Ryosuke didn't beat around the bush—he stated his purpose outright. There was no need for tricks with someone like Might Guy. If there was anyone in Konoha who could never be accused of scheming, it was him.
Guy wasn't like others who played games of politics and intrigue.
But when he heard Ryosuke's request, his expression turned grave. The Eight Inner Gates technique inevitably brought back memories of his father.
Four years ago, during the war between Konoha and the Hidden Mist, Guy had still been a mere Genin. He and his comrades—Genma Shiranui and Ebisu—had been surrounded by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
To save them, Guy's father had opened the Eight Gates Formation, killing four of the Seven Swordsmen on the spot. He rescued the three young ninja, but in the end, his life was consumed by the gates, his vitality burned away until death claimed him.
Guy's father had been a great man.
Naturally, Guy aspired to inherit that same will—to protect what mattered to him, to defend the village.
Shaking off his memories, he turned to Ryosuke.
"Why do you know about the Eight Inner Gates?"
The question caught Ryosuke off guard. After all, the Uchiha clan had also fought in the Third Great Ninja War against the Mist. How could something as monumental as Might Duy killing four of the Seven Swordsmen have gone unnoticed?
"Why wouldn't I know?"
Seeing Guy's stern expression, Ryosuke began to wonder if he was unwilling to teach him. But then, hadn't Kakashi also learned the Eight Gates in the original timeline? And although Ryosuke had only been with Guy for just over a month, their bond was real.
The smile Guy wore when facing him was no fake—unlike Uchiha Itachi's hollow mask.
Guy quickly pieced together the truth. After all, Ryosuke was from the Uchiha clan. Even if the Third Hokage had sealed the incident, the clan had its own intelligence network.
Guy laughed lightly.
"Ah, I almost forgot—you're the grandson of the Uchiha Great Elder. Even if Lord Hokage ordered the matter sealed, the Uchiha would still have ways of knowing."
The words clicked in Ryosuke's mind. No wonder those arrogant clansmen sneered at Guy—they had no idea what he and his family had done, because the truth had been buried by Hiruzen.
As for why the Hokage would suppress such an event? Ryosuke didn't know. He chose not to dwell on it—there were far too many things in this village he didn't understand.
Just like Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. Hiruzen claimed to want to protect him, but somehow his Jinchūriki identity had leaked to the entire village, leaving Naruto hated and shunned.
It wasn't entirely the villagers' fault—they had lost many loved ones during the Nine-Tails' attack. But the real hypocrisy was that only Naruto's Jinchūriki status was revealed—his identity as the Fourth Hokage's son was conveniently kept secret.
Ryosuke pressed the matter again.
"Guy, will you teach me?"
Guy's expression hardened further.
"Ryosuke, I don't know how you learned of this, but the Gates, while powerful, also destroy the body. And if you open the final, the Eighth Gate… death is certain."
Ryosuke, however, showed no fear.
He possessed a body far stronger than ordinary shinobi, one that grew tougher every day.
The Eight Inner Gates—such a forbidden art couldn't possibly grant strength without a price. The toll on the body was only natural.
After all, no one could gain immense power for free.
Kage-level power was already among the highest in the shinobi world. To open the Eight Gates and leap into dozens of times that strength—sacrificing your life—was hardly unreasonable.
But Ryosuke had his own reasons to learn.
His gaze firmed.
"Even if this technique is dangerous, I must learn it."
He had already tried—unsuccessfully—to sway Itachi's way of thinking. If Itachi couldn't be turned, then he would have to rely on his own power.
The clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, was a coward. On the night of the massacre, he hadn't even fought—he had bowed his head and let his own son kill him. That was nothing but disgrace.
In this clan, Ryosuke still had people he needed to protect. His grandfather, who looked exactly like the man he had loved in his past life. And Izumi, the bright, kind girl whose death would be a tragic waste—she hadn't even had the chance to fully experience life as a woman.
Guy noticed the unwavering resolve in Ryosuke's eyes. It was the same look his father had carried, the gaze of someone ready to protect what mattered most.
The young Uchiha clearly had something worth defending.
Guy nodded firmly.
"I will teach you the Eight Gates."
He was well aware of the tension between Konoha's leaders and the Uchiha. But after more than a month together, he trusted Ryosuke's character. His instinct told him this boy wasn't someone who would endanger the village.
And if Ryosuke ever strayed, Guy would open the Gates himself to drag him back.
"Thank you."
Guy smiled faintly.
"Training in the Gates can't be done here. It's too dangerous. We'll need another place."
Ryosuke agreed without hesitation.
The two made their way to the top of the Hokage Monument, where a vast open field stretched across the cliffs.
Guy felt satisfied. This was the same place he had once trained Kakashi in the Gates. Now, he would pass the knowledge to another comrade.
Here, there was nothing to damage—perfect for training in something as destructive as the Gates.
