Chapter 428: Mu Yue, Never Late (6.2k)

Chapter 428: Mu Yue, Never Late (6.2k)



When Might Guy first started learning the breathing technique, Mu Yue, his teacher, introduced him to the three stages of breath control.

The first stage was called "Total Concentration Breathing," which allowed one to intensely focus their breathing and enhance their physical abilities. Mastering this stage marked the initiation into the breathing technique.

The second stage was "Total Concentration Breathing: Constant," which involved maintaining a relatively concentrated state of breathing 24 hours a day. Mastering this step led to a significant enhancement in one's physique, and the powerful boosts offered by the breathing technique began to manifest. Completing the "Constant" stage indicated proficiency in the breathing technique.

The third and final stage was the "Breathing Technique's Chakra Mode," and the effects varied depending on the breathing technique used. Might Guy, a practitioner of the Rock Breathing technique, experienced a chakra mode that strengthened his body comprehensively, granting him immense power. Only upon reaching this stage could one be said to have truly grasped the profound power of the breathing technique.

Mu Yue, a master of the Rock Breathing technique, had once lightly poked her finger toward a river several dozen meters away, causing a splash of water tens of meters high. This display had left a deep impression on Might Guy, who was still a student at the Ninja Academy at the time. Inspired, he had diligently practiced the Rock Breathing technique, aspiring to attain Mu Yue's level of strength.

The breathing technique was notoriously challenging, and Rock Breathing was considered one of the more difficult ones. Aside from the fact that entering the Rock Breathing chakra mode was exceptionally hard, Might Guy had consistently lagged in his training compared to others.

However, in the beginning, Might Guy had been ahead in his progress. He was the first disciple to be able to apply the breathing technique in combat.

The reason for his early lead was not due to anything other than the fact that Might Guy had comprehended the power and significance of Rock Breathing during a battle to protect his father's honor.

Now, Might Guy's state had returned to that moment when he had first grasped the power of Rock Breathing, or perhaps even surpassed it!

Because in this battle, what he needed to protect was even more important and numerous.

"The way of rock's strength lies in protection," Might Guy murmured to himself.

Although he had never entered the Rock Breathing chakra mode before, at this moment, he was confident.

It wasn't a baseless confidence, but his breathing was telling him that he was ready!

"Rock Breathing Chakra Mode!"

Might Guy clenched his fists tightly, his eyes widened, and his heart pounded wildly. At this moment, his breathing had reached an unprecedented pinnacle.

Power surged within him, and with each breath, he could feel a tremendous force welling up throughout his body—a force he had never felt before.

Of course, this power came at a cost, as the chakra within Might Guy's body was rapidly burning away.

The first to notice the change in Might Guy was his companion, Kakashi.

Kakashi, also a practitioner of breath control, instantly detected the shift in Might Guy's breathing.

Then, Might Guy's opponents became aware. As experienced assassins, they immediately sensed that their adversary had transformed the moment he entered the Rock Breathing chakra mode.

"What's this guy's background, and he's still getting stronger?" Ao, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, was puzzled and frustrated by how oppressive the fight had become.

They were the prestigious Seven Ninja Swordsmen, yet in their battle against a few ten-year-old children, one of their own had nearly perished. On top of that, their opponents seemed to be cheating, growing stronger and stronger.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Might Guy they faced now could easily defeat the Might Guy they had encountered at the start of the battle.

Ao, the sword-wielding ninja, took a leap backward to create some distance and channeled a large amount of chakra into his twin blades, preparing to launch an attack on Might Guy.

Kuroari, another member of the group, manipulated the steel wires in his hands to restrict Might Guy's dodging space.

And Biwako, the third ninja, formed hand seals and spat out a thick water dragon bullet to entangle Might Guy.

The three of them had a clear division of labor, each responsible for a specific task.

"Morning Peacock!"

Might Guy punched with extreme speed—so fast that even Kakashi couldn't clearly see how many punches he had thrown in that instant.

The powerful punches created friction with the air, generating flames. Due to the incredible speed of his fists, a fireball had formed in an instant.

The fireball, propelled by the wind of Might Guy's punches, rushed toward the oncoming water dragon.

