With a loud bang, Kazuki's body transformed into a withered log and plummeted from the air.
Substitution Jutsu!
Yamato seemed unfazed, as if he had anticipated this. His expression remained calm as he channeled chakra once more, commanding the four wooden tendrils to lash out toward Kazuki's position.
Whoosh!
The wooden vines stabbed at Kazuki again, but Yamato shook his head slightly.
"A clone technique, huh?"
With another loud bang, Kazuki's shadow clone dispersed into nothingness.
A slight smirk played at the corner of Yamato's lips as he glanced toward the sky and exhaled lightly. Without hesitation, he poured even more chakra into the surrounding trees, feeding them like an unyielding force of nature.
In response, ten thick wooden tendrils surged from the ground, each as thick as a man's wrist, spreading in all directions and sealing off every possible escape route. They twisted and coiled toward Kazuki, converging from multiple angles.
"This time, you won't escape."
The vines shot forward with incredible speed.
Whoosh!
Kazuki's wrists, ankles, thighs, and arms were ensnared in an instant. The tendrils, moving with precision and force, tightened around his limbs, binding him completely.
Then, with a sudden contraction, the vines pulled him toward a massive tree trunk. In mere moments, the wooden tendrils fused with the bark, embedding Kazuki's entire body into the massive tree itself, completely immobilizing him.
Yamato let out a breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Hah… finally, I've restrained him."
He was well aware—anyone caught in his Mokuton: Jubaku Eisō (Wood Release: Binding Nest) would find it nearly impossible to break free. Even a Kage-level shinobi would struggle against its relentless hold.
The true terror of Mokuton wasn't just its ability to bind, but the way it continuously drained chakra from its victims, sapping their strength until there was nothing left. The bound target would, in turn, become sustenance for the very tree restraining them.
Though Yamato's mastery over Wood Release couldn't compare to the First Hokage's legendary strength, this was still an ultimate-level jutsu, worthy of an elite Jōnin.
"Kazuki, surrender. Five minutes have already passed. If you surrender now, you'll still pass this test."
Yamato called out from a distance, his tone firm but fair.
As promised, he had avoided causing any real harm to Kazuki. Still, the younger shinobi's display of skill had already earned the respect of those watching.
"Oh? Surrender?"
Kazuki's voice was calm, completely devoid of fear. Though his body was tightly bound against the trunk, his expression remained composed, even amused.
He didn't struggle. He didn't resist.
Instead, he stood there, exuding an aura of quiet confidence—like a sovereign ruler gazing down at his subjects.
Then, he let out a bold, resounding laugh.
"In my dictionary, the word 'surrender' does not exist! Hahaha!"
His voice echoed through the clearing.
The sheer defiance in his laughter, his unwavering will even in the face of capture, made several ANBU watching from the shadows regard him with newfound respect.
Yamato narrowed his eyes.
"It seems I have no choice but to make you suffer a little."
His grip tightened, and the wooden restraints constricted violently.
The tree's parasitic nature kicked in, greedily draining Kazuki's chakra. Yamato wanted to see—if all his chakra was siphoned away, would he still refuse to submit?
But then—
A smirk curled at the edges of Kazuki's lips.
He lifted his gaze toward Yamato and spoke, his voice carrying an air of amusement.
"Captain Yamato… haven't you noticed something strange yet?"
Yamato was stunned for a moment.
Immediately, he sensed that something was wrong.
Wait—wait a minute!
His eyes widened in shock, an expression of disbelief surfacing on his face.
The massive wooden trunks and vines he had conjured to restrain his opponent—rather than draining chakra from Kazuki—were instead siphoning chakra from his own body!
And at an alarming rate.
It was even faster than when he used Wood Release techniques normally.
What's going on?!
Horror spread across Yamato's face. He looked at the young man standing in the distance as if he were staring at a monster. His voice trembled as he demanded:
"You… how did you do this?!"
Kazuki simply smiled but said nothing.
How did he do it?
In truth, he had done nothing at all.
His system had long issued a quest to collect Wood Release chakra, but he had never found the right opportunity to complete it—until now.
All he needed was to come into contact with the trees created by Yamato's chakra, and the system would automatically absorb it, siphoning away Yamato's energy and making it his own.
Everything that had happened was within Kazuki's calculations.
From the very start, Yamato had walked right into his trap.
Kazuki hadn't been truly restrained by Yamato's wooden bindings—he had merely been waiting for the best moment to let his system extract the chakra.
Yamato had been deceived!
Ding!
[Quest Completed: Collect Wood Release Chakra]
[Reward: Chakra Crystal Stone Forging Blueprint]
The system's notification echoed in Kazuki's mind.
His eyes gleamed with excitement, and a smirk formed at the corner of his lips.
"Finally… I can fight you seriously."
Yamato remained frozen in shock.
And then, he witnessed something even more terrifying.
"Eight Gates Released Formation—Gate of Opening… Open!"
"Gate of Healing… Open!"
"Gate of Life… Open!"
Three successive roars erupted.
A violent green chakra surged from Kazuki's body, flooding the area with an overwhelming aura.
Energy radiated from his form like an unstoppable tide. His long black hair billowed wildly under the sheer force of the chakra storm.
In the original events of the Naruto world, when Might Guy and Rock Lee opened the third gate, their capillaries ruptured, their skin turned red from the intense blood flow, and their bodies bore the strain of the technique.
But Kazuki?
Even with the third gate open, his skin remained unblemished, his complexion untouched.
Apart from the sheer power boost and the immense surge of chakra, he showed no adverse effects whatsoever.
This was the result of his years of forging an indomitable physique.
For him, opening the first three gates of the Eight Gates was as natural as breathing.
Even Might Guy himself had never attained such mastery.
This refinement of the Eight Gates technique was one of Guy's greatest sources of pride.
And the moment Kazuki unleashed it—
The entire Anbu headquarters erupted into chaos.
"Oh my God… that's Lord Guy's ultimate technique! This kid can use the Eight Gates?!"
"T-this is insane! Isn't he only twelve years old? How could he possibly learn a technique this dangerous?!"
"That's an S-rank forbidden jutsu! How the hell did a kid master it?!"
Kakashi—one of the few in Konoha who truly understood the Eight Gates' devastating power—felt a deep chill run down his spine.
His eyes remained locked on Kazuki, struggling to believe what he was witnessing.
He had fought Guy countless times and was well-acquainted with the monstrous strength the technique granted.
But this…?
This was something else entirely.
Did Guy seriously teach this technique to a mere child?
Had he lost his mind?
Even among the elite, the Eight Gates came at a severe cost to the user's body.
And yet, Kazuki wielded it without hesitation.
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