"What was that sound?"
The patrolling ANBU member froze when he heard the distant noise.
It sounded like…
A mountain collapsing!
Had a tailed beast gone berserk?
The team immediately rushed toward the source. Along the way, they spotted a child carrying someone fleeing the area.
"What happened?" they shouted from afar.
But of course, the runner – Might Gai – couldn't hear them from that distance. Completely focused on his escape, he vanished in the blink of eye without responding.
The two ANBU exchanged glances. They quickly arrived at the scene only to find the small stone mountain in the outskirts completely collapsed. What was once a steep cliff now stood even more precipitously, with piles of rubble scattered at its base.
Strangely…
There were absolutely no traces of chakra at the site.
What in the world?
Was this some natural disaster?
They looked at each other in confusion.
"This…"
"It appears to have been destroyed by some terrible technique. We should report to the Hokage immediately!"
Unable to determine the cause themselves, they hurried back to the Hokage Building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could use his Telescope Technique, but he couldn't monitor every corner of the village 24/7 – that would defeat the purpose of having ANBU altogether. While unaware of exactly what had occurred, techniques with such destructive power…
Posing such threats without their knowledge was far too dangerous.
Unfortunately, Sarutobi Shinnosuke wasn't available.
Hiruzen had to go personally. By the time he arrived, Intelligence Division had already secured the area.
"Hokage-sama, the damage appears consistent with powerful ninjutsu," reported Yamanaka Inoichi, puzzled. "Yet there's no residual chakra whatsoever."
Beside him, Nara Shikaku who had been examining the scene rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Could it have been a technique that doesn't use chakra?"
"That's impossible! What kind of taijutsu could achieve this level of destruction?" Inoichi gestured toward the destroyed mountainside.
"With sufficient brute force," Shikaku explained, "targeting structural weak points could collapse an entire formation. But even that would require unheard-of physical power."
Extremely powerful taijutsu?
Hiruzen immediately thought of the Eight Gates.
If such taijutsu truly existed, it could only be that. And the one capable of this might be Might Dai, who had dedicated over a decade to its research.
Was he testing new techniques here?
Hiruzen massaged his temples to relieve his growing headache. Though hailed as the "Professor," the Eight Gates fell outside his expertise – Ryoho Kyohiko likely understood them better than he did at this point.
That boy could already open the first two Gates after all…
...
"Gai, what happened?"
Kyohiko and Yuuhi Kurenai arrived to visit.
The medical ninja Hebi Megumi closed the medical chart and said, "Minor systemic damage."
"You two," she scolded, "I've heard about your extreme training regimens, but you must exercise some restraint. Recklessly pushing limits like this could kill you!"
"My deepest apologies for the trouble!" Might Gai bowed deeply in contrition.
Kyohiko glanced into the room and quietly sighed in relief.
At least Gai's father would recover.
Still…for someone capable of opening the Eight Gates, damage from just the Sixth Gate's Morning Peacock shouldn't be this severe.
Unless…
Had he activated the Seventh Gate's power?
Considering this possibility, Kyohiko waited until Hebi Megumi left before pulling Gai aside.
"Did your father use the Seventh Gate?"
"Yes," Gai admitted guiltily, hanging his head.
"He…he wanted to test it."
Kyohiko's expression turned grave.
"Did it work?"
"Completely. Under the Gate of Wonder, his entire body emitted blue vapor. Then I had him throw punches like you suggested before…" Gai swallowed hard.
"The mountain collapsed. I had to carry him to safety."
No wonder!
The Seventh Gate alone wouldn't have caused such injuries, but being jostled during the frantic escape would certainly exacerbate any strain.
Kyohiko looked at Gai wordlessly.
"I never imagined it would be that powerful…" Gai whispered.
Kurenai approached curiously.
"What are you two talking about over here?"
"There's a situation. I need to speak with Tsunade immediately."
Kyohiko knew the ANBU would investigate the disturbance eventually. Rather than wait to be questioned, taking initiative through Tsunade was the smarter move.
He rushed to the hospital annex and explained everything – his theories about atmospheric manipulation through Eight Gates techniques, the training experiment, and its unintended consequences.
Tsunade rubbed her temples in exasperation.
She knew about Dai's injuries of course, but a mountain collapsing? That defied even her expectations.
Still, she took it seriously and immediately escorted Kyohiko to the Hokage's Office.
En route, Kyohiko raised another matter: Yakushi Nono.
If the ROOT medical ninja was truly her, she would be far more valuable to the village in the Medical Corps than wasting away in ANBU's black ops.
"I'll do what I can…come along," Tsunade said, though clearly more stressed by Dai's situation.
Not because treating him was difficult, but because of the implications.
The Eight Gates…
From now on, every taijutsu specialist would covet this forbidden technique despite its dangers. Without Dai-level dedication spanning decades, most would simply kill themselves trying.
The hospital would need to implement permanent specialized physicals for taijutsu practitioners – an exhaustive new protocol.
"Let's go."
...
"So taijutsu truly caused that destruction?"
What kind of taijutsu could possibly…?
In that moment, Hiruzen felt abruptly outdated.
"Opening the Eighth Gate guarantees death," Kyohiko explained, "but before that point, proper conditioning can mitigate the physical toll."
