Yuki's figure flickered, instantly appearing behind Might Duy. With a single, devastating strike, he aimed directly at him.
Might Duy's opening Gate of Death didn't have the same overwhelming impact as Might Guy's in the original story.
Although the same red steam enveloped him, compared to Guy, whose single kick nearly triggered the finale, Might Duy's Eight Gates didn't live up to the imagined strength.
But this was understandable—without Might Duy's development, Guy could never have reached such heights.
Years of training and opening the Eight Gates had left Might Duy's body riddled with hidden injuries.
Many techniques he could have developed remained unmastered.
Other moves were beyond his repertoire.
Even so, Might Duy's current strength indisputably reached the threshold of an ANBU-level shinobi, surpassing many ordinary ANBU in raw power.
Yet this state was fleeting.
Once he could no longer withstand the strain of the Gate of Death, this burst of power would end.
This was a life-burning, transcendent power.
Without it, nothing else would make sense.
The Leaf Hurricane was essentially a spinning sweep along the ground. The moment Seisui appeared behind Might Duy, he reacted instinctively.
"Seisui, youth doesn't give up easily!"
Might Duy roared, delivering a crushing kick to Seisui's abdomen.
At the same time, because of his spin, Seisui's heavy blade slammed into Might Duy's chest.
The strike left a grievous wound, ribs visible beneath the gash.
Might Duy's kick, though, didn't spare Seisui either.
This was the final Gate of Death strike—a full-force blow from a body-technique master-level ANBU.
Seisui was blasted backward hundreds of meters. Midair adjusted his position, landing while his momentum carried him into a forward dive, sliding along the ground.
Two deep grooves marred the duel arena where his feet had passed.
The golden armor of the Nine-Tails Golden Body Mode surrounding him was shattered, especially across his abdomen, charred and scorched.
His legs trembled; the golden armor on his calves had vanished entirely, replaced by raw, bloody flesh—a toll from sliding across the arena.
This was the most severe injury Seisui had ever endured, yet he barely flinched.
"Big Brother Duy… truly formidable!"
"Next move… is my ultimate… though still unrefined!"
Might Duy forced himself to speak through the pain from the Gate of Death, gritting his teeth:
"Seisui, watch out!"
Hearing Might Duy's roar, Seisui focused intently. Daytime Tiger was one of the deadliest body techniques aside from the Gate of Death Might Guy.
Might Duy launched a violent punch. Instantly, the colossal white form of a tiger materialized, lunging toward him.
The technique relied on compressing air at high speed to create the tiger's shape—essentially a high-velocity punch!
Yet with the Gate of Death open, Might Duy's attack was unimaginably powerful.
Seisui knew that without the Nine-Tails Golden Body Mode, he could try to endure, but he'd still suffer grave injuries.
If he himself was at risk, others would surely face fatal consequences.
Thinking this, the Nine-Tails chakra surged through him, instantly repairing the golden armor.
Even his burns and leg injuries healed under the golden light.
Seisui lifted his legs from the arena grooves, twirled his katana effortlessly, and without motion of his hands, two shadow clones appeared beside him.
"As usual!"
"Understood!" The usually goofy shadow clones were surprisingly serious. Both clapped their hands, smoke rising as a long blade appeared on the ground.
This was Uchiha Haru's sword. Since receiving the Gunbai Uchiwa, she rarely used her ninja blade, leaving it to Seisui.
Now, it was perfect for the shadow clones.
The blade could conduct chakra, though not as well as Seisui's own katana, it was sufficient.
"Water Style: Flowing Ripple Slash!"
One clone shouted as a massive surge of water erupted around Might Duy, hiding the clone within.
[Flowing Ripple Slash: Use Water Style to attack while charging a blade, generating a massive water tornado to continuously strike the enemy.]
One clone attacked with Flowing Ripple Slash, while the other charged atop the water, pressing the assault.
Seisui himself bent slightly, hands on his sword hilt, charging up, then roared:
"Nine-Tails·One-Sword Style·Flying Raijin Slash!"
In an instant, he vanished, just as Daytime Tiger's attack arrived.
Though fast, Daytime Tiger reached him in barely a second.
Ordinary people couldn't react, and even if they could, there was no dodging.
But Seisui had Flying Raijin Slash.
"Peacock Strike!"
Seeing Seisui evade while creating a massive water attack, Might Duy leapt into the air, punching furiously toward the water.
Each punch compressed air, generating flames as it collided with the water.
The Gate of Death had transformed these strikes into smaller versions of Daytime Tiger.
Each fire punch exploded on contact, generating clouds of steam.
In moments, the shadow clone's water attack vanished, along with the clone itself.
But a new clone suddenly appeared above Might Duy, blade coiled with water forming a dragon.
The previous water attack was merely a feint; now came the true strike.
