Chapter 43: Dilemma

I have researched extensively, and I have not found the origin of the Eight Gates in Naruto, so I will assume it was never mentioned and create its origin story for plot reasons.

Tsunade was surprised to hear this, while Yujin was simply confused.

“Gate of Opening? What is that?”

Even as he asked, Yujin continued his work, not thinking it was relevant. Duy took a deep breath and explained for Yujin to understand.

“I don’t have very large Chakra reserves, and that’s one of the reasons why my potential as a ninja is low. However, I received a technique from the Third Hokage called the Eight Gates. It’s a technique where I use my Chakra to open Eight Gates that exist in the human body; the more of these gates I open, the more potential is unlocked from my body, thus multiplying my strength several times. Gate of Opening is the first of the eight gates, and it’s in the left hemisphere of the brain, where I am feeling the pressure right now.”

Yujin found the conversation fascinating but didn’t stop working, continuing his task. Later, he planned to explore these “Eight Gates” further. Tsunade, however, was lost in thought, and suddenly she realized something.

“Yujin, wait, maybe you shouldn’t open Duy’s first meridian...”

Before she could explain why, the pressure vanished, and Duy felt a good and relaxing sensation throughout his body. Like Tsunade, he began to feel the energy around him. It was as if he were experiencing the world for the first time. The unknown energy he had never felt before seemed to be everywhere.

“I hope I’m wrong...”

Yujin finally shifted his attention to Tsunade and saw the concern in her expression.

“What’s the problem? Duy did it; now he can accumulate Qi too.”

Tsunade thought for a moment and explained her concern.

“What if Duy’s Eight Gates are the same as the Eight Extraordinary Meridians? The Eight Gates are the only technique Duy can use. What if opening the first meridian interferes with the Eight Gates?”

Duy was excited, immersed in the new sensations he was feeling, but he still heard Tsunade’s words, and it surprised him.

“I’ll test it.”

Duy then focused his Chakra on the Gate of Opening, as he had done thousands of times before. This time, however, he felt enormous resistance. He spent several minutes in silence, trying to force the Chakra to pass through the first gate, but it was as if the gate were locked with a latch, preventing the entry of Chakra.

At that moment, he started to worry, and Yujin asked after seeing this.

“Are you sure these Eight Gates are the same as the Eight Extraordinary Meridians?”

Tsunade was distressed by the situation, and Duy was getting worried, but Yujin remained calm, analyzing the situation coolly. Duy began to explain about the Eight Gates.

He explained what the gates were, how to open them, the abilities of the gates, the consequences of opening them, and many other details. Duy was the greatest expert in the technique in the village, so he knew everything about it. Yujin, on the other hand, seemed relaxed and just listened silently.

“Hmm ... What an intriguing technique. Listening to you, I’m sure that the ‘Eight Gates’ are the same as the eight block points of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. The eight meridians do not refer to these ‘gates’ themselves but to the path that is made from one ‘gate’ to another. For example, from the first ‘gate’ to the second, it’s called the First Extraordinary Meridian. It allows us to feel Natural Qi, increases our Qi accumulation speed, and gives us a greater affinity to Qi, providing better control.”

“The Second Meridian is between the second and third ‘gate,’ and it also gives enormous advantages for martial arts training. It goes on like this until the Seventh Meridian, which is the path between the seventh and eighth ‘gate.’ It is speculated that only one person in history managed to open it; the God of Martial Arts ... Recently, I just opened my Fifth Meridian, the path between the fifth and sixth ‘gate.’”

Tsunade noticed something strange in his speech and quickly asked.

“But what about the Eighth Meridian? Is there a Ninth Gate?”

“No ... The ‘ninth gate’ is the heart itself.”

After a few seconds, realizing he didn’t explain it properly, he continued.

“The Eighth Gate is superficially in the heart. It is theorized that if you can open the Eighth Gate, you can flood your heart with Qi through the Eighth Meridian and produce a different type of Qi. According to the theory, this different Qi would have the ability to give you eternal life, making you literally a god in human flesh. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. The God of Martial Arts I mentioned before didn’t have eternal life, I think.”

Everything about the God of Martial Arts was speculation, so Yujin didn’t know what to say. Duy listened attentively, but he wanted to hear something else.

“What does all this mean? Is it impossible for me to reopen my gates?”

Feeling the anxiety in Duy’s voice, Yujin felt a little guilty. He had inadvertently caused an optimistic and determined man to practically panic with his thoughtless actions. Yujin explained in a low, calm voice, trying to reassure Duy.