"Ugh—!"
A violent stabbing pain exploded inside Ren's head.
It struck without warning, like a blazing iron rod being driven straight through his skull.
For a moment, the world seemed to spin.
The Chakra he had gathered surged upward toward the targeted acupoint, but instead of piercing through smoothly, it slammed into something unseen—an invisible wall that rejected him completely. The energy scattered violently in every direction.
The backlash hit instantly.
His temples throbbed as if someone had struck them with a hammer, and dizziness flooded his senses.
Ren nearly collapsed on the spot.
The first attempt… had failed.
He opened his eyes slowly, breathing heavily.
Across from him, Might Duy had clearly anticipated this outcome. The older man nodded calmly, as if Ren's failure was simply part of the process.
"How was it?" Duy asked with a warm smile. "When you pushed your Chakra toward the acupoint, did it simply disperse?"
Ren nodded weakly.
"That is perfectly normal," Duy continued reassuringly. "It means you have already touched the barrier of the Gate. The Eight Gates are not something that can be opened casually. The key lies in controlling your Chakra with absolute precision."
Beside him, Might Guy suddenly leaned in excitedly, his bowl-cut hair practically glowing with enthusiasm.
"Right! Right! Right!" Guy said rapidly, nodding like a machine.
"I experienced the same thing during my first attempt!"
He began gesturing wildly with both hands.
"You must condense your Chakra as much as possible—like twisting dough! The more you twist it, the tighter and denser it becomes!"
Guy jabbed a finger into the air.
"Imagine it as a needle!"
"Once it becomes sharp enough, drive it through the barrier in one breath!"
He clenched his fists dramatically.
"The first time always feels tight, like some membrane is blocking the way. But after that, it becomes easier and easier!"
Then he flashed a dazzling grin.
"As for pain? Of course there's pain! That pain is youth knocking at your door! You must endure it!"
"..."
Ren stared at him blankly.
Youth knocking at the door?
What kind of strange metaphor was that?
Was youth's surname Lee or something?
Was there some mysterious senior named Grandma Lee walking around knocking on people's doors?
Ren suddenly felt a headache that had nothing to do with Chakra.
Still…
After hearing Duy's calm explanation and Guy's… extremely energetic metaphors, Ren gradually understood the key point.
Chakra control.
Compression.
Focus.
Taking a slow breath, Ren reached into his pouch and swallowed another soldier pill.
The medicinal Chakra immediately spread through his body, restoring his strength and stimulating his meridians.
Then he closed his eyes again.
This time, Ren was far more careful.
He began extracting Chakra from his meridian system again and again, gathering it patiently. Instead of rushing forward recklessly, he carefully compressed the energy, squeezing it tighter and tighter.
Under his will, the Chakra gradually formed a sharp cone-like shape.
Like a drill.
Like a spearhead.
Once he felt the compression reach its limit, Ren directed the cone upward toward the acupoint located near his brain.
Then—
He pushed.
BOOM!
Pain erupted once more.
This time it was even worse.
Ren's entire body trembled violently.
Every muscle spasmed.
Cold sweat poured from his pores like rain, soaking his clothes almost instantly.
His teeth clenched so hard they nearly cracked.
But he refused to stop.
Push.
Push harder.
Break through it!
Inside his mind, the compressed Chakra Cone continued grinding against the invisible barrier blocking the gate.
The resistance felt overwhelming.
It was like trying to pierce a steel wall with a fragile needle.
Seconds passed.
Or perhaps it was longer.
To Ren, time itself seemed to stretch endlessly.
Every heartbeat felt like an eternity.
His consciousness began to blur as exhaustion crept in.
Am I… going to faint?
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
Pop.
A soft sound echoed deep within his mind.
Like a cork being pulled from a bottle.
Like a door finally opening after years of being locked shut.
Then—
A tiny spark ignited.
It flickered gently, like the flame of a candle, small yet stubbornly alive.
At that moment, Ren felt something inside his body change.
The pain was still there.
But alongside it came a sensation of incredible relief.
His Chakra suddenly surged forward, flowing through his body more freely than ever before.
Like water breaking through a dam.
He had opened the First Gate—the Gate of Opening.
Ren's eyes snapped open.
Grandma Lee knocked… and the door opened!
A powerful surge of energy flooded his muscles.
Strength.
Pure, explosive strength.
His body felt unbelievably light.
At that moment, Ren felt as if he could knock down a bull with a single punch.
Without thinking, he leaped into motion.
He sprinted across the training ground, his speed astonishing even to himself.
His movements were faster.
His reactions sharper.
His body felt alive with power.
Then—
He threw a punch at a wooden training post.
CRACK!
The thick wooden pillar shattered instantly.
Fragments exploded outward.
Ren stared at the splintered remains in disbelief.
So this is… the Eight Gates…
But the excitement didn't last long.
Because the Eight Gates technique was not meant to be maintained indefinitely.
