"So that's how it is…"
Kiyohara muttered softly to himself.
"The Gate of Opening removes the limitation on brain chakra, which is essentially like overclocking the brain."
But the price was obvious.
The chakra flooding into the brain did enhance ability, yet it also brought a tremendous burden.
Guy's brain temperature was rising. Although the increase was not dramatic, if it were maintained for a long time, it could potentially cause damage to brain cells.
Next came the Gate of Rest, which was also located in the brain.
When the second gate opened, Kiyohara observed even more changes in the flow of chakra.
Once the restriction on the chakra point of the Gate of Rest was lifted, chakra began to surge massively into the heart and lungs.
Kiyohara could only infer which parts of the body were involved based on where the chakra gathered.
He could not directly see the beating of the heart, the expansion and contraction of the lungs, or even the changes in oxygen levels within the blood.
Those were domains only accessible through the "penetrating vision" of the Byakugan.
However, since the chakra was gathering in the regions of the heart and lungs, it would undoubtedly accelerate the body's metabolic rate.
This explained why stamina recovery became faster after opening the Gate of Rest.
"It removes the limitation of physical fatigue, but this comes at the cost of increased strain."
Kiyohara frowned.
If one rested for a period after using it, that would be manageable.
But if such a technique were used continuously for long periods, Kiyohara could not help but wonder whether it would affect lifespan.
Hashirama had died so early. Could it be that his "no-hand-sign healing" was too powerful, causing excessive cell division, and combined with his battle against Madara, ultimately led to a shortened life?
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
If this state were maintained for too long, cells would age prematurely.
Finally came the Gate of Life. Based on the flow of chakra, Kiyohara pinpointed its location slightly above the center of the chest cavity.
At the moment the third gate opened, Kiyohara's Sharingan captured subtle changes.
Guy's chakra no longer merely flowed along the meridians, but began to seep into the muscle tissue.
That chakra was like countless tiny needles, spreading out in every direction.
From this pattern of dispersion, Kiyohara deduced that the chakra was piercing into every cell of the muscle fibers.
Under this stimulation, the muscle fibers contracted and expanded violently, releasing terrifying strength.
But at the same time, the muscle fibers began to suffer microscopic tears.
The cell membranes were damaged under excessive load, causing myoglobin and enzymatic substances to leak out.
The reason Guy's skin turned red was not only due to accelerated blood flow, but also because of the response triggered by micro-damage in the muscle tissue.
With all three gates open, the burden placed on the body was already quite significant.
Kiyohara assessed this in his mind.
The reason Guy could maintain this state for a long time was because his muscle fiber density and resilience far exceeded that of ordinary people, and his cellular recovery ability was also much stronger.
Kiyohara pondered silently.
No wonder the Eight Gates required extensive physical training and a body full of resilience.
If an ordinary person forcibly opened them, they might suffer muscle breakdown before long.
Who else could run five thousand laps around a training field without even being a shinobi?
To put it plainly, Guy was not an ordinary person at all.
But neither was Kiyohara.
A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.
If the Eight Gates provided a fixed multiplier…
If one person's base value was one hundred, then tripling it would result in three hundred.
But if another person's base value was one thousand, then tripling it would become three thousand.
It could be said that the latter could treat the former like a ball and toy with them effortlessly.
Just imagine, if Kaguya could also use the Eight Gates and unleash her mountain-like, ocean-like chakra all at once, what kind of terrifying attack would that produce?
After all, Guy's chakra level was only around a "value" of ten.
For some people, a value of ten meant it was merely the upper limit, and in reality, they far exceeded it, reaching fifteen or even twenty behind the scenes.
For others, a value of ten was truly just ten, barely reaching that threshold.
Guy was clearly not someone who merely scraped by at that level, but he was not the type with an exceptionally large chakra reserve either.
So between Guy and Kiyohara, who had more chakra?
That was something one could figure out without even thinking.
Moreover, the Sharingan could be considered the natural enemy of taijutsu users.
Kiyohara could clearly see the flow of Guy's chakra, including the trajectory of his movements.
Thus, he could either evade or imitate and learn from it, copying it down.
This was the so-called Sacred Body of Taijutsu.
A life with the Sharingan and an immense amount of chakra was often this plain, unadorned, and even somewhat dull.
Kiyohara sighed inwardly.
There was no helping it. This world operated on the logic of bloodlines.
Since he could not change the world, he could only adapt to it and become its favored child.
Kiyohara continued observing for a while longer.
