Eight Gates · Alteration

"Opening the Eight Gates requires training that is extraordinary, overloaded, and beyond limits over a long period. As long as you don't give up, you can achieve this—anyone who does can learn the Eight Gates..." After Kai's explanation, Zi Xu gained a certain understanding of the so-called Eight Gates.

As Kai said, the Eight Gates wasn't some secret technique; in fact, the entire ninja world knew of this taijutsu. The "Eight Gates" were common knowledge in the Naruto World, yet few attempted to train in it. The reason was simple—they felt it wasn't worth it. Consider one path: a taijutsu requiring harsh daily training, with little visible progress in the short term and heavy limitations in combat. The other: flashy, stylish ninjutsu you could learn with just a bit of effort. Which would the average person choose?

"And the power of the Eight Gates depends on the user themselves. Based on the user's physical condition, the power varies, so different people opening the Eight Gates will have different strengths." Kai generously shared the knowledge he'd accumulated over the years with the group. He genuinely enjoyed seeing young ones like Zi Xu who were interested in taijutsu. After all, whether ninjutsu or taijutsu, their creators always hoped their techniques would be passed down.

"Listen up, kid. Maybe taijutsu is the way for commoners to get stronger." Kai smiled and ruffled the boy's head, nearly shaking his brains loose. The boy's mother noticed the ninjas seemed to be teaching her child something and decided not to interrupt—she felt this might be the moment their family's fate changed.

"Using the Eight Gates also requires chakra assistance. Everyone has chakra inside them, but ninjas train to know how to use it, while ordinary people don't. However, through day-and-night training, ordinary people can also have a chance to learn the Eight Gates, since it's taijutsu..." Kai's later words dimmed the light in the boy's eyes. The chasm between commoners and ninjas stood before him once more.

"This is a technique that removes the body's limits on chakra, releasing excess energy. In the chakra flow's meridian system, the places that suppress and control chakra within the body are the eight gates: Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Wonder, and Gate of Death. These eight gates set limits on the amount of chakra in the body, but this technique forces chakra to surpass those limits, drawing out tens of times the user's original strength. However, in gaining that power, the user themselves suffers damage..."

"Because of this, the further back the gate you open, the greater the damage to the body. The Eight Gates has been classified as a forbidden technique. I can only teach you the initial training methods; the rest depends on your own understanding."

Zi Xu scratched his head, a bit confused why Kai would say that. If it was a forbidden technique, why could he teach it to them so easily? Was he confident they couldn't learn it? Or maybe this so-called "forbidden technique" wasn't really a "forbidden technique" in the ninja world—just something everyone knew but no one wanted to train in.

Zi Xu didn't care about any of that. Whatever Kai was willing to teach, he'd learn. It couldn't be blamed on him.

And so, the inquisitive Zi Xu and the somewhat dejected boy listened through Kai's explanation. After spending some time organizing the knowledge in his mind, Zi Xu gave Kai a slight bow to show his gratitude.

"Thank you, Teacher Kai!" Zi Xu's thanks were genuine. He always held deep respect for those who sincerely taught him. Earlier, he hadn't understood why Kai emphasized it was a forbidden technique, but now he got it.

Though Kai said it was a forbidden technique and he wouldn't teach much, he answered every question Zi Xu asked about the Eight Gates, one by one. Before he knew it, he'd told Zi Xu the training methods for all seven gates except the Gate of Death. Zi Xu finally understood: Kai only wanted to teach him because he saw his excellent physique and intense interest in taijutsu. Kai didn't want the Eight Gates to be lost. Rock Lee had already mastered it, but having one more person was insurance, and the two could discuss taijutsu together.

Rock Lee and the other two waved goodbye to the boy and his family. It was already afternoon, and the breeze did nothing to ease the scorching heat of the sun. The boy watched the three walk away, clenched his fists, and swore in his heart:

"The chances might be slim, but I'll train hard! I will change my fate!"

The departing Kai seemed to sense the boy's resolve and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Excellent! This is youth!"

Zi Xu was still thinking about how to plan his training when he saw another message from the system.

