The clothes on Tian Yu's back were already soaked in cold sweat.
His chakra reserves had long been depleted.
"I lost…"
A wry smile crept beneath the mask worn by Yamato,
His voice weak and strained.
At that moment,
The entire training ground fell deathly silent.
All eyes were locked onto Tian Yu, frozen in disbelief.
Their gazes brimmed with shock and incredulity.
Because the newcomer who had just joined the Anbu…
Had defeated none other than Captain Yamato, one of the three highest-ranking officers in the Anbu!
"Ming Yu… Is he really only twelve?"
"That level of strength is terrifying…"
"To defeat Captain Yamato at such a young age—his potential… is limitless!"
As whispers rippled through the gathered crowd,
The elite Anbu operatives fell into collective silence once more.
Indeed, the youth standing before them…
Was only twelve years old.
Such composure, such poise, such overwhelming power… He wasn't just a genius—he had already begun to show the makings of a future powerhouse!
Their expressions shifted from curiosity to admiration, even reverence.
Just then, Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Division Commander and current Minister of Anbu, strode forward with a sharp gaze.
He turned and ordered with urgency:
"Quick! Call the Medical Corps immediately!"
The surrounding Anbu were briefly stunned, but then swiftly carried out the order.
The Anbu headquarters was located not far from Konoha's central hospital, and the Medical Corps responded within minutes.
"Who's injured?" one of the medics asked briskly.
"It's Captain Yamato," an Anbu responded.
But before they could proceed,
Kakashi stepped in front of them,
Grasped the medic's arm,
And dragged him straight to Tian Yu.
"Yamato only suffered surface wounds. Don't worry about him. Check the boy first," Kakashi said sternly.
Yamato: "???"
Minister… do you have to break my heart like this?
I'm one of the three division captains in Anbu—your elite officer—and I'm lying here defeated, and you're worried about the kid?
Tian Yu was equally stunned,
Taking a half-step back,
He frowned and said:
"I'm not injured. Why do I need a check-up?"
Kakashi ignored the protest and replied with rare seriousness:
"It's alright, Ming Yu. I can tell you're barely staying upright."
"You've won the match, and everyone here has acknowledged your strength. There's no need to push yourself any further." He gently patted Tian Yu's shoulder, his tone sincere.
"…?"
What am I pushing for?
Tian Yu's head filled with question marks.
With a face caught between laughter and exasperation, he replied,
"I'm not pushing myself. I'm really not hurt."
But Kakashi remained unmoved.
"Listen to me, Tian Yu."
"You've already opened multiple gates of the Eight Gates technique."
"You should know what that means for your body."
"The Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain—already inflicts physical trauma. But you opened the Fifth Gate—Gate of Limit—and forcibly unleashed an intense chakra surge. That level of strain is extremely damaging."
"If injuries go untreated, hidden internal trauma could affect your future as a shinobi!"
Tian Yu shrugged and spread his hands, his tone calm.
"But I opened five gates and didn't feel any internal damage. No pain. No side effects."
"Even if the Eight Gates are said to cripple the body… Wait, what did you just say?" Kakashi froze mid-sentence.
His eyes widened.
"You said you opened the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates Formation… and you felt no pain? No damage?"
Tian Yu nodded again, this time with mild amusement.
Kakashi looked almost offended by the statement.
"That's impossible. Even Guy—when he opens the Fifth Gate—his body is covered in burst capillaries. He feels immense pain…"
Tian Yu cut in with a faint smirk.
"Just because Teacher Guy couldn't do it, doesn't mean I can't."
With Kakashi still reeling in disbelief,
Tian Yu casually grabbed the medical-nin,
Rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Go ahead. Run the check."
The medic quickly got to work, conducting a thorough diagnostic using healing chakra and medical jutsu.
Moments later, he straightened up with a shocked expression.
"There's no internal damage. His vitals are normal. Muscular tissue and capillaries are completely intact."
"Physically… he's fine."
The medic then moved to Yamato, whose condition, comparatively, was more straightforward—minor bruises and abrasions.
Kakashi stared in stunned silence.
"…How is that even possible?"
Tian Yu smiled and replied,
"Minister, you believe me now?"
"I've opened the Fifth Gate, and there are no negative effects on my body whatsoever."
"You figured this out on your own?" Kakashi asked, his expression turning to admiration.
Tian Yu shook his head.
"No. It was something I developed in tandem with Teacher Guy during training. A modified path of chakra flow that reduces the internal damage while preserving explosive strength."
Kakashi exhaled deeply.
Muttering to himself,
"Guy told me once that he had a student with once-in-a-generation potential. I didn't believe him back then."
A rueful smile curved on his lips.
"But now I see it with my own eyes. He didn't just find a rare prodigy… he found a genius the likes of which this village hasn't seen in a thousand years."
"Even my teacher—the Fourth Hokage—would have been amazed by this level of talent and discipline."
A trace of remorse clouded Kakashi's eyes.
He recalled Tian Yu's father, Tianxiong.
Once, the man had humbly asked him to offer guidance to his son.
But back then, Kakashi had turned him down—thinking Tianxiong, a civilian, had nothing of value to offer the village.
He never imagined…
That the boy he dismissed back then would rise so far.
And now he envied his longtime friend Guy—for having taken in such an extraordinary disciple.
Because Tian Yu hadn't just inherited Guy's taijutsu mastery…
He had improved it—making the forbidden technique of the Eight Gates Formation into something sustainable, something that might one day no longer be forbidden.
A technique that, instead of wrecking the body…
Could unleash terrifying power without cost.
Kakashi could already envision it—
In the not-so-distant future,
The name "Tian Yu" would echo across the shinobi world—
And the Eight Gates Formation,
Would no longer be feared for its toll…
But revered for its might.