The Eight Inner Gates Training!

As if to punish Houka for cheating, the lingering haze kept him down for two days before finally fading.

"Houka, lying in bed is a waste of your youth. It's time to get out and train!"

Early that morning, Might Duy appeared at Houka's house, hands on his hips as he roared with authority. Behind him, the ocean roared wildly—but Guy, standing beside him, seemed a little strange.

Houka rubbed his head and smiled wryly. "Uncle Duy, you couldn't have picked a better time to visit."

He'd only just recovered, and Duy had shown up right away. Even a fortune-teller couldn't have been more accurate.

Houka summoned a Shadow Clone, then followed Might Duy out.

Guy really was acting strange today. He kept his head down, as if he'd run into a problem he couldn't solve.

"Guy, what's wrong?" Houka looked at Guy's thick eyebrows, nearly knitted together, and felt as if his own were about to knot up too.

"Houka, I, I..." Guy furrowed his brow, his thick, bushy eyebrows almost touching.

Might Duy glanced sideways at them and sighed. Just two days ago, he had decided to teach Guy the Eight Inner Gates, but Guy hadn't been happy about it—because his father had left Houka out.

Guy had been furious then, demanding to know why his father wouldn't teach Houka. In his eyes, Houka had selflessly shared his own Taijutsu, like the Leaf Whirlwind. There was no reason for Might Duy to keep this technique to himself. It was unfair to Houka.

Guy had angrily declared that if Houka didn't learn the Eight Inner Gates, then he wouldn't learn them either!

What a stubborn kid!

Might Duy smiled wryly to himself.

In fact, just yesterday, he had gone out of his way to seek out the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, and discuss the Eight Inner Gates with him.

Although Might Duy had repeatedly stressed how terrifying the Eight Inner Gates were, Hatake Sakumo couldn't fully grasp it. Even so, he offered his advice.

Whether it was the Third Hokage's regard for Houka or the reports that had come from Tsunade and Yuhi Shinku, everything suggested that Houka was an unusual child. He wasn't arrogant and conceited, or disdainful of others like the other members of the Uchiha Clan. He might even inherit the Will of Fire one day!

Therefore, Hatake Sakumo's advice was simple: he could teach him!

When Might Duy heard those words, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Only then did he realize that deep down, he had already accepted Houka and had long wanted to teach him the Eight Inner Gates. He'd just worried that others would object. Now that even Lord Hatake Sakumo had given his approval, he had nothing left to hold him back.

The three of them began running along the dimly lit streets, heading for Kage Rock.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Their three figures raced along. Soon, they leaped from the street onto the rooftops and sped onward, reaching Kage Rock just before sunrise.

"Guy, Houka, follow me!"

Might Duy strode ahead without looking back, leading them into a dense forest behind Kage Rock.

Houka found it strange. Had these two been possessed today? Why were they both acting so oddly?

Guy still wore that conflicted expression, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't.

Might Duy said gravely, "Starting today, your training will enter a whole new phase!"

Guy froze, seeming to realize what he meant. He looked up at Might Duy in delight.

Might Duy nodded to him, then turned to Houka and said in a low voice, "With your current physical conditioning, you're ready to begin training in this forbidden technique ahead of schedule."

The smile on Houka's face froze in place.

A forbidden technique?

Could it be... the Eight Inner Gates?

At long last, the day had come. At long last, his dream would come true~

Thump, thump!

Houka's heart pounded like thunder, his blood surging with excitement.

Might Duy looked at him oddly. "Houka, you seem a little excited."

Houka could barely get the words out. "I-I... Uncle Duy, I, cough, I'm just feeling a little light-headed from the altitude. I'll be fine soon."

"Light-headed from the altitude? What's that?" Might Duy asked, puzzled. Then he said, "Why don't you rest another day?"

"No, absolutely not!" Houka nearly jumped up, wishing he could slap himself. "I'm already fine!"

He quickly suppressed his excitement and calmed his racing heart.

Might Duy nodded, then continued, "I spent nearly twenty years barely mastering this forbidden technique. It places extremely high demands on the body. If you use it improperly... you'll die!"

Guy's expression grew solemn.

Houka nodded. He knew this very well—perhaps even better than Might Duy himself.

"I'd planned to teach you this a few years later, but the Land of Fire is constantly clashing with other countries along its borders, and the other four great ninja villages are also stirring. War could break out again at any moment, so I've decided to teach you now!"

Might Duy's expression was grave. "Before we begin, you must promise me that you'll never teach this forbidden technique to anyone else lightly!"

"Of course, Father!" Guy said loudly.

"I promise," Houka said solemnly.

"Then listen carefully."

Might Duy began teaching them in earnest.

"The name of this forbidden technique is the Eight Inner Gates!"

Thump!

Houka's heart nearly burst from his chest again.

Might Duy glanced at him in confusion, then continued explaining.

"The Eight Gates are the 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! Opening the Gate of Opening breaks through the brain's restraints; opening the Gate of Healing forcibly increases your stamina... Each gate you open removes more of the body's restrictions on Chakra. With all Eight Gates open, you can gain power greater than the Hokage's for a short time!"

"What?!" Guy was stunned. "Power greater than the Hokage's?"

Houka was just as overwhelmed, his excitement impossible to contain. He thought of the scene in the original story where Guy opened all Eight Gates and gave Six Paths Madara a brutal beating. It was exhilarating!

Might Duy said gravely, "But opening all Eight Gates also means the end of your life!"

Guy looked horrified. "Father, this technique is too dangerous."

"That's why it's a forbidden technique! Guy, Houka, remember this: unless you have absolutely no other choice, never use it!"

Houka and Guy nodded solemnly.

Might Duy then explained where each of the Eight Gates was located. "The Gate of Opening and the Gate of Healing are both in the brain. The Gate of Life is below the throat, the Gate of Pain is in the center of the chest... and the Gate of Death is in the heart."

With their eyes closed, Houka and Guy carefully sensed the Eight Gates in their bodies as Might Duy guided them.

So these are the Eight Gates that constrain the body's full potential.

Houka quickly found where they were, but the Eight Gates were like iron locks embedded in his flesh. Without intense, limit-pushing training, there was no way to force them open.

"Guy, your physical conditioning is still a little lacking, but Houka, you should already be able to open the first gate, the Gate of Opening!" Might Duy said suddenly. "Focus, and guide all your Chakra through your meridians to the Gate of Opening."

Houka immediately did as instructed and set all the Chakra in his body in motion.

Thanks to his powerful spiritual energy and the physical strength he had built through relentless training, Houka's Chakra had finally reached Chunin level after more than half a year of hard work.

Hum...

As his Chakra gathered, the "iron lock" of the Gate of Opening began to tremble faintly, as if it sensed it was about to lose its virginity.

Boom!

Houka's brain shook. For an instant, it felt as if his soul had ascended to heaven. Everything changed. He could clearly feel his body growing lighter and stronger, while his Chakra surged with unusual vigor.

The human body was actually very powerful, but the brain forcibly suppressed that power to protect it. Now, the restraints imposed by Houka's brain had vanished!