A/N: So, here's the battle most of us were waiting for! This is just my own interpretation of how the others would view it through Naruto's memories. I hope I haven't disappointed you, I tried my best... If you liked it, please leave a heart and review! So I know I didn't whiff anything.
A/N 2: The next chapter will be delayed, cause I'm getting a little lazy. But don't worry! I'm not gonna abandon this story, cause if i drop this story, I'd probably just play Valorant all day till I become some gremlin, and I do not want that.
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"Great…" Kakashi rolled his eyes, "Now we're truly doomed. The eternal genin's son has arrived, hooray." He mock-cheered.
"Kakashi, what did I say about making of others?" Minato scolded lightly.
"Hey! You and Guy sensei become great friends, like lifelong buddies and rivals too!" Naruto whined.
"Even with more reinforcements, you're all still nothing but rubble. There's nothing you can do now."
Guy looked at Madara for a beat, before breaking out into a grin. Leaping forwards in front of them, he crossed his arms in front of his face, "In other words, it's time for the youthful beast to take charge!"
"Green steam?! That's the seventh gate!" Jiraiya wowed.
"Is opening the inner gates really that difficult?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes, Kakashi." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, "If you open any gates above the fifth, it'll be a world of pain and injuries. It's been labelled a forbidden technique, because if you're not prepared to open the seventh gate, the amount of pain would kill a person."
"Usually, you'll have to open the gates one by one."
"So, for Guy to open the seventh gate so easily, it must mean he is very skilled." Minato stated.
"What happens if you open the eighth?"
"You'll die." Tsunade answered simply.
Guy charged forwards, aiming a punch at Madara, "Don't touch his staff or the black orbs!" Minato shouted overhead.
"I can't believe Guy is using the eight inner gates…"
"Those aren't human movements." Gaara blocked the wind with his hand.
A large white tiger made from vapor exploded outwards, rocketing towards Madara. The landscape crumbled like paper as the smoke cleared. Guy laid on the ground, half covered in rubble and groaning.
"See? He used a technique that would make him tired, now he's incapacitated on the ground, vulnerable and making his teammates cover for him." Kakashi scolded.
"Just give Guy sensei a moment, he'll show you." Naruto nodded.
"Kakashi, the kunai! I've got to use the Flying Raijin again or that black orb is going to hit him!" But before Minato could reach Guy, he was lifted and moved to safety by Lee.
"Good save!" Minato cheered.
"Guy sensei, are you alright?"
"Yeah… thank you, Lee." Guy groaned.
Kakashi moved to be next to Guy, "Are you okay!?"
"Yeah, only my left arm and some ribs are busted up."
"He says, as though those aren't bad injuries." Rin rested her head on her hand.
"It seems as though taijutsu, that all our final hopes were riding on, didn't work either."
"Wait, Kakashi." Guy stood up straighter, "It's still too soon to completely rule out taijutsu! The springtime of our youth has yet to fade away! Don't lose hope!"
"We may not always be able to accomplish all the things we wish for, but if we only do the things we want to do, we'll never start…"
"Just like my challenges to you."
"This is by no means just some show of bravery or courage…" Guy started.
"You… couldn't be!?"
"Looks like Guy is prepared to die." Tsunade shook her head.
"The green days of Konoha are over, the time has come to become the red beast."
Inoichi raised a hand, "Shall we get Duy over here?"
Hiruzen nodded, "I shall send an ANBU member to go get him."
Kakashi groaned. "Is Guy coming too?"
"Unfortunately, Guy is on a training mission, as such… only his father will be here."
An ANBU member leapt from the shadows and out the door, within twenty minutes, the loud thundering of footsteps could be heard, the door slammed opened as Duy flew threw it. Landing in front of the audience in a powerful pose.
"Youth!" He screamed out, "Lord hokage! I am honored you have decided to summon me! How did you like my Dynamic Entry?!"
Hiruzen looked at the door that had been torn off its hinges. "Minato… I hope you made some extra money off those missions for the apple trees."
"Aw c'mon!" Minato groaned.
"Now! Someone care to tell me who! That handsome devil is?" Duy pointed to Guy, who was still on the screen.
"He looks just like Guy!" Duy laughed.
"That is your son, Might Guy."
Duy looked shocked for a moment, "For my son to follow my footsteps in taijutsu, it must mean my springtime is not yet over."
He moved to a seat next to Kakashi, "Ah! Aren't you Sakumo's boy? Thank you for being friends with my son." Duy smiled as he took a sip of the water that was offered to him.
"Uh… you're welcome, sir."
"I can't believe it! He opened the final gate!"
