Learning the Eight Inner Gates Formation

"Kimura Takuya, you're here!"

"That's right. I'm here."

"Tuoye, you shouldn't have come. We were just about to leave, and now that you're here, we'll definitely have to train some more."

Tenten looked exasperated and cut off their somewhat chuuni-sounding exchange.

Kimura Takuya burst out laughing and beckoned to them with a finger.

"Hahaha, don't you want to get stronger? I brought that secret technique from the other day! Want to learn it? I'll teach you."

"What? Tuoye, you're going to teach those two a secret technique? Doesn't that mean I'll have even less chance of beating them?"

Lee had noticed Kimura Takuya arrive a while ago.

He'd only meant to do a few more reps, but the moment he heard about a secret technique, he couldn't keep training!

He ran over from the other side and pointed at Kimura Takuya with one hand, looking like he'd been betrayed by his best friend.

Lee figured he'd never be able to learn a secret technique. He couldn't learn any ninjutsu at all.

That technique could raise their speed to such an extent.

It was practically the natural enemy of taijutsu specialists.

And Tuoye was planning to teach it to Tenten and Neji.

He was already weaker than both of them. Wouldn't he fall even further behind now?

"Habi, don't worry. You should be able to learn it, too. As long as you can do Water Walking, you can learn this.

"Remember when I taught you Water Walking? This isn't much harder than that. This technique is just a method of chakra control."

Most ninjutsu involved chakra natures. Fire Release required fire-natured chakra, while Water Release required water-natured chakra.

Most people were born with one or two chakra natures. Jonin could generally train in three or more, while Sarutobi Hiruzen and Kakashi could use all seven.

Lee, on the other hand, had no innate chakra nature, which made it incredibly difficult for him to develop one later. It was practically impossible.

That was why Lee couldn't learn almost any ninjutsu that required a particular nature.

He couldn't even use the Three Basic Techniques.

But he could still learn chakra-control techniques, including Tree Walking and Water Walking.

So Lee should be able to learn the Sound-Damping Technique, too. Kimura Takuya even thought Lee might be able to learn the Rasengan.

That was because the basic Rasengan was a natureless, hand-seal-free technique.

At its core, it was also a technique for controlling and using chakra.

This might be the only ninjutsu Lee could learn.

He'd kept the technique under wraps ever since developing it. Now, he might as well teach it to Lee as well.

After he explained it to everyone, they understood.

Lee listened excitedly as Kimura Takuya explained how the Sound-Damping Technique worked.

Then everyone started practicing.

Might Guy was naturally the first to master it. He used the Sound-Damping Technique as soon as he heard the explanation.

After all, he was a seasoned Jonin, and his chakra control was at a Jonin's level.

For a Jonin, this technique was easy to grasp once it was pointed out.

"Wow, Tuoye, this technique feels like it was made for taijutsu!"

Might Guy was already faster than most people, and now he'd become even more terrifying. Even he was astonished.

Using the technique consumed only a little chakra, but it greatly reduced the strain on his body.

Normally, a shinobi using a body-flicker technique had to overcome air resistance by unleashing tremendous force in an instant.

Now, the Sound-Damping Technique greatly reduced that air resistance, which naturally lowered the physical exertion as well.

What was more, as a taijutsu expert, Might Guy immediately incorporated the Sound-Damping Technique into his other taijutsu.

He used it with punches, palm strikes, elbow strikes, knee strikes, kicks, and all sorts of other taijutsu.

In just a few minutes, Might Guy's taijutsu skills had advanced by an entire level!

One technique.

A single technique had taken Konoha's strongest taijutsu shinobi to a whole new level!

Might Guy's normal fighting strength was that of an elite Jonin.

With the Sixth Gate open, he reached Kage Level.

He'd opened the Seventh Gate and beaten Kisame Hoshigaki senseless. Kisame was known as the Tailless Tailed Beast and could take on the Four-Tails alone. That put him firmly in the Super-Kage class, making Guy with the Seventh Gate an elite Super-Kage.

And with all Eight Gates open, Emperor Guy could rival the Six Paths! That was god-tier strength!

Now that Guy had mastered the Sound-Damping Technique, his normal fighting strength had risen by an entire level.

The strength he'd have with the Eight Inner Gates Formation might be even more terrifying!

"That's incredible! Teacher Guy, you're amazing!"

The Genin watching shouted excitedly.

Kimura Takuya couldn't help applauding, either.

Kimura Takuya had expected this. He'd also tried to incorporate the Sound-Damping Technique into other taijutsu.

But it was difficult. Even with his familiarity with the technique, he couldn't integrate it successfully every time.

It was easy to combine the Sound-Damping Technique with the Body Flicker Technique because the Body Flicker Technique was essentially running, and everyone knew how to run. It was instinctive, so the two were easy to combine.

You didn't need to consciously control your body to run while using the Sound-Damping Technique.

Other taijutsu techniques were different. To incorporate the Sound-Damping Technique into them, you had to make those techniques instinctive, too.

Only then could you use the Sound-Damping Technique at the same time.

Might Guy had clearly already made all his taijutsu instinctive.

That was why he could combine the Sound-Damping Technique with every taijutsu move as soon as he mastered it, and why his strength had advanced so dramatically.

"Tuoye, this technique can absolutely rival the Cloud Lightning Body Technique. It's practically a Konoha-style Nintaijutsu. You've created an entirely new style!"

"No, Teacher Guy, you're the one who created a new style! The Sound-Damping Technique is a chakra-control technique with no entry barrier. The hard part is incorporating it into taijutsu.

"So you're the one who created a new style, not me.

"And this technique has all kinds of variations. It can create spikes to increase penetration, high-speed vibrations to cause numbness, an instant burst for explosive force, rotation for twisting force, or a heavy, sturdy defense.

"These are all changes to chakra's form itself, completely unrelated to changes in its nature.

"As long as you have chakra, you can use this Nintaijutsu, whether you have a chakra nature or not.

"Perfecting this style isn't something one person can do.

"So I think we should work together to develop its system."

"What a genius! That's a genius idea!"

Might Guy was deeply impressed by Kimura Takuya's words and praised him again and again.

Might Guy wasn't the only one. Lee, Tenten, and Neji were also captivated by the idea.

Lee especially cried out and swore he would master the Sound-Damping Technique.

He ran off to the side and began practicing like crazy.

When Neji heard that spikes could increase penetration, he clenched his fists. Wasn't that the principle behind the pressure-point strikes of Gentle Fist?

Applying it to Strong Fist Style could increase its penetration, too. How had he never thought of that?

He couldn't help admiring Kimura Takuya even more.

Tenten also seemed lost in thought. She went off to one side, took out some ninja tools, and started tinkering with them. No one knew what she was up to.

Seeing that everyone had gained something from the lesson, Kimura Takuya didn't disturb them.

Instead, he walked over to Might Guy, bowed, and made a request.

"Teacher Guy, please teach me the technique called the Eight Inner Gates Formation!"