Strong Man Locking Man

Uchiha Mai was too fast. Guy, leaping through the air, had no time to dodge or change his move before she slammed into him head-on, sending him flying backward.

His fierce, relentless assault could no longer be sustained.

Uchiha Mai took a step and leaped high, locking her legs around Guy's waist with a Deadly Scissor Kick. She swiftly seized one of his arms, twisted and turned, then dropped her weight and sat him down on the ground.

In the final position, Guy lay on his back on the ground, with one of Mai's legs pressing against his throat and the other against his chest. Mai had also pinned one of his arms.

His elbow was tucked against Mai's waist and abdomen, and she had a firm grip on his wrist. He couldn't muster any strength at all.

Ho Kam-yin had pinned the senior disciple!

"Ah!!!!"

Guy roared and strained with all his might to break free. But Mai only had to arch her waist slightly to make him falter. His whole arm hurt as if it were being torn apart, and he couldn't muster any more strength.

"Give up, Guy. You can't escape my Cross Armbreaker," Uchiha Mai advised.

There were many ways to apply the Cross Armbreaker, one of the techniques most emblematic of jujutsu. It showcased the principle of leverage to perfection.

Uchiha Mai's whole body was like the back of a bow, while Guy's captured arm was the bowstring.

To muster any strength, Guy had to rely on that arm to overcome the power in Mai's torso and waist. Naturally, that was impossible.

Even with the Gate of Opening released, Guy's strength hadn't been enhanced to anything like that degree.

Watching his son get pinned, Might Duy studied Uchiha Mai's position intently. A moment later, his eyes lit up. What a Strong Man Locking Man!

As long as Uchiha Mai straightened her waist with a burst of strength, Guy could kiss that arm goodbye. It would definitely be dislocated at the elbow.

"I haven't... ngh..."

Guy tried to put up a brave front, but Uchiha Mai gave another sharp thrust of her waist, leaving him drenched in sweat and wracked with pain. He obediently shut his mouth.

"Guy, you've lost," Might Duy declared, putting an end to the match.

Hearing his father's words, Guy finally stopped resisting and released the Gate of Life. He lay on the ground, breathing deeply, his chest heaving.

Only then did Mai release the Cross Armbreaker and stand up.

"Dad, I lost again," Guy said, lying on his back and gazing at the sky. Though he had lost, his eyes were clear, without a trace of dejection or discouragement.

"Yeah, you lost again."

Might Duy nodded and helped his son up. "But what does that matter?

"Guy, we have no talent for ninjutsu. All we can do is train in taijutsu, day after day—the kind no one else wants to practice. We don't even know whether this path has any future.

"Through hard work, youthful spirit, and passion, you've managed to fight talented people like Kakashi and Mai to this extent. That alone proves you've surpassed yourself.

"A single defeat means nothing. Once you've trained again and can feel how much you've improved, you can challenge them again. As long as you don't give up, one day you'll win against them.

"And even if you never beat them, you'll still become stronger while chasing after them, won't you?"

"Yeah!"

Guy's eyes brimmed with tears. He threw his arms around his father and set himself a new goal. "It must be because I haven't been training hard enough.

"I've decided! Starting today, I'll run an extra hundred kilometers every day. If I can't finish, I'll do an extra thousand push-ups. If I can't finish those, I'll do an extra thousand sit-ups. If I can't finish those, I'll kick a tree an extra thousand times..."

Guy rattled off training exercises like Guo Degang listing dishes, and it took him a full two minutes to finish.

Standing off to the side like an outsider, Uchiha Mai couldn't help marveling. Guy really was a genius, too.

His talent just wasn't obvious, much like the ability given to him by his dog system. It took deep exploration and a tremendous amount of effort to realize its potential.

Forget ordinary people—even any other ninja would struggle to endure Guy's training regimen. That was the unique talent Guy had been blessed with.

After the father and son finished their emotional moment, they finally remembered there was an outsider standing nearby.

Might Duy let go of Guy, scratched his head, and said to Mai, "Guy's always been like this. Once he sets his sights on a goal or an opponent, he won't give up until he's surpassed them completely.

"Mai, I'm really sorry for the trouble. Guy will be pestering you plenty from now on."

Uchiha Mai smiled. "Not at all.

"Having an opponent like Guy is something every young ninja dreams of. Healthy competition helps both sides improve.

"To keep Guy from surpassing me, I'll make sure to put in twelve times the effort, too."

As if he'd ever complain.

While the father and son were caught up in their emotions, Uchiha Mai secretly glanced at the dog system. His Style Points, which he had spent down to nothing, had climbed back up to 115.

115 points were enough for another half-star draw.

And he'd also formed a rough idea of how Style Points were earned.

It probably had something to do with the opponent, the spectators, and how he performed. Guy couldn't possibly have mattered less than Asuma.

But this time, there had only been one spectator, Might Duy, and Mai hadn't performed especially well. He'd only shown off with Phoenix Kirin Asura at the end.

"Good. I'm glad you don't mind."

Might Duy nodded, gave Uchiha Mai a few once-overs, and said, "After our fight just now, I know what you're hoping to learn from me.

"The taijutsu style you created does deserve to be called a school, even if it's only in its early stages. Its potential is limitless.

"I know a thing or two about leg techniques. I just hope the basic kick I can teach you will satisfy you and fill in the gaps in your taijutsu style."

"That would be wonderful." Uchiha Mai was very pleased with what he'd gained from the visit.

"I won't be going on any missions for the next few days. Just come to my house with Guy after school, and I'll teach you the kicking techniques of the Strong Fist school.

"As for after that, Guy will know whenever I get back from a mission. He'll tell you, and you can come by whenever you like."

"Okay."

Might Duy gave him a rough outline of the training schedule.

With that settled, they chatted a little longer. Then Uchiha Mai headed home at dusk, dragging his battered body along with him.

Guy was a beast. Once he opened the Gate of Life, he became full of energy and vigor, without a care for whether his opponent could take it. He'd gone at it relentlessly, leaving Mai with a sore back and bruises everywhere.

Lying in the steaming bathtub, Uchiha Mai fell into thought. He had 115 Style Points now, enough for a half-star draw.

Should he draw right away, or save up 300 points for a one-star prize pool?

So far, both half-star rewards had been much like "keys to acquiring knowledge." By studying them in depth and learning how to use them, he could improve his own system of knowledge.

Without the half-star rewards from the dog system, could Uchiha Mai have created his own taijutsu style so quickly and gone toe-to-toe with Guy?

Dream on.

The one-star rewards, meanwhile, seemed more like talents, innate abilities, or passive skills. They also had potential and could immediately boost his combat power.

Which one should he draw?