A sharp whoosh sliced through the air.
In a blink, Might Duy's body blurred into motion and reappeared in front of a massive tree, trunk thick as a grown man's arms. His fist lashed out—
CRACK!
The tree split from the impact, toppling to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Hidden in the underbrush, Shigure's breath caught in his throat.
Duy stood still, unmoving. He didn't open the Sixth Gate again. Just stood there in silence, as if digesting something deep inside himself.
Seconds passed.
"Come out."
The voice wasn't angry—just calm, certain.
Shigure winced. He saw me.
He stepped out from behind the tree, sheepish. "...Sorry."
It was embarrassing, getting caught spying on someone's training. He'd been coming here every day for the past two months, and while Might Duy wasn't exactly a sensory-type ninja, Shigure should've known better.
But Duy didn't look upset. Instead, he gave Shigure a big thumbs up.
"You're working hard."
The faint green aura surrounding his body faded slowly. His smile was wide—ridiculously wide.
Shigure blinked. Even this strong... is he always this goofy?
"I was just… observing from the shadows," Shigure admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That's fine! I gave you permission!"
Duy burst out laughing, cutting him off mid-apology.
Then, out of nowhere, he dropped to his knees with dramatic flair, eyes brimming with tears as he gazed at the sky.
"Someone actually wants to learn Taijutsu from me… Could it be—my youth isn't over yet?!"
Shigure nearly choked.
Might Duy. Might Guy. Rock Lee…
All of them were relentless, resilient. But why did each generation seem more ridiculous than the last?
No wonder Duy was still a Genin. Outside of Taijutsu and raw combat, he was probably hopeless at things like stealth and subtlety.
Duy stood back up, still chuckling, but his limbs trembled slightly.
Even opening the Fifth Gate still puts that much strain on him, Shigure noted, frowning.
The side effects of the Eight Gates… are they truly unavoidable?
Duy clapped a heavy hand on Shigure's shoulder, expression serious now. "Do you want me to be your teacher? I'd say yes, but…"
He smiled a little bitterly.
"I'm just a Genin. I'm not qualified to take on a student."
Shigure raised a brow. "I've been watching you train for two months."
"Two months?!"
Duy's eyes widened as he circled around him, looking him over like he was a rare gem. "Wow… I never thought I'd see a kid this devoted to Taijutsu these days!"
Shigure felt the urge to walk away, immediately. But before he could, Duy lunged forward and pulled him into a crushing hug.
"You're just like my son!!"
"Gghk—!"
Shigure gasped for air. My dignity… it's dying.
"Don't be afraid!" Duy said, finally letting go and thumping his chest. "Even without ninjutsu, you can become a splendid shinobi!"
"Like you," Shigure replied with a tired smile.
That clearly embarrassed Duy—after all, he was still a Genin—but the pride in his eyes burned bright.
"What you saw earlier… that strength took me more than ten years to build." His tone shifted, deeper, proud. "It's a forbidden technique that unleashes the body's limits—Eight Inner Gates. There are eight in total. Open them one by one, and you'll gain power beyond normal shinobi. I've only reached the Seventh so far."
Shigure's eyes narrowed.
In the original timeline, it took him twenty years to master all eight.
So now… he must still be in the middle of his journey.
If that's true, then maybe after the Second Shinobi War, Duy will unlock the final gate.
Duy's grin faltered slightly. "You… don't look surprised."
"I am! Really," Shigure said quickly, putting on his best 'shocked and amazed' face. "So, what happens when you open the Eighth Gate?"
Duy straightened up, fist clenched. "When all eight gates are open, your power rivals the Hokage!"
But then his expression faltered again. The unspoken truth lingered in the silence—
The Eighth Gate kills the user.
Shigure stayed quiet, mind racing.
He needed power. Soon. In three months, he'd face a death match. There was no time to reach this on his own.
Duy suddenly clapped him on the back again. "So? Want to learn?"
Shigure: "…"
That easy?!
This was a forbidden technique! But then again… even if Duy broadcasted it to the entire world, how many would actually be willing to risk their lives to master it?
And maybe… Duy saw himself in Shigure. Someone who couldn't use ninjutsu, someone who trained alone. Maybe that was all it took for him to offer everything.
Shigure exhaled and looked him in the eyes.
"Absolutely."
There was no hesitation.
This was the fastest path forward.