Chapter 135: 135. The Final Victor
"Something's not right! This feels completely off!"
Sarutobi Asuma was dumbfounded. "Hanekawa's taijutsu is actually this strong?"
In his mind, among their group, Might Guy's taijutsu was the undisputed best.
Beyond the Eight Gates, his effort was leagues beyond theirs.
But what about Hanekawa?
He didn't even know when Hanekawa had learned such taijutsu.
"Hanekawa-senpai and Guy-senpai are using the same taijutsu," Uchiha Shisui pondered for a moment before asking, "Was it all taught by Dai-san?"
"Could Hanekawa possibly know the Eight Gates as well?" Kakashi Hatake's expression shifted slightly as he asked.
If Hanekawa did know the Eight Gates, then just how much strength had he yet to reveal?
"He doesn't," Kurenai Yuhi shook her head and replied, "Hanekawa said the Eight Gates take too much time, so he never learned it."
"That's a relief," Asuma let out a breath and said, "At least the gap isn't that wide."
"Not that wide?"
Shizune asked unexpectedly, her words catching Asuma off guard.
Given the strength Hanekawa had just demonstrated, Asuma didn't even know how long it would take him to catch up.
"I'm Hanekawa's teammate, and even I didn't know his taijutsu was this strong," Nohara Rin exclaimed, realizing that Hanekawa was almost omnipotent, capable of everything.
She couldn't fathom how he managed to have so much energy, and not only learned everything but mastered it to a terrifying degree.
Truly, geniuses don't need to follow logic.
"Taijutsu? What's the point of that?" Uchiha Obito muttered, his heart aching as he noticed the expression on Rin's face.
Pain! It was unbearable!
The worst part was that he could do nothing about it. It felt as though he was watching Rin being drawn into Hanekawa's arms without being able to stop it.
"This is youth! Wahhh!"
At that moment, an unrestrained, passionate voice broke through, reaching everyone's ears.
Instinctively, they turned toward the spectators.
Might Dai stood up, fists clenched, tears streaming down his face as he passionately declared words about youth.
The surrounding audience wore bewildered expressions, clearly unsure how to react.
Might Dai ignored their stares.
To him, seeing Might Guy shine with youth in front of everyone was worth dying on the spot.
Moreover, Hanekawa was half his student too.
Today was undoubtedly a monumental day for taijutsu practitioners everywhere.
In the hearts of many ninja, their prejudices against taijutsu users began to waver.
After all, if it were them, they might not have been able to withstand such attacks.
"Who's that?" Jiraiya asked, eyes wide.
He had thought his grand entrance as the Toad Sage Jiraiya was unique enough, but this man had taken things to another level.
"That's Might Guy's father, Might Dai," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, barely maintaining his composure.
In his view, this father-son duo was just too peculiar.
"Not a Jonin?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. As a member of Konoha's upper echelon, he naturally recognized all the Jonin.
"He's only a Genin," Hiruzen hesitated before adding, "But based on Guy's mastery of the Eight Gates, his strength likely exceeds that of a Genin."
Opening even three of the Eight Gates placed one's strength above a Chunin's.
Since Might Guy could use the Eight Gates, it was almost certainly taught by Might Dai.
"Why hasn't he taken the Chunin Exams?" Jiraiya chuckled. "Father and son taking the Chunin Exams together—on some level, that's pretty…"
He couldn't find the right word.
"Their warm-up is over," Hiruzen said, turning his gaze to the center of the arena.
Hanekawa's taijutsu was actually inferior to Might Guy's.
But his raw strength, combined with the added power of his taijutsu skills, made the fight a close match.
However, this was a competition, not a friendly sparring session—there had to be a winner.
With a loud bang, Hanekawa and Guy exchanged punches. The powerful blow forced Guy to retreat.
Instead of charging back immediately, Guy pulled away to create some distance.
"Hanekawa!" Guy shouted, "From here on, I'll be going all out! My dad always said, youth should never have regrets!"
"Go ahead," Hanekawa said, his expression growing serious as he realized Guy was about to use the Eight Gates.
"Eight Gates!"
Suddenly, powerful gusts of wind surged around Guy as a massive wave of chakra burst forth.
Centered on him, the dust on the ground scattered outward.
Hanekawa's hair and clothes fluttered wildly in the wind.
He felt a faint sense of suffocation.
"Gate of Opening, open! Gate of Healing, open! Gate of Life, open!"
Guy's hair stood on end, his face twisted in intensity, veins bulging as green chakra enveloped him.
"He's coming!"
Asuma's voice grew heavy as he watched.
He had been utterly defeated by Guy after he opened the third gate, unable to put up any resistance.
In his opinion, Guy's strength before opening the gates was merely at the Chunin level. But after opening them, it rivaled a Special Jonin's.
Kurenai's face showed signs of worry.
Though she believed in Hanekawa, Guy's earlier performance had been terrifying.
Uchiha Shisui activated his Sharingan.
In his normal state, he could follow Guy's movements, but after Guy opened the gates, it became much harder.
With the Sharingan, however, he could discern more details.
Obito clenched his fists instinctively.
"Guy, you've got to win!"
If Hanekawa won first place in the Chunin Exams, they'd forever live in his shadow.
