A Flickering Candle In The Wind

Before them stood a breathtaking beauty, as if from a dream, yet Kakashi and the others only felt a chilling coldness in their limbs, with cold sweat on their backs. The silver-haired girl before them hadn't suffered much damage at all.

Although her clothes were mostly torn, there were hardly any visible wounds on her exposed skin.

Just a glance from the silver-haired girl made Kakashi feel as though he were frozen to the bone, as if turned to ice.

Kaguya ignored them and instead walked slowly toward Guy.

Guy's body was starting to break down, his charred tissue flaking away and turning to dust on the ground. He was like a candle flickering in the wind, struggling to hold on.

"What are you doing?" Rock Lee snapped out of his daze, frantically running toward Kaguya, but it was too late.

Yet Kaguya did not do what he feared. Instead, she crouched down, extended her fair arm, and placed her palm on Guy's chest. A warm, life-giving energy flowed from Kaguya's hand, through his skin, and into Guy's body. The disintegration of Guy's body stopped, and the chakra flame in his heart reignited.

Not only that, but Guy's body began to heal at a visible rate, with bones and muscles regenerating, and even his chakra pathways and nodes being reformed.

Kaguya gently moved her hand away, leaving a white ring of light on Guy's chest, which spread across his body like a spider web.

This was the resurrection ability of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki never truly dies, which is why even the Sage of the Six Paths and his brother could only seal her away. Her strength is not only in her immense defense but also in her powerful regenerative abilities.

In the blink of an eye, Lee had reached Guy and stopped nearby. His eyes were wide, fists clenched, and teeth grit as he prepared to fight. He knew he couldn't defeat Kaguya but was determined to save his teacher, even though the fully opened Eight Gates meant certain death.

But Kaguya didn't even glance at him, instead stepping gracefully past him.

Lee was momentarily stunned but quickly came to his senses and rushed to Guy's side, wiping his tears and shouting, "Guy-sensei!"

At that moment, Kakashi also reached Guy's side. He knelt down, taking Guy's charred hand, his expression grim as he looked at the silver-haired girl walking away. Even with his life on the line, Guy hadn't been able to defeat her or make her stay.

Kakashi sighed, about to stand up when his eyes widened, his Sharingan fixed on Guy's chest, his face showing disbelief. He noticed Guy's body healing at a remarkable rate—something impossible, given the damage from the Eight Gates Release.

Suddenly, his eyes focused on a ball of white light on Guy's chest. This light was warm and gentle, brimming with incredible vitality, spreading through Guy's body like a stream, revitalizing him as if he were a withered tree blooming anew.

Kakashi quickly turned to look at the silver-haired girl in the distance.

Could it be her?

But how is that possible?

Kaguya walked slowly toward the allied forces, her beautiful face cold and composed.

The allied shinobi watched the silver-haired girl approach, swallowing nervously. Glancing at each other, they dropped their weapons with a clatter and turned to flee.

Even the formidable Guy wasn't a match for the silver-haired girl before them, so wouldn't they just be cannon fodder if they went up against her? They weren't foolish.

Fear spread across the battlefield like a plague as more and more ninjas fled. At first, only a few ran, but soon it was a large group. Like dominoes, in no time, nearly everyone was gone.

"Those bastards," the Third Tsuchikage said through clenched teeth, angrily watching those who dropped their weapons and fled.

"A bunch of cowards," Tsunade agreed, her voice full of frustration. She wished she could beat them up for their cowardice.

"We'll deal with those fools later," the Raikage grunted, slamming his fists together with a heavy thud. "Right now, we need to stop that girl. Isn't that right, Mizukage?"

"Ah, yes," Mei Terumi replied absentmindedly, barely acknowledging them.

Her attention wasn't on the fleeing ninjas but on Kaguya. In her memory, Kaguya wasn't a bloodthirsty person. Although she could be mischievous at times, she would never go on a killing spree like this.

Something must have happened to her.

At that moment, Kaguya staggered on the battlefield, letting out a painful groan. She clutched her head with both hands, her pretty face contorted in pain.

The sudden change brought a halt to the commotion on the battlefield. Everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what was happening, and many of those who had been fleeing stopped and turned back to look.

Kaguya's groans grew louder, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and sweat poured down her body as if she were enduring immense pain. Her body trembled slightly, and she panted softly.

"Look, something's happening to her."

"Do you think she's pretending?"

"Why would she pretend? If she was really going to chase us, could we outrun her?"

"You mean…"

"She must have gotten hurt in the fight."

"Right, with a battle that intense, how could she not get hurt? Look, her clothes are torn."

"If that's the case, should we…" One ninja gestured across his neck and chuckled.

"Let's go for it. Strike while she's down. Besides, there's a hefty bounty on her."

Several ninjas huddled together, laughing wickedly. To them, even though Kaguya was terrifyingly powerful, how much strength could she have left after being injured? If they didn't act now, someone else might beat them to it. With this thought, they could no longer resist.