"No wonder they call you a genius of hard work."
Might Duy patted Sora on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration, then said:
"Since that's the case, I'll demonstrate the next few gates for you."
Guy, who was nearby, also stopped and looked at his father with anticipation:
"Father! I want to see too!"
Might Duy laughed heartily:
"Good! Today, I'll let you witness the true power of the ultimate secret technique of the Might family, the Eight Gates Formation."
As he spoke, he walked to an open space in the center of the riverbank and assumed a starting stance.
"Watch closely. The first four gates of the Eight Gates Formation primarily remove the brain and body's limits, releasing basic physical ability. Starting from the fifth gate is when one truly steps into the extraordinary domain."
Might Duy took a deep breath, and a powerful chakra fluctuation suddenly erupted from his body.
"The First Gate, Gate of Opening, open."
...
...
"The Fifth Gate, Gate of Limit, open."
Boom.
The green energy steam became more intense. Might Duy's skin began to turn red, his blood vessels bulged like earthworms, and the surrounding air began to distort.
"This is the Gate of Limit, located in the abdominal cavity. Once opened, speed and strength are greatly enhanced, far surpassing the sum of the first four gates."
Might Duy said this, then suddenly flashed, instantly appearing before a giant rock ten meters away, and threw a punch.
Bang.
With a loud crash, the boulder taller than a person was shattered by his single punch.
'What incredible power.' Sora's pupils constricted slightly. 'This power is already close to a jonin's full strength attack.'
Might Duy did not stop; the aura around him climbed once more.
"The Sixth Gate, Gate of View, open."
Rumble.
An even more vast chakra burst forth. The green energy steam almost solidified. Might Duy's hair stood on end. The ground around him began to tremble slightly.
"The Gate of View is located in the chest cavity. Once opened, chakra gushes out like a volcanic eruption, granting strength far exceeding conventional limits."
Might Duy let out a low shout and suddenly slammed a fist into the ground.
Boom.
The entire riverbank shook. With his fist as the center, the ground cracked with spider-web-like fissures, spreading out nearly ten meters.
'Is this the Sixth Gate?' Sora was shocked internally. 'This power is already comparable to an A-rank jutsu. And this is just pure physical strength.'
He remembered in the original story, when Guy opened the Sixth Gate, he easily defeated Kisame's clone. It seemed it was truly well-deserved.
"Father is amazing! This is the power of youth."
Guy watched with shining eyes, excitedly gesturing.
Might Duy gasped for breath, the green steam around him slowly receding.
"The Gate of View is usually my limit. Each opening places a huge burden on the muscles and meridians, requiring a long time to recover."
He looked at Sora, his expression serious:
"The Eight Gates Formation becomes more dangerous the further you go. Once the Seventh Gate, Gate of Wonder, is opened, all the blood in the body flows at high speed like a torrent, granting immense power. But the side effects are severe, even shortening lifespan."
"And the Eighth Gate, Gate of Death."
Might Duy paused, his tone heavy:
"Once opened, death is certain. It is power exchanged for life. It should only be used when protecting the most important things."
After speaking, Might Duy's gaze turned gentle, looking at Guy and Sora.
Sora nodded silently. He remembered in the original story, Might Duy opened the Gate of Death, ultimately killing four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, leaving only three members of the original elite seven-man squad, leading to the joking nickname "Three Lucky Treasures."
And now, there were still over three years until the Third Shinobi World War.
That meant the current Might Duy likely could already open the Gate of Death.
Sora looked at Might Duy. This original character who seemed a bit eccentric, the "eternal genin," now carried a tragic hue in Sora's eyes.
'A person who can possess kage-level or even beyond kage-level power at any time, yet is content to be a genin, doing D-rank missions every day. Is this Duy-senpai's ninja way?'
Sora felt deep respect inwardly.
"Duy-senpai, can you open the Seventh Gate?" Sora couldn't help but ask.
Might Duy was stunned for a moment, then showed his trademark smile:
"Of course. Although the burden is great, to show you the pinnacle of youth, I can."
"No need."
Sora quickly interrupted him, speaking rapidly. "The burden of the Seventh Gate is too great. I don't want to see you get hurt for it."
What a joke, having Might Duy open the Seventh Gate for a demonstration. If any aftereffects remained, the loss would be too great.
And also.
Sora keenly sensed that in the distant forest, a faint gaze was watching this place.
Clearly, it was an Anbu sent by Sarutobi Hiruzen to monitor him.
However, Sora didn't mind.
Since the incident in the Land of Grass, he knew his every move in Konoha was under surveillance.
But as long as he didn't expose the true abilities of the Azure Dragon Fruit, nothing else mattered.
Besides, in the original story, it wasn't until Might Duy fought the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to the death and displayed his ability to open the Gate of Death that Sarutobi Hiruzen learned his Eight Gates Formation had reached such a level.
There was no need to expose it prematurely now. Although "with great power comes great responsibility" is common sense, Sora really didn't want Might Duy to attract too much attention from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Once targeted, he would likely be sent on high-risk, high-rank missions. But the Eight Gates Formation secret technique inflicts severe damage on the body with each full opening, even draining life force. He didn't want to see Might Duy pay that price early.
After all, Sora hadn't been brainwashed by the "Will of Fire." For him, the village was far less important than the people around him.
What he cared about were only those people he held in his heart, those he wanted to protect with all his strength.
Might Duy scratched his head:
"Alright, since you say so. Then the demonstration ends here today."
He patted Sora and Guy on the shoulder:
"The Eight Gates Formation is a technique that requires long-term training. It can't be rushed. Your current focus is building a solid foundation. When your bodies are strong enough, then try to impact the higher gates."
"Yes, Father." Guy responded loudly, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "I will train hard and become as strong as you soon."
Sora also nodded:
"I understand. Thank you, Duy-senpai."
...
It is worth mentioning that Guy once again asked to learn the Eight Gates Formation this time.
But facing his son's request, Might Duy did not directly refuse this time. He only said he would teach Guy after he graduated from the Ninja Academy.
Now Guy had been specially enrolled by Sarutobi Hiruzen in April. Sora estimated that Guy would most likely graduate after one year at the Ninja Academy, just like in the original story.
Although Sora didn't know when Guy started training the Eight Gates Formation in the original story, it was definitely not as early as in this timeline.
And people like Yuhi Kurenai and Asuma would stay the full three years, graduating next year, at the end of Konoha year 40.
By then, there would only be two years left until the Third Shinobi World War in year 43.
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