"Impossible! No Chakra?"
Kisame was completely dumbfounded.
'How could this brat launch such a powerful attack without using Chakra?'
'Could it be that this isn't the Biju Transformation?'
'Then what could it be?'
"Taijutsu!"
Itachi on the side spoke. His tone sounded calm, but the Sharingan in his eyes betrayed his inner astonishment.
Even he hadn't expected Naruto to master such advanced Taijutsu techniques.
Moreover, as someone from Konoha, Itachi knew very well that this was the Eight Gates, the most extraordinary ability among all Taijutsu.
Using the Eight Gates will exponentially boost the user's speed, strength, and overall physical attributes. However, this came at a great cost, often causing irreversible damage to the body, and in many cases, threatening the user's life.
Yet, even for those willing to gamble with their lives, it required exceptional talent in Taijutsu to even attempt learning the technique.
The Eight Gates was no ordinary Forbidden Technique, and it was not something just anyone could master.
That Naruto could open six gates at once was nothing short of incredible, testament to his talent in Taijutsu.
According to Itachi's intel, only Might Guy had ever achieved a comparable level, and Guy was an Elite Jonin in Konoha.
What is an Elite Jonin? That is someone regarded as a potential Kage candidate, a true top-tier Shinobi.
Itachi could hardly believe that, even without relying on the Kyubi's Chakra, Naruto had such hidden aces up his sleeve.
To make things even more terrifying, Naruto also possessed the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
'Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu.'
'Naruto had not only mastered all three of a Shinobi's primary disciplines, but had done so at an exceptional level in each.'
'What kind of monster is he?!'
"Are you scared now? Too late for that!"
Ignoring the stunned expressions of both Kisame and Itachi, Naruto stomped the ground forcefully. Though it wasn't the legendary 'left foot on right foot sky stair', his stomp propelled him into the air as if he were flying.
In his previous life, he had seen jet engines push airplanes into the skies with their sheer power. Naruto's ability to ascend by stepping on the air was a testament to the terrifying impact of his strength.
If this force were directed at an ordinary person, it would crush them into paste instantly.
Even Kisame, as resilient as he was, felt a chill deep in his heart upon witnessing this level of power.
His ability to absorb Chakra can indeed restrain powerful Ninjutsu users, but strong Taijutsu user also restrained him and he has no way to counter them.
"That's for bullying Wartortle!"
"That's for sneaky attacks from behind!"
"That's for underestimating me!"
"Take this, you monkey-faced shark!"
Naruto stomped through the air as if it were solid ground, unleashing countless punches midair with each insult.
Opening the sixth gate had pushed his physical abilities to new heights. Combined with the enhancements from the Artifact Clone Costume, Naruto's power now exceeded the typical sixth gate, bordering on the seventh, which can also be said 'six-and-a-half gates' state.
Fist after fiery fist tore through the air, friction igniting them into blazing meteors. Each punch carried a deafening sonic boom, forming a storm of fire-laced strikes that rained down upon Kisame.
Faced with countless punches, Kisame had no time to catch his breath, let alone counterattack.
And as if that weren't enough, Naruto's passive skill from Galio, Colossal Smash, added insult to injury.
[Colossal Smash]: Galio's passive skill. Every five seconds in combat, the user delivers an empowered strike with bonus percentage-based damage.]
In simple terms, hidden among the barrage of punches were a few 'easter eggs', explosive critical hits that dealt even more devastating damage to Kisame.
However, Naruto's dazzling attack wasn't entirely his own invention. The scattered fiery punches lit up the post-rain sky, creating vibrant rainbows resembling a seven-colored peacock.
This was a modified version of Guy's 'Morning Peacock', improved into a fresh Rainbow Peacock!
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Countless fiery punches rained down on Kisame, blasting craters into the ground and transforming the battlefield into a fiery purgatory.
But Naruto didn't stop there. His relentless barrage continued without pause.
As he'd mentioned earlier, using the Eight Gates was far easier for him than it was for Guy, thanks to the perks as the system rewards. This allowed him to sustain the sixth gate for an hour without any issues.
Kisame, known as the 'Tailless Biju', possessed immense Chakra Reserves and the ability to heal himself with Chakra. If Naruto showed even a moment's mercy, Kisame could escape from the fiery onslaught unscathed.
Thus, constant and unyielding offense was the only option.
Of course, Naruto could have opened all the eight gates to instantly obliterate Kisame. However, as he had stated, his goal wasn't to kill Kisame but to torture him.
The Sixth Gate was the perfect balance, it turned Naruto into the ultimate King of Torment!
"Ahhhh!!!"
Kisame's screams echoed across the battlefield. Though he could heal himself, every time he recovered, Naruto would injure him again. If he chose not to heal, the next barrage of fire punches would surely end his life.
For Kisame, recovery became nothing more than preparing to take the next beating...
Just like that, an hour passed quickly.
Itachi, who was standing on the side, remained silent, and the shock in his eyes having long been replaced by horror.
'One hour. An entire hour!'
'What kind of monstrous physique could withstand an hour in the sixth gate state?'
'Naruto is too outrageous!'
'And yet, Kisame's resilience was just as astonishing. He had withstood an hour of relentless punishment.'
'No wonder Kisame is so warlike, it turns out he is so resilient!'
Crack!
Naruto felt his bones creak faintly, signaling that his body had reached its limit. While he could still push himself further, there was no point in overdoing it.
Prolonging the fight any longer would harm both himself and his opponent unnecessarily.
The hour-long assault had likely drained most of Kisame's vast Chakra Reserves.
Moreover, just now, a system prompt sounded in his mind.
For Naruto, it is more important to check the sign-in rewards.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed the six gates, did a dramatic backflip, and landed gracefully on the ground.
As the final fire punches crashed into the earth, the area where Kisame stood had been reduced to a charred wasteland. The ground had sunk five meters deep, resembling a giant fiery pit.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Kisame lay on the ground, gasping for air, his eyes filled with exhaustion and fear.
He had nearly exhausted his Chakra Reserves. One more minute of this barrage, and his body would have been utterly destroyed, consumed by fire and turned to ash.
For someone known for his massive Chakra Reserves, Kisame had never imagined being forced into such a desperate situation.
"Heh, now do you see the difference in our strength? Don't you dare act cocky in front of me again." Naruto sneered.
"Y-yes, Naruto-sama, you're absolutely right." Kisame stammered, nodding repeatedly.
Kisame knew Naruto hadn't intended to kill him. Otherwise, he'd already be dead. Though he didn't know why Naruto had spared him, the sheer torment was enough to make him never want to face Naruto again.
The experience was so soul-crushing that he didn't even dare to recall it.
The gap in their power… it was a chasm unlike anything Kisame had ever encountered.
At that moment, the small figure of Naruto standing before him seemed like a towering giant or an insurmountable mountain.
Even the thought of challenging Naruto again felt impossible for Kisame.
"Good. That's more like it."
Seeing Kisame behave himself, Naruto nodded in satisfaction and opened the system panel.
When he saw the system reward he had just received, his eyes widened in astonishment and he stood frozen on the spot...