Training Grounds.
Sora silently recalled the original story's settings.
Within the Konoha Anbu, there truly were members who possessed clan Kekkei Genkai like the Byakugan and Sharingan, though their numbers were extremely few. Moreover, the Byakugan was not something typically activated casually within the village. After all, no one liked being seen completely through, inside and out.
His gaze swept over the dense forest at the edge of the training grounds.
The Anbu's surveillance should still be nearby, right? That earlier 'Great Fireball' technique must have already been seen by certain people.
Just as well.
Sora curled the corner of his mouth and turned to walk towards the direction of the orphanage.
Let this "reasonable" disguise become the first layer of protection for hiding his claws.
...
That afternoon, by the small river used for daily training.
"Sora! Put in more effort! Youth does not permit slacking off!"
"Yes, Duy-san!" Sora, sweating profusely, continued doing squats. The special bandages on his body were already soaked through with sweat.
Guy was doing the same training nearby, occasionally stealing glances at Sora.
Ever since witnessing Sora's fight with Uchiha Takumi, Guy's training enthusiasm had burned even brighter.
"Alright, take a ten-minute break!"
Huff! Huff!
Sora plopped down on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Sora." Might Duy suddenly squatted in front of him, his expression unusually serious. "I have something to say to you."
Sora's heart skipped a beat: Could it be...
"I have decided to teach you the Eight Inner Gates."
Just as he thought!!
Yet, Sora did not feel as happy as he imagined he would be.
His purpose in getting close to Might Guy and his father was the 'Eight Inner Gates'. To say he didn't want it now would be a complete lie.
But thinking of how Might Duy had directly activated the "Eight Inner Gates" that morning to ensure Sora wouldn't be harmed by Uchiha Takumi, a thread of guilt inevitably formed in Sora's heart towards the father and son.
Forcing down the thoughts in his mind, Sora feigned calm and asked, "The Eight Inner Gates? What is that?"
Might Duy stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "The Eight Inner Gates is the ultimate taijutsu secret art of the Might clan! It releases power far surpassing the norm by unlocking the eight special points within the human body that restrain chakra!"
Guy excitedly moved closer. "Father! I want to learn it too!"
Might Duy shook his head. "Guy, you're not ready yet. You need to at least be able to complete a thousand consecutive push-ups without getting out of breath first."
Guy immediately deflated. "Yes... Father..."
Sora timely showed a puzzled expression. "Duy-san, why have you suddenly decided to teach me?"
Might Duy patted Sora's shoulder. "Because you have already met the training standard. Your physical fitness has improved rapidly over these two weeks of training. More importantly..."
He paused, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. "You possess willpower far exceeding that of ordinary people! That is the most crucial condition for training the Eight Inner Gates!"
Sora nodded inwardly.
In the original story, the training conditions for the Eight Inner Gates were extremely harsh. It required not only a powerful physical constitution but also unwavering willpower. Otherwise, just the pain during the training process was enough to make a person break down.
"So, shall we start now?" Sora asked impatiently.
Might Duy laughed heartily. "Don't rush it! First, listen to my explanation of the principles."
He drew a simple diagram of a human body on the ground. "Within the human body, there are eight chakra points, located respectively..."
For the next half hour, Might Duy explained the principles and training methods of the Eight Inner Gates in detail.
Sora listened while comparing it with his memories of the original story:
The First Gate, the Gate of Opening: Removes the brain's restrictions on the body's muscles, releasing basic physical ability, causing relatively minor damage to the body. Located at the top of the head.
The Second Gate, the Gate of Healing: Further removes body restrictions, enhancing stamina. Muscles sustain minor strains requiring some recovery time. Located at the temples.
The Third Gate, the Gate of Life: Further enhances bodily functions, increasing the burden on the body. Located at the neck.
...
The Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death: Located at the heart. Opening it grants power surpassing that of a Kage, but death is inevitable.
"The training method is simple." Might Duy held up a finger. "First, use the Youth Breathing Method to guide chakra to impact the point. After success, practice opening and closing it repeatedly until you can control it freely."
Guy listened with shining eyes. "It sounds so amazing!"
Sora, however, frowned. "Duy-san, is impacting the point very dangerous?"
Might Duy's expression turned grave. "Of course it's dangerous! The slightest mistake can rupture your chakra pathways. That's why someone must be present to watch over you in the early stages."
"Don't worry, with me watching over you, nothing will happen to you!"
Sora nodded. He remembered in the original story, Rock Lee nearly became crippled during his training, and it was fortunate Guy was there to save him in time.
"Alright, theory is done. Now let's start the practical part!"
"Sora, first try to impact the First Gate, the Gate of Opening!"
Sora sat down cross-legged, adjusting his breathing according to the method taught by Might Duy. As the "Youth Breathing Method" circulated, he felt the chakra within his body begin to gather towards the top of his head.
"Concentrate! Imagine the chakra impacting the point like a drill!" Might Duy instructed from the side.
Sora closed his eyes and focused, controlling his chakra to launch an impact towards the "Gate of Opening" at the top of his head.
Ugh!!
A sharp pain suddenly struck, and Sora couldn't help but groan. It felt like someone was hammering the top of his skull.
"Hang in there! The first impact is the hardest!" Might Duy's voice came through.
Sora gritted his teeth and persevered. He knew this was a necessary process.
One minute...
Three minutes...
Ten minutes...
Boom!!!
Sora felt as if a roar like a great gate opening echoed in his mind.
"Success!" Might Duy shouted joyfully.
Sora opened his eyes, feeling the world had become different.
The sounds around him were clearer, his thinking was more agile, and even his control over his body felt more effortless.
Sora tried moving his fingers and murmured, "Is this the effect of 'Opening the Gate'?"
Might Duy nodded with satisfaction. "Good! Succeeding on the first try, truly a genius of hard work!"
Guy watched on with envious, shining eyes. "Sora! How does it feel?"
"Very strange." Sora smiled. "It's like... a lock in my brain was opened."
Might Duy clapped his hands. "Alright, that's enough for today. For the next week, you only need to practice opening and closing it. Once you've fully adapted, then you can impact the Second Gate."
Sora nodded. He understood the principle of not biting off more than one could chew. The Eight Inner Gates must be practiced step by step.
On the way back to the orphanage, Sora analyzed as he walked:
"'Opening the Gate' mainly increases basic physical ability. Limbs feel lighter, and reaction speed improves too."
"After opening the 'Gate of Healing', stamina will greatly increase, and training efficiency will also improve."
"However..."
Sora remembered the side effects of the Eight Inner Gates from the original story. Even just opening the first three gates caused damage to the muscles. Long-term activation could even lead to muscle breakdown.
"Fortunately, I have the Azure Dragon Fruit's recovery ability. The physical side effects from just opening the Gate have already recovered in this short while."
As expected, his conjecture was correct.
Eight Inner Gates + Azure Dragon Fruit. This combination was simply perfect!