"Lord Hatake!"
"It's the White Fang of Konoha!"
"Strange. What's he doing here?"
The ninjas in the Mission Hall saw Hatake Sakumo appear out of nowhere. Most nodded at him amicably, their faces respectful, but a few ninjas from powerful clans looked at him strangely.
The White Fang of Konoha's reputation had shaken the Ninja World. Now he was also the head of Konoha's Anbu and the Third Hokage's right-hand man, with great power and influence. Some wanted to cozy up to him, while others couldn't stand him. But they feared his terrifying strength, so no one dared openly challenge him.
"Lord Hatake!"
Might Duy had met Hatake Sakumo the year before, when Guy started at the Ninja Academy. Sakumo had brought Kakashi to enroll at the same time, so they were more or less on nodding terms.
"I happened to see you, so I came over to say hello," Hatake Sakumo said with a warm smile. He looked nothing like the ruthless, decisive man he was on the battlefield.
"Lord Hatake, you're too kind," Might Duy replied.
"Let's go outside and talk," Sakumo said with a smile.
One after the other, they left the building and stopped beside a telephone pole beneath the Hokage Building.
"Did you need something from me, Lord Hatake?" Might Duy asked.
"Nothing in particular." Hatake Sakumo suddenly sighed. "Actually, I've been urging the Third Hokage to reform the way ninjas are promoted, but some people have blocked the proposal, and I haven't succeeded."
Might Duy looked puzzled.
"I can sense your strength, Dai. You're an excellent Taijutsu ninja. I knew that from the first moment I saw you!" Hatake Sakumo said earnestly.
Might Duy froze, then gave a bitter smile. "No, Lord Hatake. I really am only a Genin. I... just happened to train in a forbidden technique."
"A forbidden technique?" Hatake Sakumo had indeed sensed that Might Duy was very strong. Years of fighting on the battlefield had honed that instinct in him, and it was extremely reliable. But he couldn't tell exactly how strong Duy was.
"I call it... the Eight Gates," Might Duy said solemnly. "But I haven't mastered the technique completely."
"The Eight Gates?" Hatake Sakumo mused for a moment, certain he had never heard of this forbidden technique before. Could Might Duy have developed it himself?
"I'm looking forward to seeing this technique," Hatake Sakumo said with a smile, setting the thought aside. "If you ever need help with anything, just ask."
"Really? You'd help me?" Might Duy asked excitedly.
"Of course. Our sons are good friends, after all," Hatake Sakumo said with a hearty laugh.
"That's wonderful, Lord Hatake. I was wondering if you could teach me the Shadow Clone Technique!" Might Duy said.
"No problem," Hatake Sakumo replied. "Wait here a moment."
In the next instant, Hatake Sakumo had vanished.
Might Duy's pupils contracted. So fast!
Even after more than twenty years of Taijutsu training, Might Duy couldn't match such terrifying speed. Unless, of course, he used the Eight Gates.
About half a minute later, Hatake Sakumo reappeared with a small scroll in his hand. He handed it to Might Duy. "This is the Shadow Clone Technique."
"Thank you so much!" Might Duy said gratefully.
"The Second Hokage created this technique. It spread throughout the Ninja World during the several great wars, so there's nothing to make a fuss about," Hatake Sakumo said casually. "All right, I have to meet with the Third Hokage. I'll be going."
When classes let out at the Ninja Academy that evening, Houka and Guy immediately ran toward the Small Woods.
After a day of studying... bah, a day of rest, both of them had recovered nicely. Houka in particular had the basics of Medical Ninjutsu. He used Chakra to relax his muscles, and with his naturally rapid recovery, he had regained all his strength!
Might Duy was already training in the Small Woods.
In front of him stood the thickest tree in the woods, so broad that a person could barely wrap their arms around it.
