Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

"I did open the First Gate (Kaimon – Gate of Opening), but why does it feel different from what Might Guy-sensei said before?" Zixu muttered, looking at Tagitsu-hime with half-belief and half-doubt. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, as if she was desperately trying to maintain her composure and not let Zixu see through the gaps in her explanation.

"It's normal for it to feel different," Tagitsu-hime replied smoothly. "Everyone who trains in taijutsu for a long time develops their own unique style. This means you've found your own path, and that is something worth celebrating." She smiled as if to change the subject, while Tagorihime, who had been floating beside her, quietly faded into the background.

Meanwhile, Ichikishima-hime was the opposite—fanning the flames and urging Zixu to try opening another gate as soon as possible. She was itching to see just what kind of strength Zixu had gained.

"Hurry up! You've already figured out a way to train it, so why not show off? Let's see what you've got!"

The three goddesses all showed varying degrees of interest.

Zixu, on the other hand, felt uneasy. He was almost certain that something was off about this Eight Gates technique he had practiced, but since he had already gone through the trouble of learning it, there was no turning back now.

"Why are you in such a rush? Fine, I'll give it a shot."

Zixu focused on the newly-formed chakra meridian pathways in his body and recalled the effect of the First Gate (Kaimon – Gate of Opening):

"Opening the Gate: Lifts the brain's natural limiters, allowing the user to exert 100% of their body's ability. Overloads the body with energy, drastically increasing speed and attack power."

That was the normal effect.

Ichikishima-hime watched as Zixu's red hair lifted slightly, moving despite the lack of wind. His once-smooth strands now stood up wildly, resembling a crimson hedgehog. A faint red aura surrounded him, making her frown.

This wasn't how the First Gate should look. In her memory, the Eight Gates only produced a visible aura starting from the Third Gate (Seimon – Gate of Life). That was when a shinobi truly entered the Eight Gates Formation.

But Zixu's current state?

It didn't look like "Opening the Gate" at all.

"Zixu, once the Eight Gates are activated, your speed will be significantly faster, allowing you to take down enemies before they react," Tagitsu-hime explained. "But the Eight Gates forcefully overloads the body's energy flow. The strain it places on your muscles and chakra network is extreme, so I wouldn't recommend using it frequently."

"When activated, your chakra will be released without restraint, and your strength will increase drastically. In this state, you can fight without holding back, using taijutsu freely against your enemies," Tagorihime added.

Though the two goddesses had been reckless in their methods, at the very least, their explanation sounded reasonable.

Zixu clenched his fists, feeling the raw explosive power surging through him. A rush of excitement flooded his senses. For a moment, he had the illusion that he could shatter mountains with a single punch. The sensation reminded him of a Super Saiyan transformation—which was undeniably badass.

"Alright, let's test this out."

Zixu bounced on his feet a few times, adjusting to his enhanced physical state. The last time he felt such a drastic change was when he had refined his body's fusion process. This current power boost was just as significant, if not more. And as his physique improved, so would this newfound strength.

His reaction speed had also increased dramatically—so much so that his surroundings seemed unbearably slow. Everything in his vision, including the Three Goddesses, moved as if they were in slow motion. He could even see tiny dust particles drifting through the air with every breath they took.

But that wasn't a good thing.

If he couldn't control this heightened perception, his energy would drain at an alarming rate. He'd end up completely exhausted before he even threw a single punch.

Thankfully, Zixu had experienced similar power surges before and quickly adapted.

The goddesses, on the other hand, stopped laughing and got serious. If they were going to test this strange First Gate, they had to approach it properly.

They floated apart, surrounding Zixu from different angles.

Tagitsu-hime was the first to strike.

"Hmph!"

The air around her fist distorted as she released an invisible shockwave infused with Senjutsu Chakra and natural energy. Before Zixu had learned the Eight Gates, he wouldn't have been able to dodge something like this. He could endure it, sure—but avoiding it? No way.

Yet now...

Whoosh!

Zixu barely moved. The shockwave passed harmlessly through his afterimage, as if he had become a phantom.

He had "seen" the attack before it even arrived.

Tagorihime and Ichikishima-hime immediately followed up.

