Kyōichi vs Chen

"Kyōichi, as a Jonin, I won't be holding back," Chen announces.

"Please, give it your all," Kyōichi responds.

No sooner had Kyōichi finished speaking than he noticed a shadow darting toward him.

So fast!

He instantly activated the First Gate.

The next moment...

Thud!

With a single kick, Chen was sent flying.

However.

Kyōichi knew well that the opponent had used his retreat to dissipate the force, so the kick had not caused any damage.

"This is the First Gate."

"The improvement is indeed significant!"

Chen was thrilled.

His mastery of Taijutsu allowed him to understand the changes that transpired in Kyōichi.

Strength, speed, and other bodily functions were enhanced.

The control was improved.

The effect of the two combined was...

Whoosh!

Kyōichi had already reached him.

Thud!

This time, it was Chen who was unable to counterattack.

The speed was so great that he dared not even blink.

Because the mere act of blinking might expose him to an attack.

Moreover.

Throughout the process, Kyōichi had even executed many physical postures that normally couldn't be used.

Is this the First Gate?

All the Jonin were astonished.

The effect was too powerful!

However.

They noticed that when Kyōichi opened the First Gate, there was an instant surge in his chakra.

Combining it with ninjutsu might not be effective, as it would require a level of chakra control they do not possess, the Jonin thought to themselves.

"This is the First Gate combined with the Body Flicker Technique," Kyōichi announces, landing at a distance.

A series of attacks had drained much of his stamina, yet what was most astonishing was that Chen had blocked them all. Although it was a struggle, he had only been hit three times, without sustaining significant damage.

"It's my turn now!"

Chen took a deep breath, and then...

Whoosh!

His figure gradually vanished from its spot.

An afterimage!

"Seven Heavens Breathing." Chen uttered.

And then—

The wind rose!

A tornado appeared beside Kyōichi, sweeping in all directions.

But still.

Kyōichi's speed remained incredibly fast. He dodged, changed position, and then made hand seals, completing them in the blink of an eye. His hand speed was inconceivable.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld."

A vast quagmire engulfed the base of the tornado. Though it couldn't drag Chen down, it significantly slowed his speed.

Yet in an instant, the tornado transformed into a "dragon" and flew out.

Earth-Style Wall, Water Formation Wall...

One by one, these strong defenses quickly formed, only to be torn apart by the tornado. But by now, Chen's attack had reached its limit.

The two parted, their onslaught ceased.

Sandaime and Tsunade stood to one side, grinning but saying nothing.

Many of the higher-ranking shinobi were unfamiliar with Kyōichi.

But.

The two of them knew that Kyōichi's strength—even if only using Taijutsu— was not of this low standard.

Shisui's prowess in playing along and feigning, all of it was learned from his teacher!

"Just now, I used the Seven Heavens Breathing along with my Taijutsu, Konoha Dragon God," he explained.

Chen closed his eyes and after a moment said, "This technique enhances cellular activity rather than exhausting physical strength, so there's no fatigue like the Eight Gates."

Might Duy was full of admiration. "No wonder you're a senior. Opening the Eight Gates causes intense fatigue, so it is necessary to first learn the Gate of Healing. The Gate of Healing can further stimulate the body, allowing rapid recovery of physical strength."

For many years, Chen had been studying powerful Taijutsu without relying on the Eight Gates. Might Duy respected such determination greatly!

"I used the Gate of Healing to recover my strength just now, then used the Seven Heavens Breathing. As you all saw, opening the gates enhances control over the body and is suitable with Taijutsu. Seven Heavens Breathing, on the other hand, can improve overall bodily functions!"

"The Seven Heavens Breathing is more versatile, especially for those of us who are skilled in ninjutsu. It's better for us to to learn it," Nara Shikaku added.

Most ninjas do not rely solely on Taijutsu. They rely more on ninjutsu, so the Seven Heavens Breathing is easier to spread, while the Eight Gates are suitable for ninjas skilled in Taijutsu.

"Yes, those skilled in Taijutsu should learn both. Those not skilled in Taijutsu only need to learn the Seven Heavens Breathing," Kyōichi continues.

"That's roughly the gist of it," Kyōichi concluded, the Jonins were no longer confused.

What to do has become very clear!

Soon, Old Chen eagerly looked at Sandaime, his intention obvious.

At over forty years old, who can bear that expression?

Sandaime helplessly said, "You can negotiate the specific terms with Duy to exchange techniques for the full Eight Gates method."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

Chen and Might Duy moved aside to talk.

The number of ninjas who could reach the threshold of the Eight Gates were few and far between.

This was within Kyōichi's expectations.

The Eight Gates were not created for ordinary people. Only the hardiest like Might Duy and Might Guy could open them. Even Kakashi, who had trained hard in Taijutsu, could only stop at the Gate of Healing, or the second gate.