Might Duy stood there with his eyes closed. The flow of Chakra in his body gradually quickened, until it sounded like a surging river. His blood raced through his veins, and his skin took on a strange, blood-red hue that was terrifying to behold. At the same time, blue flames of Chakra blazed around his body. A powerful pressure swept outward from him, bending the grass and trees and driving away every bird and beast.
Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit... Open!
At last, Might Duy abruptly opened his eyes. The pressure around him surged, creating ripples in the air.
Just as Might Duy was about to throw a punch, his ears twitched. He heard Houka and Guy approaching.
Whoosh!
Might Duy slowly unclenched his fist. The five Gates opened in his body closed one after another, the flow of Chakra returned to normal, and the strange changes to his body quickly faded.
Some distance away, Houka suddenly stopped, gazing thoughtfully ahead.
"Houka, what's wrong?" Guy asked in confusion when he saw him stop.
"Didn't you feel it?" Houka asked in reply.
"Feel what?"
"Uh, nothing. Let's hurry."
Houka ran ahead, his heart burning with excitement. That definitely hadn't been an illusion. The powerful presence that had appeared and vanished in an instant, like some primordial beast, could only have been Might Duy using the Eight Gates!
"You two are late again!"
Might Duy saw Houka and Guy and immediately flew into a rage. "Go run!"
The grueling warm-up training began again.
Houka ran twenty laps around the Small Woods and ended up gasping like an ox, his chest aching as if it were about to burst.
"Houka, three hundred side kicks!" Might Duy turned into a demonic coach, merciless and unyielding.
With heavy steps, Houka went to a tree stump. He raised his left leg and kicked the upper part of it. Once, twice, ten times...
Hiss!
Houka suddenly sucked in a breath. His left foot had cramped!
Even though he kept using Chakra to soothe the muscles in his feet, the sheer amount of exercise was still too much for him.
Nearby, Guy was already clutching his foot and howling on the ground.
Might Duy watched coldly. His heart ached for them, but he kept his feelings hidden.
Once the cramp eased, Houka started kicking again, one kick at a time. After more than fifty kicks, blood began to seep from his left ankle, but he didn't feel it and kept kicking. Before long, the stump was stained red with blood.
"Keep going! Keep going! I can't give up here!"
Houka gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. His left foot hurt so much he was going mad, but he still lifted it and kicked the stump again and again.
Sixty-one!
Seventy-two!
One hundred!
At last, after 125 kicks, Houka couldn't lift his left foot anymore.
"Keep going with your right!" Might Duy's voice came from behind him.
Houka gritted his teeth and shifted all his weight onto his left foot, then began kicking with his right.
Guy's training was exactly the same as Houka's: side kicks with the left foot, then the right. Before long, both boys' feet were bleeding and trembling like jelly. Finally, they collapsed to the ground, utterly miserable.
"If you can't finish your side kicks, do a hundred squats!" Might Duy roared, his expressionless face unmoved.
"Yes!" Houka and Guy shouted. They had already reached their limits, but still didn't give up or complain, much less ask for a break.
The two gritted their teeth and stood up, clasped their hands behind their heads, and began doing squats in place.
Guy couldn't take it after just one and fell to the ground, clutching his foot as he tried to stifle his cries of pain.
Houka was hardly any better. The wounds from his side kicks split open again and started bleeding.
Houka wanted to use the Hemostasis Technique to treat his wounds, but when he raised his hands, he realized he had run out of Chakra.
The extreme training had made him constantly use Chakra to recover, and before he knew it, he had used it all up.
"Ah, all right. That's enough for today."
Seeing that the two boys had reached their limits again, Might Duy finally called off the training. The next second, he sprang over to Guy, tears streaming down his face. He scooped Guy up and cried, "Guy, you're my greatest pride!"
"Father, you're my greatest pride too."
Father and son hugged each other and wept again, their tears falling like rain and splashing onto Houka's face.
Houka lay helplessly on the ground, unable to move or dodge. He was so embarrassed he wanted to bury himself.
Before you continue