Duy spit out water, "W-what?!"
"Guy! You can't do this! Just stop and think! Nobody here wants this to happen! Neither would your father—."
"That's not true." Guy said resolutely, "I want this to happen."
"Guy sensei, have you truly decided… has that time finally come?!"
"Who's that? Is that my grandson?" Duy grinned.
"It's just his student, who has a weird resemblance to Guy." Naruto informed.
"Pity." Duy drooped. "But for my son to open the eighth gates, he must have become a very talented ninja."
"He became a jounin and is an important ninja in Konoha."
Duy shivered with joy as he clenched his fist.
Guy started opening his flak jacket, "Don't look at me like that, Lee. At a time like this, you should just smile and watch."
Lee started crying as tears streamed down his face, a memory played on screen.
'You really remind me of myself, once upon a time, I may have flunked out just like you… but now, I can even stand up to the super elite genius, Kakashi, in a challenge.'
'Even though I'm unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu, I still wanted to be able to prove that I could become a great ninja. That's your ninja way, isn't it?'
A younger Lee was shown near to tears as Guy sat on a rock with him. 'And a fine goal it is. It's a goal worth fighting for. So believe in your own way and run down your own road!'
The memory ended.
Duy and Obito were crying now, "Man… your son is amazing, Duy sensei."
"Yeah…" Duy nodded, looking at his son, he'd been worried about Guy's mental state when he had known that he wasn't able to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. "It seems he turned out just fine."
"Become a nice strong man with a nice strong smile, just like me!" Guy gave Lee a thumbs-up before rushing to Madara.
"Why did he jab a finger to his heart?" Kakashi asked.
"That is where the gate of death's pressure point is located." Duy said, "He's preparing it when he opens the eighth gate."
Red vapor leaked from Guy's skin as his pupils became hazy. His memories changing the screen.
"Guy! You numb-skull!" Duy punched Guy across the training field.
"T-this is just training…" Duy sweat-dropped, "Yes! The training of the springtime of youth!"
Obito and Rin shared a look.
"I'm sorry, dad… I'm already five years old now, so why am I still unable to run 500 laps around campus?"
"That's nothing to apologize about! There is nothing you can do about that, it's only natural! Don't apologize for your own hard effort." Duy knelt down, "I'm sorry I intruded upon your efforts."
Guy and Duy shared a hug, the passers-by giving a weird look. "Look, that father-son duo is at it again…"
"Isn't that child abuse? More importantly, why are they wearing tights? That's so disgusting."
Kakashi clenched his fists unknowingly, not knowing why he felt angry when Guy was insulted.
"The fact that you can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu… on the contrary, it makes your dad happy!"
"If you can realize your weak points, then your virtues shine. Now, you can see your taijutsu is shining brightly! Even at such a young age, it's only fitting that my son would realize what his strengths will be!"
Guy smiled for a moment, "Dad, can I really become strong?"
Duy gave a long encouraging speech, when two jounin walked past with scathing comments.
"Duy sensei," Obito grit his teeth, "Why don't you ever fight back? Or defend yourself?"
"Do you know what a true victory is?"
Obito shook his head.
"It's not about beating someone strong, it's being able to protect something important to you!" Duy sighed contently, "I knew they were mocking us, but for my son, it is better to distract him than let the words fully sink in."
The memory continued with Guy in the medical ward after trying to fight the two jounin that had insulted his father.
"Dad, why you always just face forwards like that? When does the springtime of youth end?"
"As long as you never look behind you, it never ends." Duy smiled.
"So, then when you die, it won't be over?!"
"What are you talking about, Guy? That's the climax of the springtime of youth! That's when it burns even brighter!"
"It doesn't matter what you do! When you die, you won't have your springtime of youth or any goddamn thing! And if all that only comes right before you die, you could still get beat up by someone stronger than you, couldn't you? Just like me, today!"
Duy put a hand on Guy's head, ruffling his hair.
Guy started crying, "I just wanted to protect the springtime of youth you always talked about!"
As they watched through Guy's training montage till the inevitable meeting with the Seven Swordsman, Duy smiled throughout, "So, it seems this is where my springtime climaxes. Protecting my son and his fellow comrades, I didn't do so bad after all."
He watched his son release the formation with pride, "I'm proud of him, very much so. To celebrate this, I shall run a thousand laps around the academy later!"
"Please, do not." Hiruzen face-palmed.
"My very own rule…" Guy grit out, "When I have something precious to me that I would even die to protect!"
"Release! Eight inner gates released formation!" The red vapor no longer wafted out gently, but shot out like hot compressed steam, his hair were like flames, drifting up into the sky.
