Reverse Lotus

Might Duy, as he was now, looked about eighteen or nineteen years old.

He wore his signature green training suit, with orange leg wraps and a scarf. His super thick eyebrows and melon seed hairstyle framed a face with sharp features, always sporting a cheerful smile.

Although he was almost twenty and still a Genin, and likely to remain one until his death.

However, for Konoha today, or rather for the entire Shinobi World, the only person who knew his strength and value was right in front of him.

Satoru's request for guidance, spoken with a smile, stunned Duy.

"Guidance... huh..."

The word struck Duy deep in his heart, and his eyes welled up, nearly bringing him to tears.

It had been so many years. Ever since he'd finally become a Genin, other Genin of similar age had become Chunin one after another, but he remained stagnant.

Unable to use any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, Duy could only train Taijutsu, which prevented him from being promoted to Chunin. He could only take on Genin missions.

These were trivial tasks like acting as hired muscle for clients or helping them find lost cats.

Who would ever ask a Genin like him for "guidance"?

Moreover, the surnames of the four children in front of him were all renowned in the village.

Even the child speaking to him was the son of a high-ranking advisor.

"I... I can't use any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, only Taijutsu. I probably can't guide you much..."

Duy snapped back to reality, looking at the four children before him, and felt a wave of dejection.

"Although I'm a Genin, strictly speaking, even this is just a formality. After all, you need to test Ninjutsu and Genjutsu even to enter the Ninja Academy."

"Just on that point, you are already stronger than me."

Satoru watched Duy's dejected expression with a touch of emotion.

There was very little information about Duy, so little it felt like a character added in haste later on.

Yet, this scant information had been thoroughly unearthed by netizens, leaving a very deep impression on Satoru.

He was the first person who truly embodied the meaning of effort.

"We are practicing Taijutsu! Isn't that what Big Brother Duy excels at?"

Satoru handed a piece of magical meat floss bread to Duy, who looked up in surprise.

"Eat it quickly, we're ready to begin!"

"Let us witness your youth!"

Duy dazedly took the bread. He saw clearly that the bread had materialized out of thin air from Satoru's hand.

"You..."

He re-examined the child before him.

"As expected of the advisor's son. Youth, huh..."

"I... I really thought I was talking to a friend of a similar age just now..."

As Duy silently chewed the delicious bread, Satoru was already whispering something to Choza and the other two. Their expressions shifted from surprise to confusion.

"Satoru, are you serious? This Genin Duy is that strong?"

Choza patted his belly, having eaten his fill.

"Once I've eaten, my strength is no less than an adult's—he looks like an ordinary build, and he said he can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. Can pure Taijutsu really be that strong?"

"If it's through strategy and coordinating with ninja tools, pure Taijutsu can achieve excellent results, but that's limited to the Genin level."

Shikaku stroked his chin, having been observing Duy for a while.

Satoru probably wouldn't be wrong. After all, his father was Mr. Advisor. If there was anyone special among Konoha shinobi, it wouldn't be strange for Satoru to know.

"But what I find strange is that this person doesn't seem very smart. Could it be that he really only fights with Taijutsu?"

"Shikaku, he doesn't look like someone who uses ninja tools," Inoichi also observed Duy closely. "The location of the scars on his hands aren't what you'd expect from someone skilled with ninja tools."

"I've observed people from the Uchiha clan, and they all have some special scars on their hands. They're unavoidable from training with ninja tools."

"He really relies only on Taijutsu. The specific reason... we'll ask him directly later."

Satoru nodded. The doubts of his three companions would soon be resolved.

Meanwhile, Duy had finished the bread and drunk his fill of water. Feeling his depleted energy and stamina restored, he stood up and walked over to Satoru and the other three.

"Little Satoru, your youth is truly enviable..."

"At your age, very few people think about practicing Taijutsu—they usually only start training it incidentally when they're older and practicing with ninja tools."

"Except for the prestigious Hyuga clan... As a renowned Taijutsu family, they train even earlier."

Without further ado, Duy seemed to instinctively treat Satoru as an adult of similar age, rather than a first-year child.

Duy directly shared some common knowledge about Taijutsu that he knew with Satoru and the others.

This included the Strong Fist he practiced, in contrast to the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist.

"What I practice is straightforward fist fighting, focusing on speed and power!"

"But for now, you just need to build a foundation, so I can introduce you to my training methods."

"Duy... Big Brother, what level have you taken your Taijutsu to? How strong is it?"

Although Choza trusted Satoru almost blindly, his curiosity still led him to voice his question.

As a Taijutsu-focused ninja himself, Choza had heard his father mention the upper limits of Taijutsu.

The Akimichi clan also used Ninjutsu to amplify the destructive power of their Taijutsu. Without that amplification, relying solely on Taijutsu, Choza understood that they wouldn't have any advantage in combat.

"Like this..."

Duy hesitated for a moment, but then his expression firmed up:

"Since you're interested, I'll demonstrate the strength my Taijutsu can reach at this stage."

Taking a deep breath, Duy clenched his fists, his expression serious. After a moment, he let out a low shout:

"Eight Gates Formation - First Gate of Opening - Open!"

"Second Gate of Healing - Open!"

"Third Gate of Life - Open!"

The four of them watched Duy's state in shock—

Duy was now emanating a powerful aura, his body turning slightly red and emitting a layer of green energy!

"This is the strongest move I can safely use... If I go any further, I'll be laid up in the hospital afterward..."

Duy chuckled:

"After all, as a Genin, my finances aren't exactly abundant, so it's best to avoid the hospital if possible~"

After making a joke, Duy looked at the four shocked children in front of him and waved his hand, "First, speed..."

"Swish!"

Duy instantly vanished from in front of Satoru and the other three. When he reappeared, he was already in mid-air—

He could even achieve brief hovering through sheer speed!

"Next, power!"

Duy vanished from the air in an instant. Before the four could react, a violent explosion sounded from the ground not far away—

The entire ground looked as if it had been subjected to a barrage of bombs. In a storm of strikes, it directly shattered!

"Reverse Lotus!"

"BOOM—!"

After a long while, as the dust gradually settled, Choza and the other two looked at Duy, who was glowing green all over, walking out of the ruins with awe.

"So... amazing!"