I, Konoha's Sage of Life-Chapter 86 - : Kyōichi and His Student—Masterful Actors

"Jōnin Kyoichi, this time, I won't hold back."

"Please, go all out."

The moment Kyoichi finished speaking, a dark blur shot toward him.

So fast!

He instantly opened the First Gate.

The next second...

Boom!

With a single kick, Chen was sent flying.

However...

Kyoichi knew that his opponent had skillfully dispersed the force by retreating, so the kick didn't cause any real damage.

"So this is the First Gate..."

"The boost is incredible!"

Chen was thrilled.

As a martial arts expert, he instantly understood the changes in Kyoichi's body—

Increased strength, speed, and physical performance.

Enhanced control.

The combination of these two factors meant...

Whoosh!

Kyoichi was already in front of him.

Bang!

This time, it was Chen who had no chance to counter.

Too fast—even blinking felt dangerous.

A single blink, and he could be hit.

What's more...

During the exchange, Kyoichi executed multiple techniques that normally wouldn't be possible.

So this is the First Gate?

All the jōnin watching were stunned.

The effect was far too powerful!

However...

They also noticed something. When Kyoichi activated the First Gate, his chakra fluctuated for an instant.

That meant combining it with ninjutsu might not be ideal.

The jōnin took note of this.

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"This is the First Gate combined with the Body Flicker Technique."

Kyoichi landed and pulled back.

That flurry of attacks had drained him considerably.

But what shocked him the most—

Chen had blocked them all.

Though he struggled, he had only taken three hits—and none were serious.

"My turn!"

Chen took a deep breath, then—

Whoosh!

His figure vanished on the spot.

Afterimages!

Breathing Activation Technique.

And—

The wind rises!

A whirlwind appeared beside Kyoichi, sweeping in all directions.

However...

Kyoichi remained incredibly fast, evading and repositioning in an instant. His hands formed seals at an astonishing speed, completing the sequence in the blink of an eye.

Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!

A massive mire surged forth, swallowing the whirlwind.

But in the next moment, the tornado transformed into a "dragon" and burst out.

Earth-Style Wall! Water Formation Wall!

One defensive technique after another formed rapidly—only to be shredded by the storm.

However, by this point, Chen's attack had lost its momentum.

The two separated, choosing not to continue.

From the sidelines, the Third Hokage and Tsunade exchanged knowing smiles.

Many of the jōnin present weren't familiar with Kyoichi.

But...

These two knew very well that Kyoichi's true strength—even if he relied only on taijutsu—was far beyond what he had just shown.

Shisui's ability to hold back and put on a show?

He learned it from his teacher!

"I just used the Breathing Activation Technique along with my taijutsu—Konoha Dragon God."

Chen closed his eyes for a moment before continuing, "This technique enhances cellular activity rather than pushing the body beyond its limits, so it doesn't cause the same fatigue as the Eight Gates."

"As expected of a master."

Might Duy was deeply impressed.

The First Gate of the Eight Gates exhausts the body heavily, which is why unlocking the Second Gate—Rest Gate is necessary to recover quickly.

Yet Chen had spent years developing a powerful taijutsu technique that didn't rely on the Eight Gates.

Might Duy greatly respected such dedication!

"I used the Rest Gate to recover my stamina, then activated the Breathing Activation Technique again. As you all saw, the First Gate improves bodily control, making it ideal for taijutsu, whereas the Breathing Activation Technique enhances overall physical performance!"

"The Breathing Activation Technique is more versatile. For those of us skilled in ninjutsu, it's the better choice."

Nara Shikaku chimed in.

Most shinobi didn't rely solely on taijutsu.

Since the majority combined ninjutsu with physical combat, the Breathing Activation Technique was far more practical for widespread use—while the Eight Gates were more suited for taijutsu specialists.

"That's right. For taijutsu users, learning both is ideal. For everyone else, mastering the Breathing Activation Technique is sufficient."

Kyoichi's summary left the jōnin with a clear direction.

Their choices were obvious now.

At this moment, Chen gave the Third Hokage a pleading look.

At his age, this expression was impossible to ignore.

The Third sighed, resigned. "You may exchange taijutsu techniques with Duy for the Eight Gates. The specific terms are up to you."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"

Chen immediately pulled Might Duy aside for discussion.