"Red steam, so… this is the blood vapor that's supposed to happen when all eight gates are opened." Madara laughed, "But somehow, finally seeing it like this… It looks more like the colour of the dried ad rotted leaves of autumn scattered and falling in the sky."
"That may be true, but they won't just fall and rot!" Guy stood his ground, "They will become nourishment for the new, fresh leaves! And ensuring the fresh leaves bud and usher in a new spring… is the climax of the springtime of youth! That is when it burns its deepest crimson!"
"Burn bright! Guy!" Duy cheered his son on.
"It's not every day one gets to see the eight inner gates in action," Fugaku leaned forwards, "apologies, as it is at your son's expense."
"Nonsense! My son has finally found his resolve, and to be sad or pity him, would be an insult!"
Guy punched forwards, sending a large horizontal pillar of air tumbling into Madara, who was sent crashing into a circular crater deep into the ground.
"Woah! That's so powerful, and it was just from the air!" Obito gushed.
Kakashi just watched, wide-eyed.
Before Guy could use his second step to follow up with his attack, he winced in pain and stopped mid-way.
"Why did he stop?" Rin asked.
Duy shook his head, "Even opening up to the fifth gate of limit, puts a reasonably lethal amount of strain on the body, the pain of the gate of death, even I can hardly imagine how much you'd have to suffer…"
"A taijutsu that hits the air with such force, that it becomes a weapon… in other words, an air cannon." Madara groaned, a chunk of his headpiece cracked and chipped off.
"If I keep getting hit by four or five more of those, I'd be in trouble. Above all else, I should avoid a direct confrontation with that technique again."
Madara flew up into the air, "Seeing the eight inner gates battle formation in action is a rare sight, indeed! So at the very least, I'll indulge you and entertain a fight for a while."
"So, what is the eight inner gates battle formation?" Rin asked.
"The eight inner gates battle formation… It's an attack that releases the limiters on the user's power and takes it to its utmost limits."
Duy looked on the screen, "When you release all the limiters, power is increased tenfold over tenfold to a level even exceeding the five kages."
"No way!" Kakashi was shocked that Guy would be able to use such a powerful technique.
"But…" Duy sighed, looking down at his lap, "It's only for a short time. After this technique, Guy will surely die."
Guy jumped into air, pursuing Madara. "He's coming up to me by kicking the air?"
Gaara looked at Lee, who looked at his mentor. "I won't be sad anymore! In front of a man who's decided his own fate!"
"To pity or grieve him would be an insult!" Lee wiped his eyes.
"Looks like we're Guy's support this time, let's get to it!" Minato cheered as he watched his future-self give out battle plans.
"Speaking honestly, I've lost all vision out of my left eye, I've got to get in pretty close in order to aim Kamui accurately."
"Oh! Kakashi, I know a great shop for glasses, maybe we could…" Rin poked her index fingers together, stuttering.
She could see Kushina giving her a discreet thumbs-up.
"G-go together, soon?"
"Sure." Kakashi nodded, eyes still not leaving the screen.
"R-really?!"
"I don't see why not, it'll be good to bring Obito along as well, cause' even with his Sharingan, he's blind as a bat."
Rin took a second to process what he had said, before she fell back into the chair. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"You… dense motherfu—!" Minato quickly cupped his hand around Kushina's mouth.
Obito just tilted his head in confusion.
"Gaara, can you prepare some sand?
"You want me to fly Kakashi through the air on my sand, right?" Gaara said, "But the speed my sand flies, it'll become a target for Madara's attacks."
"It's okay," Minato assured, "you've got me here, Kakashi will take some of my kunai."
"You know, I always wondered how sensei has so many kunai in his pouch." Rin giggled.
"Well… that's why…" Minato pulled out another weapons pouch to show off, "I have two kunai pouches!" Minato cackled.
Lee quickly opened the sixth gate.
"The gate of view!" Duy breathed, "What a talented boy! To open such a high gate at his age… My son has truly become a great teacher."
"Lee, you're using the eighth gates, too!?"
"I can't open any further than six gates, I've never cursed my lack of power before now!"
"That's fine…" Duy beamed contently, "you are still a green leaf that Guy would risk his life to protect."
"Lee, protect Gaara's support from here, please. And hold onto another one of my kunai."
Guy launched another attack of compressed air, which Madara used his truth-seeker orbs to form a shield, blocking it.
But Guy appeared from behind and launched three attacks in an instant, immobilizing Madara. Guy pushed in for the fifth step, which Madara used as an opening to create an egg-shaped dome around himself, launching the remaining orbs at him.
"Whatever happens, just keep plunging straight ahead, Guy!"
