Chapter 27: Physical Liberation
"Everything he said is true."
Just as Might Guy was struggling to explain things to Hikari, a lazy voice drifted over from a distance.
Both of them turned to look.
Standing behind them, now fully dressed, was Hatake Kakashi, stepping out from the doorway.
"Kakashi, you're awake!"
Might Guy's face lit up with joy.
"Hard to stay asleep with all this noise," Kakashi mumbled, rubbing his teary eyes as he yawned. "Haaah… Guy, were you just teaching Hikari the Eight Gates?"
Of course, Guy understood what his best friend was really asking.
The night before, Kakashi had warned him about Hikari's suspicious background, advising him to be cautious and not disclose the secrets of the Eight Gates. In fact, Kakashi had even taken custody of the scroll himself as a precaution.
So seeing Guy break their agreement first thing in the morning? Yeah, Kakashi's subtle probing was more than justified.
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"I've already apologized to Guy."
Hikari flashed Kakashi a smile, signaling that she'd come clean with Might Guy.
"Oh…"
Kakashi glanced at Guy, who gave a confirming nod. With that, he decided to drop the matter—if Guy was truly okay with it, and hadn't been tricked, then it wasn't his business.
After all, the Eight Gates was a secret technique passed down within Guy's family. If he wanted to teach it to someone, even the Hokage had no right to interfere.
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"So the Eight Gates… you really can master it just through training?"
Now that Kakashi had backed off, Hikari pressed him directly on the earlier question.
In the original story (manga), aside from Guy and Rock Lee, Kakashi was the only one who'd managed to unlock even a single Gate. That alone put him leagues ahead of her. If anyone had useful insights, it was him.
"Hmm…"
Kakashi thought for a moment before answering bluntly:
"The power of the Eight Gates comes from unleashing your life force. The first three Gates gradually release the brain's restrictions on the body—relatively simple. But the further you go, the harder it gets. With your talent, I don't think you need this technique. The cost outweighs the gains."
His warning made sense.
The Eight Gates was designed for shinobi who lacked natural talent, allowing them to trade sheer willpower and life force for power. Someone like Hikari, already gifted, had no reason to risk such a dangerous art.
But Hikari had her own reasons.
Iruka's theory about life-force limitations resonated deeply with her.
Especially now, as her body grew stronger, her chakra was being drained just to maintain her physical form.
During the month-long journey from the Land of Water to Konoha, her physique had continuously improved, her body optimizing itself toward perfection.
Yet her chakra—once at jōnin level—had silently regressed.
By her rough estimates, unless something changed, her chakra reserves would cap out at Kage-level at best.
And that just wasn't enough.
Without sufficient chakra, even mastering all seven nature transformations wouldn't let her condense a single Truth-Seeking Ball.
Absorbing tailed-flesh before reaching Kage-level was far too risky.
That left two options:
1. Acquire Hashirama's cells.
2. Master the Eight Gates.
She had no choice.
"The Eight Gates is what I need. No matter the cost, I'll accept it."
Her voice carried unshakable resolve.
Even Kakashi straightened slightly, sensing her determination. As for Guy?
"YOSH! That's the spirit!"
Guy's eyes blazed with the fires of youth. "The Eight Gates demands exactly this kind of do-or-die resolve!"
Kakashi shot his exuberant friend a sidelong glance but didn't argue. Instead, he turned back to Hikari and explained:
"The human body has built-in limiters—and their name is survival instinct."
"Survival instinct?"
"All living creatures share this primal drive. The Eight Gates exploit it. By pushing your body and mind to the brink, you hijack that instinct—the very will to live ingrained in you since birth."
"Your muscles hold back power to avoid self-injury. Your brain forces those limits to protect you."
"Burning your life force means death. Your body refuses to allow it. Only through relentless training—breaking that instinct—can you achieve true Physical Liberation and wield power beyond life and death."
"There are no shortcuts."
Kakashi's tone was absolute.
Even he had once tried to cheat the process. But no matter what, without grueling training, surpassing the body's natural limits was impossible.
Guy nodded solemnly.
Discipline the mind. Overcome instinct. Liberate the flesh.
That was the essence of the Eight Gates.
Anyone seeking a shortcut was delusional.
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Now, Hikari finally understood.
"Opening the Gates" wasn't just about willpower—it was about overriding the subconscious.
The body itself resisted the Eight Gates, deeming them self-destructive. No amount of conscious effort could locate those "gates" because they were buried beneath layers of biological imperative.
Training the body and tempering the will was about forcing the body into desperation.
In life-or-death situations, survival instinct kicks in—temporarily lifting those restrictions to overcome the crisis.
That was the moment a shinobi could seize control.
Mastering the Eight Gates meant repeating this process until the body remembered the sensation, no longer needing desperation to unleash its power.
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With the theory clear, Hikari closed her eyes and focused inward.
Thump…
Thump…
Her heart pulsed steadily, blood surging through her veins, feeding every cell. A perfectly normal metabolic cycle.
Then—her eyes snapped open.
"Byakugan!"
Dull-gray pupil-less eyes flared as her ocular power surged downward, electrifying her flesh like a dormant machine roaring to life.
Blood vessels writhed. Muscles rippled.
Organs twisted and rearranged themselves, as if celebrating.
To Hikari, this grotesque spectacle was just another day.
But now—now was the real test.
If the Eight Gates required pushing the body to its limits…
Then she'd force it into desperation.
A silent command echoed through her being, her will—augmented by the Byakugan's power—taking absolute dominion over her flesh.
Yet… the "gates" Guy spoke of remained elusive.
"Seek the extreme. Create the crisis."
Reciting the Eight Gates' mantra, Hikari's will descended like a tyrant upon the churning chaos within her.
"BLOOD RELEASE: FLESH OVERDRIVE!"
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