"Hm?"
The people nearby had sharp eyes. When they saw the two children square off, they stepped aside of their own accord, leaving them plenty of room.
Some spectators egged them on, eager for a little excitement. Among them were some of Xue Ge's classmates.
"Fighting Guy barehanded? Has Xue Ge gone crazy..." Obito said in surprise. Beside him, Rin smacked the back of his head. "Idiot! Xue Ge only got here today. How would he know what Guy's like..."
"Looks like he's in for a rough time." Kurenai Yuhi looked ready to enjoy the show.
"I wonder how long Xue Ge can last..." Asuma rubbed his chin, his tone teasing.
Many of the more accomplished students could defeat Might Guy. In terms of overall ability, he wasn't particularly outstanding. What set him apart was how hard he worked.
But in all fairness, when it came to barehanded combat, neither Kakashi nor Asuma nor the children of prestigious clans in their year would claim they could beat Might Guy easily-they might even lose to him.
Might Guy had poured all his skill into unarmed Taijutsu. No one denied his talent in that field.
So when they saw Xue Ge take an unarmed fighting stance, most of them thought he was in for a beating.
"Here I come!" Might Guy shouted to Xue Ge, then lowered his body and charged.
Since this was a spar, Might Guy had deliberately called out to give Xue Ge time to react.
Moving with a leopard's agility, Might Guy reached Xue Ge in a few strides. He shaped one hand into a blade and thrust it straight at Xue Ge's head.
Xue Ge shifted his feet and turned sideways, letting Might Guy's fingertips brush past his cheek. Before Might Guy could draw his arm back, Xue Ge swung a fist at his shoulder.
Might Guy immediately raised his free hand and caught Xue Ge's fist. Veins bulged on the backs of both their hands.
A contest of strength?
Xue Ge's brow twitched. His other hand rapidly struck Might Guy's arm as he unleashed a series of kicks.
Might Guy shook his arm repeatedly, deflecting every attack. Then, with a shout, he heaved Xue Ge through the air.
Thud! Xue Ge slammed into the ground. He wasn't injured, but the impact left his lower back tingling.
The spectators didn't react much. It differed slightly from what they'd expected-they hadn't thought Xue Ge would last this long.
Might Guy's offensive was relentless. He pursued the fallen Xue Ge and drove an elbow toward his forehead. Xue Ge rolled aside to evade it, then clamped his legs around Might Guy's neck. Twisting his waist and arms together, he slammed him to the ground.
"Ugh!" Might Guy grunted and sprang to his feet with a kip-up. Xue Ge flipped backward a few times before standing, calmly brushing off the hem of his clothes.
"...Your leg?" Might Guy stared at Xue Ge's right leg in puzzlement.
Just now, Might Guy had keenly sensed that what touched his neck wasn't flesh, but... a piece of wood.
"Don't worry about it." Xue Ge's reply was brief and crisp. He clapped his hands together and took his fighting stance again.
"...All right! You really are a youth brimming with spirit!" Might Guy grinned. Xue Ge's attitude was right up his alley. With his personality, nothing pleased him more than a head-on fight.
"You're kidding. The new kid's actually this strong?" Obito adjusted his goggles. Once the shock passed, he felt a little discouraged. "Great. Another guy like Kakashi."
"He can move that well with a disability..." Rin's attention was on something entirely different from everyone else's. She watched Xue Ge's leg, her eyes gleaming, her thoughts a mystery.
The fight didn't pause for long. Only a few seconds later, Might Guy charged again. Every movement brought a fierce rush of air, and his punches rained down in a dizzying storm.
This time, however, Xue Ge didn't dodge.
He had evaded Might Guy's attacks at first because he hadn't known how strong his opponent was. Now that he had a rough measure of Might Guy's abilities, his tactics changed.
He... is no match for me.
Xue Ge stood quietly in place, his impassive expression as unshakable as a mountain. His arms blocked left and right while his body shifted fluidly with his footwork. Each time he met Might Guy, he positioned himself at an angle that prevented his opponent's fists from exerting their full force.
Because he had some problems circulating his chakra, Xue Ge's progress in Ninjutsu was abysmal. But that also allowed him to devote himself wholeheartedly to Taijutsu.
He trained regularly under the ANBU and often sparred with experts like the White Fang. Xue Ge's Taijutsu skills were exceptional among his peers.
In other words, in a certain sense, he was currently an upgraded version of Might Guy.
In their second exchange, Xue Ge blocked every single one of Might Guy's punches. His expression didn't even flicker, as though it were only natural.
Might Guy's attacks achieved nothing against Xue Ge. His punches grew faster and faster, yet Xue Ge continued to handle them with ease.
"!" Kakashi's eyes suddenly widened at the sight.
If Xue Ge's earlier performance had disappointed Kakashi a little, what he was showing now had completely exceeded his expectations.
So he was just playing it safe at first... Is this his real strength?
This is the kid Dad keeps talking about... To block every blow of Might Guy's Strong Fist-even considering Taijutsu alone, Xue Ge's strength was enough to turn heads.
Might Guy was no less surprised than Kakashi. He felt as though his attacks had been completely read. Every punch felt awkward and stifled, but the more that happened, the more excited he became.
Yes, yes, yes! Fighting him is even more exciting than fighting Kakashi!
Xue Ge, meanwhile, had no other thoughts. He simply kept watching Might Guy's arms, his body moving like flowing water in response to his attacks. Whenever Might Guy punched, Xue Ge blocked or knocked it aside with precisely the right angle and force.
This kind of visual blocking had almost become instinctive for Xue Ge.
As soon as Might Guy's punches slowed slightly, Xue Ge changed his fighting style. Abandoning his passive defense, he stepped in and met Might Guy fist for fist.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Their fists collided repeatedly with dull impacts. But Xue Ge's momentum swelled like the tide, each wave stronger than the last, while Might
Guy's attacks were forced back instead.
Moreover, one of Xue Ge's hands was a wooden prosthetic limb. Its hard blows sent painful jolts through Might Guy's hands, subtly making his movements stiffer.
Suddenly, a click came from Xue Ge's knee. His movements abruptly stopped, and both his arms froze, leaving a massive opening over his chest.
Seeing it, Might Guy threw a punch without hesitation.
He fell for it! With a spectator's clearer view, Kakashi realized what had happened the moment that punch flew.
Just as Might Guy unleashed his heavy punch, Xue Ge's sluggish movements suddenly accelerated. That abrupt change in speed made Might Guy, who had been pursuing the opening, lose his target-and his balance.
Then Xue Ge caught Might Guy's arm with lightning speed. A knee struck Might Guy squarely in the abdomen, followed immediately by a heavy punch to his chest.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Might Guy doubled over. Xue Ge immediately turned, pressed his back against Might Guy, and seized him with both hands. Then he drove Guy into the ground with a vicious shoulder throw.
"Gah-" The heavy impact left Guy's body rigid. Xue Ge released him, formed one hand into a blade, and chopped toward Guy's throat.
The knife-hand stopped an inch from Guy's throat.
"It's over," Xue Ge said, his face still expressionless.