"I've made my choice, Lord Third."
Without a moment's hesitation, Kai Mitarashi pointed directly at the scroll of forbidden jutsu. The instant his eyes landed on the technique, he knew it was the one he wanted.
The Third Hokage followed Kai's finger to the indicated section...
The Eight Gates Released Formation!
The Third Hokage's expression froze briefly. He hadn't expected Kai to choose this particular technique.
As far as the Third Hokage knew, no one had successfully mastered the Eight Gates Released Formation. Moreover, the technique carried devastating side effects. Were it not for the record stating that opening all eight gates granted power surpassing even Kage-level, it would never have been included in the scroll of forbidden jutsu.
At this point in time, Might Duy had yet to use the Eight Gates to his death and was still known as Konoha's "Eternal Genin." Thus, no one truly understood the terrifying potential of this technique.
But while others might not know, Kai was fully aware. With the Eight Gates, Might Duy—despite being a mere Genin—had single-handedly reduced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to just three survivors. And it was worth noting that even the weakest among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen possessed elite Jōnin-level strength.
Even more astonishing was Might Guy, who, in the fully unleashed Eight Gates state, had managed to overpower Madara Uchiha in his Six Paths form!
Although the Eight Gates Released Formation carried significant risks, the power it offered was well worth the cost.
Furthermore, with the Ashura lineage flowing through Kai's veins, his body's recovery abilities were exceptionally strong. With consistent training and caution, as long as he avoided recklessly opening all eight gates, the side effects shouldn't pose too much of a problem.
"This technique has severe side effects. Kai, are you sure you don't want to choose another jutsu? I'll allow you to reconsider," the Third Hokage suggested after a moment's contemplation.
"No, Lord Third. You promised I could choose freely, and you can't go back on your word," Kai replied firmly.
Seeing Kai's unwavering determination, the Third Hokage sighed and abandoned any further attempts to dissuade him. With a serious expression, he warned:
"You may learn this technique, but remember—always act within your limits. Overusing this jutsu will cause irreversible damage to your body!"
"The Eight Gates Released Formation, huh? It's an incredibly powerful taijutsu technique. Kai-kun also demonstrated remarkable taijutsu during the assessment earlier. It seems Kai-kun has a deep understanding of taijutsu," Orochimaru remarked with his characteristic cold tone.
Then, with a glint in his eye, Orochimaru added, "I'm curious about the taijutsu you used during the assessment. Can you tell me more about it?"
Kai hadn't expected Orochimaru to suddenly bring this up, but he had already prepared an explanation. "Are you asking about Strong Fist? It's just a taijutsu style I developed to suit myself."
"No, I'm specifically interested in the mechanics behind your final punch. I'm not particularly interested in taijutsu as a whole," Orochimaru pressed, clearly intent on uncovering every detail.
Feeling an uncomfortable chill under Orochimaru's piercing gaze, Kai quickly explained:
"It's simple. By perfectly controlling the forces within my body and utilizing muscle and bone vibrations, the resulting punch contains multiple layers of hidden force. I've named this technique Strong Fist: Layered Impact."
Simple?
Everyone exchanged glances, each seeing the same helpless expression in the other's eyes. Perfectly controlling one's body's forces—even the Third Hokage himself couldn't claim to achieve that. Yet Kai had described it as "simple."
For Kai, however, it truly was simple. After all, it was merely the result of a skill he had acquired through luck. He had no real concept of the difficulty involved in mastering such control.
"Kai-kun, have you ever considered becoming my apprentice?" Orochimaru suddenly asked, his eyes fixed on Kai.
"No, I'd prefer to follow Lord Third's arrangements when it comes to choosing a mentor," Kai replied hastily.
Kai had no favorable impression of Orochimaru. Although Orochimaru's defection was still nearly a decade away, who could say when he had secretly begun conducting forbidden experiments? To be safe, Kai decided it was best to stay far away from him.
Hearing Kai's response, Orochimaru looked visibly disappointed. "What a pity. I had hoped to study ninjutsu with you, Kai-kun."
Nevertheless, Orochimaru did not press further. As one of the Legendary Sannin, he had his pride. Being rejected by Kai wouldn't compel him to insist.
"Alright, let's settle this matter. Kai's mentor will be Sakumo Hatake. Sakumo, do you have any objections?" the Third Hokage asked, finalizing the decision.
"None."
Sakumo Hatake responded briefly before turning to Kai. His tone was cold as he said, "Tomorrow morning, meet me at Training Ground No. 44." With that, he disappeared from the Hokage's office in a flash.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, everyone can leave now," the Third Hokage said, dismissing the remaining shinobi.
Deep beneath the Hokage Rock, tens of meters underground...
Root.
Officially known as the "Special Operations Division of the Anbu."
Despite bearing the Anbu name, Root was completely independent of Shishio Mitarashi, the head of the Anbu, and even ignored orders from the Third Hokage. Root was an armed force directly under Danzo Shimura.
At this moment, a scroll lay open on Danzo's desk, containing detailed records of Kai's life, including his graduation assessment and an evaluation of his abilities.
"Kai Mitarashi, five years old, already possesses elite Chūnin-level strength. A genius? No. There were no prior records of his abilities. For him to suddenly display such power, there must be something unusual. This kind of person must be brought under Root's control. However, Shishio Mitarashi will undoubtedly obstruct me, and Hiruzen won't agree either. It seems I need to plan carefully," Danzo muttered, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light.
"Kai, I don't know why you ultimately chose the Eight Gates Released Formation. You've always been decisive, so I won't try to dissuade you from pursuing it. But until your body reaches a certain level of strength, do not forcefully open any gates. Doing so will cause severe harm to your body. Do you understand?" Shishio Mitarashi said seriously.
"Don't worry, Uncle Shishio. I understand," Kai replied warmly, touched by Shishio's concern.
"Good. Then get some rest. Don't be late for your meeting with Sakumo tomorrow."
"Got it."
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