"That Chakra is so powerful—so terrifying! And what is this? Is it constantly absorbing energy from the outside world?" Hyuga Hiashi did not recognize Tai Chi. However, the moment he saw the Sage Art Chakra within Sarutobi Toru, his expression changed.
Taking a deep breath and clearing the distracting thoughts from his mind, Hyuga Hiashi spoke in a low voice. "I'm coming!"
Hyuga Hiashi immediately charged forward, unleashing the Hyuga Clan's unique Gentle Fist.
Sarutobi Toru gently swayed his body. In Sage Mode, his sensory abilities were astonishing. Coupled with the Kami-e ability granted by Life Return, every time Hyuga Hiashi struck, he felt as though he was just a little short of hitting his opponent. Yet that tiny gap remained impossible to close. No matter how hard he tried, he could not even touch the corner of Sarutobi Toru's clothes.
Sarutobi Toru observed closely. Although the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist Style had the word "gentle" in its name, it was not truly the same type of martial art as Tai Chi. It was closer to the internal martial arts of wuxia novels, relying solely on inner force to injure opponents.
Once he felt he had seen enough, Sarutobi Toru also began using Tai Chi and started sparring with Hyuga Hiashi.
Tai Chi in the real world appeared to overcome hardness with softness and speed with slowness. In truth, it relied on the swinging force generated through the leverage of the arms, storing power before unleashing it. In an actual fight, it was neither soft nor slow. Instead, it was closer to heavy weapons such as iron whips and war hammers.
The reason Tai Chi was said to overcome hardness with softness and speed with slowness was that it emphasized softness and slowness while gathering strength. Yet when that strength