The Eight Inner Gates

Konoha Village, Ninja Academy.

As the school bell rang, groups of students spilled out of the building, like chicks leaving their coop, chatting and discussing where to play or what to eat. Some were troubled by poor grades and the consequences that followed.

Among them was Chiba, and he stood out from the rest.

Around Chiba, there seemed to be a vacuum zone; no one came within a meter of him, and no one spoke to him.

Following the crowd, Chiba made his way into the downtown area, the only route to his home.

When pedestrians saw Chiba, they showed expressions of disgust. Some parents even hurriedly pulled their children away from him, sternly warning them not to get close to Chiba.

As Chiba walked, whispers followed him.

"Humph! Why is he still in our village? Why does the Third Hokage still tolerate him?"

"That child is the son of the traitor... he has the same gloomy look, making him untrustworthy."

"Such an eyesore, I better go away."

Hearing the whispers, Chiba's expression didn't change; he just frowned slightly and countless thoughts swirled in his mind.

It's been seven years since he was born in this world. According to the original story, Kakashi graduated at 5 and became a Chunin at the age of 12, right around the end of the Third Shinobi World War. Although the exact timing is unclear, the outbreak of the third war is imminent since Kakashi is currently 8 years old.

If he cannot protect himself, he will most likely perish in the war. No! Dying in the conflict is almost a certainty.

Unlike the Fourth Shinobi World War, which saw a full Ninja alliance against two external threats, the tragedy of the Third World War is far worse.

Having died once, Chiba does not wish to experience death again.

And who knows whether after this death, there will be another journey, or if it all ends.

'Time is increasingly pressing, that plan must be realized.'

Lost in thought about his problems, Chiba unknowingly left the downtown area and entered a secluded forest following a path.

At the village's outskirts, a hut stood alone. This was Chiba's home.

Chiba, who had reincarnated in the Naruto world, was born into an ordinary family. His mother died from complications during childbirth. As for his father, he died before Chiba was born. As far as Chiba knew, his father was a traitor from Konoha, who had stolen a defense plan of Konoha for Iwagakure and was caught by the Third Hokage at the exchange site. He was killed on the spot by Iwagakure Ninjas to prevent him from leaking information unfavorable to Iwagakure. The enemy Ninjas was also killed on the spot by the Third Hokage, and the defense plan was secured.

Despite the defense plan being secured, his father was despised by everyone in Konoha and labeled a traitor. Consequently, Chiba suffered because he was his son, facing scorn and disgust in the village.

Setting down his schoolbag, Chiba walked to the back of the house to a shaded area where three wooden posts stood, two of which were barely recognizable from use, and one appeared new.

Chiba silently advanced and began practicing side kicks and punches.

As a transmigrator, Chiba's circumstances were far less fortunate than the protagonists in fanfictions of his previous life. He lacked a Sharingan, Byakugan, or any Kekkei Genkai.

Chiba's Chakra capacity was also quite ordinary, both in speed and quantity of refinement. He estimated that no matter how hard he practiced, he would reach a mediocre limit soon in the future.

The only consolation for Chiba was his precise control over Chakra, able to stand on trees all night without falling, using every bit of Chakra in his body without waste.

However, this seemed insignificant.

Chakra is the foundation of the Naruto world. Even the world itself was transformed by the Sage of the Six Paths with Yin and Yang Chakra.

The power of all Ninjutsu is closely related to Chakra. The greater the amount of Chakra, the more powerful the Ninjutsu. The faster the Chakra is condensed, the better the combat endurance.

The same powerful *Fireball Jutsu* used by Uchiha Madara and an ordinary Ninja shows a gap as wide as heaven and earth. An ordinary Ninja produces just a fireball, while Madara can cover a large area and burn many Ninjas, as seen in the fight with the Allied Shinobi Forces.

The reason, of course, is the massive difference in Chakra capacity.

To be strong, one must possess a vast amount of Chakra.

Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist, also relied on the immense Chakra of the Nine-Tails to progress and grow strong. Even Sasuke Uchiha, though not as endowed as Naruto, had a vast amount of Chakra compared to others.

Chiba, with his poor Chakra capacity, almost had his tragic fate in the Naruto world sealed.

Because of this, Chiba was angry, he lamented and even despaired. In the end, he persevered, determined to gain strength at any cost.

Perhaps the gods finally favored him once, for Chiba unexpectedly found a basement in his cabin. Inside was only a stone platform, and on this platform, lay a scroll.

Upon opening, the scroll revealed the Konoha Forbidden Technique, the *Eight Gates*.

Chiba could still recall the moment he nearly fainted from excitement.

The *Eight Gates*, as the ultimate Taijutsu secret, allows the user to gain power dozens of times stronger than a Kage-level Ninja by opening the *Death Gate*. Even Might Guy, a master of this technique, could overpower Madara Uchiha, on the Six Paths mode, demonstrating its formidable power.

Mastering the *Eight Gates* could be enough to protect oneself!

However, there's a significant risk. In the original manga, during the Chunin Exams, Rock Lee's fight with Gaara showed that opening even five gates could lead to severe consequences if not for Tsunade's medical skills. Might Guy eventually open the *Death Gate* and would have died if not for Naruto's intervention, even then, he was left wheelchair-bound for life.

