The two remaining ANBU looked at Ryuji with fear. After opening the Five Gates of Death, his skin had turned crimson red, like a demon. Even the ANBU, who had faced hundreds of battles, couldn't help but tremble at this sight.
"Kid! Don't come any closer! We're acting on behalf of Konoha, too!"
Ryuji sneered and moved toward them, step by step, like a living nightmare.
"I know. I also know who sent you. I'll settle things with him. And I'll never let you harm my friends!"
With that, Ryuji launched two powerful strikes in quick succession. The two ANBU fell to the ground without even having time to scream.
Tenten looked at Ryuji in disbelief. The men he had defeated were no ordinary enemies but ANBU members seasoned in multiple battles. A ninja like that hadn't even withstood a single blow against him.
Though she already knew Ryuji was strong, she never imagined he was this powerful.
At that moment, Tenten remembered something she had said to Ryuji, and her face flushed.
[Ding dong! Tenten's favorability increased by three points! The favorability level is now seventy-nine points.]
Neji looked at Ryuji with admiration, clenching his fists tightly and trembling with excitement.
Neji smiled, thinking that with Ryuji's strength and talent, perhaps, he could help solve the issue of the Hyuga family's decline in the future. Neji was grateful that Ryuji had defended them today, even if it meant risking his life. To him, Ryuji represented the hope of freedom for the Hyuga.
[Ding dong! Neji's favorability increased by two points! The favorability level is now eighty-nine points.]
Meanwhile, Rock Lee looked at Ryuji with eyes full of admiration. He knew that Ryuji mastered Taijutsu and trained in the Eight Gates. If he could master both techniques, Lee thought, he might be able to challenge and fully defeat Neji.
[Ding dong! Rock Lee's favorability increased by three points! The favorability level is now seventy-eight points.]
With all enemies dead, the red hue from the Eight Gates gradually faded. Without the support of this technique, Ryuji staggered and fell forward. Instead of hitting the ground, he found something soft: Tenten had caught him, and her concerned voice was heard nearby.
"Are you alright, Ryuji-kun?"
"I'm fine, it's just a minor injury. Help Neji and Lee with their wounds first."
But Tenten didn't leave. Instead, she laid Ryuji's head on her lap and took out bandages and ointments to treat his wounds.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, we all would have died here," said Tenten.
Ryuji, with a wry smile, was aware that his friends wouldn't have been involved in this battle if not for him.
Ryuji gave no further explanations. To his Class Three teammates, he was already their dearest friend. Words were unnecessary; they were there to support each other. But he was clear that he needed to address the issue at its root, or else they'd be hunted endlessly.
"Shimura Danzo, just wait for me!"
At that moment, a figure in green leaped down from above. It was Guy, covered in wounds. Although none were too severe, hurting someone like him wasn't easy. Guy saw Neji and Lee lying on the ground and rushed over to Ryuji.
"Kid, are you alright?"
"Everything's fine. Opening five gates has its side effects," Ryuji replied with a carefree smile, glancing at the bodies to the side. "But all the enemies are dead!"
Guy's expression turned cold. He approached the corpses, removing the fox mask from one of them. Guy trembled when he saw the face behind the mask, and an icy fury took hold of him.
However, he quickly regained his composure and walked over to Ryuji with a smile.
"You can't just bandage the aftereffects of the Eight Gates. I'll take care of Ryuji's injuries and look after Lee and Neji," said Guy with determination.
Tenten nodded, albeit reluctantly, and left Ryuji in Guy's care.
Guy tended to Ryuji's wounds slowly, as if he were in a trance. At that moment, Ryuji looked at him with a penetrating intensity.
"Master Guy, how long until I can move freely again?"
"If you take good care of your injuries, your chakra should flow normally after a while, but for fighting, you'll need more time," Guy replied with a smile. However, he noticed the serious look in Ryuji's eyes and immediately became alert.
"What are you planning to do?" he asked, concerned.
"There are matters I've been putting off for too long. It's time to take care of them," Ryuji replied.
Upon hearing this, Guy became alarmed.
"Kid, don't do anything reckless. That's an opponent that neither Kakashi nor I can face yet. If you keep growing, he won't be a threat to you!"
Ryuji let out a dry laugh and looked at Neji and Lee.
"I didn't kill those men, but they died because of me. Their target was me, and both Neji and Lee almost lost their lives because of me. This isn't about taking risks or not. I just don't want my friends to be caught in this situation over and over."
[Ding dong! Guy's favorability increased by two points! The favorability level is now ninety-four points.]
Guy looked at Ryuji in silence for a long while. Then he looked up at the sky and smiled.
"Ryuji, you have the potential to be Hokage. Since you have this purpose, I don't care how powerful the enemy behind this is—I'll stand by you!"
Ryuji was stunned for a moment. In the anime, he had always seen Guy as cheerful and eccentric. He never imagined that behind that exterior, Guy was incredibly reliable, a man with a strong and admirable personality.
Initially, Ryuji felt uncertain about facing his enemies alone, but now, with Guy by his side, he felt more secure.
"Alright! I've finished treating your wounds. I'll go with you once you've recovered a bit more!" Guy said before calling Tenten.
"Tenten, take Ryuji to the Hyuga residence."
Tenten's eyes sparkled with excitement when she heard she'd be accompanying Ryuji to his house. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a special desire to go with him to the Hyuga residence.
As Tenten helped Ryuji walk, Kakashi appeared beside Guy. He used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to help Neji and Lee back as well.
"Guy, you don't have to get involved in this," Kakashi told him.
"You think I'm doing it for you? If it weren't for Ryuji, who would care what you're doing!" Guy replied.
They looked at each other and laughed together, sharing a moment of camaraderie.
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