Chapter 324: The Eight Gates Open! "White Lightning" Kakashi [HN]

The atmosphere inside the Konoha Taijutsu Arena had already reached its peak.

After several rounds of fierce competition, the first Konoha Taijutsu Ranking Tournament had finally reached its final match!

Hatake Kakashi and Might Guy!

These two rivals had competed against and pushed each other since childhood. Now, they stood on the final stage that would decide who stood at the pinnacle of taijutsu among Konoha’s younger generation.

“Kakashi!! You have to beat Guy!!”

Uchiha Obito shouted excitedly from below the arena.

In the previous match, he had been fighting Guy when Guy seized an opening and kicked him away.

There was still a shoe print on Obito’s face.

“Obito!”

Nohara Rin pulled her gaze away from Kakashi and shrugged.

She stuffed the towel she had been using to wipe his face directly into Obito’s hands.

“You should worry about wiping that injury off your face first!”

“Rin, I’m fine!”

Obito grabbed the towel with a proud expression.

“Our team still has Kakashi fighting for the championship. We’re definitely going to win this time!”

Seeing Obito’s excitement, Rin could not help feeling embarrassed.

…

In a corner of the stands, a figure wearing ordinary clothes and a bamboo hat quietly took a seat.

A few strands of silver hair showed beneath the edge of the hat.

It was Hatake Sakumo, who had already stepped down as the ANBU captain and begun his retirement.

He had deliberately chosen an inconspicuous seat because he did not want to disturb his son’s match.

Yet his focused and gentle gaze remained firmly fixed on the silver haired, masked figure standing on the arena below.

‘Kakashi…’

Sakumo looked at his son’s seemingly lazy yet razor sharp posture, and a trace of pride and emotion flashed through his eyes.

There had been a time when he had also stood beneath countless gazes and trained while covered in sweat.

Now, as he watched Kakashi, it was as though he could see his younger self.

Not far away, Uchiha Hikari had also arrived with Uchiha Izumi.

Hikari wore a practical dark ninja outfit and watched the arena with a focused expression.

She was not here simply to watch the excitement.

She had come with a teaching assignment.

“Izumi, watch carefully.”

Hikari spoke quietly to the girl beside her.

“Kakashi and Guy represent two completely different paths of taijutsu, yet both have reached an extremely high level. Kakashi is a genius who combines ninjutsu with taijutsu, while Guy is the perfect example of pushing the potential of the human body to its limits. Their battle is very instructive for us when it comes to teaching the next generation and understanding the breadth and depth of taijutsu.”

Izumi nodded seriously.

Her large eyes remained fixed on the arena, afraid of missing even the smallest detail.

“Yes, Hikari. I’ll study hard.”

On the arena, the Jonin referee felt the intense atmosphere that had almost become tangible.

He took a deep breath and raised his arm high.

“Final match! Hatake Kakashi versus Might Guy!”

“Begin!”

The moment his voice fell, Guy shot forward like a green whirlwind and launched the first attack!

“Kakashi! This is everything I have in my youth! Konoha Whirlwind!”

His powerful kick came with a fierce gust of wind and instantly enveloped Kakashi.

However, Kakashi’s body only shifted slightly before he avoided the attack by the narrowest margin.

His movement looked casual, yet his precision was astonishing.

“So fast!”

Samui could not help exclaiming from the Cloud Village seats.

“Their reactions and speed at the very beginning are already far beyond the level of an ordinary Chunin specializing in taijutsu!”

At the same time as Kakashi dodged, his right hand had already reached into his ninja pouch.

Several shuriken shot toward Guy’s movement path with sharp whistles, sealing off his retreat.

Guy laughed loudly.

He neither dodged nor retreated, instead knocking all the shuriken away with his fists and legs.

The sharp metallic sounds rang across the arena.

“Useless, Kakashi! This kind of probing is useless against me while my youth is burning!”

Guy’s speed rose again.

His fists and feet poured down like a violent storm, leaving only green afterimages on the arena as the constant sounds of flesh colliding echoed through the air.

Kakashi’s eyes remained sharp as he relied on basic taijutsu to respond.

Although he seemed slightly passive, his defense remained flawless.

He appeared to be observing and waiting.

“Is that guy Kakashi still holding back?”

Obito scratched his head anxiously from the stands.

“Guy is already going all out!”

Rin gently reassured him.

“Kakashi must have his own plan.”

Sure enough, after cleverly deflecting another powerful punch from Guy, Kakashi’s half closed eye suddenly opened.

“Zzzzt!”

A faint yet unmistakable electrical sound rang out.

A layer of pale purple, flickering lightning arcs instantly covered Kakashi’s legs.

