Chapter 331: The Final Symphony of Youth
"Naruto!" "Sasuke!!!"
Outside the Divine Tree, in another crucial battlefield, Sasuke and Naruto exchanged determined glances before shouting at each other.
Without hesitation, Sasuke released the bowstring of his complete Susanoo, sending an arrow infused with Senjutsu chakra hurtling toward Naruto with a fierce momentum.
Naruto was forced to halt.
Having figured out how to use the object behind him, he tried to intercept the arrow with a Truth-Seeking Ball as he had done before.
But this time, it didn't work.
Not only did the arrow remain intact, but the Truth-Seeking Ball was also sent flying back with a sharp "whoosh" due to the overwhelming force.
"Huh? What happened? It worked just fine earlier!"
Having only recently gained the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths along with the power of Yin-Yang Release, Naruto had now reached Six Paths level strength. However, he was still quite clueless about the nature of this power, let alone how to fully harness the potential of the Truth-Seeking Balls.
Understanding Naruto's current confusion, Sasuke seized the opportunity. With large strides, his powerful purple Susanoo charged menacingly toward Naruto.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Seeing this, Naruto instinctively used the jutsu he was most familiar with.
Unfortunately, Kurama was no longer with him.
Naruto subconsciously touched his stomach.
During his battle with Hagoromo Gengetsu, Naruto had become adept at wielding Kurama's chakra through their perfect cooperation.
But now, without Kurama, he felt a deep sense of discomfort.
Fortunately, Naruto's combat instincts, honed through countless battles, were exceptional.
After a brief exchange, Naruto gained a solid understanding of his newfound Six Paths power, gradually mastering it.
Even though Sasuke possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and had activated Sage Mode, he was still at a disadvantage against Naruto's Six Paths Sage Mode.
After dragging out the battle for a while, Sasuke's complete Susanoo was eventually dismantled by Naruto's barrage of massive Wind Release: Super Rasenshurikens.
In the ensuing clash, Sasuke was ultimately defeated.
However, Sasuke didn't display the fierce unwillingness that he had in his younger years.
Calmly standing in Naruto's path, he drew his ninja blade, determined to delay Naruto as long as possible.
"Sasuke, I'm sorry!"
Carrying the weight of his mission, Naruto quickly incapacitated Sasuke and was about to dash toward the Divine Tree.
Sasuke's calm voice echoed from behind him:
"Naruto, do you want to know how I really feel about you?"
Naruto paused.
Before he could respond, Sasuke, lying on the ground and gazing at the sky, began to speak to himself...
---
By the Divine Tree.
Might Guy, still enveloped in a cloak of crimson steam, was breathing even more heavily than before. Staring at the unscathed Hagoromo Gengetsu across from him, he clenched his fists and thought to himself:
"It seems that the Daytime Tiger isn't enough... I'll have to use the Evening Elephant. But..."
Guy's gaze grew serious as he focused on the Truth-Seeking Balls floating behind Hagoromo Gengetsu.
Without Minato teleporting the Truth-Seeking Balls away using Flying Thunder God as in the original timeline, Guy would now have to face seven of them.
If any of these black orbs were to hit him, even with the Eight Gates open, his fate would be sealed.
"If I'm interrupted or delayed again like with the Evening Elephant's fifth step, my body might not be able to handle it, and I won't be able to do anything to Hagoromo Gengetsu. However..."
Guy recalled the trajectory of the Truth-Seeking Balls that had attacked him earlier.
When he retreated to about seventy meters away, just as he was about to continue retreating, the Truth-Seeking Balls had suddenly halted, returning to Hagoromo Gengetsu.
"Is the effective range seventy meters?" Guy quickly surmised.
Though he often gave the impression of being recklessly hot-blooded and less intelligent than someone like Kakashi, Guy was a highly competent ninja. He had surpassed his father, Might Duy, who could also open the Eight Gates but remained a lowly Genin, to become a Jonin and a respected teacher.
Guy had earlier deduced that Hagoromo Gengetsu specifically targeted him because of the Eight Gates technique.
Now, as he prepared to unleash the full extent of his youthful fervor, he quickly deduced the limitations of the Truth-Seeking Balls.
Not only did they have a limited attack range, but their speed was also relatively slow.
"However, those black orbs are right by Hagoromo Gengetsu's side and can instantly form protective barriers around him. To land a decisive hit, I need those black orbs to be far away from him!"
With this realization, Guy shifted his gaze from Hagoromo Gengetsu to the towering Divine Tree in the background.
This tree hadn't been here before.
But now, it was.
Clearly, it was Hagoromo Gengetsu's doing.
Although Guy didn't know what the tree was for, the fact that Hagoromo Gengetsu was guarding it meant it was crucial to him.
"In that case..."
Guy didn't hesitate any longer. Stepping forward with his right foot, he bent forward, his hands gripping the ground.
"Gather!"
Boom!!!
The crimson steam surrounding Guy erupted violently.
A massive crater formed beneath him.
Far more intense than before, the crimson steam billowed upward.
Seeing this, Hagoromo Gengetsu swiftly analyzed Guy's condition with his Rinnegan.
He observed that, after opening the Eight Gates, Guy's once-vigorous chakra at the heart point had dimmed in an instant, leaving only a faint blue flame.
"Preparing for the final strike, the Evening Elephant, are you?"
Hagoromo Gengetsu's expression grew more serious than ever.
The seven Truth-Seeking Balls quickly circled around him, ready to form multiple layers of protective barriers at a moment's notice.
Roar!!!
At the same time, the crimson steam swirling around Guy condensed and, with a thunderous roar, took the form of a majestic dragon.
The colossal, ferocious chakra of the Eight Gates fully erupted, swirling around like a typhoon.
Even Hagoromo Gengetsu had to raise his arms to shield himself as he stared intently at the increasingly powerful crimson dragon head before him.
Unlike Madara, who had excitedly proclaimed Guy the strongest taijutsu user, Hagoromo Gengetsu calmly observed the scene.
Until Guy shouted:
"Flow!"
Boom!!!!!
With his power fully gathered, Guy launched himself forward. Riding the crimson dragon, he charged toward the Divine Tree with unstoppable force, the earth shaking beneath him.
"Eh?"
Preparing to face the strongest taijutsu, Hagoromo Gengetsu was caught off guard by this unexpected move.
"Using your head now?"
Seeing that Guy was about to bypass him, Hagoromo Gengetsu, understanding Guy's intent, wasted no time in unleashing a speed that even the Truth-Seeking Balls struggled to match, moving to intercept him.
"Now's the time!!!"
With a mighty kick, Guy shouted:
"Evening Elephant!!!"