Kyoichi wasn't surprised.

Very few shinobi could meet the requirements to unlock the Eight Gates.

After all, the technique wasn't meant for ordinary people. Only warriors like Might Duy and Might Guy could fully open them—even Kakashi, despite his exceptional taijutsu, could only reach the Second Gate.

Kyoichi himself was no exception.

He had managed to unlock the Third Gate, but progressing further had proven extremely difficult.

Despite his continuous physical training, he had only barely glimpsed the path to the Fourth Gate.

The Breathing Activation Technique, on the other hand, was much easier.

Most jōnin had solid knowledge foundations—after reading the scroll, they could figure it out themselves. Chen, for instance, mastered it immediately after reviewing the material.

Kyoichi barely had to teach anything.

Just a few key insights were enough.

Because of this, he didn't expect a high reward from the system.

[Mission Completed: Forbidden Technique Training]

[Evaluation: Good]

[Reward: Chakra Absorption Technique]

Kyoichi hadn't expected this.

This was the secret technique of Akadō Yoroi.

However...

While it could absorb physical and spiritual energy, it could only do so through direct hand contact.

It couldn't absorb chakra that had already been molded into ninjutsu.

Not useless, exactly... just situational.

Still, it was a rare secret technique, so he couldn't call the reward disappointing.

Kyoichi pondered its applications.

If the absorption rate was high and he could modify it to work through his feet or other body parts, it could pair well with his slug techniques and prove valuable in battle.

Something to experiment with later.

Kyoichi closed his system panel and refocused on reality.

Everyone was practicing—

Except for Chen and Might Duy.

The two of them were fully absorbed in a heated taijutsu debate, their intensity completely different from the others.

"This Dragon God technique is flawless!"

"Taijutsu is performed by humans. No matter how strong a tornado is, if I hit you directly and stop your movement, the technique falls apart. That's the flaw."

"But I'm surrounded by wind—how would you even hit me?"

Chen was unconvinced.

Might Duy couldn't articulate it clearly. He lacked theoretical knowledge—he just felt there was a flaw but couldn't explain why.

Kyoichi, amused, walked over to join them.

"Your technique mimics a tornado, right? But the eye of a tornado has no wind. That's your weakness."

Kyoichi explained.

In the anime, Rock Lee had exploited this exact flaw, using the Primary Lotus to break through the Dragon God technique.

Chen froze.

He wanted to argue, but... he couldn't find a counterpoint.

His mouth opened, then closed.

Finally, he looked stunned. "You saw that?"

"At first, no. But after you broke through my two defensive jutsu, I noticed it."

"...Ugh."

Chen fell silent.

He understood.

Kyoichi had figured it out and knew exactly how to counter it.

He had simply chosen not to expose it—to save Chen's pride.

"...Don't overthink it. The technique is still powerful. A flaw isn't necessarily a weakness—if you understand it, you can turn it into an advantage."

Kyoichi reassured him.

"What do you mean?"

Chen was deeply invested now.

Might Duy scratched his head. "Isn't it simple? If he tries to enter the eye of the storm... just hit him directly."

"That's one method. Another is to adjust the wind's direction."

Many problems have simple, brute-force solutions.

The Dragon God technique was one such example.

In the end, it simply became a test of speed.

Whoever was faster, won.

If Chen could master the Eight Gates, few could rival his speed.

But unfortunately...

He was already in his forties.

At his age, his body was starting to decline. Maintaining his peak was already difficult.

He had missed his best window.

Even if he learned the Eight Gates, his body might not withstand the strain.

Kyoichi thought for a moment and gave him a final piece of advice.

"Master Chen, even if you learn the Eight Gates, don't open multiple gates at once. Start one at a time to minimize the strain on your body."

"...That's a thing?"

Chen was startled.

If Kyoichi hadn't mentioned it, he would have rushed home to push himself straight into multiple gates.

Then he realized—

Wait. Who was he doubting?

Kyoichi was a medical ninjutsu master.

He wasn't just talking nonsense.

"Apologies!"

Chen bowed deeply.

Kyoichi waved it off. "No need. It's just a precaution. If you don't exceed the Third Gate, it won't be an issue."

His explanation reassured everyone.

And as a final bonus—

Kyoichi unexpectedly picked up Konoha Whirlwind from Chen.

A pleasant surprise.

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