The two sides clashed in a tense standoff, but in the end, the ANBU's presence won out.
After all, the ANBU was backed by none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, while the Konoha Police Force only had the Uchiha clan leader behind them.
"Hmph, we'll settle this another time."
Uchiha Han's face darkened. He could tell this ANBU guy was dead set on opposing him. Trying to deal with Yuya today was off the table.
But that punk Yuya? A nobody with no backing from outside the village? If he really wanted to squash the brat like a bug, he could do it anytime. What, the ANBU gonna babysit Yuya for life?
Only by killing Yuya could he finally let go of this grudge.
Han didn't even try to hide his killing intent. He turned coldly and started to leave.
Everyone nearby had mixed expressions—indignation, a touch of sympathy.
That Uchiha Han had just taken a hit from Yuya? Unbelievable. But what was coming next—the revenge of the Uchiha clan? Yeah, there was no way Yuya could survive that.
Knowing how the Uchiha rolled, Yuya might "vanish" as soon as tomorrow.
People around couldn't help but sigh internally.
And then—
Yuya suddenly spoke.
He called out to Han.
"Hold up."
Uchiha Han stopped mid-step, his lips curling into a cold sneer. Even if Yuya dropped to his knees now and begged for mercy, it was already too late.
But what he didn't expect—
Was a challenge, not a plea.
"Three months from now… you willing to face me in a duel to the death?!"
Yuya looked straight at Han, voice calm and steady.
Right now, he was backed into a corner. The only way out was to buy time. And this was his gamble.
If Han accepted, it would give him three months to breathe.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the whole place erupted into chaos.
Everyone stared at Yuya like he'd completely lost his mind.
A duel to the death... in three months... against a chūnin?!
What the hell kind of joke was that?
Even if Yuya had managed to embarrass Uchiha Han earlier with some freaky bloodline ability, a chūnin going all out? Forget Yuya—a whole squad of genin wouldn't stand a chance!
And Uchiha Han wasn't just any chūnin. He was Uchiha.
Everyone just stood there, stunned.
Even Han thought he'd misheard.
Yuya was challenging him?
This little brat really thought just because he got a lucky hit in thanks to some weird kekkei genkai, he was suddenly worthy of going head-to-head with him?
"Heh… heheheh…"
Han started laughing.
His laugh was dripping with scorn and mockery.
He stared down at Yuya and said, "Challenging me, huh? Fine. I accept!"
Yeah, he knew Yuya was just trying to stall. But with this many people watching, how could he possibly say no?
This wasn't just about his pride—it was the Uchiha's pride. And that was sacred.
Three months? No way in hell some punk kid could turn the tables in three months.
Even if Yuya cloned himself, Han was confident he could still wipe the floor with both of them.
The next second, Han vanished in a puff of smoke, without another word.
And only then did the crowd seem to snap out of their daze.
A mix of shock and pity filled their expressions.
"That kid's got guts. Kept his cool, challenged a chūnin, bought himself three months… smart move."
"Too bad he pissed off the Uchiha. Even with talent, he'll never live long enough to grow. Beating a chūnin in three months? Impossible."
"Yeah, it's cruel. Just three months…"
The people sighed, shook their heads, and left. No one dared to interfere in Uchiha business.
The ANBU member stayed back a moment longer, looking at Yuya with pity. If he reported this to the Third Hokage, maybe Sarutobi would step in to save Yuya... maybe. But odds weren't great.
He stepped up to Yuya, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Enjoy your three months. With the Uchiha's code of honor, you won't be in danger until the duel."
Then he too vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Enjoy"? My ass.
Yuya's mouth twitched, eyes twitching with a dark line on his forehead.
He knew damn well Han had no way to turn down the challenge in front of everyone. So he took his shot and locked in those three months.
But those three months sure as hell weren't for playing around!
…
As he walked through the village streets, word of Yuya challenging Uchiha Han had already started spreading like wildfire.
A student from the ninja academy challenging a chūnin? Yeah, people were gonna talk.
Everywhere he went, people whispered, stared, and some even looked at him with pity.
Even the ones who usually hated his guts couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh when they saw him.
At first, Yuya felt weird about it all. But after a while, he got used to the looks and stopped paying attention.
He was on his way to check out Might Duy's training spot, then planned to head home for more extreme training.
He'd only had his Shock Release kekkei genkai for under two months and was already strong enough to take on almost any genin without breaking a sweat.
Sure, there was a huge gap between genin and chūnin—but that didn't mean it was impossible to close in a short time.
Kakashi from the original story became a genin at five and a chūnin at six.
So Yuya had the confidence—and the sheer grindset—to hit chūnin-level strength in three months.
He soon arrived at Might Duy's usual training spot.
Honestly, he just planned to peek and leave. After so long without seeing Duy train the Eight Inner Gates, he had mostly given up hope.
But this time, with just a glance—Yuya froze.
The skies were dimming. The sun's last rays filtered through the trees, casting a peaceful glow on the forest clearing.
And that peace was obliterated by a raging surge of raw, violent energy!
BOOM!!
There, standing in the middle of the training ground, was Might Duy, glowing with a vibrant green aura.
The air around him crackled with energy, a presence that words couldn't begin to describe.
The Eight Inner Gates!
Yuya stared, stunned. His eyes lit up with excitement.
He couldn't help but mutter, "No doubt about it… this is the strongest taijutsu forbidden technique that blew everyone's minds."
He thought about how, in the original, Guy used this technique to throw hands with and even clap Six Paths Madara—and his heart started burning with excitement.
He'd always dreamed of learning this move. And now he was finally witnessing it firsthand.
"Ha!"
Might Duy stood tall in the center of the field. Suddenly, he let out a roar and stomped his foot into the ground.
CRACK!!
The earth beneath his feet split like a spiderweb, cracks spreading in all directions.
"Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit—Open!!"
BOOM!!
This time, he didn't even have to stomp. The aura pouring off his body alone shattered the fragile ground beneath him.