It was a dangerous Taijutsu that forcibly released the body's natural limiters.
From the moment the Gate of Opening was activated, Chakra consumption increased drastically.
If he continued any longer, his body would collapse.
Reluctantly, Ren suppressed the technique.
The moment the gate closed—
A crushing wave of exhaustion slammed into him.
His limbs felt heavy.
His muscles screamed in protest.
It was as if every cell in his body had suddenly decided to go on strike.
Ren staggered slightly.
He had already been exhausted before opening the gate, and the soldier pill only delayed the fatigue.
Now that the effect faded, the accumulated exhaustion returned with vengeance.
And yet—
The culprit behind this suffering was still talking cheerfully.
A line of glowing text appeared before him.
[Eight Gates: (Eyes shining brightly, slapping your shoulder) See? I told you it feels amazing!]
[Eight Gates: Pain? Fatigue? Those are just snacks along the road to becoming stronger!]
[Eight Gates: Excellent spirit! I like that!]
Then the text continued.
[Eight Gates: Hmm… although I would love to test your limits again, let's stop here for today.]
[Eight Gates: I'll come find you again tomorrow morning!]
[Eight Gates Favorability +1]
[Added to the Conquest List]
Ren collapsed onto the grass.
"…Finally."
It was gone.
Just as he breathed a sigh of relief—
Another line of text suddenly appeared.
[Healing Technique: Oh my… this child is far too reckless.]
[Healing Technique: Who damages their own body like this just to cultivate?]
[Healing Technique: If these injuries are not treated in time, they could leave permanent damage.]
A new figure materialized in the strange mental space.
She wore gentle green clothing.
Her expression was soft and filled with concern.
The Healing Technique stepped forward and gently stroked the top of Ren's head.
Then she placed both hands against his chest.
A pale green glow emerged from her palms.
Warm.
Comforting.
A soft wave of healing Chakra flowed into Ren's body.
This was the first time a Ninjutsu had activated autonomously, without Ren supplying Chakra himself.
The healing energy was incredibly pure.
Even purer than when Ren cast the technique manually.
It spread through his body like a soothing current, repairing damaged tissues and easing his fatigue.
Ren opened his eyes in surprise.
So this kind of thing can happen too?
Why hadn't it happened before?
Was it because his injuries had never been severe enough?
Or because the favorability level had finally reached a certain threshold?
Before he could think further—
The Three Basic Techniques suddenly joined the conversation.
[Transformation Technique: Thank you, Healing Technique.]
[Transformation Technique: Little Ren, you must learn to act within your limits. Cultivation cannot rely on reckless impatience.]
Then another voice cut in sharply.
[Clone Technique: I told you this guy was fickle.]
[Clone Technique: He already has us three sisters, yet he's still not satisfied. The moment we look away, he runs off with some strange woman.]
[Clone Technique: Honestly, if he likes red hair so much, he could just go find that red-headed girl from before.]
[Clone Technique: But this new one? Dark skin, unfamiliar face… she looks like the delinquent type from doujinshi that plays with people until they break before abandoning them.]
[Substitution Jutsu: Mm-hmm! Sister Clone is right!]
Suddenly—
A fiery voice snapped back.
[Great Fireball Technique: Wait a second… are you talking about me when you mention the red-head?]
[Clone Technique: Who else?]
[Great Fireball Technique: …Hmph! A mere Clone Technique dares give this young lady nicknames? Show some respect!]
The Clone Technique snorted.
[Clone Technique: Sorry, but I've upgraded now.]
[Clone Technique: I am the noble Water Clone Technique.]
[Clone Technique: Same rank as you—and I happen to counter fire.]
Then she added smugly:
[Clone Technique: Besides, this Water Clone skin was personally gifted by Mr. Ren himself.]
[Clone Technique: Surely there isn't someone here who hasn't received a gift from Mr. Ren yet?]
A brief silence followed.
[Transformation Technique: …]
[Healing Technique: …]
Ren covered his face.
Please… just stop talking.
His Ninjutsu arguing in his mind every day—was this really normal?
And wait.
Did the Clone Technique just mention doujinshi?
Since when could Ninjutsu read doujinshi?
Was it human doujinshi… or Ninjutsu doujinshi?
Ren suddenly felt like he had discovered something incredibly dangerous.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
When the Transformation Technique's favorability reached ten earlier, shouldn't something special have unlocked?
In many games, reaching a milestone like that usually triggered a special CG scene.
So where was it?
Ren quickly pushed the thought aside.
After all…
Doing that kind of thing with a Ninjutsu still felt a little too advanced.
Right now, there was something far more interesting to investigate.
Ren stared thoughtfully at the Healing Technique.
The autonomous activation.
The independent Chakra supply.
The personality.
The behavior.
Just how exactly did this system work?
Ren suddenly realized—
The mechanics behind these living Ninjutsu might be far deeper than he originally imagined.
And he intended to figure it out.
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