Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room

"Good! I've wanted to see the strength of the Hyuga Clan's genius for myself!" Xia Mu accepted the challenge.

"Fine, then I'll be the referee again!" Might Guy eagerly took on the role of referee. He was especially enthusiastic about sparring between companions, because to him, it was the very symbol of youthful passion.

Tenten had great confidence in Xia Mu's strength.

If she faced Neji herself without using her trump cards, winning would indeed be difficult. But Xia Mu was different. His strength was probably already at the jonin level.

She did not know the exact extent of it, but Tenten was certain that Neji would never be Xia Mu's match!

The two formed the Seal of Confrontation and began facing each other. The moment Might Guy shouted, "Begin," they moved at once.

"Soru!"

Whoosh! Xia Mu suddenly vanished.

Neji remained calm. His Byakugan was already activated. "Before the Byakugan, you'll have nowhere to hide!"

The next second, Xia Mu's sweeping kick came flying at him. Neji could only hurriedly block it, but he had clearly underestimated the force behind that kick and was immediately sent flying.

The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was indeed powerful. It could easily locate an enemy's movements.

However, being able to see did not mean one could keep up with the speed, much less match the strength.

Xia Mu's speed and power were clearly above Neji's!

Neji naturally understood that immediately. Even as he marveled inwardly, he did not dare let his guard down. He now believed Tenten's words even more. Xia Mu really was stronger, and defeating him seemed extremely difficult.

Seeing Neji assume the stance of Eight Trigrams Palms, Xia Mu decisively stepped into the range of Neji's Taiji circle.

Neji did not hesitate either. Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms came straight at him. Gentle Fist wrapped in Chakra looked soft, but its destructive force was astonishing. It could easily damage an opponent's internal organs.

Yet Xia Mu casually formed several hand seals, and his entire body suddenly flattened.

Or rather, he turned into a flat paper figure.

Neji's Eight Trigrams Palms were fierce, but before the palm wind could touch Xia Mu, it blew the paper figure away. Paper Xia Mu easily dodged, completely unharmed by the Eight Trigrams Palms.

"Is that... Kami-e, one of the Six Styles?"

Tenten had demonstrated the Six Styles before, so Might Guy, Rock Lee, and Neji naturally recognized it.

However, Tenten had only demonstrated it at the time and had not used it in actual combat. None of them had clearly considered how it could be applied in battle. Now that they had seen it, they did not know what to say.

Breaking a thin, soft sheet of paper was not actually that simple.

Even a powerful strongman would find it difficult to punch through paper with all his strength. It required technique.

Moreover, the paper figure Xia Mu had become possessed a certain flexibility while also being incredibly light. Even the wind from one's breath could easily blow it off course, let alone Neji's palm wind.

For a while, Neji truly had no way to harm Xia Mu.

Xia Mu seized the opening just as Neji finished his Sixty-Four Palms. His body abruptly returned to normal, and his fists turned jet-black as they smashed viciously toward Neji.

"Iron Body Fist! Take this!"

Neji could tell that those black fists were extraordinary. He did not dare catch them with his palms and hurriedly drew a kunai to meet them. With a clang, metal struck metal, and sparks even flew, as though Xia Mu's fists truly were made of iron.

Moreover, Xia Mu pressed his advantage without mercy. His fists grew faster and faster, leaving Neji with no choice but to defend with all his strength.

After more than a dozen exchanges, Neji's disadvantage became increasingly obvious.

"Damn it! This can't go on! Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

Neji spun his body, driving his Chakra into a hemispherical protective barrier in an attempt to force Xia Mu back and buy himself a chance to catch his breath.

Xia Mu did retreat. At the same time, he released Iron Body, rapidly formed several hand seals, and created a Shadow Clone. The Shadow Clone immediately sank into the ground, while Xia Mu himself leaped high into the air.

"Attacking my Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven from underground? That's a good idea!"

Neji could not help but praise him. His Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven could defend in every direction, including overhead, but beneath his feet was its weakness.

As long as Xia Mu attacked from below, Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven would have to stop.

Fire Shadow's Attention

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

The Shadow Clone stretched both hands out from the ground, but Neji had already spotted the timing. He instantly stopped Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven and struck downward with a palm.

Immediately, the Shadow Clone underground exploded.

However, Xia Mu ran through the air with Moon Walk and kicked out several Tempest Kicks in succession. Crescent-shaped slashes completely enveloped Neji, and it happened to be the recovery period after Neji's Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.

There was no choice but to dodge!

Neji gritted his teeth and rolled several times across the ground. Though he successfully avoided the attacks, his arm was still cut by one of the slashes.

Moreover, Neji knew very well that Xia Mu could have used Tempest Kick while he was striking the underground Shadow Clone. That would have made dodging far more difficult. Clearly, Xia Mu had held back.