Before the orbs could hit Guy, Lee threw the kunai while Minato teleported to. Using his body as a shield, Minato teleported away with them, leaving Guy to charge straight ahead.
"Kamui!" Kakashi opened up a whole in Madara's shield.
A solid attack landed onto Madara's back, sending him crashing to the ground, cracking through the land.
"So powerful…" Obito awed, "and that was just from a punch!"
Guy panted, "Not since Hashirama… have I been this excited! You can still dance, can't you? I hope you've got some other attacks up your sleeve? Entertain me a bit longer."
"If Guy left the eight gates now, would he still live?" Kakashi asked.
"Technically, yes. But the injuries would still be severe, if he did not pass from the exhaustion the eight gates brought, from the injuries, he will."
The screen changed and was replaced with a scene with Naruto waking up.
"Where are you?"
"This is where I met the Sage of Six Paths."
"No way!" Jiraiya shockingly said.
"Where am I? Did I… die?"
"By what means did you die?" An old voice spoke, "Your personal ethical point of view towards death differs greatly from someone as from my own era. For one to comprehend and adjust to the word death, your mettle is quite impressive, newbie."
"Who are you?" Naruto asked.
"As to why you are here and what this is, it is surely a valid inquiry."
"Man, the sage really likes to beat around the bush huh?"
"Can't he just get straight to the point?" Tsunade scoffed.
"Though I do worry if perhaps by revealing my name, it may influence your thoughts and opinions as it had your predecessors."
An old man with white hair, white robes, two horns atop his head and a long goatee floated in front of Naruto, "I am the creator of peace, law and order. I am he who is known as Hagormo."
"So, this is how the sage looks like. More normal than I thought he'd be." Jiraiya said.
"Did you expect him to look like an alien?" Mikoto laughed.
"Get on with it already! Can't you just talk normally for a second?!"
"As usual, loud as always. Even when in the face with a mythical figure." Fugaku sighed.
"Hey! I didn't know who the old man was, alright?"
"I, who journeyed across time into this era to meet you… clearly have large differences amongst these areas, though it would be possible for me to learn new cultures and dialect as it requires…"
Naruto's eye twitched, "Argh! Shut up already! I don't have time to stand around listening to some old weirdo blab on!"
Minato face-palmed.
"Are you like… an alien or something? There's this real dignified feeling about you."
Hagoromo laughed, "An alien, you say? Although, that's not too far off…"
Naruto's face went white, "Eh?"
"I was finally able to understand you! It's just that the way you talked shifted so quickly, it startled me!"
"Whao, like, for reals? Then I'mma do like this, ya feel me? Know what I'm sayin?" The sage spoke.
"Yeah… but, there's something really creepy about how the way you're talking doesn't match with your face at all."
"That dignified feeling from earlier completely vanished." Kushina sighed.
"I guess you should leave in a bit of that complexity, otherwise you'd end up sounding like an idiot." Naruto chuckled.
"Aren't you going a bit too far? Calling me an idiot, now. Well, if that's how talking that way makes me sound, I guess that's how it is."
"Well, how about this then?"
Naruto nodded his head and agreed.
Hagoromo introduced himself and began explaining about who he was, and how his two sons, Indra and Asura started everything.
"When their bodies were destroyed, the chakra they had built up didn't disappear but was reborn throughout the ages. Time and time again."
"Yuck… that's like being possessed by a ghost or something, so… who's the unlucky guy being possessed by them now?"
"You, Naruto." Hagoromo looked pointedly at him, "Ashura was reborn into you."
"What?!" Minato yelled, "Naruto is Ashura's successor?!"
"I wasn't surprised when old man sage told me, cause I already could feel Ashura's chakra clinging on to me a few times in the past." Naruto informed them.
Naruto looked at the screen, "You probably figured out who Indra's successor is, then?"
"Sasuke." Fugaku sighed.
"Yeah…"
"Who were the previous successors?" Jiraiya asked.
"Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara."
"Surprising, but not unexpected." Tsunade nodded.
While Naruto was still talking to Hagoromo, the one tail and eight tails emerged from the water, "That Obito guy, he took a part of Shukaku's and my chakra out of Madara… He knew what tailed beasts power you still needed inside of you."
"Obito did?!" Naruto asked, shocked.
The nine tails also started appearing. "Much has happened. I have also made it back inside of you. With this, the chakra of all the tailed beasts are inside you, Naruto!"
"Now, the promised time has finally come, old man of Six Paths."
"Shukaku, Matabi, Isobu, Son Gokuu, Kokuou, Saiken, Choumei, Gyuuki, Kurama." Hagoromo said all the names of the tailed beasts.
