The stabbing pain came again—sharp, nauseating, almost blinding.
Ryosuke's expression twisted despite himself, but he refused to stop.
This was the trump card he needed for the Night of the Massacre.
The one power he could realistically master before everything went to hell.
Some things simply had to be endured.
He compressed chakra once more and rammed it toward the Opening Gate.
But as the gate inched wider, the familiar needle-like agony pierced through his skull.
Ryosuke forced himself to endure for two breaths… then had no choice but to stop.
This wasn't normal pain—not muscle strain or torn skin.
This was brain-deep, raw and mental, a pain that shattered concentration.
He exhaled heavily and looked at Might Guy.
"This hurts way too much," Ryosuke admitted.
Guy laughed, though not mockingly—more like someone who had felt that same pain a thousand times himself.
"This is why I only managed to open five gates after all these years," Guy said. "Each one hurts worse than the last."
"But your physique isn't weaker than mine was back then. You can handle it. Once your mind adapts to the pain, it won't feel as sharp."
Ryosuke felt slightly relieved. If the pain remained at this level forever, learning the Gates would be impossible.
So he gritted his teeth, gathered chakra again, and focused.
The moment the chakra slammed into the Opening Gate, a flare of agony tore through his head. Sweat dripped down his chin. His breath hitched. His vision blurred.
If he hadn't spent a month getting pummeled by Guy—and building a ridiculous pain tolerance—he would've quit instantly.
He even felt a little bitter.
For pain like this, the system didn't even reward him a single stat point.
If this didn't count as training, what did?
But complaining wouldn't change anything.
He drove chakra into the gate again.
Guy stayed beside him the whole time, watchful and steady—exactly like Duy had once stood watch for him. Guy's first time opening a gate had knocked him unconscious, and his father had carried him home on his back.
That memory was burned into Guy—the pain of opening a gate was not like external wounds.
It was like the brain itself was catching fire.
The kind of pain that made grown men fear it.
Ryosuke continued relentlessly.
Guy watched him with growing respect.
Ryosuke's persistence reminded him of his own past—of the stubbornness that had shaped his life.
Several times, Ryosuke pushed chakra toward the Opening Gate until his lips went white.
Several times, he collapsed to his knees but forced himself back up.
Until eventually—
A violent spike of pain tore through his head, and everything went black.
Ryosuke fell.
Guy reacted instantly, kneeling beside him to check his condition.
When he felt Ryosuke's steady breathing, he finally relaxed. No need to run him to the hospital or call for a medic. He was simply unconscious.
Half an hour later, Ryosuke slowly regained consciousness.
His vision swam at first, but the world came back into focus after a minute.
Guy leaned close, worry on his face.
"You okay?"
Ryosuke rubbed his forehead. "Yeah… just dizzy."
Guy sighed.
"As I said, the Eight Gates are brutally difficult. Don't rush it. Push too hard and you'll injure your brain."
Ryosuke nodded slowly.
He had wanted results too quickly.
He had pressured the gate too aggressively, which was why the pain had surged and knocked him out.
If he kept going like that, one wrong push might actually rupture something important.
He had to take it slow—just like Guy said.
After parting ways with Guy, Ryosuke returned to the clan compound.
He washed up, rested, and by evening the fog in his head had cleared.
He headed for Kurenai's house next.
More contact meant strengthening their bond.
And she had said she wanted to stroll with him again.
When he reached her home, she was already waiting outside in a light kimono—elegant and gentle.
Her eyes brightened the moment she saw him.
But when he came closer, she noticed his pale complexion.
"Ryosuke… are you all right?" she asked, worry filling her voice.
He waved it off with a half-smile.
"It's nothing. I was just training a difficult taijutsu."
He didn't mention the Eight Gates.
He didn't want her worrying herself sick.
Kurenai, relieved but still concerned, told him gently:
"Then please be careful. Don't push your body too hard."
Ryosuke smiled.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of myself."
And the two walked into the evening together.
The night breeze was cool.
Kurenai's warmth beside him was soft and comforting.
Despite the pain earlier, Ryosuke felt strangely at peace.
Tomorrow, the training would start again.
And the Opening Gate—
he would definitely conquer it.
◇ Visit P@treon now to grab your offer of 30% off on all additional chapters on all tiers. Hurry up offer is ending soon.
◇ 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/maniacvman