The Six Styles really were formidable!

But Neji quickly shook his head. No! It isn't the Six Styles that are formidable. It's Xia Mu!

Tenten also knew the Six Styles, but when she used them, Neji had not felt much of a threat. Perhaps Tenten was not especially proficient in them, and she used them too rigidly. They were fine against ordinary ninja, but defeating elite ninja with them was difficult.

By comparison, Xia Mu possessed strong combat instincts and knew how to use his techniques flexibly. He was not restricted to the Six Styles either, but combined them with ninjutsu. If he had other techniques, he would surely use them together whenever appropriate. Someone so skilled at fighting was undoubtedly a true powerhouse!

"I lost."

Neji admitted defeat calmly. Perhaps it was the first time he had ever conceded to someone his own age.

For some reason, he suddenly felt relieved. Perhaps the title of genius had also been a kind of shackle for him. Never having lost to someone his age had left him without an opponent, to the point that he had seemingly stopped knowing how to grow stronger.

Now, someone younger than him yet far stronger had appeared.

Life suddenly seemed more interesting.

There was another point as well. He knew Xia Mu did not come from a great clan, but was a genuine civilian.

At the instant he admitted defeat, his old belief that fate could not be overcome seemed to collapse. If even a civilian could defeat the prodigy of a great clan, then could he not take control of his own destiny?

Fortunately, Xia Mu did not know what Neji was thinking.

If he had known, he definitely would have told him, Neji, your original idea was right. Because I'm not an ordinary civilian. I'm a cheat user!

Clap, clap, clap! Applause rang out.

Tenten smiled sweetly. Her boyfriend had defeated the Hyuga Clan's genius, so naturally she felt proud as well.

Rock Lee was even more excited. Since a civilian like Xia Mu could defeat a genius from a great clan, anything was possible. That meant his dream would definitely have a day when it came true.

Might Guy, meanwhile, was moved to tears by the youthful passion of the two youngsters.

Xia Mu descended from the air and formed the Seal of Reconciliation with Neji before smiling. "The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist really lives up to its reputation, especially this Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven. If I didn't know Earth Style, I wouldn't even know how to break it."

Neji disagreed. "You're being modest. You definitely have other methods. I'm certain of it."

Uh...

Did your Byakugan see through all my secrets or something?

Xia Mu did not understand why Neji said that, though it was probably because Neji had acknowledged his strength. After all, once Neji recognized someone, he would assume that person could create miracles.

Just like Naruto in the original story. After Neji was defeated by Naruto once, he seemed to think Naruto was omnipotent. Whenever he encountered a problem, he would often say that if it were Naruto, he would definitely do this or that. It always felt like excessive praise, and Xia Mu wondered whether readers found it embarrassing.

Anyway, Xia Mu had found it rather awkward when he read it in his previous life.

Because Naruto often performed terribly, making people both annoyed and amused.

"Alright, this youthful sparring session ends here. It's not too late yet, so start training at my pace! Xia Mu, if you have nothing to do, come train with us too!"

Might Guy had not forgotten his responsibilities. It was rare for him to arrange training today, so they could not waste the time.

Xia Mu glanced at the sky and declined. "I need to go back and buy vegetables for dinner. Tenten trained hard today, so she needs something delicious to recover her strength."

Hearing that, Tenten rarely showed a shy expression, though she could not stop herself from feeling smug.

This feeling of showing off their affection was quite pleasant.

Might Guy did not insist. "Alright, go handle your business. When we have time someday, I'll have Tenten notify you. Then I'll take you to see Kakashi."

Xia Mu thanked him again, exchanged a few affectionate words with Tenten, and only then turned to leave.

In truth, he had long been unable to wait any longer. If Neji had not challenged him, he would already be studying the Eight Gates in the Gravity Training Room.

Not long after Xia Mu left, the intelligence from this side was delivered to the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked through the Anbu report while silently smoking his pipe.

"I didn't expect this Xia Mu to be quite clever. He not only wants to learn Might Guy's Eight Gates, but also the Hatake Clan's swordsmanship. If he truly masters both, he will definitely become a powerful ninja no weaker than Kakashi. Konoha will gain another figure worthy of recognition. Would we still need to fear threats from the other villages then?"

"I also didn't expect Xia Mu to already possess such strength. He actually created the Six Powers Ninjutsu himself and even defeated the Hyuga Clan's prodigy, Neji Hyuga. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How should such a genius be arranged?"

"Mm, since Xia Mu has earned Might Guy's approval, there should be no problem. Might Guy may be carefree, but his intuition is exceptionally accurate. If Xia Mu had a problem, Might Guy would never teach him the Eight Gates. Still, there's no rush. Xia Mu will be meeting Kakashi later, and Kakashi is not easy to fool. If Xia Mu passes Kakashi's test, then there will truly be no problem. We can train him without reservation. So, let's wait and see."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was full of expectations for Xia Mu.

