CHAPTER 48 GATES

CHAPTER 48 GATES

There were 8 gates in the body. These 8 gates limited the amount of chakra and power your body used. A subconscious process that kept people from hurting themselves. Guy explained it to me over and over. Basically let’s say that you could only lift 100 pounds 1 time. But the human body was weird. You could lift 80 pounds 10 times, but 100 pounds 1 time. Math doesn’t add up there.

It’s only 20 pounds difference but it made up all the difference in how much you could do it. You could lift 800 pounds with the 10 reps, but only 100 pounds of your max weight. So with that math, 800 pounds should really be your max weight. Opening the gates allowed you to lift the 800 pounds.

There was the Gate of Opening. Located in the brain’s left hemisphere it removed the brain’s mental inhibitions. No longer was your max lifting capability 100 pounds. The second was the Gate of Healing, located in the right hemisphere of the brain. While increasing the person’s physical strength it also rapidly healed you from exhaustion.

The other gates were life, pain, limit, view, wonder, and death. Guy was taught the technique by his own father. Guy could open all 8. Rock would open up to the 5th gate, so Limit. Rock was considered a genius because of it, and I had to agree.

It took me 3 weeks to learn how to open the 1st gate. The Gate of Opening was very hard to isolate. I pictured a real gate, which was my own fault of course. It was simply a state of mind. It took intense meditation to break it open. Intense meditation and training.

I was given Rock Lee worthy wrist and ankle weights. The ones he removed from his feet and hands during his fight with Gaara. Not as heavy of course, but still damn heavy. I could only handle about 200 pounds a limb. Rock was doing about 1,000 before his injury.

The first day of my training I was tasked with walking on my hands around the village. I struggled, but I did it. I was then instructed to do it backwards. Guy had gotten busy after the drama with Itachi. Naruto left, so Rock was my instructor. He promised me this was how he learned, so I stuck with it.

The next day I had to walk on all 4s around the village. After I did a lap I had to do it backwards. Then I had to do it as quickly as possible. I was exhausted day in and day out. Passing out mid-workout Reina and Hina had been worried about me until they decided to join me in the training. Not to train, but to torment me with Rock. Taunting me as I became exhausted beyond belief.

I almost gave up the first week, but defeating that sea beast in One Piece was at the forefront of my mind. The only way I knew it could happen was if I could open the gates. Able to give intense bursts of strength there were risks of course, but only during extended fights. There was very little damage done to the body if you had the gates open a short time.

After the 2nd week Guy was able to watch my training. Along with the physical exhaustion he added mental exhaustion to the mix. Forcing me to do math and word problems as they made me only go around the village jumping on one leg. And if I used the other leg I would have to start over.

I was up to 250 pound weights on my feet when I felt the itch. Just a scratch in my brain that I let grow. Allowed it to slowly open as I was pushed beyond my limits. Then on the 20th day it broke open. I was in the middle of carrying a log on my back while I ran backwards around the village. I had to run through the thickest part of the forest, trying not to catch the tree on my shoulders on brush. Then I felt the power course through me.

Energy filling me I yelled loudly as I threw the 400 pound log like it weighed nothing. Crashing through the trees it made the animals around me scatter. But I couldn’t handle all the energy. I began to punch a tree next to me. Knocking it down in 2 punches Guy and Rock were on me instantly.

Guy forced my eyes shut while Rock held my arms to my body. Guy said calming words as I fought against Rock. Then as if a shadow was cast over me the Gate of Opening closed. I let out a breath and felt the exhaustion. I had to rest for an hour but then they had me back at it. This time they wanted me to force it open.

Making me jump as high as possible I finally brought it open again. Letting that itch scratch it became easier every time I did it. Until eventually I was able to do it with only a little focus. After that I received a new quest.

Naruto Quest 6

Open the Gate of Healing

Rewards:

Arm and Leg Weights

Of course I was ready to do it. I wanted the weights for the other worlds. Since the gates were focused on chakra and physical power I knew I could open them in other worlds so I didn’t need a quest to reward them to me.

The next day I was back at it. The Gate of Healing was the easiest of all of them. I simply had to get beat up. Guy took over this process. The new Hokage was in town and Rock’s surgery was the next day when we started so he was forced to rest. Guy was merciless in pummeling me. I tried my best to defend my body, but it wasn’t very successful.

Battered and bruised daily I had to be carried home. Guy let out his frustration and worry about Rock on me. Because of that I learned the Gate of Healing faster than Rock had. Nearly my whole body was black and blue every night, and on the 7th day I learned the ability.

Another itch had started, and as it did I knew better how to scratch it. Then as Guy pummeled me I screamed out as steam left my body. My bruises turning into normal skin then red it was surreal to feel all the power of it. Guy calmed me down more easily.

I had to show I could open the Gate of Opening then Gate of Healing before he accepted I had learned it. Then I finished my quest and I was able to put the leg weights in the status screen. I went home that day and filled the night with as much sex as possible with Reina and Hina. They had been patient while I trained, but were quickly begging me to slow down. One nice thing about training so much was I was never stronger and my own Taijutsu was never better.

They were quickly exhausted as I pounded into them harder than ever. I was starting to agree that maybe we needed a 3rd to take some burden off them, but I was too focused on getting stronger to consider it.

A few days after Rock’s surgery he was walking without a crutch. Tsunade could heal with her chakra so it wasn’t a big surprise he wasn’t laid up for weeks. I was there when he did and it wasn’t long until he was running, jumping, and laughing. Then running and crying when Tsunade got ahold of him beating him up for pushing his body. It was a good experience.

The next day I was called to the Hokage’s office. I was surprised to see Shikamaru there as well, waiting to enter her office. When I saw him I was confused, but as I realized what was going on a wide smile split my face as Kurenai and Asuma walked up.

