"Muscle strain?"
Yakushi Nonō listened patiently as Mikami Yuu finished explaining. She adjusted her glasses and said gently, "For this kind of thing, the best solution is still to get regular checkups from a medical ninja, and use professional medical ninjutsu and massage techniques to remove hidden injuries.
"If you don't have access to that, then at the very least, before going to sleep each night, do a set of stretching exercises to relax your muscles and joints, and drink a cup of warm milk. Using sleep to promote recovery is also a very good method."
As she spoke, Nonō demonstrated her own stretches right there in the quiet hallway.
It looked a lot like radio calisthenics.
But at this moment, watching Nonō hop and stretch, Mikami Yuu couldn't help recalling how he'd transformed into Nonō at the training ground a couple of days ago. His expression became a little unnatural.
Nonō didn't think much of it. After finishing the demonstration, she wrote a note and handed it to him.
"The Nara clan's secret 'Meridian-Soothing Balm' and 'Bone-Reviving Oil'—these two medicines, applied after intense exercise to the joints of your limbs and to acupoints around the waist and abdomen, can effectively warm and nourish the meridians and reduce strain…
"Like this—massage until it heats up and absorbs, and that's enough."
"I see… thank you, Yakushi-sensei!"
Mikami Yuu bowed slightly in thanks, then quickly turned and left with Rin and Obito, who were waiting nearby.
That afternoon,
Mikami Yuu used the entire ten thousand ryō he'd earned from Kurenai to buy several jars of ointment from the Nara clan pharmacy.
Then he took some of it and shared it with Rin and with the Might father and son.
Rin's side didn't need explanation.
As for Might Duy—he was so moved he practically teared up, roaring, "Ah! This is proof of a youthful bond! Let our hot blood burn even fiercer under the nourishment of ointment!"
Mikami Yuu: "…"
How to put it—on the "cringe" track, the Might father and son really were one of a kind…
And just like that,
time flew by in sweat and flowing chakra, and in the blink of an eye it was January, Konoha Year 46.
Early that morning,
as thin fog and faint daylight hung in the air, three figures—two running on their hands and one running normally—burst out of the misty area together and stopped near the village gate.
There, Mikami Yuu let out a long breath. His chest rose and fell sharply, sweat dripped from his chin, but his eyes were bright and his lips curled into a smile.
Achievement unlocked: "Ten days, ten laps."
As the three of them came to a stop one after another,
Might Duy turned around. His eyes instantly burst with light brighter than the sun, and his white teeth sparkled.
"Amazing, Yuu! This is youth's most brilliant medal! The sweat you burned and your iron will—I, Might Duy, have truly received them!"
"Come! To the training ground of youth!"
"Alright!"
Mikami Yuu nodded.
Instead of heading back toward the residential district, the three of them went straight into the depths of the dense forest on the side of the village, stopping in a hidden clearing surrounded by giant trees.
There, Duy motioned for Mikami Yuu and Might Guy to sit on a tree root. The rare grin on his face vanished, leaving only a near-reverent seriousness.
"Yuu, Guy—listen carefully!"
"The Eight Gates is the ultimate taijutsu art that unlocks the body's internal restraints and releases astonishing chakra! It took me twenty years to comprehend it. Each gate you open multiplies your power. When all eight gates are opened, you may even reach strength close to the Hokage-sama… but the price is equally heavy…"
Yeah right. Even the Hokage isn't that strong, Mikami Yuu thought.
The upper limit of Eight Gates depended on the person. Adult Might Guy was a jōnin, so opening all eight gates brought him close to Six Paths level. Duy was only a genin, so his ceiling was much lower. But judging from the fact he could kick the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist into a "lucky family trio," he was at least Kage-level.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi might not be able to tank that.
Of course, the flaw of the Eight Gates was also obvious: the burst window was too short. If you couldn't kill your enemy in the first few minutes, you'd probably die yourself.
So Mikami Yuu's short-term plan was simply to train until he could open the third or fourth gate—adding another life-saving trump card.
"…So, to train the Eight Gates, you must have the resolve to burn everything away to protect what you cherish, not merely chase power."
Might Duy's eyes were like torches as he stared at Mikami Yuu.
"Yuu! Tell me—is your resolve as firm as bedrock?!"
"Yes, Uncle Duy! I've long been prepared!"
Mikami Yuu answered loudly.
"Good! Then I will teach you now—the method to open the first three gates!"
At once,
Might Duy began pointing to acupoints on his body, explaining how to open the Eight Gates.
Open… Rest… Life… Injury…
Mikami Yuu had seen these acupoint concepts in books at the Konoha library, so it wasn't unfamiliar. And while Duy's teaching wasn't exactly polished, it was at least far more concrete than Naruto teaching Konohamaru the Rasengan later. Not to mention Might Guy was beside them, adding explanations.
So Mikami Yuu quickly grasped the general idea.
Still, compared to Duy's lecture, his attention was more on the galgame system. But it hadn't triggered any mission yet—probably because Duy still needed to personally activate Eight Gates for real, just like Obito had to cast Great Fireball back then.
Soon enough,
Might Duy clenched his fists and spread his legs slightly.
"Now, I will personally demonstrate the Eight Gates… First: the Gate of Opening—OPEN!"
"Second: the Gate of Healing—OPEN!"
"Third: the Gate of Life…"
With each low shout,
veins bulged across Duy's body. Chakra inside him surged into a violent, riotous state. His short black hair began to float like seaweed. Invisible shockwaves spread outward in rings, startling flocks of birds into flight.
In that state, Duy began throwing punches and kicks, so fast they left afterimages.
And it was at that moment—
the galgame system finally reacted:
[Ding! Detected an over-spec potential romanceable target: "Eight Gates." Time-limited encounter mission triggered!]
[At the training ground west of the village, you are drawn by an explosive aura of youth. A lively girl with short red hair and wheat-colored skin is forging her body in a near self-destructive frenzy, every strike roaring with the sound of breaking limits. The fire in her eyes seems able to ignite other souls.]
[Warning: This target is extremely proactive. The romance process may involve huge risks and may cause irreversible effects on the host's body and mind. Do you still wish to encounter her: Yes/No]
~~~
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