Under Guy's instruction, Naruto finally learned to open the first two of the Eight Inner Gates.
He quickly grew fond of the power they released.
The First Gate, the Gate of Opening, removed the brain's restrictions on the muscles, allowing him to use his body's full physical strength. His attacks became stronger and his movements faster, at the cost of rapidly consuming his energy.
The Second Gate, the Gate of Healing, pushed his body to draw out more energy, temporarily restoring his stamina and offsetting the fatigue caused by the First Gate.
With both open, Naruto felt as though he could run a hundred laps around Konoha without getting tired.
That feeling was misleading.
For him, opening the first two gates roughly doubled his speed and strength. He could maintain the state for about ten minutes, attacking at full force without feeling exhausted.
But the strain caught up with him afterward, leaving his muscles aching.
Even so, in a fight where life and death could be decided in a second, it was an excellent way to gain an advantage.
Learning another technique left Naruto eager to test himself against an enemy in a real fight.
Guy and Lee left the village the next day, leaving him without his usual training partners.
Then Hinata's team received another mission.
Their destination was Hoshigakure, in the Land of Bears.
…
Hoshigakure owed its existence to a meteorite.
A shinobi had discovered the fallen object and learned that training near it allowed him to absorb its power and strengthen his chakra.
He eventually founded a village around it and named himself the First Hoshikage.
The title of Kage belonged to the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Hoshigakure's shinobi, however, were convinced that their meteorite would one day make their home the sixth great village.
Their leader had simply claimed the title in advance.
Years passed. One generation succeeded another.
By the time the Third Hoshikage died, that ambition remained unfulfilled.
Naruto, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba read through the information in the mission briefing. The village's confidence was difficult to take seriously.
"Everyone needs a dream," Naruto said dryly. "Who knows? They might actually manage it."
His real interest lay elsewhere.
What would the meteorite's power do to my Sage Bodies?
And what about the [Senjutsu Body]?
By the time they set out, he had already decided to take the meteorite back and test it.
He hadn't been assigned to the mission. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were supposed to handle it themselves.
Naruto had joined them for his own reasons.
To save time, he took all three there by air.
Hoshigakure was surrounded by deep canyons filled with poisonous gas. The terrain made it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
That isolation probably helped explain the villagers' inflated opinion of their home.
For Naruto, the canyons presented no serious obstacle.
The four landed at the agreed meeting point near the edge.
Soon, a teenage boy wearing a gas mask appeared on the opposite side. Using a rope stretched across the gap, he made his way over to them.
His name was Sumaru, Hoshigakure's most gifted genin.
Naruto also knew a secret about his family.
Sumaru escorted them into the village, where they met the acting Hoshikage, Akahoshi.
Naruto exchanged the necessary greetings while thinking through what he remembered of the place.
The meteorite had strengthened many of Hoshigakure's shinobi.
It also came with severe side effects.
Some form of harmful radiation seemed the most likely explanation. Exposure damaged the body, and those injuries accumulated over time.
People who tolerated the training at first eventually reached their limits and died.
Less fortunate trainees weakened and died much earlier.
To stop more children from suffering that fate, Sumaru's parents, Natsuhi and Hotarubi, had once stolen the meteorite.
The Third Hoshikage intercepted them.
But after hearing their reasons, he agreed with them.
He spared their lives, reclaimed the meteorite, and promised to stop the dangerous training. The couple were to remain outside the village and watch over it in secret.
If anyone resumed training with the star, they would take it away again.
Not long ago, the Third Hoshikage had died suddenly.
Akahoshi took control and restarted the training, hoping to increase his power.
Natsuhi had returned to carry out the agreement.
Akahoshi knew who was trying to steal the meteorite. He had hired Leaf shinobi to guard it—and help draw her out.
While Naruto and the others were speaking with him, Natsuhi entered the training grounds and took the star.
When the news arrived, Akahoshi's expression changed.
The four Leaf shinobi followed him in pursuit.
They found the masked thief near the edge of the canyon.
"Mysterious Peacock Method!"
Natsuhi formed hand seals.
An enormous creature of purple chakra emerged from her back and surged toward Naruto.
The chakra was dense enough to strike with physical force. It could be shaped into beasts, storms, binding ropes, or even wings.
Natsuhi's chakra was particularly powerful.
Naruto judged her to be around jōnin level.
His interest sharpened.
Here was someone strong enough to test his new technique on.
"First Gate, open!"
"Second Gate, open!"
Power surged through his body.
The Mysterious Peacock Method was formidable, but controlling such a large chakra construct left Natsuhi's body relatively exposed. She remained in place while directing it.
Naruto's speed had doubled.
Combined with his wind-enhanced movement, he became almost impossible to follow.
Natsuhi reacted and tried to bring the purple construct around to defend herself.
She was a fraction too slow.
Naruto's palm struck her chest.
The impact hurled her over the cliff.
Before she could fall into the poisonous depths, her chakra changed shape. Wings spread from her back, carrying her away.
Hinata glanced at Naruto, puzzled.
She had seen him kill enemies without hesitation. Yet this time he had neither finished the woman off nor pursued her.
Nearby, Akahoshi stared at him in shock.
Hiring Leaf shinobi might have been the worst mistake he could have made.
…
With the apparent intruder driven away, they returned to Hoshigakure.
Akahoshi knew Natsuhi's identity.
He began planning how to use Sumaru as bait, intending to force her to return the meteorite.
Naruto had no interest in interfering.
Once alone in the guest room, he left a shadow clone behind.
Then he vanished.
An instant later, he appeared inside an underground cavern.
Natsuhi had removed her disguise and was bent over a meal she was preparing.
She had no reason to expect an enemy to appear silently inside her hidden refuge.
Nor did she know that Naruto's palm strike had left a Flying Thunder God mark on her body.
Naruto struck.
Sumaru's mother fell without even a chance to leave a final word for her son.
Years of exposure to the meteorite had already left her dying.
The star was killing her anyway, Naruto thought. Better to get it over with.
A coffin rested nearby.
He opened it and retrieved the meteorite hidden inside.
Its power was enticing.
Naruto covered it with sealing tags, then placed it inside a storage scroll.
…
Meanwhile, Akahoshi had reconsidered his situation.
Naruto was far stronger than he had expected.
Keeping someone like that nearby could ruin his plans—or expose what he had been doing.
He hurriedly ended the commission and politely sent the four Leaf shinobi away.
Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were baffled by the abrupt dismissal.
Naruto was quietly delighted.