Tagitsu-hime continued launching her invisible Senjutsu-enhanced strikes. Tagorihime cast illusions to disrupt Zixu's perception, while Ichikishima-hime silently drained his chakra to weaken him.

But something was off.

Even when his vision was obscured by illusions, Zixu still dodged every attack—his movements eerily precise, as if he had eyes all around his body.

"This isn't right," Tagitsu-hime muttered.

To confirm her suspicions, she concealed herself and shattered several stalactites, sending dozens of jagged stone shards flying toward Zixu. Each shard was coated in chakra to suppress perception, making them impossible to sense through normal means.

Yet...

When the stones entered a one-meter radius around Zixu, he instinctively dodged.

Without even seeing them.

"It's almost like a domain technique..." Tagitsu-hime thought, watching in disbelief. "Could this be the true form of the Eight Gates?"

She was almost starting to believe the nonsense she had fed him earlier.

Meanwhile, Zixu was equally stunned.

He hadn't noticed the stones flying toward him. But his body had reacted automatically, as if he had known where they were coming from all along.

"Wait a minute..." His eyes narrowed. "Could it be... the Eight Gates is somehow helping me awaken Observation Haki?"

For a brief moment, doubt crept into his mind.

Had the goddesses actually been telling the truth?

"System, have I awakened Observation Haki?"

[The host has initially awakened Observation Haki.]

"NICE."

Zixu smirked. If he could train it on his own, he wouldn't have to waste his reward points unlocking it. He could save those for a more important ability upgrade instead.

Though... the temptation to splurge on a lucky draw was definitely there.

"Forget it. I should be saving up to unlock my Devil Fruit abilities..."

Before he could dwell on it any further, Tagitsu-hime suddenly called off the fight.

"Alright, enough testing. No point in continuing this."

The three goddesses floated back, their expressions unreadable.

"Why stop now?" Zixu asked, stretching his arms.

"Because you're a slippery little snake, even more than us," Tagitsu-hime sighed. "You're dodging everything before we even attack, and since we agreed not to suppress you with stronger Senjutsu Ninjutsu, this is pointless."

Zixu chuckled, brushing back his still-spiky red hair.

"Guess that means I win?"

Tagorihime rolled her eyes.

"Don't push your luck."

Zixu felt a bit disappointed that he hadn't been able to properly test his physical strength after unlocking the First Gate (Kaimon – Gate of Opening). However, after awakening Observation Haki, he found himself instinctively dodging any attack he could. Even though he could suppress this reaction, it irritated him—like a pristine blackboard marred by a single, glaring chalk mark. For someone with an obsessive need for perfection, he simply had to erase it.

"If there's nothing else, you should focus on training Sage Mode (Senjutsu). That's something we're actually experts in. Or even genjutsu—that would work too," Ichikishima-hime huffed.

She was growing frustrated. Zixu had deliberately avoided learning the areas they specialized in—aside from Senjutsu. Taijutsu was acceptable, and they could somewhat guide him, but when he started asking them to teach him kenjutsu (sword techniques) and even bojutsu (staff techniques), she felt like hitting him with a stick just out of spite.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind learning some ninjutsu (ninja techniques)..." Zixu muttered, sitting cross-legged as he tried to harmonize his natural energy while chatting with the goddesses.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... What's with the sudden change of heart? Weren't you just saying you wanted to focus on taijutsu?" Tagitsu-hime raised an eyebrow. She suspected Zixu must have something important coming up. Otherwise, knowing his personality, he wouldn't suddenly switch focus before mastering his physical techniques.

"Ah, nothing major. I'm taking the Chunin Exams in a few months," Zixu admitted. "Guy-sensei and the others said my life might actually be in danger during the exam. You know me—I've got a weak constitution, and I hate violence. So I figured I should learn some ninjutsu to boost my self-defense..."

As he spoke, his eyelids darkened into a shade of deep purple, and his skin became noticeably paler.

Tagorihime stared at him, then at his ridiculously muscular build—the same build that could probably punch out two full-grown tigers in one blow. Then she recalled his Super Saiyan-like transformation from earlier.

Weak constitution? Fear of violence?

If Zixu looked a little rougher, with scars on his face, he'd have the perfect villain aesthetic—like someone who ate children for breakfast but still claimed to be "afraid of violence."

