To Go Further Beyond
The morning sun burned away the last traces of dawn mist as Might Guy landed in a crouch before me, his grin as bright as his green spandex.
"Young Kagami!" he boomed, giving me a thumbs-up. "Today, we push past the limits of yesterday's limits!"
I returned the smile—one of the few genuine ones I had left. Guy was simple in a way that was refreshing. No ulterior motives, no political games. Just pure, unfiltered determination.
"I was thinking about something," I said as we began our warm-up laps around the training ground. "There's a kid in the Academy. Rock Lee."
Guy's eyebrows shot up. "He must be impressive to have caught your attention."
I nodded, keeping my pace steady. "He reminds me of you. All effort, no excuses. I think he'd thrive under your training."
Guy's eyes shimmered with sudden tears. "Such perceptiveness! Truly, your flames of youth burn as brightly as—"
I dodged the incoming hug with practiced ease.
—
After thirty laps, five hundred push-ups, and a sparring session that left craters in the earth, I signaled for a break.
"I want to make the Second Gate part of my base form," I said, wiping sweat from my brow.
Guy froze mid-stretch. "I see, just like you did with the First Gate then."
"Yes."
For once, Guy's expression turned serious. He studied me with a focus rarely seen outside battle. "The Gate of Healing accelerates cellular regeneration. To sustain it indefinitely could—"
"Make me nearly unkillable. I know."
Silence hung between us. Then Guy clapped his hands together with a resounding crack. "Then we shall proceed with utmost caution and MAXIMUM YOUTH!"
—
The first attempt sent me to my knees.
Fire erupted along my nervous system as the Gate of Healing forced itself open, my body screaming in protest. Blood trickled from my nose as my cells divided too rapidly, muscles tearing and repairing in the same instant. I checked myself with a diagnostic jutsu, making sure I hadn't developed cancer or anything from that.
Guy's hand on my shoulder grounded me. "Breathe, Kagami. Let the rhythm of your youth guide you!"
I gritted my teeth and pushed harder.
By the fifth attempt, I could hold the Gate for thirty minutes without visible strain. Bruises from our sparring faded before they fully formed. A shallow cut on my arm sealed shut as I watched.
Guy's eyes widened. "Incredible! But..." He hesitated. "Your chakra reserves?"
I flexed my fingers, feeling the energy thrum beneath my skin. "Stable. For now."
The lie came easily. My chakra was draining faster than I let on—but the tradeoff was worth it.
—
As evening fell, we sat on the training ground's edge, sharing a water canteen.
"You should meet Lee tomorrow," I said.
Guy nodded, uncharacteristically quiet. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. "You're pushing yourself harder than ever."
I stared at the horizon, where the Hokage Tower stood silhouetted against the sunset. "The strong protect what matters." The only thing that mattered to me was my family. I'd give my life for them.
Guy didn't ask what I needed to be strong enough to protect. He just clinked his canteen against mine.
"Then we train harder."
It was only sometime later that I learnt we would be receiving a delegation from Kumo. It was strange. If I recalled, the Hyuga affair occured when Hinata was three and yet, Hizashi Hyuga still lived. Officially the delegation was arriving in order to help ensure the peace between Kumo and Konoha remained strong.
I knew that unofficially, it would be to kidnap a main branch Hyuga for the Byakugan.
Thus, I asked Fugaku to allow me to keep watch on the Kumo ninja. As I waited, I continued training with the Second Gate.
The Kumo delegation arrived under the pretense of peace talks, but their eyes lingered too long on the Hyuga compound. I had expected this—remembered it from another life. The moment their leader, a broad-shouldered shinobi with lightning-charged fingertips, excused himself from the banquet, I slipped away too.
The alley behind the Hyuga estate was dark, the perfect place for an ambush. I activated my Genjutsu, not stopping with a single layer like most ninja but layering multiple, one over the other. My features shifted into those of a Hyuga main branch member—high cheekbones, pupil-less eyes, and most importantly, no cursed seal shown off by the fact I didn't wear a hitai-ate.
The Kumo nin took the bait instantly.
Three of them dropped from the rooftops, their movements silent. The leader grinned, his teeth glinting in the moonlight. "A Hyuga without their leash. How convenient."
I let them grab me.
They didn't even make it to the gates.
The moment we cleared the village walls, I dropped the transformation. The Kumo nin had half a second to register the Uchiha fan on my back before my fist shattered his ribcage. The second attacker barely raised his hands in defense before my knee drove into his stomach, lifting him off his feet. The third managed a single panicked hand sign—
—Before I carefully disabled his hands, crushing them until he couldn't use his fingers at all, at a level of speed he couldn't react to. With the Second Gate, I was as fast as most Jonin utilizing the Body Flicker.
"Now," I said, brushing imaginary dust from my sleeve, "let's discuss why Kumo is violating the peace treaty." The fear in his eyes was delicious.
The interrogation chamber smelled of antiseptic and fear. Don't ask me to explain how something can smell like a concept. Fugaku stood beside me, his arms crossed, as the Kumo nin writhed under Ibiki's techniques.
"They were after the Byakugan," Ibiki grunted, wiping blood from his knuckles. "Standard procedure—kidnap a main branch member, bring them to a secondary force and have them take them back to Kumo to gain their own Byakugan.”
Fugaku's jaw tightened. "And they thought an unsealed Hyuga was just wandering the streets?"
I kept my face carefully blank. "Their arrogance was their undoing."
The Hokage's gaze lingered on me a moment too long before turning to the council members. "This changes everything. We demand reparations. Land. Trade rights. You'll be rewarded for this."
The Chunin promotion came with a new flak jacket, more responsibilities and a gift from my brother. Shisui met me in the training grounds that night, a crow on his shoulder. It spat out a scroll into his hands and I understood what he was gifting me.
"You've earned this," he said, handing me the contract. "The crows have watched our family for generations. They'll watch your back too."
I pricked my thumb and signed without hesitation. The moment the ink dried, a dozen black feathers brushed against my consciousness, their whispers like dry leaves in the wind.
As Shisui walked away, the largest crow settled on my shoulder. Its beady eyes gleamed with unnatural intelligence.
"Smart boy," it croaked. "Dangerous boy."
I smiled and scratched its head.