Romance and Ninjas: In Naruto With Infinite Skill Points!

The village was quiet and peaceful in the early morning, with only a handful of people awake at 6 AM. Mostly merchants preparing their stalls, farmers heading out to the fields, and the occasional shinobi on duty.

However, the calm serenity was suddenly shattered—

By a blur of green and blue!

"Damn!"

"What was that?!"

Villagers froze mid-step, their jaws hanging open as two figures zipped past them—running on their hands.

A cloud of dust erupted in their wake, sending several people into coughing fits.

More confused than anything, one old man squinted at the disappearing streak of movement.

"What in the name of the Sage of Six Paths…?"

Meanwhile, a shopkeeper rubbing his sleepy eyes blinked rapidly, trying to confirm if he was still dreaming.

But by the time anyone could fully process what they had just seen, the two boys were already gone.

The two streaks of green and blue tore through the village, upside down, their hands pounding against the dirt roads as they raced forward at ridiculous speeds.

"Yuuki! The flames of Youth burn brightest when challenged! Let's take this race to the next level!"

Before Yuuki could respond, Duy flipped mid-air, soaring over a fruit cart before landing seamlessly back on his hands.

"What?!"

Yuuki barely had time to think—he pushed off hard, twisting just in time to clear the cart.

They vaulted over barrels, dodged lanterns and pedestrians, and then—Duy kicked off a wall, landing on a rooftop without breaking stride.

Yuuki followed, but as he leaped, he felt it—something off in his trajectory.

"Tch!"

His hands wouldn't reach the rooftop in time—

Byakugan!

Veins bulged at the sides of his eyes, the world expanding as he instinctively adjusted, twisting mid-air before landing just right.

Duy, completely unaware of the near-miss, only laughed.

"Amazing! Your Youth shines brighter with every moment!"

Yuuki exhaled, shutting off his Byakugan as they continued racing—leaping from street to roof, roof to street—unstoppable, untamed, and completely lost in the thrill.

Without noticing, the two boys flashed past a girl with bright red hair cascading down her shoulders.

This beautiful girl, with gem-like blue eyes and a fair, delicate face, turned in confusion toward their direction.

"Was that… Yuuki?" she muttered to herself, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

She had no idea what kind of insanity he had gotten himself into this time, but knowing him, it was probably something ridiculous.

Still, she had far more pressing concerns today.

Shaking her head, she turned toward the gates of the Senju Clan compound, her heart beating fast—not from excitement, but from deep, creeping anxiety.

Today, she would finally meet the woman who determined her fate.

The Uzumaki princess who had personally chosen her to leave her clan, her home, her people.

Why?

She still hadn't been told.

Her hands clenched into small fists at her sides, her breath shallow.

What if she had no choice in what came next?

Shaking her head, she slapped her cheeks twice, trying to steady herself, to bury the fear crawling up her spine.

Then, with hesitant steps, Kushina walked in.

....

After a long stretch filled with twists, jumps, and obstacles, the two finally cleared the village, racing onto the road leading up to Hokage Mountain.

By now, Yuuki was drenched in sweat, his arms burning, his breathing ragged and uneven.

This… was brutal.

Hyuga training focused on precision, balance, and efficiency, but Duy's method—this insane, relentless pace—was something else entirely. It pushed the body to its absolute limits, demanding stamina, endurance, and sheer force of will.

No wonder he and his descendants became masters of the Eight Gates Technique.

And yet—

Glancing ahead, Duy still moved effortlessly, his movements smooth and overflowing with boundless energy.

Was there no limit to his stamina?!

Inevitably, Yuuki lost the competition.

By the time they reached the summit, his arms were trembling, his lungs burned, and the moment his hands hit solid ground, he collapsed onto his back, completely spent.

Even as Duy threw his fists into the air in victory, Yuuki could do nothing but lie there, staring at the sky, trying to catch his breath.

"Haha! This is the power of YOUTH, Yuuki!" Duy declared, his voice still booming with energy. "You have to train more—otherwise, your Youth won't be able to shine as bright as mine!"

