Chapter 344: People Might Think the Cloud Can't Afford It
After experiencing two Great Ninja Wars, Kumogakure, or rather the Cloud-Thunder Federation, had accumulated a massive foundation.
Especially after swallowing Konoha, the treasures in their hands were like a geyser erupting.
What was even rarer was that for years, the Cloud had maintained an open attitude toward ninjutsu inheritance. The Third Raikage didn't plan to hide these newly acquired things, using them as bargaining chips to squeeze out like toothpaste for the village, unlike other villages where only the Kage and their disciples could learn the true secrets.
The Third Raikage planned a collective ascension.
After gathering a small group of the most powerful and talented people in the village, the "Thunder Roar Super Lariat Hot Sun Chiyo Plan" emerged.
The plan formulated the most suitable promotion path for each talent and conducted concentrated training.
For example, for Yotsuki Dana and the Third Raikage, the Eight Inner Gates seized from Konoha were naturally something to try. Both were Taijutsu-type ninja, so theoretically they could master this wondrous art. Although it was unknown how many gates they could open, even opening one or two would provide a significant boost.
Similarly, for others besides Dana, they needed to try and see if they could learn Sage Mode. This idea had existed for a long time, but a few years ago, Dana himself only "knew the how but not the why." As Dana's mastery of Sage Mode deepened, this idea became feasible.
Of course, this also depended on talent.
In short, the plan customized exclusive programs for everyone. For example, Nagato needed to learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, and Konan needed to learn the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Technique.
But every advanced technique required both talent and luck to learn; there might be cases where destiny didn't align.
Of course, having a corresponding teacher increased the success rate.
A rainbow light landed, and a man in a green jumpsuit stepped out of the delivery pod nervously.
Before he could look around, someone shouted nearby:
"Hey you! Pull the sealing handle!"
Might Duy flusteredly returned to the pod, pulled the sealing lever, and the entire pod turned into a scroll.
Handing the scroll to the staff, Duy began to look around in amazement at the space he was in. He had never seen architecture of this style.
Following the signs to "Arrivals," he saw Might Guy holding a sign.
"Dad! Over here!"
Guy and Duy shared a tearful embrace of youth, then Guy said, "The Consul and the Grand General are already waiting for you at the training ground! Let's go quickly!"
Duy was stunned. So urgent? I just arrived in Cloud City, and I'm still confused.
"The Consul and Grand General are very busy. The Consul farms in the morning, goes to the research institute in the afternoon, and works overtime at night. He specifically made time for today."
"Eh? Farming?"
Ignoring the marvels of Cloud City's prosperity and the Cloud Spire's grandeur, Duy was rushed to Training Ground 1.
Sure enough, quite a few people had gathered.
Duy froze. Why are there so many people?!!
There were people he recognized and people he didn't, but many had extraordinary auras.
He was told to come to Cloud City to teach the cultivation insights of the Eight Inner Gates. He thought there would be only one or two people, but there were over a dozen!
This was almost catching up to a Ninja Academy class!
When Duy saw one figure, he was completely shocked.
"Se... Second Hokage-sama! Why are you here?! Are you training in the Eight Inner Gates too???"
A dead person training in the Eight Inner Gates? Isn't that weird?
Tobirama Senju maintained his "I'm cool even when dead" expression, crossing his arms and leaning against a large tree. "Just experimenting. Don't mind me..."
Besides him, the broad-backed Third Raikage, the towering Yotsuki Dana, and the half-black, half-white haired Blue Bee were all people Duy recognized as renowned powerhouses.
There were more he didn't recognize. He also saw a bald man in a white coat in the crowd, looking more like a researcher than a ninja.
The Third Raikage greeted him. "Might Duy, right? Sorry to trouble you. Everyone has read the basics; you can start directly."
After hesitating for a moment, Duy adjusted his mindset and prepared to start the class. The Third Raikage and Dana gathered everyone around.
They were all ninja, so there was no need for formalities. They simply sat on the ground. Tobirama even thoughtfully used Earth Release to create a "blackboard" for Duy.
Duy coughed twice and began, "Then, let me introduce it first. The so-called Eight Inner Gates, simply put, is opening the channels in the human body that limit chakra flow to obtain powerful strength. The developer of the Eight Inner Gates was an old man who joined Konoha alone in the early days of the village [1]. I also learned the Eight Inner Gates from him."
