Naruto's Third Divine Power

Bang!

Sasuke took Rock Lee's kick square in his handsome face and flew backward, his expression frozen in shock.

"How is that possible? Even the Sharingan..." Sakura stared at Rock Lee in disbelief.

"Damn it! Even the Sharingan couldn't see through it! Could his technique be..." Sasuke hit the ground, his Sharingan eyes wide with disbelief.

"That's right. My technique isn't Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. It's pure Taijutsu!"

With that, Rock Lee charged again and pummeled Sasuke with a flurry of blows.

"Even if your Sharingan can follow my movements, your body isn't fast enough to handle my Taijutsu!"

In short, Sasuke's Sharingan could see what was happening, but his body couldn't keep up.

If Sasuke, with his Sharingan, was a genius Ninja, then Rock Lee was a Ninja who had earned his strength through hard work.

And right now, the genius had lost completely.

Refusing to accept it, Sasuke rushed in again. Rock Lee kicked him in the face once more, sending him flying into the air.

Rock Lee, could you stop aiming for his face?

Watching from nearby, Naruto winced. He was afraid Sasuke would end up with a face like a beaten-up pig, and Naruto didn't have Tang Bohu's Return Me Pretty Fist to fix it!

"Sasuke!" Sakura ran forward and caught him as he fell.

Sasuke's face was full of frustration and defeat. He had thought awakening the Sharingan would make him much stronger, strong enough to beat Bushy Brows. Instead...

"How could this happen? How?" Sasuke clenched his fists and pounded the ground, his face twisted with anguish. "I can't beat Naruto, and now I can't even beat this guy?"

Rock Lee stopped paying attention to the Sasuke he had defeated and turned to Naruto. "Are you the Naruto Sasuke mentioned?"

"That's me." Naruto nodded.

Rock Lee's expression turned serious. I never expected this batch of newcomers to have so many hidden talents. Someone even stronger than the top rookie!

"I want to challenge you properly. And for that, I'll use my forbidden ability!"

But the moment Rock Lee finished speaking, Might Guy appeared with a bang, standing atop a "Blastoise."

Might Guy's eyebrows were even thicker, his hair looked even more like a watermelon, and his entrance was... bizarre beyond belief!

Sasuke and Sakura stared, dumbfounded. Even Naruto, who knew Guy, had plenty to say about it.

No wonder they call him Konoha's Noble Beast! Kisame, that monster, dying at this noble beast's hands someday—it's a perfect match!

Meanwhile, Might Guy smiled at Rock Lee. Then his expression changed abruptly, and he punched Rock Lee so hard he went flying.

Then he pulled Rock Lee into an embrace and, for no apparent reason, burst into floods of tears!

"Lee, how could you use a forbidden technique so casually?"

"Teacher, teacher, I... Teacher!"

"This is youth!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's jaws had practically hit the floor. Sasuke stared blankly and muttered, "I actually got beaten up by someone like him..."

Only after a good while did Might Guy notice the three of them nearby. "You're Kakashi's three students, aren't you?"

Naruto pursed his lips. Sasuke asked, "Yes. You know Kakashi?"

"Hmph! 'Know him' doesn't begin to cover it. Everyone calls us Eternal Rivals!" Might Guy struck another pose, a gleam flashing across his bright white teeth.

He remembered running with Kakashi beneath the setting sun. That was their lost youth...

"You're kidding, right?" Sasuke and Sakura said in unison.

They couldn't imagine this man, who clearly had something wrong with his head, being as strong as Kakashi.

Only Naruto knew that Might Guy was far more formidable than Kakashi. The man was on another level!

"Well, actions speak louder than words!" Might Guy's voice still came from in front of them, but he was already behind the three!

Sasuke and Sakura froze in astonishment. A spark of excitement flashed in Naruto's eyes.

Was Taijutsu useful? Of course it was!

Even with his enormous Chakra reserves and powerful skills, Naruto was basically an "ultra-blue mage." He still needed some hand-to-hand ability, or he would be a glass cannon.

If a Taijutsu specialist like Guy or one of the Lightning Ninja ambushed him someday, wouldn't he be dead on the spot?

Even someone like Madara, who relied on the Mangekyou Sharingan in battle, had incredibly powerful Taijutsu.

After watching Rock Lee batter Sasuke with one solid hit after another, Naruto was more eager than ever to learn it.

"Sir, what should we call you?" Naruto turned and asked with a smile.

"I am Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy!" Guy gave Naruto a thumbs-up and flashed his gleaming white teeth.

"Then could you teach me Taijutsu? I think yours must be even better than Kakashi's, so I'd like to ask you to teach me." Naruto looked at Might Guy hopefully.

"Naruto, you..." Sakura and Sasuke looked at him in surprise. They felt it wasn't quite appropriate.

"Hm?" Might Guy studied Naruto curiously. He could be scatterbrained at times, but he wasn't truly stupid. He understood the implications.

"That... wouldn't be right. Kakashi is my friend, after all." Might Guy glanced around hesitantly, then suddenly vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

Disappointment showed in Naruto's eyes. Kakashi wasn't willing to teach him properly, and neither was Might Guy.

Fair enough. Why would someone with no ties to me teach me?

In truth, there were no tricks or shortcuts to Taijutsu training. It came down to persistent exercise, strengthening the body, and sharpening one's reflexes.

Naruto had been training that way ever since he came to this world. He simply hadn't been at it long enough to see results.

Heh, forget it. If no one will teach me, I'll have to rely on the system.

With that thought, Naruto opened the System Mall in his mind and looked at two powerful Taijutsu skills: Eight Gates Released Formation and Raikage Nintaijutsu.

Strictly speaking, Eight Gates Released Formation was more of a forbidden technique for desperate fights, a way to release the body's limits. It offered immense power, but its side effects were severe, and it required relentless physical training.

Raikage Nintaijutsu, on the other hand, was a genuine body-strengthening art. It could enhance strength, speed, and even defense.

Naruto checked the System Mall. Raikage Nintaijutsu was an S-rank skill worth 1,000 points—exactly how many he had.

But to exchange for it, he needed Lightning Release Chakra in his body. Unfortunately, he didn't have any.

Disappointed but unwilling to give up, Naruto kept browsing the System Mall.

Then a B-rank Ninjutsu caught his eye: the Body Flicker Technique. He couldn't help glancing at Sasuke, who had just learned it from Kakashi.

Thinking of the Body Flicker Technique brought Shisui Uchiha, known as Body Flicker Shisui, to mind. Clearly, mastering the technique could make a person much stronger.

That counts as a kind of Taijutsu, right? Isn't there a saying? No martial art is unbreakable, but speed is unbeatable.

The Body Flicker Technique cost 100 points, and a Skill Upgrade Scroll cost another 100.

Naruto made up his mind.

"System, exchange for the Body Flicker Technique and upgrade it straight to Masterclass!"

"Ding! Exchange complete. A total of 400 points has been spent."

Naruto looked at his Personal Status Panel and saw the Proficient Substitution Technique listed below the Body Flicker Technique.

The Body Flicker Technique could be considered an advanced form of the Substitution Technique. The difference was that the Body Flicker Technique covered greater distances, while the Substitution Technique usually involved a short-range escape.

What would happen if I combined them?

"System, spend 100 points on a Skill Upgrade Scroll to raise the Substitution Technique to Masterclass. Then spend 200 points on a Divine Power Synthesis Scroll to combine it with the Body Flicker Technique into a Divine Power."

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained your third Divine Power: Flash Step!"