Yoru could only shake his head helplessly as he watched Kushina storm out, her frustration evident. He understood that she meant well, but no matter how much he explained, she simply refused to listen.
After finally calming his thoughts, Yoru let out a soft sigh, washed up, and got dressed before heading towards the door.
At that moment, he realized—there was no longer any need for him to attend the Ninja Academy.
In just three months, he would be fighting a life-or-death duel with Uchiha Kan. Every second counted. Attending school and listening to lectures was nothing but a waste of precious time.
He decided he would take a long leave.
However, his Chunin instructor had always held him in contempt. Requesting leave might not be so simple.
With that thought, Yoru frowned slightly. But it didn't matter whether the request was approved or not—he was simply informing them that he wouldn't be attending anymore.
Upon arriving at the Academy, Yoru noticed that the students' attitudes toward him hadn't changed much. They were still kids, after all, too young to fully grasp the implications of his challenge against a Chunin. Instead, they were simply astonished that he had the audacity to do so, their whispers filled with disbelief.
Reaching the faculty office, Yoru wasted no time and walked straight in.
And there he saw his instructor, Kato No.
"Yoru?" Kato No's expression was different from before.
Gone was the usual contempt and disgust. Instead, there was something more complicated in his eyes.
Yoru found this odd. Given how much trouble he had caused by severely injuring Uchiha Izumi, Kato No should have faced harsh consequences. And yet, there was no resentment in his gaze?
Though curious, Yoru didn't dwell on it. Keeping his tone calm, he directly stated his request for a three-month leave.
He had already planned to leave immediately, whether the leave was granted or not.
But what happened next caught him completely off guard.
Kato No patted him on the shoulder with an inexplicable sentimentality and simply nodded.
He… agreed just like that?
Yoru's face showed a hint of surprise.
Then, Kato No muttered to himself, his voice carrying an odd mix of regret and helplessness.
"My comrades were killed by enemy shinobi, so I've always held resentment toward you. But… you're actually a very hardworking kid. If you had been born in Konoha…"
He stopped himself, sighing deeply before patting Yoru's shoulder again and walking past him.
"Enough of that. Enjoy your three months."
Yoru stood there, stunned, watching Kato No leave the office.
That phrase… why did it sound so familiar?
Then it hit him.
Wasn't that exactly what that Anbu shinobi had said before?!
Pfft!
He nearly coughed up blood.
Did everyone truly believe he was doomed?!
With an exasperated look, he left the office, shaking his head.
As he walked slowly out of the Academy, he cleared his thoughts.
From the outside, he must have looked lost, like someone walking toward their inevitable demise. Once again, he attracted gazes filled with pity.
But in truth, Yoru was deep in thought.
He was reviewing the last few problems he had encountered during his research the previous night.
He never wasted time. If he could solve these issues, then his chances of successfully developing the technique would rise to at least eighty percent.
And at that level of certainty, it was as good as guaranteed.
Once he mastered this technique, defeating Uchiha Kan in three months would be nothing short of inevitable!
After much contemplation, he managed to solve one issue. However, a few still remained unresolved.
Yoru decided to seek out Might Duy once again.
He found him in the same training grove, still immersed in his rigorous regimen. The whole village was already aware of Yoru's impending duel, yet Duy remained completely oblivious, greeting Yoru with a bright smile.
Truly, he lived in his own world, disconnected from the rest of the village.
Yoru couldn't help but wonder—who was Guy's mother? But now wasn't the time for such thoughts. He immediately presented his unresolved questions.
Duy listened carefully, falling into deep thought.
After a while, he managed to answer most of them. However, for the final problem, he seemed uncertain.
The two of them debated for a long time, going back and forth until they reached a conclusion.
At last, Yoru had the full blueprint in his mind—a clear and perfected training method.
This was the technique he had been striving to develop.
Reverse Eight Gates Training!
If he spoke of it aloud, it would surely shake the entire shinobi world. But Yoru's way of thinking had always been unorthodox, and he never hesitated to experiment.
The heart was the source of power.
Traditionally, opening the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—meant burning one's life force entirely, guaranteeing death.
But what if he started by strengthening the heart first?
What if, instead of opening the Gates sequentially from the first to the last, he did it in reverse—strengthening the heart, using it to drive his entire body, breaking through one Gate at a time?
If this worked, he could remove the side effects entirely… perhaps even make the Eight Gates permanent!
Once he finalized his thoughts, Yoru had no hesitation and directly explained everything to Duy.
"Reverse Eight Gates Training?!"
The moment Duy heard it, his mind exploded like thunder, leaving him speechless.
His instinct was to refute it immediately.
But as he tried to argue, he realized—Yoru had already considered every critical point.
It… might actually be possible!
In the end, Duy decided to support Yoru.
To him, youth was meant to be spent striving toward the impossible.
He pointed out a few flaws in Yoru's theory and helped refine it further.
And with that, the method for Reverse Eight Gates Training was fully formed!
Without wasting any time, Yoru began his first attempt.
Duy, without hesitation, stood guard beside him.
There was no one more trustworthy than Duy in this matter. With him watching over, Yoru could fully concentrate.
He first activated his entire circulatory system, ensuring every part of his body was primed and ready. Then, he sat down cross-legged, steadying his breath.
His mind emptied. Absolute focus.
"Starting with the heart…"
He murmured to himself, pressing his thumb against his chest.
But nothing happened.
Opening the heart as the first Gate was vastly different from opening it as the last.
Yoru frowned slightly.
"This approach won't work. But there are other ways…"
He decided to force the breakthrough using chakra.
The Eight Gates removed the body's natural limits, essentially unlocking its full chakra potential.
However, instead of releasing chakra externally, it surged within, flooding the body like a raging river.
But chakra was Yoru's weakest area.
After much effort, he managed to gather a small amount and directed it toward the heart's Gate.
Yet, it was like an ant trying to shake a mountain. Nothing changed.
At that moment, Yoru realized—even Jonin-level or Kage-level chakra reserves might not be enough to force this breakthrough!
No wonder, in a thousand years, no one had ever succeeded in reversing the Eight Gates.
The difficulty was beyond comprehension.
But Yoru's eyes shone with determination.
Just because no one else had succeeded didn't mean he wouldn't.
Because he had one more trump card.
The power of the Shatter Release Bloodline Limit!
"Shatter Release… activate! Break this damn Gate open!"