Metal's strength surged, and behind him a phantom tiger slowly took form—its roar shaking the entire arena. The crowd erupted with excitement.
"Oh my god, is he already beginning to condense his True Intent? Ever since True Intent became known, martial artists have become even more popular!"
"I heard martial artists live longer than shinobi. I'm definitely letting my kid learn martial arts!"
"In the future, he might live three to five hundred years and even get the chance to fight alongside Lord Naruto across the universe!"
"That depends on whether your son has that kind of aptitude! Shinobi aren't bad either—they control elemental chakra. And with the advancement of Chakra Refining Techniques and the spread of the Dantian Method, shinobi life expectancy has increased a lot."
"I still want my kid to become a shinobi. Our farmland needs him. Ever since he entered the Academy and learned those pioneering ninjutsu, our family business has been improving non-stop!"
A group of spectators in the stands chatted animatedly.
Hearing the middle-aged man's pride, someone beside him asked curiously, "Which Academy does your son attend?"
The man puffed out his chest.
"Agricultural Ninja Vocational Technical College!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
Everyone booed lightly.
"So he's a lifestyle ninja!"
Their laughter burst out at once.
The man's face went red, and he shot back, "What do you know?! My son's grades are excellent. Sure, his combat talent isn't great, but if he goes far in research, he might join the Agricultural Academy someday. His status will be far above ordinary shinobi!"
The teasing expressions immediately disappeared.
He wasn't wrong. Things weren't like in the old era—where anyone without talent ended up as cannon fodder on the battlefield. Now, even those without combat aptitude had countless paths: medical, agricultural, technological, and more.
Agriculture, especially, had become incredibly important. Martial artists consumed enormous resources, especially food and medicinal materials, both of which were increasingly scarce.
Beyond researching high-yield crops, agricultural researchers focused on specialized shinobi plants, crucial for medicine, chakra-enhancing supplements, and military supplies.
Medicinal formulas that were once clan secrets—rare and difficult to produce—had already been optimized, mass-produced, and replaced several times.
Now, the world sought even stronger secret medicines, and plants remained the foundation of all breakthroughs.
"Cough, cough… Brother, you're right. If an agricultural student develops well, he can definitely achieve big things. Plus, your kid can already help with the family business. That's great!"
"Yes, yes!"
Everyone nodded.
Another spectator said, "My child isn't talented either, so I'm planning to let him become a mech pilot. Their combat potential is no joke! And who knows? The Empire might develop even stronger models. My son could become truly powerful."
The father beamed with pride.
Even if his son's talent was average, he could likely reach Kage-level with hard work. Nowadays, anyone with decent aptitude could reach Kage-level; geniuses reached Super Kage, and the true prodigies had a shot at Six Paths-level.
Decades later, Kage-level shinobi would still be in their prime. And piloting a mech, their combat ability could rise to Super Kage-level—more than enough to earn an officer's rank in the Empire.
Thankfully, his son had great compatibility with mechs, even if he lacked combat talent.
"Hahaha! My son's not bad either. He's at the Empire's Third Middle School. After graduation, he'll at least be a squad leader. He might even become a high-ranking official one day!"
"Ahhh…"
Someone nearby sighed.
"Life's good now, but the Empire has been advancing too fast. I heard aliens have their eyes on us. Why are they like this? Can't they let us live in peace?"
"Tell me about it. Back then, I didn't dare to marry—no one wanted me, and the whole shinobi world was chaos. Before the Empire unified everything, life was horrible. Now, finally, we have stability. We owe everything to Lord Naruto! I'll definitely make my son into a warrior who protects our home."
"Alright, enough! Look—the other kid is about to unleash his ultimate move!"
The speakers were ordinary Konoha residents—people who had finally settled in the village after more than a decade of hard work. Conversations like theirs were not rare; they were simply one window into how much the Ninja World had changed.
On the arena floor, Yotsuki Fū noticed Metal's hardened expression and immediately responded in kind. He began channeling the core secret art of the Raikage's lineage: Raiden Armor.
Lightning surged across his body, denser and more violently than before. His hair stood on end. As the chakra field intensified, his entire form burst into dazzling brilliance.
A moment later, a silhouette wrapped in blue lightning mixed with streaks of white appeared—as if Yotsuki Fū had undergone a complete transformation.
This was the evolved Raiden Armor—the version personally modified by the Raikage.
Raiden God Armor.
Unlike the earlier form of external lightning coating, this was a fully materialized armor of pure Lightning Release chakra. Entirely blue, threaded with white arcs, its power had been honed to near perfection.
In the current era, Raiden God Armor was already classified as an S-rank Lightning Release secret technique.
It was not ninjutsu.
It was a secret art, akin to the Eight Gates—a technique capable of explosively magnifying one's physical combat ability.
Metal, too, refused to yield. Alongside his awakening True Intent, he opened the Eight Gates.
"Raiden God Armor — Stage Two? You really think highly of me!
Then I won't hold back either!
Eight Gates—Fifth Gate… OPEN!!!"
A tidal surge of qi, blood, and chakra burst outward, shaking the arena floor.
Metal and Yotsuki Fū had fought countless times. They understood each other's strengths instinctively—every technique, every rhythm, every flaw.
After years of development, the Eight Gates had expanded far beyond their original form. They no longer boosted only raw power; they acted as a complete cultivation system, integrating physical conditioning, chakra refinement, and specialized martial arts.
The Eight Gates were now divided into:
Foundational cultivation methods, and
Associated martial arts techniques.
Techniques like the Primary Lotus had been reorganized and placed at the early stages of practice.
From the Second Gate onward, each gate now possessed its own distinct martial art. The Second and Third Gates, for example, corresponded to:
Front Lotus, and Reverse Lotus.
However, instead of bandages, modern practitioners used their own qi and blood pressure to bind and compress force. Traditional bandages were too fragile in an era when a casual strike from an opponent could shatter them instantly.
Times were changing.
Ninjutsu had grown more diverse and more terrifying, new arts appearing almost every year. If the Eight Gates didn't evolve, they risked falling behind—becoming relics in an age overflowing with innovation.
And so, as lightning and crimson qi collided on the arena floor, the battle of the new generation truly began.
(End of Chapter)
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