"Iaijutsu: Swallow Reversal"
[Swallow Reversal: First phase strikes backward instantly; second phase forms a cutting water dragon that relentlessly attacks the enemy.]
"Flying Raijin Slash!" Seisui's real body appeared behind him. The black blade glimmered with water and wind chakra, enhancing its cutting power.
This strike would kill Might Duy regardless of the Gate of Death.
"Don't underestimate the will of youth, Seisui!" Might Duy roared, punching at the clone while simultaneously releasing a Daytime Tiger.
His leg swept in tandem with his punch, forming a horizontal strike.
Might Duy's experience was vast, but Seisui's was no less.
Seeing the horizontal sweep, Seisui angled his blade, severing one of Might Duy's legs. Without pausing, he vanished, leaving the sword to fall to the ground.
Might Duy relaxed slightly; what would have been a fatal strike had become a loss of one leg—restricted, but not finished.
From below came a voice:
"Perfect opportunity!" A shadow clone, previously vanishing with the water, reappeared.
Leaping, it caught Seisui's blade, then roared:
"Flying Raijin!"
"What?!" Might Duy's face changed. He adjusted midair but was struck in the shoulder.
The blade cut deep, mirroring the earlier wound.
Enduring the pain, Might Duy smashed the clone with a punch.
As the clone dispersed, Might Duy tried to grab Seisui's katana—but Seisui, standing nearby, smiled. With a clap of his hands, the katana teleported into his grasp.
Like the Gunbai Uchiwa, the sword's hilt bore a carved head expression, obscured by braided cord.
This didn't hinder his summoning. He could even summon the Gunbai Uchiwa if needed.
"Nine-Tails·One-Sword Style·Flying Raijin Slash!"
Seisui exhaled slowly, enunciating each word.
Instantly, he reappeared before Might Duy.
Though knowing he was doomed, Might Duy still threw a weak punch at Seisui.
The strike was minor but still lethal.
Seisui didn't dodge—he slashed Might Duy down, feigning impact, then soared backward.
His Nine-Tails Golden Body Mode fractured, revealing the abrasions caused by sliding on the arena.
From afar, Might Guy watched, rushing forward in excitement, tears in his eyes.
"Father!"
"Don't die!"
Might Guy didn't understand the arena's genjutsu, thinking his father had truly perished.
Even so, Seisui appeared equally battered in his eyes—but that was deliberate.
Might Duy wanted to demonstrate the Eight Gates to his son; Seisui obliged.
With Nine-Tails Golden Body Mode, Might Duy's last punch caused no harm, unable to pierce the golden armor.
If Seisui hadn't shattered it deliberately, he'd have been completely unscathed.
Though this was to showcase the Eight Gates, Seisui still gained insight.
Might Duy at full Eight Gates equaled the strength of Third Hokage in his prime.
Facing such an opponent, Seisui had only battled Elder Madara, and then only in full-scale, high-powered clashes.
Strictly speaking, he'd never fought a truly equal opponent in full capacity.
As for Minato? That was little brother level—usually beaten despite his Flying Raijin skill.
This battle against Might Duy clarified how to engage peers.
Just as before, he summoned two clones: one executed Flowing Ripple Slash, the other launched atop the water, hiding himself.
The first clone feigned attack, secretly preparing Swallow Return.
Striking from above with a water dragon and Flying Raijin mark while Seisui himself executed Flying Raijin Slash behind the enemy—an assured kill.
If both attacks were evaded, the hidden clone would intercept the first clone's or Seisui's sword, continuing the Flying Raijin Slash.
If even that failed, Seisui would summon the katana instantly, striking once more.
This was his Flying Raijin Slash.
Endless, relentless assault—who could endure it?
Had it not been so excessive, Seisui could have layered the attacks infinitely.
This was no longer simply Flying Raijin Slash—it was Flying Raijin: Infinite Slash!
Only the worthy could survive such an onslaught.
Yet this technique had a weakness: Minato himself, a fellow master of Flying Raijin.
Minato's reaction time surpassed Seisui's; against him, a Flying Raijin Slash could easily be turned back.
Mastered well, Flying Raijin Slash was lethal; poorly, it was a death sentence.
As the arena dissolved into genjutsu, Seisui's consciousness returned to reality.
Might Duy likewise regained awareness.
Neither reacted greatly—Seisui was accustomed to the arena, experiencing it nearly daily.
Might Duy had previously opened the Gate of Death here once; training had made him familiar.
Might Guy, however, stood stunned, staring at Seisui and Might Duy, his mind failing to process.
"F-Father?" he asked tentatively.
Might Duy ignored him, standing up with excitement:
"This is the Eight Gates. Once opened, immense power is yours!"
"Especially the final Gate of Death—once opened, it is the solitude of youth!"
Though defeated, Might Duy encouraged his son.
Might Guy, now recovered, stared at his father, awestruck.