"What do you want with my teacher?" Keiichi grew wary.
"Well, what a coincidence. I'm sorry to tell you, but your teacher is already dead."
Hearing this, Keiichi kept his composure and didn't believe a word Kabuto said.
He's just trying to shake me. Does he really think I can't see through that?
"What? You don't believe me? You can only blame him for getting suspicious of me—and for overhearing something he shouldn't have. I had no choice but to kill him."
Keiichi's expression remained calm, but the hand clutching his kunai began to tremble despite himself.
"I have to admit, his Invisibility Technique was pretty good. If he hadn't slipped up at the end, I wouldn't have noticed him."
At that, Keiichi finally lost his temper. Gekko Hayate's Invisibility Technique was a closely guarded secret of the Leaf Village. Ordinary people didn't know about it. Could Kabuto really have killed him?
He hadn't spent much time with this teacher, and he'd found plenty of things to criticize about him. But he had to admit that the man had sincerely treated him as a student.
And because he could feel that sincerity, he had truly come to regard Gekko Hayate as his teacher.
Once a teacher, always a father. Even though they hadn't known each other long, Keiichi still felt indebted to him as his teacher.
You...
How dare you kill him?!
"Warm-up's over. From now on, I'm going to give it everything I've got and kill you, Kabuto Yakushi." Keiichi's expression turned deadly serious as he formed Hand Seals.
"Eight Inner Gates, open!"
Chapter 57: Eight Inner Gates
With 100 Magic Modification Points in hand, he'd browsed the entire shop, trying to figure out what he could exchange for that would bring him up to a Jonin's level in a short time.
A bloodline?
Even if he spent every last point on one, it would only improve his abilities by 10% at most. It wouldn't help with the situation at hand at all.
Ninja tools?
Did he really think he could buy a ninja tool capable of defeating a Jonin with a measly 100 points?
And besides, his Magic Modification level wasn't high enough.
Ninjutsu?
He'd looked through every technique available for exchange, and in the end, he'd settled on the Eight Inner Gates.
He knew full well that the technique had serious drawbacks. Unless your body had been tempered over and over like Might Guy's or Rock Lee's, you could easily end up killing yourself.
Hadn't even Kakashi only dared to open the first gate?
Actually, he had a better option: unlocking Sage Mode. But that would cost 200 points, which he didn't have.
So while Naruto was fighting Kabuto, he'd hesitated. He still wanted to take a gamble on the annual reward package. What if he got something incredible?
But the lesson of Obito's goggles had taught him—
Don't gamble.
After thinking it over, he'd still fixed his sights on the Eight Inner Gates.
The technique cost only 50 points, making it the second-cheapest S-rank technique.
The cheapest was the Dead Demon Consuming Seal at 30 points. Its side effects were far more terrifying: once you used it, you were guaranteed to end up dead.
The Eight Inner Gates only might kill you.
The system wouldn't sell it so cheaply without a reason, would it?
The key was that Spirit: Iron Wall gave him some confidence. After strengthening his body, perhaps he could offset the side effects of the Eight Inner Gates to some extent.
At first, he hadn't planned to use the technique. If he could make Kabuto back down, he'd save those 50 points. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
But Kabuto's admission that he'd killed Gekko Hayate had completely enraged Keiichi and made him lose his cool.
So he'd exchanged the points without hesitation and immediately activated the Eight Inner Gates.
"Gate of Opening, open!"
His brain's limits were released. His previously restricted strength could now reach its maximum, pushing his body into an overloaded state.
"Gate of Healing, open!"
His stamina entered an unlimited state. Now he could refine chakra without restraint, and he couldn't feel even the slightest fatigue.
"Gate of Life, open!"
At that moment, energy radiated from Keiichi. His skin turned bright red, and he broke past his 100% limit. His strength, speed, and reflexes all surged. His fat rapidly converted into energy, forcing moisture out through his skin, where his extreme body heat turned it into a thin mist.
But with only the third gate open, Keiichi already felt as if he were about to collapse. His instincts told him that if he opened any more, he'd die.
In fact, even opening only three gates had already transformed his body dramatically—
Nin: 4
Tai: 4
Gen: 3→5
Ken: 8
Str: 4→8
Spd: 4→8
Sta: 3→∞
Seal: 5
His strength, speed, and stamina had all skyrocketed!
Seeing Keiichi like this, Kabuto felt a terrible premonition wash over him. He hurriedly retreated, trying to put some distance between them.
But when he took his third step, his instincts made him stop. He spun around—and saw Keiichi behind him, though he had no idea when he'd gotten there. He'd nearly run straight into him!
How had he gotten so fast?!
Kabuto's reaction was half a beat too slow. A leg like a battle-axe swept in from the side. He quickly raised both arms to block, then felt as if he'd been hit by a sledgehammer. His whole body was sent flying backward.
How had he gotten so strong, too?!
But before Kabuto could hit the ground, Keiichi was already chasing after him at an unbelievable speed. He kicked him squarely in the nose, twisting his entire face out of shape.
