Chapter 138: The Final Victor
"Something's not right! Something's very, very wrong!" Asuma Sarutobi watched in awe.
"Hoshikawa's taijutsu is actually this powerful?" In his mind, Might Guy's taijutsu was universally acknowledged as the best among their group. Aside from the Eight Inner Gates, his dedication far surpassed theirs. But what was up with Hoshikawa? Asuma didn't even know when he had learned all these taijutsu.
"Hoshikawa-senpai and Guy-senpai are using the same taijutsu," Shisui Uchiha said after a moment's thought. "Did they both learn from Duy-ojisan?"
"Could Hoshikawa also know the Eight Inner Gates?" Kakashi Hatake's face changed slightly as he asked. If Hoshikawa really did, just how much power was he still hiding?
"He doesn't," Kurenai Yuhi said, shaking her head. "Hoshikawa said the Eight Inner Gates takes too long to learn, so he didn't."
"That's a relief," Asuma said, exhaling. "At least the gap isn't that big."
"It's not that big?" Shizune asked dryly. Asuma's expression instantly froze. Based on Hoshikawa's performance, he had no idea how long it would take to catch up.
"I'm Hoshikawa's teammate, and even I didn't know he had such strong taijutsu," Rin Nohara said, surprised that Hoshikawa seemed to be a jack-of-all-trades. She couldn't understand how he had so much energy and how he was so good at everything he did. Geniuses really don't make sense.
"What's the use of taijutsu?" Obito Uchiha mumbled. Seeing the look on Rin's face was like a knife to his heart. Painful! So painful! The worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. He felt like he was watching Rin fall into Hoshikawa's arms.
"This is youth! WAAAAH!" Just then, an unrestrained, self-indulgent shout filled their ears. They instinctively looked toward the stands. Might Duy had stood up, his fists clenched, his face soaked with tears, as he excitedly spouted words of youth.
The audience around him looked at him strangely, but Duy ignored their looks. To him, seeing Might Guy's youth blossom for all the world to see was worth dying for. And Hoshikawa was half his student as well. Today was undoubtedly the day for taijutsu to prove its worth. Many ninjas' biases against taijutsu users had been changed. After all, if they were in the arena, they might not have been able to handle their attacks.
"Who is that?" Jiraiya's eyes widened. He thought his Gamabunta Sage Jiraiya opening monologue was special enough, but he didn't expect to see another master of the form.
"That's Might Guy's father, Might Duy," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, trying not to laugh. In his eyes, this father-son duo was simply too bizarre.
"He's not a jōnin?" Jiraiya asked, raising an eyebrow. As one of Konoha's leaders, he knew all the jōnin.
"He's just a genin," Hiruzen said after a pause. "Judging from Guy's Eight Inner Gates, his strength is probably more than just a genin." If you could open three of the Eight Inner Gates, your strength would surpass that of a chūnin. Since Might Guy knew the Eight Inner Gates, he had most likely learned it from Might Duy.
"Why hasn't he taken the Chūnin Exams?" Jiraiya asked with a chuckle. "A father and son taking the Chūnin Exams at the same time is, in a way, quite..." He couldn't find the right word.
"Their warm-up is over," Hiruzen said, looking at the center of the arena.
Hoshikawa's taijutsu was actually inferior to Guy's. But his strength was greater, and he had a taijutsu power-up trait, so the two of them were at a stalemate. But this was a match, not a practice session, and a winner had to be decided.
BOOM!
Guy and Hoshikawa's fists collided, and the tremendous force made him retreat. He didn't stop himself but instead created some distance.
"Hoshikawa!" Guy shouted. "This is my full power! Because my father said that youth cannot have regrets!"
"Go ahead," Hoshikawa said, knowing that Guy was about to use the Eight Inner Gates. His expression became serious.
"Eight Inner Gates!"
A strong wind suddenly erupted around Guy. It was a shockwave caused by a huge amount of chakra gushing out all at once. The dust on the ground spread out from him like a ripple. Hoshikawa's hair and clothes fluttered wildly. He felt a bit of a chokehold.
"Gate of Opening, open! Gate of Healing, open! Gate of Life, open!" Guy's hair stood on end, and his face twisted as his veins bulged. A green chakra enveloped his entire body.
"Here it comes!" Asuma Sarutobi said with a grave tone. He had been defeated by Guy with three gates open and was completely helpless. In his opinion, before the gates opened, Guy's strength was that of a chūnin, but after they opened, he was on par with a special jōnin.
Kurenai looked nervous. While she believed in Hoshikawa, Guy's performance earlier was simply terrifying.
Shisui Uchiha activated his Sharingan. In his normal state, he could see Guy's movements clearly, but with three gates open, it was getting difficult. With his Sharingan, he could see more details.
Obito Uchiha clenched his fists. Guy, you have to win! If Hoshikawa won the Chūnin Exams, they would be forced to live in his shadow. After all, only the first place would be remembered.
