Open the Gate!
Rest Gate!
Life Gate!
Kai Mitarashi activated the Eight Gates, opening three gates in rapid succession. A torrent of chakra surged through his body, enveloping him in raw power. For a fleeting moment, he felt invincible.
But Kai knew better. This sense of invincibility was merely an illusion—a false perception caused by his body struggling to adapt to the sudden influx of power.
"Hmm, three gates are my current limit. I can feel a faint pulling pain in my muscles. As expected, the Eight Gates truly live up to their reputation as forbidden techniques. Even with my Asura lineage, I can't open the fourth gate yet. Still, this is enough—Jonin-level chakra and a massive boost in speed have completely turned the tide of battle!"
Kai couldn't help but marvel at the sheer power of the Eight Gates. His chakra reserves, which had been nearly depleted moments ago, had surged to Jonin-level, restoring his strength and more.
"What's happening? Why does it feel like this brat suddenly got stronger?!" The leading Jonin from the Cloud Village stared at Kai, his aura now radiating an oppressive intensity. A sense of foreboding crept into the Jonin's heart.
"Did you enjoy yourself earlier? Now it's my turn." Kai's voice carried a chilling calm as he fixed his gaze on the Jonin.
"Hmph! Just empty words from a brat—" The Jonin's words were cut short as Kai's figure vanished from his sight.
"Where did he go?!" Panic flared in the Jonin's mind.
Steel Fist: Layered Impact!
In the next instant, Kai reappeared directly in front of the Jonin. Without relying on any ninjutsu, he used the sheer speed granted by the Eight Gates to deliver a devastating punch to the Jonin's abdomen.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Jonin staggered backward, as if struck multiple times simultaneously.
But as a shinobi of the Cloud Village—a Jonin, no less—his physical resilience was far superior to that of shinobi from other villages. Despite the ferocity of Kai's Steel Fist: Layered Impact, the Jonin managed to endure the attack, though he was left coughing up blood.
"You brat! How did you suddenly become so strong?!" The Jonin stared at Kai in disbelief.
"A dying man doesn't need to know," Kai replied coldly.
"Damned brat!"
The Jonin tightened his grip on his Sword of Thunder, his pride wounded by Kai's disdain. No elite shinobi could tolerate being belittled by a mere child.
He swung his blade toward Kai, but his movements were noticeably slower. The internal injuries from Kai's earlier attack had clearly taken a toll.
"Just futile struggling," Kai sneered as he dodged the attack effortlessly. "Let me show you the gap between us now!"
Kai's right hand lowered, and a Rasengan began forming in his palm.
With the speed boost from the Eight Gates, Kai moved like a blur, his sheer momentum adding power to the Rasengan. He slammed the spiraling sphere into the Jonin's Sword of Thunder, which was raised defensively.
"Ha! Foolish Konoha brat! Don't you know that your ninjutsu can't destroy the Sword of Thunder?" The Jonin laughed maniacally, his confidence returning.
"Idiot," Kai muttered, his gaze cold and unyielding.
The Jonin failed to notice the second Rasengan forming in Kai's left hand.
Though the Rasengan was an A-rank ninjutsu that consumed a significant amount of chakra, Kai's chakra reserves had surged to Jonin-level thanks to the Eight Gates. Launching two Rasengans in succession was no problem for him.
In the blink of an eye, the Rasengan in Kai's left hand smashed into the Jonin's unprotected abdomen. This time, there was no barrier to stop the attack—the spiraling sphere burrowed deep into the Jonin's flesh.
"Impossible... You—!"
The Jonin's words were cut off as his eyes bulged in shock. Blood spurted from his mouth as the Rasengan shredded his internal organs.
The force of the attack sent him flying backward, slamming into a massive tree before sliding lifelessly to the ground. His Sword of Thunder slipped from his grasp and landed beside him.
Kai walked over to check the Jonin's body, confirming that there was no trace of life left. Only then did he deactivate the Eight Gates.
Immediately, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion swept over him. His entire body felt immobile, and even raising his arm caused a searing pain that felt like his muscles were being torn apart.
"Not bad. You exceeded my expectations. But remember, only by severing the enemy's head can you truly confirm their death. There are countless ninjutsu in this world that can mimic death-like states."
A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind Kai, sending chills down his spine.
"Who's there?!"
Kai spun around, only to relax upon seeing the figure. "Sakumo-sensei, it's you. You're late—if only you'd arrived sooner."
To Kai's surprise, Sakumo Hatake replied, "I've been here since you killed the first elite Chunin."
"What?!" Kai froze in shock. "You were here all along, and you didn't step in to help?"
"I needed to assess your abilities accurately. Only in life-and-death combat can one's true strength be revealed. Managing to kill a Jonin has already surpassed my expectations. Also, that sudden surge in power—it must be the technique you chose from the Scroll of Seals."
Sakumo's tone remained cold and detached as he continued, "It's indeed a powerful technique, but its side effects are severe. Right now, you've completely lost your combat ability. Even a Genin could kill you in this state.
Remember, on the battlefield, enemies can appear at any moment. Never use such a technique unless absolutely necessary, or you'll put yourself in grave danger."
"I understand, Sakumo-sensei," Kai replied seriously. He couldn't deny the truth in Sakumo's words—his current state was exactly as described, with his combat ability reduced to nearly zero.
Sakumo stepped forward and hoisted Kai onto his shoulder. Even this simple action caused Kai to wince in pain, his body feeling as though it was being torn apart.
"Who would've thought the side effects of the Eight Gates would be this intense? And I only opened three gates... In the original story, Rock Lee seemed to open three gates so effortlessly," Kai thought to himself.
But Kai failed to consider the years of rigorous training Rock Lee had undergone. During the Chunin Exams, opening five gates had left Lee's bones and muscles shattered.
Kai, on the other hand, had barely trained in the Eight Gates for two days before opening the third gate. If not for his Asura lineage, his condition wouldn't have been much better than Lee's during the Chunin Exams.
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Sorry everyone, I uploaded the wrong chapter earlier. It's been corrected now. Thank you for pointing it out.