Teaching Hakuda

Might Duy's excited words had barely left his mouth when Sosuke suddenly appeared right in front of him!

He threw a punch!

The sudden attack made Might Duy's pupils contract. His body instinctively raised both arms to block it.

However, the moment the punch landed on Might Duy's arms, a faint smile curled across Sosuke's lips.

"Bang!"

As if struck head-on by a train racing at full speed, Might Duy's body shot backward!

Midair, Might Duy stared in disbelief.

Nani!? How is this possible!! Had Sosuke been hiding his true strength the entire time we fought yesterday?!

Might Duy flew backward for some distance, smashing through several trees before finally coming to a stop amid a cloud of dust!

Through the swirling dust,

Sosuke's voice rang out! It was as warm and magnetic as a gentle teacher's lecture, yet it sent a chill through Might Duy!

"Duy, can you feel the difference between that punch and an ordinary one!?"

Might Duy was still stunned by the realization that Sosuke had been hiding his strength. Hearing those words, he looked confused.

The difference!? Had Sosuke already started teaching me Hakuda techniques!?

As if sensing Might Duy's hesitation, Sosuke smiled and murmured,

"Looks like you can't yet. Then, Duy, let your body feel it a few more times!"

Had he failed to notice the difference? It seemed Sosuke would have plenty of chances to get used to this power.

The moment the words left his mouth,

a fierce rush of wind suddenly swept in from behind Might Duy!

Might Duy didn't even have time to turn his head. He was filled with shock and awe!

How is that possible!? That speed!!

"Bang!"

After being sent flying by another punch, Might Duy couldn't hide his excitement and rising enthusiasm!

Like a spirited little cockroach, he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the dust on his clothes. He clenched his fists and shouted with confidence in his eyes!

"Now this is a Taijutsu battle!! Attack with everything you've got! Sosuke, I'll find the secret behind it!"

As soon as Might Duy's impassioned words had fallen,

"Bang!"

Sosuke appeared behind him again as silently as a ghost and gently swung the edge of his hand!

Might Duy's pupils tightened. He hurriedly raised his arm to block the sharp hand strike!

Might Duy went flying again!

Meanwhile, Sosuke, who had caused all this, wore a gentle smile and said cheerfully,

"Mm, Duy, a strong will can help an ordinary person accomplish an incredible miracle. And I believe in your potential. We have plenty of time, so let's keep going."

For the rest of the day,

Might Duy endured a one-sided, merciless beating!

The forest was littered with broken branches and toppled trees. The ground was riddled with craters, all smashed into it by Might Duy's body.

One could only imagine what Sosuke had put him through!

At last,

after knocking Might Duy flying for the 198th time, Sosuke stood where he had been and gently flexed his hand. The smile on his face grew wider.

He'd completely adapted to the body he had after opening the Opening Gate... This feeling of being filled with power was wonderful... He wondered how many Kido spells he could chant if he tried releasing one now!

As Sosuke pondered this,

far away,

Might Duy shakily pushed himself up from the ground. His green jumpsuit was already torn in many places!

He looked like a pitiful beggar.

But there was no dejection or despair in Might Duy's eyes. Instead, they brimmed with excitement and hope!!

His thick brows and bright eyes fixed intently on where Sosuke stood, and he thought in delight,

Could it be!? So that's the secret behind that punch!! One more time!? I must be right!

He charged toward Sosuke with confidence, as if he meant to counterattack!

Seeing this, Sosuke smiled faintly, still perfectly calm.

Suddenly,

only his afterimage remained!

As the speeding Might Duy watched Sosuke's afterimage slowly fade, he hurriedly guarded himself against attacks from every direction!

A shadow appeared behind him once more!

It was Sosuke, who had swiftly arrived using Flash Step.

He lightly swung another punch at Might Duy!

"Bang!"

Just like before, Might Duy flew backward for the 199th time.

But!

Midair, he wore a broad smile and shouted happily,

"Sosuke! I understand!! The secret behind this punch is that it can't be blocked at all!"

Hearing his answer, Sosuke smiled in approval.

That was right. The punch was like an endless river: no matter how one tried to block it, the hidden force behind it would pierce through.

Sosuke was glad Might Duy had grasped the point so quickly. Looking at him, he said softly,

"That's right, Duy. As you said, this punch isn't a fixed technique. To be precise, you can only throw it with ease once you've reached a high level of mastery over your strength."

"To experts in Taijutsu, a forceful punch is really just a waste of power. If you want to throw a punch that can't be blocked, you need perfect control over your strength."

"You've probably noticed, too: my punches haven't injured your body. That's only because I've controlled the force of each one perfectly, keeping it right at the threshold."

Hearing this, Might Duy nodded seriously. He had realized the same thing after noticing that, despite taking so many punches, his body had barely felt any pain.

"Now that you've seen through that, your next task is to work on blocking one of my punches! Remember to use every part of your body as a weapon to deflect my attacks. Think carefully about the methods I used when you attacked me yesterday. From now on, focus all your effort on defending against my attacks."

Just as Sosuke had said, before training the Eight Inner Gates, how could he have physically held his own against Might Duy, whose body had been tempered through years of training, with his own comparatively frail physique?

It was only through Hakuda techniques and perfectly controlled strength that he had managed it.

Now that his strength had multiplied several times over, his refined Hakuda skills let him repeatedly send the straightforward Might Duy flying with ease.

And so, for the rest of the day, the forest echoed with the incessant sounds of falling trees and explosions.

Only when dusk began to settle did Sosuke finally leave at an easy pace, a satisfied smile on his face.

Behind him followed Might Duy, his clothes in tatters.

His outfit was full of holes, and his head and face were coated in dust.

But he didn't care in the least. His eyes shone brilliantly, and his whole being was filled with energy!!

It was like ascetics who calmly accepted birth, aging, sickness, and death, yet were moved to their very souls before scriptures that showed the way to salvation, bowing in reverence and treasuring them as sacred.

After witnessing Sosuke's refined Hakuda techniques, Might Duy was like a traveler in the desert, close to death, who had spotted an oasis. His fighting spirit had come alive again!

Every Hakuda technique amazed him!! He couldn't stop praising their exquisite subtlety and the profound understanding they showed of the human body.

Might Duy had learned a great deal during that day of training. What he had learned was enough to keep him studying and reflecting for a long time to come.

And so, the two of them left.

But thanks to Sosuke's guidance, in Might Duy's heart, Sosuke was no longer merely a friend and benefactor.

He was more like Might Duy's life mentor, the one who guided him along the path of the ninja.

Beneath the evening sun,

Sosuke walked lightly down the street, facing the sunset. His body swayed in rhythm with the breeze, and the edges of his robe fluttered gently.

His frame wasn't large, but it was straight and gave people the impression of a towering mountain.

Behind Sosuke, Might Duy watched his back with reverence.

His heart was filled with deep gratitude.