Although Might Duy had a ridiculous personality, Yoru found him oddly endearing.
Why?
Because despite his antics, he was genuine.
Yoru could tell—Might Duy was straightforward, kind, and sincere.
After arriving in this world, Yoru had personally experienced the reality that the shinobi world wasn't as bright and passionate as depicted in the manga. Behind the sunshine, there was a deep and pervasive darkness.
As a child from an outside village, his treatment in Konoha wasn't as miserable as Naruto's in the original story, but it wasn't much better either.
Might Duy stood in stark contrast to Konoha's higher-ups, Danzo, and even the prideful and domineering Uchiha clan.
No matter how ridiculous he seemed, he was undeniably positive, radiant, and untouched by darkness.
Yoru knew the world was filled with shadows, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate the light people like Might Duy brought.
"That's wonderful!!"
Seeing Yoru nod in agreement, Might Duy's face lit up with excitement, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
But before Yoru could react, Duy swiftly wiped his eyes, his expression turning solemn.
"Young man, this technique is powerful, but… it is a forbidden technique. Do you understand what that means?"
"I do."
Yoru nodded calmly.
Might Duy's rare, serious aura enveloped him as he fixed Yoru with a firm gaze.
"The use of forbidden techniques always comes with risks."
"I'm willing to bear them."
Yoru responded without hesitation.
Might Duy stared at him intently.
Then…
"Waaah! How wonderful! I've finally met someone who understands my youth!"
Might Duy once again burst into loud sobs.
Yoru felt his brow twitch.
Enough already.
—
"This is the training method for the Eight Gates."
Might Duy sat cross-legged, raising a finger as he explained.
"You should already meet the basic prerequisites… but I still recommend further strengthening your body before attempting to open the First Gate."
"Because its side effects are tied to physical endurance—the stronger the body, the less strain it suffers. From the Third Gate onward, the drawbacks become significant."
Yoru understood most of what he said but still listened quietly.
However, when Might Duy explained the Eighth Gate, Yoru's expression grew solemn. His mind worked rapidly, analyzing and deducing.
At the same time, he continued asking questions.
Might Duy was surprised by the depth of Yoru's inquiries. Some questions he couldn't answer, but the ones he could, he answered in detail.
Through this exchange, a bold idea began to take shape in Yoru's mind.
The shinobi of this world might simply follow the established steps when learning a jutsu.
But Yoru was different.
His soul came from another world—one with far broader ways of thinking.
That meant he could imagine things beyond convention.
"The Eight Gates… it's also a man-made forbidden technique."
"If it was created rather than naturally occurring, then that means… it can be modified. Maybe even improved."
Yoru's eyes gleamed with intense focus.
The Eight Gates as depicted in the original story were undeniably powerful. But once all eight were opened, death was the inevitable outcome.
That was a fate Yoru refused to accept.
He wanted to change it.
—
After obtaining the training method from Might Duy, Yoru didn't immediately start training.
Instead, he returned home.
That entire night, he dedicated himself to pondering the Eight Gates.
The technique worked by unlocking the body's natural restraints, forcing it beyond its limits.
It started with the head—Opening Gate, Rest Gate, Life Gate, Wound Gate, Limit Gate, View Gate, Wonder Gate, and finally, the Death Gate.
The eight gates stretched downward, from the brain to the chest and abdomen, before looping back to the heart.
Unlocking all eight allowed the body to exert its maximum potential—at the cost of burning away one's own life force.
"The heart… it's the final gate."
"Breaking past all prior limits leads to a surge of life energy… but in the end, it burns out completely, leading to death."
"But what if the heart wasn't the final gate… but the starting point?"
This was the question Yoru arrived at in his contemplation.
In the current system, the heart was the last barrier. Surpassing it forced the body to use everything at once, leading to death.
But if he reversed the process, starting with the heart and strengthening the body from there—wouldn't that allow him to bypass the drawbacks?
How to implement this theory was another challenge entirely.
But Yoru had already started forming a plan.
He wouldn't rush into it recklessly. He planned to discuss it further with Might Duy. Something this serious couldn't be taken lightly.
—
The next morning.
Just before dawn, Yoru was jolted awake by an irritatingly loud voice.
There was only one person who would barge into his home and wake him up like this—
Kushina Uzumaki.
Having exhausted his mental energy thinking about the Eight Gates, Yoru's brain was still groggy. But Kushina's endless chatter was pushing him toward a headache.
Despite this, he gradually understood the reason for her visit.
It was about his upcoming duel with Uchiha Kan.
A mere academy student challenging a Chunin from the Uchiha clan to a death match—
It was an utterly ridiculous event.
No wonder it had spread throughout the entire village in a single day.
Kushina had learned about it last night and had barely slept since.
She'd rushed over at the crack of dawn, trying to stop him.
Though her loud and relentless nagging was grating, Yoru couldn't deny that he was touched by her concern.
"Ugh, seriously! Are you even listening to me?!"
Kushina grabbed Yoru's shoulders and shook him violently.
"Go cancel that stupid duel immediately! I'll find a way to get you into the Senju clan's protection. The Uchiha won't dare touch you then!"
Yoru sighed, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"Alright, alright. If you keep shaking me, I'll die from whiplash before the Uchiha can even touch me."
"Hmph! Who knows what's going through your dumb head? Challenging a Chunin—were you running a fever that day?"
"Kushina."
Yoru's expression turned serious as he met her gaze.
"I have my reasons. Don't interfere."
"How can I not interfere?!"
Her voice practically deafened him.
Yoru's mouth twitched.
Again, he sighed before speaking in an even tone.
"I'm confident I can win in three months. That's all there is to it."
Kushina stared at him as if he were an absolute idiot.
"Win against a Chunin in three months? Yoru, are you living in a dream?!"
Her voice was loud enough to shake the walls.
Of course, it wasn't that she didn't believe in him—
She was simply too worried. How could she just stand by and watch him throw his life away?