Sarutobi Hiruzen firmly rejected Mitokado Homura's proposal.
In his view, young talents like Hyuga Hirito and Namikaze Minato needed the right environment to grow. One day, they would become the pillars supporting Konoha. Sending them to the front lines prematurely, where they could die because of small, inexperienced mistakes, would be a tremendous loss for the village.
Thus, the shinobi being deployed were all over sixteen. Moreover, Konoha was brimming with skilled fighters. With his three disciples, Hatake Sakumo, Kato Dan, Yuhi Shinku, and veterans like Kosuke, Hiruzen was confident in Konoha's strength. There were also the clans of Hyuga, Uchiha, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Sarutobi, Shimura, Inuzuka, and Aburame all contributing to the war efforts. This combination had thus far managed to keep Sand Shinobi and Rock Shinobi suppressed on the front line.
"The Land of Rain... No, to be precise, Hanzo, is the real challenge," Hiruzen mused to himself. "That title of 'Demigod' carries a lot of weight."
"His poison gas and Summoning beast are devastating on the battlefield… But with Tsunade's medical prowess, plus Orochimaru and Jiraiya by her side, they should be able to hold him back."
After their celebration dinner, Shinichi led Hirito, Minato, and Nonō to the training ground.
"Before we part ways, I want to teach you one final jutsu—a group attack ninjutsu created by the Third Hokage himself. It doesn't require much Chakra but is highly effective."
With a smooth jump, Shinichi launched a shuriken mid-air and then began forming rapid seals with his hands.
Boar–Ram–Monkey–Tiger–Ox–Dragon–Dog–Snake–Boar–Tiger.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
In an instant, the single shuriken split into two, then four, then eight, and continued to multiply until it became dozens of shuriken, all flying with tremendous force.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
With a powerful series of impacts, the training dummies in front of them were immediately covered with shuriken.
Shinichi turned around and smirked. "What do you think? Pretty useful, right?"
Hirito, Minato, and Nonō were no longer the wide-eyed Genin they had once been. Instead of gasping at the display, they calmly analyzed the potential uses of the technique.
Minato thought aloud, "This jutsu could be used to scatter enemies, or at least to disrupt their formations. It could really hinder shinobi without defensive ninjutsu."
Hirito added, "Against weaker enemies, this could be a good area-clearing move."
They all agreed that, in the right situations, it could be valuable. With their growing skill levels, they were quick to learn the technique from Shinichi, despite it being an A-rank jutsu.
Shinichi's expression softened with pride. Watching these three grow from young students into capable ninjas gave him a sense of accomplishment, even though he was still a bachelor. For a moment, he felt like a proud parent.
After they parted ways, Hirito used his Shunpo to catch up with Watanabe Shinichi, who was just about to leave the village.
"What's wrong?" Shinichi asked, noticing Hirito's serious expression.
"Sensei, I wanted to thank you for everything. I'd like to give you a parting gift. Could you come with me?"
Intrigued, Shinichi followed Hirito to a training ground on the outskirts of the village, where they saw a man doing one-handed handstands with unusual intensity.
"Is that... Might Dai?" Shinichi said, a bit bewildered.
With his unmistakable green jumpsuit, bushy eyebrows, and determined expression, Might Dai was hard to miss.
"Why is he here?"
Hirito had actually arranged this by sending a Shadow Clone to locate Might Dai earlier. Dai noticed Hirito's arrival and greeted him with a wide grin, striking a dramatic pose.
"Feel the power of youthful determination!" Might Dai shouted, raising one hand to his forehead in a flamboyant gesture.
Shinichi squinted, momentarily blinded by Dai's radiant enthusiasm.
"Dai, I need your help," Hirito said.
Hearing this, Might Dai executed a series of flips before landing on his feet. His face lit up with excitement. "Youth will never disappoint a friend in need!"
Although Might Dai often appeared eccentric, Hirito knew him to be genuine. Over the years, many in the village had either ignored or mocked him, but Hirito had always shown him respect and encouraged him to keep training. Dai had never forgotten that kindness, and though he felt limited in what he could offer Hirito, he was eager to help in any way he could.
After checking the surroundings with his Byakugan to ensure privacy, Hirito turned to Shinichi.
"Sensei, I want to share a technique with you. It allows a shinobi to momentarily unlock greater strength, speed, and reflexes by releasing the body's Chakra limiters. It's called the Eight Inner Gates."
Shinichi's first instinct was to decline, wary of learning a technique that could belong to the Hyuga clan. However, Hirito quickly clarified that it was not a clan secret; rather, it was an extremely difficult technique few chose to master.
Reassured, Shinichi looked over at Might Dai, who was nodding with determination.
Hirito briefly explained the fundamentals of the Eight Inner Gates technique, focusing only on the steps to open the first three gates due to their time constraints. After a bit of discussion, Shinichi understood the concept, but now it was time to see the technique in action.
Hirito nodded at Dai. "Please demonstrate."
With a determined thumbs-up, Might Dai stepped back, his face full of intensity.
"Eight Inner Gates: First Gate, Gate of Opening—Open!"
As the first gate opened, a surge of Chakra erupted from Dai, but he wasn't done yet.
"Second Gate, Gate of Rest—Open!"
"Third Gate, Gate of Life—Open!"
The ground around Dai trembled slightly as he activated the Third Gate. Chakra poured from his body, creating an aura that seemed to distort the very air around him. Dust and leaves swirled in a powerful gust, as though a storm were building right where he stood.
"Hah… hah…!"
With each breath, the Chakra radiating from Dai intensified, and the pressure around him grew thick and almost tangible. Shinichi shielded his face from the force of the wind and stared in shock.
"This Chakra… Is he really just a Genin?"
The sight was incredible. Might Dai, a shinobi with no known ninjutsu or genjutsu, was able to generate a level of power Shinichi would never have expected from someone of his rank.
Dai looked over at Shinichi with a confident grin. "Sensei, the Eight Inner Gates can provide the power you need in moments of desperation. But remember, each gate places greater strain on the body. Use it only when there's no other option!"
(End of the Chapter).
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