Open Gate-Doesn't That Just Mean Opening It?

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

"What? Tuoye, you know about this technique too?"

"Yes. I want to learn it. Please, I'm counting on you."

Kimura Takuya looked at Might Guy and bowed again, his gaze resolute.

Seeing this, Guy nodded solemnly.

"I understand. You could call it a technique, but it's really a method of controlling the body.

"Our bodies limit the strength of our muscles to protect us, so we don't pull them.

"Our chakra pathways also limit the flow of chakra, protecting us from being harmed by chakra that's too powerful.

"The points along these pathways that restrict chakra flow are called Pulse Gates.

"There are eight Pulse Gates in the human body.

"The method for opening them is the Taijutsu secret called the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

"The eight gates are, in order, 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. Every gate you open causes the chakra inside your body to surge.

"When you open the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, the Eight Inner Gates Formation reaches its complete form.

"At that point, the amount of chakra unleashed by the body is more than ten times that of a Kage Level shinobi!

"But that's also when the price is greatest."

"What's the price?"

Lee and the others couldn't help coming over to ask Guy, curious.

Guy took a deep breath and recounted what had happened.

"Death!

"During the Third Great Ninja War, I encountered Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen on a mission. All seven were elite jonin who wielded special Ninja Blades.

"At the time, my teammates and I were only a few Chunin. We thought we were doomed when my father, Might Duy, arrived.

"Though he was a Genin, he opened all eight gates of the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

"He unleashed power beyond the Kage Level and fought all seven by himself.

"He wiped out the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in a single battle!

"But in the end, the powerful chakra released by opening all eight gates shattered every pathway and bone in his body, and he died."

The Genin were stunned. They'd heard of a Genin taking on seven elite jonin—

and wiping them out in a single battle?

They all looked utterly incredulous.

"So, Tuoye, do you still want to learn?

"The first three gates aren't much of a problem, but starting with the fourth, the Gate of Pain, each gate puts a greater strain on the body.

"And the strain of the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, is more than the human body can bear! Do you still want to learn?"

"Of course!"

Kimura Takuya's resolve didn't waver.

Seeing this, Guy stopped talking and began explaining how to train in the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

After listening to Guy's explanation, Kimura Takuya found it much as he'd expected.

There were just a few more precautions for opening the gates, along with techniques specific to each one.

"In short, to open the eight gates, you have to work tirelessly. You must strengthen your body and train your mind to endure, so you can withstand the tremendous strain of opening the gates.

"Anyone who hasn't undergone brutal training will fail to open even the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, because they won't be able to endure the pain of the first seven.

"So, Lee, I have great expectations for you. I expect you to open the Gate of Death one day!"

"Waaah! Teacher Guy, I'll work hard!"

"Lee!"

Lee and Guy began sobbing together, their heads pressed close.

Tenten and Neji both covered their faces, muttering, "Here we go again. That's the seventh time today—two more than yesterday," and things like that.

Suddenly, a powerful surge of chakra erupted beside them.

Bang!

Everyone turned to look.

It was coming from Kimura Takuya.

At that moment, a powerful stream of chakra burst from his body.

It was so intense that they could see it with their naked eyes!

Ordinary chakra was invisible to the naked eye; only the Byakugan could see it.

For example, ordinary people couldn't see a puppeteer's Chakra Threads.

When chakra became visible to the naked eye, it meant its intensity had reached another level.

When Kakashi faced the rookie boss, Momochi Zabuza, he used the Lightning Release technique Chidori.

Zabuza, an elite jonin, was deeply shocked when he saw the Chidori's chakra—visible to the naked eye.

That showed how few elite jonin could make their chakra visible.

The chakra unleashed by the Eight Inner Gates Formation became visible even without undergoing any elemental transformation.

It enhanced the chakra's quality to the point where it could be seen with the naked eye.

"The Eight Inner Gates Formation really lives up to its reputation as the strongest Taijutsu secret!"

Kimura Takuya clenched his fist excitedly. He'd finally learned the Eight Inner Gates Formation he'd been longing for.

Although he couldn't open many gates yet—he could only reach the fourth, the Gate of Pain, before his body gave out.

But he'd expected as much. He'd known that even opening the Gate of Pain would be pushing it.

And he could only manage that because his body had been strengthened over the past few days by absorbing Natural Energy through Skin Respiration.

Kimura Takuya felt the powerful chakra inside him. With its quality enhanced, controlling it had become much harder.

Even with his chakra control, he could barely keep it in check.

He could only let the chakra surge through every cell in his body, increasing his physical strength.

His speed and strength both increased dramatically.

But if he couldn't open many gates, it probably wasn't much stronger than the Konoha-Style Nintaijutsu they'd just named.

That made sense. The Cloud Lightning Body Technique already showed combat ability on par with the first seven gates.

The Konoha-Style Nintaijutsu had just as much potential as the Lightning Body Technique.

And unlike the Eight Inner Gates Formation, it didn't damage the body.

Now that I think about it, the Eight Inner Gates Formation might not be as useful to me as I'd imagined.

Kimura Takuya felt a little disappointed. If he couldn't combine the Eight Inner Gates Formation with the Konoha-Style Nintaijutsu—

then aside from opening the Gate of Death, he might as well use Nintaijutsu in his daily training.

He could even weave ninjutsu into his Nintaijutsu.

But when the gates were open, controlling chakra was already difficult, let alone using ninjutsu. It was practically impossible.

Then again, Kimura Takuya reconsidered. Maybe it was a matter of practice. He couldn't use Nintaijutsu proficiently yet, either.

Guy and Lee could Water Walk even after opening a gate.

With that thought, Kimura Takuya was satisfied. He nodded, hands clasped behind his back.

"Not bad."

Little did he know that his words left the four people beside him completely crushed.

"Tuoye, don't keep the Gate of Pain open while you're thinking. It's bad for your body. Young people shouldn't treat their bodies like that!"

"Tuoye, you opened the Gate of Pain the very first time you opened a gate, and you think that's just 'not bad'? I can't even sense a single gate!"

"Lee, don't be discouraged. I couldn't sense the Pulse Gates the first time, either. Opening the gates is actually very difficult. Don't let certain geniuses mislead you. Keep working hard!"

"Yes, Teacher Guy!"

Neji, a genius in his own right, felt slighted. He asked Kimura Takuya how he'd opened the gate.

"How did I open it? Doesn't opening the Gate of Opening just mean opening it? Is it hard?"

The genius had shut himself in...