"How do you feel?" Might Duy crossed his arms, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Fenghuo flexed his fingers slowly, his hands stretching out like wings after a storm. "Uncle Duy, it's like... the brain's restraints on my body are gone. I can fully unleash my strength!"
Duy nodded solemnly. "That's the nature of unlocking the Eight Gates. But remember this, Fenghuo—no matter how strong you feel, always stay aware of your body's limits. Never push it too far."
"I understand!"
With that, Fenghuo slowly closed the First Gate. The rush of freedom vanished instantly. His body once again felt weighed down, as if chains had snapped back into place. The agility and strength from moments ago were gone.
Kai, watching from the side, was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Father! I'll train even harder! I'll pour out all my youthful blood and catch up to Fenghuo!" Kai shouted with burning determination.
Duy immediately burst into tears, nose running like a waterfall. "Kai! What a wonderful thing to say—your youth shines brighter than ever! Waaaaah!"
"You're my pride too, Father!" Kai sobbed, clinging to him.
Fenghuo stared at them, deadpan. I should really bury them together someday.
In the days that followed, Kai lived up to every word he said. His training regimen grew more extreme, more intense. If there wasn't blood or bruises involved, he considered the day wasted. Sometimes, even Fenghuo was swept up in the madness. The two of them became partners in self-destruction, their young bodies covered in cuts and welts. Fenghuo's basic medical ninjutsu could barely keep up.
Two months later—
"RAAAH!"
Kai let out a roar as his body surged with chakra. He'd done it—opened the First Gate!
He slammed a fist into a half-meter-thick wooden training post. The impact was explosive—the post shattered like a bomb had gone off, sawdust spraying into the sky like a fireworks display.
"Father! I did it!" Kai beamed, fists clenched, body pulsing with life. If he had spiky hair, he could've passed for a Super Saiyan—minus those ridiculously thick eyebrows.
Not that Fenghuo had anything against eyebrows. He swore.
...Probably.
"Kai, that's amazing!" Duy cried. "But remember, yesterday, Fenghuo also opened the First Gate!"
"Nani?! That fast?!" Kai turned to Fenghuo, full of competitive fire. "I wanted to challenge him in this state!"
"If you're asking for a beating, I can help," Fenghuo smirked, playfully beckoning with a finger. Secret spinach spring attack...
"By the way, Fenghuo," Duy said seriously, "I heard Kakashi is planning to take the Chūnin Exams this year. What do you say? Ready to prove yourself?"
Fenghuo's expression tensed. "The exams take place after graduation, right?"
"Exactly! Once you graduate from the Academy, you're eligible." Duy's smile was wide and full of pride. "With your skills, you could fly through the Chūnin Exams!"
Fenghuo hesitated.
Kakashi was a genius. More than that, he was the son of the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo. With that kind of legacy, even if Kakashi shone too brightly, no one would try to eliminate him in secret.
But Fenghuo? He'd never felt truly safe. Since arriving in this world, he'd kept his light dim—always cautious, hiding his strength like a turtle retreating into its shell. But was that the right path?
Had the threats really vanished?
Danzo's gaze... the watchful Uchiha... even the quiet Hyūga glances. Were they truly gone?
If I've chosen to stand with the Third Hokage, why am I still hiding? I don't plan to become a traitor—I should show my strength openly. If I want Hiruzen to trust me, to see me as one of his own, I have to stop living like a rat in the dark!
Fenghuo's eyes blazed, like twin stars catching fire.
It's already decided. I'll either die at the peak… or die climbing toward it!
Might Duy saw it and smiled.
Finally, Fenghuo, I've ignited your youth! Let it burn—let the world witness your potential!
"Uncle Duy… I'm entering the Chūnin Exams!" Fenghuo declared.
"Excellent!" Duy said, his voice turning steel-serious. "Then for the next two months, I'll run you through real combat drills. Prepare to brush up against death!"
"Of course!" Fenghuo grinned. Inside that grin, a flame burned hotter than ever.
That evening, Fenghuo returned home—only to find someone already waiting for him.
"Sister Nonō? What a surprise!" Fenghuo lit up. "I'm glad you came. Let me treat you to dinner!"
"Even if I'm your guest, you still owe me money," Nonō Yakushi said with a teasing glare.
"Heh, once I become a genin, I'll pay you back with mission rewards." Fenghuo pulled some hot side dishes from the kitchen—freshly prepared by a shadow clone.
"Sister Nonō, try this!"
She took a few bites, then stopped. Her expression turned serious.
"What's wrong?" Fenghuo asked, sensing her mood shift.
"Fenghuo… I have to ask you something important." Her voice was unusually grave.
"Ask anything."
"You've awakened your dōjutsu, haven't you?" she asked, eyes locked onto his.
Fenghuo stiffened. His first instinct was to lie—to retreat, turtle-like. But then he remembered the resolve burning in his chest.
"…Yes," he said quietly. "I've awakened my Sharingan."
He closed his eyes, then opened them again—his once-dark pupils now gleaming red, spinning with two tomoe each. A heavy, ominous chakra spilled out like a whisper from hell.
Nonō immediately reached out and covered his eyes. "Idiot! Put those away!"
Fenghuo felt her calloused fingers on his cheeks. They were rough… but warm. Comforting.
"There's no one here," he said gently, and deactivated his Sharingan.
"It's not about who's here—it's about who could see. You shouldn't have admitted it, and I shouldn't have asked!" Nonō scolded, then sighed, softening. "But… thank you for trusting me."
"I always will," Fenghuo said firmly.
She exhaled, then looked him in the eyes. "Fenghuo, the Third Hokage values you. You need to work hard—earn his trust. If you truly want to survive in Konoha, you must align with Hiruzen's faction. Never forget that."
Fenghuo's eyes narrowed. "Did something happen?"
Nonō hesitated.
Shimura Danzō… his ambition was swelling like a shadow over the village. Nonō had seen the way he stared at the Sharingan taken from the battlefield. That hunger—unspoken but intense—made her skin crawl.
"Promise me, Fenghuo… join the Anbu."
In Konoha, the only power that could check Danzō's Root… was the Anbu under the Third Hokage.
Fenghuo nodded. "I promise. I'll join."
He could guess from Nonō's strained smile and heavy words: that creep Danzō was on the move again.
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