Naruto: Heaven Rewards Diligence

"The organization has been short-handed recently—especially when it comes to reconnaissance specialists."

Naruto stroked his chin, tilting his head in thought.

"Oh, right. Neji, have you contacted the branch family members yet?"

"Not yet. I'm worried about alerting them. No one can guarantee they won't expose us," Neji replied, waving his hand. His words carried the weight of truth, and Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Naruto's existence was far too important. In Konoha, they were like men walking across thin ice—never able to relax, not even for a moment.

"Hmm. Caution is always the right path," Naruto said, his tone thoughtful.

"Neji, here's what you should do: lure them out first, but don't reveal my existence. Then, place them under our control. Afterward, help them break free from the Caged Bird Seal. Once that's done, send them on long-term missions outside the village to assist Shisui and the others. They'll only need to return on occasion."

Naruto's words were steady, deliberate. Neji fell silent, considering them carefully. The plan seemed sound—low risk, high control. Exposure would be minimized.

If they were exposed now, things would end badly. Even though he and Sasuke had pushed themselves in training, at best they were only at the level of an average Jonin. In Konoha, Jonin of that caliber were common. Their physical limits still held them back.

As for Naruto, his current strength was unknown, but even he couldn't take on the combined might of Konoha alone. For now, concealment was survival. Patience was the only way forward.

"No problem," Neji finally said. "But to avoid suspicion, I can only recruit two or three people."

"That's enough. They don't need to be on the frontlines anyway," Naruto replied with a nod.

...

Another Training Ground...

At this moment, green energy radiated from Lee's body. His life force surged like a blazing fire. He had already opened the Third Gate of the Eight Inner Gates.

This was the forbidden Taijutsu technique passed down to him by Might Guy—the Eight Gates Release. Dangerous, yes. But also a Taijutsu that could amplify one's power to terrifying levels.

There were Eight Gates in total. Each opened gate unlocked a new level of power:

The First Gate – Opening Gate.

Releases the brain's limiter, flooding the body with energy. Strength and speed increase dramatically. Techniques like the Front Lotus become possible: a series of high-speed kicks followed by binding the opponent and slamming them into the ground with devastating force.

The Second Gate – Rest Gate.

Removes the body's limits on fatigue. It restores stamina and counters the exhaustion caused by the Opening Gate. At this stage, the Front Lotus and techniques like Shadow of the Dancing Leaf and Konoha Whirlwind can be executed at peak efficiency—without risking the user's life.

The Third Gate – Life Gate.

Further amplifies strength and speed. The body flushes red as blood flow intensifies, and green energy radiates outward. The Reverse Lotus becomes possible—a Taijutsu that strikes with supersonic speed and deadly impact. The Life Gate marks the final "safe" stage of the Eight Gates.

The Fourth Gate – Pain Gate.

Pushes the body beyond its natural limits, drastically enhancing power but inflicting severe strain. At this point, the Eight Gates truly become dangerous. Speed reaches overwhelming levels, and the Reverse Lotus grows even more lethal. When Lee opened this gate, his veins bulged, and his strength surged to terrifying heights.

The Fifth Gate – Limit Gate.

Breaks past the body's natural boundary of speed. The user moves so fast that the air itself is torn apart, the ground upheaved with every step. Each strike carries the destructive force of a cannon. In the original story, when Lee opened this gate, he pummeled Gaara with overwhelming power. Had Gaara's sand defense not been so absolute—and Lee's body not pushed to its breaking point—the outcome might have been very different. At that stage, Lee's combat strength had already reached the level of a full-fledged Jonin.

Among the Konoha 12 at that time, aside from those shielded by sheer plot armor, almost none could withstand even a few blows from him.

Gaara, however, was no ordinary opponent. From childhood, he had survived countless assassination attempts, wielding the One-Tail's power instinctively. Even in his youth, he had already taken the lives of multiple Jonin.

The Sixth Gate – View Gate.

Opens a transitional state, maintaining the green aura of the Eight Gates while reducing physical strain. In this half-state, the user can hold back to conserve stamina and unleash full power only when needed. This gate forms the foundation for the technique Morning Peacock, a Taijutsu that generates blazing flames through sheer speed and air friction.

In the original story, Might Guy overwhelmed Kisame with this technique. And Kisame was no ordinary opponent—he was feared across the world as the "Tailed Beast Without a Tail." A monster among Kage-level shinobi.

The Seventh Gate – Wonder Gate.

The last gate before the final limit. When opened, the body releases blue steam, created by evaporating sweat from the extreme rise in temperature. At this stage, even the slightest movement sends waves of pain through the body.

The ultimate technique of this gate is the Evening Tiger—a single, concentrated punch so fast it creates a massive air-pressure shockwave in the form of a tiger. The destructive force behind this attack is overwhelming.

The Wonder Gate pushes the body to an unimaginable degree, but its power borders on terrifying. In the battle against Kisame, Guy's attack left him almost no chance to retaliate. In that moment, Guy's strength had already surpassed the level of most Kage and touched the realm of a Super Kage, though the physical cost was so immense it could not be used often.

Even after releasing the technique, the pain alone was something no ordinary person could endure.

The Eighth Gate – Death Gate.

The final state of the Eight Inner Gates Formation. When opened, the user burns their life force itself, producing red steam from their body. The power unleashed is dozens of times greater than that of the Five Kage combined.

The strongest technique of this stage is the Night Guy—a single kick so devastating it can distort space itself. But with such overwhelming might comes an unbearable price: certain death.

During the Third Great Ninja War, Guy's father, Might Duy, once opened all Eight Gates to protect his comrades. With his life on the line, he singlehandedly forced the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into retreat. His strength in that moment was believed to have surpassed even the Seventh Gate, reaching into the realm of a Super Kage.

Yet, compared to his father, the current Might Guy had already surpassed those limits. The true power of the Eight Gates, in his hands, was enough to shake the very foundation of the Shinobi World—almost rewriting the ending of the story itself.

At this moment, standing beside Lee were two men: Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake.

Lee's performance had moved them both.

Especially Kakashi. As Guy's closest rival and comrade, he understood the sheer physical requirements needed to open the Eight Gates. For Lee to reach this stage at his age was nothing short of extraordinary.

"This child… I always knew he would succeed!" Guy declared, flashing his trademark dazzling smile, his teeth gleaming white as he gave Kakashi a thumbs-up.

Kakashi's visible eye curved with approval. "Mm. It seems you were right."

Both of them had seen Lee's endless determination, his sweat and blood poured into training. To open the first three gates at such a young age was already an impressive display of talent in Taijutsu.

A true genius? Not yet.

After all, back in their own youth—when they were younger than Lee—they were already fighting on the battlefield.

...

TN:

⚒️ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin