"This time was really too risky, Aoba. Do you understand the consequences if the Hyuga clan hadn't intervened when you attacked that man?" Kurenai Yuhi spoke sternly as she and Aoba sat cross-legged on the tatami floor of a quiet Konoha residence.
Aoba rolled his eyes inwardly. The consequences would've been severe, obviously. But did you, as a teacher, expect me to calmly formulate a strategy before rescuing you?
"Tch, you're too clever for your own good. Still, your actions this time were commendable. I'll let it slide," Kurenai said, softening her tone slightly. She suddenly sat upright and fixed Aoba with a sharp look. "So, without the Hyuga clan stepping in, what were your next plans?"
Aoba straightened his back. "Naturally, to improve my strength as quickly as possible. The Third Great Ninja War could erupt at any moment. I have to ensure my team survives before anything else. But time isn't on our side."
Kurenai frowned. "You really believe the war is that close?"
She studied Aoba's expression, only to be reminded that his eyes—lost long ago—were now hidden behind a dark blindfold. Despite his calm demeanor, it was easy to forget that Aoba was blind.
Without waiting for an answer, Kurenai continued, "From what you've said, it seems like you don't want the team disbanded. I imagine the Hokage shares that view. Otherwise, based on your capabilities, you'd have been promoted to Chūnin already."
Her gaze shifted slightly. "Asuma... your son has a sharp mind."
Changing the topic, she asked, "Tell me the truth, Aoba. If you went all out, what level could you fight at?"
Aoba paused, then replied plainly, "You're already aware of most of my techniques, Sensei. If I went all out, without caring about the cost, I might be able to wear down an average Jōnin to the point of collapse—provided they have a reason to fight me to the death."
He added, "I also have one trump card. It takes a long time to prepare, and it requires a chakra cloak to fuel it."
"That sounds like a pain to use," Kurenai said with interest. "What's its destructive power like?"
"If it activates properly, and the target's caught within it, I don't think anyone in the current shinobi world could come out unscathed. At the very least, they'd suffer serious injuries," Aoba answered casually, with a trace of quiet pride.
Kurenai choked on his tea before composing himself. "And how hard is this jutsu to learn?"
"Hmm... in terms of fundamentals, it's similar to my other signless jutsu. If you chant during the cast, the power scales up. The difficulty of learning it, though? Dozens or even hundreds of times harder than my earlier techniques."
Though Aoba spoke lightly, Kurenai's face fell.
It wasn't that he thought Aoba was bluffing—he just knew his own limitations. Even if he learned the jutsu, it wouldn't have the same effect. Kurenai himself knew White Lightning, but the chakra cost and output didn't match what Aoba could achieve. The boy's techniques were in a different league.
Deciding not to dwell on the depressing gap in power, Kurenai turned to the original reason he'd brought this up.
"Aoba... aside from that wild dream you told the Hokage, do you have any other aspirations?"
Aoba tilted his head. "What do you mean, Sensei?"
"I mean the position of Hokage."
The air grew still.
"You've got the potential, Aoba. Whether it's talent or strength, you're already equal to—or beyond—the Sannin or White Fang at your age. Konoha's had three Hokage from prominent clans. It's time for a leader from a commoner background."
Aoba's breath caught.
He wasn't surprised by Kurenai's ambitions—most people aim higher when they see hope. What stunned him was how clearly his teacher had seen through the political undercurrents.
In the canon timeline, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was a commoner by origin. His appointment wasn't purely meritocratic—there was Hiruzen Sarutobi's own political maneuvering involved. Still, the Uchiha clan's Fugaku was never a serious candidate due to clan tensions.
So now, was Kurenai truly suggesting that he wanted Aoba to become Hokage?
Aoba had no doubt that if he said yes, Kurenai would commit wholeheartedly to supporting him. As a former Jōnin from humble beginnings, Kurenai had the network and will to rally allies behind such a cause.
After all, if war broke out again, battlefield heroics would speak louder than politics.
From the start, Kurenai hadn't doubted Aoba's potential.
But what about Aoba himself? Did he truly want to become Hokage?
He could, but... he didn't need to.
He took a deep breath. "Sensei, I'm only ten years old."
Kurenai froze, as if dunked in ice water. The passion in his eyes dimmed instantly.
"Right... only ten. Even if the war drags on, you'll still be a teenager. Too young to take the title."
He let out a sigh. "Aoba, can't you just be a little older?"
Aoba: …That's my fault now?
"Alright, I got ahead of myself," Kurenai muttered, slapping his cheeks to regain composure. "But regardless of the Hokage matter, you need to prepare. If the Third Great Ninja War breaks out, it will be your stage. Show your strength—leave the rest to me."
He said it like a man shouldering the world for his disciple.
Aoba couldn't help but notice how much his teacher had changed recently. The newfound confidence, the conviction—it was striking.
Was it because of the chakra cloak? Had it boosted him to an Elite Jōnin level?
Or had he simply been motivated by his talented student?
In just under a month, Aoba's opinion of his teacher had shifted—from someone barely able to match a Chūnin… to a man worthy of respect.
Okay, this speed of strength improvement was indeed outrageous. Anyone in his position would be feeling on top of the world. But looking at his father-in-law, he still chose to issue a reminder:
"Teacher Kurenai, the current Hokage is still Lord Hiruzen. The Third Shinobi World War hasn't even broken out yet. It's a bit disrespectful to talk about these things so early."
Yūhi Kurenai waved her hand dismissively, clearly annoyed. "You're always so cautious. Don't worry—I'm not some arrogant Hyūga elder. I know what I'm doing, so spare me the lecture, brat."
"If that's the case, I'm relieved. Then, Kurenai-sensei, I'll head home now." Kawaki Aoba gave a small bow and turned to leave. He had only come back with Yūhi Kurenai to ease her worries.
Besides, he had a mission to return to. After heading home, he still needed to create a simplified version of the Gentle Fist Art fused with the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist—a foundational step in his plan to exchange it for the forbidden technique: the Eight Inner Gates Formation.
Just the thought of the Eight Inner Gates Formation made his blood surge. And soon, he'd be training under Might Duy himself—a man who had kicked the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into clowns.
Even if he could only open the gates to a lesser extent than Might Guy in the future, Kawaki estimated he'd be able to brush against the threshold of Super Kage-level strength.
His father-in-law's arrogance pushed him to think long-term. Not only did his own strength need to skyrocket, but he also had to secure allies who might become key pillars for him in the future.
Because, frankly, you never knew when Yūhi Kurenai might mess things up for her own son-in-law. It was only wise to be prepared.
As he walked home, Kawaki Aoba's thoughts were filled with the Eight Inner Gates Formation—and similar techniques from other realms that granted overwhelming power for a brief moment.
But just as he neared his doorstep, his Observation Haki picked up a familiar presence.
"324… 325… 326… One thousand inverted push-ups. If you can't finish, then do another thousand frog jumps!"
Kawaki Aoba blinked, doubting his Observation Haki. Why the hell was Might Duy in front of his house?
Did this guy also get the news in advance?
Might Duy spotted him at the same time and broke into a run toward him. Kawaki Aoba swore that his Observation Haki had only ever shown him dull, monochromatic outlines—until now.
Now, it showed light. Not like Might Guy's radiant teeth, but from Duy's eyes.
Those eyes shined when they looked at him.
"It's really you, Aoba! The genius spoken of by Lord Hokage himself! Please rest assured—I'll be responsible for teaching you the Eight Inner Gates Formation."
Might Duy raised his thumb proudly. "I swear on my youth, I won't let you suffer any injuries during training! This is my first B-rank mission, and I'll complete it with everything I've got!"
Kawaki Aoba stood silent for a while, taking in the sheer intensity radiating from Duy.
He and Might Guy had been classmates, so this wasn't the first time he'd seen Duy—but today, he seemed different.
Maybe this was the 'youth' he always spoke of. Aoba didn't fully understand it, but he respected it.
"Then, I'll entrust everything to you, Duy-senpai."
Might Duy stiffened momentarily, then exploded with even more passion. "Then let's begin your training immediately! There's no time to waste—this is youth!"
Though his enthusiasm was hard to manage, Kawaki Aoba gritted his teeth and pressed on. He wasn't after just the Eight Gates technique—he wanted Duy and Guy, the father-son duo, as allies.
Not romantically, of course. He just wanted their power on his side.
Might Guy still needed time to grow, but Duy was already a mature combatant. With all Eight Gates open, he could contend with someone like the Raikage.
The only issue was stamina.
In the original timeline, Might Guy opened all Eight Gates and still had enough energy to perform the devastating "Night Guy."
But what about Duy? Though he took down four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, it's a fact that three of them escaped.
Aoba believed that Duy wanted to chase them but simply couldn't.
Solving four elite swordsmen with four strikes was already pushing the limits of his body.
Both Duy and Guy opened all Eight Gates—so why was there such a large gap in their performance?
Aoba found his answer during their joint training.
"Duy-shushu, is your body injured? You look strained during training." Aoba might not be trained in medical ninjutsu, but after mastering the Gentle Fist fused with Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, he could sense abnormalities in a fighter's body. Duy's state was clearly not normal.
"Don't worry, Aoba. It's just a small hardship. Nothing can stop my youth! Teaching a genius like you is already making it burn brighter!" Duy grinned and raised a thumb again, in the same encouraging way Guy would do for Rock Lee.
"I see… I can definitely feel your youth, Duy-senpai," Aoba said with a smile, but inside, he had a growing suspicion.
The truth was obvious: Duy's body had been worn down by training the Eight Inner Gates for years.
According to Lord Hiruzen, the Eight Inner Gates technique was originally conceptualized by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. But the technique was incomplete.
It's not that Tobirama couldn't perfect it—it's that doing so required trial-and-error through constant body trauma, which made the cost too high.
Refining it meant opening the gates repeatedly, suffering injury after injury, all to find the safest and most efficient method.
A foolish approach—but the only one available.
And among the few capable of opening even a few gates, who would risk their lives to perfect it?
Besides, Konoha, the greatest ninja village in the world, already had an arsenal of perfected S-rank forbidden techniques. The Eight Inner Gates—unperfected—wasn't a priority.
After Tobirama's death, its importance declined even further. Many taijutsu specialists tried to learn it, but only Might Duy had the persistence to follow through.
Not because he loved the technique, but because he had no other choice.
Might Duy lacked the talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu—just like Rock Lee would in the future.
But unlike Lee, Duy had no mentor. He carved his own path with nothing but grit and pain.
When Kawaki Aoba first saw Duy, he wondered: were the higher-ups of Konoha blind? How could they ignore someone who could wield such power?
Even opening a few gates granted immense strength.
But after spending time with him, Aoba realized the truth:
Might Duy was already on the brink of collapse.
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