“Lightning Release: Living Body Activation!”

His figure suddenly blurred.

His speed exploded!

He was no longer relying on prediction to evade.

He was simply faster.

“What?!”

Guy’s pupils contracted.

Everything before his eyes blurred, and Kakashi had already appeared beside him like a ghost.

A hand blade carrying a sharp gust of wind slashed toward his neck.

“Hahaha! Bring it on!”

Guy reacted in time.

Instead of being startled, he became even more excited.

His surging youthful spirit made him roar with excitement as he barely managed to block the attack.

However, his arm was left numb by the lightning attached to the strike.

The rhythm of the battle instantly changed.

Kakashi’s white hair made him look like a bolt of white lightning as he flashed around the arena.

His attacks came from unpredictable and vicious angles, and he displayed the speed and penetrating power brought by Lightning Release to their fullest.

Guy, meanwhile, was like a roaring blue beast.

He relied on overwhelming strength and equally impressive speed to meet every attack head on.

The green figure and white lightning crazily intertwined and collided, producing heavy impacts and waves of air.

“Boom!”

After another fierce clash, both of them retreated at the same time.

Fine cracks appeared across the center of the arena floor.

“Kakashi! You really are my eternal rival!”

Guy was breathing heavily, but his face was filled with intense excitement.

“But my youth doesn’t end here! Eight Gates, Gate of Opening, open! Gate of Healing, open! Gate of Life, open!”

With his roar, a powerful current of air erupted around his body.

His skin began to turn red, and steam rose around him.

The first three of the Eight Gates had opened!

His strength, speed, and reactions rose once again.

Guy’s attacks became even more violent.

Every punch and kick carried enough power to split stone and shatter the earth.

Kakashi’s pressure increased sharply.

Even with the assistance of Living Body Activation, he gradually fell behind in a pure contest of strength.

He could only rely on more precise techniques and the paralyzing effect of Lightning Release to keep fighting.

“This isn’t looking good…”

Sakumo frowned slightly from the stands.

He could tell that Kakashi’s Living Body Activation was powerful, but it placed a heavy burden on both his chakra and body.

A prolonged battle would not favor him.

“Teacher Guy… he’s so strong!”

Koyuki Kazahana stood in the contestant area and stared at the green figure on the arena like a warrior god.

Her eyes were filled with admiration.

She had just gone through a difficult battle herself.

Relying on her tenacious will and a precise attack against her opponent’s old ankle injury, she had miraculously defeated an opponent far stronger than herself and successfully advanced to the top sixteen.

She had earned the respect and cheers of the entire arena.

Now, watching Guy and Kakashi fight, she understood the vastness of taijutsu even more deeply.

On the arena, Kakashi was forced back several meters by another powerful kick from Guy.

His breathing beneath his mask had become slightly hurried.

“Kakashi! This is my ninja way! Burn your youth and break through your limits!”

Guy’s momentum was overwhelming as he prepared to deliver the decisive attack.

Kakashi slowly straightened his body.

“You’re very strong, Guy… but my Living Body Activation hasn’t reached its limit either.”

The pale purple lightning around his body suddenly became brighter and more concentrated.

Its color even began shifting toward a deeper purple.

The sound it produced was no longer a simple electrical crackle.

Instead, it sounded like the prelude to the cry of a thousand birds.

However, Kakashi did not use the power for a piercing attack.

He spread it more evenly and violently across his entire body, especially his legs and arms.

“Lightning Release: Living Body Activation, Modified!”

“Whoosh!”

Kakashi’s figure disappeared!

It was not the Body Flicker Technique.

His pure speed had simply reached its extreme, leaving behind only an afterimage in the eyes of ordinary spectators.

The next moment, he appeared directly in front of Guy.

Highly concentrated Lightning Release Chakra wrapped around his fist as he struck straight toward him!

“Too fast!”

Guy’s heart shook violently.

He hastily crossed both arms to block.

“Bang!!”

A terrifying explosion erupted along with lightning and a shockwave.

Guy was knocked backward, his feet carving two deep tracks across the specially reinforced arena floor.

The entire arena erupted in an uproar.

“To control Lightning Release Chakra to this degree, using it not only for acceleration but also for attacks… What a genius idea!”

The Iwagakure observer’s expression became solemn.

“Has Konoha’s younger generation already reached this level?”

Maki from Sunagakure narrowed his eyes.

Guy steadied himself and felt the intense pain and numbness spreading through both arms.

Instead of becoming discouraged, the flames in his eyes burned even more fiercely.

