Chapter 147: Eight Gates

Maito Dai's feet slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He scanned the battlefield, his gaze sweeping over the fallen Kushina and Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. His eyes instantly sharpened, his whole body radiating an intense battle intent.

"It seems I'm a step late." Maito Dai spoke in a low voice, suppressing his anger. He turned toward Madara Uchiha, staring straight at him, "But it's not too late yet!"

Minato struggled to lift his head, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He said hoarsely, "Dai, why are you here? Run! This isn't something you can handle."

Maito Dai didn't look back. He replied in a low voice, "Rest assured, I'll use the power of youth to make this guy pay the price!"

Madara Uchiha frowned slightly, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes, "Genin? Has Konoha already fallen to sending genin to their deaths?"

Maito Dai didn't answer, merely taking a deep breath, his hands clenching fiercely. In an instant, an astonishing aura erupted from his body.

"Gate of Opening! Gate of Healing! Gate of Life! Gate of Pain! Gate of Limit! Open!"

With each low shout, Maito Dai's aura surged another degree.

"Seventh Gate, Gate of Wonder, Open!"

Boom! With the final roar, Maito Dai's body suddenly changed, his skin instantly turning crimson, like red-hot iron.

Blue veins bulged wildly beneath his skin, like writhing little snakes. A powerful airflow centered on him swept outward in all directions, ground gravel blown scattering and flying.

Minato's eyes went stark wide, watching the scene before him in disbelief. He had never imagined that the genin always mocked in the village could now erupt with such terrifying momentum.

Madara narrowed his eyes, his voice finally carrying a hint of interest, "Eight Gates? Somewhat interesting. I've only heard of it, but this is the first time seeing it with my own eyes."

"Then watch carefully!" Maito Dai let out a low roar, his feet stomping the ground hard.

Bang! Before his words fell, Maito Dai's figure had already charged at Madara Uchiha like a bolt of green lightning. The air shrieked sharply under his high-speed movement, his footsteps stamping deep pits into the ground one after another.

"So fast..."

Madara stood in place, unmoving, a flash of surprise in his eyes. Just as the fist was about to contact him, Madara tilted his head slightly, easily dodging this seemingly unstoppable strike.

"Bang!"

Maito Dai's fist whistled past Madara's ear, the force slamming heavily into the rock behind. The massive impact instantly shattered the hard rock, stone fragments scattering in all directions.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

A sharp glint flashed in Maito Dai's eyes. Not waiting for Madara to react, his left leg struck like a long whip, carrying whistling wind straight at Madara's waist.

Madara's eyes narrowed slightly, his right hand shooting out like lightning, precisely grabbing Maito Dai's ankle.

"Not bad speed," Madara chuckled lightly, "But the power is lacking."

Before his words fell, Madara violently swung his arm, intending to fling Maito Dai away. However, Maito Dai borrowed the momentum to flip in midair, his right foot kicking at Madara's face like a gale.

Madara leaned back slightly, Maito Dai's toe brushing past his nose tip. Before Madara could steady himself, Maito Dai had already landed, hands bracing the ground, waist twisting violently.

"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"

Maito Dai roared, both legs sweeping out like a whirlwind. His speed reached its limit, in a single instant kicking out several legs, each wrapped in terrifying force, the air stirred into explosive cracks.

Madara activated his Rinnegan, capturing Maito Dai's every movement, then stepped lightly, each step perfectly dodging Maito Dai's attacks.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sound of air tearing was incessant. Maito Dai's offensive was like a violent storm, giving Madara not a sliver of breathing room.

Suddenly, Maito Dai slammed both hands onto the ground, his whole body springing up like a cannon shell. He flipped in midair, right leg raised high, a stream of blue chakra coiling around his leg like flame.

"Dynamic Leaf Battle Axe!!"

Maito Dai's right leg chopped down at Madara's crown like a sharp battle axe. The air shrieked sharply under this terrifying strike.

Madara raised his left arm, forcibly taking this heavy, powerful kick head-on. The massive impact made Madara's body lean back slightly, the ground beneath his feet instantly cracking, spider-web fractures spreading outward.