"The time has come for the child of prophecy to change the world."
"It's Sasuke!" Mikoto pointed, "Was he having his own conversation with the sage as well?"
"He was."
Naruto and Sasuke both pressed their palms with Hagoromo's, a blinding light flashing on the screen.
The screen changed to show a bloodied and panting Guy, with Madara injured as well, blood dribbling from his mouth.
Madara cackled wildly, "Very good! Let's dance some more!"
"Even after that beating he got from Guy, it still wasn't enough?" Tsunade's lip quivered.
"This guy's tougher than a cockroach…"
"Does Guy have anything left up his sleeves?"
Naruto tilted his head, thinking. "He has his final technique, a powerful taijutsu that's incorporated with the eight gates! But I'm not sure of its name, so we'll have to watch to find out."
"Guy's putting his life on the line." Minato sat up straighter.
"Let us burn this image into our eyes!" Duy said, beating his chest with his fists.
"From looking at your heart's pressure point, this will be your final attack." Madara wheezed.
"Grow!" Red chakra flashed from Guy, increasing the pressure around the battlefield, sending small rocks flying and cracking the earth itself.
"That stance… that's not the night elephant!" Lee shouted over the rough winds.
"It can't be… did he still have another attack greater than that?" Minato shouted as well, shielding his face from the debris being flung about.
"Looks like it's my turn." Kakashi said as he watched his chakra leak out from chest, finding its way to Naruto before clinging on.
The screen fizzled as it showed Duy and Sakumo meeting. "Oh, this was at the academy…" Kakashi informed.
"Ah!" Sakumo said, pleasantly surprised. "Nice to meet you, my kid is going to be starting the academy today."
"So, please get along well with him."
"No, that's going to be impossible." Duy shook his head.
"Eh? Why not?" Kushina glared at Kakashi, "Are you a bully—?"
"This kid, flunked the academy entrance exam." Kakashi said.
Kushina frowned.
Sakumo rubbed the back of his head, "Ah… I'm sorry, you were standing in front of the academy, so I thought…"
Duy laughed, "That makes perfect sense!"
"Is that seriously something to laugh about? This kid's trying to get into the ninja academy, but he can't even use ninjutsu, what the heck was he thinking?"
"Kakashi!" Kushina scolded, "That's so rude."
"I-I'm sorry." Kakashi put his hands up, remembering his sensei's girlfriend's nickname.
"Anyways, if we don't get going, we're going to be late, dad." Kakashi rolled his eyes.
As Kakashi and Sakumo were walking away, Guy laughed. "You're Hatake Kakashi, right? Thanks for cheering me on!"
"Hah?" Kakashi was seriously confused as he continued walking away with his father.
"Kakashi, just because the academy has admitted you, don't start slacking off and getting careless. At this rate, this kid could become stronger than you. You'd do best to remember his name… he'd make a great rival."
The screen cut back to Guy powering up as Kakashi's chakra went back to him.
"It was just like you predicted dad…" Kakashi looked on wide-eyed. "He really did blow past me…"
"You know, Kakashi." Minato looked down, "From what I could tell from the memories… you weren't happy in the ANBU, and Guy spent years petitioning for you to be removed from it. Which in turn, led you to becoming a teacher."
"Guy probably saved your life, or at least stopped it from spiraling even further. Back in the war, Lady Tsunade asked if you had anyone you trusted with your life. You chose Guy, yeah know?"
Kakashi gave a shaky shrug. "He's just a rival…"
"Every time Guy challenged you to a silly competition, you always gave it your all, because you cared about winning, and cared about your friendship with Guy." Minato nodded, "Fighting with Guy and trusting him to watch your back, confiding your thoughts to one another, he'll be there for you, Kakashi."
"Hmph." Kakashi shrugged, not noticing his eyes had glazed over.
"Eternal rivals, and eternal friends." Minato beamed.
A red dragon formed with just charka alone, surrounding Guy.
"This chakra! It's definitely something! As far as taijutsu, amongst those who have fought me… There hasn't been one who was exceeded your level!"
"Flow!" Guy charged forwards, destroying the ground in front of him.
"I! Madara! Declare you the strongest!"
Guy jumped forwards, pushing all the momentum into his leg, barreling into Madara's ribcage, the impact folded Madara like a pancake.
"Night Guy!" He screamed.
An explosion rocked the battlefield, as the two crashed into the God Tree.
"Guy!"
"Son!"
Kakashi and Duy screamed, rising from their seats.
"That was his final attack! What happened?!" Kakashi looked at Naruto for answers, a sudden fear in his eyes.