CHAPTER 183
Three seconds later.
The instant Guy's movements finally came to a halt, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Then, in the very next moment...
"Rasengan!"
Minato Namikaze's calm voice echoed through the raging sea of golden flames.
At the same time, a dazzling azure sphere suddenly illuminated the battlefield less than three meters away from Guy.
It was an extremely compressed ball of violently rotating Chakra.
The signature technique Minato Namikaze had personally developed.
The Rasengan!
"Sensei Minato is alive!"
Obito was the first to shout excitedly.
The single tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly.
The heart that had nearly leapt into his throat finally settled.
The others also breathed sighs of relief, the tension on their faces easing considerably.
However, Kakashi's expression immediately became grave.
That was the Rasengan.
The hand seal-less A-rank Ninjutsu Minato-sensei had spent years perfecting.
It was one of his strongest close-range offensive techniques.
Its destructive power even surpassed Kakashi's current Chidori.
To think that even this technique had been forced out during what was originally supposed to be nothing more than a spar.
"Can Guy... withstand it?"
The thought had barely appeared in Kakashi's mind.
Golden light suddenly erupted around Guy.
An ancient and incomparably solid dark-golden bell phantom instantly materialized.
Countless Sanskrit-like runes shimmered across its surface.
The enormous bell completely enveloped Guy's body without leaving the slightest opening.
"Golden Bell Body Protection!"
Guy's low shout and the Rasengan's violent impact arrived almost simultaneously.
Boom!!!
The Rasengan slammed directly into the Golden Bell.
Instead of an immediate explosion...
A deep, ancient bell toll echoed throughout the battlefield.
Dong!!!
The sound was so heavy it seemed to strike directly against everyone's hearts.
The dark-golden bell trembled violently.
Visible ripples spread across its surface.
The countless ancient runes burst into brilliant light, revolving frantically as they attempted to neutralize the Rasengan's terrifying rotational force and penetrating power.
However...
The Rasengan's destructive force was simply too concentrated.
Its piercing ability was astonishing.
Less than half a second later...
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Dense cracking sounds spread across the bell like ice fracturing beneath overwhelming pressure.
Countless cracks rapidly extended outward from the point where the Rasengan struck.
In the blink of an eye...
The entire Golden Bell Body Protection was covered in fractures.
Then...
Boom!!!
The Golden Bell finally reached its limit.
It exploded into countless fragments of golden Chakra, scattering like glowing stars before gradually fading into the air.
With its greatest obstacle destroyed...
The remaining force of the Rasengan surged forward unhindered.
A violent Chakra explosion instantly engulfed Guy.
Smoke, dust, and the remaining embers from Morning Peacock mixed together.
Within moments, a dense gray cloud completely obscured everyone's vision.
"Guy!"
"Guy-kun!"
Ebisu, Genma, and Rin shouted almost simultaneously.
Without hesitation, Kakashi rushed straight into the smoke.
His silver hair left behind an afterimage as he sprinted forward.
His heartbeat quickened.
Countless worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind.
The moment he broke through the smoke and finally saw the scene within...
The tension in his body disappeared instantly.
He quietly let out a long sigh of relief.
Minato Namikaze stood several meters away.
His golden hair was slightly disheveled.
His breathing was heavier than before.
His clothes bore traces of burns and dust.
Yet aside from looking somewhat exhausted...
He was completely unharmed.
As for Guy...
He lay flat inside a shallow crater formed by the aftermath of the Rasengan.
Completely motionless.
His appearance was miserable.
His green training suit was torn in numerous places.
Dust and broken grass clung to his clothes.
The exposed skin on his arms and face was covered with abrasions and minor burns.
His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to catch his breath.
Sweat soaked every inch of his body as though he had just climbed out of a river.
The azure Chakra steam surrounding him had long since disappeared.
His skin had returned to its normal color.
His complexion was pale from extreme exhaustion.
His eyes remained tightly shut.
It looked as though he no longer possessed enough strength to even lift a finger.
Fortunately...
He was alive.
And from the looks of it...
His injuries weren't life-threatening.
Perhaps sensing someone standing nearby...
Guy slowly opened his eyes.
Seeing Kakashi standing over him...
The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint grin.
With great difficulty...
He slowly raised a thumb.
Looking at Guy's battered appearance and his stubborn smile...
Kakashi couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Yet the tension throughout his body disappeared completely.
"Thankfully... everyone's alright."
Only then did he finally have the presence of mind to look around the battlefield.
His gaze slowly swept across the surrounding area.
Centered around where Guy lay...
Everything within nearly thirty meters had been completely devastated.
The earth was riddled with massive craters and countless spiderweb-like fractures.
Those were all scars left behind by the flame shockwaves from Morning Peacock: Vajra Wild Dance.
Every patch of vegetation had been reduced to blackened ash.
Even the few towering trees that had escaped the direct bombardment now leaned crookedly under the force of the shockwaves.
Their branches were broken.
Their leaves had withered.
The air was thick with smoke, scorched earth, and the lingering scent of burned Chakra.
"This level of destructive power..."
Kakashi silently calculated.
Even if he unleashed Chidori ten consecutive times...
He doubted he could produce devastation on this scale.
"This monster..."
"Just how strong has he become?"
The corner of Kakashi's eye twitched slightly.
The shock in his heart refused to subside.
At that moment...
Obito, Rin, Ebisu, and Genma finally rushed over as well.
The instant Obito confirmed that Guy was still conscious...
All the worry on his face vanished.
Pointing at Guy's miserable appearance, he burst into triumphant laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Serves you right!"
"Now you know just how powerful Minato-sensei really is!"
"Feeling satisfied now?"
"I told you not to get so carried away!"
"Hahaha!"
Obito's loud laughter echoed across the silent battlefield.
However...
The instant his laughter ended...
Minato Namikaze slowly shook his head.
The gentle smile that usually adorned his face had completely disappeared.
What remained was only solemn sincerity.
He quietly looked toward Guy.
Then his gaze slowly swept across everyone present.
Finally, he spoke in a calm yet unmistakably serious voice.
"No, Obito."
"As for that battle just now..."
He paused briefly.
His blue eyes rested firmly on Guy.
They were filled with unmistakable admiration and deep respect.
"The one who truly lost..."
"...was me."
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