A Few Days Later, at the Hokage's Residence
"Looks like you don't have much talent for this jutsu, either."
Wearing light-colored casual clothes, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. If Flying Thunder God were that simple, everyone would have learned it already.
Even with his guidance—helping Link understand the principle of the technique—if Link couldn't create and leave behind a unique chakra imprint tailored to himself, then he simply couldn't cast it. In theory, Hiruzen "understood" the technique just fine; after all, he was familiar with nearly every jutsu in the village. But "understanding" and "being able to use" are two very different things.
"It really seems impossible," Link said, sounding somewhat helpless. Spending so much time on it, only to fail in the end, felt almost ridiculous.
Talent was simply too abstract.
Those development scrolls for Flying Thunder God were like explaining "1 + 1 = 2" as a formula. But applying it required him to explain why 1 + 1 = 2. It was one of those scenarios where, if you get it, you get it—if you don't, no amount of explanation will help.
"Maybe Flying Thunder God just isn't suited to you," Hiruzen Sarutobi offered in consolation.
Link nodded and went to close the scroll. He moved a bit too forcefully, and a stabbing pain shot through his muscles like needles. He paused, holding his breath slightly, then successfully shut the scroll.
"Training in the Eight Gates is tough, right?" Hiruzen asked with a genial smile.
Even he had not trained in that taijutsu style. First, his own taijutsu was already more than sufficient, so there was no need to resort to such extremes. Second, the Eight Gates didn't really suit his broader combat approach. Excessive pain could interfere with precise chakra control. Sacrificing his stronger ninjutsu just to open the Eight Gates was hardly worth it.
He had been quite happy to let a promising junior like Link give it a try—mostly so that Link could realize on his own that it was a mistake. Hiruzen certainly didn't want this "future successor" turning into a taijutsu specialist. Any one skill mastered to the extreme is indeed formidable, but someone who aims to be a Hokage needs well-rounded abilities and minimal weaknesses.
Well, as for Link's chakra capacity…
"Whew…" Link forced a smile. It hurt—he'd told Might Guy he wanted to learn the Eight Gates, and rather than keeping it a secret, Guy had enthusiastically dragged him into it. Then he mercilessly put him through brutal training, testing Link's tolerance for pain and his willpower. After just a few days, Link's body hurt so much that lying in bed at night was an ordeal.
He couldn't use Delicate Illness Extraction on himself, because healing away the pain would undermine the whole point of enduring it. Plus, he'd already vowed not to rely on that jutsu in his Eight Gates practice, hoping to toughen his willpower.
"Heh." Hiruzen's smile deepened, the wrinkles around his eyes looking as though they could crush flies—like a mischievous old man. "If you can't handle it, give up soon. No need to rush taijutsu training. You're still young—it'll be another ten years before your body hits its peak."
From his perspective, Link was far too impatient. Sure, Hiruzen might be old, but Jiraiya and Tsunade were still in their prime. In a couple of years, the village could pick one of them to take over, and after that, Kakashi could eventually follow. There was plenty of time to protect a junior while he matured. Link had just turned eleven—what was the hurry?
Given this kid's natural talent, letting his body develop normally could potentially see him surpass Hiruzen in the future.
Link didn't respond directly. Instead, he said, "I want to keep trying."
Like heck he was going to wait ten years! In three and a bit years, Kaguya would show up—where would he find that kind of leisure time? By the time he turned fourteen, he'd have to fight the Ōtsutsuki clan—maybe one of the earliest final-boss battles ever for a transmigrator, right?
And who knew if Obito, stirred by all these changes, might not show up even sooner to wreak havoc?
Moreover, natural growth was a joke. The only reason his physical stats were this good was not any inborn talent—it was basically a cheat. Yet his body had already hit its limits, and even the cheat was constrained by a normal person's innate potential.
Link took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. He picked up the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu scroll beside him. Even his calves were trembling—his muscles twitched with pain. Striving to keep his voice steady, he said:
"I'll be on my way. My afternoon training is about to start."
Honestly, it was sheer stubbornness that got him moving.
"See you tomorrow." Hiruzen grinned, waving. He wanted to see how long this youngster's willpower would last. The boy was still so young—wasting a bit of time was no big deal, in his view.
…
A Few Hours Later, Training Ground Seven
Thud! Thud! Thud! The sound of Rock Lee rhythmically kicking a wooden post echoed throughout the field.
"Mmph…"
Link came to, groaning. He had just attempted the First Gate after Might Guy egged him on with the technique he'd learned. Opening the first gate, named the Gate of Opening.
As everyone knows, mastery of the Eight Gates is basically demonstrated by performing Front Lotus. You first open the Gate of Opening, letting your body overload its strength and speed to strike at high velocity. Under normal circumstances, if you can open the first gate and freely move—like, say, kicking a massive boulder aside—then you've succeeded in the basic training.
But the moment Link opened the gate, crack—he passed out cold.
He couldn't handle it. The instant he opened that gate, his entire body screamed in agony, the pain reaching deep inside. There was no enduring it. Forget moving; he couldn't even remain conscious.
No wonder so few people mastered something that sounds straightforward. The sheer pain tolerance required already ruled out most ninja.
Lying on the grass, Link stared up at the sky. He was in so much pain he didn't want to move. He couldn't fathom how Guy-sensei or Lee could fight through this kind of agony. Could they be born "masochists," converting pain into pleasure? Sinful, sinful.
He inwardly grumbled an apology. Criticizing teachers in his head felt wrong.
"At this rate, never mind opening Seven Gates in three years; in three years, can I even open the First Gate and still function?"
He felt a headache coming on. His grand plan was to make up for his taijutsu shortcomings with the Eight Gates. Opening them would also grant him a massive surge of chakra. Since his ninjutsu didn't require delicate chakra control—he basically hurled jutsu en masse—this seemed perfect in theory.
But he ended up blacking out the moment he opened the gate, then waking up to crippling pain. How was he supposed to use that in combat?
Open Gate → fall on the ground → pretend to be dead?
At first, he had figured Delicate Illness Extraction would negate the damage from the Eight Gates, making him unstoppable. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay conscious long enough even to cast that jutsu. He was stuck.
"No way. I can't give up. If I completely abandon boosting my taijutsu, what if I focus on increasing my total chakra instead?"
Link didn't dwell on it too long. He recognized reality quickly and immediately began pondering a workaround.
After all, he never planned to copy Guy-sensei or Lee's style of rushing up and fighting hand-to-hand.
~~~
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