Whoosh!
As Danzo and his men scoured for Ryūjin, a ripple of overwhelming chakra hit him. The pressure alone made him pause.
Danzo's face tightened. He spun, flicked his wrist, and hurled several kunai.
Cl-clang!
The weapons were instantly deflected, but Danzo had already vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
Boom!
Ryūjin slammed to the ground, leaving a crater where he landed.
'Lord Danzo!'
'Lord Danzo!'
The Anbu scrambled, leaping to shield him. But Ryūjin was relentless.
Whoosh!
With the fourth gate open, his strength had surged far beyond a typical Jonin's. Charging through the Root operatives, he dispatched them in a flurry of blows. Within moments, every agent lay broken—dead or crippled. Ryūjin hadn't held back.
Only Danzo remained standing, stunned at the devastation. Summoning more men wasn't necessary; this had been a covert probe, not a public demonstration.
'You've hidden your strength well. Let's see what else you've got.'
'Four gates are enough to face this old thief. Another gate would destroy my body. Experiment ends here.'
'Next up: Amaterasu.'
'Revealing the Sharingan is acceptable—so be it.'
With a breath, Ryūjin's immense chakra faded. The "green beast" of the fourth gate shrank back to an ordinary Genin.
'Out of steam?' Danzo frowned, reasoning aloud. His experience told him that such forbidden taijutsu carried fatal flaws. Even with vast chakra, techniques this explosive couldn't last, or the user would burn out.
'Try me,' Ryūjin said calmly, folding his arms. His nonchalance unsettled Danzo. This youth still had cards to play, and his mocking tone only fueled Danzo's anger.
Danzo formed hand seals, exhaling, 'Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!'
'Amaterasu!'
Behind his sunglasses, Ryūjin's pupils spun into Mangekyo Sharingan. Black flames shot toward Danzo. A chill ran down the older man's spine. Instinctively, he Body-Flickered aside—but the searing heat burned his right arm. Black flames crawled up his limb.
(The sunglasses didn't hinder Ryūjin's sight; Amaterasu worked flawlessly.)
'Quick dodge,' Ryūjin sneered. Danzo wasn't as fast as the Third Raikage, but still impressive. The flames had missed their mark.
'Argh!'
'Argh!'
Danzo screamed but remained ruthless. Clenching his teeth, he swung his sword and severed his own arm.
Shhk!
Blood gushed, and his face turned deathly pale.
Clap-clap-clap!
Ryūjin applauded mockingly, voice dripping with sarcasm: 'A whole right arm—gone without hesitation. Lord Danzo, I'm impressed!'
Every word cut deep. Danzo had never been humiliated like this before.
'Well played, Uchiha Ryūjin—I will remember you,' he hissed, eyes full of venom.
'A dead man's grudge means nothing,' Ryūjin said coldly. Since the old thief sought death, he was happy to oblige.
Bzzzz!
A dark cloud of Aburame insects swarmed around Ryūjin, contracting in a sudden vise.
'Aburame bugs?'
Ryūjin remained calm. Others might fear this swarm, but not him.
'Shinra Tensei!'
With a boom, the insects were blasted away. When the swarm dispersed, Danzo had vanished.
'Lucky escape,' Ryūjin muttered, walking off.
Root collected the corpses and wounded, dismantled the barrier, and erased every trace until it appeared as if nothing had occurred.
Later, Ryūjin returned home. Might Guy also came back to his small, dilapidated home. Might Duy was chopping firewood in the yard when Guy hurried over and grabbed the axe.
'Father, let me!'
Duy studied his son, sensing a change in his bearing. At supper, they spoke. Duy noticed Guy brimming with drive, as if charged with unyielding determination.
'Son, what is your dream?' Duy asked meaningfully.
'To become the strongest!' Guy answered without hesitation.
'But your talent is poor—you can't master Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, only Taijutsu…'
'Doesn't matter! I know my limits, but I'm still a genius—a genius of hard work! Where others give one, I'll give ten. With unbreakable spirit, even Taijutsu alone will make me succeed!' Guy's eyes blazed with conviction.
Seeing that resolve, Duy fell silent for a moment, then sighed and made his decision.
'Listen, son. Once, by chance, I obtained a Taijutsu method called the Eight Gates. Today, I pass the Eight Gates to you.'
___
Support the story by sending Power Stones to unlock bonus chapters.
I'd also really appreciate it if you could rate this fanfic. Constructive feedback is always welcome, feel free to share your thoughts.
___
Look up "Zphyr" on Patreon to get access to chapters in advance.