Boom!!

The water dragon was engulfed by the flames and instantly evaporated, leaving behind lingering flames that forced Kuroari to abandon his control over the steel wires and retreat.

"This is unbelievable," Biwako exclaimed, his face twisted in disbelief.

He had never encountered such a situation before. His Water Style jutsu had just been evaporated by the Fire Style jutsu created by someone else's body technique.

Biwako rubbed his solid body, thinking that if those rapid and dense punches landed on him, his fate wouldn't be much better than the water dragon's.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Ao completed his charge and raised his large sword, releasing a chakra sphere toward Might Guy.

"Konoha Shoudou!"

Might Guy channeled a massive amount of chakra into his palm and unleashed a powerful palm strike at the incoming chakra sphere, sending forth a transparent wave of force.

Rumbling filled the air!

The chakra sphere and the transparent wave of force collided, creating a series of pits of varying depths on the ground. Yellowish-gray dust obscured Might Guy's figure.

Kuroari, a elite member of the Kirigakure, noticed the disturbance within the dust cloud. He and his fellow elite Kirigakure ninjas had received special training. Whether it was this dust cloud or the high-concentration chakra mist created by the Hidden Mist Jutsu, they could move through them unimpeded.

Kuroari's mind had processed what was happening, but his body couldn't keep up with Might Guy's speed.

There was nothing fancy about this punch; it was pure, raw power.

Yet, this simple punch caused Kuriyari to spit out a mouthful of blood, and the intense pain contorted his face.

Ao's expression changed abruptly as he realized that Might Guy had transformed somehow, his strength increasing exponentially out of thin air.

Not only had Might Guy blocked his chakra sphere with Empty Palm Strike, but his full-blast speed had also caught Kuriyari off guard.

Suika Iwa Fukuroki's face turned gloomy as he witnessed Might Guy's sudden valiant display.

It was utterly embarrassing for the prestigious Seven Ninja Swordsmen, renowned throughout the ninja world, to be pushed to such a corner by a few ten-year-old Konoha ninjas.

If word of this got out, they would become a laughingstock in Kirigakure, while Kakashi's team would rise to fame.

"What's with this green brat? He's fighting three of us and still manages to injure Kuriyari," Murasame said, his sinister smile vanishing as his expression turned grave.

They weren't ordinary Kirigakure jonin; they were the prestigious Seven Ninja Swordsmen, directly under the command of the Mizukage. How could Might Guy possibly possess such strength?

"You go help them. I'll take care of these brats here," Suika Iwa Fukuroki said in a low voice.

Most of the Konoha ninjas on their side were injured and weakened, and Suika Iwa Fukuroki was confident he could finish them off alone.

Murasame nodded and wasted no time rushing towards Might Guy.

"As expected, Guy is always the man we can count on," Kakashi thought to himself.

Whenever they were in a dire situation, Might Guy would always step up and withstand the pressure.

"But can Guy's current body handle the strain of the Rock Breathing Chakra Mode and the sixth gate of the Eight Inner Gates?" Kakashi worried.

Although Kakashi hadn't cultivated the Eight Inner Gates or the Rock Breathing technique himself, he had some understanding of them, partly from his battles with Might Guy and partly from what Mu Yue had told him.

After all, Mu Yue had cultivated both the Eight Inner Gates and the Rock Breathing technique, so Kakashi naturally wouldn't hide anything when asking her about them.

Opening the third gate and beyond of the Eight Inner Gates would cause a certain degree of damage to one's body. If the body was strong enough, the damage would be minimal or even negligible.

On the contrary, if the body wasn't strong enough, the damage could be severe. Kakashi was concerned about Might Guy's body, as he had not only forcibly opened the sixth gate but also entered the Rock Breathing Chakra Mode to further enhance his strength.

"I need to find a way to end this battle quickly," Kakashi thought, clenching his short blade.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more damage Might Guy would sustain. Ending the fight sooner would minimize the harm.

Kakashi glanced at Obito, who was not only injured but also running low on chakra. To maintain the Fire Breathing Chakra Mode, he had even deactivated his Sharingan.

