After breakfast, Might Guy felt a warmth spread through his body, as if he suddenly felt rejuvenated. However, Aoba Kawaki hadn't added much of the potion, so it didn't have any significant effect, and Guy didn't think much about it.
Next, the two began their training for the day.
As usual, Might Guy first guided Aoba Kawaki to sense the location of his Gate of Opening, the first of the Eight Gates, and warned him not to rush into activating it.
With Aoba's current physical condition, it was still too early to open any gates.
However, Aoba's next move nearly made Guy's jaw drop.
> "Eight Gates Formation, Gate of Opening — Open!"
A burst of chakra surged through Aoba's body as he successfully activated the first gate.
Having previously managed to open the Gate of Opening once, doing it again wasn't too difficult for him. Additionally, the strain from the first three gates was relatively low compared to the higher ones, so Aoba managed to open the first gate again without much difficulty.
> "Senior Guy, after I got home yesterday, I practiced following your guidance. I didn't expect it, but I seem to have a natural knack for this. I succeeded after just a few attempts."
Hearing that Aoba had opened the Gate of Opening so easily, Might Guy wasn't pleased or surprised. Instead, he grew anxious.
He hadn't forgotten the confidential mission Lord Hokage had entrusted him with. Teaching Aoba the Eight Gates was secondary — the primary task was to ensure Aoba didn't suffer any permanent damage.
Seeing Aoba open the gate unsupervised made Guy nervous.
After performing a series of checks and confirming that Aoba hadn't sustained any physical damage, Guy sighed in relief.
> "Aoba, don't do that again. Opening the Gate of Opening on your own is incredibly dangerous. Without proper control, you could end up permanently injuring your body."
Aoba gave a wry smile. He had actually used a trick to open the gate safely — something he couldn't explain to Guy, who still hadn't earned his complete trust.
Now that Guy had relaxed, he was quietly astounded by Aoba's talent.
Someone whom he had assumed wouldn't be able to access even the first gate for weeks had done so in less than a day — not by brute force, but with precision and control, without injury. It completely upended Guy's understanding of the Eight Gates.
> Maybe this is the difference between geniuses and a lifetime Genin like me, he thought.
Might Guy could only use this logic to console himself.
Now that Aoba had opened the Gate of Opening, Guy decided to proceed with teaching him the correct chakra pathway for the second gate — the Gate of Healing.
Fortunately, Aoba didn't defy expectations too much that day. He didn't attempt to open the second gate immediately, which reassured Guy. He chalked the first gate up to beginner's luck.
Even the most talented shinobi shouldn't be able to open the second gate so quickly without the proper physical conditioning — or so he thought.
The next day…
> "Eight Gates Formation, Gate of Healing — Open!"
With a roar, Aoba activated the second gate. Pale blue chakra flowed out from his body.
The Gate of Healing removes the body's limits on recovery, accelerating healing and replenishing stamina. The effect was similar to consuming a strong stamina potion.
However, after closing the gate, the previously unnoticed backlash began to emerge: soreness, fatigue, and aching muscles — even though Aoba hadn't engaged in any combat while the gate was open. Under Guy's horrified gaze, he had to shut it down immediately.
Another round of body checks later, Guy confirmed that Aoba was still unharmed, though he himself had broken into a cold sweat.
> "Aoba… you truly live up to Lord Hokage's evaluation. If you told me you'd master the Gate of Life tomorrow, I wouldn't even be surprised."
The third day…
> "Eight Gates Formation, Gate of Life — Open!"
> Aoba: "What a coincidence, Senior Minato."
Once the third gate is opened, the purpose of the Eight Gates Formation begins to shift — from merely controlling power to pushing the body to exceed its limits for bursts of speed and strength.
Uncontrolled chakra flared around Aoba's body, a visible sign of his rising internal pressure.
This time, Aoba sustained some minor injuries from the strain. Since Guy was watching, he didn't dare pull out his red potion and quickly deactivated the gate.
Guy was stunned — not with pride, but with disbelief. Aoba could sense it.
To witness a technique he had spent decades mastering be conquered by a boy the age of his son — one gate per day — was almost too much to handle.
Still, Guy was a man of unmatched willpower, one who could turn ridicule into fuel for growth. He quickly regained his composure and beamed.
> "This is the power of youth! Aoba, if even the Eight Gates Formation can't hold you back, then your future as a shinobi is limitless! Now, let us proceed to the fourth gate — the Gate of Pain."
Just like the previous day, Aoba didn't attempt to open the fourth gate in front of Guy. His performance was deliberately mediocre.
It wasn't until nightfall, back home alone, that Aoba began experimenting — this time, after drinking a full bottle of red potion.
However, no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't force open the Gate of Pain.
Eventually, Aoba pinpointed the problem: his chakra flow began to falter midway through the activation. The output wasn't enough.
He promptly switched from medium-sized potions to large red and blue chakra potions, stabilizing the chakra flow. With the energy now coursing steadily through his system, he finally breached the fourth gate.
The next day, Might Guy once again found himself dumbfounded — though, by now, he had grown used to the emotional rollercoaster.
And so, Aoba Kawaki naturally began learning the fifth gate — the Gate of Limit.
The Fifth Gate — Gate of Limit
The Fifth Gate, known as the Gate of Limit, is a crucial milestone in mastering the Eight Gates technique. Once this gate is opened, a ninja's speed can reach the speed of sound, and the air pressure generated from their movement alone is enough to crack the ground beneath them.
However, with such overwhelming power comes intense physical strain.