Kyōichi was the same.

He managed to open three gates but advancing further proved difficult.

He had not forgotten to train his body during this time but only just glimpsed the fourth gate.

The Seven Heavens Breathing was much simpler.

Most higher-ranking shinobi have a considerable knowledge base. After reading the scroll, they could usually learn it by themselves, like Chen, who mastered it directly.

So there's no need for Kyōichi to teach them in detail.

Just some tips will suffice.

Thus, Kyōichi didn't think this wave of rewards will be high.

[Completed 'Forbidden Technique' Training]

[Evaluation: Good]

[Reward: Chakra Absorption Jutsu]

Kyōichi didn't expect this jutsu.

It is the secret jutsu of the Chakra Armour.

However.

Though it could absorb physical and spirtual energy, it could only do so through palm contact with the opponent and cannot absorb chakra transformed into ninjutsu.

It couldn't be said to be useless, just...

It was somewhat mediocre.

Kyōichi pondered, then decided it wasn't entirely without use.

If the conversion rate was high enough, and if it could be combined with other parts of the body, perhaps he could coordinate well with his shadow clones and the potential with the slug jutsu combination was possible.

He would research it later.

Kyōichi closed the system panel, returning his attention to the present.

Everyone was practicing.

Only Chen and Duy were on the side, fervently discussing Taijutsu, entirely out of sync with everyone else.

"This Dragon God move has absolutely no flaws!" Chen asserts.

"Taijutsu are performed by humans, and a tornado, no matter how strong, hits a person, so all you need to do is stop, and that's the flaw," Duy counters.

"I have wind all around me. How will you hit me?" Chen retorts, clearly unconvinced.

Might Duy doesn't have the words to explain. He lacks theoretical knowledge and can only sense that there is a flaw, but he can't pinpoint what it is specifically.

Kyōichi, overhearing, can't help but join in on the debate.

"Your technique simulates a tornado, but the eye of a tornado has no wind. That's the flaw," Kyōichi explains.

In the anime, Lee used this flaw to break the Dragon God with a blooming lotus.

Chen is stunned for a while after hearing this.

He wanted to argue but couldn't find a reason to refute Kyōichi. He opened his mouth, finally surprised, "You saw through it?"

"At first, I didn't, but after you broke through my two defensive ninjutsu, I saw it," Kyōichi admitted.

"…"

Old Chen fell silent.

He understood now; if Kyōichi saw it, how could he not have a way to break it?

He only didn't break it to save Chen's face.

"Don't overthink it, this technique is indeed powerful. Its flaw can be fixed, and knowing the flaw doesn't necessarily mean it isn't an advantage for you," Kyōichi continues.

"How so?" Chen asks, his concern evident.

Might Duy scratched his head and said, "Isn't it simple? If he comes through the eye of the wind, you can hit him directly, right?"

"That's one way. Another is adjusting the wind direction," Kyōichi adds, knowing that many problems often have simple solutions.

Dragon God's technique is just like that.

So in the end, it came down to a contest of speed. Whoever is faster wins! If Chen could learn the Eight Gates, he would have few equals in speed, but alas...

Strong as he is, he's in his forties now.

His body is starting to decline, and maintaining his physical functions is already quite challenging.

He missed his prime time.

Even if he could learn the Eight Gates, the damage of opening the human eight gates might be too much for his body to handle now.

Kyōichi thought for a moment and added a few more words on this point.

"Senior Chen, even if you can practice the Eight Gates, don't open several gates at once. Open them one by one to reduce the damage," he advised.

"Is that so?" Chen is shocked.

If it weren't for Kyōichi's reminder, he might have gone back and challenged his limits, trying to rush through two or three gates at once.

He instinctively responded but quickly realized his foolishness.

Who doesn't know of Kyōichi's medical ninjutsu expertise?

Slugs, medical ninjutsu, and strong combat abilities make him almost a replica of Tsunade.

Life on the battlefield depends on him!

Moreover, can anyone really fool a professional?

"I'm sorry!" Chen quickly bowed in apology.

"There's no need for that. I'm just warning you about this situation, but not learning more than three gates won't pose this kind of problem," Kyōichi reassures.

Hearing Kyōichi's explanation, Chen relaxed.

Except for Chen, few other ninjas wanted to learn the first and second gates. After all, they are life-saving forbidden techniques. And since everyone was a high-level ninja, they could see that if the body's physical condition met the standard, the Eight Gates and the breathing technique could be used simultaneously.

More learning never hurt.

What Kyōichi didn't expect was that a casual conversation would lead to him acquiring the "Leaf Gale" physical technique from Chen.

It was a pleasant surprise.