Although he had only just begun to grasp the Eight Gates Formation, the improvement in Satoru's strength was nothing short of terrifying.
Once he opened the Gate of Opening, his power was no weaker than Guy's in his "normal state." His speed and reaction time had both increased dramatically as well.
With the mental limiters on his brain released, Satoru's ability to process information skyrocketed. Combined with the all-seeing vision of his Byakugan, Hyuga Satoru could now react almost instantaneously to anything that occurred within his field of view.
Even though he had only opened the first gate, Satoru's overall strength had increased severalfold. The difference between this and his normal state wasn't just a matter of chakra quantity—it was a total transformation.
Might Guy, seeing Satoru enter the Gate of Opening, also stopped holding back. Though he didn't use the Eight Gates himself, at his current level he could still unleash the full extent of his taijutsu abilities.
In the training field, two figures flickered back and forth at blinding speed, gusts of wind roaring outward with every collision.
On the sidelines, Aburame Shibi and Uchiha Shisui silently stood up and retreated several steps to a safer distance.
The sheer intensity of the battle was frightening; the speed of the two combatants was so fast that even Shibi's sharp eyes couldn't catch every movement.
Shisui, however, quietly activated his Sharingan, recording every detail of the match between Satoru and Guy.
Though he wasn't directly participating, the Sharingan's perceptive power allowed him to learn much from observing their fight. Even if the Eight Gates Formation couldn't be copied, there was still much to gain.
The Gate of Opening consumed stamina at an alarming rate. After only half an hour, the battle ended with Satoru collapsing from exhaustion.
Guy didn't look much better—his green jumpsuit was drenched in sweat, and several bruises dotted his body. As the adrenaline faded, the pain became more noticeable.
Even so, throughout the match, Guy had been unable to find a single real flaw in Satoru's defense. The best he managed were a few trades—fist for fist—where he managed to land a hit by taking one in return.
But even those exchanges counted as "heavy blows" for Satoru.
As he exited the Eight Gates state, a wave of emptiness washed over his body. His muscles ached, and certain areas throbbed faintly with pain.
Under his Byakugan's observation, Satoru could clearly see that his muscles and meridians had suffered no actual damage. The pain was merely the result of bruising beneath the skin.
Pain and fatigue didn't dampen his enthusiasm—in fact, Satoru found himself enjoying the sensation.
To him, this was the feeling of growth.
"Boom!"
Satoru tilted his head back and collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. Steam rose from his body like an overheated engine on a winter day.
Guy dropped to the ground as well, sitting cross-legged and laughing heartily as he glanced toward Satoru.
"Now this is youth!"
The fight had left Guy exhilarated. Battles between ninja usually involved ninjutsu and ninja tools, but pure taijutsu duels like this were rare. In the whole of Konoha, there were few who could give him such a satisfying match.
He couldn't wait for Satoru to grow stronger—then he could truly spar against someone who also mastered the Eight Gates Formation.
Though the technique had severe side effects—the more gates one opened, the stronger the power and the harsher the backlash—as long as the final Death Gate wasn't opened, recovery was always possible.
Given Guy's constitution, opening up to the fifth gate posed no real danger. At worst, he'd experience the same muscle fatigue Satoru did afterward—hardly worth worrying about.
Any technique needed constant use to master. Guy also needed to familiarize himself with his abilities in the Eight Gates state—the strength, the speed, the reaction—all vastly different from his normal form.
"Here, drink some water."
Aburame Shibi approached and handed Guy a cup. Guy accepted it with a grin, gulped it down, and let out a long sigh of relief.
On the other side, Shisui handed a canteen to Satoru. Sitting up, Satoru accepted it with a smile and a word of thanks.
A cool breeze rustled through the trees, the soft sha-sha of leaves filling the air.
Satoru narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the peaceful moment of resting and training alongside his companions.
"How about it?" Shisui asked with a smile. "After a short break, want to practice some Fire Release techniques?"
Satoru's daily training wasn't limited to taijutsu. His chakra nature affinity leaned toward fire and lightning—and conveniently, there was a Fire Release expert right in their team.
Though the Hyuga clan was famed for their taijutsu and Gentle Fist, Satoru himself never restricted his path to that alone.
Whether it was Guy or Shisui, both were genuinely good people. When Satoru wanted to learn the Eight Gates Formation, Guy helped without hesitation. When he wanted to study Fire Release, Shisui shared his knowledge freely.
Over time, Satoru had already learned a fair number of jutsu, including the Uchiha clan's signature Fireball Jutsu—the so-called "non-lethal Fire Release."
But at Shisui's suggestion, Satoru merely shook his head after catching his breath.
"I have some ideas I want to test out," he said. "If things go well… I might be able to create a new technique—one that truly suits me."
The thought of developing his own jutsu had been on Satoru's mind for a long time.
Even with Gentle Fist, Fire Release, Eight Gates, and the Flying Thunder God Technique under his belt, he still felt he lacked a definitive, finishing-type attack.
Even the Fourth Hokage, who wasn't known for his offensive power, had the Rasengan as one of his trump cards.
Satoru's situation was similar to the Fourth before he developed the Rasengan.
During one sparring session with Shisui and Guy, Satoru had accidentally used Rotation while midair. The resulting destructive force had surprised even him—it seemed to surpass an ordinary Rasengan.
The principles behind Rotation were somewhat similar to the Rasengan. In Satoru's mind, the ideal form of his new technique would resemble a "Spiral Qi Field," like something out of a certain martial arts game.
If he could merge chakra shape transformation with nature transformation—specifically fire and lightning—then the destructive power of this new technique would far exceed that of any unsealed ninjutsu.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/Nova5tudios