Konoha Main Gate.
The three-man squad—away for nearly a month—finally stepped back into the village's familiar light.
Their journey from the clouds to the leaves had ended. After brief greetings with the gate guards, the trio headed straight to the Hokage Building.
Inside the quiet office, Namikaze Minato listened carefully as Kakashi presented the detailed mission report. When it was over, he placed the sealed scroll on the desk and smiled faintly.
"It seems Kumogakure also desires peace, just as Konoha does." Minato said. "I had been ready to use Flying Thunder God Technique at any moment to support you three."
His expression softened, though his words carried a hidden weight. "After all, they have a precedent…"
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Sensei, was it really confirmed that Kumogakure stole Kirigakure's secret technique during the Green Canyon incident?"
Minato's brows lifted slightly. "Did Yun tell you that?"
He leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment before answering. "That intelligence report did exist, but much of it was speculation—most of it from Yun's own conjectures. Kirigakure certainly lost a squad in that battle, but it was chaos between Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure. We never received solid proof. Konoha's data there is limited."
"I see…"
Kakashi's mind turned. In another month, the Kumogakure envoy would arrive in Konoha. If the Hokage deployed surveillance too openly and they were discovered, it could undo the fragile peace.
If Yun's 'Green Canyon theory' was only guesswork, perhaps the situation wasn't as dangerous as it seemed.
Still, he relayed Yun's deductions in detail—everything the Uchiha had suspected during their mission.
Minato's expression darkened slightly as he listened. For a while, neither spoke.
Then Minato finally said, "When the Kumogakure envoy departs for Konoha, I'll be informed immediately. Kakashi—when they arrive, I want you to monitor their movements quietly. Don't let them notice."
Kakashi nodded. It was exactly what he would have done.
…
In the forest behind Konoha.
Evening sunlight filtered through the trees as Uchiha Yun and Might Guy sat across from each other on a small training ground.
"Yun," Guy said, standing and pointing to his forehead, "your strength and speed are incredible, but they're built on chakra flow. You know the Eight Gates are within everyone's body—your own chakra pathways are the key."
"There are no shortcuts with the Eight Gates Release Formation. So, Yun… let's begin our youthful training together!"
"...Huh?"
Yun blinked, half in disbelief.
Guy, grinning like a sunrise, continued, "Before we begin—wear these!"
He tossed a pile of metal weights toward him. Each one carried faint, scorched markings from Root's old training grounds. Yun stared at them, unimpressed.
After strapping them on, he asked dryly, "Should I suppress my chakra output?"
Guy nodded seriously. "Yes. Overload taijutsu training builds a body capable of enduring the Gates. You have insane recovery ability, but that means you need more willpower training. Physical recovery alone won't open the path to youth!"
Then, with a mischievous gleam, he added, "With your constitution, I bet you'll reach the Gate of Pain soon. The feeling of youth will burn through you!"
'The feeling of youth?'
Before Yun could ask, Guy raised his arm dramatically. "First goal—run a hundred laps around Konoha! Whoever finishes last is a puppy!"
Whoosh!
He was gone in a flash of green.
"…What?"
Yun stared at the dust cloud Guy left behind. 'These Eight Gates are supposed to be about explosive combat bursts… not… cardio?!'
He sighed. "Whatever. I'll run."
…
Night fell.
Yun dragged himself through the final lap, sweat soaking the earth beneath him. His muscles screamed.
"This kind of taijutsu regimen… it's insane!" he muttered.
"Good!" Guy's voice echoed, filled with power. "Eight thousand push-ups next, then we rest!"
"Eight—what?!"
"Yun! The training of youth cannot falter! Begin!!!"
…Hours later.
"Good! Eight thousand push-ups complete! Now—three thousand squats!"
"..."
Bang!
Yun collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.
But the image of Evening Elephant and Night Guy flashed in his head. His exhaustion turned to determination.
'Just thinking about those techniques makes my blood boil.'
He climbed back up, eyes burning with challenge. "Alright… let's begin!"
Guy froze for a moment, then his face split into a grin. "That's the youth! Begin!"
…
Later that night.
When Guy escorted Yun back to the Uchiha Compound, Kakashi was already waiting outside.
The two walked together through the quiet streets.
Kakashi asked, "Did you really teach him that forbidden technique?"
Guy shook his head. "Today was only the first step. Without my approval, no one can truly learn the Eight Gates. He'll need to earn it."
Kakashi nodded. "Given his personality… he might give up soon. Back in the academy, he skipped class more often than he showed up."
Guy frowned. "No. He's different. Even a genius like you stopped at the Gate of Pain, Kakashi. But Yun—he wants to reach the final bloom."
Kakashi's gaze sharpened. "Final bloom of Eight Gates? You mean the Gate of Death? For someone with the Mangekyō Sharingan, what's the point of learning something like that?"
Guy smiled softly. "Only through years of over-limit training—only by learning to endure pain—can someone develop the willpower to open the Gates. Yun's body is special, built for it. But willpower isn't physical. If he endures… he might really open all Eight Gates one day."
Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Uchiha physique, huh?"
…
Over the next month.
Yun submitted a formal request for training leave to Minato.
Day after day, whether Guy supervised or not, Yun continued the brutal routine.
Thanks to his Sage Body, his stamina and regeneration were monstrous. Yet even so, he realized something: this was the most painful training he'd ever experienced since arriving in this world.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Yun hopped up the steep slope in frog stance, each jump heavier than the last.
Then, in the distance, a familiar chakra approached.
Swish!
Guy appeared, beaming. "Youth should be spent sweating like this! Yun, you didn't disappoint me!"
The teeth sparkled again. Yun's eye twitched. "You're back from your mission? Move. Don't interrupt my training."
Guy shook his head. "Enough for today. Hokage-sama wants to see you. Kumogakure's envoy arrives tomorrow morning."
"…They're here?"
Yun stood straight, his expression sharpening. "Understood. I'll head there now."
Swish!
Even with the training weights, his Body Flicker Technique was sharp as ever.
After being reassigned to temporary guard duty near the Hokage Building, Yun glanced across the courtyard.
There, under the pale moonlight, stood the Hyuga Clan Estate—quiet, ordered, and spotless. The maids were decorating for tomorrow.
'Hyuga Hinata's third birthday.' Yun recalled.
The evening wind carried faint sounds of laughter from the estate—warm, innocent, and utterly unprepared for the storm that would soon arrive from the clouds.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]