The tense atmosphere of the multi-day preliminary rounds finally eased temporarily.
The candidates who advanced breathed a sigh of relief, while those eliminated were inevitably depressed. The crowd began to disperse in twos and threes.
Over with Team 7, Kakashi took Yao, Naruto, and Sasuke to a training ground they often used.
Kakashi leaned against a wooden stake, looking at his three disciples.
Naruto was still chattering excitedly about the match just now.
"Quiet down, Naruto!"
Kakashi clapped his hands, drawing the attention of his three disciples.
"There is one month until the finals. This month is crucial!"
"Naruto, your control over the Rasengan and chakra still needs a lot of practice to become proficient!"
"Sasuke, your Sharingan application, tactics, and chakra reserves are all weak points."
"This month, I will tailor training plans for each of you according to your situations. I hope you will seize this opportunity!"
"As for you, Yao..."
Kakashi spread his hands, his tone returning to its usual laziness. "...You can arrange your own training!"
"With your current strength, there's nothing I can teach you."
This was the honest truth!
What could he teach a student who could suppress a Tailed Beast and master Wood Release?
"No, Kakashi-sensei!"
Yao smiled and said, "There is one thing you can teach me!"
"Oh?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "What is it?"
"Eight Gates Formation!"
Yao smiled. "I am very interested in the Eight Gates Formation that Rock Lee demonstrated today!"
"..."
"You want to learn the Eight Gates?"
Kakashi was slightly stunned, his tone full of incomprehension. "Yao, that jutsu carries significant risks!"
"The burden it places on the body is devastating. With your current strength and abilities, you completely don't need..."
The Eight Gates was a forbidden Taijutsu technique. For normal ninja, who would practice Taijutsu if they could learn Ninjutsu?
Wasn't that something only dead-last students with no talent for Ninjutsu learned?
Although cruel, that was the reality!
"No! I need it!"
Yao interrupted him, his eyes filled with desire. "Kakashi, I hope you can teach me the Eight Gates!"
In Yao's view.
Possessing the Flying Thunder God Technique made him naturally compatible with the Eight Gates!
After opening the Eight Gates Formation, his speed and strength would skyrocket.
Combined with the teleportation of the Flying Thunder God, he could freely change his position and attack angle while moving at super-high speeds.
This would make his movement patterns completely unpredictable to opponents, allowing him to maximize his speed advantage!
Furthermore.
He had the Sage's Body!
This constitution gave Yao not only massive chakra reserves.
But also terrifying vitality and unparalleled recovery abilities.
The biggest drawback of the Eight Gates was the devastating damage to meridians and muscles, causing extreme harm to the body.
But Yao's body could recover from even the gravest injuries!
Imagine this.
How terrifying would a Might Guy be if he mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and possessed a nearly immortal body?
Once the Eighth Gate: Gate of Death was opened, he could probably kick Uchiha Madara, who had reached the Six Paths level, to death!
Imagine again.
How terrifying would Senju Hashirama be if he mastered the Flying Thunder God and opened the Eight Gates?
From Yao's perspective, the forbidden Eight Gates technique was actually very similar to the Kaio-ken from Dragon Ball.
Kaio-ken times ten increases combat power by ten times; Kaio-ken times twenty increases combat power by twenty times!
Combat power skyrockets in multiples!
Son Goku with a combat power of 10,000 using Kaio-ken is different from Son Goku with a combat power of 100 million using it!
The Eight Gates was exactly like that.
Lee opening the Eighth Gate!
Guy opening the Eighth Gate!
Senju Hashirama opening the Eighth Gate!
The difference in combat power would be worlds apart!
In short.
Yao believed that once he learned the Eight Gates, his combat power would increase tenfold, or even dozens of times!
By then.
Even if he couldn't reach the Six Paths level, using the Eight Gates Formation would give him a fighting chance against a Six Paths level opponent.
"Are you sure?"
Kakashi asked seriously.
"I'm sure!"
Yao nodded solemnly.
Kakashi looked at him for a long time before slowly speaking:
"The Eight Gates is Guy's signature forbidden jutsu. The training is extremely unique. To be honest, I'm not proficient in it!"
