Inheritance of the Eight Gates Released Formation

He bent down with difficulty, braced both hands on the ground, and began doing one-handed handstand push-ups.

"One... two... three..."

Every movement was excruciatingly difficult. The muscles in his arms trembled violently, as if they might tear apart at any moment.

Sweat dripped onto the ground and quickly soaked a patch of earth.

His vision began to blur, and his consciousness started to scatter.

Several times, he nearly toppled headfirst to the ground.

But with his powerful will, he pushed himself back up again and again.

The mocking voices around him had long since vanished, replaced by silence.

Those who had originally come to watch the fun were now staring dumbfounded at this five-year-old child, disbelief written all over their faces.

"Nine hundred ninety-eight... nine hundred ninety-nine... one thousand!"

When the final push-up was done, Arashi could no longer hold himself up. His arm went weak, and he crashed heavily to the ground, losing consciousness completely.

But before he blacked out, the corner of his mouth curved into a satisfied smile.

He had done it!

Might Duy quickly stepped forward, checked Arashi's breathing, then examined his condition. After finding that it was only exhaustion and extreme muscle fatigue, with nothing serious wrong, he finally let out a breath of relief.

He looked at Arashi, who lay unconscious on the ground, with complicated eyes.

There was surprise, admiration, and also a deep thread of worry.

This child possessed a tenacious will and terrifying physical potential unlike anything he had ever seen.

"Father, he..." Might Guy also ran over, looking at Arashi with some concern.

"He passed the test," Might Duy said slowly, a trace of emotion in his voice. "Guy, did you see that? This is true youth! For a goal, he cast everything aside and challenged his limits!"

Might Guy nodded hard, his eyes shining with worship. "Mm! Arashi is amazing! He's a true partner of youth!"

Might Duy carefully picked Arashi up and said to Guy, "Let's take him back to rest first. When he wakes up, I'll fulfill my promise."

Holding Arashi, he turned and walked toward his home.

Sunlight fell across his back, as if it, too, had taken on an unyielding glow.

The people around them silently watched them leave. Not one of them let out another word of ridicule.

This six-year-old Uchiha brat had used his actions to slap them hard in the face.

After an unknown amount of time, Arashi woke from his deep sleep. Sunlight spilled through the window into the room, warm and gentle.

He stretched. The muscles all over his body were still somewhat sore, but more than that, he felt an exhilarating sense of release.

"Awake?" Might Duy walked in with a steaming bowl of porridge, a gentle smile on his face.

"Mm." Arashi sat up and took the bowl. "Thank you."

He really was starving, and began wolfing it down.

Might Duy watched him from the side, smiling with his eyes as he said:

"I'll start teaching you the basic theory of the Eight Gates Released Formation today."

"However, you must remember, no matter when it is, you must never rush for quick results."

"The body is the foundation. Once the foundation is damaged, even the strongest power is nothing more than flowers in a mirror and the moon on water."

Arashi nodded while drinking the porridge. "I understand."

Just then, a faint sound suddenly came from outside the door.

Might Duy's expression changed slightly, and his eyes instantly became alert.

"Who is it?"

A low voice came from outside the door. "Hidden Leaf Village Anbu. We have a mission to relay to Uchiha Arashi."

Arashi raised an eyebrow. Anbu? Faster than expected.

Sure enough, the Third Hokage had not kept him waiting for long.

Might Duy got up and opened the door. Standing outside were two Anbu members in black bodysuits and animal masks, their bodies giving off an icy aura.

One of them looked at Arashi.

"Uchiha Arashi. By order of Lord Hokage, you are to head to the border in one week and begin carrying out a mission."

"The specific mission details are in this mission scroll."

One week... Arashi sighed inwardly.

That was much less learning time than he had estimated. It seemed he would have to hurry even more in mastering the Eight Gates Released Formation.

"I understand," Arashi said without asking further.

He knew clearly why he had volunteered. The mission coming quickly suited him just fine; it was only a pity that the time had been compressed so much.

