After buying all the groceries at the market, Natsuki returned straight to the ninja tool shop.
The shop owner—his father-in-law—only gave him a single glance, said nothing, and pretended to mind the store. But clearly, he was waiting for something.
Natsuki almost couldn't hold back a laugh. This man was a total girl-dad. Of course he cared deeply about his daughter. But ever since Natsuki showed up, Tenten had started keeping certain things from her father.
Especially after graduating and becoming a genin, she barely shared anything about her ninja life at the dinner table.
The shop owner was worried but too proud to ask. His only hope for information was Natsuki.
Natsuki smiled. "Hey, pops—I went to check. Tenten's team leader is really impressive—an elite jōnin from the village named Might Guy. He might look a bit eccentric, but he's passionate, sincere, and cares a lot about his students. Also, Tenten's teammates are very strong. One of them is a prodigy from the Hyūga clan, and the other one's great in frontline combat."
He added, "Since Tenten is exceptional at throwing ninja tools, her team formation usually has the two teammates in the front while she provides support from the rear. So there's really no danger."
The shop owner gave a small nod of approval.
Having an elite jōnin as their team leader was indeed reassuring.
And knowing a Hyūga prodigy was one of her teammates made things even safer.
After so many days of worry, he could finally breathe a little easier. But soon after, he felt a pang of sadness. His once-sweet daughter used to tell him everything about her school life—but now she wouldn't even talk about her ninja work.
It was all this brat Natsuki's fault!
The shop owner shot Natsuki a glare. "Got it. Now go cook—Tenten should be back soon!"
Natsuki, of course, didn't argue with his father-in-law. He picked up the groceries and headed to the kitchen. He had no time for a staring contest—he was itching to check out the Eight Gates scroll.
Rice on the stove, stew simmering—finally, he had his hands free.
Without hesitation, he took out the Eight Gates scroll and opened it with trembling hands.
The thing he had been dreaming of for so long… was finally in his hands!
Inside was a diagram of the human body, pinpointing the locations of the eight gates along the chakra pathway—from top to bottom: 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.
Beside the diagram, there were detailed notes on the technique to open each gate.
This was a method to release the body's natural chakra restraints, allowing the user to explode with several times—or even dozens of times—their original power.
It honestly felt more broken than the Kaiōken from Dragon Ball.
Interestingly, everyone had these eight gates. As long as one's physical strength reached a certain level, anyone could learn the Eight Gates Formation. The first three gates were relatively safe—they only caused fatigue after use, not physical damage.
Starting from the fourth gate, however, the body would suffer increasing levels of injury. As for the eighth and final gate—once it was opened, you'd gain terrifying power… at the cost of certain death.
Putting aside the Death Gate, the first seven were already more than worth it. By enduring the pressure and injuries, one could exchange it for overwhelming strength.
"Tenten's body has been strengthened by years of electric stimulation. Her physical durability isn't bad. Opening the third gate should be no problem. Paired with her ninja tools, she should be more than capable of fighting elite jōnin."
"But I'll need to remind her: only open the first three gates—nothing beyond that. Just in case, I'll give her two Senzu Beans. If she's forced to go beyond, she can do it as a last resort—but must eat a Senzu Bean afterward to recover."
Sigh, being a boyfriend really takes a toll on the heart.
Natsuki muttered to himself while thinking about his own situation.
When he had sparred with Guy in pure taijutsu, he felt the gap—Guy was still far superior, not just in combat experience, but also in sheer physical durability.
Which made sense. Guy had trained his body relentlessly since childhood, for decades without pause. Even with a cheat-like gravity training room, it was hard to surpass that kind of dedication in just a few years—especially since Natsuki was still only eleven.
That said, Natsuki's current physique was already extremely strong. If he opened the seventh gate, he could absolutely reach Kage-level combat power!
"Still not enough! That's not what I'm aiming for! At the very least—by the time the Fourth Great Ninja War arrives—I want to be strong enough to kick Madara's Six Paths form to death with just the seventh gate!"
"My body's only eleven right now. After I graduate next year, I won't have to hold back physically. I'll max out gravity training, push my limits daily, and burn through Senzu Beans if I have to. I don't believe I can't make it!"
Natsuki set his goals firmly and read through the scroll again.
…
Besides the human diagram and gate-opening techniques, the scroll also included several moves—like Konoha Senpū (Leaf Whirlwind), Konoha Dai Senpū (Leaf Great Whirlwind), Omote Renge (Front Lotus), Ura Renge (Reverse Lotus), Asa Kujaku (Morning Peacock), Hirudora (Daytime Tiger), and more.
But there were no records of Sekizō (Evening Elephant) or Yagai (Night Guy)—those were moves that required the Death Gate. Perhaps Guy didn't dare to write them down—or maybe he hadn't unlocked them yet.
Some things, after all, could only be understood when one reached that level. The moves of the Death Gate were probably only realized after it was opened.
Still, the principles behind the other techniques were clearly explained.
The Lotus moves were all about explosive speed and unrelenting attack—little technique, just pure speed.
Morning Peacock involved punching fast enough to create flaming shockwaves from air friction. Daytime Tiger compressed air into a single point to form a massive tiger-shaped air cannon.
In short: using absurdly strong physical power to manipulate air—whether through friction or compression—to unleash devastating ranged or melee attacks.
When Guy opened the Death Gate, he even distorted space itself. His power was that terrifying.
No wonder Madara himself called him the strongest in taijutsu. He really almost died from that kick. If not for the cells of Hashirama keeping him alive, that would've been the end.
"Heh… when the time comes, I'll let Guy kick first—then I'll jump in and add a bonus kick to the head. Let's see if those cells can save you again, Madara!"
"But man… the eighth gate is scary. I wonder if a Senzu Bean could save someone from it."
"Senzu Beans don't seem to work on soul injuries. But the Death Gate mainly destroys the body, not the soul. So… if I hold a Senzu Bean in my mouth while opening the Death Gate, would I survive afterward?"
Natsuki seriously considered the possibility. If he were ever trapped in a no-win situation, he might try it.
Also—he needed to find a chance to give Guy-sensei a Senzu Bean too. Tell him that if he ever opened the Death Gate, he must remember to keep it in his mouth. And when he roars, make sure not to spit it out—because that bean is a lifesaver.
In the original story, Guy survived opening the Death Gate—but ended up crippled for life. He barely showed up in Boruto. Truly a shame.
Even just to repay Guy-sensei for teaching him the Eight Gates, Natsuki wouldn't let him end up like that.
Not to mention, Guy-sensei was Tenten's teacher. If something happened to him, it would break her heart.
And that—he would never allow.
(End of Chapter)
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