Yuuki grunted in response, too exhausted to argue.

After a moment, Duy finally sat down, and the two rested in companionable silence, the morning breeze cooling their sweat-covered bodies as they gazed down at the village below.

...

Since meeting Duy that day, Yuuki quickly got to know him better, and before long, the two had become close friends, bonded by their shared enthusiasm for training.

It turned out that Duy had been a Genin for almost seven years now.

Due to the tensions with other villages, many children were forced into the ranks early, often before even starting proper training.

And Duy, who couldn't perform Ninjutsu, had been made a Genin at the age of four, just like that.

When Yuuki heard this, his mind immediately flashed to the discussions he'd once heard about Kakashi being the youngest Genin.

Curious, he asked Duy about it—wasn't he actually the youngest?

Duy laughed heartily, his signature radiant grin never faltering.

"Haha! About that—" he scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "We were exceptions and actually don't count as the youngest Genin promoted. Technically speaking, we were just filling vacancies. For a long time, I was just carrying things back and forth and wasn't considered a real ninja."

Yuuki sighed, feeling a bit of pity for Duy.

To think that someone could be thrown into the ranks so young only to end up as logistics personnel—his so-called "feat" of becoming a Genin at four was practically meaningless.

Still, they continued talking, and eventually, the conversation shifted to something Yuuki had been curious about for a while.

"How do you plan to surpass the Hokage exactly?"

"Haa… this…" Duy let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"You see, my father was among the first 36 Genin to graduate from the Ninja Academy. Most of them joined the war immediately, but my father and nine others were chosen by Lord Nidaime to participate in one of his experiments."

Yuuki's eyes narrowed slightly. "An experiment?"

Duy nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Lord Nidaime used knowledge about the Tenketsu points, acquired from the Hyuga Clan, to create a powerful Taijutsu—one that could give people strength comparable to Kages in a short amount of time!"

His eyes gleamed with passion as he spoke.

"Can you imagine it, Yuuki? Dozens—maybe even hundreds—of shinobi on the battlefield, each with the strength of a Kage?"

Yuuki stiffened, his mind racing. That… sounded terrifying.

But before he could dwell on it, Duy shook his head, his tone turning somber.

"But… it didn't work."

Yuuki frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Duy sighed.

"The Eight Gates were too taxing on the body. Almost no one could use them, and even for those like my father who could… they struggled to open more than a single gate without tearing their muscles apart."

Yuuki fell silent, digesting the weight of that statement.

"But my father never gave up on it." Duy's voice brightened with determination. "He worked tirelessly, improving it little by little. And now, I am doing the same!"

Yuuki exhaled slowly, his interest piqued.

"But how do you improve something like that?" he asked, furrowing his brows. "As far as I know, Duy, you don't strike me as the type to study medicine."

Duy let out a boisterous laugh, full of unshaken confidence.

"Indeed! I could never create something like Nidaime-sama did!" He grinned, lifting his hand toward the sky, clenching his fist in front of the sun.

"But remember what I told you about the results of the experiment? The reason they couldn't use it was because their bodies couldn't withstand it."

Yuuki nodded slowly, following his logic.

"Since that's the case, wouldn't a stronger body work better?"

That… actually made sense.

"My father thought the same." Duy's voice grew firm with conviction. "So from that day on, he developed a training routine aimed at pushing the body to its absolute limits!"

Yuuki's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing a shift in Duy's tone.

"Alas… my father pushed himself too hard."

For the first time since Yuuki met him, Duy's usually bright demeanor dimmed.

"He ended up with serious internal wounds that cut his youth short…"

Yuuki's stomach tightened at those words.

"With only the second gate reached… he died on a mission as a Chunin."

Duy lowered his head slightly, his fists trembling. His eyes glistened, but he refused to let the tears fall.

Even in his grief, he still held on to the unyielding will of Youth.

"Using my father's experience, I have improved the training routine and considered another aspect my father didn't." Duy's voice swelled with confidence, his sorrow pushed aside by determination.

