Chapter 8 - Eight Gates

Time flies by in a blink of an eye, this year marked my 2nd year in this world, having completed my training with Tsunade.

This would put my base stats on a low Sannin level comfortably, while if I combined the Strength Of Hundred Seal and Sage Mode my strength would be somewhere on Kage level.

But I'm not satisfied as I now wanted to further enhance my Taijutsu abilities. I wanted to master the powerful Eight Gates technique.

If I learned that technique I would be a powerhouse in this world even without the use of the kyuubi.

I never liked how dependent Naruto was on the Kyuubi in the original series. Just look at him now, in Boruto with Kurama gone. I bet my life he can't even be to touch Sasuke now!

So I set out to find Might Gai and Rock Lee to join them in their training.

After asking around, I soon arrived at the training grounds where Might Guy and Rock Lee often conducted their rigorous training sessions.

The sight that greeted me was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Both Sensei and the student were engaged in an intense sparring session, their movements fluid and precise, each strike a testament to their mastery of Taijutsu.

I approached with an act of excitement, Unnoticed amidst the intensity of their training.

It wasn't until I cleared my throat that both Might Guy and Rock Lee turned their attention toward me.

"Naruto, my youthful friend!" exclaimed Might Guy, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "What brings you to our training grounds today?"

I took a deep breath, showing an act of fake determination in my eyes.

"Guy-sensei, Rock Lee, I've come to seek your guidance and train alongside you. I wish to master the Eight Gates technique and further enhance my Taijutsu prowess."

Rock Lee's eyes widened with surprise, his face breaking into a wide smile. "Naruto, that's incredible! With your youth, I do not doubt that you can achieve greatness."

Startled by the roar, I smiled awkwardly! I could already tell that this is going to be difficult.

Might Guy, ever the charismatic teacher, placed a hand on my shoulder. "Naruto, I sense a burning fire within you, a desire to push your limits. I'll gladly take you under my wing and guide you in the ways of the Eight Gates."

Wow, I didn't expect it to be this easy. Are these dudes always like this? But who am I to complain this is going to benefit me anyway!

And so, my training with Might Guy and Rock Lee began.

The training sessions were grueling,

But I welcomed the challenge!

Under Might Guy's watchful eye, I delved into the fundamentals of Taijutsu, honing my reflexes, speed, and precision. With each passing day, my movements became more fluid, my strikes more potent.

Like a sponge, I absorbed everything,

As the training continued, I realized a few things about Rock Lee. He was stated to be below average in Taijutsu before he met Gai.

Lee was born with a defect that allows him to channel chakra internally but not mold/release it externally, which is why he can still enhance his body with chakra, open the gates, and stick to surfaces, but not perform any traditional techniques.

In the manga, Gai claims he just has "no talent whatsoever for ninjutsu", which would imply he just sucked at it and never bothered to try and learn any, but through all these trials;

just about one year later, he became unquestionably the best Taijutsu fighter out of all Genin in the Chunnin exam.

Do you seriously want me to believe that it can be achieved through hard work alone? Really?

And can just acknowledge how powerful Inner Gates are? Seven Gates Gai one-punched Kisame.

You know Kisame? The Tailed Beast without a Tail? Yeah, that one. He was also going toe to toe with six freaking Jinchurikis with goddammed Rinnegan and Sharingan along with Kakashi!

Eighth Gates Gai almost killed Madara. And if your argument for that is that "but that move also kills you!" then...

...Gates aren't about hard work now, are they? Sacrifice your body, and gain godly power. Is it much different than "Get a Biju sealed inside you that hates you and humanity and wants to take over, gain great power" or "Get traumatized, gain magic eyes" or "Kill your best friend, gain super magic eyes"?

Also, Lee wasn't an underdog. Like, at all. Do you know how we get introduced to him? Oh yeah, he bitch-slaps our main character and effortlessly kicks ass off our other main character, who happens to be our resident talented genius with magic eyes. How is that guy an underdog?

And can we just stop pretending that torturing your body is hard work? This one is a bit meta, but seriously.

The way Lee and Gai train would give you minimal gains and it's more likely that you'll injure yourself.

Just look at me right now. I feel as if my muscles are trying to pop through my skin!

Constantly wearing weights is plain stupid. I realized this when I bought them weights for myself. They don't make a difference if anything they mutilate my limbs, that's why I now only wear them when I train and not constantly like Rock Lee.

And that's with Kurama healing my body constantly! Sigh, I'm uncomfortable staying with these grown as a man with the brain of a child!

For now, let me just focus on the training.

But first, I should set a few rules for this training.

I settled against using techniques that would make the training easier such as Strength of the Hundred Seal, Sage Mode, or chakra, and did everything physically.

With this decision, the intensity of the training increased tenfold. My physical characteristics underwent a remarkable transformation. My reflexes became lightning-fast, and my movements are agile and precise.

My strikes carried an incredible force, capable of shattering rocks and leaving an impact that resonated in the air.