Chapter 428: Muzuki, Who Is Never Late (6.2k)

When Might Guy first started learning the Breathing Technique, he learned about its three major stages from Muzuki.

The first stage is Total Concentration Breathing, which allows one to highly concentrate their breath to enhance physical abilities. Achieving this means one has entered the initial phase of the Breathing Technique.

The second stage is Total Concentration Breathing: Constant State, which involves maintaining a relatively concentrated breath twenty-four hours a day without interruption. Mastering this step significantly enhances physical fitness, and the powerful enhancements of the Breathing Technique gradually become apparent. Completing the Constant State training means one has become proficient in the Breathing Technique.

The third stage is the Breathing Technique’s corresponding Chakra Mode. Each Breathing Technique’s Chakra Mode has different effects. The Rock Breathing Chakra Mode, which Might Guy cultivates, comprehensively enhances the body, making his strength incredibly powerful. Only at this stage can one truly grasp the Breathing Technique’s real power.

In Rock Breathing Chakra Mode, Muzuki merely used Finger Gun to lightly tap, and the river surface dozens of meters away exploded with water splashes over ten meters high. This left a deep impression on Might Guy, who was still attending the Ninja Academy at the time. After that, he diligently trained in Rock Breathing, hoping to possess power as strong as Muzuki’s.

The Breathing Technique is very difficult, and Rock Breathing is considered one of the harder ones among them. Let alone entering Rock Breathing Chakra Mode, Might Guy was long in a lagging state in his Breathing Technique training.

However, at the very beginning, Might Guy’s training progress was ahead; he was the first disciple who could apply the Breathing Technique in battle.

The reason for his lead was nothing else; it was because Might Guy had comprehended the power and meaning of Rock Breathing during his battle to protect his father’s dignity.

Now, Might Guy’s state has returned to that day when he comprehended the power of Rock Breathing—no, it’s even stronger than that day!

Because in this battle, the things he had to protect were more important and numerous.

“The way of the rock’s power lies in protection,” Might Guy silently recited in his heart.

Although he had never entered Rock Breathing Chakra Mode before, at this moment, Might Guy was very sure that he could do it.

It wasn’t empty confidence, but his breath was telling him, he could go for it!

“Rock Breathing Chakra Mode!”

Might Guy clenched his fists, his eyes wide with fury, his heart pounding uncontrollably. At this moment, his breathing reached an unprecedented extreme.

Power surged upward. Might Guy could feel that with every breath he took, powerful strength surged throughout his entire body. This was a power he had never felt before.

Of course, this power was not without cost; the Chakra within Might Guy’s body was burning rapidly.

The first to notice the anomaly on Might Guy’s body was Shisui, who was beside him.

Shisui also practiced the Breathing Technique, and he instantly noticed the change in Might Guy’s breathing.

Then came Might Guy’s opponents. The moment Might Guy entered Rock Breathing Chakra Mode, as experienced assassins, they immediately sensed that their opponent had changed.

“What’s with this Guy? He can still get stronger,” Hozuki Mangetsu muttered, feeling a bit frustrated. This battle was too stifling.

They, the esteemed Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, were fighting a few ten-year-old Konoha Ninja and nearly lost one, not to mention their opponent seemed to be cheating, constantly getting stronger and stronger.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Might Guy they were currently facing could easily defeat the Might Guy they had initially encountered.

Hozuki Mangetsu leaped back to create distance, injecting a large amount of Chakra into his twin swords, Hiramekarei, and aimed at Might Guy.

Kuriarare Kushimaru manipulated the steel wires in his hand to seal off Might Guy’s escape routes.

Meanwhile, Biwa Jūzō formed hand signs and unleashed a massive Water Dragon Bullet to entangle Might Guy.

The three of them had a clear division of labor, each bearing a specific responsibility.

“Morning Peacock!”

Might Guy punched at an extreme speed, so fast that Shisui couldn’t even see how many punches he threw in that instant.

The powerful force of his punches created friction with the air, generating flames. Due to the extreme speed of his punches, a ball of fire instantly formed.

The fireball was carried by the punch-wind Might Guy unleashed, striking the oncoming water dragon.

Boom!!

The water dragon was engulfed by the flames, instantly evaporating completely. The lingering fire forced Kuriarare Kushimaru to abandon control of his steel wires and retreat to dodge.

“That works too.” Biwa Jūzō looked as if he had seen a ghost.