Their current state was a disadvantage, but it also presented an opportunity, as their enemies might underestimate them because of it.

Obito met Kakashi's gaze and understood his plan. He gathered the last bit of chakra he had left.

"It has to work..." Kakashi exhaled.

He wasn't worried about Obito's ability to execute his plan but about whether he himself could seize the opportunity that Obito would create.

Kakashi's remaining chakra was barely enough. He didn't know if he could deliver a fatal or heavily damaging blow to Suika Iwa Fukuroki with the little chakra he had left.

However, Kakashi had no other choice. In their current state, they couldn't afford a prolonged battle. Kakashi was their only hope of severely injuring Suika Iwa Fukuroki, and they had to take this last gamble.

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

Facing Suika Iwa Fukuroki, who was approaching with his sword drawn, Obito ignited his entire body with the last of his chakra, enveloping himself in flames.

"Fire Style: Blazing Barrage!"

This was one of the more powerful fire-style ninjutsu he had mastered, and it was the strongest fire technique he could muster in his current state.

Suika Iwa Fukuroki intended to slice Obito down with his sword, but Samehada resisted, sensing the extremely high temperature of Obito's body.

"Water Style: Water Whip!"

Suika Iwa Fukuroki hesitated for a moment before deciding against using Samehada to cut down Obito, who had suddenly turned into a miniature fireball. Instead, he gathered a large amount of chakra in his palm and formed a water whip.

Just as Suika Iwa Fukuroki's water whip was about to strike Obito, the flames on Obito's body erupted and exploded.

BOOM!

The explosion sent Obito flying, and he crashed to the ground. Suika Iwa Fukuroki was also affected by the blast.

Suika Iwa Fukuroki was astonished. He hadn't expected Obito to resort to such a suicidal attack, and Kirigakure didn't train specialized suicide attackers. Moreover, Obito didn't seem like the type to be a martyr.

Suika Iwa Fukuroki was relieved that the ninjas on his side were mostly combat-ineffective by now. Even with this unexpected turn of events, it was only a minor setback.

"Thunderclap Flash: Lightning Speed!"

As Kakashi once again pushed his breathing control to the extreme, he was astonished to find that despite his near-depleted chakra, he had successfully gathered a formidable surge of power.

A flash of yellow lightning streaked by, and Suika Iwa Fukuroki instantly felt dizzy and disoriented, only to see a headless, massive corpse lying on the ground.

"So fast..." Before the thought could fully form in his mind, Suika Iwa Fukuroki lost consciousness.

"Huff, huff."

After delivering the fatal blow, Kakashi knelt on the ground, clutching his heart and panting heavily.

Although his body felt exceptionally uncomfortable at the moment, Kakashi's heart was filled with indescribable joy. He had succeeded. He had protected his comrades with his own strength.

Even though he had only killed one person, this victory held immense significance for the entire battlefield.

On Might Dai's side, they held the advantage. Facing two of the Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Might Dai couldn't spare any attention, and the four Ninja Swordsmen engaging with Might Guy were equally preoccupied.

Going forward, Kakashi and his team only needed to seize the opportunity to recover and become the force that would break the balance.

However, Kakashi realized that he had underestimated the power of the Eight Inner Gates combined with the Rock Breathing Chakra Mode.

"Golden Horizon!"

Might Guy extended his index and middle fingers, once again unleashing the strongest taijutsu he currently possessed. With a sword-wielding gesture, he released a dazzling golden line that blossomed on the battlefield.

The water wall split in two before the golden line, and Kurayukimaru's steel wires snapped. Biwako Juzou raised his beheading sword to block.

Clang!

To Biwako Juzou's shock, the massive beheading sword shattered into pieces, becoming a broken blade.

Boom!!

The residual force knocked Biwako Juzou flying, sending him crashing to the ground seventeen meters away.

"How is this possible? My beheading sword was easily broken by a taijutsu!" Biwako Juzou's eyes widened, his world view shattering.

His beheading sword could easily block ninjutsu, but despite having multiple layers of protection, it had been broken by Might Guy's taijutsu. This left Biwako Juzou feeling like his entire worldview was collapsing.

