Chapter 24 Danzo—You’re Not Actually Trying to Kill Me, Right?!

Tobirama never could have imagined— Kazekaze had actually unlocked the Fifth Gate—Gate of Closing!

The scene before him was beyond shocking! No matter how much of a genius someone was— There had to be a limit! A seven-year-old unlocking Gate of Closing?! This was beyond absurd!

'This is bad.'

But shock wasn't the only thing Tobirama felt. There was another undeniable reality— A punch from Gate of Closing… was exponentially stronger than Gate of Life. And Kazekaze's target— Danzo's left chest.

If this punch landed, Danzo would either be dead or severely crippled! Realizing this, Tobirama couldn't hold back any longer. He moved instantly.

Body Flicker Technique!

In a blink— Tobirama vanished, leaving behind only a fading afterimage. His real body flashed into the air above Kazekaze, Right hand open, pressing against Kazekaze's back. The moment his hand made contact— Flying Thunder God Technique! 

Kazekaze and Tobirama disappeared from Danzo's view. But— The pressure and fear Kazekaze had inflicted on Danzo remained. For Danzo, this wasn't just a match. This was a fight to the death! When Kazekaze activated Gate of Closing and threw his punch, Only one thought filled Danzo's mind— "DEATH!"

Elsewhere—Ground Level

Tobirama teleported Kazekaze down. But— In his Gate of Closing state, Kazekaze couldn't stop his momentum. If he forced himself to stop, his arm would snap. So— Kazekaze did the only thing he could. He punched the ground.

BOOOOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the entire training field. A powerful shockwave blasted in all directions. The ground trembled. The earth beneath Kazekaze's fist shattered like a spiderweb, Cracks spreading across the entire training ground! Koharu and Homura were completely caught off guard. Their minds blanked out— Their sense of balance destroyed. They collapsed onto the ground. Sarutobi, Kagami, and Torifu managed to stay on their feet— But their minds were in complete chaos. Their eyes were filled with pure shock, Their expressions frozen, Their bodies stiff, Like their feet had taken root in the earth.

In the absolute silence that followed— The only thing everyone could hear— Was their own heartbeat. Then— Danzo fell backward onto the ground with a heavy thud. Completely stunned. He was so overwhelmed by Kazekaze's sheer presence— His mind had gone blank. As for the match's outcome? There was no question. Danzo—utterly defeated.

Before the fight, no one thought this would be the outcome. Against a seven-year-old, Danzo didn't even have a chance to fight back. This wasn't just unbelievable— It shattered reality. Even Tobirama himself took a sharp breath— Overwhelmed by the sheer terror of Kazekaze's power. Finally, Might Bai broke the silence.

"D-Danzo… lost."

As the referee, he officially announced the result. No one dared to question it. Not even Danzo himself. After all— No one knew better than him just how big the power gap between him and Kazekaze was.

"I never expected Kazekaze to unlock Gate of Closing at this age." Might Bai spoke in a daze.

"I even said he'd need at least five years of training before reaching this level…I completely underestimated Kazekaze-sama's talent."

Then— He realized something terrifying. As a referee, his duty was to stop the fight if a participant's life was in danger. Tobirama himself had personally assigned him this responsibility. But— Forget stopping Kazekaze— In that moment, Might Bai's mind had gone completely blank. He was so shocked by Kazekaze's talent, He had completely frozen up. No— That wasn't quite right. Might Bai shook his head. It wasn't just shock.

"Even if I wanted to stop him, I wouldn't have made it in time."

He let out a bitter laugh. To catch up with Kazekaze's Gate of Closing speed— He would have needed to activate The Eight Inner Gates himself. But in that kind of situation, Who had time to activate their own The Eight Inner Gates?! The only person who could have saved Danzo— Was Lord Tobirama, with his Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Danzo is a Chunin. And for the past ten years, he's never once slacked off in training…" Sarutobi stared blankly at Danzo, Still lying on the ground, motionless.

"And yet, even with all that… he still wasn't a match for Kazekaze-sama." Sarutobi felt a complex mix of emotions.

To him, Danzo was a remarkably skilled ninja. He had even imagined that if he ever became the Third Hokage, He would entrust Danzo with important responsibilities. But now— That same Danzo, Who Sarutobi had believed in… Had been completely annihilated by Kazekaze. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, He wouldn't have believed it.

Kagami, who had been watching through his Sharingan, finally spoke.

"Taijutsu is different from ninjutsu and genjutsu. Ninjutsu and genjutsu can be countered if you have the right information in advance. But taijutsu is pure physical power. Even if your eyes can see the attacks coming— If your body can't react fast enough— Then you can't win. This was a complete power mismatch."

There was bitterness in Kagami's tone. Especially when he mentioned the eyes. It was as if he was speaking to himself. Perhaps during the fight, He had simulated a battle between himself and Kazekaze in his mind. For generations, the Senju and Uchiha had been rivals. Even though Hashirama and Madara had founded Konoha together, The two clans still competed. And as an Uchiha who had already awakened his Sharingan, Kagami was regarded as a genius among his clan. In fact, he had unlocked his Sharingan even earlier than Madara.

It wasn't impossible for him to surpass Madara someday. Among his peers, There wasn't a single Senju who could rival him. This had always given him a sense of superiority. But today— Kazekaze had shattered that illusion.

'Kazekaze is the true genius.

A monstrous genius.

At seven years old…

He already possesses such terrifying strength.

If he continues to grow—what kind of power will he reach?

Senju Hashirama?

Uchiha Madara?

Neither of them seem to compare.'

Meanwhile, on the ground… One person was questioning life even more than Kagami. Danzo. Lying completely still, Danzo's throat felt dry, his mind spiraling in shock. He hadn't just lost to Kazekaze— He had been completely paralyzed with fear. But worst of all— For a moment back there— It really seemed like Kazekaze was trying to punch him to death.