Conflict
Gradually, as Shirō became more proficient with the Eight Inner Gates, he could use them more coherently. Of course, this was only because Might Dai—the Eternal Genin and father of Might Guy—was holding back.
Otherwise, Shirō's usage of the Gates would still have been disjointed. After all, Shirō was not a natural taijutsu genius. His rapid progress, beyond Dai's guidance, was also influenced by the combat experience inherited from Li Shuwen.
However, Shirō had only used Projection once or twice in this training. Although he deliberately preserved the sensations from those uses, the feedback wasn't enough to provide a large advantage. At most, it corrected his posture during practice—allowing him to sense when his movements would deform—but little beyond that.
In actual combat, it didn't help much. This was his current limit. To progress further, he would need to rely on his own effort—unless he was willing to burn more of Projection's cost again.
Even so, though Shirō could now use the Eight Gates more fluidly, he didn't recklessly attempt higher Gates like the Sixth. Instead, he experimented with new combinations and transitions between the lower Gates.
Among these were also some of Li Shuwen's more advanced combinations, but after trying them once, Shirō gave up. That level of precision was far beyond his current ability.
For now, his focus was on linking the Gates freely without being too stiff, so that if his flow of movement was interrupted, he could quickly adapt.
By the end of a morning spar, his Eight Gates movements had become fairly impressive, though his transitions were still rough.
Checking the time, Shirō realized it was nearly dismissed from the Ninja Academy.
"Uncle Dai, Might Guy is almost out of class. Let's stop here—it's time to pick him up."
"Ah! So it's that late already? As punishment for forgetting the Flames of Youth, we'll frog hop to the Academy!" Dai said, immediately crouching and hopping down the path.
While hopping, he called out, "Come, Shirō! Burn with the passion of youth alongside me!"
"…Forget it. We're headed the same way anyway. I'll walk—I'm also picking someone up. But I'm not doing frog hops."
"Hahaha! Very well—let us go!"
Dai happily frog-hopped all the way to the Academy, while Shirō shrugged and followed behind at a normal pace.
Naturally, people along the road pointed and whispered. Dai, of course, was used to it after so many years, but Shirō had been uncomfortable at first. Now, however, he thought: These are my friends. If I can't even endure others' ridicule with them, what's the point?
Of course, he still firmly refused to wear green tights.
Because of this, he could now walk alongside Dai with a calm expression. It was this sincerity that made Dai and Guy's family trust Shirō so much—he wasn't mocking them behind their backs.
By the time they arrived at the Academy gates, classes had not yet been dismissed, so many parents were waiting outside. True to form, Dai didn't just stand still; he began light training. But out of consideration for Shirō, he kept quiet so as not to embarrass him.
Even so, some people sneered.
"Hey, you there! Can you stop fooling around? What's the point of training so hard? You're still just a Genin. Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!" others echoed, treating Dai like a clown.
Shirō glanced at them coldly but said nothing. Dai was the elder here, so Shirō let him take the lead.
But one man pressed further, clearly annoyed by being ignored.
"Oi, are you deaf? I'm talking to you! Trash like you will never be more than a Genin!"
That was too much.
In a blur, Shirō appeared in front of the man and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground with one hand.
Though he avoided using chakra, his taijutsu was more than enough. His speed alone was terrifying for someone who looked like a child.
"Oh? Who did you just call trash? Say it again."
The man only choked and glared.
"Hmph. Still got some bite, huh? I'll let you down if you admit what you said. I, Emiya Shirō, always keep my word." He tightened his grip slightly, making the man squirm.
"Alright, Shirō, that's enough. We're all comrades of the same village. Put him down," Dai said firmly.
"Yes, Uncle Dai."
With that, Shirō casually tossed the man aside, sending him tumbling against the wall. The man coughed heavily, glaring at him.
"If you've got complaints, come find me. The name's Emiya Shirō. And if you think about troubling my family, the Uchiha Police Force would be happy to welcome you," Shirō said, his eyes cold.
This time, no one around dared laugh.
"Shirō, will this be alright? You've really offended him," Dai asked softly.
"Don't worry. He's just a small fry. The Uchiha Police Force can handle someone like him. Besides, Teacher Sakumo has already arranged Anbu protection for my parents."
Hearing this, Dai finally eased up and returned to his silent training.
And Shirō wasn't lying. A man that age still stuck as a Genin, unable to even react to a simple Body Flicker without chakra, would—at best—become a Chūnin through seniority. The kind that was little more than cannon fodder in war.
In truth, with his current strength, Dai could have crushed the man easily. But his refusal to use the Eight Inner Gates on fellow villagers kept him branded as a "failure."
Dai himself had said the Eight Gates were a personal boundary. The technique itself had no restriction, but he imposed the limit: it was only for protecting others against true enemies. Even if ordered to break rocks with it, he would refuse.
That stubbornness was why, even decades later, he would still remain a Genin.
Shirō could only sigh. He admired the man, but changing him was impossible.
Before long, the Academy was dismissed. Guy immediately spotted his father's ridiculous frog hops and ran straight toward him.
Shirō, however, had to search carefully—because the boy he was picking up didn't know Shirō was coming. Fortunately, silver-white hair stood out in a crowd.
"Hey, Kakashi—over here!" Shirō called.
The white-haired boy turned, his sharp eyes narrowing when he spotted him.
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