Over the past few years, Konoha's strength had declined rapidly. Sakumo Hatake had died, Minato Namikaze had died, Orochimaru had defected, Tsunade and Jiraiya had left, and later Shisui Uchiha had emerged, only to die as well.

If all those people were still around, how could Konoha possibly be in its current state?

It was not that Hiruzen Sarutobi failed to understand this, but he was already old and frail. Now, he could only hope that the new generation would rise to support the village.

Fortunately, this new generation did not just have Naruto, the Jinchuriki, but also Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuga, and children from the various great clans. Now there was also Xia Mu, and Xia Mu's little girlfriend Tenten seemed quite strong as well. At last, Konoha once again appeared to be overflowing with talent.

In a few more years, Konoha would definitely return to its peak!

"Before this old man dies, I must rebuild Konoha at its peak. I do not want to leave this world bearing infamy!"

Having made up his mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out the ninja records again. He needed to carefully choose which jonin should be assigned as Xia Mu's teacher.

He also had to keep an eye on Danzo's movements. He could not let Danzo harm the village's young seedlings again.

Eight Gates

After buying vegetables at the market, Xia Mu returned directly to the Ninja Tool Shop.

The shopkeeper, his father-in-law, merely glanced at Xia Mu without saying anything. He pretended to be minding the store, but he seemed to be waiting for something.

Xia Mu almost laughed. His father-in-law was a doting father and naturally cared deeply about his daughter. However, ever since Xia Mu appeared, Tenten had stopped telling her father certain things.

Especially after graduating and becoming a ninja, Tenten told her father even less.

The shopkeeper worried about her but did not dare ask. The only thing he could do was seek answers from Xia Mu.

Xia Mu smiled. "Father-in-law, I went to see her. Tenten's team leader is very formidable, an elite jonin from the village named Might Guy. Although Might Guy looks a little strange, he is warmhearted and straightforward, and he cares deeply about his students. Also, Tenten's two teammates are both strong. One is even a prodigy of the Hyuga Clan, while the other is also highly skilled in combat.

"Because Tenten excels at Ninja Tool Throwing, their usual formation has her two teammates holding the front while Tenten supports them from the rear with thrown ninja tools. So she won't be in danger!"

The shopkeeper secretly nodded after hearing that.

With an elite jonin leading the team, her safety was indeed guaranteed.

And one of her teammates was even a prodigy from the Hyuga Clan, so there was even less to worry about.

After worrying for so many days, he could finally relax. Yet he soon felt upset again. His obedient daughter used to share her daily school life with her father, but now, even at the dinner table, she did not share her ninja life with him.

It was all Xia Mu's fault!

The shopkeeper glared at Xia Mu. "Got it. Go cook already. Tenten should be back soon!"

Naturally, Xia Mu would not argue with his father-in-law. Carrying the ingredients, he headed straight for the kitchen. He had no time to stare down his father-in-law; he was eager to study the Eight Gates.

Once the rice was cooking and the main dishes were stewing, he finally had some free time.

He immediately took out the Eight Gates scroll and opened it with trembling hands.

Something he had longed for so long had finally fallen into his hands!

Inside the scroll was a diagram of the human body, marking the locations of the Eight Gates within the meridian system. From the head downward, they were the Opening Gate, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Wonder, and Gate of Death. Beside the diagram were notes on the techniques for opening each gate.

This was a technique that removed the body's limitations on Chakra, releasing excess energy and allowing one to erupt with several times, or even dozens of times, one's usual strength.

It felt even more outrageous than the King Kai Fist from Dragon Ball.

It was worth mentioning that everyone had Eight Gates. As long as their physical strength reached a certain level, anyone could open the Eight Gates. The first three gates were relatively safe. They would only leave the body fatigued after use and would not cause injury. Starting from the fourth gate, however, the body would suffer damage. As for the eighth gate, the Gate of Death, once it was opened, one could gain terrifying power, but the only outcome was death.

Setting aside the eighth gate, the first seven traded the body's ability to endure pressure and injury for powerful strength, making them quite worthwhile.

"Tenten's cells have been activated by electric shocks for years, so her physical strength is not bad. Opening up to the third gate should not be a problem. Combined with powerful ninja tools, that should be enough to handle an elite jonin, right? I need to remind her that she can only open up to the third gate. But just in case, I should give her two Senzu Beans. In an emergency, she can open the later gates—except the Gate of Death—and eat a Senzu Bean immediately afterward. Sigh, as a boyfriend, I'm really worrying myself sick."

Xia Mu muttered inwardly before thinking of his own current situation.

When he had competed against Might Guy in pure taijutsu earlier, he had felt that he was still far inferior to Guy. It was not just combat experience—his physical strength was also lacking.