Kawaki Aoba could endure the stress from opening the first four gates, but once he unlocked the Fifth Gate, the Gate of Limit, his body demanded external aid. Without medicinal support, he would collapse within minutes. Fortunately, the chakra overflowing from opening the Fifth Gate closely resembled the effects of chakra leakage after consuming a blue potion. This coincidence allowed him to avoid suspicion from Might Guy.
Yet the Fifth Gate marked his current limit. No matter how hard he tried, Aoba was unable to open the Sixth Gate—the Gate of View.
This time, the issue wasn't insufficient chakra. With his chakra regenerating at a rate of one "card" per second, he should theoretically have been able to open even the final gate—the Gate of Death. But despite his efforts, the Sixth Gate remained locked.
Unwilling to give up, Aoba consulted Might Guy, who gave a sobering answer.
Guy explained that after opening the Fifth Gate, the body's potential might be fully tapped out. Without increasing one's baseline strength, progressing further was impossible. Guy himself had faced the same hurdle and advised Aoba that the only path forward was to continue improving his body in its natural state.
Once his physical foundation grew strong enough, he would naturally be able to unlock the Gate of View, and possibly even the Seventh Gate—the Gate of Wonder.
This answer left Aoba frustrated. Even with his "cheat"—his hidden enhancements—he couldn't bypass the grind of physical training.
Worse, he realized he wouldn't be able to acquire the full Eight Gates technique anytime soon. Might Guy had made it clear: only those capable of opening the Gate of Wonder were qualified to learn the final stages. If he wanted Guy to fully pass on the technique, Aoba would have to prove his worth.
He mentally braced himself for the long road ahead.
But it wasn't all bad news.
That same week, Yuhi Kurenai summoned him. At the Yuhi residence, he was surprised to find Sarutobi Asuma waiting for him.
"Come, Aoba, check out what I brought you!" Asuma grinned.
Aoba's eyes flicked toward the large sack behind Asuma. A brief scan with his chakra-sensing abilities confirmed his guess—it was filled with soldier pills, just as he'd requested.
"With this many soldier pills, you really came through, Asuma."
"Tch. Boring. I was planning to surprise you," Asuma grumbled.
"A surprise, huh? Well, I've got one for you too." Aoba turned to Kurenai. "Kurenai-sensei, have you heard of the Eight Gates?"
"The Eight Gates? Wasn't that developed by the Second Hokage?" Kurenai furrowed her brows in thought.
"Right. I've been training in the Eight Gates recently, and the results are substantial. With it, I'm confident I can go toe-to-toe with an elite jonin."
Kurenai and Asuma were stunned. They knew Aoba wasn't one to exaggerate. If he said he could handle an elite jonin, then he meant it.
Just a month ago, they had been equals—teammates. But since Aoba had willingly blinded himself in a mysterious ritual, his strength had soared to unthinkable levels.
Kurenai's expression darkened. Whether from concern or jealousy, it was hard to say.
Ignoring the tension, Aoba said, "The Eight Gates technique is the most effective way to boost strength in a short period. I have a bold proposal—what if everyone on our team trains in it?"
Kurenai coughed. "Aoba, training in the Eight Gates takes a tremendous amount of time and effort."
"What if I told you I have a method to help us all unlock the first few gates quickly? With even a partial grasp, our weakest members could reach elite chunin level."
A heavy silence fell across the room.
Eventually, Kurenai raised her hand cautiously. "Uh… isn't the Eight Gates considered a village secret? It shouldn't be shared freely…"
She paused, then added, "That said, it's not classified like S-rank forbidden jutsu. With my accumulated merit, I should be able to request a few licenses."
"But Aoba—are you sure we can really learn it?"
Aoba nodded. "There's a high probability. Still, regardless of success, this has to remain a secret—within our team."
"Right," Asuma added. "This is our team's secret. Even if my old man—Hiruzen—pressures me, I won't spill."
Aoba believed him. Asuma's rebellious streak and history of keeping secrets were well known. And besides, Aoba's current strength left him unconcerned about the risks of exposure.
The next morning, Kurenai used her village merit to officially apply for Eight Gates training licenses for three members. Unsurprisingly, the Third Hokage heard about it.
"The entire team is learning the Eight Gates?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen massaged his temples. "Strange things happen every year, but this year is especially weird…"
He was especially puzzled by Kurenai's participation. She was a genjutsu specialist, and the chakra output from the Eight Gates rendered such precision-based ninjutsu nearly unusable. Why would a genjutsu ninja pursue such a brute-force style?
Still, Hiruzen had bigger concerns. Border tensions with the Sand Village were escalating rapidly. He had no time to scrutinize this situation deeply.
With a wave of his hand, he amended Might Guy's long-term B-rank assignment from a solo mentorship to a team-wide mission: teaching the Eight Gates to Aoba's entire squad.
Ironically, this created a dilemma for Aoba.
He had originally intended for the team to study the technique primarily to extract the full inheritance from Guy. But now, things had escalated into something much bigger.
All he could do was put his faith in Kurenai. Of all of them, she had the best shot at earning Guy's full transmission of the Eight Gates.
With the help of red and blue potions, Kurenai should be able to advance quickly—possibly reaching the Seventh Gate, the Gate of Wonder.
But Aoba didn't expect what happened next.
A few days later, another obstacle appeared.
"What? Kurenai-sensei, you said the Eight Gates clashes with the Chakra Cloak?" Aoba blinked in disbelief.
Kurenai sighed. "Yes. I tried activating the Chakra Cloak while accessing the Eight Gates. The result was… unstable. The energies repel each other."
Aoba frowned. Another hurdle.
The path of the Eight Gates was turning out to be far more complex than he had anticipated.
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