Chiba didn't want such fleeting power. Becoming incapacitated in this world he lived in would be worse than death.

Chiba feared death, but more than that, he feared being weak and powerless.

He had had enough of that feeling in his previous life.

In this life, he must become strong!

So, he conceived a plan, a daring plan.

To control the power of the Eight Gates. To manage the violent Chakra after opening the gates, making the transient power of the *Eight Gates* a controlled mode.

The Chakra quantity after opening the gates would be immense.

Controlling the power of the *Eight Gates* is unprecedented. Mentioning it might make others laugh or call him foolish.

But Chiba's precise Chakra control was exceptional, making him hope that it was not entirely impossible.

"Boom!"

In the setting sun, Chiba punched the newly erected wooden post, sending sawdust flying. He had obtained the scroll of the *Eight Gates* three years ago and had dedicated every moment outside of eating, sleeping, and attending classes to mastering it.

For three years, he trained relentlessly, exhausting himself daily with the same grueling routine as Rock Lee and Might Guy. It's a wonder how he managed to attend classes the next day.

Yet, through continuous self-training and endurance, his efforts paid off. A year ago, Chiba mastered the first three gates of the *Eight Gates*.

"Five hundred punches, five hundred side kicks," Chiba muttered, retracting his fists and sighing, overwhelmed by fatigue.

Then, Chiba released the weights from his hands and feet, placing them gently on the ground. Despite his careful effort, the heavy-weight bands still made a muffled sound as they hit the ground.

Chiba had begun weight-bearing training two years ago. Each month, He would increase the weight to his maximum limit, then train until he could handle it with ease before adding more weight the following month.

In the present month, Chiba has not yet mastered managing the current load.

After taking a few deep breaths, Chiba inhaled slightly and clenched his fist.

"First gate, open!"

"Second gate, open!"

It was as if two switches had been flipped in his brain, unleashing a steady stream of physical strength and wiping away his fatigue.

Then, the third gate, "Gate of Life, open!"

Chiba felt as if an acupoint in his chest had suddenly opened like a closed throttle. The Chakra that had been flowing through his body like a trickle suddenly surged, turning into a torrential flow through all his meridians, while also radiating outward from his body.

Chiba's body began to redden and heat up, with strands of green Chakra slowly seeping out from his skin. His entire body was filled with a burgeoning power.

At the same time, the pebbles on the ground began to quiver, drawn by the escaping Chakra from Chiba.

Then, Chiba closed his eyes and formed a hand seal to concentrate his Chakra.

"Today, I must succeed!"

He immersed himself fully, focusing on controlling the rampant Chakra within him.

He had managed to open three gates a year ago, but each attempt since then to stabilize the Chakra within his body, turning it into a compliant force, had failed. The Chakra was extremely violent, merely enhancing his physical capabilities and leaking out through his pores, rendering it useless for performing Ninjutsu.

Only by mastering control over it could he use it to perform Ninjutsu.

Chiba, standing in the hand seal position, controlled his breath as his hands began to tremble slightly over time.

The green Chakra that had been radiating from his body and dissipating into the air slowly gathered back, covering his skin without escaping.

A smile crept onto Chiba's face.

The violent Chakra within him seemed to begin calming down, gradually ceasing its escape and being slowly collected in his meridians.

"Don't relax! This is usually when mistakes happen. You must be extra cautious."

Chiba reminded himself.

At the same time, the Chakra from the *Gate of Life* was completely confined within his meridians and no longer dispersed, but it still flowed rapidly, like a wild horse.

"Almost there. Almost!"

Sweat formed on Chiba's forehead, accompanied by bursts of mental exhaustion. Chakra is a product of the perfect mixture of physical energy and mental power. Strictly speaking, the Chakra unleashed by opening the *Eight Gates* doesn't include much of Chiba's mental power. It was subconsciously drawn from his deepest reserves by the *Eight Gates* technique, and focusing that vital Chakra required significant mental effort. The extent of mental power he could infuse depended on his control over his Chakra.

This was truly a battle of wills.

After countless failures, Chiba knew that each failure was due to his inability to persevere. However, this time, he could not afford to back down or give up!

He refused to be weak any longer.

Memories of past bullying and a deep sense of regret and unwillingness ignited a fierce determination in Chiba's heart.

"Submit to me!"

This determination, mixed with a strong mental force and under Chiba's precise control, merged into the wild Chakra.

Boom!

A silent roar echoed within Chiba's body.

The redness and heat of his skin instantly faded, and the green Chakra vanished.

Chiba slowly opened his eyes, ecstatic.

At this moment, the *Gate of Life* was still open, and his own blue Chakra surged like a river. This was his Chakra, not just the Chakra lent by the technique.

He had succeeded.

The amount of Chakra was now comparable to the level of a High-Chunin Ninja.

This was not the *Eight Gates*; this was the *Controlled Eight Gates Mode*!

In his excitement, Chiba punched a wooden post on the training ground, and to his surprise, the post cracked and broke under his strike, rolling to the ground.

Power! Though not as strong as the normal *Eight Gates, his strength had significantly increased.

"Who's there?"

Just as Chiba was reveling in his excitement, a figure suddenly flashed in the dense forest next to his house. With his quick glance, Chiba couldn't see clearly, but he was certain that someone had been watching him.