Chapter 136 — Eight Gates Begins Teaching
Not long after Shisui returned home, an unexpected guest arrived.
"Clan Head-sama," Shisui greeted respectfully upon seeing Uchiha Fugaku.
"There's no need to be so formal—just call me Uncle. I once fought alongside your father," Fugaku said with a faint smile.
"Understood, Uncle Fugaku," Shisui nodded.
"Is there something you need from me today?" he asked. It was hard to imagine the head of the Uchiha Clan visiting him without a reason—especially since they weren't directly related.
"Nothing urgent. It's simply time for the clan to hand out rewards to our outstanding members," Fugaku said casually. "I happened to have some free time, so I brought yours over and decided to take the opportunity to see our Uchiha genius."
"Thank you for the trouble," Shisui replied gratefully.
The so-called rewards didn't matter much to him. Though he had no parents or grandparents, he wasn't short on money—his parents had left him a generous inheritance, enough to live comfortably even if he never became a ninja.
"Hahaha, no trouble at all—it's not far," Fugaku chuckled.
Then, his tone shifted. "Shisui, do you have any plans for the future?"
He set down the items he'd brought and continued, "I've heard you already have the strength to defeat a graduating genin. Have you considered graduating early? The academy's curriculum probably isn't teaching you much anymore. If you graduate now, I can make an exception and place you directly into the Police Force. You'd be able to learn from our clan's jōnin."
Normally, fresh genin couldn't join departments like the Police Force immediately—they had to first serve under a jōnin-sensei for a period. But as clan head, Fugaku believed he could get the Third Hokage's approval.
Shisui, however, had already discussed early graduation with Mugetsu and found his teacher's advice sound. Besides, he didn't think any Uchiha jōnin could surpass Mugetsu in skill or teaching ability.
Still, since this was the clan head speaking, he didn't want to reject him too abruptly. After a brief pause, he politely declined.
"Uncle Fugaku, I feel I'm still some distance from being a fully capable shinobi in all aspects, so I don't plan to graduate early for now."
"Hm… that's fine as well. I didn't expect you to be so steady-minded at such a young age. You'll go far, Shisui," Fugaku said, showing no displeasure.
He then asked, "Are you still on good terms with Uchiha Obito? I've heard he's made great progress recently and was recognized as an outstanding member of the clan."
"Yes," Shisui replied simply. Mugetsu had told them not to reveal he was their teacher, but there was no need to act like strangers.
"What's your opinion of Obito?" Fugaku asked.
"He's an excellent Uchiha and works very hard," Shisui answered plainly.
"You two should interact more. The future of the clan will rest on people like you," Fugaku said with a smile and a nod.
When he left, Shisui walked him to the door.
"The Konoha Police Force, huh…" Shisui shook his head once Fugaku was gone. The offer held no appeal for him whatsoever.
---
"Dad, I'm home." Might Guy's injuries weren't serious, and after receiving medical ninjutsu treatment, he returned home quickly.
"Guy, how was the exam? Did you unleash your youth to the fullest?" Maito Dai asked enthusiastically.
"I lost to Obito today. I got second place in the grade this time," Guy admitted. "But Obito was really strong. Even though I gave it my all, I still couldn't win."
Slap!
Dai clapped his hands heavily onto his son's shoulders, tears welling in his eyes. "Guy, as long as you burn your youth to the fullest, even defeat isn't shameful! And second place is good—it means you'll have rivals to challenge in the future."
"I'm not discouraged. That was a fair loss," Guy said, giving a thumbs-up. "And I've still won more matches against Obito overall."
Their fight today had come down to a narrow gap in strength, and Guy knew he could close it with time.
"That's the spirit of youth, Guy! I'm proud of you," Dai said, beaming as he pulled him into a hug.
"After burning your youth, you must also refuel your body. I've already prepared dinner—come, eat!" Dai set the food in front of him.
Just as Guy was about to take his first bite, a knock came at the door.
"Someone's knocking? That's rare! Could it be a client?" Dai wondered aloud, heading to answer.
"No way… who'd hire a genin for a mission?" Guy muttered.
"Haha! Don't be so sure. I am a cat-finding expert personally recognized by Hokage-sama!" Dai laughed.
Opening the door, Dai was greeted by two unfamiliar shinobi.
"Who is it?" Guy called, peeking out—and his expression darkened. He didn't know their names, but he hadn't forgotten their faces. They were the two chunin who had mocked his father not long ago, and whom he had chased down and beaten.
Are they here for revenge?
Abandoning his chopsticks, Guy strode to his father's side. "What do you want?" he demanded, watching them closely.
"Guy, you know them?" Dai asked, confused.
The tall chunin and the slightly plump one stepped forward together. Guy immediately adjusted his breathing, preparing to move without damaging the house.
But then something unexpected happened.
The two bowed deeply in unison. "We're sorry!"
Guy froze mid-motion, lowering the leg he'd been ready to launch and returning to normal breathing.
