Chapter 146: Tenketsu Potential, the Budget Version of Eight Gates

Wood Release: Continuous Pillar Houses! Rows of houses rose from the ground as chakra surged, filling a large empty plot of land. On the other side, Yamato was also using Wood Release to construct houses one after another. The technique consumed a considerable amount of chakra. But the effect was— In the blink of an eye, enough temporary housing for the Iburi clan to transition overnight had been erected in the outskirts. "This... is unbelievable!" Iburi Gotta was utterly astonished. Wood Release! Back in the day, the First Hokage was invincible, and Wood Release became legendary because of it. So, even the Iburi clan had heard of Wood Release’s capabilities. Konoha actually had Wood Release Kekkei Genkai users! Not only that, but these two Wood Release users were even willing to help them build houses for free— In just moments, ten houses had already been completed. The Iburi clan wasn’t very large, and with dozens of people squeezing in for one night, ten three-bedroom houses were more than enough. In truth, they had originally assumed they’d have to make do with tents tonight. "Water and electricity will take one or two days to set up, so you’ll have to bear with it for now. As for food, let’s use soldier pills as a temporary solution for today." Kyohiko glanced at the ANBU members. They nodded and took out their emergency soldier pills, gathering about a hundred—enough to sustain the group for the day. "Thank you, thank you so much!" Iburi Gotta was deeply moved. Konoha was treating them far better than they had expected! Behind him, the children watched Kyohiko and his ANBU subordinates timidly, their eyes filled with gratitude. For now, Konoha seemed very friendly—at the very least, they didn’t have to worry about survival. "Now, Clan Leader Gotta, there’s something I’d like your help with." "Please, just give the order!" Iburi Gotta bowed respectfully. Kyohiko said, "I’d like you to demonstrate your abilities. That way, I can think about how to address your issues based on what I see." "To be honest, I’ve experimented with a transformation of my own. I’m not sure if it’s similar to yours." With that, he formed hand seals. Then, a stream of smoke spewed from Kyohiko’s mouth. "This is..." Iburi Gotta was stunned. At first glance, it looked like cigarette smoke, but it had no smell or temperature—just like their Smoke Transformation Kekkei Genkai. His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he even felt a pang of fear. Could Konoha replicate smoke transformation? If so, their value would plummet... Iburi Gotta couldn’t help but worry, but then he sighed inwardly, realizing he was overthinking things— If Konoha had already mastered such a technique, why would they go through the trouble of relocating his clan hundreds of miles to the village? He calmed down slightly. "Sir, it’s similar, but ours isn’t a jutsu—it’s an innate ability. Once awakened and developed, it can be used, but the drawbacks are also much more severe." Iburi Gotta grew even more deferential. He had figured it out. If this man could develop a smoke-based jutsu in such a short time, he could definitely help their clan solve a problem that had plagued them for a century. They should place their trust in him and understand their own position clearly. "I see. If they’re similar, then I’ll use my own technique for research first. On one hand, I’ll have Orochimaru-senpai assist with studying your genetic makeup, and on the other, I’ll approach this from both a jutsu and biological angle to try and resolve your issues." Kyohiko paused briefly before explaining, "I have a theory—if you master enough ninjutsu techniques, perhaps you can mitigate the drawbacks of your ability." "W-We’ve never tried that before." Iburi Gotta shook his head. Though they were a shinobi clan, their strength was inferior to even minor villages, let alone a behemoth like Konoha. Their clan’s knowledge and techniques were far behind. "Understood." --- ANBU Base Hyūga Hizashi stood before Orochimaru, his face tinged with unease. Orochimaru smirked. "Hizashi, don’t worry. You won’t kill me. Go ahead and do it boldly!" "But..." "It’s fine. If we can’t conduct human experiments, then this is the only way. Otherwise, who knows how long it’ll take to find real solutions?" Orochimaru chuckled softly. A month had passed. Though they had mapped out the structure of all chakra points in the human body, they still hadn’t found any as unique as the Tanzhong tenketsu. It wasn’t Hizashi’s fault—these experiments were simply too dangerous to perform recklessly. But now, Orochimaru had finally run out of patience. No human testing? Then he’d test on himself! Hyūga Hizashi took a deep breath and steeled himself. Byakugan, activate! "As Kyohiko-kun suggested, slow down the chakra input and proceed carefully... First, stimulate the external tenketsu corresponding