Chapter 120. News of the Chūnin Exams

Chapter 120 - 120. News of the Chūnin Exams"Do you think Rin misses me?" Obito Uchiha asked with a goofy smile as he thought of Rin Nohara. "I don't know," Kakashi Hatake replied calmly. Compared to six months ago, Kakashi had become noticeably steadier and colder. Unlike other squads, their team hadn't gone through a long period of D-rank missions. Instead, upon graduation, Minato Namikaze had taken them to the Land of Lightning. Although Konoha wasn't officially at war with the Hidden Cloud Village, skirmishes frequently broke out along the border. Their frequent battles with enemies had accelerated their growth, including Obito Uchiha and Might Guy. This time, they returned because of Itachi Uchiha's hundred-day celebration, to which Fugaku Uchiha had invited Minato Namikaze. "I can feel the flames of youth burning within me!" Might Guy said enthusiastically. "Hanekawa must be looking forward to a youthful duel with me!" No, he's not, Kakashi thought, his mouth twitching. Still, he didn't argue. If Guy was busy pestering Hanekawa, it meant he wouldn't bother him. After all, who knew how Kakashi had managed to endure the past six months, being woken up by Guy in the middle of the night to train. "Of course she misses me!" Obito said, ignoring his teammates. He was lost in a daydream. "After all, it's been so long since we last saw each other." Kakashi glanced at him but said nothing. Love or affection held no meaning for him—it couldn't compare to the blade in his hand. As for Might Guy, he didn't understand Obito's thoughts at all; his mind was consumed entirely by the concept of youth. "We're almost there!" Obito coughed lightly, straightened his clothes, and looked forward expectantly. "Someone's fighting!" Might Guy suddenly perked up. "There are indeed sounds of a fight," Kakashi paused and added, "but it's stopped now. My guess is it's Hanekawa." "Why do you care so much?" Obito grumbled, annoyed. "You two are always obsessed with Hanekawa, and it's irritating." "Let's go," Kakashi said with a slight nod. The three walked toward the clearing outside Tsunade's house, the same place where they used to train. From a distance, Obito spotted a few figures and quickened his pace. Just as he was about to call out to Rin, he froze in shock. "What... what are you doing?!" Obito exclaimed, wide-eyed. He saw Rin crouched in front of Hanekawa, her hands holding his ankle. "Obito?" Rin turned her head instinctively at the familiar voice, her face lighting up with joy. "Rin is just healing me," Hanekawa said, glancing at Kakashi and Might Guy behind Obito. "Wait a moment, I'll be done soon." Just healing? Rin was a medical ninja, so it made sense for her to treat teammates. Obito let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had been overthinking. "Hanekawa, how did you get injured?" Kakashi asked curiously. "My teacher hit me," Hanekawa shrugged. Kakashi paused for a moment before realizing that Hanekawa was likely referring to sparring. Still, the phrasing didn't seem particularly respectful toward one's mentor. Having trained under Minato Namikaze himself, Kakashi had a deep respect for his teacher's strength and wouldn't have spoken that way. However, each team had its own dynamics, so Kakashi said nothing more. "All done!" Rin finally said, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she pulled her hands away. Her abilities were no match for Hanekawa or Kurenai, so maintaining medical ninjutsu for long periods wasn't easy for her. "You've worked hard, Rin!" Obito said quickly. "It's nothing," Rin replied with a gentle smile. "If you ever get injured, you can come to me too." "I definitely will!" Obito said excitedly. "Even so, it's best not to get injured in the first place," Rin said, shaking her head. "Right!" Obito nodded fervently, touched. She really cares about me! "It's a shame we're not on the same team," Obito sighed. "Our team could really use a medical ninja like you." As he spoke, he glanced at Hanekawa. He couldn't help but feel that Hanekawa had stolen Rin from their team. Normally, a ninja squad wouldn't have two medical ninjas. "It's okay," Rin reassured him. "We might get to do missions together in the future." "That's true!" Obito brightened up. "When we were at the border, we often teamed up with other squads for missions." "Did you come back for Itachi Uchiha's hundred-day celebration?" Kurenai Yuhi interrupted, walking over and breaking into their conversation. "Yes," Kakashi nodded slightly. "As Itachi's senior, it's only natural that I'd receive an invitation!" Obito said proudly, puffing out his chest. "We received invitations too," Rin said with a smile. "That's great!" Obito said happily. "When the time comes, I'll show you around the Uchiha clan's compound!" "Yes, let's all go together," Rin Nohara said softly. "Alright," Obito Uchiha replied reluctantly. He had hoped to spend time alone with Rin, but since she suggested otherwise, he could only agree. "Hanekawa!" Might Guy rushed over to Hanekawa and asked, "Are you healed?" "No," Hanekawa replied without changing his expression. "I think I probably shouldn't