After all, only the first place would be remembered.
"Hanekawa! This move is for you! Hidden Lotus!"
Might Guy shouted, his voice burning with passion.
A sharp sound, like the cry of a thousand birds, pierced the air.
Hearing the words "Hidden Lotus," Hanekawa wasted no time in activating Chidori.
Countless arcs of lightning spread out, crackling around him and forming an impenetrable defense.
In the next second, Might Guy charged at Hanekawa with speed that surpassed the sound barrier.
In truth, this was exactly the case.
The Hidden Lotus was a strike beyond supersonic speed.
In the original story, Rock Lee, after opening the Fifth Gate, used Hidden Lotus to overwhelm Gaara, leaving him defenseless.
Hanekawa could only be thankful that Might Guy had only opened three gates.
With a single kick, a loud boom echoed, forcing Hanekawa to take half a step back.
Might Guy didn't let up, following with a flurry of punches and kicks, seemingly delivering dozens of blows in an instant.
Hanekawa was quickly pushed to the defensive.
However, thanks to Chidori, Might Guy was unable to use his bandages to bind him and was forced to rely on close combat.
Hanekawa felt like he could block four out of every five punches. The remaining punch, weakened by the Chidori's defenses, struck his body and caused a faint pain.
Normally, such accumulated damage would result in severe injury. However, Hanekawa's B-rank passive skill Unmarked Healing allowed him to recover instantly.
Though at a disadvantage, he remained energetic and unyielding.
The arena echoed with loud booms, the shockwaves of their clashes stirring up clouds of dust and scattering fragments of rock.
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly instructed the sealing team to erect a barrier to prevent any harm to the villagers.
"Taijutsu practitioners… can reach such a level?"
Sakumo Hatake muttered, deeply impressed.
"Guy is the most diligent ninja I've ever seen, and his talent in taijutsu is unparalleled," Minato Namikaze said gravely.
"Agreed," Tsunade nodded.
Though, she thought, no one could match his eccentric personality and peculiar aura.
"But don't you think Hanekawa is even more terrifying?" Kushina Uzumaki asked enthusiastically.
"The Eight Gates are powerful, but their duration is limited," Sakumo remarked. "If Guy can only open three gates, he will lose."
"How many gates can he open?" Tsunade asked, glancing at Minato.
"I don't know," Minato admitted. "Even as his teacher, I've only ever seen him open three."
"My instincts tell me Hanekawa will win," Sakumo said with a calm smile.
At the edge of the arena:
"Isn't that your Chidori? How does Hanekawa know it?"
Asuma Sarutobi was in despair.
He had been completely defeated by Might Guy after he opened three gates, beaten like a dog.
But Hanekawa?
He was holding his own in an even match.
It was the embodiment of the phrase: The gap between people can sometimes be larger than the gap between a person and a dog.
"Hanekawa helped me develop Chidori, so I taught it to him," Kakashi said, suddenly realizing something.
Hanekawa hadn't used Chidori in their fight.
At the same time, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder—was Chidori's defense always this strong?
Obito Uchiha glanced at Rin Nohara instinctively.
Her face showed concern.
Then he looked at Might Guy, silently praying.
Please, you must defeat him!
At the center of the arena:
Boom!
Might Guy once again pulled back, panting heavily as he stared at Hanekawa.
The prolonged intense battle had drained his stamina.
If this continued, he wouldn't win.
There was only one solution.
"Hanekawa, you're incredible!"
Might Guy roared, "Gate of Pain, open!"
If the first three gates were the safe zone, then the fourth gate, the Gate of Pain, marked the true beginning of the Eight Gates' power.
While further enhancing attack and speed, it also inflicted strain and side effects on the body.
"Gate of Limit, open!"
Might Guy shouted each word with determination.
A surge of chakra erupted skyward, releasing a terrifying aura that swept across the arena.
"Guy, don't push yourself too hard," Hanekawa said calmly.
In the original story, after Rock Lee opened the Fifth Gate, he was left disabled. If not for Tsunade's medical expertise, he would have lost the chance to be a ninja.
Though Might Guy was stronger than Lee, he was still young.
"Guy!" Might Dai's voice rang out, "You've already reached your limit. Don't overdo it—this isn't a life-or-death battle!"
"I understand," Might Guy nodded slightly before turning to Hanekawa and shouting, "Hidden Lotus!"
The same Hidden Lotus, but performed at the Fifth Gate, was on an entirely different level compared to the Third Gate.
As Guy charged at Hanekawa, the ground beneath him cracked, and debris flew everywhere.
Lightning Release Body Technique!
Thanks to the Chidori's lightning aura, Hanekawa appeared unchanged outwardly.
But he knew that his attack, speed, and defense had increased by 100%.
Standing his ground, Hanekawa faced Guy's overwhelming momentum, feeling as though a mountain was bearing down on him.
Super human Strength!
Hanekawa clenched his fist and threw a powerful punch.
The air trembled.
The ground beneath them crumbled into dust, and shockwaves rippled outward in waves, scattering smoke and debris in all directions.
Before the dust settled, a figure flew backward—it was Might Guy.
Hanekawa remained standing in place.
The ground around him had collapsed, except for the spot beneath his feet, which remained intact.
The entire arena fell silent.
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