to the Gate of Life. Be very gentle." Orochimaru instructed. He had discussed this with Kyohiko, Hizashi, and Hiashi. "The location of the Tanzhong tenketsu actually corresponds to the ’Gate of Pain’ in the Eight Gates system. Stimulating it with chakra essentially means impacting the ’Gate of Pain’ to unlock potential." Therefore, the same logic should apply to the Gate of Life. However, the Eight Gates were extremely perilous. A single misstep could cause severe bodily dysfunction. Even with the theory in place, no one dared take the risk. Kyohiko’s suggestion of using monkeys and apes as substitutes was feasible, but raising an entire group of ninja animals would take too long. Orochimaru wasn’t that patient. "Understood!" Hizashi carefully controlled his chakra. The energy flowed in gradually, stimulating the power of the "Gate of Life." Orochimaru focused intently on his own body. One second. Two seconds. "Orochimaru-sama!" Hizashi stopped. Orochimaru said, "Continue." "Yes!" Hizashi condensed his chakra, shaping it into a needle-like form. Orochimaru felt— a surge of chakra spontaneously generating from the "Gate of Life," then rising to erupt from his throat. He suppressed it forcefully. But— Cough! Cough! Cough! He broke into a violent coughing fit. Hizashi immediately withdrew his chakra. "Orochimaru-sama, are you alright?" "I’m fine." Orochimaru’s voice was even hoarser than before. He coughed a few more times. "This tenketsu, when mildly stimulated with medical ninjutsu, might help treat illnesses like colds or throat infections. A slightly stronger input could release a significant amount of chakra." After a moment of thought, he added, "For techniques like the Great Fireball, which rely on the throat and mouth, it might provide some amplification effect." "Try again." Orochimaru gestured. Hizashi nodded. "Yes!" Once more, he extended his finger, carefully regulating his chakra. A second later, without forming any seals, Orochimaru opened his mouth and unleashed a gust of violent wind. Wind Release: Great Breakthrough! Whoosh! The boulder ahead was sliced into ribbons by the wind blades. "As expected." Orochimaru’s lips curled slightly. "If nothing else, the tenketsu corresponding to the Eight Gates undoubtedly possess extraordinary power. But... the Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, and Gate of Death are too dangerous to test. That leaves five gates." Just as he was about to have Hizashi try again, a sharp pain flared in his throat. This... A side effect? Orochimaru frowned, carefully assessing the sensation before saying, "It places a heavy strain on the throat. Cannot be used repeatedly. Did you record that?" "Yes!" Hizashi nodded repeatedly. Orochimaru nodded. "Kyohiko has already tested the Gate of Pain, so now we should examine the acupoints corresponding to the Gate of View and Gate of Wonder..." Just as he was about to proceed with another attempt, Kyohiko walked in from outside. "Don’t test the Gate of Shock’s corresponding tenketsu." "Oh?" Orochimaru and Hizashi turned their attention to Kyohiko. Kyohiko explained, "The Gate of Wonder corresponds to the navel position. I’ve theorized that properly stimulating it could enhance mental and physical energy, increasing overall chakra and strength. However, improper manipulation could cause severe harm." The Gate of Wonder corresponded to the "Shenque tenketsu," with subsequent chakra pathways leading to the heart. It was the final barrier before the "Gate of Death"—extremely dangerous. A flicker of excitement flashed in Orochimaru’s eyes, but he wasn’t ready to give up. "Come on, I want to try it!" "Fine." Kyohiko focused his energy, then condensed chakra at his fingertips. Hizashi observed closely and noticed— Kyohiko’s chakra was evenly distributed over his fingertip, forming a highly concentrated "membrane" of chakra. The moment it made contact— The chakra pulsed, emitting rhythmic waves. This didn’t seem like ordinary chakra. It appeared to incorporate medical ninjutsu properties, allowing it to nourish the body while the pulsations stimulated the area around the "Gate of Wonder." After several seconds, the stimulation reached its peak... A surge of powerful chakra erupted from the Gate of Wonder, flooding through the limbs and meridians. The boost to physical strength and chakra surpassed even that of stimulating the "Gate of Wonder" by several times. "How does it feel?" "It worked." Orochimaru replied. Then, he threw a punch. Boom! The air cracked from the force—but immediately afterward, his muscles tore. Kyohiko withdrew his chakra. Two or three seconds later, Orochimaru felt a wave of weakness and exhaustion, followed by sharp pain where his muscles had ruptured. Gritting his teeth, he formed a hand seal. Instantly, his body transformed into a snake, and a new Orochimaru emerged from the shed skin. Great Snake Rebirth Technique! After the transformation, all his