[Host has altered the world's course]

[Host completed fate-changing mission—Sprout of Youth]

[You have received 2000 reward points]

"...So how exactly is this course determined anyway..." Since Zi Xu didn't know the plot, the system's notifications always caught him off guard.

"Hey, Zi Xu, your taijutsu is so strong, you must be joining the upcoming Chunin Exam, right? I'm looking forward to fighting you in the arena!" Rock Lee asked beside him, not hiding the fighting spirit in his eyes.

Zi Xu pushed Rock Lee away from him. Having this guy next to him felt like standing beside a furnace—unbearably hot.

"Yeah, probably." After spending some time together, Zi Xu had gotten to know Rock Lee's personality. The guy wasn't bad, straightforward in character, saying whatever came to mind, and hardworking—a textbook overachiever.

After returning to the inner circle of the village, Zi Xu said goodbye to the two. He didn't go find Chino and the others. After learning about the Eight Gates, his interest in it had grown even more.

According to Kai, they trained every part and organ of the body to adapt to the load after opening the gates, minimizing the damage from the massive energy release. Only after this process could they successfully open the Eight Gates. But Zi Xu's advantage was his strong physique—he could take a beating—making him and the Eight Gates a perfect match.

Rather than calling it luck, it was more like inevitability. In a Naruto World where taijutsu was in decline, his physique meant he was bound to encounter the Eight Gates sooner or later.

People in the Naruto World mostly had high attack power but low durability, while people in the One Piece World had exceptional physiques, all acting like they'd eaten a Sit-Up Fruit and activated a health-lock cheat.

"Since the Eight Gates is so widespread, does that mean the three snakes at Ryūchi Cave know it too? Maybe I could practice with them, and they might even guide me a bit..."

Inside Ryūchi Cave, Ichikishimahime sneezed for no reason.

"What's wrong?" Tagorihime glanced at Ichikishimahime, who was suspiciously looking around, and tapped her head with her tail.

"Nothing, just a bad feeling." She flicked her little tongue, as if trying to shake off the unpleasant mood.

But according to Murphy's Law, nothing is as simple as it seems, everything takes longer than you expect, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and if you're worried about something happening, it's more likely to happen. The goddess's feeling was right—the next second, Zi Xu's bright red hair, which stood out even in Ryūchi Cave, appeared before her.

"Emmmmmmm..."

"Hmm..."

Zi Xu and Ichikishimahime stared at each other for a long time, until Zi Xu coiled the little white snake that had been staying in Ryūchi Cave around his hand a few times before speaking.

"Um, do you know about the Eight Gates?"

Ichikishimahime and Tagorihime looked a bit surprised. Had this kid learned the Eight Gates from somewhere?

In the end, Tagorihime licked her lips, transformed her snake body back into human form, and explained for him.

"Of course we know. The Eight Gates isn't a secret. Or rather, in taijutsu, there are basically no secret techniques—they all require great perseverance and long-term training to be effective."

"So is it possible for ordinary people to reach the same level as ninjas through training like the Eight Gates?"

"Huh? What are you thinking? That's impossible. Or rather, even if there's a chance, it's extremely low. With that effort, you'd be better off learning sword techniques from the samurai of the Land of Iron..." Ichikishimahime floated eerily in the air, snatching back the little white snake whose scales had been polished smooth by Zi Xu's coiling.

Zi Xu scratched his head. Another path being denied disappointed him. It seemed liberating commoners would still be difficult. For now, it looked like commoners could only serve as labor or intelligence members.

"Forget that. Just now, someone taught me the method for using the Eight Gates, but I tried for a long time and couldn't open the first gate." Zi Xu clearly knew the acupoints corresponding to the "eight gates" in his body. According to Kai, once you trained to the limit, you just needed to use chakra to break through the "eight gates" in the meridian system that suppressed and controlled chakra.

Breaking through these eight gates would forcibly remove the chakra limit, forcing chakra to surpass it. But the awkward part was that Zi Xu couldn't even take the first step.

"Huh? You actually hit a wall with taijutsu? Hahaha, oh dear..." Ichikishimahime finally caught something Zi Xu wasn't good at and naturally had to mock him thoroughly. The taijutsu they'd taught him before, he'd learned like it was child's play, making her wonder if all her hard training had been for nothing.