This was the first time he had encountered such a situation; his Water Release was actually evaporated by Fire Release created by someone else’s Taijutsu.

Biwa Jūzō touched his sturdy body. If such high-speed, dense punches landed on him, his fate would likely be no better than the water dragon’s.

Whoosh!

At this moment, Hozuki Mangetsu completed his charge, raising his large sword and firing a Chakra orb at Might Guy.

“Leaf Hand Blade!”

Might Guy poured a large amount of Chakra into his palm, unleashing a powerful cleaving strike against the incoming orb, producing a transparent air current.

Rumble!!

A massive explosion erupted. The collision between the Chakra orb and the transparent air current left craters of varying depths on the ground, and a gray-yellow dust mist obscured Might Guy’s figure.

Kuriarare Kushimaru noticed the anomaly within the dust mist. Elite Hidden Mist Ninja like him had undergone special training; let alone such dust mist, they could move unhindered even in high-concentration Chakra mist created by the Hidden Mist Technique.

Kuriarare Kushimaru’s mind reacted, but his body couldn’t keep up with Might Guy’s speed.

Bang!

Might Guy landed a solid punch on Kuriarare Kushimaru’s chest, sending him flying ten meters backward.

In this punch, Might Guy didn’t use any special techniques, only simple, unadorned power.

But it was precisely this simple punch that made Kuriarare Kushimaru vomit blood, and the intense pain radiating from his body twisted his face.

Hozuki Mangetsu’s expression suddenly changed. He sensed that Might Guy had become somewhat different, not expecting Might Guy’s strength to increase so much out of nowhere.

Not only could his empty-air cleaving palm block his Chakra orb, but his full-power burst of speed also caught Kuriarare Kushimaru off guard.

Suikazan Fuguki’s face darkened as he saw Might Guy suddenly become incredibly valiant.

It was truly humiliating. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, renowned throughout the Ninja World, were being pushed to this extent by a few ten-year-old Konoha Ninja.

If this got out, they would likely become the laughingstock of the Hidden Mist, while Kakashi and the others would gain fame in the Ninja World by stepping on their reputation.

“What’s the deal with this green brat? He can injure Kuriarare Kushimaru in a one-on-three fight.” Munashi Jinpachi’s sinister smile vanished, his expression turning serious.

They weren’t just ordinary Mist Village Jonin; they were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, directly under the Mizukage. How could Might Guy possess such strength?

“You go help them quickly. I’ll kill the brats over here,” Suikazan Fuguki said in a deep voice.

The Konoha Ninja on their side were basically all injured and weakened. Suikazan Fuguki was confident he could dispatch all of them alone.

Munashi Jinpachi nodded and, without wasting time, immediately rushed towards Might Guy’s side.

“Indeed, Guy is a man who can always be relied upon,” Kakashi sighed inwardly.

Whenever they were in a desperate situation, Might Guy always stepped up to bear the pressure.

“But can Guy’s current body withstand the power of Rock Breathing Chakra Mode and the Sixth Gate of Eight Gates?” Kakashi worried inwardly.

Although Kakashi didn’t practice Eight Gates or Rock Breathing, he had some understanding of both. Some information was gained from fighting Might Guy, and some was learned from Muzuki.

After all, Muzuki knew both Eight Gates and Rock Breathing, and Kakashi asking Muzuki would naturally not be kept secret.

Every gate opened after the third gate of Eight Gates causes a certain degree of damage to the body. If the body is strong enough, the damage will be minimal or even close to none.

Conversely, if the body is not strong enough, it will cause great harm. And now, Might Guy not only forcibly opened the Sixth Gate but also entered Rock Breathing Chakra Mode to further enhance his strength. Kakashi was very worried about Might Guy’s body.

“I need to find a way to end this battle quickly,” Kakashi thought, gripping his short blade.

The longer it lasted, the greater the damage to Might Guy. The sooner the battle ended, the less damage there would be.

Kakashi looked at Obito. At this moment, Obito was not only injured but also had very little Chakra left; he had even deactivated his Sharingan to maintain Flame Breathing Chakra Mode.

Their current state was very bad. This was their disadvantage, but it was also an opportunity, because the enemy would underestimate them as a result.

Meeting Kakashi’s gaze, Obito understood Kakashi’s idea and gathered the last of his Chakra.

“It has to succeed…” Kakashi exhaled.

He wasn’t worried about whether Obito could execute his plan well; he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to seize the opportunity Obito created.