Guy's complexion grew increasingly flushed, the red of his skin mixing with the green steam around him.
He maintained the stance of the Gate of Life, while the green chakra vapor surrounding his body flickered like burning flames.
His breathing became heavier, and more sweat seeped from his forehead.
Even though he was only maintaining the minimum level, keeping all three gates open still consumed an enormous amount of chakra.
"That's enough."
Kiyohara spoke.
"Guy, you can release it now."
Guy let out a long breath, and the green steam around him gradually dissipated.
The redness of his skin slowly faded, but his muscles remained tense, clearly showing that the strain had not been light.
"How is it? Did you understand?"
Guy asked while wiping away sweat, his voice carrying a slight pant.
If there was anything Kiyohara did not understand, he would explain it.
"I've basically grasped the principle."
Kiyohara closed his eyes, still able to recall the paths of chakra flow from earlier.
After his spiritual energy had strengthened, Kiyohara's memory had also improved greatly. He found that many things left a deep impression after just one observation.
If he were to inherit another future, he felt he might even gain the so-called photographic memory.
"Let me try."
Kiyohara said.
Then, following his memory, he began to replicate the same movements as Guy.
"The First Gate: Gate of Opening… Open!"
Kiyohara shouted in a low voice.
In the next instant, his chakra broke through the restriction of the Gate of Opening.
His body trembled.
The sensation at that moment was difficult to describe.
It was as if the world had suddenly slowed down.
No, it was not that the world had slowed, but that his reaction speed had increased.
He could hear the faint rustling of leaves in the distance, and could even sense the path of blood flowing through his vessels with each heartbeat.
His five senses had become far sharper than usual.
But the burden followed immediately after.
His brain was operating under excessive load, producing a slight dizziness.
The chakra surging into his brain brought enhanced ability, but also pressure, like a heavy stone pressing against his skull.
Kiyohara immediately adjusted the flow of chakra, reducing the pressure on his brain to avoid his head ending up distorted.
Then he opened his eyes.
The tomoe in his pupils continued to spin, seemingly even faster than before.
Everything in his field of vision became exceptionally clear, the level of detail so rich that it astonished him.
"Did it work?"
Kurenai asked nervously.
Looking at the green steam swirling around Kiyohara, she felt that he had already succeeded.
Kiyohara slowly moved his arms and legs.
He could feel the changes in his body.
It was not an increase in strength or speed, but rather an improvement in his control over his body.
He could precisely sense the condition of every muscle, and he could predict the outcome of every movement.
"The Gate of Opening removes the brain's limitations, enhancing reaction speed and bodily control."
Kiyohara carefully experienced the changes within himself.
"I can understand now what Guy meant by that special feeling. It really does feel like some kind of restraint has been lifted."
Guy stared at Kiyohara with widened eyes, disbelief written all over his face.
"You… you succeeded on your first try?"
He circled around Kiyohara twice, as if examining some kind of monster.
"Kiyohara, you… you are simply a peerless genius in taijutsu. No, not even a genius, you are a monster!"
Guy had trained for a long time before mastering the Eight Gates.
Yet Kiyohara had learned the first gate so easily, which dealt him quite a shock.
Would Kiyohara learn the later gates just as quickly?
Kiyohara shook his head. "I have only just entered the basics. My application of the Eight Gates is definitely not as proficient as yours, since you have been using it for so long."
"That is still incredible!"
Guy excitedly patted Kiyohara's shoulder.
"Do you know, when I first learned the Gate of Opening, I failed more than a dozen times before succeeding, and every failure gave me a splitting headache. Yet you did it in a single attempt…"
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, and his eyes lit up.
"Kiyohara, since you have already opened the Gate of Opening, how about trying it in actual combat? Let's have a taijutsu spar. No ninjutsu, just pure taijutsu!"
Kiyohara glanced at Guy's excited expression, then at Kurenai's worried gaze, and nodded.
"Alright, but let me make it clear. I will only use the Gate of Opening state. I will not use things like Magnet Release."
"No problem. I will only use the Gate of Opening as well!"
Guy grinned.
"Let us have a clash of youth with pure taijutsu!"
The two of them walked to the center of the training field and stood facing each other.
Kurenai retreated to the edge of the field, her hands clenched nervously in front of her chest.
She could feel the momentum of the two in the field rising. Even though no chakra was being released outwardly, that sense of pressure, as if something was about to erupt, made the air itself grow heavy.
"Begin!"
As soon as Guy spoke, he moved first.
His movements were simple, without any flashy prelude, launching directly into a frontal flying kick.
