Yuya held deep respect for this kind of person.
Or rather—he respected Might Duy, Might Guy, and even Rock Lee.
People who relied purely on effort and conviction.
In fact, Yuya himself had now become someone of the same type.
Inside the ninja tool shop, a heavy boom echoed as something slammed into the floor, making the ground tremble slightly.
"I'm really sorry about that."
Might Duy scratched his head sheepishly as he struggled to set down a pile of absurdly heavy weighted training gear.
"Tch…"
The shop owner glanced at him with clear impatience.
"Just take them and go already."
As Duy turned to leave, the shop owner muttered under his breath:
"What's the point of only training taijutsu? He'll be a genin for life."
Duy paused for the briefest moment.
But he didn't turn around.
He simply hoisted the weights and strode away.
Judging people by appearances…
That phrase surfaced in Yuya's mind.
He knew exactly how terrifying the true strength of Konoha's 'Eternal Genin' Might Duy really was.
Just as in the original history, Duy's temperament was gentle to the extreme—able to endure ridicule without complaint.
Shaking his head, Yuya stepped into the shop.
"I'd like two of those weights. Just two will do."
"You too?"
The shop owner looked surprised. He hadn't expected a child this young to be so devoted to taijutsu, but he quickly brought out two pieces.
They looked like ordinary iron blocks.
But the moment Yuya picked them up, his expression stiffened.
"They're even heavier than I thought… Looks like I won't be able to use them right away."
Yuya sighed helplessly.
Still, since he'd already bought them, there was no turning back.
Stepping outside, Yuya's eyes flickered as he searched for Duy's departing figure.
He spotted him almost immediately—
Too conspicuous to miss.
Following Duy into a secluded forest, Yuya watched as Duy strapped on those terrifying weights and began training.
The intensity of that training made even Yuya click his tongue in amazement.
No wonder this was the man who, in the future, would open the Eighth Gate and single-handedly kill four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
If that shop owner knew the true power of the so-called "eternal genin," his jaw would probably shatter on the spot.
As Yuya observed, he gradually realized something—
Compared to Duy's methods, his own training was incredibly crude.
A surge of excitement rose within him.
Without hesitation, Yuya memorized every detail of Duy's training routine.
Even if Duy was "only" a genin now, Yuya was convinced—
In terms of taijutsu, no one in Konoha surpassed him.
Learning from him could never be wrong.
After discovering Duy's training grounds, Yuya began secretly watching whenever he finished his own training.
Without the Byakugan or Sharingan, stealing techniques required careful observation and repetition.
Over nearly a month of learning from Duy, Yuya's taijutsu advanced rapidly.
His strength and speed reached the level of a true genin.
During that time, he finally managed to wear the two heavy weights.
His vibration force also grew significantly stronger.
In an open clearing—
Yuya clenched his fist. A dim white aura surfaced, then he punched forward fiercely toward a wooden post.
Crack—!!!
Fractures spread through the air like a shattered mirror.
His fist never touched the post—it stopped nearly a foot away.
Yet the wooden post trembled violently, cracked, and then exploded into fragments.
"The vibration power has increased a lot…"
Yuya smiled faintly.
If Uchiha Izumiya's C-rank Great Fireball were used again now, Yuya was confident—
One punch would shatter it completely, leaving not even a spark.
The only disappointment was that during this entire month, Yuya never once saw Duy train the Eight Gates.
What Yuya wanted most right now—
Was to truly understand the power of the Eight Gates.
"I'll go check again today."
Just as Yuya turned and headed toward the street—
A figure approached from the opposite direction.
A forehead protector.
Standardized shinobi attire.
A chūnin.
In Konoha, genin wore only forehead protectors.
Chūnin had distinct uniforms.
Jōnin uniforms differed slightly in pocket design.
Ranks were immediately recognizable.
Only shinobi who stood above ordinary jōnin, famous across the entire ninja world, ignored uniforms entirely.
This chūnin walked straight toward Yuya, his expression openly cold and arrogant.
"Do you need something?" Yuya asked calmly.
It was obvious this man had ill intentions—but Yuya showed no fear.
They were on a public street in Konoha.
No one would dare act recklessly here.
But to Yuya's surprise—
This man did exactly that.
"You're that outsider whose village got wiped out, right?"
The chūnin spoke down to him. "The one Konoha took in. Yuya, was it?"
The hostility was unmistakable.
Yuya's expression only grew calmer.
At the same time, his thoughts raced.
He hadn't provoked anyone in Konoha recently.
Then—
Realization struck.
Over a month ago, at the Ninja Academy—
He had defeated Uchiha Izumiya.
Izumiya had tried to kill him outright, even using Great Fireball Technique.
Yuya hadn't held back.
Izumiya had suffered multiple broken bones and would be bedridden for at least a month.
Which meant—
This man could only be from the Uchiha clan.
"Who are you to Uchiha Izumiya?" Yuya asked instead of answering.
The chūnin's eyes flickered with surprise.
He clearly hadn't expected Yuya to deduce it so quickly.
"My name is Uchiha Han," he said coldly.
"I'm Izumiya's older brother."
Since you've figured it out," Han continued flatly,
"break one of your own arms. Then we'll call it even."
Yuya froze for a split second.
…This was the Uchiha clan?
So arrogant.
So domineering.
So utterly unquestioning of their own authority.