injuries had completely healed. "What terrifying power!" Orochimaru marveled. "And this is just stimulating the Gate of Wonder—equivalent to partially opening it. No wonder the Eight Gates possess such fearsome might!" "Beyond the Eight Gates, there must be other hidden tenketsu with similar potential. We just haven’t discovered the correct methods yet." Hyūga Hizashi couldn’t contain his excitement. Though it wasn’t the true Eight Gates, achieving even a fraction of their effects through chakra stimulation and training was already incredible. In the past, the Hyūga clan had only believed tenketsu could be used for sealing or disrupting chakra flow. They never imagined the human body held such deeper treasures—like sitting on a gold mine without realizing it. Research! They had to keep researching! Orochimaru smirked. "Hizashi, let’s stop here for today. You’ve worked hard." "Not at all. My contribution was trivial. It’s all thanks to Orochimaru-sama and Kyohiko-san, otherwise..." He bowed deeply. Orochimaru chuckled. "Go on. Report to Hiashi on our behalf—we won’t be joining." "Yes!" Hyūga Hizashi tactfully took his leave— Kyohiko and Orochimaru clearly had more important matters to discuss. Once Hizashi was gone, Orochimaru sighed. "I didn’t expect you’d already experimented with the ’Gate of Wonder,’ Kyohiko-kun." "The Gate of Wonder is the most dangerous, and my chakra control is the most refined, so I tested it on myself." "Unfortunately—" Orochimaru sighed. If they could conduct human experiments, many of these secrets might already be unraveled. They wouldn’t have to proceed step by step, testing one by one. However, he knew Tsunade and Kyohiko would never compromise their principles, so he didn’t bring it up. "I’ve received the Iburi clan’s tissue samples from Kakashi. But... shouldn’t you be attending a meeting with Tsunade right now? They’ve just arrived." Orochimaru smirked. He knew Konoha’s inner workings all too well. The integration of a clan was never as simple as the Hokage making a decision. It involved layers of political maneuvering and discussions. Kyohiko replied, "It’s fine. The Iburi clan understands their position. They chose the most remote area available—though for them, it might still be somewhat familiar." Orochimaru paused mid-writing. "That cliffside area destroyed by Dai?" "Correct." Kyohiko nodded. Orochimaru mused, "A decent location. It’s not far from here, and the training grounds in between can be rebuilt." "That’s what I was thinking. But I plan to turn it into a large training park with various facilities, open to all of Konoha." Kyohiko said. Orochimaru frowned and looked up. "Isn’t that area close to the Uchiha Police Force headquarters? How do you plan to deal with the Uchiha?" "Which is why it has to wait until after the Uchiha situation is resolved." Kyohiko formed hand seals. "But never mind them for now. Take a look at this technique." He then demonstrated the "Smoke Transformation" secret technique. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. After a few seconds, he asked, "When did you develop this?" "Recently." "If it can achieve the same effects as the Iburi clan’s ability, it holds immense potential." Orochimaru licked his lips. Smoke transformation meant the body could shift freely, unbound by its original form. Even— merging with another’s body as a unique lifeform... His eyes gleamed at the thought. "Kyohiko-kun, would you be willing to exchange this technique? I can offer you that rebirth technique in return—or even an unfinished research project of mine." Orochimaru’s excitement was palpable. Kyohiko nodded. "Deal. This technique is incomplete anyway." "Thank you." Orochimaru replied seriously. Then, he retrieved a sealing scroll. "I’ll analyze their tissue samples as quickly as possible. But do you have any ideas for a solution?" "I believe their technique lacks a core." Kyohiko shared his hypothesis. Orochimaru listened, occasionally raising counterpoints. After some discussion, they reached a consensus— The so-called "core" could be achieved quickly through a special type of chakra, but a slower method would require creating a "smoke core" via Kekkei Genkai. Condensed yet stable, dispersed yet cohesive. Only under such conditions would the Smoke Transformation Kekkei Genkai be considered truly successful. However, this was just a rough framework. Success wouldn’t come overnight. Orochimaru pulled out another scroll and a notebook. "One contains my rebirth technique. The other is my unfinished research." "Let me see." Kyohiko took them. After a quick skim— The Great Snake Rebirth Technique was based on the principle of serpent molting, realized through ninjutsu. However, unless one had Orochimaru’s level of expertise, using "molting" to restore the body would consume massive amounts of chakra. As for the other research... Kyohiko’s brows furrowed slightly. As expected! Living Corpse Reincarnation.