Chapter 669: Hachimon Tonkou no Jin...!!
Gah, my apologies that this is so late; I lost track of the months/days and completely forgot this was my week. Luckily this chapter is mostly action so there's not much to say about it.
SUMMARY
We open with Gai, having opened the eighth gate, using the Evening Elephant attack against Madara.
The attack explodes like a bomb, but Gai winces in pain; it seems that using this technique is extremely painful and because of this Gai wasn't able to strike continuously, allowing Madara to dodge.
Meanwhile, Madara comments that this is an attack almost like an air cannon--Gai is pushing the air towards him with enough force to damage his headband thing. If a lot of blows hit him, he would be in trouble, and above all he needs to keep from getting hit directly by Gai's fists.
Excited about the chance to fight against the Eight Gates technique, what with it being so rare, Madara leaps eagerly into battle. Meanwhile, Gaara asks someone to explain what the heck is going on. Kakashi tells him about how the Eight Gates can make someone a hundred times more powerful, but at a price: the user will die afterwards.
Gaara thinks back to the chuunin exam and remembers how Gai rescued Lee from Gaara's attack, saving his life. He thinks of how Gai said that Lee was his precious comrade, and realizes how painful this must be for Lee. However, Lee shouts that he isn't said, because in front of a man who made an important decision, feeling sadness or pity would be an insult.
The group is silent for a moment, then Minato takes the lead, saying that they will support Gai. Madara's ball attack apparently is a result of his shape change and thus isn't something he activates; instead, it disappears if you just brush against it, but will be solid if you touch it.
He can throw the ball attack about 70 meters away from him, but past that he can't control it anymore. Therefore, if they can manage to follow the attack, Kakashi can use his kamui on it and they can wrest it from Madara's control.
However, Kakashi is having trouble seeing with his left eye, so he needs to be very close to the attack to aim kamui. Minato asks Gaara to use his sand, but Gaara says that the sand is actually slower than Madara's attack. But Minato reassures them, telling them that Kakashi will also have Minato's kunai that lets him use his flash step thing.
Then, they start the attack. Lee opens his own gates, saying that he curses his lack of strength, which stops him from going past the sixth gate.
But Minato says that that's fine--Lee is one of the young lives Gai is protecting at the cost of his life, so he mustn't get himself killed fighting. He then tells Lee that his role will be to protect and support Gaara, and gives Lee a kunai as well. So, everyone is now equipped with flash step kunais.
Gai attacks again, thrusting several walls of piercing air at Madara until he is surrounded. Unable to move, Madara is hit.
As Gai goes in for the final blow, Madara shields himself in a black cocoon thing and attacks with his energy balls, but Lee flings Minato's kunai, allowing Minato to teleport in and then teleport himself and the balls away, leaving Gai free to strike.
The plan goes off without a hitch, and Madara takes a direct hit to the back.
He is flung free of his cocoon and slams into the ground. But it's too soon for the heroes to celebrate: he gets up, wipes some blood off his mouth, and says that he hasn't felt so excited since his fight with Hashirama (which...was like five minutes ago, yes?). He asks if Gai has any other techniques, saying that he still wants to have fun. Gai is dismayed that even after a clean hit from the Evening Elephant, Madara is still standing. At that moment, Naruto wakes up.
REVIEW
This chapter is pretty much all action, so there's not too much to say. So far I'm enjoying this fight; it involves some of the less central characters, so that's a bit novel, and they're fighting with intelligent strategy and careful teamwork that combines their abilities. Of course, they still stand around making the plan while Madara just relaxes and waits, but that's normal for a shounen manga.
It seems that Naruto has now woken up, so perhaps Gai will have kept Madara busy just long enough for Naruto to return and finish the fight. Or perhaps an even STRONGER villain will appear? Who knows!
SUMMARY
We open with Gai, having opened the eighth gate, using the Evening Elephant attack against Madara.
The attack explodes like a bomb, but Gai winces in pain; it seems that using this technique is extremely painful and because of this Gai wasn't able to strike continuously, allowing Madara to dodge.
Meanwhile, Madara comments that this is an attack almost like an air cannon--Gai is pushing the air towards him with enough force to damage his headband thing. If a lot of blows hit him, he would be in trouble, and above all he needs to keep from getting hit directly by Gai's fists.
Excited about the chance to fight against the Eight Gates technique, what with it being so rare, Madara leaps eagerly into battle. Meanwhile, Gaara asks someone to explain what the heck is going on. Kakashi tells him about how the Eight Gates can make someone a hundred times more powerful, but at a price: the user will die afterwards.
Gaara thinks back to the chuunin exam and remembers how Gai rescued Lee from Gaara's attack, saving his life. He thinks of how Gai said that Lee was his precious comrade, and realizes how painful this must be for Lee. However, Lee shouts that he isn't said, because in front of a man who made an important decision, feeling sadness or pity would be an insult.
The group is silent for a moment, then Minato takes the lead, saying that they will support Gai. Madara's ball attack apparently is a result of his shape change and thus isn't something he activates; instead, it disappears if you just brush against it, but will be solid if you touch it.
He can throw the ball attack about 70 meters away from him, but past that he can't control it anymore. Therefore, if they can manage to follow the attack, Kakashi can use his kamui on it and they can wrest it from Madara's control.
However, Kakashi is having trouble seeing with his left eye, so he needs to be very close to the attack to aim kamui. Minato asks Gaara to use his sand, but Gaara says that the sand is actually slower than Madara's attack. But Minato reassures them, telling them that Kakashi will also have Minato's kunai that lets him use his flash step thing.
Then, they start the attack. Lee opens his own gates, saying that he curses his lack of strength, which stops him from going past the sixth gate.
But Minato says that that's fine--Lee is one of the young lives Gai is protecting at the cost of his life, so he mustn't get himself killed fighting. He then tells Lee that his role will be to protect and support Gaara, and gives Lee a kunai as well. So, everyone is now equipped with flash step kunais.
Gai attacks again, thrusting several walls of piercing air at Madara until he is surrounded. Unable to move, Madara is hit.
As Gai goes in for the final blow, Madara shields himself in a black cocoon thing and attacks with his energy balls, but Lee flings Minato's kunai, allowing Minato to teleport in and then teleport himself and the balls away, leaving Gai free to strike.
The plan goes off without a hitch, and Madara takes a direct hit to the back.
He is flung free of his cocoon and slams into the ground. But it's too soon for the heroes to celebrate: he gets up, wipes some blood off his mouth, and says that he hasn't felt so excited since his fight with Hashirama (which...was like five minutes ago, yes?). He asks if Gai has any other techniques, saying that he still wants to have fun. Gai is dismayed that even after a clean hit from the Evening Elephant, Madara is still standing. At that moment, Naruto wakes up.
REVIEW
This chapter is pretty much all action, so there's not too much to say. So far I'm enjoying this fight; it involves some of the less central characters, so that's a bit novel, and they're fighting with intelligent strategy and careful teamwork that combines their abilities. Of course, they still stand around making the plan while Madara just relaxes and waits, but that's normal for a shounen manga.
It seems that Naruto has now woken up, so perhaps Gai will have kept Madara busy just long enough for Naruto to return and finish the fight. Or perhaps an even STRONGER villain will appear? Who knows!