“Kakashi!!! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for!!! Then I’ll go all out too! Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain…”

He was about to open the fourth gate without regard for the consequences when the Jonin referee instantly appeared between them.

This had been requested by Might Dai beforehand.

After all, this was only a competition, not a life and death battle.

“Stop!”

The referee’s voice was firm and unquestionable, forcibly interrupting the match.

“The final result has been decided! Hatake Kakashi wins!”

The referee announced the result loudly before looking toward Guy.

“Might Guy, opening the fourth gate would cause irreversible damage to your body. That violates the tournament’s principle of ‘exchange, improvement, and restraint.’ Your strength has already been recognized by everyone.”

Guy froze for a moment.

Then the steam around his body slowly dissipated, and his skin returned to normal.

He scratched his head before giving Kakashi a thumbs up with his trademark brilliant smile.

“Kakashi! You won this time! But next time, I’ll definitely surpass you!”

Kakashi also dispersed the lightning around his body.

He was breathing slightly heavily, and his eyes curved beneath his mask.

“Yeah… I’ll be looking forward to it. But next time, don’t even think about opening the fourth gate, idiot.”

There was no arrogance from the victor or disappointment from the loser.

There was only mutual recognition and a promise to keep moving forward.

The two looked at each other and raised their arms at the same time, saluting their opponent and the entire audience.

At that moment, thunderous applause erupted!

It was not only for the winner, Kakashi.

It was also for Guy, who had pushed taijutsu and youthful passion to their absolute limit!

In the stands, Hatake Sakumo lowered his bamboo hat.

A relieved smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he quietly stood and left.

His son had already grown to the point where he no longer needed to worry about him.

It was time for Sakumo to enjoy his fishing.

Uchiha Hikari’s eyes shone brightly as she spoke to Izumi.

“Did you see that? The end of taijutsu isn’t limited to raw strength. Combining it with ninjutsu opens up limitless possibilities. Kakashi has opened a new door for us.”

Izumi nodded heavily.

Her understanding of taijutsu and her approach to teaching it seemed to have broadened along with this peak battle.

…

The first Konoha Taijutsu Ranking Tournament ended perfectly with Hatake Kakashi claiming the honor of becoming its first champion.

Koyuki Kazahana finished in sixteenth place through her tenacious will and tactical intelligence.

Her story, together with the peak battle between Kakashi and Guy, became a favorite topic of discussion among the people of Konoha.

However, the tournament’s influence was far from over.

Inside the Hokage’s office, Chiya looked at the intelligence reports compiled by the ANBU, a smile of complete confidence on his face.

Before leaving Konoha, the Cloud Village team had purchased large quantities of Might Dai’s Basic Taijutsu Training Outline and Taijutsu Core Strength Training Method.

The Iwagakure observers had shown great interest in Kakashi’s concept of Living Body Activation and attempted to inquire through diplomatic channels about the possibility of cooperative research.

Maki from Sunagakure had been even more direct.

He had proposed sending young shinobi to Konoha’s taijutsu class for short term exchange and training.

Even Terumi Mei from Kirigakure had privately sent a letter praising Konoha’s openness and innovation.

She had also hinted at the possibility of future cooperation in taijutsu education.

“The taijutsu revolution has already begun in Konoha.”

Chiya smiled at Tsunade and Mikoto beside him.

“They’re taking away more than just training methods. They’re taking away the idea that taijutsu has limitless possibilities. This will gradually increase the entire ninja world’s respect for taijutsu. As the ones who started it, we’ll always remain at the forefront.”

Tsunade rubbed her slightly rounded belly and snorted boldly.

“At least those people have some sense. But don’t go giving away all the things we’ve kept as trump cards.”

Mikoto gently handed him a cup of warm water.

“With this, Konoha’s position in the ninja world will become even more stable.”

Just as Chiya had expected, within a few months, the major ninja villages began following Konoha’s example and started establishing or strengthening their own taijutsu training systems.

Kumogakure established a Lightning Release Taijutsu Development Class.

Iwagakure strengthened its research into combining Earth Release Hardening Technique with taijutsu.

Sunagakure, meanwhile, emphasized the combination of puppetry and taijutsu.

A “taijutsu revival” led by Konoha quietly spread throughout the ninja world.

Konoha’s soft power and influence rose to an unprecedented level through this opportunity.

Within Konoha, the taijutsu craze continued to grow.

Might Dai and Guy became idols to every taijutsu practitioner, and enrollment in the taijutsu class surged.

Kakashi was given the title “White Lightning,” while his Living Body Activation system was classified as a high level ninjutsu taijutsu technique and began being taught on a limited basis to ANBU and Chunin with Lightning Release talent.