Guy stood tall, looking Ryosuke in the eye.
"Let me explain what the Eight Gates are."
"The Eight Inner Gates are limiters in the body's chakra pathways. They regulate and restrict chakra flow to prevent the body from tearing itself apart."
"There are eight: 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."
"By unlocking them, a shinobi can forcibly surpass the body's natural limits, drawing out power tenfold beyond their normal peak."
"But in exchange, the body suffers damage. That is why this art is forbidden—why the Third Hokage ordered it sealed. He feared shinobi would abuse it, destroying their health and weakening Konoha's forces in the long run."
Ryosuke understood now why so few in the village knew the technique, despite its terrifying might.
Guy then pointed out the physical locations of the eight limiters within the body.
The Gate of Opening and the Gate of Rest lay on either side of the brain. The Gates of Life, Pain, Limit, View, and Wonder ran down the torso.
When he reached the Gate of Death, Guy hesitated.
The image of his father's charred, burning body still haunted him.
Ryosuke waited patiently for him to continue.
Finally, Guy spoke, his voice heavy.
"The last gate, the Gate of Death… once opened, death is certain. I don't know if I should teach you this one. If you learn it, will you still open it?"
"Yes."
Ryosuke didn't hesitate.
He knew the risk. But if his body grew strong enough, perhaps he could survive it. At the very least, it was better to know than not. He wouldn't throw his life away recklessly—but knowledge was a weapon.
Guy sighed, then pressed a fist to his chest.
"The Gate of Death is here, at the heart. Once opened, death is inevitable. Promise me you won't open it lightly."
Ryosuke nodded.
"Don't worry. I don't plan on throwing my life away."
Guy continued his explanation.
"The Gates are powerful, but not easy to master. Training them is both dangerous and grueling. It took me ten years to reach the point where I can open the Fifth Gate."
"Your body is stronger than mine. If you're willing to endure the hardship, you might catch up to me in five years."
Ryosuke almost groaned aloud.
Five years? He didn't have that kind of time. The massacre was less than three years away. Without the Gates, he'd have no trump card against Itachi.
Even if he somehow convinced Itachi, the conflict between Konoha's elders and the Uchiha would still explode.
With Danzō, there was no avoiding it. The man had inherited the Second Hokage's hatred, convinced the Uchiha were born evil. No amount of persuasion—not even Naruto's legendary "Talk-no-Jutsu"—could change that.
And Hiruzen, who turned a blind eye and allowed Danzō's schemes, was no less ruthless.
Ryosuke refused to spend years learning. He needed the Gates now.
But he kept his thoughts to himself.
"To reach your level in five years? You're overestimating me."
Guy grinned earnestly.
"If I hadn't seen your progress with my own eyes, I wouldn't dare say it. But I believe in you."
"Now—watch closely as I open the First Gate, the Gate of Opening."
Ryosuke activated his Sharingan, carefully tracking Guy's chakra flow.
He had to memorize every detail.
Guy noticed the eyes, and his chest tightened with envy. He had forgotten—Ryosuke could literally see chakra pathways. He would learn far faster than Guy ever could.
That was the gift of genius.
Guy clenched his fists, molding chakra. He forced it toward the side of his brain—the location of the Gate of Opening.
A vein bulged on his forehead as he powered through.
"This is the First Gate, the Gate of Opening," he explained. "It removes the brain's limiter, allowing you to unleash one hundred percent of your body's strength. It overclocks your energy consumption, boosting speed and power."
Ryosuke could feel the surge of pressure radiating off him.
Guy smiled.
"Ryosuke, with your Sharingan, you must have seen clearly how I did it."
Kakashi had copied thousands of jutsu with that eye. Ryosuke, a true Uchiha, was even better suited to it.
Ryosuke nodded, then asked the critical question.
"I saw. But once opened, how do you close it?"
The veins stood out on Guy's face—surely this couldn't be maintained for long.
Guy chuckled.
"That's the easy part. Stop molding chakra. Without chakra holding it open, the Gate shuts on its own."
He released his chakra, and sure enough, the vein subsided, his forehead returning to normal.
Ryosuke's Sharingan saw it all clearly.
So simple—the real challenge was forcing the Gate open in the first place.
"I understand. Let me try."
He mimicked Guy, fists clenched, molding chakra and forcing it toward the brain's left side.
At first, it was like slamming against a wall. The resistance was immense.
This was the Gate's natural limiter.
He pushed harder, forcing chakra against it again and again. Finally, the Gate cracked open the smallest fraction.
But before he could celebrate, searing pain stabbed through his head.
Agony like needles piercing his brain.
The pain ripped a gasp from him, forcing him to stop. The Gate slammed shut, leaving only the memory of that stabbing torment.
He staggered, clutching his head, grimacing.
The Gate of Opening lay at the side of the brain. And opening it was torture.