In the forests of Konoha, Uchiha Kin leaned slightly forward, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, ready to draw the weapons strapped to his legs at any moment. His eyes were lowered as he watched Might Dai scratching his head in frustration ahead of him.
Might Dai was still hesitant. He really didn't want to fight a child.
"We don't have to do this," he said.
Even though the boy had been driving him to the brink of madness, it wasn't enough to make him resort to violence—especially against an Uchiha. He had no idea if beating up the kid would result in a squad of Konoha Military Police Force members storming his home.
But Kin wasn't interested in listening to such nonsense. With a single step, his figure vanished from sight.
Shave.
By channeling chakra into his feet and stomping the ground dozens of times in rapid succession, he generated explosive recoil to achieve high-speed movement.
In the next instant, Kin appeared behind Might Dai and launched a kick.
Dai barely managed to raise his arm to block.
Bam!
The collision between arm and leg produced a solid impact, sending Dai flying sideways. Mid-air, he adjusted his posture and landed on one hand and both feet, skidding backward before stabilizing himself.
"So strong," Dai muttered, surprised by the power behind the kick.
"It's not over yet."
The voice came from above. Dai looked up to see Kin raising his leg high before bringing it down in a劈砍-like motion. Fortunately, Dai rolled out of the way just in time.
Crash!
The ground caved in under Kin's strike, sending dust flying into the air.
"Lady Tsunade's怪力术?!" Dai exclaimed. As someone from the same era as the future Sannin, he recognized the signature technique of the Slug Sannin.
But Kin's assault wasn't over. Planting his hands firmly on the ground, he spun his legs like a wheel, one foot slamming squarely into Dai's face as the latter was still half-prone.
The force of the kick sent Dai flying again.
As Dai's body tumbled to the ground, Kin emerged from the settling dust, frowning at the fallen man.
From their brief exchange, Kin estimated that Might Dai's taijutsu was at the level of a Chūnin. But if ninjutsu was factored in, Dai was firmly a Genin.
Yet this wasn't enough to satisfy Kin.
What he wanted to see was the Eight Gates. He considered using verbal intimidation, but recalling Dai's earnest demeanor earlier, he decided against it.
He didn't want to trigger another overreaction.
"Dai-san, didn't you say your wife is pregnant? Don't you need money? I'll hire you for a C-rank mission—50,000 ryō—to defeat me with everything you've got."
Kin pulled out his crow-shaped wallet and flicked a 50,000 ryō note toward a nearby tree, where it embedded itself into the bark with surprising force.
Dai rubbed his face and sat up, eyeing the money. 50,000 ryō would solve his immediate financial troubles, but…
"Kid, didn't you say you were broke when you gave me that ninjutsu?"
His head was full of questions.
"Ah… haha." Kin scratched his head awkwardly, laughing to mask his embarrassment.
His parents had left him a considerable sum, and the Uchiha—proud as they were—would never embezzle an orphan's inheritance. That was something Konoha's higher-ups couldn't claim.
Points to the Uchiha.
"That's not important. All you need to think about is defeating me."
Kin had no intention of continuing the topic. He only wanted to test his own strength—to see where he truly stood.
This was his first real battle against a shinobi.
"Fight me with the intent to kill, because I'll do the same."
For the past twelve years, his opponents had been wild beasts. The students at the academy posed no challenge whatsoever.
With war on the horizon, he needed to know his exact capabilities.
Dai's expression turned serious.
"I understand. I see your resolve."
"Let me show you the power of self-restraint."
Crossing his arms in front of him, Dai could sense Kin's urgency, though he didn't understand the reason behind it.
"Eight Gates Released Formation: Gate of Opening, release!"
Green chakra erupted from his body, cracking the ground beneath his feet. In an instant, he appeared in front of Kin, spinning mid-air to deliver a flying kick.
"This is what I wanted!!"
Kin tilted his body backward, narrowly avoiding the kick.
As Dai landed, he launched a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. Yet, Kin swayed like paper in the wind, evading every strike without a single blow landing.
Paper Drawing.
By sensitizing his skin to the flow of air and using chakra to let his body be pulled along by the currents, he could dodge attacks as lightly as a sheet of paper.
"Not enough!!"
"Understood, kid! Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, four gates—release!!"
Dai's skin turned red as his speed skyrocketed. His fists now carried sharp gusts of wind with them.
A thin cut appeared on Kin's cheek—a wound from the sheer force of Dai's strikes.
Paper Drawing could no longer keep up.
Kin raised his arm to block.
Bam!
Dai's fist collided with Kin's forearm, producing a clear, ringing sound.