"My father was already in his twenties when he started pushing his body—but I'm much younger! My Youth shines brighter, so the results in the long term will definitely be better!"

He suddenly threw a fist into the air, his eyes blazing with unshakable passion.

"Hahaha! I carry my father's Youth with me, Yuuki, and we will definitely succeed!"

Yuuki stared at him for a long moment, absorbing the sheer force of his conviction.

This guy…

Even after losing his father, after knowing the risk… he still pressed forward, undeterred.

Yuuki couldn't help but feel a little inspired.

Remembering his own pain, the death of his father, the abuse from the main clan after revealing his true goal, Yuuki's fists clenched.

Unbidden, tears slid down his face, hot with emotion.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Duy's hand, his grip strong and unwavering.

With a loud, confident voice, he declared:

"Duy! Your father was truly amazing! And so are you! Hearing your story, I've decided—let's work together and improve the Eight Gates!"

Duy's eyes widened, filled with a mix of happiness and confusion.

Yuuki grinned, his voice burning with conviction.

"Didn't you say that Nidaime-sama needed the knowledge of my Hyuga Clan to create this technique?"

Before Duy could respond, Yuuki's eyes suddenly turned white—bulging veins spreading around them like lightning.

Duy stared in awe.

"With my Byakugan, I can directly see the chakra pathway system inside your body." Yuuki's voice was steady and assured. "I also have some knowledge of physical training that can definitely improve the routine you told me about!"

His grip on Duy's hand tightened, his excitement undeniable.

"Come on! Let's push the Eight Gates to their full potential! What do you say?!"

For a moment, Duy just stared.

Then—

Tears erupted from his eyes like waterfalls.

"Ahaaaa! Yuuki! Your Youth burns so brightly! I—I am truly moved!"

With dramatic flair, he clasped Yuuki's hand with both of his own, his entire body shaking with emotion.

"Together, we will forge a new path of Youth!"

Yuuki couldn't help but smile, his own resolve hardening.

This was the first step toward something truly great.

Over the following months, Yuuki and Duy brainstormed relentlessly. Yuuki shared everything he could recall, from theories on how the body grows, the concept of muscle fibers tearing and healing, to ideas about weighted clothing and even the effects of gravity on training. They discussed how calisthenics could improve strength without relying on external resistance and debated whether the difficulty of opening the Gates might also be related to the way chakra was mobilized and the path it took during the activation of the Eight Gates. If chakra control played a role, could refining it facilitate the process?

Their discussions stretched on for over five months, refining ideas, testing small adjustments, and ensuring they accounted for everything in their attempt to improve both the training and the technique itself.

Meanwhile, Yuuki took a more direct step toward his goal. If he could learn medical ninjutsu, he might be able to enhance their physical training by incorporating Yang Release, accelerating muscle recovery and strengthening their bodies beyond natural limits. With this in mind, he wrote a formal request to the Hokage, asking for permission to study medical ninjutsu.

Due to various restrictions, medical knowledge wasn't systematically taught; applicants had to undergo a selection process before receiving training. As of now, only the Senju and Akimichi clans had true experts in the field, making access to this knowledge difficult for outsiders. However, if he could get approval, it would be another key step toward pushing the Eight Gates training to its full potential.

What Yuuki didn't know was that the moment his request reached the Hokage's desk, Sandaime laughed as if he had just heard the best joke in the world. Standing in his office, he even had the heart to smile while Danzo stormed out, so furious he nearly tore the door from its hinges.

With an amused sigh, Hiruzen made a note to charge Danzo for door repairs, then walked to the window, gazing out at the horizon with a contemplative expression.

"Teacher, can you see it from heaven? Your student is truly blessed with luck. Even without me trying, the kid came asking for my help. Ahh… why can't everything be this easy?"

Turning away from the view, he called out. "Bird!"

A masked shinobi appeared in an instant, kneeling before him. "Sandaime-sama!"

"Tell Tsunade to visit my office. Wasn't she complaining about wanting more people to learn medical ninjutsu? Tell her I'm giving her a chance."

"Yes!" Bowing, Bird vanished as swiftly as he had arrived.