Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Tobirama’s Mind Begins to Collapse
"Kazekaze even planned these small battle details…?!"
Tobirama stared blankly at the fight between Kazekaze and Danzo. In his eyes, Kazekaze could have attacked immediately when he moved behind Danzo. But he didn't. Instead, he deliberately revealed his position, forcing Danzo to panic and throw a wild punch. Once Danzo attacked, he had no time to defend. This left his entire body full of openings, and Kazekaze seized the opportunity!
"Danzo has already lost his chance to defend." Tobirama never expected Kazekaze's battle instincts to be this refined.
However— The truth was much simpler. Kazekaze was just messing with Danzo. He wanted him to realize— He, Danzo, was simply too slow. Unaware of Kazekaze's true intentions, Tobirama's mind filled in the gaps. Yes— At this very moment— Tobirama's perspective of Kazekaze had completely changed.
Kazekaze used Danzo's body as a stepping stone, Executing a flawless series of spinning kicks before pressing both feet together and kicking off.
BOOM!
The recoil sent Kazekaze hurtling back to the ground, While Danzo was launched even higher into the air. Pain surged through every part of Danzo's body— But strangely, his mind felt crystal clear. It was as if time had slowed down, Allowing him to see everything— The positions of everyone watching, The exact moment Kazekaze landed, How his heel struck the ground, How the shockwave cracked the dirt beneath him like a spiderweb. Danzo could see everything— But his body wouldn't respond. His fingers, arms, legs— They felt numb, detached from his will.
'Move… move!!!'
Danzo gritted his teeth, screaming internally, Trying to force his body to obey his commands. Meanwhile, Kazekaze effortlessly chased after him mid-air. With a clenched fist, He locked onto Danzo's chest. This next punch— Would end the fight.
Below, on the Ground… Might Bai watched in horrified awe.
'I never expected Kazekaze-sama's taijutsu to be this good.'
Kazekaze's performance was shocking— Every movement, every timing decision was flawless.
"Lord Tobirama… Kazekaze-sama… really has never trained in taijutsu before?"
Might Bai couldn't help but ask. To him, no matter how much of a genius someone was, Without years of rigorous training, They couldn't possibly become an expert. Especially in taijutsu— A discipline where hard work and grueling effort were the only paths forward. There were no shortcuts. But Kazekaze— Kazekaze was a slap in the face to that belief. This was undeniable proof— That monstrous geniuses didn't just exist— They were standing right in front of him. "But… Kazekaze-sama will lose." Might Bai swallowed hard, stating his opinion.
Yes—a seven-year-old unlocking Gate of Life was unprecedented. His taijutsu and strategy were nearly perfect. Even if he or Tobirama had been in Kazekaze's place, Neither would have performed better. But— At seven years old, Kazekaze's greatest flaw was his age itself. Even with Gate of Life boosting his strength, His base stats were simply too low. If Danzo could withstand Kazekaze's next attack, Then Kazekaze—who had pushed his body to its absolute limit— Would become completely defenseless.Danzo would have the perfect opportunity to counterattack.
'If Kazekaze had activated Gate of Closing instead, Danzo would be doomed,' Tobirama mused, crossing his arms.
Even at full power, Kazekaze's Gate of Life punch wouldn't be enough to defeat Danzo. Danzo's physical endurance could withstand the attack. And after that— The fight would flip in Danzo's favor. Kazekaze would be too exhausted to continue. He would lose. However— Even if Kazekaze lost, Tobirama was beyond impressed. He never imagined that at only seven years old, Kazekaze could already use the first three gates of The Eight Inner Gates Release! Not to mention— His battle instincts. His unbelievable talent.
'Kazekaze… you don't need to rush. You're still only seven. You have time to grow. One day, you will lead Konoha into its golden age.' Tobirama's eyes burned with excitement.
"Lord Tobirama…" Might Bai's face had darkened.
"Kazekaze-sama activating Gate of Life at this age is already terrifying enough! But Gate of Closing is the fifth gate of The Eight Inner Gates! If he unlocked that at seven years old, he wouldn't just be a monster—he'd be something far worse."
A seven-year-old unlocking Gate of Closing… The idea alone was beyond terrifying. No— It was impossible! Even unlocking Gate of Pain—the gate before Gate of Closing— Would push Kazekaze into the danger zone. The damage to his body would be irreversible. His seven-year-old frame simply couldn't handle it. The pain from ripping apart his muscles would be enough to knock him unconscious immediately.
"But with Kazekaze-sama's insane talent… I can say for certain— In at most five years, he will master Gate of Closing!" And Might Bai wasn't the only one who believed this.
Tobirama, Sarutobi, Kagami, and the others all thought the same. Especially Danzo. Paralyzed in the air, Danzo gritted his teeth, reminding himself—
'Kazekaze is reaching his limit. This next punch will be his last attack! f I endure it, the match is mine! Victory belongs to me!'
But what they didn't know— Was that Kazekaze never planned to win using only Gate of Life.His real trump card— Was Gate of Pain's full-force burst!
"Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain—OPEN!"
The moment Kazekaze shouted, Every person watching gasped in horror!
Tobirama: "!!!"
Might Bai: "!!!"
Sarutobi and the others: "!!!"
Danzo's mind: "???!?!"
'Is this a joke?! A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD just unlocked GATE OF PAIN?!"
BOOM!
A deep shockwave rang in Kazekaze's ears—But it wasn't from the outside world. It was inside his body. As soon as he opened the Gate of Pain, His right arm's muscle tissue tore apart! Even Kazekaze himself hadn't expected the damage to be this severe. Even with Hashirama's chakra coating his body, It wasn't enough to stop the injury. Worst of all— With his right arm disabled, He couldn't even throw his final punch! For a moment, Both Kazekaze and Danzo hovered in mid-air, frozen.
The situation was ridiculously awkward. 'Is this… the end?' Just as Kazekaze thought it was over, He suddenly felt something. His damaged muscles— Were healing rapidly. As if— The injury never even happened. His eyes widened in pure shock.
'This is… Senju Hashirama's… Regeneration Ability?!' Kazekaze never expected this—
The Eight Inner Gates' bodily damage was being completely negated by his natural bloodline!
'Wait… if I can heal from The Eight Inner Gates' damage instantly…' Kazekaze's eyes lit up.
"Fifth Gate—Gate of Closing—OPEN!"
Tobirama: "!!!"
Might Bai: "!!!"
Danzo: "???"
Danzo: "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"