Chapter 54 - Eight Gates Formation vs. Eight Gates Formation
Boom!
A flare shot up into the sky, its crimson glow illuminating the darkened treetops. The signature signal of Konoha painted the canopy in streaks of red, the drifting embers resembling falling autumn leaves.
Kazane stood motionless, his sword sheathed, waiting patiently as the vibrant display gradually faded into the night.
It didn't take long. Within moments, the rustling of footsteps echoed through the forest, approaching from the distance.
Emerging from the shadows, Might Duy led Might Guy and the two others. Their clothes were torn, their faces dirtied with soot and sweat, but their steps were steady.
Kazane exhaled lightly, relieved to see them still standing.
"Uncle Duy, are you all alright?"
"We're fine, thanks to you arriving in time, Kazane. Otherwise, today we might have…"
Duy's voice carried gratitude, his expression shifting into a look of solemn appreciation. But before he could finish, Kazane cut in.
"Otherwise, you would have just opened the Eight Gates and wiped out all seven of them. Ah, I really messed up. I prevented the birth of a hero."
Kazane sighed dramatically, shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment. His tone was lighthearted, but beneath the surface, he understood exactly what Might Duy had meant.
There was a beat of silence before a loud snort broke the tension.
Shiranui Genma, who had been supporting Ebisu, suddenly burst into laughter, nearly dropping his injured comrade in the process. He had never spent much time around Kazane before, nor had he imagined that the famed swordsman of Konoha, Hatake Kazane, could be so nonchalant.
But what Genma didn't realize was that Kazane wasn't really joking.
He knew better than anyone that if circumstances had played out differently, Might Duy's Eight Gates Formation would have turned the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen into nothing more than a cautionary tale.
The only issue was the cost.
Activating the final gate—the Gate of Death—would have ensured victory but at the price of Duy's life.
And Kazane wasn't about to let that happen.
"Alright, Kazane, enough joking. Seriously, we owe you our lives this time," Duy said, his voice thick with emotion. "Without you, we probably wouldn't have made it out alive. I don't mind dying, but Guy and the others are still so young. If I couldn't even protect them, what use am I as a father…?"
His words trembled as he spoke. His mind drifted to the worst possible scenario—the sight of Guy lying lifeless in the dirt, just another casualty of war. His hands clenched into fists at the very thought.
Might Duy had never truly grasped the extent of his own power. He saw himself as a simple Genin, an ordinary man in a village filled with geniuses. But the reality was far different.
Fully opening the Eight Gates wasn't just a power boost—it was an overwhelming force, one that could rival even the First Hokage. And the stronger the body, the greater the amplification.
Just as his son, Might Guy, would one day demonstrate against Six Paths Madara, the Eight Gates Formation was a technique capable of shifting the tides of an entire war.
Kazane gave a small sigh, shaking his head.
"Uncle Duy, you need to start taking yourself seriously. You're not weak. Next time you face enemies like them, just open the Seventh Gate and beat them into the ground."
He spoke with certainty, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Duy, however, only laughed weakly. "Kazane, you don't need to comfort me. I'm just a Genin. How could I possibly defeat Jonin, let alone elite Jonin like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
His voice carried the same self-deprecating doubt he had always held.
"When I taught you the Eight Gates, I didn't actually know how strong it would become. I told you it could rival the Hokage, but that was just me trying to encourage you. I've never even opened the final Gate of Death before. At best, I thought it might let me fight on equal terms with an average Jonin."
He took a deep breath, as if steadying himself.
"In truth, if you hadn't arrived, I would have activated the Eight Gates Formation and gone all out. If I could take even one of them down with me, then it would have been worth it."
He forced a smile, though there was a quiet sadness in his eyes.
"After all, I'm just a Genin. I'm not a genius like you guys. I only know taijutsu."
The words stung Kazane more than he had expected.
This man—the same man who had raised and trained a shinobi as powerful as Might Guy—was standing here, dismissing himself as nothing but a Genin.
Kazane exhaled sharply.
"Uncle Duy, you're much stronger than you think. You're even stronger than most Jonin," he said, his voice firm. "I remember what you told me when you first agreed to teach me."
He paused, then straightened his posture, mimicking Duy's signature thumbs-up pose.
"Even without talent in ninjutsu, one can still become a great shinobi!"
Duy's eyes widened slightly at the familiar words, his lips parting in surprise.
Kazane held his gaze, unwavering.
"You've spent your entire life training, refining your body, your technique. But you've never fought with the full confidence of a shinobi who knows his own strength. You've never pushed yourself to the very limit against a real opponent, not like I have," Kazane said.
