CHAPTER 204: THE HOKAGE'S DEPARTURE
The Land of Fire. Konohagakure.
At the village gate, a formidable force was gathering. More than a dozen elite ANBU ninja stood in formation—each at least captain-level, the best of the best. Alongside them waited more than a dozen jonin, representing some of Konoha's most powerful clans: Hyuga, Yuhi, Inuzuka, Uzuki, Gekko. Names that carried weight across the ninja world.
There were no chunin here. No genin. This was an emergency reinforcement unit, prioritized for speed. Lesser ranks would only slow them down, become burdens they couldn't afford.
Leading this impressive assembly stood none other than the Third Hokage himself—Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Beside him, a special jonin in a green vest shifted restlessly. His head was shaved bald, reflecting the light like polished obsidian. Might Dai.
Throughout this year's war, Dai had not participated in the front lines. But when news arrived that Tsuchikage Onoki had appeared on the battlefield—that he seemed to be targeting Ragnar and the others—Dai could no longer remain still.
His situation in the village had always been similar to Ragnar's. Few friends. Few connections. Isolated.
But he had Ragnar.
The two had shared a mission together. They had faced Mist ninja assassins side by side, experiencing both hardship and triumph. Through that trial, Dai had come to know Ragnar's true character. He had found someone worth calling friend.
Now, with crisis looming on the front lines, Dai's restless youth could no longer be contained. His son had been born not long ago—as a father, he should stay with his family. But to save a friend from danger?
The most talented man in Konoha was about to set forth.
"Hokage-sama, we must leave quickly!"
"Dai." Sarutobi Hiruzen wore his black ninja uniform, his expression calm despite the urgency. "The Land of Rain is not close. Rushing blindly serves no purpose. At best, we'll arrive in time to clean up the aftermath."
But beneath that calm exterior, cold anger lurked in the Hokage's eyes.
They had just received intelligence from the front lines.
Tsuchikage Onoki, disregarding all propriety and the unspoken rules between Kage, had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. If that was how Iwagakure wished to play, then Hiruzen would show them no mercy.
One-on-one, Konoha was unquestionably the strongest among the five great ninja villages. Even with Hiruzen forced to guard against Kirigakure and Kumogakure's opportunistic attacks, even with Iwagakure and Sunagakure allied, Konoha could defeat them with full strength.
That was the power of the largest ninja village in the world.
The Kazekage's appearance on the battlefield—Hiruzen had known about that. But he wasn't particularly concerned. The Third Kazekage was young, inexperienced. Hatake Sakumo could handle him. And beyond individual strength, war was decided by the foundation of a village, by cooperation between ninja.
But Tsuchikage Onoki was different.
He was far more powerful than the Third Kazekage. Both were Kage-level, yes—but Onoki stood at the peak of that level. Combined with Dust Release, he was nearly invincible.
How could Hatake Sakumo possibly resist?
This was no longer ordinary war. Two Kage were taking action. How could the Hokage sit peacefully in his village?
If he didn't move now, soon the news would spread: the Konoha forces crushed by Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
Hiruzen's gaze shifted to Might Dai beside him.
He valued Dai greatly. The Eight Gates technique required harsh conditions to master—tremendous perseverance, the ability to endure unimaginable pain.
Hiruzen had once heard his teacher, the Second Hokage, speak of this technique. It had appeared very early, probably in the early Warring States period. The Eight Gates were completely different from the current ninja training system. They didn't cultivate chakra—they trained the body itself. Pure and ultimate taijutsu.
But in those early days, there were no eight gates. Only three. Through generations of ancestors' continuous exploration, they had developed four gates, five gates... seven gates.
As for the eighth gate, it was legend. It was said that opening the Eighth Gate granted power dozens of times beyond Kage level—power comparable to the gods themselves.
Some claimed to have witnessed the Eighth Gate opened, but it remained a mystery. As ninjutsu rose to dominance, the Eight Gates faded from attention. During the peace established by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama maintained order, and such extreme techniques were unnecessary.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, loved developing ninjutsu. He created new techniques constantly—though Hashirama often banned them, concerned about what ordinary people could safely handle.
The Eight Gates, being a legendary technique with ancient history, naturally caught Tobirama's interest. But the known version at that time only extended to seven gates, corresponding to Kage-level power. The eighth gate remained vague, with no accurate training method.
Tobirama, as a genius at developing ninjutsu, devoted considerable time to studying the Eight Gates. Through research and experimentation, he eventually developed a cultivation method for opening the Eighth Gate.
But the cost was too high.
Opening the Eighth Gate granted world-destroying power—and then killed the user. A technique that injured the enemy a thousand times while injuring oneself a thousand times... its flaws couldn't be overcome.
Tobirama understood why rumors of the Eighth Gate were so rare. Everyone who knew the truth was dead.
For once, he didn't need his brother Hashirama's reminder. He voluntarily classified the Eight Gates as a forbidden technique. He systematized the method, integrated the way to open the Eighth Gate, and recorded it under Konoha's seal scrolls.
And now, Might Dai had cultivated to the realm of seven gates. Few could claim such achievement.
Hiruzen knew something of Dai's history. His family seemed to have practiced taijutsu for generations, though there were gaps in their knowledge. The impact wasn't significant.
Now Dai's seven gates could explode with Kage-level power. That was why Hiruzen had brought him along.
If luck favored them—if they arrived at the battlefield and the Konoha team still held on—Dai would be a surprise soldier. He could unleash shadow-level power, catching the enemy off guard.
And Hiruzen himself would deal with the Third Tsuchikage Onoki.
"Ah..." Dai's face was filled with worry. "I wonder how Ragnar is doing?"
The name struck Hiruzen like a physical blow.
Ragnar.
He had almost forgotten about that boy in his calculations. In the last great battle, Ragnar had achieved feats that shocked even the Hokage. But this time, they faced two genuine Kage-level opponents. Even Ragnar could only protect himself at best.
Please... hold on a little longer.
(End of Chapter)
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