“You may enter,” Shizune said. She was Tsunade’s best friend and assistant. With black hair and plain features she was usually in the background wherever the new Hokage was.

“Welcome,” Tsunade said as we entered. She was a tall woman, maybe 5 foot 10 inches. With blonde hair down to her shoulders at the front and down her back at the rear, she had a pretty face, but her true assets were her curves. DD breasts well hidden in her green robe she also had an ample ass.

Shikamaru and I walked in side by side with our prospective teachers behind us. “I assume you know what this is about.”

“No idea,” Shikamaru said with his bored tone.

“Suicide mission?” I asked.

She hesitated from my response. “No. I did not see it but I was told that you both set yourselves apart from the other Chunin Exam participants.” She had a proud demeanor as she stared at us from her seat. “Shikamaru people still talk about your analytical analysis of the fight with the sand ninja. Weston I was told you took on all 3 sand ninjas, one of them a Jinchuriki, and beat the prodigy Neji Hyuga easily. We would like to offer you both a promotion to Chunin.”

“Great,” Shikamaru grumbled with all the sarcasm he could muster. “More responsibility.”

She stood up. “How can you know this?!”

“I know because I know,” I said again. “And you know now because I want you to. I want us to succeed in pushing them back.”

“Wha-What is their goal?” She asked. I didn’t look at her cleavage, but it was a struggle.

“Lot of conflicting information out there. They have more than 1 leader,” I admitted. “But one of their biggest goals is combing the tailed beasts to make a monster called the 10 tail beast.”

“That’s impossible,” she whispered.

“It’s not,” I said. “I don’t know the whole backstory,” because I couldn’t remember. “But they could easily get the Jinchurikis. Look at Naruto and Gaara. Isolated and distrusted. They aren’t the only Jinchuriki’s to be treated that way. Akatsuki simply needs to grab them and take the beasts from them. And their members are strong. Extremely strong. Some of them are immortal.”

“This is crazy,” Tsunade said sitting in her chair. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. And I’m sorry it will be on your plate, but if you want to survive it, we need to work hard now,” I said.

“3 years?” She asked.

“Drama will start in about 2,” I admitted. “It won’t happen overnight, and we will have warning. But I’ve seen Konoha leveled over completely. Everything. This building and our entire view.” I pointed behind her out the window that looked out over the village.

“You are serious,” she said. “How, how can we stop it?” She asked.

“We can’t, but we can limit the damage,” I said. “Why do you think I worked so hard to learn to open the gates? I’ve seen it. We need every second we can get to become stronger. We need more underground shelters for when this village is leveled over. Most of all we need to limit Danzo’s power.”

“Danzo?” She asked. “Leader of the ANBU?” I nodded. “Why?”

“Because he is scheming. Always scheming. He has wanted the Hokage position since Sarutobi. He has spies everywhere.”

“We all have spies,” she admitted. “I need something more concrete than that.”

I chewed my lip. “Do you really want to know?” I asked. Tsunade nodded. “How do you think Orochimaru got such access to the village? No ANBU noticed thousands of people on our doorstep? ANBU killed and no one noticed? It was Danzo, he wanted the mantle, but they passed him over again for you.” Her eyes widened.

“Do you have proof?” She asked.

“No...but I know of a worse crime that I can prove,” I said. Leaning forward I asked, “How did he get so scarred that he needs the bandages?”

“Tortured and burned was the story,” she said.

“Happened right around the time the Uchiha clan was destroyed,” I noted. “The Uchiha clan was wiped out by one of the members of ANBU.”

“Itachi?” She asked.

“Exactly. And what happened to their bodies, Hokage? What happened to their eyes? We know that their eyes can be transplanted. Like with Kakashi. Now answer me, imagine dozens of eyes. Could you install them in other places on the body? An arm? Your chest? Places that Danzo is currently bandaged.”

“You’re saying he facilitated their death all for their eyes?” She asked, her face as pale as a ghost.

“Mostly. They were planning a coup, but I doubt they would have gone through with it. Danzo pushed for it. He wanted strength. And the only way he knew how was to steal their eyes.”

We were quiet for a long time. “Fuck,” she eventually said. “Why did I take this job?”

“No idea,” I said. “So, it’s your choice to believe me or not. But I would. Either way, all of these things will happen. It is a fact.”

“How can you know all this?” She asked.

“I’m gifted,” I said with a sly smile. “Below and above the belt. The only reason I tell you, is because I know you, Hokage Tsunade. I know you will do what’s right. For now there is nothing you should do besides push for others to train. Let Naruto train as well.”

“But the Jinchuriki-”

“2 years, I said we have 2 years. And you can’t keep Naruto hidden. We will need the Jinchuriki’s power,” I said.

I stood up. “That is all I know for sure. I will not be talking about this in this room ever again. I doubt Danzo has anyone listening in for a simple Chunin promotion. But if you don’t take care of him I won’t feel safe discussing it. As far as your other question, I am...open to assisting the village in any ways it needs over the next 2 years. After that I will be helping to fight Akatsuki. I will be training as hard as possible in preparation for the day that the Jinchuriki begin to get kidnapped.”

I turned around. “Thanks for the promotion. If you want more detailed information I wouldn’t feel comfortable unless it was during some pillow talk,” I said. I assumed she knew of the Makuramoto so that was code enough. “Remember, keep this secret, Hokage. No one will believe you anyway. Just like they didn’t believe me the last time I tried to help. The last Hokage died because of it. But I’ll help you as much as possible to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.”

Walking out she didn’t stop me. No black bag was thrown over my head. No needles poked in my neck. And I didn’t commit suicide in my bed that night. It took a few days but I eventually stopped worrying about any of those things happening.