In terms of pure taijutsu mastery, among all the ninja Hatake Sakumo had ever met, even Tsunade, who bore the title of Sannin, would definitely be no match for this new friend of his.
That was the conclusion Hatake Sakumo had reached after testing him personally.
Hatake Sakumo even had the feeling that if Might Duy unleashed his full power, even he, now that he had fully mastered that aura, would probably find it difficult to defeat him.
That protective technique called the Eight Gates... really was impressive.
"Your friend? Going to the Land of Water battlefield? Who? Hmm?!"
Looking at the smiling Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Gen asked casually, but a moment later, a green figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
That man's glorious feat... seemed to have resounded throughout the shinobi world during the war against the Land of Water. He had single-handedly kicked the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist down to a lucky trio...
"You mean... Might Duy?"
Uchiha Gen spoke quietly, an odd expression on his face.
Back then, he had seen Might Duy open just two gates and kick that nameless Sunagakure ninja around like a ball.
"Huh? You know him? Oh, right, his son is in your class. No wonder. Ahem, chatting here always feels a little strange. Come on, let's have some cake and celebrate your birthday properly.
"Oh, right, I also booked a private room at Yakiniku Q. How could we celebrate a birthday without a feast? Oh, and Kakashi asked Minato to bring back a birthday present for you. Mm, Minato, your teacher, and those two teammates of yours have presents for you too. They're all at my house."
Seeing Uchiha Gen's expression, Hatake Sakumo stepped forward, slung an arm around his shoulders, and steered him out of the cemetery.
Dusk