Trying her best to resist the urge to punch him, Tagorihime decided to focus on the more serious part of his statement.

"The Chunin Exams will have plenty of strong opponents. It's wise to be cautious. Learning some ninjutsu isn't a bad idea," she admitted. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Meanwhile, Zixu's Senjutsu transformation continued to progress. His purple markings deepened, and extremely fine scales formed on his skin. In his spiritual "vision," he was already taking the form of a snake, though in reality, he hadn't yet reached full transformation. He speculated that this might be due to his Observation Haki, which allowed him to regulate energy flow with extreme precision.

"What's your chakra nature?"

"Hmm... Raiton (Lightning Release)."

"Lightning Release?" Tagitsu-hime pondered for a moment, considering Zixu's fighting style and chakra nature, then searched her memory for a suitable Raiton jutsu (Lightning Technique).

"There are a few techniques that would suit you. Since you've been interested in kenjutsu (sword techniques) and even bojutsu (staff techniques), why not focus on channeling Raiton into your weapon? It would increase the weapon's speed and generate high-frequency vibration waves, making it incredibly sharp and giving it unparalleled piercing power."

Zixu's amber-colored eyes, now slit like a reptile's, flickered with interest. Unlike the goddesses, his first thought wasn't about using a bo (staff) but a katana.

"True... Infusing Raiton into a sword would create an extremely strong slashing effect. It could also be used to paralyze enemies or even attract lightning. Definitely a viable technique."

Zixu completely ignored Tagitsu-hime's suggestion about using a staff and continued talking to himself.

She sighed in exasperation.

"Why are you so obsessed with swords? Isn't the world's greatest swordsman just a guy who swings a piece of sharp metal? Why not become the world's greatest bo user?"

While the goddesses bickered with Zixu over his weapon choice, Tian Xinshen Ji observed his transformation carefully.

His Sage Mode (Senjutsu) was still unstable, but he had clearly reached the initial mastery stage. From now on, all he needed to do was memorize the correct energy balance and fine-tune his control.

Sensing the instability, Zixu exited Sage Mode, feeling the energy disperse. He could tell he wouldn't be able to maintain the form for long just yet. Forcing himself to hold Sage Mode too long would likely result in an irreversible snake transformation. However, now that he had entered the state once, full mastery was just a matter of time.

"Still... this all feels more like a ninja body technique (nintaijutsu) than actual ninjutsu," Zixu muttered. He didn't mind enhancing his Lightning Release taijutsu, but at this rate, he didn't even feel like a real ninja. If anything, he resembled a wandering ronin, much like the one he had encountered a few days ago. His fighting style even reminded him of Haku.

"What's wrong with that? Just master one technique to its peak. A flashy jutsu is no match for one perfect attack. You don't need a hundred techniques—just one that's strong enough to shake the world," Ichikishima-hime argued.

"That's true. Let's give it a shot," Zixu said.

He took out a katana he had stored in a sealing scroll and attempted to coat it with Raiton chakra, just as he had done before. As soon as the chakra surrounded the blade, Tagorihime shook her head.

"Too much chakra loss. You're brute-forcing it instead of refining your control. You need to be efficient—use only as much chakra as necessary."

"There's a noticeable delay in how your chakra flows through the blade. It's not smooth enough."

"Your swing form is fine, but... why does it still look like you're swinging a staff? Are you really that against switching weapons?"

Their critiques flooded Zixu's mind as he adjusted his technique. Following their advice, he managed to significantly reduce chakra loss. The visible lightning surrounding the blade dimmed, but strangely, the weapon felt sharper rather than weaker.

"The ideal state," they explained, "is when your weapon looks completely ordinary—no glow, no visible chakra. But inside, the chakra is fully compressed, ready to be unleashed. That's the true mastery of chakra flow (Chakra Nagashi). Even in Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village), where Lightning Release is most refined, few can achieve this level."

Zixu nodded. "I get it. I'll work on it."

With that, his training for the day ended.

Though unexpected, today's session had been incredibly rewarding. He had awakened Observation Haki, achieved initial mastery of Sage Mode, and made serious progress in his Lightning Release taijutsu techniques. It had been a productive day.

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