Uchiha Kagami immediately
activated his Sharingan
, focusing on Kazekaze's
chakra flow
. As Kazekaze
entered the The Eight Inner Gates state
, his
entire presence shifted
— Even
Kagami, watching from the sidelines, felt an overwhelming pressure
.
"Who do you think... will win?" Koharu asked blankly, staring at Kazekaze.
Although Kazekaze had courage and confidence, she knew Danzo much better. Danzo was exceptional in both taijutsu and ninjutsu. And Kazekaze's monstrous Senju strength had been sealed away by Lord Tobirama. Before this match, she couldn't see any scenario where Kazekaze could defeat Danzo. But now? After seeing Kazekaze in his The Eight Inner Gates form... She wasn't so sure anymore. Still, Koharu didn't believe Kazekaze had learned The Eight Inner Gates in just one day. Even if he was a monstrous genius, mastering a forbidden technique overnight was ridiculous! The only explanation— Kazekaze had been secretly training in The Eight Inner Gates long before today!
"...Danzo, probably," Homura said in a
hesitant
voice.
Even
he
didn't notice that his answer
wasn't as certain as before
. Because Kazekaze's
performance
had
completely shattered their expectations
.
"The winner will be Danzo," Sarutobi
declared firmly
.
"Kazekaze-sama being able to
activate The Eight Inner Gates
is surprising, but this isn't an ordinary jutsu," he explained.
"The Eight Inner Gates not only requires
immense natural talent
but also a
physically conditioned body
to handle the strain. Otherwise, the damage to
muscles and tenketsu points
will be
devastating!
"
Even though Sarutobi had
never trained in The Eight Inner Gates himself
, He understood it
very well
. To
use The Eight Inner Gates
, one needed to endure
inhuman training
, pushing the body
far beyond its limits
. Only through
constant, extreme conditioning
could the
bodily strain
from The Eight Inner Gates be
minimized
. And even then— It only
minimized
the damage. Forcing the gates open
too soon
could cause
lifelong injuries
, or even render a ninja
completely crippled
.
"I won't deny it—
Kazekaze-sama, at just seven years old, is a one-in-a-million taijutsu genius!
But to push himself into
such extreme danger
just to beat Danzo... That's
beyond reckless
it's pure madness!
He won't even last long enough to defeat Danzo! His
own muscles will fail him first!
" Sarutobi spoke with
unwavering conviction
.
Though he was
once again stunned
by Kazekaze's talent, He
still
didn't believe Kazekaze could
win
. Unlike Might Bai, who had
trained his body to absurd levels
, Kazekaze's
physical endurance wasn't ready
for The Eight Inner Gates. And yet— Kazekaze himself
knew this better than anyone.
He understood
the consequences
of using The Eight Inner Gates
far more than anyone else here
. That's exactly why— He didn't
immediately
activate
Gate of Pain or Gate of Closing
. Kazekaze
knew his body's limits
. That's why he
stopped at the Third Gate
.
The final safe limit.
This way, his body would only
consume energy at an accelerated rate
, Without suffering
muscle or tenketsu damage
. And as long as he could
keep replenishing
the lost energy using
Hashirama's chakra
, He could
sustain this state.
However...
Not for long.
He had to
end this fight quickly
.
"I'm coming, Danzo!" Kazekaze
shouted
, bending his knees slightly.
Then— With
explosive force
, he
launched himself forward
. Danzo's
eyes widened in shock
. Kazekaze's
speed and strength
had completely
shattered his understanding of reality
.
'He's only seven... and he mastered The Eight Inner Gates?! Didn't they say he never trained in taijutsu before?! How the hell is his body even handling this?!"
No— It wasn't just
unbelievable
. It was
outrageous!
But there was no
denying it
— Kazekaze had
done it.
WHOOSH—
Danzo took a deep breath, moving with
flawless efficiency
. From his ninja pouch, he
drew a kunai
and
immediately threw it at Kazekaze
, While simultaneously
forming hand seals
to unleash a
Wind Release technique
. Danzo's strategy was
simple
. He knew The Eight Inner Gates would
rapidly drain Kazekaze's energy
. All he had to do was
keep Kazekaze at a distance
, Denying him
close combat opportunities
. Once Kazekaze's body
hit its limit
, He would
be forced out of The Eight Inner Gates
. At that point, Danzo could
end the fight however he wanted
.
But what Danzo never
expected
, What he
never even considered possible
— Was that Kazekaze...
vanished.
Yes— He
disappeared!
'Where—where is he?!'
Danzo's
entire body tensed
, His
breathing halted
— Losing sight of his opponent meant
he couldn't even defend himself
. Sweat
dripped from his forehead
. Kazekaze's
pressure
felt like a
mountain crashing down on him
. Without even
realizing it
, Danzo's
hands and legs were trembling
. Then—
A voice.
"I'm right behind you."
Kazekaze's voice
whispered
from
behind Danzo's back
. For a
ninja
, exposing your
back
to the enemy meant— You had already
given them your life
. Your fate— Life or death— Was now
in their hands
. A
cold fear
surged through Danzo. His mouth
opened wide
, His voice
cracking in sheer panic
"I won't lose to you!"
He
swung his fist
as he
spun around
— But then— Kazekaze was
gone again.
No— The moment Danzo
turned
, Kazekaze had
already moved faster
, Circling
behind him again
. This was the same Danzo who would
one day establish Root
, Who orchestrated the
annihilation of the Uchiha Clan
, Who
exploited Pain's invasion
to eliminate political enemies— And now, here he was—
Being toyed with.
"Danzo, you're too slow."
Kazekaze's voice
echoed beside his ear again
. But this time— Kazekaze wasn't
just taunting him.
The
moment
he finished speaking— His
fist clenched tightly
. Then— He
slammed it into Danzo's gut.
BOOM!
Danzo's
feet lifted off the ground
, his
back arched
, A
sharp pain surged from his stomach
, And everything he had eaten that morning— Came
violently out of his mouth
. Kazekaze's
attack chain
had
just begun
. After delivering the
straight punch
, Kazekaze
planted his hands on the ground
, Shifting his
center of gravity
. Then— He
swung his right leg upward
Smashing Danzo's stomach again!
Immediately— Kazekaze
bent his elbow
, Using it to
generate even more power
, Propelling himself off the ground—
Left kick. Right kick.
A
continuous whirlwind of kicks
sent Danzo
higher and higher into the air!