Tian Yu gripped the Kusanagi sword in his hand tightly.
With swift precision, he slashed forward in two fluid, powerful arcs.
"Wind Blade Art!"
"Fire Bomb Technique!"
"Wind Blade Art!"
"Fire Bomb Technique!"
…
One after another, three-meter-long wind blades surged from his blade, followed by fireballs nearly two meters wide erupting from the blade's heated edge.
The wind blades merged with the fireballs in midair.
Wind feeds fire.
A terrifying swirl of air ignited into a firestorm, spiraling wildly in the air like a blazing tornado.
Each of these fire tornadoes held the destructive force comparable to B-rank ninjutsu.
Friction with the air created high-pitched shrieks—hiss! hiss!
It was as though the vortexes were tearing space itself apart.
Within seconds, Tian Yu had conjured twelve of these blazing infernos!
This was an original technique he had personally developed through rigorous training with the Kusanagi sword.
By manipulating the elemental attributes of wind and fire within the blade, he had discovered a method to unleash simultaneous dual-element attacks.
What resulted was a fusion technique with devastating potential.
Its power level?
Already touching the realm of A-rank ninjutsu!
This technique was currently Tian Yu's deadliest move, something that even an elite jōnin like Might Guy couldn't afford to underestimate!
"Great Tornado!"
With both hands on the hilt of his sword, Tian Yu shouted aloud.
He directed all twelve fire tornadoes to swirl forward in a massive assault toward Might Guy.
---
Chapter 26: Amazing Strength
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the training ground.
Each fire tornado, wrapped in wind and fire chakra, shredded the terrain like a beast unchained.
The area warped around the flames. Space itself seemed to ripple.
Trees were uprooted.
Leaves and twigs scattered like confetti in a storm.
Every inch of ground left behind was scarred with soot and torn earth.
Tian Yu's grasp of taijutsu was formidable, but he understood one fundamental truth—
The power of taijutsu only shines in close combat.
If you can't get close, that power is meaningless.
Just like during the Chūnin Exams in the original manga, Rock Lee had overwhelming physical prowess, but when forced to face Gaara—whose sand shield prevented close-range combat—he was utterly shut down.
And today, Tian Yu was applying the same logic to Guy.
His fire tornadoes blanketed the entire battlefield.
There was nowhere to dodge, no cover left to take.
If Might Guy couldn't approach, then his taijutsu advantage was nullified.
This was Tian Yu's path to victory—attacking where the opponent is weakest.
"What monstrous firepower…!"
Might Guy's eyes widened as he watched the swirling infernos.
Under the acceleration of Wind Release, the speed of the fire vortexes rivaled even his taijutsu charges!
Was this the same Kusanagi Sword Tian Yu used before?
The energy being released now was over ten times what Guy had witnessed before.
Even he couldn't take this lightly anymore.
"This isn't a mere sparring match…"
Guy's expression grew serious.
In the face of this overwhelming barrage, he could no longer afford to adhere to the simple rules he'd set at the start.
He crossed his arms and focused his chakra.
"Eight Gates Release Formation—Gate of Life: Open!"
A roar erupted from within.
A pillar of green, furious chakra surged upward as Guy's body ignited with raw, kinetic power.
Veins bulged.
Capillaries burst across his skin, tinting his body red.
The sheer force radiating from him bent the air.
His speed soared beyond what the naked eye could follow.
FWOOSH!
Wind whipped around him in all directions, stirred by the violent energy now coursing through his opened chakra gates.
At this level, dodging Tian Yu's fire tornadoes became far more manageable.
Despite their devastating speed and size, they could no longer touch Guy.
This—this was the power of the Eight Gates!
Even with only the third gate (Gate of Life) opened, Might Guy's power multiplied several times.
Tian Yu was visibly stunned.
He had never witnessed the Eight Gates in person.
The pressure in the air was enough to make his blood quicken.
But even then—he refused to give up.
The fire tornado technique had failed…
So now, he'd try his last resort!
Before Guy could end the match, Tian Yu moved again.
"Breath of Water, First Form—Surface Slash!"
With a shout, he swapped blades.
Now, the Sun Wheel Blade gleamed in his grasp.
In a single flash, Tian Yu slashed outward.
A fierce blue arc of sword energy erupted forth, water-like in flow but sharpened like steel.
It raced forward, faster than sound.
Guy's instincts flared—a mortal threat!
His body vanished just in time.
CRACK!
Where Guy had stood just moments ago, a massive tree trunk was cleaved clean through.
The blade had split it neatly—like a knife through butter.
Guy landed in a crouch, sweat forming on his brow.
"That... swordsmanship!"
He hadn't known Tian Yu had reached this level.
But before Guy could even say a word—
"Shhh!"
Tian Yu slashed again.
Another wave of blue sword energy came at him, even faster this time.
Might Guy was forced to roll away midair, barely keeping balance.
"Tch—this kid!"
Guy cursed internally, narrowly dodging another sweeping arc of chakra.
The attack was relentless.
Tian Yu wasn't giving him a single moment to breathe, let alone respond.
The sword energy roared again, like a hurricane sweeping through waves.
This time, Guy wasn't even fully grounded—he stumbled sideways, forced to retreat awkwardly.
Might Guy's jaw clenched.
The third gate was his safety limit.
Opening the fourth gate—the Gate of Pain—would start causing real physical damage.
But Tian Yu's strength...
If he didn't raise his power, there was no guarantee he'd be able to stop him in time.
"Pain Gate—"
Guy began to raise his chakra once again—
But then Tian Yu stopped.
His blade lowered.
His breath calmed.
The fierce wind around him dispersed.
Guy blinked.
"…Tian Yu?" he called.
The boy stood still, sweat dripping down his jaw, but his gaze steady.
He wasn't charging anymore.
He had stopped just before forcing Guy to go further.
It wasn't exhaustion.
It was control.