engage in intense activity today." "Ah, that's a shame," Guy said, scratching his head. "I was hoping to spar with you." "I have a better opponent for you," Hanekawa said, standing up. "My teacher is interested in the Eight Gates technique." "Lady Tsunade?!" Guy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Yes," Hanekawa confirmed. Guy instinctively clenched his fists, his body trembling with excitement. "..." Hanekawa was at a loss for words. He already had a feeling of what was about to happen. "Father! Did you see that? Even Lady Tsunade recognizes me!" Guy cried out with tears streaming down his face. "This is the burning passion of youth!" Kakashi and Obito instinctively took two steps back in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized. "I'll go get my teacher," Hanekawa said, turning and walking into the house. A moment later, he returned with Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade!" Guy exclaimed excitedly, "Please guide me!" "..." Tsunade looked at his tearful face in silence. "Even though I'm no match for you now, youth never ends!" Guy stepped back and roared, "Eight Gates Release Formation! Gate of Opening: Open! Gate of Rest: Open! Gate of Life: Open!" He opened three gates in succession. A terrifying surge of chakra shot into the sky, enveloping him in a green aura. "How... how is this possible?" Obito gasped, his eyes wide in shock. He could feel that Guy's current power far exceeded his one-tomoe Sharingan's capabilities. "Incredible!" Kakashi's heart trembled. He had only seen Guy open the first gate before. He hadn't expected the second and third gates to increase power severalfold. Hanekawa pondered silently. In the original story, Rock Lee had opened the fifth gate during the Chūnin Exams while fighting Gaara, which left him with severe aftereffects. But at that time, Lee was about 14 years old. How many gates could a younger Guy open now? The first three gates of the Eight Gates technique were within the safe zone. From the fourth gate onward, the technique posed significant risks to the user. "Impressive!" Tsunade exclaimed in admiration. "As expected of the most difficult taijutsu technique." With a gust of wind, Guy launched himself like a green cannonball. Tsunade stood motionless, throwing a single punch that sent him flying back even faster. With a loud crash, Guy hit the ground, leaving a shallow crater. So strong! Guy looked at Tsunade, his fighting spirit undiminished, and attacked again. The two clashed repeatedly in an intense battle. However, it was clear to everyone watching that Guy was completely outmatched. In both power and speed, he was no match for Tsunade. "That's enough," Tsunade said, stepping back to create distance. "You've reached your limit." Hearing this, Guy sat down heavily on the ground, sweat pouring down his forehead. The Eight Gates technique was powerful, but its endurance was lacking. At his young age, with his body not yet fully developed, it was already astonishing that he could sustain it for a few minutes. Tsunade observed him and thought to herself that she should mention to the elders that a ninja like Might Duy shouldn't remain at the rank of Genin. "How did I ever beat him?" Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but ask. "The Eight Gates is too dangerous, so he doesn't use it during friendly sparring," Hanekawa replied with a smile. "No wonder," Kurenai said, realization dawning on her. Her Water Release jutsu was powerful but not particularly fast. Against Guy in the third gate, her chances of victory would be slim. As for genjutsu, it was nearly impossible to disrupt someone whose chakra had transformed into such intense energy. Hanekawa, too, began considering how to counter the Eight Gates. He knew he would likely face it in next year's Chūnin Exams. For the sake of maintaining his top ranking, he couldn't afford to lose. Obito, meanwhile, looked displeased. He had thought that unlocking his Sharingan would make him the strongest in their team. But now it seemed he was at the bottom, a realization he found difficult to accept. Rin, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. The stronger her teammates were, the happier she felt. "Hanekawa, did you get a gift for Itachi Uchiha?" Tsunade suddenly asked. "I did," Hanekawa replied with a nod. "Good," Tsunade said, closing the door behind her. "It's about time. Let's head to the Uchiha clan." "You've gotten a lot stronger," Hanekawa said, walking over to help Guy to his feet. "Then let's have a youthful duel tomorrow!" Guy began, only to be interrupted. "Save it for the Chūnin Exams," Hanekawa said with a shake of his head. "The Chūnin Exams?" Guy exclaimed in surprise. Kakashi and Obito also turned to Hanekawa curiously. "It's insider information from my teacher," Hanekawa explained, pointing at Tsunade. "After the New Year, Konoha will be hosting a Chūnin Exam." __ New entry: This Danzo Is Weird Sёarᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Patreon.com/rashta Be a member so you can read: New. 260 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird 1. 250 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)