Eight Gates

The two who had waited outside for Minato Namikaze emerged, and Hyuga Kazuya hurried forward to ask.

"Teacher Minato, how did my reward go?"

It was because of the reward that Hyuga Kazuya had not left, instead waiting outside the Hokage Building.

"Kazuya, I thought you were waiting for me. I didn't expect you to be waiting for your reward." Minato Namikaze spoke with a wry smile, looking as though he had suffered a tremendous injustice.

"How could that be? I was specifically waiting for you, Teacher. Right, Kakashi?" He deliberately nudged Kakashi with his elbow.

"Huh?" Kakashi was clearly confused, unable to understand the social maneuvering between adults.

"Haha." Minato Namikaze was very pleased with Hyuga Kazuya's answer.

"Don't worry. The Hokage has agreed to your reward. You can choose one ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals."

"Really? Thank you so much, Teacher Minato." Hyuga Kazuya immediately beamed with delight.

"Can I go choose it now?"

Minato Namikaze frowned and advised him.

"Kazuya, how about coming back another day? Go home first and think about what ninjutsu you need, then come back to choose."

"Teacher Minato, there's no need. I already have a target in mind."

Hyuga Kazuya had coveted the ninjutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals for a long time and had a general understanding of its more famous techniques.

Based on his own circumstances, he had naturally already chosen the technique most suitable for him, one that could make up for his shortcomings.

"Have you really thought it through?" Minato Namikaze asked, confirming it once again.

"I've thought it through, Teacher Minato. Let's go collect it."

"You can go by yourself. I don't need to come along. Kakashi and I will leave first. We'll meet again tonight."

"Alright. Bye, Teacher Minato. Bye, Kakashi. See you tonight."

From the moment they met, neither Hyuga Kazuya nor Kakashi had mentioned why they had been sent away before the Hokage earlier.

From their first day as official ninja, they had known that some matters needed no explanation. If they were not meant to know, then they did not need to know.

After waving farewell to the two of them, Hyuga Kazuya headed straight for the Hokage's Office.

A knock sounded at the door once more.

"Come in, Kazuya."

With Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength, how could a single door block his senses? He had known Hyuga Kazuya was outside the moment he arrived.

He naturally understood why Hyuga Kazuya had come, though he did not understand why Hyuga Kazuya was in such a hurry to obtain a ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals.

Hyuga Kazuya pushed open the door, bowed in greeting, and went straight to the point.

"Lord Hokage, I've come to collect my reward."

"Why didn't you think it over first? Go home, discuss it with your uncle, and then make your decision."

"Lord Hokage, I've already considered it."

"Is that so?" Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly did not quite believe him, so he asked, "Then what kind of ninjutsu do you need?"

This was a test: a test of whether Hyuga Kazuya was lying, and whether he would simply choose a powerful ninjutsu without considering its flaws or the difficulty of mastering it.

"Lord Hokage knows the strength of my archery, so I don't need a ninjutsu for long-range attacks."

Hyuga Kazuya began speaking at length, analyzing his own weaknesses and strengths.

"As for close combat, I am a member of the Hyuga Clan, so it is not something I urgently need."

"During this mission to the Land of Artisans, I saw Rasa's Magnet Release flight ability. It gave him an enormous advantage in battle. But setting aside the fact that, as far as I know, Konoha has never had a flight-type ninjutsu, if one merely wants to fly, it would be more suitable to find a flying Ninja Beast."

"Therefore, after ruling out long-range ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and flight-type ninjutsu, what I need most right now is a genjutsu-type ninjutsu, or a ninjutsu with extremely strong resistance to genjutsu. Those would be my top priorities."

"But considering whether I have the aptitude for genjutsu, a ninjutsu with extremely strong resistance to genjutsu would be the best choice."

At first, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Hyuga Kazuya's analysis of himself. But when Hyuga Kazuya mentioned genjutsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help asking.

"Doesn't the Byakugan naturally have extremely strong resistance to genjutsu?"

That's because you don't know that Mangekyō Sharingan-level genjutsu will exist in the future. Naturally, Hyuga Kazuya could not say those words outright.

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that the Sharingan possessed the Mangekyo, but he believed there were none in the current ninja world, so he had naturally made no preparations against it.

"I know the Byakugan can resist genjutsu, so for the ninjutsu I wish to choose, resistance to genjutsu would preferably only be an additional ability. As for its primary ability, I would choose Taijutsu over other types of ninjutsu."

Upon hearing Hyuga Kazuya's explanation, Hiruzen Sarutobi already had a choice in mind.

Though he had said he would let Hyuga Kazuya choose his own ninjutsu, based on Hyuga Kazuya's requirements, directly granting the technique he believed was most suitable would undoubtedly be the best choice for Hyuga Kazuya.

"Would you consider the Eight Gates?"

It's here, it's here, it's finally here. It was as if a horned demon in his heart were cheering wildly, smug that his guidance had not failed or gone astray toward another ninjutsu.

Though inwardly delighted, he only showed curiosity on his face, without any other emotion. His disguise was flawless.

"The Eight Gates? What kind of technique is that?"

Before Might Duy—Might Guy's father—kicked those unfortunate Kirigakure ninja to death, ordinary ninja, and even some higher-ups, did not know that the Eight Gates possessed such tremendous power.

Even those who knew of the Eight Gates knew that the technique placed extremely high demands on the body and required repeated practice to let the body adapt to opening the gates, making it exceptionally time-consuming.

Furthermore, for a technique of unknown origin, its claim that opening all Eight Gates could grant dozens of times the strength of a Kage-level fighter was considered mere exaggeration and not to be taken seriously.

In other words, not many people in the current ninja world knew of the Eight Gates, which was why Hyuga Kazuya pretended to know nothing about it.

"The exact origin of the Eight Gates is unknown. It opens the eight hidden gates within the body to gain different levels of power. According to notes left behind by the Second Hokage, it is feasible, but it places extremely high demands on the body and requires a long period of physical adaptation."

Recalling the Second Hokage's notes, Hiruzen Sarutobi went on at length about the details of the Eight Gates.

"Has anyone mastered it? How far did they get?"

For an obscure technique of uncertain origin, showing an appropriate degree of doubt was perfectly normal. Hyuga Kazuya also wanted to satisfy his own curiosity.

"Only the Second Hokage mastered it in the village. The Second Hokage only opened three gates, because opening more than three would cause some damage to the body."

"Even someone as strong as the Second Hokage only reached the Third Gate?" Hyuga Kazuya put on an incredulous expression, his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide.

"If even the Second Hokage could only do that, then... then... are there any other ninjutsu?"

The more reluctant one appeared, the more likely the person giving the reward would feel guilty.

Sure enough, a trace of barely noticeable awkwardness appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, though it vanished quickly.

Had Hyuga Kazuya not deliberately guided things this way, he would never have noticed that slight emotional fluctuation on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

"Other than the Eight Gates, the village has Taijutsu-type ninjutsu that also provide resistance to genjutsu."

After thinking for a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi found the index and brief descriptions for the Scroll of Seals in a drawer behind him. At last, he discovered a technique.

However, this technique was incomplete.