"If you insist on learning it, it's better to ask that guy, Guy!"
"Whether Guy agrees to teach you or not depends on you."
Kakashi himself could only open the First Gate, so he certainly wasn't proficient.
"I understand!"
Yao nodded. "So I hope Kakashi-sensei can introduce me to Might Guy-sensei!"
Kakashi sighed and scratched his silver hair.
"I really can't do anything with you. Alright, come with me!"
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."
Yao smiled.
This was the benefit of having a teacher. What a teacher possessed was not just knowledge, but connections.
Given the relationship between Kakashi and Might Guy, Yao believed that as long as Kakashi was willing to help, Guy would definitely agree.
When Kakashi took Yao to find Team Guy, they were at another training ground.
Tenten was sitting on a rock, fiddling with a senbon, still recovering from her defeat.
Hyuga Neji stood aside with his arms crossed, his expression cold as usual.
Lee was doing one-handed push-ups while doing a handstand nearby.
Might Guy was squatting in front of Tenten, giving a thumbs-up and comforting his disciple in his passionate way:
"Tenten! Don't be discouraged! Victory and defeat are common for ninja!"
"Temporary failure is just a trial on the road of Youth!"
"Just watch! After this tempering, your ninja way will surely bloom with even more dazzling light! This is the burning Youth!!"
His voice was loud and infectious, making the originally depressed Tenten torn between laughing and crying.
Guy-sensei, is this really how you comfort people?
Just then, Guy sensed someone approaching. He turned his head and saw Kakashi, his eyes lighting up instantly.
He rushed in front of Kakashi with an exaggerated sliding pose, slapping his hands heavily on Kakashi's shoulders:
"Yo! Kakashi! My eternal rival! Did you come specifically to visit me and my cute disciples?"
"Or... have you finally been unable to hold back and come to accept my Nth hot-blooded challenge?!"
His loud voice and exaggerated movements made Yao want to laugh.
This Might Guy was really interesting. However, such a person was quite suitable to befriend.
You never had to worry about betrayal or being stabbed in the back.
Kakashi's shoulders hurt from the shaking. He turned his head aside slightly. "I have something to discuss with you alone!"
"Oh? Alone?"
Guy looked at Kakashi, then at Yao behind him. Seeming to understand something, he flashed a bright smile, his teeth sparkling.
"No problem! Youthful exchanges always require focus!"
He turned and shouted to his three disciples, "Neji, Lee, Tenten, wait a moment!"
With that, he walked with Kakashi to the woods at the edge of the training ground, and the two began talking in hushed tones.
Once the two teachers left.
The atmosphere at the training ground suddenly became somewhat subtle.
Tenten, Neji, and Lee all looked at Yao, their eyes filled with shock, confusion, and awe.
They truly couldn't imagine that this gentle-looking boy in front of them had defeated a Tailed Beast.
And he even used the legendary First Hokage's Wood Release!
That power had completely exceeded their understanding of a "Genin," or even a "genius"!
With a gentle smile on his face, Yao took the initiative to greet them:
"Hello everyone!"
His attitude was naturally polite, without a hint of arrogance, but this only made Neji and the others feel a bit uneasy.
Tenten hurriedly stood up from the rock, flustered. "Ah, h-hello, Yao-kun!"
Neji just nodded coldly as a response.
Lee stopped his handstand, flipped over to stand straight, and puffed out his chest. "Hello! I am Rock Lee!"
After a brief and slightly awkward exchange of pleasantries, the four fell silent, unsure of what to say for a moment.
Fortunately, Kakashi and Guy returned just in time.
Guy strode up to Yao and patted him firmly on the shoulder.
"Kakashi told me everything! Although I don't understand why, with your talent for ninjutsu, you want to learn Taijutsu?"
"But! Since you are willing to embrace the secrets of Taijutsu, I won't hold back anything!"
"After all, who told you to be Kakashi's disciple!"
"Besides, to be able to teach a young man like you with limitless potential and feel your burning youth!"
"This in itself... is the greatest challenge and passion!!"
"Come! From today on... I, Might Guy, officially become your Taijutsu teacher! I will teach you to feel the Youth!"