Konoha.
The Outdoor Training Ground.
"First gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
"First gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
Two sharp cries rang out.
At the center of the training ground, two boys of seven or eight stood in horse stances, shouting at the top of their lungs.
The initial training for the Eight Gates Released Formation was not difficult. The difficulty lay in persistence and continued conditioning down the line, so Might Duy's instruction did not take long.
Once he finished explaining the principles of the Eight Gates Released Formation and its basic training methods,
Mu Feng and Guy eagerly began trying it out.
Chakra surged within their bodies, and with sharp cries, they both tried to open the first gate.
With their current Taijutsu abilities, they could easily withstand whatever side effects opening the first gate might cause.
That was precisely why Might Duy had needed to test their Taijutsu.
Forcing a gate open would cause tremendous damage to the body.
Yet after dozens of attempts, neither Guy nor Mu Feng had grasped the key to opening it.
Forget opening the first gate-they had not even figured out where the chakra points were located.
And at this very moment, Mu Feng's system had gone mostly silent.
Looks like I guessed right. This body's original owner didn't have much physical talent!
But judging by Guy, he hasn't felt anything either!
This Eight Gates Released Formation really isn't easy to train...
Mu Feng had not even finished grumbling to himself when-
"Eight Gates Released Formation, first gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
Guy's cry rang out beside him. This time, with a sudden rush, an aura actually burst from Guy's body.
Although it dispersed as soon as it appeared, Mu Feng had definitely felt it.
"All right! I've found the chakra point!"
"Now I'll push straight through in one go!"
"Eight Gates Released Formation, first gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
Guy clenched his fists at his waist, psyching himself up.
Beside him, Mu Feng's eyes went wide.
Holy shit, Guy really lived up to his reputation!
He figured out the trick to opening the gate that quickly.
Compared to him, my Taijutsu talent is complete garbage!
If it weren't for the system, I'd probably...
[Ding!]
As Mu Feng grumbled inwardly, the system suddenly chimed again.
[Your complaints hurt your 'Taijutsu talent.' It was so upset that it cried!] [Because you wounded your 'Taijutsu talent,' your 'Taijutsu talent' has blackened!] [Your 'Taijutsu talent' has increased to S rank!] [Ding! Congratulations on successfully mastering the forbidden technique-Eight Gates Released Formation!]
The system notifications startled Mu Feng, then filled him with delight.
Holy crap, that actually worked!
Mu Feng's eyes lit up.
A moment later, he too settled into a horse stance.
"Eight Gates Released Formation, first gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
Whoosh-
As his sharp cry rang out, the chakra within Mu Feng instantly broke through the Gate of Opening and surged through his body. A wave of air erupted outward from within him, roaring as it spread.
The first gate, the Gate of Opening, had successfully opened!
"Mu Feng, did you do it?"
"He's keeping it open! He did it!"
Seeing Mu Feng's aura swell, Might Duy and Guy immediately turned toward him with curiosity and shock.
Mu Feng carefully took stock of his body.
After opening the Gate of Opening, he felt that his strength had more than doubled. He also felt far more alert, as though his body held an inexhaustible supply of energy.
At the same time, he felt no obvious discomfort, which left him a little curious.
System, how many gates can I open at most right now?
[Host, your mastery of the Eight Gates Released Formation is currently at the beginner level. You can presently open up to the third gate, the 'Gate of Life'!]
I can open up to the third gate?
Mu Feng was delighted by the system's answer.
Excitement welled up inside him, and he immediately tried it out.
"Eight Gates Released Formation, second gate, Gate of Healing, open!"
He let out a fierce shout.
Chakra surged through his body, and an even stronger wave of air blasted toward Guy beside him.
Guy hurried several steps to the side. His gaze grew even more astonished, and his admiration for Mu Feng deepened!
Mu Feng is so strong! He can already open the second gate!
I have to work hard and keep up with him!
"The second gate!" Might Duy was startled too. "This boy has such incredible talent for Taijutsu!"
But before Might Duy even finished speaking-
"Third gate, Gate of Life, open!"
Another fierce shout from Mu Feng rang across the training ground.
As the third gate opened, the air surging around Mu Feng grew even more violent, and his body began turning red.
A layer of green energy wreathed his body, while his wild chakra seemed powerful enough to leave anyone nearby struggling to breathe.
At the sight, Guy froze in place, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Just like Naruto and the others when they first saw Rock Lee open three gates during the Chunin Ninja Exams, only one word filled his mind: strong, strong, and beyond strong-strong.
"That's... the third gate!"
Might Duy was dumbfounded too!
It was the first time he had ever seen someone open three gates after less than half an hour of training in the Eight Gates Released Formation.
Just how talented is he?
I've heard there's a young genius named Kakashi in Guy's class. Is another genius about to emerge now?
Might Duy stared in shock at the green light surrounding Mu Feng, then turned his gaze to Guy.
Being in the same class as a genius like this!
Was that good fortune for his son, or misfortune?
"All right, Mu Feng has already opened the third gate!"
"I absolutely can't give up either!"
Once the shock passed, Mu Feng's performance only spurred Guy on.
A moment later, Guy settled into a horse stance.
"Eight Gates Released Formation, first gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
"Eight Gates Released Formation..."
"Eight Gates..."
Watching Guy, Might Duy smiled knowingly once more.
Feeling the tremendous power within him after opening three gates in succession, Mu Feng began testing it out.
With a shift of his body, he vanished from the spot in an instant, as though he had used the Body Flicker Technique.
A moment later, he appeared before a tree outside the training ground.
His right leg lashed out like a whip!
Bang!
The tree before him, as thick as a man's waist, snapped cleanly in half under his kick, as though a battle-axe had cleaved through it. The result was astonishing.
Even Mu Feng was startled by what he had done.
Holy crap, it's this powerful!
My speed and strength have both more than doubled!
With my Sharingan on top of that... even an ordinary Chunin probably wouldn't stand a chance against me now!
And with the system, I can train the Eight Gates Released Formation and other ninjutsu through blackening!
Most importantly, my Taijutsu talent has already blackened to S rank. My future Taijutsu training is bound to go much better than it does now!
Learning the Eight Gates Released Formation this time really paid off!
After testing his strength and speed, Mu Feng deactivated the Eight Gates Released Formation to be safe.
His face was already wreathed in smiles, but on second thought, he felt this still was not enough.
Right, it definitely isn't enough!
Right now, I only have the Eight Gates Released Formation. In the future, I have to learn the Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo, Chidori, and Rasengan too!
And I have a feeling the Blackening System does far more than simply increase proficiency and levels!
Later on, it's bound to have even more powerful ways to enhance ninjutsu!
Clenching his fist, Mu Feng once again felt full of confidence in the future.
Just then-
[Ding!] [Congratulations, host! You automatically learned the forbidden technique-Eight Gates Released Formation and earned 100 blackening points!]
The system notification suddenly rang out, making Mu Feng's head jerk as he paused in surprise.
Blackening points? What are those?
Before you continue