Tobirama stared at Kazuku, eyes widening in shock!
Yes, he was shocked again!
Beyond shock, he felt utterly baffled!
As the God of Ninjutsu, there was no way he'd mistake Kazuku's current state.
Without a doubt, he was using the Eight Gates Technique!
But…
Why?
Why could Kazuku use the Eight Gates?!
Questions swirled in Tobirama's mind.
Kima knew nothing of the Eight Gates, so Kazuku couldn't have learned it during his two years away from the village.
And unlike chakra outbursts…
Which could be explained by innate talent…
The Eight Gates required rigorous training and study.
Even if—by some miracle—Kazuku was so prodigiously gifted he invented the Eight Gates himself…
He was seven!
A seven-year-old creating a forbidden technique like the Eight Gates?
Possible?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Yet here Kazuku was, undeniably opening the First Gate, Gate of Opening!
That aura, that state…
Tobirama couldn't mistake it!
He swallowed hard, staring at Kazuku in astonishment.
Only now did he grasp where Kazuku's confidence and courage came from.
It wasn't his status as Hashirama's grandson.
Nor was it pride or arrogance from mastering Senju monstrous strength at a young age!
Kazuku had a hidden trump card!
And that card was the Eight Gates Technique!
"But…" Tobirama's lips twitched, drawing a sharp breath. "Just the Gate of Opening to defeat Danzo? That's still a pipe dream."
"The Gate of Opening only removes brain limits, allowing 100% physical capacity, burning energy to boost strength and speed."
But seven-year-old Kazuku's base strength was maybe 5. With the Gate of Opening, it'd double to 10. Danzo, nearly an adult, had a base far exceeding 10.
Tobirama was floored by Kazuku's display but, after analysis, still doubted his chances.
However…
Tobirama wasn't the only one to see this—Kazuku knew it too.
From the start, he had no intention of beating Danzo with just the Gate of Opening!
"Second Gate, Gate of Healing—open!" Kazuku roared, unlocking the second restriction!
The Gate of Healing removed fatigue limits, overtaxing the body's energy to restore stamina, offsetting the exhaustion from the Gate of Opening.
In this match, Tobirama had banned Kazuku's chakra outbursts—his monstrous strength—deemed mismatched for his age.
But Tobirama never said he couldn't use that chakra for ninjutsu.
If Kazuku relied only on his own chakra, he couldn't sustain the Gate of Opening for ten seconds.
But by tapping a fraction of Hashirama's Chakra, he could adapt to this state.
This was…
The inherent advantage of tons of chakra!
"And now, Third Gate, Gate of Life—open!"
Veins bulged on Kazuku's forehead, neck, and arms. His strength and speed surged, his skin turned red, and a visible green aura radiated.
Notably, the Gate of Life was the Eight Gates' last safe zone.
It maximized the body's potential without causing harm.
The rewards from Kazuku's check-in gift pack were skills and the muscle memory to use them!
For example, he didn't just get the Eight Gates—he skipped the tedious learning process, instantly mastering its application.
But his physical strength remained that of a seven-year-old!
That's why, even after getting the Eight Gates, he continued basic training with Might Batsu.
His current body couldn't handle sustained combat in the Gate of Limit state.
"However…" Kazuku eyed Danzo, who looked utterly dumbfounded, and slightly bent his knees. "If I catch Danzo's opening, I can activate the Gate of Limit for a burst of power, then quickly disengage."
"My body should handle that tactic."
"And it means I have one shot."
Kazuku's mind wasn't truly seven—he was a transmigrator, one who'd watched Naruto.
He knew every named character's specialties and trump cards.
From the start, he had all of Danzo's intel.
Ninja battles were battles of information.
Kazuku not only knew Danzo's current abilities but his future!
Tobirama, watching Kazuku, felt his mind go blank, ears ringing.
He was shocked again!
Kazuku had opened the Eight Gates to the Third Gate?
This was beyond absurd!
Did he think unlocking bodily limits was like drinking water?
How could such a monster exist?!
Was this kid cheating?
Tobirama racked his brain but couldn't figure out how Kazuku learned the Eight Gates.
No matter how gifted, he couldn't deduce the later gates just from seeing Batsu open the first, right?
He was seven!
Exaggeration aside, Tobirama felt numb from all the shocks Kazuku had delivered.
"Lord… Lord Tobirama…" Batsu, sweating profusely, sidled up to him.
He needed an explanation.
"Lord Tobirama, you didn't tell me Young Master Kazuku knew the Eight Gates!"
"Opening the Fourth Gate causes bodily harm."
"Having him learn it at this age is reckless, isn't it?"
By Batsu's understanding, the ideal age to learn the Eight Gates was around fifteen.
By then, the body was nearly developed, and with basic training, it could handle the technique's strain.
But what Batsu didn't know…
Tobirama was far more baffled than him.
Why are you telling me this?
You think I taught Kazuku the Eight Gates?
I'm just as lost!
Who the hell knows how he learned it!
"But…" Before Tobirama could respond, Batsu shifted gears.
"Each gate's difficulty is exponentially harder than the last."
"It took me a year and a half just to go from Gate of Opening to Gate of Healing."
"If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't believe the ninja world had a taijutsu genius like Young Master Kazuku!"
"Truly worthy of… Lord Hashirama's grandson!"
(End of Chapter)