white!In the distance, the "Kakashi" figure that had been casting Ninjutsu dissipated like foam.It turned out that as early as when he used the Great Waterfall Technique, Kakashi Hatake had already replaced himself with a Shadow Clone, while his true body had hidden in the water under the cover of the Water Release, all to wait for this moment of a pincer attack from front and back, from which there was no escape!"It's over, Naruto."Kakashi's voice was calm and waveless, yet carried an unquestionable decisiveness.No matter how strong the Jinchuriki's defense was, being hit directly in a vital spot by this move would absolutely cause severe damage, enough to make him lose the ability to fight.This was the law of the Ninja world: gather intelligence, formulate a strategy, and kill in one strike!"Lightning Release: Lightning Blade!"At the same time, Might Guy, who had previously retreated by using the force of the blow, returned at an even faster speed. The Chakra around his body surged again, his skin turned crimson, and steam rose!"The Second Gate, Gate of Healing, Open! Reverse Lotus!"The two of them, one in front and one behind, with the lightning light and the green steam afterimages, were like two lethal blades, locking Naruto firmly in the middle—just as he had broken through the water, shattered the stone tiles, and was in that momentary state where his old strength had just been exhausted, his new strength had not yet been born, and his vision was obstructed! The attack arrived in an instant!Won?!!!