His hand tightened around his sword hilt.
"Uncle Duy, fight me."
The challenge hung heavy in the air.
Might Guy and the others tensed, their eyes darting between the two shinobi in shock.
But Kazane wasn't finished.
"Fight me, right here, right now. No holding back. Show me your full strength."
Kazane stood firm, his expression unwavering. He could see it—Might Duy was still shackled by his own doubts, still hesitant to acknowledge the power he wielded.
If words alone wouldn't convince him, then Kazane would use battle to force him to see the truth with his own fists.
"Kazane…"
Might Duy hesitated. He had always viewed himself as just another Genin, a man with no real talent outside of taijutsu. Kazane was different. He was a prodigy. This had to be a gesture of kindness, an attempt to lift his spirits rather than a true challenge.
But Kazane wasn't having it.
"Come on, Uncle Duy! Youth is meant to be burned! Eight Gates… Fifth Gate—Gate of Limit, open!"
A surge of chakra erupted from Kazane's body, surrounding him in a brilliant blue aura. The raw energy distorted the air around him, his muscles tightening as his power surged to new heights. The ground beneath him cracked from the sudden spike in pressure.
Might Duy's eyes widened.
Even though he was the one who had taught Kazane about the Eight Gates, witnessing his student activate them so effortlessly sent a thrill through his blood.
"Alright then! If you're that determined, Kazane, let me show you my youth!"
He clenched his fists, his battle spirit igniting. After everything that had happened, he needed this. He needed to release the pent-up frustration and emotions that had been brewing inside him. He needed to fight, even if he didn't believe he could win.
"Fifth Gate—Gate of Limit, open!"
A thunderous explosion shook the ground as Might Duy slammed his foot into the earth, sending jagged cracks splintering outward. Blue flames of chakra erupted from his body, swirling around him like a living inferno.
Kazane's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"This is it! Come on, Uncle Duy!"
The words had barely left his mouth before Might Duy launched himself forward with terrifying speed, his right fist rocketing toward Kazane like a missile.
The sheer force of his punch tore through the air, generating a deafening boom as shockwaves rippled outward. At that moment, he was less of a man and more of a natural disaster, charging forward like a rampaging tailed beast.
But Kazane didn't flinch.
He planted his foot firmly into the cracked ground, drawing power through his entire body. Without hesitation, he raised his own fist to meet the attack head-on.
Their fists collided.
The impact sent a visible shockwave surging through the battlefield, uprooting dirt and leaves, forcing the nearby trees to groan under the pressure. The very air trembled from the sheer intensity of the clash.
Might Duy gritted his teeth as he stumbled back two steps. Kazane remained unmoving, his stance unshaken.
"Uncle Duy, this isn't your full power! Show me everything you've got!"
Kazane charged forward once more, his sword forgotten. He wasn't here to test his blade—this was a battle of pure will, a clash of fists meant to awaken Might Duy's confidence.
Might Duy's breath hitched, his battle instincts taking over. If Kazane wanted to see everything he had, then so be it.
"Seventh Gate… Gate of Wonder, open!"
A sudden explosion of power sent debris flying in all directions. The flames of chakra surrounding Might Duy shifted from blue to a vibrant green, his entire body glowing with untamed energy. The pressure alone caused the earth beneath him to crack further.
Without hesitation, he lunged.
Kazane met him halfway, their fists colliding in a series of rapid, devastating strikes. Their blows sent shockwaves rippling through the air, creating deep craters in the ground beneath them. Every punch, every kick, carried enough force to shatter boulders.
Neither held back.
"Morning Peacock!"
Might Duy's fists blurred as he unleashed a barrage of high-speed punches. The sheer velocity of his strikes ignited the friction in the air, creating bursts of flame that spread outward like the fanned tail of a peacock.
The firestorm surged toward Kazane, consuming the battlefield in a blazing inferno.
Kazane's heart pounded.
"So this is Uncle Duy's power? Let's see how I block this!"
Rather than retreat, he roared in exhilaration and reinforced his hands with Armament Haki, his skin darkening as he pushed his defense to its absolute peak.
Then, he punched straight into the flames.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battlefield erupted with an onslaught of shockwaves as Kazane's punches countered the fiery barrage head-on. Each impact sent waves of wind tearing through the area, scattering embers like shooting stars.
The heat was unbearable. The force behind each strike was monstrous.
And then, before the flames could fully disperse, Might Duy appeared at Kazane's side, moving faster than the eye could track.
"Leaf… Strong Whirlwind!"
A devastating reverse roundhouse kick tore through the air, aimed directly at Kazane's ribs.