"Four hundred ninety-seven... four hundred ninety-eight..."
Chiba's fists slammed into the wooden post again and again, knocking loose layers of wood shavings with each strike.
After that day, Kakashi had carried him back—not straight to his isolated home outside the village, but to the village medical center instead.
There, he had been ordered to rest for a full day.
During his stay, someone unexpected had come to visit—Hyuga Shinsuke, Yukina's father. He had personally thanked Chiba and even left him with a parting remark:
"Come visit our home when you have time."
That sentence stunned Chiba.
Come visit our home? That was as good as acknowledging his worth—even opening the Hyuga Clan's doors to him.
He hadn't expected such a gesture of goodwill. He had assumed saving Yukina might earn him a thank-you at most—but not this level of acceptance. For a moment, he had even doubted whether he'd heard correctly.
"Just who is Yukina, really...?"
Bang!
Chiba's 500th punch landed solidly on the training post. Then he dropped into a set of deep squats.
As for school—after Kakashi reported the incident to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen had personally approved a five-day leave for Chiba. He'd also instructed them not to spread the story.
After all, if the village found out that a noble member of the Hyuga clan had been abducted—right under their noses by an enemy ninja—it would cause panic and unrest. So, at the Third Hokage's request, the incident was quietly covered up.
Hiruzen himself even came to speak to Chiba briefly at the hospital.
Chiba had agreed without protest. But just as Hiruzen was leaving, he muttered something under his breath:
"Without even realizing it… you've already grown this much."
That faint, sentimental tone gave Chiba pause.
Hiruzen's attitude showed no hint of suspicion toward him—even though he was the son of a traitor. In fact, there had been a touch of nostalgia, even affection.
It felt... off.
Still, it was just one line. Chiba didn't dwell on it. He had more important things to focus on.
That battle had shown him exactly how weak he still was. The thrill of discovering and developing Eight Gates Mode had long since faded.
That enemy jōnin—even in critical condition—could still have easily killed him.
If Yukina hadn't been there to assist, he'd be the one lying dead in the dirt.
He was not strong enough.
So even during his hospital stay, Chiba hadn't slacked off. He spent every waking moment mentally reconstructing and refining his daily training regimen.
First, foundational stamina and physical training.
Second, focused training for Monster Strength.
Third, ninjutsu.
Yes—ninjutsu. This one came as a pleasant surprise.
During his stay at the clinic, bored out of his mind, Chiba kept replaying the battle in his head. As he mulled it over, he suddenly realized—he could remember the entire hand seal sequence for that jōnin's final Earth Release technique.
He'd only caught a glimpse at the time.
Yet somehow, he remembered all of it.
When he returned home, he immediately opened Gate of Life Mode and attempted the jutsu.
Success.
It worked.
That's when it hit him.
He had a natural talent for ninjutsu.
A rare and powerful talent.
Between his Eight Gates Mode and now this—Chiba could hardly believe it.
It wasn't that the god of transmigration had denied him a cheat. He just hadn't tapped into it yet.
Now that he had, his training became even more intense.
Even with ninjutsu talent, the foundation of everything was still chakra. Without enough chakra, even the most powerful techniques were meaningless.
So at the root of it all—he still had to push Eight Gates Mode further.
But something new became apparent during his second time activating the Gate of Life Mode.
Although it was easier now, and he could reliably enter Eight Gates Mode without failing, the process was still clunky.
He had to open the gate first, then slowly shift into the stable Eight Gates Mode. Even though he could control the chakra better now, the transition still leaked chakra and took time.
That was a serious problem.
In real battle, he wouldn't always have the luxury of time. Sometimes, he might need to activate the mode mid-combat, or even instantly counter a surprise attack.
The ideal solution was clear:
He needed to transition into Eight Gates Mode the moment the gate opened.
No delays. No chakra loss.
He came up with a method.
Simultaneously transition into Eight Gates Mode while weaving hand seals for a ninjutsu. The goal: by the time the final hand seal was complete, both the mode activation and jutsu execution would be ready.
It was a way to train his gate control, jutsu timing, and hand seal speed—all at once.
His hand seal speed wasn't slow either. Before acquiring the Eight Gates scroll, he had already practiced hand signs obsessively. He could finish a full sequence in about two to three seconds.
So now, he needed to be able to stabilize his chakra and enter Eight Gates Mode within those same two seconds.
Otherwise, the jutsu couldn't activate.
His chakra control was excellent, but the regular chakra volume wasn't enough to cast Earth-style techniques. And the raw chakra from the gate—too wild to shape into jutsu unless stabilized first.
Only by transitioning quickly and precisely could he actually perform the technique.
This combined training method drastically improved his use of time and efficiency.
And over the past five days, Chiba trained obsessively.
At first, it was a disaster—sometimes focusing too much on hand seals and forgetting to stabilize chakra, or vice versa. His hands fumbled, and chakra overflowed.
But he never gave up.
Finally, he started to get results.
"Five hundred side kicks, five hundred straight punches, five hundred squats, ten kilometers of running—done! Now…"
Chiba unstrapped his training weights.
First Gate: Open.
Second Gate: Open.
Then—hand seals.
At the same time, the Gate of Life opened, wild green chakra surged from his body—only to be instantly reined in, stabilized, and converted into usable chakra.
By the time the last seal was complete, the transition was finished.
He pressed his hands to the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Lance!"
A sharp earthen spike thrust upward from the ground.
In less than two seconds.
A smile tugged at Chiba's lips.
Now, Eight Gates Mode was truly combat-ready.
Though…
Chiba looked at the small earthen spike and sighed.
Compared to the one used by the enemy jōnin—it was still lacking. Smaller, shorter, weaker.
But that was fine.
Once he had jōnin-level chakra, he could produce spikes just as large. For now, this was more than enough to be lethal.
He nodded, satisfied—but not complacent.
His next goal: unlock the Fourth Gate.
"Grumble…"
Just as he was making plans, his stomach growled in protest.
"...Right. Food first."
He glanced at the sky. Night had already fallen.
Tomorrow, school resumes.
He headed back into his cabin, grabbed the leftover oversized Konoha steamed bun from lunch, and began tearing into it.
While chewing and gulping down water, he was already mentally sketching out a new plan.
How to open the Fourth Gate...