The roaring battlefield finally fell into a moment of strange silence. Dust and smoke curled through the wind as the massive impact from the Green Beasts' assault left craters still trembling from aftershocks. Amidst the quiet, murmurs rose.
After hearing Madara's bold declaration that Might Guy was the strongest in pure physical power, Uchiha Izuna turned his head to look at Senju Tobirama with an expression caught between disbelief and amusement. He had been expecting Tobirama to make some cold, biting retort. Instead…
Tobirama had only said… that the Eight Inner Gates could only be opened once in a lifetime.
"Seriously?" Izuna blinked, lips twitching. "That's it? All that build-up and you're telling me it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing?!"
Tobirama's face flushed red as his gaze met Izuna's slightly mocking eyes. He gritted his teeth, pointing at him furiously.
"Evil Uchiha Izuna! What's with that expression?! Is there something wrong with what I just said?! You think you could take a hit like that and still breathe?! Oh right! I almost forgot! Aren't you the one who claims to have no flaws in your body?! Then surely… you could withstand a few hits like that, right?!"
Izuna's lips twitched. He looked around, feeling everyone's attention fall on them, then finally shrugged with an awkward grunt.
"Tch… Don't act so righteous. I'm just like you! Even I can only do it once in a lifetime!"
The people nearby were already abuzz with whispers. The sheer scale of the technique had left even hardened warriors stunned.
"I really didn't expect… the Eight Inner Gates to be this terrifying!"
"This is beyond belief… I knew the technique was powerful, but not like this!"
"The side effects are equally terrifying, though. Once you open the Gate of Death… you're guaranteed to die!"
"…But now that I think about it, is that even a real side effect anymore? After all—Souta Kazuki is here."
"That's right… With him around, it's practically like unlimited use of the Eight Gates!"
"Strictly speaking, as long as you've got enough ryo, Souta can unlock the Eight Gates for you again and again…"
In the shadows of the battlefield, the young Souta Kazuki stood quietly, the Scroll of Seals resting heavily on his back. His deep black eyes watched the battlefield, reflecting the red mist left by Duy and Guy's heroism.
He clenched his fists slowly, the scar across his palm pulsing faintly. Though he had yet to open the Eight Gates himself, watching the display stirred something within him.
He had inherited the technique from the scroll. But unlike the others, he had not yet truly used it.
His father, Haruto, had always told him, "True power isn't just strength, it's the resolve to burn everything for the sake of others." His grandfather, Raiga, once whispered, "The Eight Gates are no shortcut. When you open them, do so not to shine—but to protect."
Souta's blood simmered with a resolve he couldn't yet voice.
He watched as Rock Lee, Tenten, and Neji stood trembling with awe and excitement.
"Guy Sensei!! THIS is youth!!" Rock Lee shouted, tears streaming down his face. "My future… must be like Guy Sensei! I'll protect everything I care about using the flames of youth!!"
"From now on!" he howled, clenching both fists. "I'll do 20,000 push-ups! If I can't finish, I'll run 10,000 laps around Konoha! If I can't finish that, I'll do 50,000 sit-ups!!! This! This is youth!!!"
In another corner, the Thousand-Armed Buddha of Senju Hashirama slowly began to withdraw into silence. But instead of relief, Hashirama looked distinctly annoyed.
He stamped his foot on the towering palm beneath him and shouted, "MADARA!!!"
Uchiha Madara blinked and glanced upward. "What is it now, idiot?!"
Hashirama pointed at him with a frown. "When do you think my Rinnegan will awaken?! I want to play around with eye techniques too, you know! It's no fun just using the Big Buddha all the time!"
Madara arched a brow.
"Don't snort at me!!" Hashirama shouted, stomping again. "Fine! If I can't get the Rinnegan, I'll just master the Eight Gates myself! When that happens, I'll activate the Big Buddha and open the Gate of Death!! That'll shake the heavens, just you wait!!!"
Madara pressed a hand to his forehead. The mental image of a thousand-meter-tall wooden Buddha flaring red mist and shouting "THIS IS YOUTH!" as it exploded into the sky—it was far too much.
Even for Madara.
On the sidelines, Uzumaki Goudan was nearly speechless. His jaw had been hanging open for some time now. He muttered, eyes wide with disbelief,
"I knew the legends of the past were amazing… but this? These old seniors from decades ago are terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!!!"
He grinned as he imagined what it would be like to retell this story.
"I'll have something to brag about when I go back—hahahahahaha! Three days and three nights straight, I'll keep talking about this war! I'll make sure everyone hears about it!!"
He jabbed a finger at the air. "Especially that guy Wuwukai! He's gonna be so pissed that he missed this!! Hahahahahaha!"
But he had forgotten one thing.
He was standing next to the Twelve Konoha Genin. They had heard everything.
Uzumaki Naruto stepped forward, scratching his head. "Eldest son… Who's this Wuwukai you were just talking about?"
Goudan blinked. "Ah… Idiot dad, Wuwukai is my godfather's son!!"
Everyone blinked at once.
The Twelve Genin had seen some strange things—but this name was on another level.
Even Sasuke looked confused. "Why would anyone name their child Wuwukai…?"
Goudan scratched his head again. "I'm not entirely sure… I heard it's to pay tribute to a powerful man from Konoha's past!"
He suddenly lit up. "Oh yeah! It's supposedly inspired by Kakashi-senpai! People say that no matter who he fights, it's always fifty-fifty!"
A few snickers started to spread.
"And back in our era, Kakashi-senpai had a nickname," Goudan continued innocently. "A real famous one!"
Kakashi, having wandered over curiously, patted Goudan's head. "Oh? A nickname? I wonder what kind of cool reputation I earned in the future?"
Goudan hesitated. His face twitched.
"Kakashi-senpai… just… don't be angry, okay?"
"Pfft! Come on, I'm a grown man. I wouldn't get angry at a kid!" Kakashi chuckled.
Goudan took a deep breath. "Alright. In the future, you're called… the Dung Boy of the Ninja World!"
Kakashi froze.
"GAAAH! WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"
Goudan flinched. "Dung boy. Uh… TF Kakashi. It's a pretty famous title where I come from…"
Kakashi staggered, his face slowly draining of color. In his mind, he had once imagined enemy ninja trembling as they whispered, "That's Copy Ninja Kakashi!"
But now, he imagined them screaming, "That's Dung Boy Kakashi from Konoha!!"
"…Why?! Why do I have such a title?!"
Goudan looked at him seriously. "Apparently it's because of your father, Kakashi-senpai. They say he always made you carry manure at home. Over time… your name just stuck."
Kakashi crumpled. "My reputation… my legacy…"
The entire battlefield paused again, this time for laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Naruto, Sasuke, even Madara himself couldn't hold it in.
And in the middle of the field, Souta Kazuki looked up at the heavens.
He had witnessed the madness. The heroism. The legends. And even the humor.
The ninja world was many things.
But boring? Never.
PS - I am writing a new novel "Pokémon in the Naruto World—A New Path to Power". Feel free to check that out too.