Hyuga Yu had always been troubled by one particular question—
How on earth did Konohagakure win the Third Shinobi World War?
To be more specific: how did Konoha manage to defeat Kirigakure?
It was true that Konoha possessed top-tier powerhouses like Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, giving them a certain edge in elite combat. However, in terms of conventional military strength, the Five Great Shinobi Nations were all more or less on equal footing at the time.
One could argue that on the Hidden Rain Village front, the pressure on Konoha was greatly reduced because Iwagakure and Kumogakure were busy sabotaging each other, weakening both sides. Then, Minato Namikaze descended like a god from the heavens to turn the tide at the critical moment. That was plausible.
But what about Kirigakure?
The Village of the Bloody Mist was an extremely harsh, high-pressure military organization. Perhaps their conventional numbers were slightly lower than other great nations due to the "Bloody Mist" graduation policies, but in terms of mid-level and elite shinobi, they were in no way inferior to Konoha.
They had the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist; powerful clans with Kekkei Genkai like the Kaguya and Terumī; clans with secret techniques like the Hōzuki and Tsuchigumo; and the elite graduates who had clawed their way out of the Bloody Mist's academy system... not to mention the Third Mizukage, who had remained shrouded in mystery from start to finish.
That level of wartime potential was easily on par with Kumogakure—and might have even surpassed it after the Third Raikage fell in battle.
With Konoha forced to commit the majority of its forces to the Western front, they were left with no choice but to deploy the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, supplemented by a few ragtag units, to deal with such a terrifying shinobi village.
The baffling part was this:
On this battlefield, Konoha not only frequently held the upper hand but had even backed Kirigakure into a corner, forcing them to resort to their final trump card: the Jinchūriki bomb.
How exactly did Hiruzen Sarutobi pull that off?
"Yu... even though I don't quite understand what the situation is right now, I can more or less feel it. The mission you and Guy are about to go on must be incredibly dangerous..."
"So... if possible, could you tell me a little bit about the mission details after you receive them?"
"I..."
Lost in thought, Yu was suddenly interrupted by the deep, slightly sheepish voice of Might Duy. He looked up to see the thick-browed middle-aged man in a green jumpsuit looking quite nervous.
Duy realized his request was out of line. Shinobi were bound by confidentiality regulations, after all. Leaking mission details could lead to punishment even more severe than failing the mission itself.
"Haha... ha, of course, I'm just talking to myself." Duy laughed awkwardly and waved his hand.
Then, he couldn't help but lean in closer, whispering to Yu:
"But it wouldn't hurt to tell me quietly, right? Yu... you and Guy are the people I must protect with my life. And you should be the one who knows best... I have—"
"Master Duy!"
Yu suddenly cut him off. His gaze swept subtly toward a silver-haired figure visible through the swaying trees outside the medical tent.
His expression darkened slightly. Exhaling slowly, he shook his head at Duy.
"I will protect Guy. You don't need to worry."
"Yu!"
Duy wanted to say more, but as Yu turned slightly, his expression became exceptionally grave. Yu lowered his voice, speaking in a tone intended only for Duy's ears.
"Trust me."
"Soon, someone might 'accidentally' reveal Guy's location to you. But..."
"Whatever you do, remember: do not use that technique."
Yu knit his brows, his voice a low, urgent warning.
"Even if you are forced into a corner and have no choice but to use it, absolutely do not open the final Gate."
"I know that for you, the price of the Seventh Gate and the Eighth Gate is similar. But the current me... I should be able to heal you."
Hearing this, Duy felt as if all his secrets had been stripped bare, leaving him exposed. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Yu in disbelief.
"Yu... you!"
Yu simply shook his head and raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Then, Yu tucked the transfer orders into the scroll pouch on his leg as if nothing had happened. He calmly organized the operating table, finishing his final shift with the Corpse Processing Unit.
Finally, under Duy's gaze—a look filled with questions he didn't dare ask and words he didn't know how to say—Yu turned and walked out of the tent.
Relying on his unique sensitivity to the abstract concept of being "watched," Yu had sensed it the moment Duy arrived: someone was monitoring him. Or rather, monitoring Duy.
But it wasn't the sharp, murderous gaze of a spy like the one he had encountered before. Instead, it was a scrutinizing, investigative look.
Perhaps his earlier suspicions were correct.
Konoha had long since noticed Duy's uniqueness. They knew the father and son carried a powerful Taijutsu legacy.
However, from all indications, their understanding of the Eight Inner Gates wasn't deep at this point. They didn't yet realize just how exaggerated the power of a shinobi who opened the Eighth Gate could be.
Furthermore, the training method for the Eight Inner Gates was far too inhuman. The Konoha higher-ups who had noticed the technique were likely undecided on whether they should even bother trying to acquire it from Duy.
After all, techniques were highly personal and private matters for shinobi. Konoha already had many clans with secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai; there was no need for the leadership to be so petty.
However, during this period, Konoha had no one left to deploy. Elite shinobi were all away on missions, and the Eastern front was desperately shorthanded.
Perhaps out of a "desperate gamble" mindset, or perhaps just treating him as a disposable pawn, Konoha had decided to send this "Eternal Genin" onto the battlefield to see exactly how far his secret technique could go.
They never could have imagined that this "Eternal Genin" would soon achieve a feat that would shock the entire shinobi world.
But...
Yu silently felt the power coursing through his body, far exceeding anything he had felt before.
He raised his hand.
In his palm, a dense, light, and frantically swirling orb of green light flickered into existence.
This was the Wind Style: Chakra Scalpel, the technique he had used to pull a patient back from the brink of death just a short while ago, proving his theory on metabolic cycling.
At this moment, the development of his Byakugan: Wind Style Chakra Mode was only one step away from completion!
Yu couldn't understand why his usually calm, self-preserving self—someone who had decided to ignore this tragedy before even leaving the village—had made such a promise to Might Duy.
Facing the kindness of those around him, and facing a future where they were about to walk into their graves...
In the end, he really couldn't remain as indifferent as he "thought" he should be.
Fortunately—
"The current me might actually be able to change everything!"
Yu took a deep breath, dispersing the Wind Style: Chakra Scalpel. His gaze shifted from the camp entrance toward the abandoned laboratory twenty kilometers away.
"It's about time to begin."
"First, complete the verification of the Dark Chakra conversion principle to fill in the final piece of the Wind Style Chakra Mode. Then, cultivate the Nue and obtain my first Summoning Beast."
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