The next moment, both of them vanished.
In the forest, two black shadows clashed at blinding speeds.
The gusts from their exchanges rustled the trees, sending birds scattering into the sky.
Boom!
A fist-shaped crater appeared in a tree trunk, leaving a gaping hole.
Kin and Dai flickered in and out of sight, their battle reaching its peak.
Then—
Kin was sent flying, his body crashing into a tree with enough force to snap it in half.
Gasping for breath, he landed on the ground.
"This is my limit."
His taijutsu test was over. He had been completely overwhelmed, unable to gain the upper hand even once.
Now, it was time for ninjutsu.
Dai's next attack came—a sweeping kick.
Thud!
A log shattered into splinters as Dai's foot passed through it.
Kin, now hanging upside-down from a nearby branch, formed hand seals at lightning speed.
Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled toward Dai.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball shot from his mouth, roaring toward Dai.
But Dai dodged effortlessly, reappearing right in front of Kin. His fist descended like a hammer, carrying the force of a falling boulder.
Bam!
Kin's body dissolved into smoke.
Using Shave, Kin reappeared behind Dai, clasping his hands together for a powerful downward strike.
Dai's veins bulged on his forehead as his green chakra flared violently.
"Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit, release!"
Kin's strike met empty air. Before he could react, the scenery around him blurred as he was sent flying backward.
Crash!
His body slammed into a tree, the pain in his abdomen hitting him a moment later.
Too fast. He couldn't react at all.
"Kid, you lose." Dai appeared in front of him.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Kin sprawled on the grass, laughing.
"Hahaha, I lost."
It was a clean, decisive defeat—but now he knew his limits.
At four gates, Dai's strength rivaled that of a Special Jōnin. Comparing it to the future, even Rock Lee at four gates couldn't defeat Gaara, a jinchūriki who could easily overpower Special Jōnin.
Which meant that, at just twelve years old, Kin had reached the level of a Special Jōnin.
"Hahahaha!" He was genuinely happy.
He might not compare to the freaks of the shinobi world, but he was undoubtedly a genius now.
Shinobi were, by nature, glass cannons—high offense, low defense. Even a Genin could kill a Jōnin with the right technique.
Just like how Kakashi's Lightning Blade, even in the hands of a Genin, could kill a Jōnin in one hit.
Still, he hadn't reached the level to contend with five gates—that was Jōnin-tier. Six gates were Elite Jōnin, seven gates (excluding Might Guy) were Kage-level, and eight gates surpassed even that, touching the realm of the Six Paths.
Dai carefully plucked the money from the tree and tucked it into his clothes. This would cover his family's expenses for a while.
"Kin, how were you able to use ninjutsu?"
Now back to normal, Dai limped over and sat beside Kin. Opening five gates had pushed his body to its limits, and the damage was unavoidable.
"Basic Internal Energy reached its second stage. Even with zero talent for ninjutsu, most techniques become easy to learn."
Unfortunately, he'd only had time to master the Shadow Clone and Great Fireball techniques in one night.
Too exhausted to move, Kin pulled out his wallet and placed another 50,000 ryō on the ground.
"This is for medical expenses—and for keeping this a secret."
He knew how hard it was for a Genin like Dai to make money.
In the current shinobi evaluation system, ninjutsu and genjutsu were heavily weighted. With only taijutsu talent, Dai had no chance of becoming a Chūnin.
That would only change in the future, after he kicked the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into obscurity.
"I can't accept this. These minor injuries aren't worth it," Dai refused.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything."
"Take the money, or I'll threaten you with the fact that I used ninjutsu."
Dai's face fell. Hadn't the kid just said the matter was settled if he won?
Seeing Kin's unyielding expression, Dai sighed and reluctantly pocketed the money. Never had earning cash felt so uncomfortable.
"Kin, why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Dai asked, unable to understand the boy's desperation.
Kin watched the clouds drift across the clear blue sky, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.
"I just want to live freely."
But in a world as chaotic as the shinobi world, even that was too much to ask.
"That's… a really good dream," Dai said, lying down beside him. With 100,000 ryō, he wouldn't have to take on backbreaking missions for a while.
"Too bad." Kin sighed.
War was coming. The reason he'd asked Dai to keep his abilities a secret was to avoid being sent to the front lines.
If he were from another clan—or even a civilian—it might have been different. But he was an Uchiha.
Dangerous missions were inevitable.
Then, out of nowhere, Dai spoke up.
"Kin, do you want to learn the Eight Gates?"
"Huh?"
(End of Chapter)