Chapter 65: Eight Gates Released: This Team Can't Go Without Me!
"I can't believe it... I finally get to go on a mission with Kakashi-sensei and Guy-sensei!"
At the base of the Hokage Tower in Konoha, Kitagawa Gen was in an unusually cheerful mood.
"Lord Hokage is actually easier to convince than I thought!"
"Alright, alright, enough of that. Go get ready already," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. He really didn't want to recall what had just happened—his head still hurt thinking about it.
It all started when the ANBU showed up looking for them. Gen insisted on tagging along, and though Kakashi initially planned to turn him down—having already guessed a mission was in the works—Guy offered zero resistance. He simply brought Gen along with him, leaving Kakashi no choice but to follow.
To this day, Kakashi could still picture the expression on the Third Hokage's face—half headache, half helplessness—the moment Gen walked into the office uninvited.
Especially when Hiruzen tried to politely ask Gen to step outside, and the kid hit him with:
"Lord Hokage, I understand. Just like how I haven't earned the title of jōnin or special jōnin yet—it's because I'm not strong enough. I've let you down."
Kakashi was used to Gen's occasional bouts of melodrama, but the Third Hokage and Guy clearly weren't. Watching Gen act all pitiful, Hiruzen could only sigh and eventually chose not to argue.
"And you call that being 'easy to convince'?" Kakashi muttered, exasperated. He looked at Gen. "You really overstepped there. The Hokage was just looking out for you."
"Yeah, that was pushing it a little, Gen," Guy agreed—but then flashed a gleaming thumbs-up, his teeth sparkling in the sun. "Still, well said!"
"Wait, wait—whose side are you even on?" Kakashi gave Guy a look of disbelief. He hadn't expected his loud and loyal friend to suddenly defect.
Still, he didn't argue with the "well said" part. Even if it wasn't exactly fitting for the situation, it was hard to deny Gen's passion.
Following the mission briefing came the expected deployment orders. Hiruzen's original plan was for Kakashi and Guy to handle the task together—he clearly hadn't intended for Gen to come along.
But Gen wasn't having it.
"Lord Hokage, I formally request to join the mission."
"No, Gen. You're certainly gifted, but this mission is already assigned. Besides, staying in Konoha is for your own protection."
"But I've already been to the Land of Hot Water, and I've participated in a mission to the Land of Water too. The results speak for themselves—I helped my team escape safely both times."
"I won't deny that. However—"
"Then I'll have to place a Flying Thunder God marker on either Guy-sensei or Kakashi-sensei before they go."
"...What?"
"Lord Hokage," Gen said solemnly. "I know that those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. Please forgive me for being selfish."
At those words, Kakashi fell silent. Guy smiled. Hiruzen Sarutobi... was stunned.
Those were the very words that had shaped Kakashi's current ideals. Hearing them from Gen, Kakashi couldn't bring himself to object—especially not after their private talk before the Kirigakure mission. He remembered it vividly.
In the end, the Third Hokage could only let out another sigh. Without further protest, he handed over the mission and told them to be cautious.
"Thank you, Guy-sensei," Gen grinned, while Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"Go get ready. We're on a tight schedule. Meet at the village gate by noon. Dismissed."
"Got it!"
Gen gave a quick nod and took off toward home.
Truth be told, the moment the ANBU showed up earlier, he had a hunch something was up. And right then, his system had chimed in:
[New Side Quest Unlocked]
[This Team Can't Go Without Me!]
Objective: Travel to the Land of Hot Water and assist Kakashi and Might Guy
Accept Mission? [Yes / No]
Seeing the notification, Gen had hesitated for a moment.
After all, it had been a while since he'd had any meaningful missions—the last major one was long completed.
"It's really Naruto and the others holding me back lately…" Gen muttered on the way home.
During this time, Gen had run into Naruto and the others plenty of times—but not a single one of the missions that came up was remotely reliable.
Take, for example, that one labeled "If Naruto Can, Why Can't I?" which involved convincing Sasuke to learn the Sexy Jutsu. Then there was "My Dad Needs Makeup," where he and Naruto went around vandalizing with prank graffiti.