Feeling the power transmitted through his arm, a flash of surprise crossed Madara's eyes.

Next second, an invisible repulsive force instantly erupted, expanding outward centered on Madara. The air seemed to freeze, an irresistible force blasting Maito Dai away hard.

"Ugh!" Maito Dai groaned dully, his body flying backward like a broken kite.

However, right then in midair, Maito Dai's hands suddenly clasped together, roaring, "Daytime Tiger!"

In an instant, the air trembled violently, a terrifying airflow rapidly condensing centered on Maito Dai. In the blink of an eye, a gigantic white tiger phantom composed of pure airflow appeared in the sky.

The two forces collided fiercely in midair, exploding with a deafening boom. Air waves swept the surroundings, stone fragments flying.

Minato barely lifted his head, eyes full of shock. So this is Maito Dai's true strength? But against Madara Uchiha it's still far too weak...

Just at this moment, a calm voice came from the explosion center.

"Eight Gates is indeed formidable, actually able to amplify your power this many times in a short period."

The smoke and dust dispersed, Madara Uchiha's figure slowly emerging. His surface was covered by a layer of pale blue Susanoo skeleton, blocking all damage outside.

Madara looked at the distant Maito Dai, continuing, "Unfortunately, for your own base strength, no matter how much it's amplified, it's meaningless."

Maito Dai climbed painfully out of the pit, a trace of fresh blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth. He grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth, "Worthy of the one who could defeat the Hokage Adult, but..."

"Now is the time for me to protect what I cherish in my heart!" Maito Dai's gaze softened for a moment, Might Guy's image surfacing in his mind,

"For Konoha, for the children's future... let you witness it! Burning Youth!"

Maito Dai clenched both fists hard, his whole body muscles beginning to twitch violently.

"Eighth Gate, Gate of Death, Open!"

Boom! With this roar, an unprecedented terrifying aura erupted from Maito Dai's body. An unprecedented terrifying aura swept out like a sky-reaching tsunami.

The ground collapsed instantly under this power, forming a massive crater dozens of meters in diameter.

Blood seeped from Maito Dai's skin, instantly evaporating into thick red mist under the extreme heat, wrapping his whole person within. Madara narrowed his eyes, his Rinnegan reflecting Maito Dai's figure. He could clearly see the chakra inside Dai consuming at an astonishing speed.

"So this is the final layer of Eight Gates?" Madara's voice carried a hint of interest, "Truly surprising. However." His gaze sharpened, "With your chakra reserves, I fear you can only sustain a few moves?"

Maito Dai didn't answer. At this moment he could no longer speak, his whole body muscles tense, blood vessels bulging as if about to burst.

The next instant, his figure suddenly vanished from the spot.

Bang! The air tore instantly, Maito Dai's figure appearing before Madara as if teleporting.

Madara Uchiha's pupils contracted sharply, "What?!"

"First Gear!" Maito Dai's voice rang out.

Boom! A massive air cannon instantly formed, blasting toward Madara centered on Maito Dai's fist. The air wave compressed into a solid mass, squeezing the surrounding air into twisted distortion.

Madara had no time to react; Susanoo's bones shattered instantly under that terrifying power, and Madara Uchiha was slammed to the ground by the immense force, spraying a mouthful of fresh blood.

"This power... Disbelief." A hint of Disbelief Watch flashed through Madara's eyes; he had never imagined he would actually be injured by a Genin.

Throwing out a punch, Maito Dai gasped in midair; he clearly felt his life rapidly flowing away...

At This Moment, a tremor suddenly came from the Ground. Amidst the smoke and dust, a blue light abruptly blazed.

Madara Uchiha's figure slowly Stood Up; blue chakra burned around him like flames. Susanoo's bones re-condensed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Maito Dai Grit Teeth, fists clenched tight. "Second Gear!"

Boom! The air was Torn again; Maito Dai's figure rushed at Madara like Lightning. This time, his speed was faster, his power even more terrifying.

