Meanwhile,
Might Guy arrived at the location of the battle between Kimimaro and, presumably, Kakashi.
Staring at the forest of bone spikes before him, Might Guy rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Since when did bones grow in the forest? Is this the Inuzuka clan's paradise?" Guy muttered to himself.
Deciding to investigate, Might Guy proceeded cautiously deeper into the bizarre Bone Forest.
Suddenly, Guy's pupils constricted, his body froze. His spirit felt like it had taken a heavy blow.
He leaped down and picked up a familiar, blood-stained book: 'Icha Icha Paradise'.
"This... isn't this Kakashi's book?"
"Nooo!!! …It can't be…Nooo!!!"
"Impossible! Kakashi would never leave his 'Icha Icha Paradise' behind unless..."
Might Guy's face turned pale. He couldn't bear to imagine the alternative.
He glanced around, noticing bloodstains splattered across the bone spikes.
At this point, Guy felt his legs weaken beneath him. He sank onto the bone-littered ground, memories of his time with Kakashi flooding his mind.
He remembered first meeting Kakashi, who was absorbed in reading. Back then, Kakashi seemed like a serious scholar, not yet influenced by Master Jiraiya's... particular tastes. And Guy, always eager to challenge a genius, immediately declared Kakashi as his eternal rival.
But Kakashi paid him no mind, treating him like thin air.
Undeterred, Guy relentlessly pestered him.
When Kakashi ate, Guy would hang upside down from the roof beams to watch.
When Kakashi bathed, Guy would somehow appear in the bathhouse too.
He'd even climb trees to observe Kakashi when he... used the facilities.
This... persistence... unfortunately earned him the embarrassing nickname 'Little Acorn' from someone, a sore point even now.
Finally, his sheer fiery passion and youthful perseverance earned him the right to compete with Kakashi, sparking countless challenges ever since.
Archery, chain-wielding, shuriken throwing – Guy lost them all.
Then came the taijutsu showdown. But that cunning Kakashi tricked him with the Transformation Jutsu, leading to another loss for Guy.
Then, at dusk, Guy finally achieved his first victory against Kakashi... in rock-paper-scissors.
That moment solidified the unique bond between them.
But now!!! Now, it seemed his eternal rival had gone on ahead of him, leaving him behind.
Silent tears streamed down Guy's face – tears of grief, tears of loss, tears shed solely for Kakashi.
His fist hammered against the hard bone spikes, drawing blood, as he choked out between sobs, "You idiot! Damn it, Kakashi!!!"
Just then, Kakashi, standing atop the bone structures and supporting a seriously injured Choji and Neji, called down curiously,
"Guy? What are you doing crying down there?"
Guy hastily wiped his tears away.
Staring at the very much alive Kakashi, he asked suspiciously, "Wait... am I dead too?"
Kakashi was momentarily speechless.
"The Third Hokage sent you, right? Get up here and help! Choji and Neji are badly hurt! They are barely holding on."
"Huh? Oh, right! Coming!"
Guy realised how foolish he must look. But then again, it wasn't the first time he'd made a fool of himself in front of Kakashi.
As they regrouped, Guy asked Kakashi, "Why did you leave your 'Icha Icha' book back there?"
Kakashi replied nonchalantly, "I was just coming back to get it when I found you blubbering."
Guy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ah... I was just upset I missed the fight, that's all."
Kakashi gave him a sideways glance but didn't press the issue.
'This idiot is still terrible at lying' , Kakashi thought.
Yet, recalling Guy's genuine grief just moments before, Kakashi felt an unexpected warmth spread through his chest, something akin to deep camaraderie.
...
...
[Scene change: Back to the Valley of the End--]
[Naruto completed his hand signs, and dozens of Shadow Clones instantly surrounded Sasuke.]
["Blindly increasing your numbers won't help you beat me!" Sasuke stated coldly. And just as he predicted, Sasuke moved through the clones, dispelling them effortlessly, like popping bubbles.]
[He then grabbed the real Naruto, saying proudly, "With the Sharingan, spotting the original among clones is easy. I was just playing along. Now, I won't hold back!"]
[Sasuke delivered a vicious uppercut followed by a powerful kick, sending Naruto flying. To ensure victory, Sasuke unleashed another Great Fireball Technique.]
[Naruto narrowly dodged the blast, taking cover behind a shattered tree trunk, glaring at Sasuke with defiance.]
["Is that the best you can do? Show me what you've really got... dobe!" Sasuke taunted.]
[Provoked, Naruto slowly came out from behind the tree and charged out again, and the two clashed fiercely in close combat. But it was one-sided; Naruto was overwhelmed, unable to land a solid blow. Finally, Sasuke drove a powerful punch that sent Naruto crashing back into the river below.]
[Staring down at the water where Naruto had fallen, Sasuke's gaze hardened with resolve. "No matter how dark the path ahead, I will press forward! Whatever it takes, I will obtain power!"]
...(To be continued…)