Nashi Jyahachi, Ao Fukabire, and Kurayukimaru were all startled. If given another chance, they would definitely not engage in battle with Kakashi's team so lightly. At the very least, they would call for five more Kirigakure jonin to join forces in a surround attack.

"Things are taking a bad turn," thought Toranomono, his eyes narrowing as thoughts of retreat emerged in his mind.

With the death of Suika Iwa Fukuroki and Biwako Juzou heavily injured and no longer combat-effective, the Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had suffered nearly half their casualties. If the battle continued, they might all perish here.

Kuroari Raiya glanced at Toranomono, his thoughts mirroring those of his comrade. They were both contemplating escape.

Might Guy's performance was too frightening. Was he a genius? No, he was clearly a rising powerhouse.

From here on out, Kakashi's team wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Might Guy, along with Might Dai, could grind their opponents into the dust.

"Wood Leaf Dragon God!"

After the Golden Horizon technique, Might Guy utilized his formidable strength to kick out a thick, coiled dragon made of chakra, severely injuring Nashi Jyahachi.

This Wood Leaf Dragon God technique completely destroyed the Ninja Swordsmen's will to fight.

Biwako Juzou, who had been knocked flying and injured, quietly began to retreat towards the rear.

Ao Fukabire fired a chakra sphere at Might Guy before turning tail and fleeing without a second glance.

Kurayukimaru used a body flicker technique to move back and forth between the trees, also making his escape.

Realizing that he was now alone, Nashi Jyahachi cursed under his breath and threw several explosive tags before taking off as well.

Kuroari Raiya and Toranomono joined forces to temporarily repel Might Dai, then they too made a hasty retreat.

While their combat coordination was questionable, the Ninja Swordsmen displayed remarkable unity when it came to fleeing.

Might Guy initially gave chase and struck out with a palm strike from mid-air, but he didn't pursue them further.

His body had reached its limit, and successfully protecting his comrades was enough. There was no need to kill all their enemies.

Kakashi's tense heart finally relaxed. Once again, they had broken through a desperate situation through their own efforts.

However, Kakashi didn't let down his guard completely. They were still on the battlefield, and until they returned to their camp, they could encounter new enemies at any moment.

In their current state, even an ordinary jonin team couldn't be taken lightly. Except for Might Dai, their team had no combat power once Might Guy exited the Eight Inner Gates and the Rock Breathing Chakra Mode.

Just then, a blue-white beam of light struck the retreating Nashi Jyahachi, freezing him in place.

Recognizing this familiar ninjutsu, the disciples of Mu Yue couldn't help but smile. It was Mu Yue's Ice Release ninjutsu!

Kakashi finally relaxed completely. With Mu Yue here, even strong opponents like Kaji Yuzu wouldn't pose a problem.

Tobirama, covered in black soot, also smiled. With Mu Yue around, any crisis would be averted.

Seeing that Kakashi's team had received more reinforcements, the remaining Ninja Swordsmen members spared no effort in their escape.

Biwako Juzou's face darkened. Although he had been the first to run, his injuries slowed him down, and he was now one of the stragglers, second only to Nashi Jyahachi.

Just as Tobirama was reminiscing about his life, an ice wall sprang up beside him, blocking the incoming ray of frigid energy.

"Thank you, Mizu-san." Tobirama expressed his gratitude as he noticed Mizu appearing before him.

Mizu nodded slightly and turned his gaze toward the frozen Nashi, a curious expression on his face. "So, you've also mastered Ice Style. How intriguing."

The sudden appearance of Mizu caused the remaining members of the Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to halt their retreat. Soon, several more Kirigakure ninja ran up to Mizu, having come from the direction he had approached.

"It's that Jonin whose chakra was absorbed," Tobirama recognized one of the Kirigakure ninja.

The Kirigakure Jonin was surprised to see Tobirama and his team fleeing like scared dogs, his expression reflecting his bewilderment.

After having his chakra absorbed, he felt that staying on the battlefield was dangerous, so he refined a bit of chakra and left. Coincidentally, he ran into Mizu, who was nearby searching for Wood Leaf ninja to hunt, and he ended up bringing Mizu to the battle.