"Dynamic Entry!"
The speed of this kick was extremely fast. With the enhancement of the Gate of Opening, it almost turned into a streak of green afterimage.
The force of the leg tore through the air, producing a sharp whistling sound.
Guy's target was clear, Kiyohara's chest, a common probing attack in taijutsu duels.
Kiyohara did not dodge.
With the Gate of Opening activated and his reaction speed enhanced, combined with the Sharingan, he could clearly capture every detail of Guy's movements.
The trajectory, speed, and power of that kick appeared in his eyes as if in slow motion.
He chose to take it head on.
Not by hardening himself with Steel Release or Earth Release: Earth Spear, but purely with physical strength, combined with the bodily control granted by the Gate of Opening, adopting the optimal defensive posture at the perfect moment.
Kiyohara stepped his left leg half a step back, lowering his center of gravity, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
At the instant Guy's foot was about to strike, he slightly drew his arms back, executing a motion to disperse the force.
Bang!
A dull impact echoed across the training ground.
Kiyohara was pushed back half a step by the force of the kick, his shoes scraping two shallow grooves into the ground.
But he successfully received the attack without injury.
Guy landed, a flash of surprise appearing in his eyes.
"What excellent force-dispersing technique!"
Guy praised.
"An ordinary person taking that kick would at least have their arms broken. Kiyohara, your control over your body is terrifyingly precise!"
Kiyohara shook his arms lightly. "The Gate of Opening allows me to precisely sense how force is transmitted, so I can make the most effective adjustment at the moment of contact. But Guy, your strength really is terrifying."
Kiyohara said calmly.
Guy had undergone relentless training day and night, regardless of weather.
His physique was also extraordinary, so his strength was naturally immense.
"Hahaha, that was just the beginning!"
Guy charged forward again, this time using a combination of taijutsu techniques.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
A fierce low sweeping kick aimed at Kiyohara's lower leg.
If it connected, it would be enough to break the leg bones of an ordinary shinobi.
Kiyohara leapt into the air at the moment the sweep was about to hit, twisting his body midair and countering with a spinning kick.
Guy raised his arm to block, and their limbs collided with another dull thud.
After landing, Guy's assault did not pause for even a moment.
"Leaf Rock-Destroying Rise!"
He leapt into the air, spinning his body as his elbow, carrying the force of gravity, came crashing down toward Kiyohara's head.
This strike combined body weight, rotational force, and chakra enhancement, making it powerful enough to split stone.
Kiyohara's expression did not change.
With the dual enhancement of the Gate of Opening and the Sharingan, Guy's movements appeared as clear as a frame by frame breakdown.
He saw the core of the attack's power.
It was not the elbow itself, but the twisting of the waist and abdomen and the force generated by the lower body.
As long as those sources of power were disrupted, the strike's strength would be greatly reduced.
Kiyohara then delivered a hand blade toward Guy's waist.
That was the critical point of force generation.
Guy's expression changed slightly as he forcibly twisted his body midair to avoid the strike. Although he evaded it, the power behind his attack was disrupted, and his landing posture became somewhat unstable.
"Beautiful!"
Guy steadied himself, his fighting spirit growing even stronger.
"You saw the weakness in my power generation? The Sharingan is truly formidable!"
"Just a small trick."
Kiyohara said calmly.
"Guy, let's continue."
Over the next few minutes, the two engaged in a high speed taijutsu battle across the training ground.
Guy's techniques were wide and forceful, unleashing moves like Leaf Great Whirlwind and Leaf Strong Whirlwind in rapid succession.
Kiyohara's Sharingan captured every detail of Guy's movements, predicting the trajectory of each attack.
The bodily control from the Gate of Opening allowed him to make adjustments that ordinary people could hardly imagine, instant tightening and relaxing of muscles, subtle shifts in center of gravity, precise timing of force application.
Kurenai watched from the sidelines without blinking.
She had never seen such a high level pure taijutsu battle before.
The speed of both fighters was so fast that afterimages appeared, and every collision produced a heavy explosive sound.
Shockwaves spread outward from them, stirring up dust and fallen leaves.
"So this is how fast a senior can move…"
Kurenai murmured to herself.
"But Kiyohara actually dodged all of it… no, not just dodging. He is learning, he is adapting."
She noticed that Kiyohara's taijutsu style was gradually changing. At the beginning, it was entirely defensive and evasive, but slowly, he began to incorporate offensive movements.
And those movements were clearly techniques that Guy had just used.
