Chapter 154: Duy's Sixth Gate

"Since you requested it, Yumi-sensei, I can't refuse," Duy said, leading Mutsuki and Guy to his training grounds.

"Yumi-sensei, how would you like to see it? Should I demonstrate the effects after opening the Gate of Opening?" Duy asked upon arriving.

"Yes, if possible, I'd like to spar with Senpai in the state of the Sixth Gate," Mutsuki said.

For someone with average physical fitness, the Third Gate is considered the maximum safe level. However, for someone like Duy, who has been practicing the Eight Inner Gates for over twenty years, as long as he doesn't keep it open for too long, opening the Sixth Gate shouldn't be a problem.

"Alright, then I'll open up to the Sixth Gate," Duy nodded in agreement.

"Gate of Pain, open... Gate of Joy, open!" Duy swiftly activated the Eight Inner Gates up to the Sixth Gate, the Gate of Joy. With each gate he opened, Duy's aura grew stronger. By the time he reached the Sixth Gate, he was enveloped in green energy, and his mere presence rendered Guy unable to move.

Using the Byakugan, Mutsuki saw Chakra inside Guy's body growing steadily.

"Yumi-sensei, aren't you going to use the Eight Inner Gates?" Duy asked, thinking Mutsuki wanted to engage in a duel with him using the Eight Inner Gates.

"I have mastered other Taijutsu as well, Senpai. You can go ahead and attack," Mutsuki said, estimating that Duy in the Sixth Gate state was at most on the level of an Elite Jonin.

"Then, Yumi-sensei, you need to be careful," Duy warned, then instantly rushed forward, throwing a punch at Mutsuki.

While Mutsuki maintained the Stone Breathing Constant state for 24 hours, his speed and strength were greatly enhanced. Coupled with the formidable insight of the Byakugan, he effortlessly dodged Duy's attack by subtly shifting his body.

"Haha, it seems this will be a battle full of youthfulness," Duy decided not to hold back anymore upon seeing how easily Mutsuki evaded his attack.

Initially, he didn't know Mutsuki's true level of skill and was concerned about injuring him, so he didn't use his full strength.

"Next, I'll be even faster," after his reminder, Duy instantly disappeared from his original position and kicked towards Mutsuki.

"Stone Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!" Mutsuki took deep breaths on top of the Constant state, further enhancing his strength and speed, then fiercely threw a punch.

Bang!! A loud impact echoed as the collision of their legs and fists sent shockwaves that knocked down the surrounding trees, causing Guy to involuntarily step back.

"They're both so fast and strong!" Guy stared intently at the battlefield.

Both Eight Inner Gates and the Breathing Technique were being utilized by them. Whether it was Duy displaying the Sixth Gate or Mutsuki's Breathing Technique, they both demonstrated a strength that astonished Guy.

After the collision, Duy stepped back one meter, while Mutsuki retreated three meters.

"The time spent mastering the Breathing Technique is still too short, my body is lacking," Mutsuki thought to himself.

"Gate of Opening, open!" Mutsuki also activated the Eight Inner Gates, but only opened the first gate.

Then the two began to fight again.

With the Eight Inner Gates activated, Mutsuki's physical abilities were once again enhanced. Even though Duy fully unleashed the power of the Sixth Gate, he could only match Mutsuki's strength.

"Gate of Rest, open!" Then Mutsuki opened the second gate again, further enhancing his strength.

"Konoha Cyclone!"

Mutsuki launched a rapid cyclone kick towards Duy, who unleashed all his strength to meet it.

Boom!!

An explosion sounded, and the powerful energy shockwave caused cracks to appear in the ground where the two were standing, with debris flying in all directions.

This time, Mutsuki took half a step back, while Duy retreated three meters.

"If it's pure Taijutsu, without activating Mark, just using two gates of the Eight Inner Gates along with the Breathing Technique and Byakugan, I have the strength to defeat an Elite Jonin," Mutsuki calculated in his mind.

Excluding those Mastery-level Ninjutsu, he had many abilities that he hadn't used yet. He could also switch Breathing Techniques during combat. If he switched to Thunder Breathing, even the Sixth Gate of Duy wouldn't be able to touch him, and he hadn't even utilized Transparent World.

Mutsuki felt that he was in an awkward situation at the moment. He wasn't durable enough to fight against those Kages for long, but he could easily kill Jonin.

"Duy Senpai, let's stop here," Mutsuki proactively intervened.

After all, it was the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, and it was unnecessary to keep it open for too long.

Upon hearing Mutsuki's words, Duy deactivated the Eight Inner Gates, closing the gates that had been opened, and the green energy on his body dissipated.

"So strong! Just opening two gates already makes you stronger than my six gates," Duy praised, giving a thumbs-up.

He was pleasantly surprised by Mutsuki's unexpected strength, knowing that Mutsuki was Guy's sensei.

Having such a powerful sensei for his son made Duy genuinely happy. Having an excellent sensei could save his son from many detours in his training.

"Senpai, you're also very strong. Actually, I've heard some negative comments about you before," Mutsuki suddenly remarked.

"Haha, probably something like 'eternal Genin,' right? Yumi-sensei, you don't need to worry about those comments. I don't care about them," Duy chuckled naturally.

"Before meeting you, Senpai, I already felt they were just talking nonsense. Senpai, since you can teach Guy, such a diligent and hardworking child, how could you possibly be like they say?"

"After sparring with Senpai Duy, I'm even more convinced of my thoughts. With Senpai's strength, under normal circumstances, becoming a Jonin would be more than achievable," Mutsuki continued.

"It's not their fault either. Before mastering the Eight Inner Gates, I was indeed a worthless Genin," Duy explained.

The reason he became an eternal Genin was because he had been practicing the Eight Inner Gates for over twenty years.

Learning the Eight Inner Gates requires a significant amount of time, which left Duy weak and insignificant for a long time, dragging down any team he was on.

By the time Duy mastered the Eight Inner Gates, he had already become a notorious eternal Genin. The only tasks he could do were catching cats, picking up trash, and moving things, and he had to beg for commissions.

No one wanted to team up with him, no one believed in his abilities, and he had no opportunities to prove himself.

"It's such a loss for Konoha to have someone with your strength remain as a Genin," Mutsuki sighed.

" Haha, even catching cats contributes to maintaining Konoha's stability," Duy maintained a positive attitude.

He felt indifferent about himself now, as long as Guy could pursue his dreams.

"Dad, Yumi-sensei, you're both so strong!" Guy was still reflecting on their recent battle.

After the fight, Mutsuki chatted with Guy and his father for a while before leaving.

He had two main purposes for coming today: to lay the groundwork for the trust level improvement plan and to assess his own strength.

Mutsuki was somewhat satisfied with the outcome. Just by using ordinary Breathing Techniques and the Eight Inner Gates, he surpassed the strength of the Sixth-Gate Duy. Now, the only ones in Konoha who could pose a danger to him were the top few.

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