Chp-35: Training the Eight Gates
"Cheers!"
The ceramic sake cups clinked together mid-air, producing a crisp, pleasant sound.
Satoru downed the contents of his cup in one gulp, his cheeks turning slightly red. He pointed to the table laden with grilled meat, "Come on, it's my treat this time. Eat as much as you want."
"In that case, I won't hold back," Anko said, grabbing a large piece of grilled meat with her chopsticks and stuffing it into her mouth with a look of satisfaction.
Shibi Aburame smiled helplessly. Unable to resist Satoru and the others' persistent invitations, he had no choice but to join the gathering.
After escorting the caravan to its destination, Ryosuke's team took only a small portion of the reward for some reason, leaving the bulk to Shibi's team.
Satoru decided to fulfil his promise from their last S-rank mission by treating his team to a meal. Dai and Guy declined due to their modesty, so the four of them returned to the familiar BBQ restaurant.
Seeing the familiar layout of the shop, Shibi felt a headache coming on. When Team Three was first formed, he had made a fool of himself.
Whether it was a misconception or not, Shibi always felt that the chubby shop owner was peeking at him with a sly smile as if he had found a lucrative customer.
"Satoru said he'd treat us... should be fine, right?" Shibi shivered.
That day, Shibi recalled the fear of being dominated by Satoru's appetite and the humiliation of being unable to pay the bill at the BBQ restaurant.
Satoru, stuffing his mouth full of grilled meat, had no idea what Shibi was thinking. Even if he did, he would just laugh it off.
Shibi had only taken a small portion of the S-rank mission reward, but the remaining amount was enough to last Satoru a long time. There was no need to mooch off others. Besides, this gathering had more purposes than just team bonding.
The Eight Gates!
After learning the method from Dai, Satoru couldn't wait to start training.
Eating a large amount of food would store enough energy in his body to withstand the intense training required.
---
After the meal, Satoru bid farewell to Anko and the others and visited a ninja tool shop, spending half a day to get what he needed.
The method of training in the Eight Gates wasn't complicated. It was more of a technique to break through the limits of the human body than just a form of taijutsu. The key to success lies in having a sufficiently strong physique.
Thus, Satoru planned to start a special training regimen for his body.
He headed to the mountain where he usually trained and began setting up.
First, he laid down metal plates on the ground. The "plates" were more like thick slabs, costing Satoru quite a bit of money and causing him a bit of heartache.
Once secured, the clearing looked as though it had been paved with a smooth, metallic floor.
Next, Satoru put on the custom-made metal suit, making him look like an armoured warrior. However, this armour wasn't particularly glamorous, showing clear seams where the metal pieces joined.
With everything ready, he used his electromagnetic power to create an opposite magnetic field.
Suddenly, a massive force pulled him towards the metal floor, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. The metal suit groaned under the pressure, forcing Satoru to grit his teeth.
"It seems the magnetic field is too strong."
Satoru quickly reduced the magnetic force, relieving some of the pressure.
After several adjustments, he finally found the perfect intensity that would effectively train his body without causing excessive strain.
He estimated that the pressure was roughly equivalent to quadruple gravity.
However, since the pressure came from the contact points between the metal suit and his body, this method was cruder than directly increasing gravity.
On the flip side, the nature of the magnetic force allowed for more varied training methods.
By changing the direction of the magnetic attraction or suddenly switching to repulsion, he could simulate extreme conditions for body refinement.
As light objects like leaves were attracted to the powerful magnetic field, the metal floor soon became covered with a layer of fallen leaves, slightly affecting the aesthetics.
Satoru paused, placed his palm on the metal floor, and reversed the magnetic poles. The fallen leaves on the floor were given a slight electric charge.
With a muffled sound, the leaves shot up from the metal floor, creating a rain of leaves around him.
Under the influence of the repulsion, the metal floor was as smooth as a mirror, free of any small debris.
Satoru resumed his body training after returning the magnetic poles to their original state.
His physical strength steadily increased until he reached a certain threshold. Satoru stopped, panting heavily.
His body was drenched in sweat as if he had just been pulled from a pool, but his spirits were high.
"Indeed, using electromagnetic power properly greatly enhances physical strength."
He removed the cheap armor and rested until he recovered his strength, and his eyes sparkled with determination.
"It's time to try opening the Eight Gates."
Taking a deep breath, Satoru followed the chakra flow method taught by Dai, gradually breaking through his body's limits, starting with the first gate in his brain.
"First Gate, Gate of Opening... Open!"
With a low shout, a faint aura surrounded Satoru.
"Am I imagining things?"
Satoru frowned. When he opened the first gate, he vaguely felt a disturbance in the purple star whirlpool in his mind.
The star whirlpool only changed when his electromagnetic power level increased, so he wasn't sure if it was an illusion.
"Never mind, this isn't the limit."
Breathing deeply, Satoru focused on his chakra flow.
"Second Gate, Gate of Healing... Open!"
"So this is the Gate of Healing? My physical fatigue has drastically reduced, and I feel a continuous flow of energy, but this isn't the limit."
"Third Gate, Gate of Life, Open!"
A faint green aura surrounded him, veins bulging on his forehead. Satoru tested his strength and couldn't help but marvel.
"Just the third gate and my physical strength has significantly increased. No wonder the Eight Gates can make a person fight against the Six Paths."
He then had a bizarre thought: with the veins bulging on his face from opening the gates and the veins around his eyes from the Byakugan, what would he look like using both? Would he scare little kids?
Shaking off the thought, Satoru focused again. He sensed he hadn't reached his limit yet.
"Dai said the danger zone of the Eight Gates begins after the fourth gate, the true Eight Gates. I wonder what changes will occur."
Satoru took a deep breath and used the remaining chakra to open the fourth gate in his lungs.
"Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain... Open!"
As the fourth gate opened, Satoru's pupils contracted sharply, his life force burning intensely, and the purple star whirlpool in his mind rippled wildly.
At the same time, his body underwent a transformation.
His hair stood on end, sparks of electricity arced between strands, and his body floated mid-air, his clothes fluttering in the powerful aura.
"What is this? This is definitely not the Eight Gates!"
Satoru was shocked.