The Strongest Taijutsu, Might Duy's Eight Inner Gates

The afternoon of the second day, reinforcement troops from the village began arriving at the outpost.

Sen took advantage of this rare lull to stroll along the beach with Kushina, relaxing his tired body and mind.

As they walked by the sea, a flash of green caught Sen's eye. Upon closer inspection, it was a ninja dressed head-to-toe in green, wearing a tight-fitting outfit.

He was on the sandy ground, a massive boulder pressed against his back, gritting his teeth as he counted push-ups.

"930."

"931."

"932..."

Most people here were resting in the cool shade of the sand, but he was training rigorously. Moreover, seeing him drenched in sweat, it seemed he had been exercising for a long time.

"Might Duy?" Sen subconsciously called out.

This was the father of the future Emperor Kai, a legend of ninja taijutsu! He never expected to meet him here!

Hearing his name, Might Duy stopped his movements and looked sideways.

When he saw the Uchiha clan crest on Sen's clothes, a flicker of imperceptible caution flashed in his eyes.

Might Duy almost immediately drew a conclusion: another influential clan wanting to "encourage" him, and one he neither wanted nor could afford to offend.

Seeing that the other party was much younger than himself, Might Duy patiently replied, "I don't think I know you. If you're here to say something encouraging like the others, please hurry up."

The Uchiha clan's reputation was as bad as ever.

Sen shook his head, walked forward, and got straight to the point: "I don't mean anything else. I just wanted to ask if you have time now for a spar?"

Might Duy shook his head, his push-ups not stopping. It wasn't the first or second time people from influential clans had mocked him; this was probably just a different variation.

"I'm just a Genin, I can't compare to you."

Seeing him say this, Sen didn't want to disturb him further and was about to leave when two ninjas of similar age to Might Duy approached. They stood beside Might Duy and sneered:

"Hey, what's there to spar with this eternal Genin? Are you Uchiha also this bored?"

"Exactly! We're embarrassed to even be teammates with a loser like him!"

Might Duy didn't respond. He seemed to know these two, or perhaps he was used to it.

"Hey, how can you two talk about your teammate like that?" Kushina questioned.

Kushina had experienced too much of this kind of situation and was about to lose her temper.

"Teammate? We've tolerated him for ten years! He's a useless bum who can't even use ninjutsu! He was a Genin on our first mission, and now that war is about to break out, he's still a Genin. Who can stand this?"

Kushina raised her fist, ready to act, but Sen, beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder. Then, with a flash, he appeared in front of the two.

"Bang--Bang--"

Sen showed no mercy. He activated his Sharingan and unleashed two whip kicks, sending the two flying!

"Those who don't know how to cherish their comrades are worse than trash," Sen said coldly, looking at them. "Might Duy's talent will one day be recognized by the village. As for you two, you are merely mediocre and unremarkable individuals.

If you have any issues, I am Uchiha Sen. You are welcome to find me anytime!"

The two who were sent flying looked at the scarlet Sharingan in Sen's eyes and his imposing declaration. Knowing they were no match, they fled in shame amidst the pointing fingers of the surrounding crowd.

"Sen spoke beautifully!"

"'Those who don't know how to cherish their comrades are worse than trash,' what a timeless quote!"

"Since when did Uchiha brats become so eloquent?"

"Don't call Sen a brat! His strength and cooking are both top-notch!"

"Sen, you're so cool!" Kushina grabbed Sen's hand, stars in her eyes. "You really are a kind person, just like me! I can't stand seeing others bully our comrades!"

Sen waved to the surrounding people. These were his loyal foodie fans. Seeing their idol in trouble, of course, they would come to his aid immediately.

"Everyone, please disperse. It was just a small misunderstanding," Sen said, looking down at the blissful Kushina and scratching his head.

Actually, I just wanted to show off and maybe get the Eight Inner Gates or something...

Just as the two were about to leave, Might Duy, who had been ignored by everyone, stood up and said, "Uchiha Sen, thank you. Do you really want to spar with me, a Genin?"

"In my eyes, there are no Genin or Jonin, not even a Hokage. There are only comrades," Sen replied concisely.

With this simple sentence, Might Duy suddenly burst into tears, his fists trembling with excitement. "Ah! How many years has it been! I can finally feel the warmth of youth again! I must defeat you! So what if you have the Sharingan!

Youth is invincible!"

Everyone: "..."

Sen's face darkened. Perhaps he had been too rash. Why did he feel so embarrassed?

"Let's go to a deserted place and try it out," Might Duy suggested with his heart full of "youth."

Sen naturally nodded in agreement.

The two then moved to an open area. Before the fight even began, some people in the crowd were already cheering for Sen, the great chef.

"It's useless for anyone to cheer for you! Because youth is on my side!" Might Duy shouted as he prepared, removing the weights from his legs and throwing them into the distance.

"Boom--Boom--"

The seemingly effortless movements exploded like a string of Explosive Tags the moment his weighted feet touched the ground!

The onlookers were instantly stunned, instinctively taking several steps back.

It seemed this battle wouldn't be as straightforward as they imagined; the outcome was uncertain!

"Amazing!" Sen gave a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed.

"Sen, I know ordinary ninjutsu can't defeat you. I've practiced this technique for many years, and today is the first time I'm truly using it in front of the world!" Might Duy's body began to emit visible green Chakra.

"I call it--the Eight Inner Gates!"

"Eight Inner Gates--Open!"

"Gate of Healing, Open!"

"Gate of Life, Open!"

The moment the third gate opened, an overwhelming wave of Chakra swept out, the wind howling. Might Duy's skin turned red, his muscles bulged, veins protruding like those of a valiant war god!

The onlookers instinctively retreated, the situation now completely beyond their comprehension.

"Isn't he a Genin? How can he have so much Chakra?! It's like a typhoon is coming!"

"Is this still a Konoha Genin? How is he stronger than me, a Chunin?!"

"Let's go! Get further away, don't get caught in the crossfire!" A Chunin immediately warned everyone, directing them to retreat.

Might Duy gritted his teeth, adapting to the burden on his body, and roared:

"Come on, Sen! Let our youth bloom together!"

Dust suddenly billowed from the sandy ground, followed by a green lightning flash, and then a sharp fist wind struck directly at Sen's face.

"So fast!" Even with his Sharingan pushed to its limit, Sen could only react at the last moment of the attack, desperately lowering his body and awkwardly dodging.

Might Duy gave Sen no time to breathe. A small vortex appeared on the sand, and the next instant, Might Duy's spinning heel kick came flying.