The Wood Leaf ninja they encountered this time were incredibly talented. The Jonin worried that the Ninja Swordsmen might not be able to kill them all, and letting even one escape would pose a threat.

However, the current situation left him perplexed. When he had left, the Ninja Swordsmen had held a significant advantage, yet in just a short while, they had been beaten to such a state.

"Those who are injured can retreat. If you wish to continue fighting, you may stay and help me deal with the Wood Leaf ninja," Mizu said indifferently.

The reason he didn't force the Ninja Swordsmen to stay and fight was twofold: firstly, he had no authority to command them, and secondly, he was confident in his own strength.

Mizu was confident that he could defeat anyone except Orochimaru among the ninja in the world, including the Might Trio combined.

He hadn't heard of any Ice Style users in the Wood Leaf, so he wasn't concerned about the Ninja Swordsmen retreating.

Toranomono, Kuroari, and Ao chose to stay, while the injured Tobirama and Kuriyari opted to retreat.

Toranomono and the others could have left as well, but they felt that this situation was too embarrassing. If they didn't fight alongside Mizu and turn the tables, they would likely become a laughingstock in Kirigakure.

Of course, they weren't the type to fight to the death for the sake of their reputation. The main reason they stayed was Mizu's formidable strength.

He was a renowned powerhouse in Kirigakure, second only to Kaji Yuzu on the entire battlefield.

With Mizu, the remaining Ninja Swordsmen, and the additional Jonin and Chunin he had brought, their force was unbeatable unless one of the Sannin, like Orochimaru, showed up.

Mizu precisely shattered the ice encasing Nashi, freeing him from his frozen state, and then turned to face Kakashi and his team.

Upon seeing that the Kirigakure ninja had stopped fleeing, Mu Yue ceased her attacks and, along with her shadow clone, began treating her injured disciples.

After all, she was merely a somewhat well-known Jonin in the Wood Leaf, and these famous ninja from the Hidden Mist would undoubtedly seek her out.

"Teacher Mu Yue, your timing is impeccable as always," Obito said, brushing off the black soot on his body and smiling.

With Mu Yue around, Obito felt completely at ease. No crisis was insurmountable with the miraculous Mu Yue by their side—this was the confidence she instilled in her disciples.

"You should thank yourselves for your perseverance and hard work. If not for that, I wouldn't have arrived in time," Mu Yue said, gently tapping Obito's forehead with her finger and shaking her head.

In truth, Mu Yue had arrived much earlier.

With her disciples engaged in such a high-stakes battle, she had immediately rushed to the battlefield using the Flying Thunder God technique.

There were several instances where Mu Yue had almost intervened, especially when Might Guy was about to open the Eighth Gate or when her disciples were in mortal peril. But they had persevered, and she had waited until the battle's conclusion to step in and save them.

"If my experiences were written as a novel, I'd probably be criticized for putting my disciples' lives on the line like this," Mu Yue thought to herself.

She felt that such criticism would be justified. If she had a teacher like herself, she believed she would come to dislike that teacher.

Even if they were guaranteed survival, the physical pain they endured was still very real. Why put them through such a "trial by fire" when she could directly deal with their enemies?

While Mu Yue acknowledged that her method of teaching was extreme, she couldn't think of a better alternative.

If she had a choice, she wouldn't want her disciples to be killing on the battlefield at such a young age.

It was a world where only the strong survived, and somewhere in the shadows, Uchiha Madara was plotting against her disciples. Mu Yue could only do her best to help them grow stronger so that they wouldn't fall prey to Madara's schemes.

Ultimately, it boiled down to her own insufficient strength. If she possessed the power of the Six Paths, things wouldn't have been so complicated.

"No matter how hard we persevere, it's still up to you to arrive in time, Teacher," Obito said with a cheeky grin.

Might Guy gave a thumbs-up, indicating his agreement, and the other disciples shared the same sentiment.

"I appreciate your trust in me. Now, leave the rest to me," Mu Yue said, offering a gentle smile to her disciples before turning to face the approaching Kirigakure ninja.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end