Leaf Whirlwind, Dynamic Entry, even Leaf Rock-Destroying Rise …
Kiyohara was using the Sharingan to copy Guy's taijutsu.
"That guy…"
Kurenai could not help but smile, and within that smile was an inexplicable sense of shared pride.
She did not even know why, but seeing Kiyohara excel made her happy.
In the field, Guy also began to sense that something was wrong.
Every attack he made seemed to be anticipated by Kiyohara in advance.
Every technique he used was quickly imitated, executed with a precision as if it had been practiced countless times.
Even more frightening was that Kiyohara was optimizing them while copying.
He integrated those techniques into his own fighting style, creating an even more effective rhythm of attack.
Was this truly a battle between evenly matched opponents, or was Kiyohara simply using him to become more proficient in these taijutsu techniques?
Pressure.
Guy felt a long absent sense of pressure.
Since his father's passing, he had rarely encountered an opponent in taijutsu who could make him feel this way.
Yet the Kiyohara before him, someone who did not even specialize in taijutsu, was relying on the dual enhancement of the Sharingan and the Gate of Opening to fight him evenly in pure taijutsu combat.
No, it was not just evenly matched.
Guy could clearly feel that Kiyohara was gradually gaining the upper hand.
That terrifyingly precise prediction and counterattack made every one of his strikes feel as though they were landing on soft cotton, while Kiyohara's counters always found the most uncomfortable and vulnerable spots on his body.
'This can't go on like this…'
That thought flashed through Guy's mind.
Almost instinctively, the chakra within his body began to gather toward the location of the second gate, the Gate of Rest.
He wanted to open it, to increase his speed and strength and break this stalemate.
But at the very moment his chakra was about to strike the acupoint, Guy suddenly snapped back to his senses.
"Wait… we agreed to only use the Gate of Opening…"
He forcibly cut off the flow of chakra, and because of that, his movement froze for an instant.
And that single instant was more than enough for Kiyohara.
Kiyohara's figure slipped into the gap in Guy's defense like a ghost, and a precise hand blade stopped right in front of Guy's throat, no more than two centimeters away from his skin.
Guy's pupils contracted slightly.
He could feel that although the chakra gathered in that hand blade was not much, it was enough to slice open his throat.
If this had been a real battle, he would already be dead.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and stepped back.
"Guy, you were about to open the Gate of Rest just now, weren't you?"
Kiyohara asked.
Guy was stunned for a moment, then revealed an annoyed expression and smacked his head hard.
"Damn it! I lost!"
He shouted loudly.
"We agreed to keep it at the level of the first gate, yet I couldn't help wanting to open the second. That breaks our agreement!"
He bowed deeply to Kiyohara. "Kiyohara, you win. Under equal conditions, your taijutsu skill and combat intelligence surpassed mine!"
Kiyohara shook his head. "No, Guy. That moment of weakness just now happened because you chose to honor the agreement and forcibly cut off your chakra flow. In a real fight, that would not happen."
"But an agreement is an agreement!"
Guy straightened up and spoke seriously.
"A loss is a loss! But Kiyohara, you are truly too strong. With only the first gate, you were able to fight me to this extent. If you specialize in taijutsu, you will definitely become a master in the future!"
He suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up again.
"Kiyohara, how about joining me for hell-level taijutsu training? I have a feeling that if we train together, we will break through our limits and reach unprecedented heights!"
Guy even went to the side and took out a spare green jumpsuit.
Looking at the fiery determination in Guy's eyes, along with that indescribable green outfit, Kiyohara decisively refused.
"Guy, my path of training is rather broad. Taijutsu is only one part of it, and as for the outfit, there is no need for that. Training together occasionally is fine."
"That's great!"
Guy gave a thumbs up.
"Then it's settled. We will train together whenever we have time!"
Kurenai walked over and handed Kiyohara a towel. "That fight was really intense. I felt nervous just watching from the side."
Kiyohara took the towel and wiped his sweat, already feeling the burden of the Gate of Opening begin to show.
His brain felt somewhat fatigued, which was a normal reaction after operating at such an accelerated level.
However, compared to Guy, Kiyohara still had the power of the White Snake restoring his chakra and vitality, so after a short rest, he would recover.
"Kurenai, do you want to try the first gate of the Eight Gates as well?"
Guy asked enthusiastically.
"Even though you are a genjutsu specialist, improving reaction speed would also benefit your genjutsu techniques!"
Kurenai quickly shook her head. "I will pass… watching you two spar just now was already terrifying. It looked painful."