Given Duy's status in Konoha back then, he couldn't have applied to learn the Eight Inner Gates through normal channels. He learned the method from that old man when he was young due to his personality.
Tobirama nodded. He remembered that developer. Indeed a strange person, older than him and his brother, who basically joined Konoha to retire and generously gave the Eight Inner Gates technique to the village.
During the centuries of the Warring States Period, there were many strange people.
"Everyone has Eight Gates in their bodies, even ordinary people without chakra. The Eight Gates are the acupuncture points that limit chakra flow because excessively strong chakra flow damages the body. Through long-term training beyond limits, letting the body adapt to the state of breaking limits, and constantly practicing impacting the Eight Gates with chakra—this is the cultivation method of the Eight Inner Gates."
Just as he was about to continue, someone raised their hand.
A bald middle-aged man spoke gently, "Is it possible that there are more than eight gates in the human body? Just that other limiters haven't been discovered yet?"
Duy paused. "Uh... that is indeed possible..."
Dana raised his hand. "The part about 'letting the body habituate to the state of breaking limits'... Does this 'habituation' also relate to willpower?"
Duy replied, "Naturally, willpower is key. Only through years of arduous training and tempering an iron will can one endure the pain of opening the Eight Gates. Similarly, only a powerful body forged over years can bear the damage the Eight Gates inflict on the body. The 'powerful body' here refers to the physical body without chakra enhancement."
"So the effect of opening the Eight Gates varies for everyone... For example, a Genjutsu specialist might have Jonin-level strength, but if their physical fitness is average, the effect of the Eight Gates will be minimal."
This was the general outline of the Eight Inner Gates. After answering a few more questions, Duy said, "Then, let's test everyone's physical condition first to see where your limits lie... Let's start with... 10,000 push-ups."
At the back of the group, Konan's eyes nearly popped out. She suspected she heard wrong.
How many did the teacher say?
The Third Raikage wasn't satisfied. "10,000 push-ups??? Who are you looking down on? Forget it, let's proceed gradually?"
Dana didn't question Duy's decision either. "Is there a speed requirement?"
Duy scratched his cheek. "Uh... the faster the better?"
Five minutes later, two pile drivers appeared on the training ground.
Dana and the Third Raikage vibrated at high frequency on the training ground at speeds that left afterimages.
If one's dynamic vision was poor, they couldn't even see the figures clearly.
People around them consciously cleared a space.
That's not push-ups; that's pile driving!
"Look!! The ground is smoking!"
Tobirama was doing push-ups rapidly too, until the ground shook and a piece of debris hit his face.
Looking helplessly at the Third Raikage and Dana, who were gradually turning into blurs, Tobirama clapped his hands and stood up.
"No good. Training like this damages the sacrifice too much."
Might Duy and Might Guy saw the two afterimages and, moved by the Youth of high-frequency vibration, joined the ranks of the blurs.
"Is this the Youth of the Cloud Village?! Boy, we cannot lose!"
In the crowd, a muscular red-haired boy's eyes were full of longing. "It seems my muscles are still far off... I must work hard too! AHHHHH!!!!! BURN! MY BICEPS!"
The scene grew hotter and hotter. Yotsuki Arashi and Blue Bee also joined in.
At the end of the line, Konan looked horrified. Watching countless muscular men vibrating at high frequency ahead, she felt she had come to the wrong place...
"So scary... I don't want to learn this jutsu!!!"
Yoshitoki shook his head. Why use this method? Wouldn't it be better if I just modified myself?
Amidst the afterimages, the Third Raikage shouted while vibrating at high speed, "NOT ENOUGH! ADD WEIGHTS!"
Someone immediately asked, "Sir, how much weight? Is 500 kilograms enough?"
"How is 500 kilograms enough?! Who trains with such a tiny amount?! If people see this, they'll think my Cloud Village can't afford to train! Give me ONE TON! One ton per person!"
Konan was on the verge of tears. "NOOOO!!!"
[1] Author's Note: The developer of the Eight Inner Gates is neither Tobirama Senju nor Might Duy. The setting is that the developer is unknown.