"Guy-sensei, I'd advise against using such a half-hearted speed to deal with me," Naruto said with a smile. The next instant, Kyoka Suigetsu in his hand slashed horizontally. Where the blade fell, a dark shadow gradually solidified.
Swish! The sharpness condensed from the sword's passage and his Reiatsu shot straight for Guy's head.
Guy's expression grew progressively more solemn.
The boy was actually able to anticipate my landing spot and counterattack in advance! Such perception isn't something one can gain merely through hard work; it's more a combination of talent and the experience accumulated from tens of thousands of battles.
Naruto has never left Konoha, so it can only be talent.
As expected of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. It seems I'll have to get a little more serious.
Whap! Guy's body twisted at an unnatural angle, and he lashed out with a powerful, heavy kick, striking Kyoka Suigetsu dead on.
Clang! An irresistible, monstrous force traveled up the blade. Naruto was immediately forced back several steps, his eyes wide with shock.
Indeed, to be able to train with tens of thousands of frog jumps and long runs, this guy before me is a Taijutsu monster of incredible strength.
He's practically a… beast.
Naruto pressed his left hand against his trembling right hand, looking at Guy.
"Young man, are you still alright?" The watermelon-headed Guy looked rather goofy, but once he entered a combat stance, his eyes sharpened. The aura around him pressed down on Naruto, instilling an involuntary sense of dread, even fear, in his heart.
Just standing there, he was like a ferocious beast ready to devour someone at any moment.
His Taijutsu far surpasses mine.
Naruto rubbed his wrist, his expression serious. "Guy-sensei, your strength is truly terrifying. Now, it's my turn to attack."
The next moment, he instantly closed the distance between himself and Guy. The dark green Kyoka Suigetsu traced a brilliant green arc as it slashed viciously towards Guy.
The whooshing sound of Kyoka Suigetsu slicing through the air made the goosebumps rise on Guy's skin.
The sword's momentum tightly locked onto Guy's movements.
"What excellent swordsmanship, young man!" Might Guy's pupils abruptly contracted. His body reacted swiftly, his legs first exploding with astonishing power, narrowly avoiding the slash.
But in an instant, Naruto vanished before his eyes.
"Body Flicker Technique?! No, that must be some kind of special footwork!" Might Guy's eyes lit up.
He had initially thought Naruto merely possessed strength approaching Chunin level, but only now did he realize…
Naruto was full of surprises.
Just as he was about to search for Naruto's tracks, the hairs on his body suddenly stood on end, and a shadow fell over his head.
Naruto had appeared above Guy, bringing his sword down in a fierce overhead chop.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Konoha higher-ups who had received the report were also watching the battle with grave expressions.
The Third Hokage had always paid attention to Naruto's training and had witnessed his growth, but he had never seen Naruto use his full power.
Now, facing a strong opponent like Might Guy, Naruto would have to use his trump cards.
"Naruto's Kekkei Genkai is truly versatile. Not only does it have Ninjutsu-like abilities and a sword that can refract illusions, but now it also includes Shunpo, a movement technique similar to the Body Flicker Technique," the Third Hokage mused, drawing on his pipe, his brow furrowed.
For a Jinchuriki, a Kekkei Genkai that was too strong wasn't necessarily a good thing, as it could make them difficult to control.
But for a Jinchuriki who possessed the Will of Fire, this was an excellent development.
"However, Guy's strength is not that of an ordinary Jonin. If he goes all out, I believe he can reach Kage level. Let's see how much of Guy's strength Naruto can force out."
"Hmph, Hiruzen, Naruto's talent is too astonishing. He should be trained by Root; otherwise, it's a waste of his abilities. Moreover, the upper limit of his Kekkei Genkai is very high, and we in Root have always been very experienced in developing Kekkei Genkai," Danzo said from the side, unwilling to concede.
But this time, the Third Hokage ignored Danzo, his gaze burning intently on the crystal ball.
The battle continued.
Kyoka Suigetsu fell, but what it shattered was merely an afterimage left by Guy.
"Young man, you are truly strong," Guy's voice sounded from far behind him. Naruto hurriedly turned his head, only to find Guy standing ten meters away, an expression of admiration on his face.
"This speed… it's already Jonin level," Naruto thought, shocked, but then he suddenly chuckled.
Under Guy's puzzled gaze, Naruto lightly removed the weights from his wrists. "I didn't expect to encounter a Jonin-level powerhouse today by chance."
"Your Taijutsu is the strongest I've ever seen. If even a strong person like you strives so relentlessly, then I have even less reason to slack off."
