Eight Inner Gates

Holding back showed a lack of respect for one's opponent, and Guy wasn't arrogant enough to do that.

A contest between shinobi wasn't just a test of Taijutsu. It also tested their use of ninjutsu and even their skill in genjutsu. Though Guy had learned a few basic techniques, Taijutsu was still his greatest strength, and he usually won with his fists and feet.

Akashi also reminded Anko to be extremely careful.

At the Ninja Academy, Guy had seemed thoroughly unremarkable at first. But in the end, he'd been among those who graduated early. Perhaps his goofy appearance and excessive enthusiasm had hidden his talent, causing people to overlook one thing—

Guy was a genius!

Just how much Guy had developed by now was anyone's guess.

"Let's see what you can do."

Akashi smiled faintly. "Begin!"

At his words, Anko and Guy released the Seal of Confrontation, then charged toward each other. Dust flew beneath their feet, left trailing behind them.

Guy opened with a rapid flurry of punches. His blows were heavy and powerful, and he was fast, immediately putting Anko on the defensive.

Fortunately, after training under Orochimaru and Akashi, Anko had improved not only in ninjutsu but also in Taijutsu.

She managed to block his opening attacks, but that was all she could do.

Thud, thud, thud...

Their fists and feet clashed as the two fought in the most direct way possible.

Guy's attacks weren't nearly as flashy as she'd imagined. There was nothing fancy about them, yet those straightforward barrages of punches gave her no end of trouble.

With his advantage in Taijutsu, Guy grew more and more spirited. The force behind his fists gradually increased, driving Anko back.

After several consecutive flips, Anko landed steadily, her hands aching.

Each block seemed perfect, but it was actually taking a great deal of effort. She couldn't help snapping, "Do you have any moves besides punching?"

"Heh... Not many other moves." Guy gave an awkward laugh, then pressed his attack.

Leaf Whirlwind!

His twisting body gathered tremendous force, sweeping through like wind scattering fallen leaves. His leg came slashing toward her, cleaving the air with a sharp whistle.

A green whirlwind? So fast! Anko reacted at once... Substitution Technique!

Thump!

A halved log spun away and fell to the ground.

Anko had narrowly escaped. She jumped behind Guy and threw a volley of shuriken.

Though this was only a spar, the tools she carried weren't toys from the Ninja Academy. If one hit her, she'd certainly be injured.

Guy hurriedly dodged, switching from offense to defense.

Another round of shuriken immediately flew at him from the front, and the distance between them gradually widened.

For a while, the two of them seemed evenly matched.

But Akashi's interest was waning. He still hadn't seen what he wanted to see—the Eight Inner Gates.

Clearly, Anko wasn't putting nearly enough pressure on Guy.

"I'll have to provoke him myself," Akashi thought. He raised his voice. "Senior Guy, this won't do. It's hard to pinpoint the problem this way. I remember you said you were training in the Eight Inner Gates, right? Could that technique be the cause? It'd be best if you showed me."

His voice interrupted their fight.

Guy looked troubled. "But my father said that move should only be used when protecting your comrades. Besides, I've only trained up to the fourth gate."

"That's enough."

Akashi thought, If he opens all eight, who could withstand that? "Give it a try. The Eight Inner Gates might well be the cause of your condition. We're only sparring, not fighting to the death. It'll be fine."

Guy pondered for a few seconds, then seemed convinced and made up his mind.♨🐚  🐝♗

"Okay!" He moved away and raised his hands beside his waist, his presence as sharp as a blade!

The technique wasn't particularly mysterious. The concept of the Eight Gates was part of the Shinobi World's existing theories, involving the flow and restriction of chakra, and many shinobi knew about it. Plenty of people had heard of the Eight Inner Gates, and even many jonin had studied them to some extent. But almost no one could successfully master the technique.

The price of training was simply too high. It demanded exceptional Taijutsu talent, as well as an enormous amount of grueling practice to push the body's limits of endurance.

Judging by the first three gates alone, it wasn't worth it. The fourth gate and beyond were too difficult, and the side effects of mastering the technique were severe. As a result, almost no one was willing to go all the way.

Guy was different. His perseverance was beyond ordinary people's, all part of his so-called "ever-burning youth."

"First Gate, Gate of Opening, open!"

"Second Gate, Gate of Healing, open!"