"It is actually manageable,"
Kiyohara said.
"If your physical strength is sufficient, opening the first gate is quite easy, and the burden is not that heavy, so the pain is much less. But for you, Kurenai, there is no need to rush. It is more important to build a solid foundation in basic taijutsu first."
The three of them chatted a while longer about training insights, and only left the training field when the evening sun began to set.
On the way home, Kiyohara glanced at the sky and said to Kurenai, "Do you want to get something to eat? Replenishing nutrients after training is important."
Kurenai instinctively touched her stomach. She was indeed hungry.
But then she suddenly thought of something and looked at Kiyohara with suspicion. "It's not going to be dango, is it?"
Kiyohara smiled. "It can be something else."
He had indeed briefly thought about taking her to eat tri color dumplings just to see her reaction.
"That's good…"
Kurenai let out a sigh of relief, then added softly, "But I really cannot eat too many sweets lately… what if I actually turn into what you said, a 'sweet potato Kurenai'…"
Kiyohara looked at her conflicted expression and could not help but smile slightly.
"Do not worry. Eating it occasionally will not make you gain weight. Besides, you expended a lot of energy in training today, so you need to replenish some sugar."
Kurenai thought for a moment and finally nodded. "Then… just this once."
The two of them ate a simple dinner at a small shop by the street.
It was not dumplings, but something healthier.
While eating, Kurenai asked Kiyohara about his understanding of the Eight Gates, and he shared what he had observed and experienced earlier.
"The key to the Gate of Opening lies in precise control,"
Kiyohara said.
"It is best not to forcefully break through the acupoint with brute strength, but to find the weak point of the chakra node and open the pathway with minimal cost. This requires a high level of chakra control and an understanding of the body's structure."
"That sounds so difficult…"
Kurenai bit on her chopsticks and tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.
Under the light, her face appeared even fairer.
"But it feels like nothing is difficult for you, Kiyohara."
"Just a bit of trickery."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"I have the Sharingan, which allows me to see the flow of chakra clearly. That is a huge advantage. For ordinary people, learning the Eight Gates may require months or even years of foundational training before they can even attempt to open the first gate."
After finishing their meal, the two parted ways at the intersection.
When Kiyohara returned home, Tsunade was already back, sitting in the living room reading a medical scroll.
Hearing the door open, she looked up.
"You are back? Training until this late?"
"I was practicing taijutsu with Might Guy."
Kiyohara changed his shoes and entered.
"Sensei, were you busy today?"
"It was alright. I went to Konoha Hospital to give those juniors a lecture on advanced medical theory, then went to gamble for a couple of rounds in the afternoon."
Tsunade put down the scroll and rubbed her temples.
"I just received news that there will be an emergency meeting at the Hokage building tomorrow. All jonin and tokubetsu jonin must attend. As my disciple, you will also be present."
Kiyohara paused and asked, "An emergency meeting? What happened?"
"News from the border."
Tsunade's expression turned serious.
"At Kikyo Pass, Sunagakure's offensive has suddenly intensified. They are trying to break through the defensive line. Jiraiya is stationed there, and the situation does not look optimistic."
Kiyohara's heart stirred.
As expected, the clouds of war were gathering once again.
"So Suna is trying to punch through the defense in one go and directly threaten the interior of the Land of Fire?"
Kiyohara said.
"It is possible."
Tsunade nodded.
"But what worries me more is that this might be a probe. Suna is applying pressure to both Konoha and Kiri at the same time, trying to see which side's defenses are weaker. Once they find a breakthrough point, they will concentrate their forces and break through there."
Kiyohara fell silent for a moment.
If that was the case, then Konoha would be under immense pressure in the coming period.
It was likely that many shinobis would be deployed to the front lines, including himself, who had just joined the Anbu.
"After tomorrow's meeting, I may need to head to the front line,"
Tsunade continued.
"Kiyohara, you are also a squad leader in the medical corps. You will likely be assigned to my medical unit."
"I understand, Sensei."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Go and rest."
Tsunade said at last.
"We will make specific arrangements after tomorrow's meeting."
Kiyohara nodded and turned to head upstairs.
Since Suna was making a move, there was a chance that Rasa and Pakura would also appear.
It would be a good opportunity for him to see if he could learn the method of controlling gold dust.
Only knowing how to manipulate iron sand was still somewhat insufficient.
That kind of golden sand, dazzling and luxurious yet understated, was the true embodiment of elegance.
Not only could it be used against enemies, it could also be sold for money.
(End of Chapter)