Tsunade shot him a warning look.
"Don't encourage recklessness. Mastering the Eight Gates requires extraordinary dedication – that itself is a rare talent."
"I understand."
Kyohiko conceded readily.
Few possessed the Dai-Gai-Lee-level tenacity. Yet…
"For ninja limited to just taijutsu," he argued, "these techniques represent their only path to battlefield viability."
Both Hiruzen and Tsunade fell silent.
Konoha did have its share of taijutsu-only shinobi – statistically, they suffered the highest casualty rates in combat.
After heated debate, Tsunade ultimately supported Kyohiko's proposal for affordable specialized physicals – having trainees like Rin conduct them would reduce costs while providing valuable experience.
But Hiruzen remained firm: "The Eight Gates remain forbidden. This discussion ends here."
"Sensei," Tsunade pressed on another matter.
"I've heard ROOT possesses an exceptionally skilled medical ninja. I want her transferred to my division."
Hiruzen's eyebrows shot up before he shook his head.
"She's too valuable as an intelligence asset."
"Intelligence? Her medical skills are equally valuable! Does she even want that role? At least let me speak with her!"
"Absolutely not."
Hiruzen stood abruptly.
"Listen well, Tsunade. As head of just one hospital department, personnel decisions for ANBU are beyond your purview. Bring this up again when you actually become Hokage!"
Despite her recent emotional restraint training, Tsunade's temper flared. Her gaze turned frigid.
"Fine."
"Let's go." She stormed out, dragging Kyohiko along.
...
Once outside the Hokage Office…
After several paces, Tsunade suddenly stopped.
"Kyohiko, focus on the Yin Seal. Stay indoors as much as possible."
"Understood."
Kyohiko immediately grasped her meaning –
She was preparing to make her move.
"You're starting the push already?"
"Yes." Her eyes narrowed.
"With Danzo embedded in the Daimyo's court as a Guardian Ninja while we can't even control basic appointments…we must act decisively."
"But the timing…"
"This truce period enforced by our treaty with Kumogakure provides perfect cover."
Her resolve was absolute.
"I'll leverage education reform as my opening attack."
"He leaves me no choice."
Tsunade strode off purposefully.
Kyohiko decided his safest option was returning home to lay low.
With political winds shifting violently, staying out of the crossfire would be wisest after offering his counsel.
...
Two months passed in growing tensions.
Namikaze Minato had returned, taking Kyohiko on several A-rank missions. Meanwhile in Konoha…
The conflict escalated rapidly.
Hiruzen finally published his carefully curated case study compilation for training purposes. Simultaneously, Tsunade and Jiraiya's faction quietly advanced their agenda.
Education tier reforms.
Textbook revisions.
These proposals spread like wildfire, increasing Tsunade's visibility. By emphasizing education and healthcare – cornerstone policy platforms – she steadily gained public support.
Yet Hiruzen retained one key advantage –
He remained Hokage.
Until an unexpected scandal surfaced.
The Guardian Ninja leak.
Neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya were responsible; both had agreed to suppress it. Kyohiko suspected either Orochimaru or Danzo himself had orchestrated the revelation.
Regardless, the fallout proved catastrophic.
While not treasonous, Danzo serving as the Daimyo's direct protector created an untenable conflict of interest from the village's perspective.
Even Hiruzen's authority faced unprecedented scrutiny.
...
At the Valley of the End…
One figure stood silently before Uchiha Madara's statue.
Footsteps approached through the foliage.
"Why here of all places?"
Jiraiya emerged, his usual cheer absent. This was their first meeting since Tsunade's return – a reunion that should have been joyful now felt hollow.
"Orochimaru…"
He didn't turn.
"Did you know?" Orochimaru mused, staring up at the colossal statues.
"I once imagined us battling beneath these very monuments one day. The Legendary Three Sannin reduced to just you remaining in Konoha after Tsunade's departure…"
Jiraiya cut through the nostalgia: "Why believe Danzo's lies?"
"So you've accessed classified ANBU files. Tell me, does Hiruzen intend to make you oversee covert ops now?" Orochimaru's mocking laughter echoed.
"Has senility finally claimed him?"
"I don't care about power plays!" Jiraiya's voice burned with rare intensity.
"Explain why you joined those depraved experiments!"
"Experiments?" Orochimaru smirked.
"Danzo and I merely utilized each other. Mortality is humanity's fundamental weakness – even Senju Hashirama's cells couldn't grant true immortality."
Jiraiya recoiled as if struck.
"You've gone mad."
"Mad? Or simply beyond your comprehension?" Orochimaru's amusement faded into disdain.
"Enough reminiscing. You came about Danzo's leak, yes?"
"It had to be you! Do you realize the consequences? With Iwagakure and Sunagakure already sharpening their knives, and Kumogakure's treaty hanging by a thread-"
"Stagnation is death." Orochimaru interrupted coldly.
"When did villages progress fastest? During Nidaime's warmongering era – desperation breeds innovation."
Jiraiya's fists clenched. "If you ever betray Konoha for this insanity…"
"Then by all means," Orochimaru turned finally, golden eyes glinting, "try to kill me."
As Jiraiya departed, Orochimaru whispered to the wind:
"Fool."