"Third Gate, Gate of Life, open!"

In just a moment, Guy had opened three gates in succession. He drew breath in ragged, beastlike gasps. A scorching aura burst outward, sending the surrounding pebbles flying.

The technique took a tremendous toll, even on Guy's body.

Sweat poured from him in layers, only to evaporate in the heat. The veins at his temples bulged, and his eyes changed from calm to fiercely combative. He seemed to have transformed into a beast.

"This is my youth!"

Guy's aura changed abruptly, surprising even Akashi.

He's only opened three gates, and he's already this fearsome. Tch, good thing I didn't step in myself.

Akashi wasn't entirely cold-hearted. He offered Anko some comfort. "Anko, be brave. I'm your strongest backup. If you get hurt, I'll definitely take you to the hospital!"

And he could claim the expenses, too—a win-win.

Anko immediately panicked.

"I... you..." In the end, she gave up resisting and took a deep breath. "Go easy on me."

Guy seemed not to hear her at all. He rubbed his fists together, brimming with excitement. "Then let's begin!"

With that, his figure flashed forward, rushing at her like a whirlwind. His raised leg stirred the grass, and dust billowed around him.

So fast!

Anko cried out inwardly. She sensed that the blow would be incredibly powerful and didn't dare block it head-on. She hurriedly retreated. At the same time, she flicked several shuriken from her fingers and sent them flying in front of her, sealing off Guy's path.

The spinning shuriken traced long arcs through the air, whistling as they cut through it.

Guy's forward charge faltered slightly, then he twisted sharply to dodge the shuriken. His speed slowed a little, giving Anko a chance to escape.

Taijutsu was all about speed and strength.

Akashi had experienced Anko's Taijutsu firsthand. Watching Guy now, he immediately saw the difference. With three gates open, Guy was already so fast that Anko could barely follow his movements.

Even if Akashi himself stepped in, he'd probably be completely outclassed in Taijutsu alone.

"Leaf Great Whirlwind!" Guy shouted.

His legs spun like a gale, churning up countless blade-like gusts. The attack was razor-sharp, and the pressure of it made Anko instinctively retreat two steps. Pebbles shifted beneath her feet, and the grass quivered.

His speed was so great that the motion of his legs blurred into trailing streaks!

Anko's eyes couldn't keep up with Guy's movements. The next moment, her ninja tools were still in her hand, but Guy's kick had already reached her.

Thump!

The air trembled slightly as the force of his kick swept the grass aside.

Anko flew backward and slammed hard into a tree trunk in the distance, shaking loose a shower of leaves. Then she slid to the ground and raised one hand, fingers spread. "I'm done! I... I-I-I surrender!"

Guy, who'd been about to press forward, froze. His thick eyebrows sat above his sweat-soaked face as he gave her a sheepish grin. "Are you all right?"

"What do you think?"

Anko could barely stand. She was on the verge of tears.

She felt as if her internal organs had been knocked out of place. Sweat seeped from every pore, her legs trembled, and pain drained the color from her face. The ice cream she'd just eaten felt as if it were about to climb back up her throat.

She should never have agreed to this spar.

And this was after Guy had held back. Their strength had already been far apart to begin with; it was less a spar than a lesson.

A Chunin wasn't the same as another Chunin.

"That's enough!"

Akashi stepped forward to check Anko's injuries, then turned to Guy. "Senior Guy, I think I've got a fairly good idea of what's going on. Come with me to the research facility for a more thorough examination."

Guy flashed a broad grin and gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks!"

He promptly returned to normal, his green jumpsuit already soaked through.

Opening three gates took a lot out of him, and he probably couldn't keep it up for long in an extended fight. For that very reason, Akashi was even more eager to see what would happen when cellular activation was combined with the Eight Inner Gates.

Just then, a hearty laugh came from nearby.

"(⊙o⊙) Oh, what a splendid fight! Are the children of Konoha all this impressive now? Hahahaha!"

All three of them turned to look.

A kindly-looking middle-aged man stood there. He was of average build, with an ordinary face, but he was a stranger.

Despite being middle-aged, he had a thick head of brown hair and a full beard, the sort many people would envy. He smiled warmly, seeming harmless, and clapped as he stood with a pack on his back.

Akashi, however, suddenly stiffened as two words surfaced in his mind.

Shinnō!