Madara's Pupil sharply contracted; the just-forming Susanoo had no time to fully Expand.

Crack!

Susanoo shattered once more under that terrifying strike.

Madara Uchiha was blasted flying by that power, crashing heavily into a distant rock wall; the entire mountain peak Collapsed under the impact.

"Cough!" Madara violently spat a mouthful of fresh blood; he had not yet steadied himself when he felt a powerful presence instantly close in.

Madara looked up, only to See Maito Dai's figure already Appear before his eyes, terrifying chakra Entangling his fist.

"Three..."

Maito Dai Prepared to strike again, when suddenly a sharp pain came from his chest, and his movement came to an abrupt halt.

Bang! Maito Dai's body fell like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the Ground, kicking up a cloud of Dust.

He laboriously lifted his head, spraying a large mouthful of fresh blood. "Damn it... only two punches?" His voice was full of unwillingness.

At this moment, Madara slowly stood up, looking down at the dying Maito Dai, a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes: "Truly astonishing power; you indeed made me feel a bit of excitement."

His voice suddenly turned somewhat disappointed: "Unfortunately, this move that overdrafts life ultimately has its limit. Look at your body; it's already on the verge of Collapse."

"No!" Maito Dai laboriously propped up his body, arms Trembling, Muscles as if about to be Torn. He looked at Madara with Determination: "My youth has not ended yet!"

Suddenly, Madara's gaze fell on Maito Dai's chest, where all chakra was frantically gathering. An unprecedented terrifying aura began to Spread.

A flash of surprise crossed Madara's eyes, then turned into fanatical excitement: "Interesting... you guy, do you still have a trump card?"

The corner of Madara Uchiha's mouth curled up slightly; his whole body's chakra erupted again: "Then continue the dance! Let me see where your limit is!"

Maito Dai took a Deep Breath, shouted loudly: "Accumulate!"

With this Roar, Maito Dai's body burst forth with dazzling light, like a supernova about to Explode; terrifying chakra surged from his body like a tide, condensing in the air into a giant crimson dragon phantom.

Boom! Next Second, Maito Dai's figure, like a red Lightning, rushed straight at Madara Uchiha.

Every step falling, the Ground instantly Collapsed, forming bottomless giant pits one after another.

The air was instantly Compressed under this terrifying impact, forming a huge vacuum zone.

Everything around was drawn by this power, Collapsing toward the Center. Rubble, Dust formed a giant vortex.

Madara looked at the scene before him, a trace of Disbelief Watch flashing in his eyes, but it immediately turned into fanatical excitement.

"Magnificent!" His voice rang out in the gale: "Among all the people I've seen, no one's Taijutsu surpasses you! I, Madara, acknowledge you as the strongest!"

Voice Not Fall, blue chakra surged from Madara's body like a tsunami. In the blink of an eye, a Complete Body Susanoo towering over a hundred meters condensed into shape.

Maito Dai's Kick collided violently with Susanoo's sword blade in midair.

Boom! A terrifying Shockwave spread outward with the two as the Center; trees for miles around instantly turned to dust under this power.

Next Second, a crack suddenly appeared on Susanoo's sword blade, then Spread rapidly like a Spider Web. Next Second, that giant energy construct actually shattered with a bang under Maito Dai's earth-shattering strike!

Madara's Pupil violently contracted, Disbelief Watching the scene before him; however, he still had no time to react before Maito Dai's figure had already Appeared before him like a Ghost.

"Ha!"

Maito Dai's angry shout exploded like thunder; his one Kick carried world-destroying power, aiming straight for Madara's face.

Madara's body instinctively leaned back, trying to dodge this fatal blow. However, even with his reaction speed, he only barely avoided his head.

Crack!

A crisp Bone fracture sounded. Maito Dai's right Kick landed heavily on Madara Uchiha's chest; the terrifying power instantly shattered Madara's sternum.

Madara's body flew back like a Shell, drawing a long arc in midair. He crashed heavily onto the Ground, kicking up a cloud of Dust, plowing a deep trench into the Ground.

(Chapter End)