Eight Gates…
A forbidden technique that tears open the body's limits and forces power to erupt in a short, brutal burst, burning yourself out to do it.
No one even knew who first created it anymore.
But the Sarutobi clan's records mentioned shinobi in the Warring States era who used it, exploding their Chakra to dozens of times what they could normally produce.
When an Eight Gates user opened the technique, blood-colored steam would pour off their body…
"Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain…" Might Duy rattled them off in one breath, opening four gates back-to-back.
And the Gate of Pain was the last "safe" line.
Keep going past that, and when it ended, the damage wouldn't just be fatigue. It would be real.
The current of Chakra around him grew wilder and wilder.
Kakashi had long since dropped the "little genius" act. He could only stare, eyes wide.
A second ago, this had been a scruffy, bearded clown, a walking joke.
So how did he suddenly turn into a beast?
A thought rose in Kakashi's chest, heavy and unavoidable.
Dad was right not to let me graduate early…
Real shinobi are all stronger than me. What genius? I'm just a kid showing off at school.
I want to go back to the Academy. Most of my classmates aren't that strong, but at least they're normal…
Graduate?
Kakashi decided it on the spot.
Until he had a real finishing move in his hands, he wasn't graduating. Not a chance.
Minato Namikaze was staring too, just as stunned.
And in him, something similar took shape.
He might have some talent, sure.
But from now on, he couldn't afford to underestimate anyone. He needed to work even harder.
In a way, Might Duy's existence had already produced results for the village.
He'd given Konoha's two geniuses something priceless.
Caution.
"Third Hokage-sama, this technique is the result of more than twenty years of training. My only real achievement…"
Might Duy's voice was steady, loud, sincere. "Please give me a little more time. I'm close to grasping how to open the Gate of Death."
"Hokage-sama, I'm willing to burn my youth for the village at any time!"
Guy stared up at his father, eyes full of raw worship.
His dad… was this strong?
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
Might Duy with the Gate of Death…
That might be power on Sakumo's level, maybe even beyond it.
"I hope you never get the chance to open the Gate of Death, Duy," Hiruzen said.
"But as Hokage, if the village ever needs it, I'll personally assign you that mission."
He replayed Duy's stance in his mind, then lifted a thumbs-up toward him. "Your youth adds another foundation of light to Konoha."
Seeing the Third Hokage make that gesture, acknowledging his youth like it mattered, something in Duy's chest felt like it was catching fire.
"Hokage-sama, thank you a thousand times for your support!" Might Duy thrust up his own thumb, tears streaming. "Might Duy will be waiting for your call, always!"
The Anbu and the responding units that had rushed over after sensing the Eight Gates Chakra were completely stunned.
Was this really the same Might Duy, Konoha's eternal Genin, the legendary lost-cat king, the village's resident comedian?
The Chakra from the Gate of Pain wasn't world-shaking, but it had nothing to do with a Genin anymore.
Even among Special Jonin, not many reached that level.
Fugaku Uchiha arrived with the others, and his teeth ached a little just looking at the scene.
So the Third Hokage was really getting up before dawn to train?
Was he that obsessed?
"You're here?" Hiruzen flicked his gaze over, then gave the security force and the Patrol Unit a small nod. "Good mobility and response time this round. Keep it up."
Then he looked at another figure.
"Hizashi, why is it your shift again today?" Hiruzen said. "Rest when you're supposed to rest. Don't grind yourself down."
During Hiruzen's early training, he kept seeing Hizashi Hyuga patrolling the village. With that off-white squad leader coat and long black hair, he stood out even with a mask on.
It was like he was on duty twenty-four hours a day.
Warmth spread through Hizashi's chest. "Third Hokage-sama, I'm not tired!"
For him, being able to walk freely through the village was already a blessing he'd never dared to imagine before.
And now he even wore the squad leader's coat.
Fugaku, on the other hand, felt bitter.