"Guy, what's going on? Why are they apologizing?" Dai asked in bewilderment.
"We shouldn't have mocked you for being a perpetual genin," the plump chunin said sincerely. "As fellow Konoha shinobi, we should respect each other."
"And I also shouldn't have attacked an academy student," the tall one added.
When Guy had left them unconscious, they'd initially felt no guilt—only indignation. But later, after cooling down, they had to admit the truth: the strength Guy displayed was extraordinary. Even without ninjutsu, ninja tools, or underhanded tactics, he had cleanly defeated them—two full-fledged chunin.
Even if they had underestimated Guy and held back their full strength, the fact remained—they were Chunin, not newly graduated Genin.
After asking around about Guy's recent feats, they realized the rumors of him being a "dead last" were hopelessly outdated. The current Guy had long since turned the tables and was now the top student in the Academy.
After some discussion, the two decided to visit Guy's home and apologize. With his current strength, it was only a matter of time before Guy could defeat them with ease. While Konoha Ninja weren't allowed to kill each other, giving someone a quiet beating in the shadows wasn't exactly unheard of. In their minds, there was no point in making an enemy of someone who was clearly going to grow stronger.
"These are for our apology—please accept them," the tall Ninja said, handing over a bundle of tonics and a large bag of fresh vegetables.
"And this is for your hospital fees," the plump Ninja added, pulling out a wad of banknotes.
Dai glanced at Guy, letting him decide since he wasn't fully aware of the situation.
"We'll take the tonics and vegetables, but the money… no. I wasn't injured and never went to the hospital," Guy said firmly, accepting the food but refusing the cash.
For Guy, the insult to his father had already been repaid with his fists. The gifts were enough to settle the score—but money, especially money his father would never accept, was out of the question.
"Just take it. It's only twenty thousand ryō," the tall Ninja urged.
"Correcting your mistakes is also part of youth," Dai said with a smile, "but the money should go back with you."
Seeing their resolve, the two had no choice but to take the cash back. A faint respect began to grow in their hearts for the father and son—clearly not wealthy, yet unwilling to take a single coin they hadn't earned.
Later, over dinner, Guy told Dai everything that had happened.
"If people talk behind your back, it just means your life is more exciting than theirs," Dai said seriously. "Sarcasm is praise. Gossip is applause for your brilliance. They're only singing a victory song for you—because I don't live to please them."
Guy stayed quiet. While he could brush off insults aimed at him, hearing his father belittled was something he would never accept.
"But to hold your own against official Ninja… that's youth in full bloom!" Dai grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. "You've grown enough. It's time I passed something on to you."
"What 'something'?" Guy asked, puzzled.
"You'll find out tonight," Dai replied.
That night, Dai led Guy to his training grounds, his expression unusually serious.
"What I'm about to teach you is no ordinary taijutsu," Dai began. "It's one of the Forbidden Jutsu—the Eight Gates."
"Forbidden Jutsu?!" Guy's eyes widened.
Mugetsu had once explained that their Breathing Technique could be considered a secret art, even a forbidden technique. Guy knew how powerful it was—though he hadn't fully mastered it yet, it had already boosted his strength and training speed. The thought that his father had a taijutsu art on par with Rock Breathing was shocking.
"That's right. It took me twenty years to master the Eight Gates. It's the only taijutsu I can truly teach you," Dai said.
"Gate of Opening—open! Gate of Life—open! … Gate of View—open!"
In a single breath, Dai flung open six gates. His chakra roared to life, a dense green aura engulfing his entire body. The burst of power flattened the grass and sent the surrounding leaves into a wild rustle.
"So strong…!" Guy stared in awe, overwhelmed by the pressure radiating from his father.
"This jutsu is powerful… but dangerous," Dai warned. "That's why I'm only teaching it to you now."
That night, Guy lay awake, replaying the scene over and over. He had always admired his father, but never thought of him as truly strong. Earlier that day, when the two Ninja had appeared at their door, he had instinctively stepped forward to protect him. Now he had seen the truth—his "Genin" father could unleash terrifying strength.
He was proud… and excited. But also worried. After studying the Eight Gates, he realized it was every bit as difficult as the Forbidden Jutsu Mugetsu had taught him. If he tried to train both, would his progress with Rock Breathing slow down and disappoint his teacher?
The next morning, Guy went straight to Mugetsu.
"Teacher, I'm sorry. My progress with the Breathing Technique might slow down from now on," he admitted.
"Not necessarily," Mugetsu said with a smile. "The collision of two Forbidden Jutsu might actually produce something greater. The Eight Gates demands a strong body—and Rock Breathing is the best body training there is."
He added casually, "Besides, I know a little about the Eight Gates myself. If you ever get stuck during training, you can ask me."
"You know the Eight Gates too?!" Guy's jaw dropped. Mugetsu wasn't even twenty, yet he had already mastered several forbidden techniques.
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