"Next, I will fight you with my full strength."
Thud. Weights even heavier than before landed on the ground. Naruto raised Kyoka Suigetsu with one hand, tip pointing downwards, his posture elegant.
A gentle breeze swept past, lifting his long, golden bangs, revealing ordinary black-rimmed glasses, their thick lenses glinting with reflected light.
"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
He released his grip. Kyoka Suigetsu fell towards the ground and, under Guy's astonished gaze, shattered into myriad fragments, merging with the earth like droplets falling into a lake, sending out ripples.
Sunlight streamed down, but Guy felt his vision blur, the world before his eyes seemingly covered by an invisible, thin veil.
"A Kekkei Genkai that excels at creating illusions?" Guy's heart tensed. He didn't underestimate his opponent because of Naruto's age. It was an undisputed fact that ninja with Kekkei Genkai were stronger than ordinary ninja.
Even a powerhouse like Guy had to be cautious when facing an unknown Kekkei Genkai; otherwise, it was easy to be unexpectedly defeated.
"Here I come." The next moment, Naruto closed in on Guy like a phantom, a sword suddenly appearing in his hand, thrusting towards Guy.
"His speed doesn't seem to have increased much," Guy thought, puzzled, but his body reacted in time to dodge the slicing blade.
Snick. The next moment, he felt a slight sting in his abdomen. A small cut had appeared on his green jumpsuit, leaving a shallow bloody mark.
"What happened? I should have dodged that!" Guy's pupils contracted, looking at Naruto in disbelief.
Guy knew his own body completely.
He was one hundred percent certain he had dodged Naruto's attack.
But reality was the complete opposite of his perception.
Guy had experienced countless battles and witnessed thousands of ninja with Kekkei Genkai.
But never had he been in a fight as bizarre as this one.
Before he could think further, Naruto's second slash arrived.
Guy once again dodged perfectly, yet a second wound appeared on his body.
His vision rippled again, as if the entire world was fluctuating due to falling droplets.
Realization dawned on Guy. "I see… you're using illusions to affect my judgment. Under your Kekkei Genkai, vision itself becomes the biggest hindrance."
"If that's the case, then I'll just discard my vision!"
He slowly closed his eyes.
"You figured it out so quickly?" Naruto's face showed admiration as he swung Kyoka Suigetsu once more.
This time, Guy vanished from Naruto's sight.
In an instant!
A fierce gale howled as it appeared behind Naruto.
Fists and feet, accompanied by the raging wind, swept towards him!
"Too fast! Is this Jonin-level speed?" Under such circumstances, Naruto had no time to react and could only turn and block with the flat of his blade in front of him.
BAM!
The violent impact sent Naruto completely off balance.
Just as Naruto was stunned by Guy's sudden burst of speed, Guy's figure reappeared before him, his eyes still tightly closed.
"Young man, your Kekkei Genkai is indeed powerful. But what about now?"
As Guy spoke in a low voice, a flurry of fist-shadows rained down.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Naruto was enveloped by the fierce barrage of punches. At first, he could barely manage to parry, but soon his sword was knocked from his grasp.
Undaunted, Naruto raised his fists and met the assault head-on.
Just like that, the two exchanged blows, fist connecting with flesh.
Their figures left afterimages everywhere; an ordinary person wouldn't have been able to distinguish their movements at all.
Naruto felt an exhilarating rush; this was the first time he had fought with his 'full strength' since he began training.
However, he could sense that Guy, amidst this seemingly fierce confrontation, was still holding back significantly.
He was guiding Naruto's movements, essentially coaching him.
Naruto utilized all the Hakuda techniques he had learned. Although his strength was inferior to Guy's, his refined Hakuda allowed him to disperse some of the force.
A minute passed. Naruto's breathing grew heavy, and his defense became increasingly difficult, while Guy's strength and speed remained constant, his breathing perfectly steady.
Naruto understood that this was the limit of his Taijutsu. It was time to 'be defeated.'
So, he allowed an expression of fatigue to show.
Seeing this, Guy also knew it was about time to end it.
He increased his speed once more, delivering an incredibly fast punch to Naruto's chest.
Naruto shot backward like a cannonball, crashing through a tree before finally coming to a stop.
"As expected of Guy-sensei. I've lost," Naruto said, lying on the grass, an expression of admiration on his face.
"No, young man. At your age, I was nowhere near your level of strength." Guy opened his eyes, smiled, and gave a thumbs-up. "Thank you for showing me a display of youth that rivals my own."