Because Kakashi truly didn’t have enough Chakra. He didn’t know if his limited Chakra could unleash a strike capable of killing or severely injuring Suikazan Fuguki.

But Kakashi had no choice. In their current state, they couldn’t afford to prolong the fight. Kakashi was the only one with a chance to severely injure Suikazan Fuguki; they could only make one last gamble.

If he failed, they could only pray that Might Guy could break through the encirclement and save them in time.

Facing Suikazan Fuguki, who approached with his sword raised, Obito burned his last Chakra, causing his entire body to ignite with flames.

“Fire Release: Blazing Collision!”

This was one of the more powerful Fire Release Ninjutsu he had mastered, and also the most powerful Fire Release he could currently use.

Suikazan Fuguki wanted to directly cleave the weakened Obito to death with a single strike, but Samehada, sensing the incredibly high temperature of the flames on Obito’s body, immediately expressed its resistance.

“Water Release: Water Whip!”

Suikazan Fuguki hesitated for a moment but still gave up on using Samehada to kill Obito, who had suddenly turned into a small fire-person. He gathered a large amount of Chakra in his palm, forming a water whip.

Just as Suikazan Fuguki’s water whip struck the attacking Obito, the flames on Obito’s body suddenly erupted and exploded.

Boom!

An explosion rang out. Obito was blown away by the explosion’s impact, crashing to the ground, and Suikazan Fuguki was also affected by the explosion’s shockwave.

Suikazan Fuguki’s expression was incredibly shocked. He hadn’t expected Obito to make such a suicidal attack. Even Hidden Mist Village didn’t train Ninja specifically for suicide attacks, and Obito didn’t look like a fanatic.

What made Suikazan Fuguki feel fortunate was that the Ninja on his side were basically out of combat. Even if such an unexpected event occurred, it was just a minor setback.

“Thunderclap Flash: Godspeed!”

When Kakashi once again pushed his breathing to the extreme, he suddenly realized that even though his Chakra was almost depleted, he had successfully gathered a powerful force.

But Kakashi had no time to think, because this was the last chance Obito could buy for him; he had no leisure to ponder where the power came from, nor did he notice how abnormally fast his heart was beating at that moment.

Swish!

A yellow flash of lightning streaked past, and Suikazan Fuguki instantly felt a dizzying sensation, followed by the sight of a massive, headless corpse lying on the ground.

“So fast…” A word flashed through his mind, and Suikazan Fuguki lost consciousness forever.

“Hoo, hoo.”

After one strike, Kakashi half-knelt on the ground, clutching his chest uncomfortably and gasping for air.

Although his body was extremely uncomfortable at this moment, Kakashi’s heart was filled with immense joy; he had succeeded, he had protected his comrades with his own power.

Although it was only the death of one person, this outcome held great significance for the entire battlefield.

Because Might Guy’s side had the advantage, the two Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist facing Might Guy couldn’t spare their hands, and the four Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist engaging Might Guy were equally preoccupied.

Next, Kakashi and his team only needed to quickly recover to become the force that would break the stalemate.

However, Kakashi realized he had still underestimated the power of Eight Gates stacked with Rock Breathing Chakra Mode.

“Golden Skyline!”

Might Guy extended his index and middle fingers, once again unleashing the strongest Taijutsu he currently mastered, swinging his fingers in a sword-wielding posture, and a dazzling golden line bloomed on the battlefield.

The water wall was directly split in two by the golden line, Kuriarare Kushimaru’s steel wire snapped instantly, and Biwa Jūzō held kubikiribōchō horizontally in front of him.

Clang!

To Biwa Jūzō’s shocked gaze, the massive kubikiribōchō shattered directly, turning into a broken blade.

Boom!!

The residual power struck Biwa Jūzō, sending him flying seventeen meters away and crashing heavily to the ground.

“How is this possible? My kubikiribōchō was actually broken by Taijutsu!” Biwa Jūzō’s eyes widened, his worldview greatly impacted.

His kubikiribōchō could easily block Ninjutsu, but it was broken by Might Guy’s Taijutsu even with multiple layers of protection, which gave Biwa Jūzō a feeling of his world collapsing.

Munashi Jinpachi, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Kuriarare Kushimaru were all startled; if given another chance, they definitely wouldn’t easily engage Kakashi and his team in battle, at least they would call in five more Mist Village Jonin to jointly besiege them.

