NARUTO: GOD LEVEL FORGING SYSTEM

"Before harming others, first learn to endure pain yourself."

After a battle, one would typically need ten days to half a month to recover. In severe cases, there could be permanent disability—or even death!

This kid is only twelve years old. How could his body possibly withstand the strain of the Eight Gates Released Formation?

No, something's not right!

Kakashi suddenly felt a surge of shock in his heart. The scene before him didn't match what he remembered from the time Might Guy had opened the Eight Gates.

Even though Kakashi couldn't see the boy's face due to his mask, the skin on his hands wasn't flushed red from congestion, unlike what had happened to Might Guy. Moreover, his chakra flow seemed to be far more controlled and stable than it should have been.

Is it just my imagination?

Could this kid's mastery of the Eight Gates truly surpass that of Might Guy?

At that moment, after opening the Eight Gates, Kazuki merely exerted a slight amount of force.

Crack!

The thick wooden trunks and vines that had restrained him snapped apart and crumbled away as if they were nothing.

Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Yamato immediately withdrew into the dense forest he had just created using Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

As an experienced ANBU captain, Yamato's instincts were sharp. He knew that Kazuki couldn't maintain the Eight Gates for long—its explosive power was only temporary.

All I need to do is stall him out...

If he could hold out until Kazuki's body reached its limit, he might still stand a chance.

At this moment, the watching ANBU members instinctively held their breath, eyes locked onto the battle.

They had completely forgotten that this was supposed to be a simple assessment for a new recruit.

Instead, they now saw it as a high-level duel between two powerful shinobi!

Who is stronger?

The answer was something they all awaited with eager anticipation.

Step. Step. Step.

Kazuki advanced, his Kusanagi Blade shimmering with wind chakra.

His keen eyes scanned the dense woods, searching for his opponent.

"Hiding, are you?"

A smirk of disdain tugged at the corner of his lips.

Raising the Kusanagi Blade, he swung it downward toward the forest ahead.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade Dance!"

Without the need for hand seals, Kazuki unleashed a powerful Wind Release technique through his sword—its power rivaling B-rank ninjutsu.

A flash of white light erupted as a razor-sharp crescent of wind tore through the air.

The howling wind blade sliced across the forest with unrelenting force, illuminating the battlefield with a blue-white glow before a deafening BOOM!

From left to right, the entire forest was engulfed in destruction.

A series of harsh, splintering cracks echoed as massive trees were cleaved apart.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One by one, the towering trees collapsed, their roots torn from the ground as the dense forest was reduced to rubble in mere seconds.

With only the third gate open, Kazuki had unleashed a single strike that obliterated nearly half the forest.

The sheer devastation left even the most battle-hardened ANBU members stunned, their eyes widening in disbelief.

But Kazuki had one goal in mind:

To locate Yamato.

"The field is clear now... And I've found you."

His sharp gaze locked onto a fallen tree in the distance.

There, amidst the wreckage, Yamato's figure emerged—his robe tattered, his body slightly disheveled.

"Tch… So he found me after all."

Yamato panted heavily, struggling to steady his breath. His hands began forming a seal—he was preparing to unleash his strongest defensive jutsu: Mokuton: Mokujōheki (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall).

However, before the wooden pillars could even begin to rise from the ground, a blur of movement cut through the air—Kazuki had already acted, moving faster than Yamato's jutsu could take form!

"The Gate of Pain—Open!"

"The Gate of Joy—Open!"

Two loud shouts erupted in succession.

In an instant, Kazuki's aura surged, his strength and speed multiplying several times over. His figure vanished before everyone's eyes, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.

Having opened the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates, his body felt weightless—like a feather on the wind, yet as sharp as an arrow ready to pierce through space itself. Even the air struggled to keep up with his speed.

What is the pinnacle of Taijutsu?

Is it splitting mountains with a single punch? Shattering the earth beneath one's feet?

Or is it reaching a speed so overwhelming that even a Rinnegan-wielding Madara struggled to perceive movement?

Kazuki hadn't reached that level yet, but his current Taijutsu had already surpassed the limits of human sight—too fast for low-level ninjutsu to track.

And when his speed reached this extreme, there was no chance for an opponent to complete their hand seals.

The wind howled.

Kazuki materialized beside Yamato like a ghost.

With a single step, the ground beneath him cracked, sending dust and debris flying.

Before Yamato could react, Kazuki's right leg lashed out, driving into his stomach with immense force.

Yamato's eyes widened in shock.

What power!

His body was launched into the air, completely out of his control.

But it didn't end there—Kazuki kicked off the ground, pursuing Yamato midair like an unrelenting predator.

His attacks came in a relentless flurry: blows to the thighs, arms, chest, and back, each strike precise, each impact overwhelming.

Then, suddenly—Kazuki leaped behind him.

At some point, the bandages wrapped around Kazuki's wrists had come undone, unraveling and whipping toward Yamato in midair.

"What?!"

Panic flashed across Yamato's face.

Midair, without solid footing, he had no way to escape. The bandages coiled tightly around him, restraining him completely.

What kind of technique is this?!

There was no chance of breaking free. No way out.

"Lotus!"

Kazuki's bandages fully wrapped around Yamato's body, locking him in place.

Then, with both of them inverted—headfirst toward the ground—they plummeted at terrifying speed.

A green chakra aura flared around Kazuki as they descended like a falling meteor.

Yamato's face turned pale.

At that moment, he felt the true weight of death looming over him.

"No—!"

His desperate roar was swallowed by the rushing wind.

But just as they were about to crash into the earth, Kazuki adjusted his momentum—twisting his body at the last moment.

Instead of slamming Yamato into the ground, he landed lightly, setting him down, still tightly bound.

"Captain Yamato—you've lost."

A faint smirk formed beneath Kazuki's mask. His voice was calm, controlled.

"Huff… Huff…"

Yamato lay on the ground, his breath ragged, his heart still pounding.

Relief washed over him.

He had never been so close to death.

Having personally experienced Kazuki's Front Lotus (Omote Renge), Yamato now fully understood the sheer terror of this technique.

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