Tagitsuhime appeared from the air and lightly tapped Ichikishimahime, who was laughing loudly, causing the latter to accidentally bite her own tongue.

"Listen, Zi Xu. I don't know much about the Eight Gates either, so I'll just try to share our understanding. How you use it is up to you. After all, many taijutsu masters in history have modified their techniques..."

Zi Xu listened carefully to Tagitsuhime's words. As she spoke, he took notes, but soon both their expressions turned to:

"What is she talking about?"

"What am I saying?"

In the end, Tagorihime couldn't bear to watch any longer and decided to go explain it to Zi Xu herself. When it came to Taijutsu, she was the most skilled among the Three Serpents.

But all Three Divine Maidens were the practical combat type. They excelled at fighting and sparring, but teaching was another matter entirely. As for how absurd it got—well, Ichikishimahime had actually seen the Eight Gates in action before, but after hearing Tagorihime's explanation, she was completely baffled. Her expression clearly said, "Wait, really? So that's how it works? Then what the hell was that Eight Gates I saw before?"

Even though he felt in his heart that the Three Divine Maidens' instructions were unreliable, combined with Kai's "guidance" of "burn your youth, just work hard and you'll be fine," he had no choice but to grit his teeth and give it a try.

Zi Xu mobilized the Chakra within his body. The pale blue energy flowed along the trajectory he had envisioned, but it wasn't easy.

This Chakra was like a small stream, and his flesh was the land. Zi Xu was now trying to force that stream to carve a predetermined path through ground that had hardened nearly to granite.

The stream's impact wasn't strong, but its advantage lay in endless persistence. It wasn't that his Chakra was weak—it was that Zi Xu's physique was so overwhelmingly powerful that it had become a problem in itself.

"With this much Chakra, I refuse to believe I can't open this gate today." Zi Xu's stubborn streak flared up. Normally, he had a take-it-as-it-comes attitude, but once he set his mind on something, he would fight to the bitter end. Simply put, his mule temper had kicked in.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Zi Xu's forehead. Under his relentless assault, the rock-hard granite ground finally cracked open in one spot. The first step was always the hardest, and once he broke through that, everything afterward became much easier. The stream, riding the momentum of that initial breakthrough, carved through the land in one go, following the meridian and acupoint paths the Divine Maidens and Kai had described. Soon, it encountered its first obstacle.

For Rock Lee and the others, that obstacle had never really been an obstacle. Their bodies hadn't reached Zi Xu's terrifying level, so with training, they could "easily" reach the first gate.

Tagitsuhime smiled approvingly from the side, looking satisfied with Zi Xu's comprehension. Tagorihime also nodded, her expression practically screaming, "See? I taught him well." But beneath their calm, confident exteriors, their hearts were panicking like old dogs.

"What's going on?"

"I was just talking out of my ass. How did he actually start practicing?"

"This shouldn't be right?"

As for Ichikishimahime, who usually butted heads with Zi Xu the most, she cowered off to the side and kept quiet. She didn't know if opening the Gate of Opening in the Eight Gates was supposed to look like this, but it seemed... quite different from what she remembered? Yet when she saw Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime's confident smiles, she started to doubt herself.

"Did I remember wrong?"

The Three Divine Maidens each harbored different thoughts, and Zi Xu finally broke through that first barrier. His earlier assumption had been correct—his physical condition had long met the standard for opening the gate; he had simply lacked the path to do so.

Even though it was only the first gate, he felt like he had just surfaced from the deep sea. Sweat poured from his body, his Chakra was mostly spent, and every cell and muscle in his body felt like a lemon that had been squeezed dry of juice.

"Is opening the Eight Gates always this hard? Huh... the feeling of opening this gate seems a bit off? Mm... mm? ...MM! What the hell gate did I open? This looks like the path of the Conception and Governor Vessels!" Zi Xu sensed something was wrong, but when he turned his head, he saw Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime's confident, composed smiles. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he had opened the wrong gate.

---Author's Note---

Happy 520

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