In the forests outside Konoha.
Uchiha Jinzō leaned forward, weight balanced, one hand ready to pull the short blade strapped to his thigh. His dark eyes locked on the man across from him — Might Duy, scratching his head awkwardly like he had no idea why he was even here.
Duy hesitated. The guy was basically allergic to fighting kids.
"Actually, there's no need for this," he muttered.
Yeah, no. Jinzō wasn't listening to that nonsense. He shifted his foot, chakra bursting into his soles, and vanished.
Shave.By slamming chakra into his legs and stamping the ground dozens of times per second, he rocketed forward with explosive force.
A heartbeat later, Jinzō appeared behind Duy and lashed out with a kick.
Duy blocked with his forearm —
Bang!
The impact sent him skidding sideways, though he twisted midair and landed catlike, one hand and two feet braced on the dirt. His expression hardened.
"So strong…"
Jinzō grinned. "It's not over."
He was already above him, foot slicing down like an axe. Duy rolled away just as the heel cratered the ground. Dust shot up in a choking cloud.
Duy's eyes widened. "Tsunade's monster strength?!"
But Jinzō wasn't done. He planted his palms to the dirt, body spinning like a wheel, and slammed a roundhouse kick across Duy's cheek. The older man tumbled, coughing as he hit the ground hard.
Through the haze, Jinzō walked forward, frowning. That short clash told him enough: Duy's taijutsu was chūnin-level. With ninjutsu factored in, the man was barely genin. But that wasn't what Jinzō wanted to see.
He wanted the Eight Gates.
But looking at Duy's earnest face, he sighed. Nah. Too much pressure on the guy.
"Uncle Duy, your wife's pregnant, right? Don't you need cash?" Jinzō pulled a crow-emblazoned wallet from his pouch, flicked out a 50,000-ryō note, and pinned it into a tree with a snap. "That's a C-rank mission. All you need to do is fight me seriously."
Duy sat up, rubbing his jaw, staring at the money. Fifty thousand would help — a lot. But…
"Young man… didn't you say you were broke? That's why you asked me for ninjutsu?"
Jinzō laughed awkwardly. "Heh, about that…"
Truth was, his parents had left him plenty of inheritance. And unlike the rest of Konoha, the Uchiha didn't steal from their own kids. Small blessings.
"Anyway, forget the details. Just fight me like you mean it."
This would be his first real battle against a ninja. He needed to know where he stood before the war swallowed them all.
"Please fight me as if you want to kill me," Jinzō said, eyes sharp. "Because I'll fight you the same way."
Duy's expression shifted. He saw the boy's resolve, and it shook him. Slowly, he crossed his arms.
"Very well. I'll show you the power of discipline."
His voice hardened.
"Eight Gates… Gate of Opening — open!"
Green chakra exploded from his body, the ground cracking under his feet. His figure blurred, vanishing — then reappearing in midair, spinning into a kick.
Jinzō smirked. "Now we're talking." He leaned back, narrowly dodging.
Duy pressed the attack, fists and kicks blurring. Jinzō bent like paper in the wind, weaving through the barrage, using subtle chakra control to flow with the currents.
Paper Drawing.A technique that let his body slip through the air like a drifting page, always just out of reach.
"Not enough!" Jinzō barked.
Duy's jaw clenched. "Then I'll go further. Gate of Rest, Gate of Life… open! Four Gates!"
His skin flushed red as power doubled. His fists ripped the air apart, and at last — a shallow cut appeared on Jinzō's cheek, the fistwind sharp as a blade.
Jinzō crossed his arms to block. Crack! The blow rattled through him. The two vanished in a blur, colliding through the trees. Branches shredded, birds scattered in panic.
Boom!
A tree trunk exploded from the force. Jinzō flew back, slamming into another, the bark splintering around him. He dropped, gasping.
"…That's my limit."
So taijutsu testing was done. Now for ninjutsu.
Duy charged with a kick — and shattered a log. Jinzō reappeared upside down in the air, hands flashing seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball roared toward Duy — who was already gone. His fist slammed down from above, crushing Jinzō into smoke. Substitution.
Jinzō countered, hammering down from behind, but Duy roared, veins bulging.
"Gate of Limit — open!"
His chakra exploded again. The blow missed entirely. A blur, then —
Thud!
Jinzō doubled over, launched into a tree, stomach screaming in pain.
Duy stood before him, steady. "It's over, young man. You lost."
Blood trickled from Jinzō's lip. He slumped back, grinning. "Hahaha… yeah. I lost."
But the grin wasn't defeat — it was joy. Because he'd seen it: his own ceiling. At twelve years old, his raw level was already special jōnin. That was genius territory, even if he was still leagues from monsters like the Hokage.
"Even Rock Lee couldn't take Gaara after opening four gates," Jinzō thought, "but me? I stood here. That's enough."
He laughed again, breathless.
Duy, panting and bruised himself, picked the money from the tree, carefully tucking it away. Enough to cover his family's needs for a while.
"Tell me, young man," he asked quietly, "how did you manage ninjutsu at all?"
"Simple," Jinzō wheezed. "Once you train your body enough, even without talent, most ninjutsu come easy." He sighed. "Too bad I only had time to learn Shadow Clone and Fireball last night."
He tossed another 50,000 ryō onto the grass. "Medical expenses. And a confidentiality fee. Keep my secrets, Uncle Duy."
Duy shook his head, trying to refuse, but Jinzō's glare forced him to accept. The man had never felt so guilty taking money.
Finally, he asked, "Why do you push yourself this hard?"
Jinzō looked up at the endless blue sky, clouds drifting peacefully. For a moment, it felt like freedom.
"I just want to live… freely."
But he knew better. In a world of endless wars, freedom was impossible.
"…That's a beautiful dream," Duy said softly, lying back beside him. The money in his pocket meant he didn't need to hustle for missions for a while.
Jinzō exhaled. "What a pity."
Because as an Uchiha, dangerous missions weren't optional. His talent made him a target. His clan made it inevitable.
Then Duy's voice cut through the silence.
"Young man… do you want to learn my Eight Gates technique?"
"…Hah?"