The Anbu member handed over the scroll. "This is your identification and mission file."

Arashi took the scroll and gripped it in his hand. The Anbu's order represented the Hokage's will, and there was no need to question it.

After the Anbu left, Might Duy closed the door and turned back to look at him, his gaze complicated.

"The border... that place isn't peaceful. Are you really going?"

"Of course." Arashi took a deep breath, his eyes firm.

"I'm a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. Carrying out missions is my duty. Besides,"

the corner of his mouth curved with fighting spirit, "that's where the battles that can make me stronger quickly are."

Only, from the look of things now, he had to master the Gate of Opening and the Gate of Rest within one week. Otherwise, once he reached the border and faced enemies who had fought countless battles, he might not even get a chance to strike.

A sense of urgency instantly surged up in his heart.

After the Anbu left, "Mr. Might Duy," Arashi looked at Might Duy, his tone urgent, "teach me the Eight Gates Released Formation starting now! I don't have time to waste!"

Might Duy looked at the resolve in his eyes and his hunger for strength. After a moment of silence, he nodded.

"All right. We begin now."

"The core of the Eight Gates Released Formation is opening the 'gates' of the human body."

"The human body has eight 'gates' that restrict chakra flow: the Gate of Opening, Gate of Rest, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Wonder, and Gate of Death."

"Every gate opened releases stronger power, but the burden on the body also rises drastically."

He paused.

"The Gate of Opening is located in the brain's central nervous system. Once opened, it removes the brain's restrictions on the body and allows the body to unleash one hundred percent of its strength."

"This is the foundation, and also the most important step."

"What you need to do now is sense and open the Gate of Opening."

Might Duy began explaining in detail how to sense chakra and guide chakra to strike the Gate of Opening's point.

Arashi listened with extreme seriousness, engraving every detail into his heart.

"I understand. I'll start now!" Arashi sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and sensed the chakra in his body.

His Saiyan physique made his perception of energy far surpass that of ordinary people, and very soon, he sensed that warm flow of chakra.

He carefully guided the chakra along the route Might Duy had described, sending it rushing toward the Gate of Opening point in the brain's central nervous system.

"Buzz..." When the chakra struck the point, Arashi felt only a stabbing pain in his head, as if something were blocking it.

"It's impossible to succeed on the first try," Might Duy's voice rang out. "The 'gates' are the body's natural limitations. It requires extremely strong willpower and precise control. Keep trying. Don't give up."

Arashi clenched his teeth and struck again and again.

Time passed. In the room, only his heavy breathing and the faint sound of chakra flowing remained.

After an unknown amount of time, just as his mind and body were nearing their limits, a soft crack like shattering glass rang out in his mind.

An unprecedented sense of power swept through his entire body! His body became light, his five senses exceptionally sharp, and everything around him seemed to slow down.

"I succeeded?" Arashi opened his eyes in surprise.

Might Duy revealed a gratified smile. "Mm. You opened the Gate of Opening. But this is only the beginning. You need to become familiar with the power of the opened Gate of Opening state and learn to control it, or else you'll easily hurt yourself in battle."

Arashi stood and moved his arms and legs, clearly feeling the explosive power inside him.

He threw a light punch, bringing up a whistling wind. His speed and strength had risen by far more than one level compared to before!

"So strong!"

He was shaken to the core. This was only the Gate of Opening. How terrifying would the later gates be?

His desire for the Eight Gates Released Formation became even stronger.

"Mr. Might Duy, what's next?"

Might Duy shook his head. "That's all for today. Although the Gate of Opening is the foundation, it still places quite a burden on the body. You've only just opened the gate, so you need to adapt. Overtraining will only have the opposite effect."

Though Arashi was unwilling, he also knew Might Duy was right. More haste, less speed.

"All right."

"Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to stabilize the Gate of Opening state, as well as the method for sensing the Gate of Rest," Might Duy said. "You only have one week. We have to fight for every second."

"Mm!" Arashi nodded heavily.