"Hoshikawa! This is the move I've been saving for you! Reverse Lotus!" Guy said with burning passion.
A screeching sound like a thousand birds erupted. Hearing the words Reverse Lotus, Hoshikawa didn't hesitate to use Chidori Stream. Countless lightning bolts surrounded him, flashing and creating a very comprehensive defense. In the next second, Guy charged toward Hoshikawa at a speed that surpassed the speed of sound. He really did. The Reverse Lotus was a super-sonic attack. In the original story, Rock Lee with five gates opened used the Reverse Lotus to defeat Gaara, who had no way to fight back.
Hoshikawa could only be glad that Guy had only opened three gates. Guy kicked out.
BOOM!
He was forced back a half-step. Guy pressed his advantage, as if he was throwing dozens of punches and kicks in an instant. Hoshikawa was immediately at a disadvantage. But because of the Chidori Stream, Guy couldn't throw out his bandages to entangle him and could only fight him up close. Hoshikawa felt that he could block four out of five punches, and the last one, weakened by his Chidori Stream defense, still hurt. In a normal situation, this cumulative damage would be serious, but he had the B-rank trait Seal-less Healing, so he could heal instantly. Thus, even at a disadvantage, he was still full of life.
A huge roar echoed in the air. The shockwaves from their clashing fists and feet swept across the ground, sending dust and debris flying. Hiruzen quickly ordered the barrier team to set up a barrier to protect the villagers.
"Can taijutsu ninjas really get to this level?" Sakumo Hatake said slowly.
"Guy is the most diligent ninja I've ever seen, and he's also the one with the best taijutsu talent," Minato Namikaze said in a low voice.
"That's true," Tsunade agreed. And his art style and personality are unmatched.
"Don't you guys think Hoshikawa is even more terrifying?" Kushina Uzumaki asked, her eyes sparkling.
"While the Eight Inner Gates is powerful, it doesn't last long," Sakumo Hatake said with a nod. "If he only opens three gates, he will lose."
"How many gates can he open?" Tsunade asked, looking at Minato.
"I don't know," Minato said, shaking his head. "Even as his sensei, I've only ever seen him use three gates at most."
"My gut tells me that Hoshikawa will win," Sakumo Hatake said with a smile.
At the edge of the arena.
"Isn't that your Chidori Stream? How does Hoshikawa know it too?" Asuma Sarutobi felt a sense of hopelessness. He had been beaten like a dog by Guy with three gates open. But Hoshikawa? He was actually holding his own. It really was true what they said: the gap between people can sometimes be bigger than the gap between a person and a dog.
Hoshikawa helped me develop the Chidori Stream, so I taught it to him. Kakashi Hatake suddenly realized something. Hoshikawa hadn't used the Chidori Stream during their fight. At the same time, he was also wondering, Is the defense of the Chidori Stream really that high?
Obito Uchiha subconsciously looked at Rin. Her face was filled with worry. He then looked at Guy and prayed in his heart, Please! You have to beat him!
At the center of the arena.
BOOM!
Guy pulled back again, creating some distance. He looked at Hoshikawa, breathing heavily. The long and intense battle had drained his stamina. If this kept up, he wouldn't win. There was only one way.
"Hoshikawa, you're too strong!" Guy roared. "Gate of Pain, open!" If the first three gates were the safe zone, then the fourth gate, the Gate of Pain, was the real Eight Inner Gates state. While it further increased his attack and speed, his body couldn't handle it and began to suffer side effects.
"Gate of Limit, open!" Guy shouted, word for word.
Chakra gushed into the sky, and a terrifying aura swept out.
"Guy, don't push yourself," Hoshikawa said as a warning. In the original story, Rock Lee with five gates open was left crippled. If not for Tsunade, he would have lost his chance to be a ninja. Although Guy was stronger than Lee, he was still young.
"Guy!" Might Duy's voice was heard. "You've reached your limit! Don't push it! This isn't a life-or-death battle!"
"I know," Guy said with a slight nod, then looked at Hoshikawa and shouted, "Reverse Lotus!" The same name, but with five gates, the Reverse Lotus was a step above the three-gate version. He charged toward Hoshikawa. Wherever he went, the ground cracked instantly, and debris flew.
Lightning Release Body!
Because of the lightning from his Chidori Stream, Hoshikawa didn't look any different. But only he knew that his attack, speed, and defense had all increased by 100%. He stood still, looking at Guy, and felt a pressure like a mountain.
Mystical Palm Technique!
Hoshikawa clenched his fist and threw a punch. The air vibrated. The ground around them turned to dust. A swirling, twisting cloud of smoke and dust rolled out from the center of the arena.
Before the smoke cleared, a figure was sent flying. It was Might Guy. Hoshikawa was still standing where he was. The ground around him had collapsed, but the ground beneath his feet remained intact. The entire arena was silent.
...............
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