Mr. Duy, You Wouldn't Want...

"All right, Guy! Even after entering the Ninja Academy, you must not slack off! Keep burning with the fire of youth!"

Might Duy's voice brimmed with passion.

"All right! Father! I've finished one thousand Squats. Next, I'll run one hundred laps around Konohagakure! If I can't finish, I'll do another two thousand Push-ups!"

"This is youth!" ×2

After finishing a day of training at the Ninja Academy, Might Guy still followed his father in grueling training.

He was not a genius like Kakashi. He had no astounding talent, nor did he possess an illustrious family background.

All he could do was work hard.

He was a hardworking genius.

Wasn't hard work also a kind of talent?

Kakashi, who had rarely gotten the chance to come out with his adopted father, happened to witness this passionate scene between father and son.

"They really do seem extraordinary. Otherwise, why would both Father and my adopted father pay them so much attention? But even the older one looks like nothing more than an ordinary Genin..."

"You've met them already?"

Orochimaru looked at Kakashi.

"Yes. Father mentioned them to me before. As for the younger one, I've seen him at the Ninja Academy."

Kakashi nodded.

Someone as passionate and unconventional as Guy was difficult to forget after seeing him even once.

Though Guy himself often forgot other people.

That's right, I'm talking about you! That shark-faced teacher, Kisame Hoshigaki, who spat while repairing dams!

Might Guy spotted Kakashi at that moment and ran over. While doing high knees in place, he said:

"I am Konohagakure's Blue Beast, Might Guy! You're Kakashi, the one who graduated from the Ninja Academy after just one year, right? That super-genius elite ninja!"

Kakashi gave him a dead-fish stare. "So what if I am...?"

Might Guy struck a pose, flashing his gleaming teeth as he said:

"I have a bad habit: whenever I see genius ninjas like you, I have to challenge them! Kakashi, come have a passionate duel with me, a duel where we stake our youth!"

"All right, Guy! Youth means having the courage to challenge others!"

Kakashi looked speechlessly at Might Guy, then turned an inquiring gaze toward Orochimaru.

He wanted to refuse, because he felt that Might Guy would probably cling to him like this in the future.

But he knew his adopted father had business with Might Duy.

"Dai-san, if you have not yet taught Guy that technique, then Guy is probably no match for Kakashi."

"Huh? Lord Orochimaru? Why are you here?"

Orochimaru had rarely gone out recently. Whether Konohagakure villagers or ninjas, few had seen him.

"Kakashi is my Adopted Son. However, I came here because I have something to discuss with you, Dai-san."

Orochimaru looked directly at Might Duy.

"Does Lord Orochimaru have a mission to assign me? But without an order from the Hokage, I will not move."

Though Might Duy was hot-blooded, he was no fool. Foolish ninjas did not live to his age.

He did not want to get involved in the struggles among Konohagakure's higher-ups.

"I came to seek guidance from Dai-san in taijutsu."

"Guidance?" ×3

The entire Shinobi World knew that Orochimaru was one of the greatest men in this ninja world.

After the war in Sunagakure ended, everyone who knew of Orochimaru's performance there believed that he had already reached the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, on par with Hanzo of the Salamander and the Third Hokage of each village.

Yet today, this pinnacle of the Shinobi World had come to seek guidance from an obscure Genin.

"It might be troublesome to explain directly, but Dai-san will understand once you see this technique."

"Eight Gates, First Gate, Gate of Opening, open!"

Green Chakra flames burst forth around Orochimaru's body, making Duy's eyes narrow.

"This technique... no wonder...

Lord Orochimaru, there is no need to call me Dai-san. Just call me Duy.

However, I believe this technique is a forbidden technique that must not be used lightly. Unless there is something worth staking your life to protect, please do not use it. I beg you, Lord Orochimaru."

"I merely thought this would save a great deal of time explaining.

Then forgive me for presumptuously calling you Duy."

Orochimaru closed the Eight Gates and politely said this to Duy.

Might Duy nodded, then said to Might Guy beside him:

"Guy! I acknowledge your youth! It's time for you to start learning this technique!"

"Dad! Is it the technique Lord Orochimaru just used? I never expected that although Lord Orochimaru seems cold on the surface, he's actually someone whose heart is full of youth!"

No, I'm not! I don't wear Green Spandex, and I definitely don't have a Bowl Cut!

I could open the First Gate only because my body had already reached the standard for opening it. But I never made any further breakthroughs afterward, because I lacked the driving force of youth!

"So that's how it is. Since Lord Orochimaru is also someone with a heart full of youth, would you like to take a look at our bodysuits? Not only are they sweat-absorbent and breathable, but most importantly, they won't cause any inconvenience down there while exercising! They're simply the most perfect Treasure Tool for taijutsu training!"

"No, no... no need. I really just came to discuss taijutsu."

Black lines appeared across Orochimaru's face. He was beginning to regret why he had come looking for such a Hot-blooded Idiot.

Afraid that Might Duy would continue pitching his product, Orochimaru quickly continued:

"I obtained the Eight Gates Technique from the Scroll of Seals. However, because this secret technique is too dangerous, even the Lord Second Hokage only developed the first few gates. The later portions were merely theoretical concepts, so I came to seek your guidance, Duy."

This successfully diverted Might Duy's attention.

"So that's what it was! Thirty years ago, because I only knew taijutsu and could no longer improve my strength, I sought guidance from the Second Hokage. Lord Second Hokage gave me this secret technique, hoping that I could perfect it. He also instructed me that I could only use it when I encountered something worth risking my life to protect!"

"Another twenty years passed before I finally perfected this technique. But because of the Second Hokage's words, I never found an opportunity to use it. After all, without using this technique, I was still too weak to come into contact with those high-level missions..."

Might Duy's emotions shifted from initial excitement to growing dejection.

However, after Guy said a few encouraging words about youth and hot blood beside him, his spirits rose once more. In the end, he and Guy embraced tightly.

"Guy!"

"Dad!"

"I never thought your youth had already caught up to your father's! To celebrate, today we'll run an extra Three Hundred Laps Around Konoha, do an extra thousand Push-ups, and five hundred Squats!"

"Yeah!"

Kakashi was utterly speechless as he watched.

"Duy, don't get excited yet. Others may not understand the power of the Eight Gates Technique, but how could I not? Even without opening the Gate of Death, I believe you can experience its power. As for your desire to take on high-level missions and contribute to Konoha, I understand that as well. As long as more people in the village learn of this technique's power, I'm sure other teams won't refuse to let you join them."

"Lord Orochimaru, what do you mean?"

Might Duy did not understand Orochimaru's meaning.

"Let more people learn the Eight Gates Technique."

In truth, Orochimaru needed to gather data from more people training in the Eight Gates Technique, which would aid his own research and study of the technique.

"But this technique is very dangerous!"

"But if everyone trains in it, lots of people will buy your clothes."

That was Kakashi's retort, coming from a rather unusual angle.

"But this technique is too powerful. I'm afraid it could fall into the hands of people with ill intentions."

Might Duy still hesitated.

"I'll screen them strictly. Duy, you can usually only take missions like weeding and farming, so I'm afraid your finances aren't very well-off. I imagine you wouldn't want Guy to lack training resources either, would you?"