After the Third Gate, the Gate of Life, was opened, the Eight Gates' purpose shifted from helping a ninja perfectly control his own strength to squeezing the body to increase his speed and attack power.
The wild, uncontrollable Chakra that began surging around the body was the best proof of that.
After opening the Gate of Life, Kawaki Aoba was already showing signs of injury. With Might Duy standing nearby, he couldn't exactly pull out a red potion, so he quickly closed the Eight Gates.
As for Might Duy, he was completely numb.
Aoba could even clearly sense the disappointment radiating from him.
How could Duy not feel crushed when he watched a child no older than his own son master the Eight Gates—something Duy had spent most of his life learning—at the pace of one gate a day?
The fact that he hadn't been left so dispirited that he lost all confidence in himself was already remarkable.
Still, Might Duy was the kind of man who could take other people's mockery as encouragement. He quickly returned to his usual, youthful self and gave Aoba a thumbs-up.
"That's the spirit of youth, Aoba! You've even learned the Eight Gates so quickly. You're sure to become an incredible ninja one day. Now, let's get started on the proper way to open the Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain!"
Just like the previous day, Aoba's performance was merely average. In front of Might Duy, he didn't even try to open the gate.
It wasn't until that evening, after he had returned home alone, that Aoba began practicing with a bottle of red potion in his system.
After trying again and again, however, Aoba realized that he couldn't open the Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain, because his Chakra supply lacked the staying