Damn it!
When had he learned the Eight Inner Gates?!
If Kabuto couldn't figure that out, he'd wasted all those years as a spy!
But he couldn't understand how Keiichi had adapted to the sudden, massive change in his body.
*I can keep up...
My body can keep up now!
Keiichi was thrilled. Ever since unlocking the Sharingan, he'd struggled with his body being unable to keep up with his eyes. But the moment he opened the Eight Inner Gates, the two finally came into balance!
Now he could not only see every move Kabuto made, but his body could react accordingly. That was how he could suppress Kabuto in every way!
Kabuto didn't understand how Keiichi had adapted to the sudden change in his body. He had no idea Keiichi had always struggled with his body's inability to keep up with his thoughts!
Keiichi was completely focused now. He didn't dare waste even a fraction of a second, doing everything he could to hurt Kabuto.
He knew the Eight Inner Gates had a time limit, and so did Iron Wall. Once their effects wore off, his strength would plummet, and Kabuto would be able to do whatever he wanted with him.
He wouldn't let that happen!
Kabuto clearly understood Keiichi's plan, too. All he had to do was avoid a direct confrontation and wait for the Eight Gates to wear off.
They both knew each other's trump cards.
Naruto clenched his fists and watched their fight in unbearable tension. He understood that the battle had reached its decisive moment. Their lives were on the line!
If Kabuto really won, he and Keiichi could guess what would happen to them.
So he prayed silently for Keiichi to win and teach the Leaf Village's traitor a brutal lesson!
But Kabuto was a Jonin, after all. Even with the Eight Inner Gates boosting Keiichi, if Kabuto kept avoiding a direct fight, Keiichi couldn't find an opening to land a fatal blow.
Keiichi was powerful now, and Kabuto had taken hit after hit. But none of them were fatal. They only made him look more and more battered.
Just five minutes later, Keiichi felt the mist around him beginning to fade. It was a terrible sign: the Eight Inner Gates were about to wear off!
His body had no fat left to burn.
Seeing this, Kabuto, already bruised and swollen, couldn't help curling his lips into a smile. The light of victory was right before his eyes!
Don't worry. I'll repay every humiliation you've inflicted on me a hundredfold!
I'll send you to meet your teacher in the underworld!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."
Keiichi suddenly stopped, formed Hand Seals, and spat a ball of fire from his mouth.
At the same time, he activated Spirit: Sure-Hit.
Hmph!
He's run out of options, hasn't he?
Kabuto couldn't help sneering to himself. He actually thought a slow technique like this could hurt him? What an idiot...
But just as he was about to dodge, a shadow suddenly leaped up from the calm surface of the lake and slammed into his lower back, nearly making him stumble.
What the hell was that?!
"Carp! Carp!"
Splash!
Chapter 58: Kabuto Yakushi's Death
Keiichi stared. The Magikarp that had only been helping Naruto with his training had delivered a crucial assist at just the right moment!
Unable to dodge in time, Kabuto was engulfed in raging flames and took the attack head-on.
Could anything be more humiliating than getting hit by a Great Fireball?!
As the flames rushed toward him, that thought flashed through Kabuto's mind.
The Great Fireball was powerful, but it wasn't enough to kill a Jonin. Before the smoke had even cleared, Keiichi plunged into it and, relying almost entirely on instinct to judge Kabuto's position, threw a full-power punch.
Kabuto was completely dazed. The pain of being burned had barely swept over him when a heavy blow struck his chin. His whole body flew half a meter into the air before Keiichi kicked him back toward the shore.
He rolled across the ground like a rag doll before finally going still, his life or death uncertain.
Keiichi knew better than anyone how important it was to finish the job. He took a kunai from his ninja pouch and rushed over to end Kabuto.
But just as he was about to act, he suddenly collapsed into the water. If Magikarp hadn't been supporting him from below, he might have sunk.
The Eight Inner Gates had worn off!
Why did it have to happen at such a critical moment?!
Keiichi stared at Kabuto, who was barely alive, his eyes blazing with frustration.
But his body was completely spent and refused to obey him. He couldn't move.
At that moment, Naruto crept toward Kabuto, moving with great care.
Naruto, kill him!
Keiichi wanted to shout the words, but at that moment, he couldn't even open his mouth.
The side effects of the Eight Inner Gates were worse than he'd expected. It was a miracle he could still breathe.
Naruto seemed to hear what Keiichi was thinking. He gripped his kunai tightly, raised it, and prepared to stab.
But just then, an image of Haku suddenly flashed through his mind, and he hesitated. He didn't know if he'd regret killing Kabuto.
After all, he'd had countless nightmares about accidentally killing Haku. Whenever he woke up, he was left with a hollow feeling.
And while Naruto was still hesitating, Kabuto suddenly opened his eyes. His injuries were severe, and he couldn't move his limbs either, but he spat a small blade from his mouth and flicked it out with his tongue.
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