Hizashi was a special case. Forget him.
Because Hiruzen Sarutobi had given Minato Namikaze the task of inspecting security, Fugaku had crossed paths with him several times, and it had shocked him every time.
That Chunin who used to have almost no reputation had shown terrifying talent.
His speed was fast enough that plenty of Uchiha couldn't keep up, even with the Sharingan.
And now even a "comedian" had been dug up by the Third Hokage and turned out to be this capable?
What was this, turning stones into gold?
The Hokage's side only kept growing stronger and stronger, and the Uchiha, stalled where they were, couldn't help feeling a little hopeless.
In that moment, Fugaku finally understood what the old clan head always meant.
Endure. Only endure.
Pray the ancestors would bless them with another powerful leader, someone like the greats of the past.
Otherwise, if the Uchiha wanted to stand evenly against the Senju line…
It felt unlikely.
"…Tch." Fugaku shook his head.
His feelings toward Hiruzen were complicated.
On one side was the half-hostile education he'd been raised with since childhood.
On the other was the sight of Uchiha smiling after joining the Patrol Unit, and the fact that part of him genuinely wanted to thank the Hokage for that.
Whatever. Let the old clan head worry about it, Fugaku complained silently. He's the one who keeps preaching endurance.
And because he keeps preaching endurance, I'm always with Mikoto… and now somehow I'm about to be a dad.
What am I even supposed to name the kid?
While Fugaku stood guard in body and drifted off in mind, Hiruzen was already adjusting Might Duy's position.
"Sakumo, what do you think about putting Duy in Anbu?"
Sakumo's mouth twitched. "You mean, he meets the enemy and immediately opens Eight Gates and kills them with Konoha-style taijutsu to complete the assassination?"
"…That's not completely impossible," Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
Truth was, even though every village's Anbu wore masks and kept their identities "secret," after years of constant friction, every hidden village had a list of the other side's core fighters.
Once someone moved, you knew who it was.
If you really wanted to leave no trace, you couldn't leave survivors.
"Let him be a physical training instructor," Hiruzen said. "For now, off the books."
"His situation doesn't suit wasting time on low-level missions. He should focus on a role that lets him use his talent. And he needs time with his son."
"That fits," Sakumo said, nodding. "Anbu physical conditioning matters. If it's Duy, I think it'll help a lot."
Hiruzen patted Might Duy's shoulder. "You're Special Jonin now."
"I'll be watching you, Duy."
Might Duy felt like his head was spinning.
He hadn't shown Eight Gates with any hidden agenda.
He'd just felt that in front of a Hokage who was truly working for the village, hiding strength while muttering about "self-restraint" was… shameful.
"Third Hokage-sama, I… can I really do this?" Duy fumbled, hands at his sides, lost. "I really…"
He wanted to say it.
That he was really stupid.
That when shinobi refused to team with him, it wasn't always them being unfair.
He really did have flaws as a shinobi.
"If you can't do it, then work until you can," Hiruzen said, stern. "Isn't that supposed to be your youth's path?"
Duy went quiet for a moment, then drew in a deep breath. "Hokage-sama, I'll give it everything I've got!"
Sakumo stepped up beside him.
"Come on. We're colleagues now." His voice was calm, friendly. "Looking forward to working with you."
"Sakumo-sama, please guide me!" Duy blurted, bowing so fast it was almost clumsy.
Hizashi watched it all and smiled slightly.
Hokage-sama… he'd shined his light on another lost shinobi again.
A few days later.
Hizashi Hyuga returned to the Hyuga compound for the first time in a long while.
He needed to talk to Tenzo Hyuga, the clan head, his father.
Anbu needed more Byakugan.
And it just so happened that Tenzo Hyuga also wanted to speak with Hizashi.
Because he'd received a letter from distant relatives.
A letter from Kirigakure's Kaguya Clan.
And what it said…
Was anything but ordinary.