Everyone stood frozen, staring at Might Duy's corpse.
Uchiha Haru murmured, "This is the so-called 'eternal genin'?"
"…Isn't he even stronger than the Hokage?"
The others nodded in agreement.
That final technique had been utterly terrifying. Everyone here knew how durable the arena floor was, none of their previous full-power attacks had even scratched it. But Duy had left a crater.
If that had landed on a person instead of the ground, they'd be reduced to dust.
"We should head out too," said Yuki Seisui, glancing around at everyone. Without hesitation, he drew his blade and plunged it into his chest.
His vision went black instantly. It felt as though he were sinking into an endless abyss, until, in the distance, a single point of light emerged.
He ran toward it like it was his only lifeline. The moment he reached it, his consciousness snapped back.
He was now in his soul form, floating within the arena space.
This was his first time dying in the training realm.
Since the others were still in the arena, he hadn't returned to the real world yet.
Soon, one after another, the rest began "dying" as well, their virtual deaths causing them to exit the simulation.
To them, it was as ordinary as eating or drinking, no big deal at all.
A while later, they all reappeared outside.
Might Duy was the first to react. After checking his body, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"The Eight Inner Gates are the real deal!"
"I did it!"
Yuki Seisui said nothing, watching him quietly from the side.
He understood now, what the Eight Inner Gates truly were.
The technique forcibly removed the body's natural limits on chakra, unleashing all its stored energy:
Gate of Opening: Releases the brain's limiters, allowing 100% of physical power to be used.
Gate of Rest: Pushes past fatigue to regain stamina at the cost of intense strain.
Gate of Life: The body starts turning red from increased blood flow, marking the last "safe" stage. Emits green energy.
Gate of Pain: Damage begins. Crossing into true danger zone.
Gate of Limit: Speed increases so much it disturbs the surrounding air.
Gate of View: Allows a semi-open state, maintaining green energy while minimizing damage. Can go full power instantly if needed.
Gate of Wonder: Last gate before the final one. The body emits blue steam from evaporating sweat. Even light contact becomes excruciating. A single punch could cripple an enemy.
Gate of Death: Blood begins to evaporate, releasing red steam. Power surpasses the Five Kage by many times. Capable of generating vacuum shockwaves powerful enough to distort space.
The ultimate burst of life force, all at once.
This... was the Eight Inner Gates.
A warrior's final, romantic flourish.
"Uncle Duy, could you teach me this?" Seisui asked solemnly.
Might Duy grinned. "Of course! If any of you want to learn, I'll teach you all!"
"But!" His expression turned serious. "This technique does tremendous damage to the body. Especially the eighth gate. Once you open it… death is guaranteed."
"So if you want to train in the Eight Gates, be prepared to die."
"I'm ready!" Seisui shouted without hesitation.
Minato followed suit. Both he and Seisui were from civilian families. Seisui was a little better off, his family owned a few low-level jutsu scrolls. But having another trump card like this could save their lives in battle. Even if they didn't use it lightly, it was worth learning.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio exchanged glances, then nodded. The Eight Gates wouldn't interfere with their clan techniques. If anything, it could complement them.
So naturally, they accepted.
As for Uchiha Haru?
She didn't hesitate for a second.
Having witnessed Duy's overwhelming strength, her eyes were practically glowing with anticipation.
"Alright then!" Might Duy said with a laugh.
"Let me show you what I've spent over a decade developing!"
The group dove back into the arena for a new round of training, this time with one goal in mind:
Master the Eight Gates.
This was no ordinary jutsu, it was a direct path to raw power. The perfect trump card.
Especially inside the arena, where training speed was doubled, it was the ideal place to practice.
With the frontlines temporarily at peace, the village declared a full month of vacation. A rare respite.
During that month, the team made solid progress.
Most of them had reached the first gate, the Gate of Opening. While more advanced gates were possible, Duy advised restraint. Their bodies were still growing. Overexerting themselves now might shorten their lifespan or damage their future potential.
The first gate, after all, only removed mental limiters, it simply allowed them to use their existing strength to the fullest.
It didn't risk harm.
==========
Back in the classroom, Seisui sat near the usual suspects:
Behind him were the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, beside him was Minato, and off to the side, Inuzuka Ryo was playing with his new puppy.
His clan had gifted him a little black dog over the break, which he had lovingly named "Kuro." The two were now inseparable.
As Seisui stared out the window, contemplating whether to skip class, the door creaked open.
Yamanaka Yukio stepped in, his gaze briefly landing on Seisui before clearing his throat.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Sensei!"
Ino nodded in satisfaction. "First day of the new term, and I've already got someone to call out."
Seisui immediately sat up straight.
Let's see which poor sucker got singled out.
"Yuki Seisui!"
"…Huh?!"
Ino narrowed his eyes. "You placed dead last in last month's exam."
Seisui's face went blank. He pointed at himself in disbelief.
"Me? Last place?!"
"Sensei, I object!"
He was fuming. He had copied Minato's answers on the written exam, and for the combat assessment, he'd even sent his clone to fight!
Wait…
Didn't his clone try flirting with Uchiha Haru… and get blown up?
Which meant…
He never actually participated in the combat portion.
"No objections?" Yukio scoffed.
"You didn't even put your name on your test paper, and you skipped the combat exam."
"If you're not dead last, then who is?"
Defeated, Seisui slumped in his seat.
"Hahaha! What'd I say?" Inuzuka Ryo shot up, laughing. "There's no way a guy like Seisui could ever compete with me for the title of Hokage!"
"Sit down!" Yukio snapped, a stress vein popping on his forehead.
"You were second to last! What gives you the right to mock him?!"
Ryo awkwardly sat back down, thoug
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h he still shot a smug look at Seisui, as if to say,
I'm still ahead of you.
With that out of the way, Yukio waved toward the door.
A little red-haired girl stepped into the room.
"Class, we have a new student joining us today."