"It's true! This is my son—Might Guy!"
With fiery passion, Might Duy introduced his son to everyone present.
It was as if fate itself had arranged their meeting. The moment Guy was released, his eyes locked onto Hatake Kakashi—or rather, the wooden kunai in Kakashi's hand.
"You want this?"
Kakashi showed no fear at being approached by someone his age.
Guy nodded eagerly. That was a kunai! A real ninja tool!
"I can't give you this one, but I'll get you another."
This one had just been gifted to him by Uchiha Kaien—he wasn't about to give it away lightly.
But this kid, who looked a little like a kappa, wasn't exactly annoying. Kakashi figured he could use his allowance to buy a similar one and give it to him.
"Whoa! Thank you so much! You must be my best friend for life!"
"From today on, you're my eternal friend! What's your name again?"
"Hatake Kakashi."
"Awesome! Kakashi, wanna play ninja together?"
"No."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Too much of a hassle."
Being forcefully declared someone's lifelong friend—what a pain.
For the first time, young Kakashi realized how exhausting overly friendly people could be.
...
But that strange encounter wasn't quite over yet.
Hatake Sakumo himself stepped forward and proposed a sparring match with Might Duy.
He'd heard earlier—Uchiha Kaien had hired this genin as a taijutsu coach. That alone said plenty about Might Duy's strength.
Kaien's taijutsu, when combined with the Sharingan, had reached heights that Sakumo believed could even hold its own against elite jonin—and that was just Kaien from half a year ago.
And just now, Kaien gave off a completely different vibe—dangerous. Several times more dangerous than six months ago.
It was an instinct honed by years of experience as a kenjutsu specialist.
If even someone like that held Duy in such high regard, then surely this man had something truly special about him.
Sakumo had sensed it too—something subtle but threatening. No ordinary jonin could give him that kind of pressure.
...
Training Ground 26, Konohagakure.
"Let's have a good match!"
Might Duy took his signature taijutsu stance, radiating explosive energy.
'My burning youth… it's finally time to ignite!!!'
It was his first time facing someone as powerful as the White Fang of the Leaf. He hadn't even sparred with a single chunin before this! And now he was going straight to Sakumo? His heart was pounding with excitement.
"Likewise."
Hatake Sakumo raised his hands in the classic confrontation seal, equally serious.
"Begin!"
Uchiha Kaien stood in as referee, with Namikaze Minato watching from behind, flanked by two tiny children.
A battle this intense—it'd be a shame not to watch.
A genin with unknown true power versus a regular Kage-level shinobi. Kaien was particularly curious to see just how far the Eight Gates could go in this match.
Though technically a forbidden technique used for protection, Might Duy was, at this point, just a passionate young man and new father.
And when challenged by a peer of such caliber—how could he not go all out?
"Duy-san, let your youthful ninja way shine!"
Kaien had a theory. Duy likely hadn't opened the final gate yet. Even with his support, there was no way Duy could've mastered all eight gates in such a short time. More likely, he now had better resources to build his foundation.
"Ohhh! Since Lord Kaien himself insists—this forbidden technique, though meant to protect, must be unleashed in full against Lord Sakumo!"
"Eight Gates Release—Open!"
With a furious roar, shockwaves exploded from Duy's feet, and a vivid green chakra burst outward like wildfire.
"Gate of Opening—Open!"
"Gate of Healing—Open!"
"Gate of Life—Open!"
"Lord Sakumo, this is the limit I've imposed on myself. If I open another gate beyond this... it won't be sparring anymore."
Each wave of chakra pounded against Sakumo's senses like a war drum.
The emerald flames rising from Duy's body were enough to make Sakumo instinctively reach for the hilt of his blade.
This is a genin? That's insane!
That was Sakumo's first thought. This wasn't just powerful—it was worthy of drawing his sword.
The sheer density and chaos of that chakra couldn't be countered by something like basic Lightning Release body enhancement.
"Hmph. Then I'll respond with my real strength as well."
Whoosh!
A flash of green. A flash of white. Twin blurs clashed in a violent spark at the center of the field, the clanging of steel echoing around them.
Duy didn't rely on flashy techniques. Instead, he pulled out a pair of nunchaku to face the White Fang's blade.
With the Eight Gates enhancing him, even the nunchaku held their ground against the legendary blade—briefly.
But with each swing of Sakumo's sword, the pressure mounted. Soon, the nunchaku snapped in two.
Still, Duy wasn't fazed. He reached into his clothes and—somehow—produced another pair. And the battle continued.
...
"So that's Duy-san's strength, huh? Hard to believe he's just a genin."
Namikaze Minato now stood beside Uchiha Kaien, marveling at what he was seeing.
To call this man a genin felt like an injustice.
"The Eight Gates… a forbidden technique that unlocks the limits of the human body. But only those who train for decades in pure taijutsu can truly wield its power."
"And Duy-san is exactly that kind of ninja. He only practices taijutsu, so every ounce of his energy goes into mastering this art."
"As the name implies, the technique opens eight specific gates within the body. The first three are within the body's safe threshold. But once the fourth gate is opened, it begins to inflict irreversible damage."
"I once tried to train in it myself, under Duy-san's guidance."
Kaien smiled faintly, recalling those nights two years ago, secretly training in taijutsu with Might Duy while trying to outpace Namikaze Minato behind the scenes.
"Back then, I didn't have the strength I do now. So I gave it a shot."
"My body could meet the physical requirements—but the Eight Gates takes years of discipline to master. It was far easier to continue developing my Sharingan instead."
"In the end, I abandoned it."
He glanced at the battlefield again.
"But Duy has always abided by one rule—self-restraint."
"He opens all the gates only when there's something to protect."
"I see... Duy-san really is a great ninja!"
Minato's eyes lit up with admiration. There was no doubt—Might Duy had inherited the true Will of Fire. To dedicate his entire being to protecting others… it was nothing short of noble.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (156 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)