Chapter 22: The Disappearance of the Kazekage

As Guy energetically ran off on his hands, roaring with excitement, Duy turned to look seriously at Mirai.

"Mirai, you have a lot of potential, so I've decided to teach you the secret technique, the Eight Gates.'"

Before Mirai could respond, Duy continued,

"Though I'm just a low-ranking ninja, the Eight Gates is an incredibly powerful Taijutsu."

"I'll give you a demonstration right now."

Duy, worried that Mirai might underestimate the Eight Gates because of his rank, decided to show its power firsthand.

"Watch closely, Mirai."

"First Gate: Gate of Opening… Open!"

With a low shout, Mirai could feel Duy's chakra surging wildly within him. Duy's skin flushed red.

"Second Gate: Gate of Healing… Open!"

"Third Gate: Gate of Life… Open!"

Upon opening the Third Gate, Duy's body turned crimson, emitting a green aura.

"Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain… Open!"

"Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit… Open!"

"Sixth Gate: Gate of View… Open!"

When Duy opened the Sixth Gate, veins bulged across his skin, and he looked almost like a boiling shrimp. The fierce aura radiating from him sent a chill through Mirai.

It felt as if a wild beast stood before him—one ready to pounce at any moment.

As Mirai observed Duy's transformation, Duy clenched his fists and let out another shout.

"Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder… Open!"

A wave of chakra, several times more intense, exploded from Duy, and the green aura around him shifted to blue steam.

Mirai involuntarily took a few steps back, finally feeling a bit safer at this distance.

"Incredible... This is the Eight Gates," Mirai murmured, awestruck.

Despite his low rank, Duy's chakra had risen to a terrifying level. But more astonishing than his chakra was his physical transformation.

Mirai activated his Sharingan instinctively, yet he could barely keep up. In an instant, Duy appeared right in front of him, moving faster than Mirai could track.

Huff, huff…

"This… is the Eight Gates," Duy said, gasping for breath. "Even I could gain ten times the power of the Five Kage if I opened the Eighth Gate. But… opening the final Gate of Death means… well, death. So I can't demonstrate that one for you."

As Duy's blue steam gradually faded, he sank down onto the ground.

"Mirai, remember that while the Eight Gates can give you immense strength in a short period, it also takes a heavy toll on the body. Be mindful of that."

Mirai nodded solemnly at Duy's advice. He'd been impressed by the Eight Gates' power when he'd read about it in the manga, but seeing it up close filled him with excitement.

Such an outrageous technique for boosting one's strength… It was almost unfair.

After sharing some personal insights into using the Eight Gates, Duy began teaching Mirai0.

The training itself wasn't complicated, relying primarily on physical conditioning.

And so, by the end of just one afternoon, Mirai was already able to open the Fifth Gate. Duy could only stare in disbelief.

Where did this monster come from?

…

Late at night.

In the Uchiha compound, Mirai finished his last bite of grilled meat with a satisfied grin. Though he could only open up to the Fifth Gate, it was already a powerful trump card.

What's more, his Plunder System could gather attribute points, so opening the remaining gates was only a matter of time.

And the best part…

Duy had willingly taught him the technique, meaning he could use it in battle without drawing suspicion.

…

Time flew by.

A month passed, during which Mirai didn't take any missions. He needed time to adjust to his rapidly growing power, and the mountain bandits had quieted down anyway, so there wasn't much work available.

Even so, the daily rewards from sparring boosted his strength considerably.

His greatest progress was with his eyes. By now, he had evolved his Sharingan to the Three Tomoe.

"Status!"

At his soft command, a translucent blue panel appeared before him.

Name: Uchiha Mirai

Physique: 117

Mental Strength: 102

Chakra: 68

Bloodline Limit: Sharingan

Ninjutsu: …

Other: …

Seeing the numbers, Mirai smirked. When his mental power reached 100, his Sharingan had seamlessly evolved from Two Tomoe to Three Tomoe. Unlike other Uchiha, he hadn't needed an emotional trigger—the evolution had happened naturally.

This realization filled him with hope. If his mental power grew strong enough, maybe his Sharingan could evolve into the Mangekyo without any trauma.

The thought of the Mangekyo Sharingan, with its incredible and mysterious powers, sent a thrill through him.

After all, what Naruto fan doesn't get excited about the Mangekyo Sharingan?

…

The next morning.

Mirai stepped out of the compound like any other day, planning to grab breakfast and head for training. But the loud murmur of people around him made him frown.

"Did you hear? The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has gone missing!"

"No way! That's a Kage—a ninja as strong as the Hokage! How could someone like that just disappear?"

"It's true! The news is spreading everywhere. Even Kumogakure tried to sneak an attack on Sunagakure, but they got pushed back."

"Wow, sounds like the shinobi world's about to be in turmoil again."

Listening to the chatter as he ate, Mirai began to piece together the situation.

The Third Kazekage was missing, and it looked like the Third Shinobi World War was about to begin!

----------------

Read 10 chapters ahead for free on my patreon, read pinned message!

+70 chapters on patreon.com/Jixo

These translations are only possible because of your support. Every membership keeps the stories flowing and helps me bring fanfics to life for everyone to enjoy. Thank you for making this possible!