Might Guy grew tense. Had Naruto figured it out? Or had Lee told him?
Naruto, the Eight Inner Gates granted immense power at the cost of burning through your life. Your future potential was greater than Lee's, so I chose him instead of you.
There were no outsiders here.
Naruto trusted everyone present.
There were some secrets he could share.
"Please don't be surprised, Teacher Guy. It was because of a stroke of luck that I deliberately sought you out and insisted that you take me as your student."
"Teacher Guy, you're a responsible person, and I don't want to keep hiding this from you. Yes, I can actually use the Eight Inner Gates."
"Ah!" Lee quickly shook his head. He hadn't revealed a thing about the Eight Inner Gates.
"Ah!" Guy thought, My father has been dead for so many years. There's no way he could have taught Naruto in a dream!
Naruto said, "Please, have some tea. I'm opening the Third Gate, the Gate of Life." A tremendous wave of chakra rolled over Naruto's body in layers.
Neji was shocked. He could clearly sense just how much weaker he was than Naruto.
Rock Lee cried out, "Naruto really is the man I admire! I'll do everything I can to catch up!"
Guy looked thoughtful.
"Please open the Eight Inner Gates, Teacher Guy. Hinata and Neji, watch closely and compare how our chakra flows when Teacher Guy and I open the gates. I need to study the differences." Naruto spoke loudly.
Guy gave him a thumbs-up. "Naruto, you're truly a taijutsu genius. I'd be happy to help you open up an even greater future in taijutsu."
Guy opened the gates one by one.
Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View.
The last two gates only required chakra to flow through a single channel, so there was no point in comparing them.
Hinata was meticulous. She quickly drew diagrams of the chakra flow in Naruto and Guy.
"Teacher Guy, close the gates quickly. I think you're about to suffer an injury," Naruto said, beginning to understand.
Guy smiled knowingly. "Naruto, teach me."
Guy had also noticed that opening the gates placed less strain on Naruto's body. He seemed to suffer no damage at all. If they could really open all the gates of the Eight Gates Released Formation and gain power dozens of times greater than a Kage's without harming their life force, then that would be a truly perfected Eight Inner Gates.
Naruto carefully studied the chakra-flow diagrams Hinata and Neji had drawn.
He had already learned how the body's pathways related to each gate.
"Teacher Guy, Lee, I'll explain what I've worked out."
"Teacher Guy's Gate of Life is several times more powerful than mine because the chakra flows through a shorter, faster route."
"But my method doesn't harm the body. It only makes the chakra inside me run out faster. Once it's nearly depleted, the gate closes on its own."
"So I can combine the two methods and find a chakra-flow pattern for opening the gates that causes almost no harm but produces greater power. I'll start by experimenting on the first three gates."
Guy stopped Naruto. "Let your teacher do it. The experiments could injure your body."
Naruto smiled. "Don't worry, Teacher Guy. I know my own body. I know you have more experience with the Eight Inner Gates and can push your body further, but I think I might recover better than you."
Guy suddenly understood. Naruto was Kushina Uzumaki's son, after all.
First Gate: Gate of Opening.
One chakra pathway.
From the Gate of Opening to the Gate of Healing: six pathways.
From the Gate of Healing to the Gate of Life: five pathways.
From the Gate of Life to the Gate of Pain: four pathways.
From the Gate of Pain to the Gate of Limit: three pathways.
From the Gate of Limit to the Gate of View: two pathways.
Naruto's body could withstand opening the Gate of Life. Opening the next three gates would require a long period of intense training. To perfect the Eight Inner Gates completely, Naruto would need to reach the sixth gate and conduct 720 experiments in total.
He would compare the results of all 720 experiments and choose the best method. That was the only way to reach a conclusion.
Naruto became obsessed with experimenting on the Eight Inner Gates. Every attempt brought a new experience, as though he were gaining a deeper understanding of his own body.
Hinata watched Naruto's chakra go haywire inside him whenever he opened the gates incorrectly, exploding within his body until he coughed up blood again and again. Her heart ached, and tears streamed down her face, but she stubbornly insisted on staying by his side.
Guy didn't leave either.
Lee and Neji trained against each other relentlessly.
Night fell. The moon shone faintly, and not a single star was visible.
In the small forest, insects chirped all around them.
Naruto threw his head back and shouted, "I figured it out! I found the best way to open the first three gates of the Eight Inner Gates! Teacher Guy, I was right. This method gives us immense power without damaging the body!"
Guy's eyes reddened. Men weren't supposed to cry easily, but Naruto's perseverance and wisdom moved him to tears.
Lee broke down crying too.
"Maybe Naruto will become a taijutsu legend in the Shinobi World," Guy said wistfully.
With his energy and focus spent, Naruto felt a crushing exhaustion weigh down on him like a mountain. He collapsed and fell asleep.
Notification.
Mission complete. Sharing permission unlocked.
Naruto slept at home for five days. During that time, he emptied the food in the refrigerator three times.
Guy personally explained the situation to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
The two of them looked at Naruto, unsure what to think.
Without realizing it, their son seemed to have become incredibly powerful.
Hadn't Naruto only just started at the Ninja Academy?
Minato was broad-minded and didn't think it was a bad thing. After all, strength was what kept you on your feet.
Five days later, Naruto was full of energy again, his exhaustion gone. The amount of chakra in his body had increased considerably.
"Hard work really does pay off. But I revealed some secrets to everyone this time. Mom and Dad must know by now. I wonder what they'll think." Naruto walked out of his room.
Kushina was boiling water. When she saw how refreshed Naruto looked, she smiled. "Naruto, when did you surpass your dad? Don't keep secrets from me anymore."
Naruto felt that nothing had changed. No matter how powerful he became, in his parents' eyes he would always be the child they wanted to protect.
Minato's most powerful technique seemed to be the Flying Thunder God Technique, a Space-Time Ninjutsu invented by the Second Hokage. Under the System's only effect, was the Flying Thunder God Technique still useful?
Naruto wondered suddenly.
It wasn't. The original owner had locked it down. The only way to move between locations was to use chakra to perform the Body Flicker Technique. The original owner could use it to catch opponents off guard in battle.
"Melon-Skin System, this is the first time I've thought you were so adorable."
"Thank you, original owner, for your five-star review."
Naruto opened the refrigerator. There was cooked food and cold side dishes inside. "Mom, did you get the school to excuse my absence?"
Kushina poured him some water. "I left that to your dad."
"Does Dad have time for that? The Hokage's job is so busy. He could easily forget," Naruto said, unconvinced.
At the Hokage Office, Minato suddenly stopped reviewing documents. He felt as though there was something very important he still hadn't done.
On the Ninja Academy's bulletin board:
First to Skip School: Uzumaki Naruto!
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