And let's not forget Kiba's "Dogs Can Be Emergency Rations," or Chōji's "Who's the Biggest Eater?" which nearly bankrupted the local barbecue shop.
Honestly, the last one was probably the only one that made any sense—but Gen didn't have the money for that kind of mission.
He had thought about trying to cheat the system—like creating an Earth-Style Wall and then teaming up with Naruto to graffiti it. But after considering the risks of failure, he decided against it.
He'd skipped too many missions already, and he was starting to worry the system might hit him with something really outrageous as punishment.
Like that one absurd quest from a while back: "Twin Sisters, Tasty Delights." A mission that wouldn't be possible for at least ten more years. What kind of lunatic challenge was that?
So when the mission to the Land of Hot Water popped up, he accepted it without hesitation. After all, he'd been "beat up" for so long—it was about time he saw some payoff.
"Still, it's not all bad news."
Back during the previous mission, when he managed to withstand the combined onslaught from both Kakashi and Guy, the system had responded immediately:
[Side Quest Completed: I'll Take You Both On!]
[New Reward Unlocked: Eight Gates Released Formation]
Gen was pretty satisfied with this reward.
Sure, he would've preferred something like "Kakashi's Combat IQ" or "Might Guy's Battle Awareness," but so far, nothing like that had ever shown up.
"But hey, Eight Gates is still top-tier."
He couldn't quite recall whether Eight Gates was exclusive to Guy's clan or part of Konoha's official techniques—but what he did know was that Guy with the Eighth Gate open was an absolute monster.
Even the proud and battle-hardened Uchiha Madara, already at Six Paths level, had acknowledged him:
"In terms of taijutsu, you are the strongest I've ever faced."
"I wonder how many gates I can handle with my current body?"
If he were a fully awakened Ōtsutsuki, it wouldn't be a problem—but he was still only at "Ōtsutsuki Stage 21."
"Maybe I can unlock more power… But can a complete Ōtsutsuki even awaken latent potential?"
Shaking his head, he resolved to find time to properly consult with Guy and thoroughly master the technique.
---
Back in the Hokage's office…
As the trio departed, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya leaned against the windowsill, watching them from above.
Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't often get shown up like that, old man."
"That was intentional. Don't talk nonsense," Hiruzen grumbled, puffing on his pipe. He lifted his gaze to the Hokage Monument and spoke again.
"This kid's never done a single D-rank mission. He started straight from C-rank and has already been dragged into multiple S-rank missions. The fact that he's been able to train patiently for this long is impressive."
"Well, it's not like Kakashi had any idea what he was doing when ANBU pulled him out," Jiraiya added, rubbing the back of his head.
"But whether intentional or not… an eagle can't stay in the nest forever. Eventually, it has to fly. Even if you disagreed, I'd have talked you into it."
"And what if I agreed from the start?"
"Then I'd just take him myself. Not like the Flying Thunder God's going to let anyone stop him," Jiraiya grinned.
Hiruzen rolled his eyes and gave Jiraiya a half-hearted smack with his pipe.
"You're the one who's supposed to be in a hurry. Funny how you're the least rushed one now."
"I'm going, I'm going," Jiraiya laughed, vaulting over the windowsill and landing on the rooftop opposite. He waved over his shoulder.
"I'm off, old man!"
"Yeah, yeah—get lost," Hiruzen muttered, though a hint of a smile crept onto his face.
Still, as Jiraiya set out to search for Orochimaru, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel conflicted. He looked up again at the Monument, eyes settling on the youthful face carved into the stone.
"So willfulness again, huh… Maybe he really can surpass him. Minato…"
As he recalled the words Gen had said, the smile on his face grew wider.
But then his expression froze.
Because suddenly, he remembered another time Gen had talked about being "willful." It was that awkward evening in front of Ichiraku Ramen—when Hiruzen had realized too late...
That he had left the house without any money.
Again.
Not that he was stingy—it's just that, as Hokage, it had been years since he needed to carry cash.