“This is not good.” Jinin Akebino’s eyes narrowed, and a thought of retreat arose in his heart.

Suikazan Fuguki was killed, Biwa Jūzō was heavily injured and lost his combat ability, and Kuriarare Kushimaru was also seriously wounded; at this moment, nearly half of their Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had suffered losses, and continuing the fight might result in all of them being lost here.

Raiga Kurosuki glanced at Jinin Akebino; his thoughts were similar to Jinin Akebino’s, both wanting to flee.

Might Guy’s performance was too terrifying; is this a genius? This is clearly a powerful individual who has grown up.

Next, Kakashi and his team wouldn’t even need to make a move; Might Guy combined with Might Duy could grind them down.

“Leaf Dragon God!”

After one Golden Skyline, Might Guy used his immense power to kick out a thick green dragon, heavily injuring Munashi Jinpachi.

This Leaf Dragon God completely destroyed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist’s will to fight.

Biwa Jūzō, who was sent flying and injured, had already quietly retreated backward.

Hozuki Mangetsu shot a Chakra orb towards Might Guy, then retreated without looking back.

Kuriarare Kushimaru used Body Flicker Technique to move back and forth among the trees, also beginning to retreat.

Munashi Jinpachi, finding his surroundings suddenly empty, cursed under his breath, threw out a few explosive tags, and also started to flee.

Raiga Kurosuki and Jinin Akebino teamed up to temporarily repel Might Duy and swiftly withdrew.

Regardless of their combat coordination, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist indeed had a good understanding of each other when it came to escaping.

Might Guy only made a chasing stance at first and then delivered an air chop from a distance, with no further actions.

Because his body was already nearing its limit; successfully protecting his comrades was enough, there was no need to kill all the enemies.

Kakashi’s suspended heart finally relaxed; they had once again overcome a desperate situation through their efforts.

However, Kakashi did not completely lower his guard; they were, after all, on the battlefield, and until they returned to camp, they could encounter new enemies at any time.

Given their current state, even an ordinary Jonin squad could not be taken lightly, because once Might Guy exited his Eight Gates and Rock Breathing states, the only one with combat capability in their team would be Might Duy.

Just then, a blue-white ray suddenly struck the retreating Munashi Jinpachi, freezing him.

Seeing this familiar Ninjutsu, Muzuki’s disciples instantly showed joy on their faces; this was Muzuki’s Ice Release Ninjutsu.

Kakashi completely relaxed; with Muzuki there, even if powerhouses like Yagura Karatachi came, it would be fine.

Obito, covered in black ash, also smiled; with Muzuki there, all crises were resolved—this was the confidence Muzuki gave him.

“You should thank yourselves even more, thank your perseverance and effort, otherwise you wouldn’t have held out until I arrived,” Muzuki said, gently tapping Obito’s forehead and shaking his head.

In fact, Muzuki had arrived much earlier.

When his disciples were involved in such a high-stakes battle, Muzuki himself had already rushed to the battlefield using Flying Thunder God.

Muzuki was ready to make a move several times, as he couldn’t possibly watch Might Duy open the Eight Gates or his disciples perish, but his disciples were very capable, which allowed Muzuki to only start intervening to capture enemies after the battle ended.

“If my experiences were written into a novel, I would probably be criticized for letting my disciples’ lives hover on the brink of death,” Muzuki sighed in his heart.

He felt that being criticized was quite normal; if Muzuki himself had such a teacher, he felt he would probably dislike that teacher.

Even if death could be guaranteed to be avoided, the physical pain still existed; why “torment” them when the enemy could be directly dealt with?

Even though Muzuki himself felt that this method of educating disciples was a bit extreme, he truly had no better way.

If there were better options, he wouldn’t want his disciples to kill on the battlefield; how old were they?

This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and Uchiha Madara was secretly watching his disciples; Muzuki could only do his best to help them become stronger, so they wouldn’t fall into Uchiha Madara’s schemes.

Ultimately, it was because Muzuki wasn’t strong enough; if he had Six Paths-level combat power, then it wouldn’t be so troublesome.

“No matter how much we persevere, it still depends on whether you, Teacher Muzuki, can arrive,” Obito chuckled.

Might Guy gave a thumbs-up, showing an expression of approval, and the other disciples also deeply agreed.

“Thank you for your trust; I’ll take it from here,” Muzuki gave his disciples a gentle smile, then turned to look at the approaching Hidden Mist Ninja.