Opening just the Third Gate, Might Guy's chakra was already on par with an ordinary jonin.
Coupled with his superb Taijutsu, taking down a wild Ninja Leopard was a foregone conclusion.
A flurry of kicks sent the Ninja Leopard flying into the air.
If Kimura Takuya hadn't told him to leave it alive, Might Guy would have kicked it to death.
Meanwhile, the other three had engaged the Ninja Pig.
They hadn't noticed that Guy's fight was already over.
"Mr. Guy, was that the Eight Inner Gates Formation just now?"
"Oh? You know about it too, Tuoye? That's right. It was the Eight Inner Gates Formation."
"I heard it's the strongest Taijutsu secret technique in the Ninja World. It really is incredible!"
"Ahahaha, the Eight Inner Gates Formation is indeed powerful, but using it comes at a great cost. It releases the body's restrictions and unleashes an enormous amount of chakra, but every use puts a great strain on the body."
Seeing how interested Kimura Takuya was, Guy explained a little more.
The other man immediately seized the opportunity.
"Does it damage your body every time you use it? Let me examine you, Mr. Guy."
"Uh, there's no need. As long as I don't open the Gate of Pain or any of the gates beyond it, I'm fine. Lee and the others are still fighting, so I need to make sure they're safe. Now isn't a good time for a physical examination."
Might Guy shook his head and turned down Kimura Takuya's offer.
He turned his attention back to the fight involving Lee and the others.
Kimura Takuya inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. He'd wanted to examine Might Guy's condition right after he used the Eight Inner Gates.
The data might not be accurate later. Taijutsu specialists trained their bodies constantly, and their recovery was far beyond that of ordinary people. Even waiting a little could change the results.
But since Might Guy had refused, he couldn't force an examination on him. He had to let it go.
He turned to inspect the leopard.
Its body was entirely black, and it was bigger than a bull. It looked to weigh over a thousand kilograms.
Its limbs were thick as elephant legs, with each one weighing nearly a hundred kilograms.
That was as much as a grown man.
That leg would do.
"Mr. Guy, I'll buy one of the leopard's legs."
"Tuoye, what are you talking about? We were already planning to have a barbecue tonight. If you want some, help yourself."
"No, Mr. Guy. I need it to save someone."
Kimura Takuya then explained his idea of using the leopard's leg to save someone.
"What? Is that really possible, Tuoye? A leopard's leg isn't the same as a human arm, is it? And this leopard is so huge—one leg is thicker than a person's waist!"
"It'll work. It just needs a little reshaping."
Though stunned, Might Guy trusted Kimura Takuya. After all, the other man was the medical ninjutsu expert.
If Kimura Takuya said it would work, then it would.
If it really succeeded, wouldn't all the Konoha ninja forced to retire because of lost limbs have hope again?
As that thought struck him, Might Guy looked at Kimura Takuya with sudden admiration.
Then he burst into tears.
"Medical ninjutsu can help people blossom with youth again!"
Watching Might Guy suddenly get carried away with emotion and sob uncontrollably, Kimura Takuya's mouth twitched.
Might Guy had acted this way in the anime, too. Back then, Kimura Takuya had just found it a little funny.
But seeing it happen right in front of him, he suddenly wondered if Might Guy had something wrong with his head.
Someone in their right mind probably couldn't endure the pain of opening all Eight Inner Gates.
Well, that pain could be avoided. They just had to sever the nerves that carried it.
That was one more problem solved on the way to infinite Eight Gates. Remember to sever the pain nerves when opening the gates. Kimura Takuya quietly made a note of it.
"It's over!"
Just as Kimura Takuya's thoughts began to wander, Lee and the others finished their fight. The Ninja Pig had as much chakra as an ordinary jonin, but chakra reserves weren't the same as strength.
After all, that Ninja Pig was only a wild beast with no intelligence.
And Guy had kicked it once at the start.
Lee and the others had struggled a little, but they'd defeated it without any real danger.
"Ah, now this is youth!"
Lee and Neji had worked together to defeat the Ninja Pig with Taijutsu, while Tenten had only managed to toss a Shuriken at it now and then from the sidelines.
After the fight, Lee and Neji were both exhilarated.
Tenten alone felt like an unnecessary prop, as though she had no purpose in the team at all.
She watched Lee and Neji celebrating, then lowered her head, discouraged.
"Everyone has things they're good at and things they aren't. Don't lose heart just because you can't help much right now. Finding your place is what matters most."
"Uh, th-thank you. But how do I find my place?"
Tenten looked at Kimura Takuya, who had suddenly appeared beside her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly composed herself and asked him.
"Everyone on a team should make the most of what they do best and make up for what the others aren't good at.
"That way, the team won't have any obvious weaknesses, and everyone can put their strengths to use. The result will be greater than the sum of its parts."
"Make the most of what I'm good at?"
"Exactly. Your team clearly didn't consider that. They only thought about how the three of you, Genin who specialize in Taijutsu, could learn more under Mr. Guy, who also specializes in Taijutsu. They didn't consider what your team would need in practice."
"What the team needs in practice?"
Looking at Tenten's bewildered face, Kimura Takuya sighed inwardly.
That was just how this world worked. Children started working after graduating from elementary school.
Everyone had only an elementary school education, and not even a proper one. People's ability to understand things was generally poor.
Kimura Takuya grumbled to himself and decided he would establish nine years of compulsory education in the Ninja World one day.
He'd build high schools and universities for them, too.
The children of the Ninja World couldn't be left without a proper education at such a young age.
"Your team has a Byakugan scout, and Mr. Guy and Lee are pure Taijutsu fighters—two physical-combat carries.
"You should be an assault team, suited to quickly breaking through enemy lines and striking important targets behind them.
"The Byakugan locates the enemy, then the two carries charge in.
"That creates certain needs. You'll need supplies and medical support behind enemy lines, and possibly long-range support as well."
"I understand. I don't know Medical Ninjutsu, so all I can do is carry supplies and throw a few Shuriken at them. So I should learn Medical Ninjutsu, right?"
Tenten looked as though she'd found her goal. She was just wondering where to learn Medical Ninjutsu when her eyes suddenly lit up.
Wasn't the genius medical ninja right in front of her?
"Tuoye, please teach me Medical Ninjutsu!"
"Uh, Medical Ninjutsu is difficult. Not everyone can learn it. But if you want to try, I can teach you. Just don't get your hopes too high. Not even one in ten ninja can master it. And if you can't, there are other paths you can take."
"Right. Thank you, Tuoye."
Seeing the hopeful look in Tenten's eyes, Kimura Takuya felt a pang of guilt.
In the original story, Tenten had studied Medical Ninjutsu, but she had no talent for it at all.
He'd better manage her expectations first, so she wouldn't be too disappointed later.
There were other, better ways to improve her combat strength.
He wouldn't let her end up like she had in the original story, using high-level Space-Time Ninjutsu just to throw junk around and scratch her opponents.
Before you continue