CHAPTER 159
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Almost everyone unconsciously stopped fighting.
Every gaze turned toward the area about to be engulfed by the descending Dust Release.
The Iwagakure Ninja wore cruel smiles.
In their eyes, once the Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release landed...
At least half of the more than thirty Konoha Shinobi gathered there would be annihilated.
The expressions of Konoha's Shinobi became incomparably grim.
They had also recognized the people trapped within the Dust Release's range.
Deputy Commander Inoichi Yamanaka.
Asuma Sarutobi, the Third Hokage's son.
Along with the many Chunin and Genin trapped in the center, their faces filled with despair as they realized they no longer had enough time to escape.
Many Konoha Ninja were simply too far away to help.
Some even closed their eyes in despair.
However...
At that very instant...
Everyone suddenly saw a figure wrapped in dark green steam, streaked with strands of azure blue...
Explode upward from the very edge of the Dust Release's attack range.
That figure charged directly into the center of the battlefield.
Then...
Under the astonished gaze of both armies...
One second before the Dust Release descended...
The entire area erupted first.
A heaven shaking explosion burst forth.
A furious beast's roar echoed across the battlefield.
For a fleeting moment...
Golden phantoms of a tiger and a dragon appeared amidst the violent shockwave.
Immediately afterward...
The overwhelming white light of Dust Release swallowed everything.
...
Three seconds earlier.
The instant Ōnoki spread his hands and the enormous Dust Release cube took shape...
Guy immediately sensed an overwhelming crisis of life and death.
With one glance...
He judged the trajectory of the attack.
Its target...
Wasn't White Fang.
It was the battlefield below.
More precisely...
The area where he and the others were fighting.
At that moment...
Guy stood near the very edge of the Dust Release's range.
With his current speed...
He could retreat instantly.
Escaping the attack without difficulty.
But...
Kurenai.
Shikuro Nara.
Inoichi Yamanaka.
And many more Konoha Shinobi...
Were trapped within the center of the attack.
He could escape.
They couldn't.
Beside Inoichi stood a Konoha Jonin.
Another Jonin secretly protected Asuma Sarutobi.
Those two might barely escape.
But the dozen or so remaining Chunin and Genin...
Including Kurenai and Shikuro...
Had no chance whatsoever.
Given both their positions and their speed...
They would certainly be consumed by Dust Release.
"I won't allow that!!"
Guy roared.
Violent Chakra burst from every tenketsu across his body.
"Eight Gates!"
"Fourth Gate!"
"Gate of Pain!"
"Open!"
"Boom!"
Dark green Chakra steam exploded outward.
The surrounding air trembled violently.
Yet...
It still wasn't enough.
Guy fixed his eyes straight ahead.
The raging Chakra within his body surged once again toward the next Gate.
"Fifth Gate!"
"Gate of Limit!"
"Open!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
An explosion several times more violent than before erupted.
The very atmosphere seemed to shatter beneath the terrifying release of power.
The dark green Chakra steam surrounding Guy instantly transformed.
As though ignited by overwhelming life force...
Part of that green gradually shifted.
It became an even purer...
Even more violent...
Azure blue.
It wasn't the pale blue of ordinary Chakra.
Nor the blue associated with Water Release.
It was the blazing azure born when life itself burned at its absolute limit.
Dark green and azure blue intertwined together.
Like a savage beast roaring into existence.
Bulging veins spread beneath Guy's skin like the roots of an ancient tree.
His muscles expanded to their absolute limit.
Every fiber screamed beneath unimaginable strain.
His hair stood upright.
His bloodshot eyes widened.
Yet deep within those eyes...
Golden flames seemed to burn.
Power unlike anything before erupted throughout Guy's entire body.
He slammed one foot into the earth.
"Rumble!"
The ground instantly collapsed beneath him.
Cracks spread in every direction.
Countless rocks exploded outward.
That terrifying impact wasn't directed solely beneath his feet.
The violent recoil blasted outward.
Ebisu.
Genma.
Along with several Konoha Shinobi standing near the edge who hadn't yet reacted...
Were all thrown violently away.
Every one of them was blasted beyond the Dust Release's attack range.
The very next instant...
Guy, completely wrapped in the intertwined steam of dark green and azure blue...
Shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
There wasn't the slightest hesitation.
Nor the slightest intention of retreating.
At an utterly terrifying speed...
He charged directly toward the center of Dust Release's attack.
Only two tenths of a second later...
Guy had already reached the center.
Kurenai and Shikuro hadn't even reacted.
Guy was already standing directly before them.
"Hold tightly onto me!"
Those were the only words he spoke.
Without hesitation...
Kurenai and Shikuro immediately wrapped their arms around Guy's waist from either side.
Ōnoki's Dust Release had already been fired.
At most...
Two seconds remained before it reached them.
With the Fifth Gate fully opened...
Guy's speed had reached an astonishing level.
He could easily carry Kurenai and Shikuro away from the attack zone.
But...
He didn't move.
His eyes rapidly swept across the battlefield.
Besides Kurenai and Shikuro...
Twelve more Konoha Shinobi remained trapped there.
Every one of them had fought beside him only moments ago.
Every one of them had protected their comrades.
Even at his current speed...
Guy knew the truth.
He could probably rescue another three...
Perhaps five at most...
Before the Dust Release arrived.
The rest...
Would certainly die.
"HRAAAAHHH!!!"
Blood vessels burst around the corners of Guy's eyes.
His eyes widened to their limit.
Since he had already chosen to charge into the center...
He refused to watch his comrades die before his eyes.
With a furious roar...
He swung his nunchaku.
Boundless power erupted from every part of his body.
His newly awakened Divine Ability was pushed to its absolute limit.
"ROOOAARRR!!!"
The deafening roar of a tiger shook the battlefield.
A magnificent golden tiger rapidly materialized before him.
Without the slightest hesitation...
Guy poured every ounce of power released by the Fifth Gate...
Every fragment of his boiling life force...
Every shred of his unyielding will...
Into the nunchaku clenched tightly within his hands.
He didn't aim at the approaching Dust Release.
Nor did he target a single enemy.
Instead...
He aimed directly beneath his own feet.
Gathering every bit of strength within his body...
He smashed downward with everything he had.