"So exhausting…"
Backstage, Kaede pulled off his Hokage hat with a sigh.
Maintaining appearances was truly tiring, but his public image was something he still cared about.
Yuhi Kurenai walked over and took the hat from him, smiling.
"It's all over now. I even felt a little moved by your speech."
To the public, Kaede's image was practically flawless.
But in front of those close to him, he often let down his guard, showing his laziness, dislike for hassle, and other very human traits. Rather than diminishing his image, it made him feel more real.
This kind of Kaede felt like a man who truly lived beside them, not some distant, untouchable legend or celestial sage.
"Moved, huh… Sounds more like you're just in the mood to jump Kaede." Mei Terumi cast a sidelong glance at Kurenai.
Kurenai's cheeks instantly flushed, and she glared at Mei.
How could she say something like that here?!
Though admittedly, aside from Kaede, the only other person nearby was Kakashi...
Kaede rubbed his forehead and ignored them.
He turned to Kakashi, grabbed him by the shoulder, and with a flash of black space, both of them vanished.
=============
In the rear mountains behind Konoha.
A swirling black portal opened.
Kaede stepped out, dragging Kakashi behind him and unceremoniously dumping him onto the ground.
"...Why bring me here?" Kakashi glanced around dully and looked up at Kaede.
Kaede chuckled.
"To give you your gift early, for when you take over as Hokage."
As he spoke, he raised his left hand.
A thin black thread unraveled from his fingers, instantly expanding into a wide array of black-inked sealing script.
At the center of the array hovered a condensed mass of black chakra, about the size of a fist, yet radiating an overwhelming pressure that made one's heart tremble.
Snap!
With a flick of his finger, Kaede launched the chakra orb toward Kakashi.
This was the Yin half of the Six Paths power.
The Yin and Yang halves of the Six Paths chakra represented the spiritual and physical halves respectively. Since Kakashi had now completed the training for the perfect Sage Physique, the spiritual Yin chakra suited him best.
Hinata, possessing Hamura's spiritual chakra, was better suited for the Yang half.
Thus, the two halves of the Sage's power could be perfectly divided between them.
"What is this…?"
Kakashi's expression shifted slightly as the black chakra orb floated toward him.
He instinctively activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and peered into its depths.
Kaede smiled faintly.
"A portion of power I acquired from the Sage of Six Paths himself. Now that you've finished your Sage Physique training, you're ready to try fusing with it."
Kakashi didn't doubt Kaede for a second.
He studied the chakra orb for a moment longer, then extended his hand toward it.
Zzzzt!!
The moment his fingers touched the orb, the Yin chakra surged into his body through his palm, sending a shudder through him.
As it entered, his body began transforming rapidly.
A cold energy swept into his eyes, causing them to tingle with sharp intensity.
He involuntarily closed his eyes.
And when he opened them again,
The Mangekyo pattern was gone.
In its place, ripple-patterned purple eyes, the Rinnegan.
"This is…"
Kakashi looked around.
Everything appeared clearer than ever before. He could see farther, sense deeper.
He had already stood at the peak of the super-Kage level.
Now, with the Rinnegan and access to the Six Paths tier, he had stepped into an entirely new realm.
"Take your time to get used to it." Kaede smiled lightly, then vanished from the spot.
=============
He reappeared somewhere else and immediately activated Time Acceleration.
Kakashi had reached the Six Paths tier.
Which meant it was finally time,
Kaede would open the final gate of the Eight Gates: the Gate of Death.
His Time Acceleration ability increased every year.
By now, he could accelerate time by twentyfold.
Even if he discarded all other powers and relied solely on time manipulation, this ability alone made him nearly unstoppable.
At twenty times speed, not even Kaguya, or members of the Otsutsuki clan like Momoshiki or Kinshiki, could keep up with him.
Speed, at its absolute limit.
That was his greatest trump card.
Over the past few years, Kaede hadn't even trained intensively with Time Acceleration.
He had simply maintained a consistent schedule: three hours of daily basic training.
Now, however, he was just one step away from opening the final gate.
He activated Time Acceleration x20 and began his training.
Using the power of the Six Paths, he cast an Ultra-Weighted Boulder Technique on himself.
His body became as heavy as a mountain.
Under that crushing weight, he began slowly performing the most basic exercises, one push-up at a time.
=============
Time flew by.
In the outside world, three hours passed.
Inside the acceleration field, Kaede had trained for sixty hours straight.
At last, the final lock on the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, was on the verge of breaking.
And with one final squat,
Crack!
The last restriction snapped completely.
"Finally…"
Kaede stopped, chakra flooding from his body to wash away the sweat.
He took a long, deep breath.
After a brief rest, once his chakra and stamina recovered, he pressed his right thumb to his chest, right over his heart.
He inhaled deeply,
Then pressed down.
Buzz!!
Within him, the Eight Gates burst open,
One by one.
The energy surged downward to his abdomen, then looped back around toward his heart.
The eighth and final gate,
The Gate of Death.
Open!
As the gate burst open, crimson steam exploded from his body.
The ground beneath him shook, winds howled outward in all directions, sending dust and pebbles flying.
Blood began to boil and vaporize, forming a red mist that dyed his eyebrows and hair, making it all stand on end.
"So this… is the Eighth Gate."
Kaede slowly exhaled, sensing the overwhelming power within him.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again.
His pupils lit up with brilliant blue light, forming intricate patterns like a kaleidoscope.
Buzz!!
The Reincarnation Rinnegan activated fully.
Golden Six Paths chakra surged over his body like armor.
In that moment, the peak of mental chakra, Reincarnation Rinnegan, merged with the ultimate physical chakra, the Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates Formation.
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria