Eight Gates Formation: The Third Attacked

Yuzuru Hyuga had started to like Might Guy a little.

Don't get the wrong idea. It was only because this man possessed the inexhaustible stamina of a perpetual-motion machine, and his fighting spirit—enough to battle all day without feeling tired—really suited Yuzuru's tastes.

He was also the first person Yuzuru had ever personally seen who could train as crazily as he did—or even more crazily than him.

A man who knew neither fatigue nor pain, who, no matter the time or place, would enthusiastically clash with Yuzuru in taijutsu whenever Yuzuru asked if he wanted to spar, until one of them fell and could no longer get back up.

After Kakashi left, Yuzuru, who had initially only planned to fleece him for some taijutsu before leaving, became engrossed in his single-minded training with Might Guy.

For the next two days, Kakashi, Itachi Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and the rest were all thrown to the back of his mind. The moment he woke up, he went looking for Might Guy for special training.

The free experience he gained from fighting Might Guy all day could sometimes reach a terrifying near-thousand points. Even his existing skills improved at a tremendous pace.

He really was a treasure of a guy.

And Might Guy also thought extremely highly of Yuzuru.

In fact, Might Guy's relationship with Kakashi was much like Lee and Neji's would be in the future.

When Might Guy had been in school, he had been something of a dead-last student in the class and received little recognition. After all, specializing in taijutsu could also be understood as having no talent for ninjutsu.

And for ninjas, most people believed that ninjutsu reigned supreme.

Might Duy's story had not spread widely, and few people knew of the power of the Eight Gates Formation. That left Might Guy in a rather awkward position within the village.

Those weaker than him did not see him as an idol or a goal, merely as an ordinary senior.

Those stronger than him mostly considered him a taijutsu ninja without talent and looked down on him to some degree.

That was why he regarded Kakashi as his lifelong rival. Might Guy believed that if his hard work eventually allowed him to surpass his genius best friend, he would earn everyone else's recognition.

Yet Yuzuru, this genius, had never shown the slightest disdain for his specialization in taijutsu. His diligence was even more intense than Might Guy's had been as a child. This made Guy feel a sense of kinship, and through their training and battles, he could see Yuzuru's recognition and praise for him.

Their strength was evenly matched. Without the determination to kill each other, it was difficult to say who was stronger at taijutsu. But after their long-running sparring, fourteen-year-old Might Guy, the same age as Kakashi, was still slightly inferior when facing the Hyuga Clan's taijutsu.

After all, Gentle Fist combined with the Byakugan was downright unfair in close combat. No matter how fierce one's taijutsu was, it was difficult to evade the Byakugan's observation and break through Rotation. Meanwhile, once Gentle Fist landed, one would be subjected to a merciless full combo.

If Yuzuru were not still so young, then once his body fully developed, Might Guy might never again have a chance of defeating Yuzuru, who possessed the Byakugan, Gentle Fist, and Rotation, in taijutsu without opening the Eight Gates. Even with the Gates open, unless he opened them to the point of damaging his body, he would not dare claim certain victory.

But Might Guy would not become jealous because of this. He had long understood that geniuses were different from fools like himself, who had nothing but hard work left. He had accepted the fact that people were born with differences. Even though Yuzuru's terrifying talent and the speed at which he realized it were monstrous, he would not lose heart because of it.

Nor would he selfishly hold anything back. Instead, because of Yuzuru's diligence and recognition, he taught him everything he knew without reservation.

Aside from a whole pile of taijutsu techniques he knew, Might Guy even taught Yuzuru an extremely precious forbidden technique—the Eight Gates Formation.

This was also one of Yuzuru's most important gains over the past few days.

Unlike others, who might only be able to open one or two Gates in their entire lives, as long as he trained diligently, Yuzuru would one day cultivate the Eight Gates Formation to an unprecedented realm, reaching a level even its creator had never attained.

However, this forbidden technique also made Yuzuru discover a tiny problem.

Forbidden Technique: Eight Gates Formation (S): 671/10000 (Level 1).

This S-rank skill seemed to require just a tiny bit too much experience to level up.

But no matter what.

He had struck gold.

Even if this was a forbidden technique that could not be used casually even after reaching a high level, and even if its improvement during the first two or three levels was minuscule.

He had still struck gold.

That was why Hizashi Hyuga remained suspicious until Yuzuru went to sleep that night. Why was this kid smiling so happily? Was he planning something huge again?

Early the next morning, Yuzuru woke up early, changed into a black bodysuit, put on a white tactical vest, and donned a fox mask.

He looked himself over in the mirror and felt that he was no different from some generic ANBU extra from Naruto. In fact, because he was so short, he looked even more like cannon fodder than those extras.

The moment he put on those clothes, Yuzuru gained a new name.

"Sky Fox."

Although not everyone in the ANBU had a codename, Kakashi being one example, the Third still gave him one out of a conflicted desire to protect him, preventing this genius from attracting the enemy's attention and becoming a target too early due to his missions.

After briefly examining his appearance, Yuzuru casually walked out of his room, only to stop in surprise at the doorway.

"Father?"

Hizashi's tall figure stood at the door with his back to Yuzuru's room, admiring the moon that had yet to vanish in the early dawn.

"I just couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

His words did not match his heart.

Yuzuru smiled faintly and did not dwell on it. He stepped over, stood beside him, and lightly bumped his thigh with his elbow. "Don't worry. I'm this small. If a fight breaks out, I'll just duck behind someone. No one will notice me."

Like hell I believe that.

Hizashi snorted, yet after Yuzuru finished speaking, he still lowered his head to meet his gaze. After a long while, he softly said, "Be careful."

Yuzuru patted his butt. Limited by his height, that was the highest he could reach.

"Got it, old man."

"I'll leave the house to you."

Yuzuru spoke meaningfully, then took a step forward and quietly left home.

Hizashi watched him depart until he disappeared from sight. Only then did he turn around with a sigh and return to his room.

As his father, even if he could not shield him from the wind and rain, he had to do everything he could not to hold him back.

Yuzuru slipped nimbly out of the house. After waiting quietly at the entrance for only a short while, masked Kakashi arrived precisely on time.

"Not bad. A sense of time is equally important for a ninja." Kakashi was pleased that Yuzuru had appeared at the entrance on time.

Yet Yuzuru's voice beneath the mask carried a smile. "I hope you remember what you just said in the future."

?

A question mark seemed to appear on Hatake Kakashi's face beneath his mask. He had no idea why Yuzuru said that, but Kakashi in ANBU mode was quite different from his usual self. He merely said coldly, "Keep up."

The two leaped across rooftops. Yuzuru's outstanding Body Flicker Technique made keeping up with Kakashi effortless.

In less than a minute, they arrived beneath the Hokage Building. At this moment, many ANBU dressed in bodysuits and wearing masks had already gathered in the shadows.

Kakashi silently made several hand signs toward the others. There was no conversation. The eyes beneath the other ANBU's masks lingered more or less on Yuzuru's small frame, and they all basically knew who he was.

Yuzuru was too famous. Nine out of ten people knew that this "Sky Fox" was the young genius of the Hyuga Clan, something perhaps even the Third had not anticipated.

A group of ANBU crouched silently in various shadows as they waited. Soon, a man wearing a conical hat that concealed his face appeared before the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded to the ANBU. Without needing to give an order, they turned into fleeting shadows and set off toward the outskirts of Konoha by unconventional routes.

Yuzuru found it somewhat difficult to keep up—not because his speed or stamina was lacking, but because the ANBU and the Hokage maintained a tacit formation as they moved. It looked loose, yet they coordinated with each other. Some led the way, some covered the rear, some stood watch, and some guarded.

He was like an outsider, able only to silently follow Kakashi and try not to stand out.

"That's normal. This mission is meant to familiarize you with the workflow. You'll be assigned a position later."

"For now, just stay close to me. Only activate your Byakugan for reconnaissance when necessary."

Kakashi quietly gave him a few instructions.

He and Yuzuru were relatively close to the Third. Their mission was clearly to protect the Third, and they did not need to take responsibility for leading the way, standing guard, or conducting external reconnaissance.

The Third took the initiative to approach Yuzuru, his voice steady and firm. "Don't be nervous. If danger arises, just preserve yourself. I'm not so old that I need a five-year-old child to protect me."

Yuzuru obediently nodded. "Yes!"

He did not think the Third was merely being polite or offering empty words. Though the Third was no longer young, he was not yet as old and frail as he would become in the future. Overall, he still possessed the bearing of a legendary shinobi.

The most important reason he had brought Yuzuru into the ANBU was to win over this genius from the Hyuga Branch House, gain his recognition, and thereby strengthen the Hokage's faction.

Seeing that Yuzuru was not being overconfident, the Third smiled faintly and lowered his conical hat. But his thoughts suddenly darkened.

Danzo.

His gaze paused briefly on Kakashi, who was moving ahead of them, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

What did it feel like to be viciously bitten by the mad dog one had raised with one's own hands?

The Third believed he would find out soon enough.

It was only in the afternoon, after they had left Konoha for merely half a day.

Hatake Kakashi quietly used the Transformation Technique to take on the Third's appearance, while the Third transformed into an ordinary ANBU. The formation adjusted slightly before continuing onward.

Yuzuru unconsciously wanted to activate his Byakugan, but Kakashi, transformed into the Third, patted him on the shoulder.

Without any need for communication, he understood their plan.

Thus, Yuzuru pretended to be physically exhausted and fell behind toward the inner side of the formation. He appeared neither too close nor too far from Kakashi, yet he was positioned right at the center of the safe zone encircled by the ANBU.

Safety first!

As they traveled through the dense forest.

A sudden explosion rang out from the woods.

Several trees that seemed to have come alive burst forth and stabbed straight toward the Third.

Someone clearly knew the Third's route in advance and had deliberately set up an ambush. The timing was exquisitely calculated. The instant the Third was attacked, opponents appeared before each of the ANBU. Clearly, the enemy even knew how many ANBU had gone out, determined to hold them back and prevent anyone from reinforcing the Third.

The seemingly defenseless Third was pierced by the wooden spikes, like a porcupine impaled by wood.

But.

Hatake Kakashi appeared atop a branch, while the original Third transformed into a log swapped out through the Substitution Technique. "Move!"

Yuzuru needed no reminder. Already prepared, he took up his stance and softly sighed as he faced a masked ninja dressed like a wandering shinobi.

It was the first time he needed to kill someone.

And his enemy was actually one of his own village's people.

This farce of a reality undoubtedly gave him a deeper understanding of Konoha as it stood.

They kept talking about righteousness and doing things for the village, yet in the end, they displayed such ugliness over the mere position of Hokage. Danzo, just look at the state of you.

He showed neither pity nor hesitation toward a ninja from the same village.

Veins bulged around Yuzuru's Byakugan, and all warmth vanished from his eyes.

From the moment he had resolved to step into the spotlight, become a ninja, and change his fate.

He had prepared himself for everything that was to come!

PS: A question: does Shisui's Kotoamatsukami only have a cooldown of more than ten years when used by others, or does he himself also have a cooldown of several years after using it once? The information is unclear. Some say only others need that cooldown, while others say it cannot work without Hashirama Cells.