Might Duy and his son

By the river in the setting sun, Lin Ze paused as he looked at the girl's faintly flushed cheeks, feeling a little touched.

Looking up at Hokage Rock in the distance, Lin Ze let his thoughts wander. Didn't Might Guy and Rock Lee reach the pinnacle through taijutsu in the original story? And Guy's father, Might Duy, an eternal genin, actually beat Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist down to the Three Treasures during the Third Shinobi World War!

"Lin Ze, what are you thinking about?" Seeing him staring into space, Kurenai waved a hand in front of his eyes.

Lin Ze withdrew his gaze and said firmly, "I was thinking that I need to work even harder from now on."

Kurenai tilted her head. "But you're already the best in our year at taijutsu, aren't you?"

"I'm third in our year-and that's only at school."

That's because you always hold back. Kurenai rolled her eyes.

"The Shinobi World is vast, and it's full of powerful people. Ryota Uchiha is just a kid. If his older brother or one of his clan's jōnin made a move, I wouldn't be able to withstand even one attack."

Then I guess I'm just a kid too, Kurenai grumbled inwardly.

Then she clenched her little fists and said earnestly, "Then I'll work twice as hard too! We'll get stronger together and protect the people who matter to us!"

Seeing her earnest expression, Lin Ze couldn't help ruffling her hair. "All right. We'll get stronger together."

Beside the quiet river, Kurenai carefully applied ointment to Lin Ze.

Lin Ze leaned against a large tree by the river, resting with his eyes closed.

"Guy! You can't eat until you've finished five hundred squats!"

"Yes, Father! This is youth!"

Suddenly, several deafening shouts came from across the river. Lin Ze opened his eyes and looked over, pausing before the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Well, well. Weren't that father and son in green jumpsuits across the river Might Guy and Might Duy?

Kurenai followed his gaze and burst into a giggle. "Those two goofballs again. I heard that Watermelon-haired kid has failed the Ninja Academy's entrance exam two years running, but he still shouts about becoming Hokage every day."

"Guy! Keep pushing! Youth never allows you to give up!" Might Duy encouraged him loudly from across the river.

"Yes, Father!" Guy's voice was tired but full of fighting spirit.

Lin Ze quietly watched the father and son. He remembered that Might Duy had been an eternal genin in the original story, yet he had made his name in a single battle during the Third Shinobi World War with the Eight Gates Released Formation, actually beating Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist down to the Three Treasures!

The Eight Gates Released Formation... Lin Ze felt a little envious. If I could learn it and combine it with the abilities of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, my strength would reach a terrifying level.

The Eight Gates Released Formation was a secret technique that could unlock eight special nodes within the human body that restricted chakra.

Once activated, it could unleash power far beyond normal limits. However, obtaining that power often came at an enormous cost.

These eight gates were, in order, the Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Wonder, and Gate of Death. Opening all eight constituted the Eight Gates Released Formation!

Lin Ze privately guessed that the Eight Gates Released Formation was a secret technique passed down through Might Guy's family. Apart from them, Konoha presumably also had a copy.

After all, when Konoha was founded, there had been an explicit requirement for each clan to contribute some of its secret techniques and ninjutsu, pooling their strengths to make the village more powerful.

Yet in the original story, only a handful of people, including Guy and Rock Lee, could use the Eight Gates Released Formation.

Lin Ze speculated that the underlying problem was probably the technique's extremely high risks and costs, as well as training requirements so demanding they bordered on cruel.

Might Duy, for instance, had spent more than twenty years fully mastering this secret technique, only to burn through his life by activating the Eight Gates Released Formation-a fleeting moment of brilliance. Even Might Guy, who was hailed as a "genius of hard work," had needed decades of relentless training before he could open the Gate of Death.

Lin Ze understood that it wasn't that Konoha failed to value a powerful ultimate taijutsu technique like the Eight Gates Released Formation. There were simply too few people who could grit their teeth and persist in training it.

After some thought, Lin Ze suddenly stood up. "Kurenai, you head home first. I'll go over and say hello."

"Huh? You know them?"

"I'm going to get to know them now." Lin Ze grinned and bounded across the river in a few steps.

The moment he landed, he heard Might Duy's booming voice. Duy gave him a thumbs-up, revealing a gleaming set of white teeth. "Young man! Are you training too? Want to burn with youth together?"

Lin Ze paused, then smiled. "Sure, but I might hold you back."

"There's no such thing as holding anyone back in youth!" Might Duy swept his hand out. "As long as you work hard, you've won!"

Guy stopped as well, looking Lin Ze over curiously. "You're a Ninja Academy student, right? I've seen you-the one at the bottom of the admissions list!"

"..."

You really could've kept that to yourself.

"My name's Lin Ze. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Might Guy!" Guy said excitedly. "Father says that as long as I work hard, I'll definitely pass the Entrance Exam next year!"

Might Duy patted Guy's shoulder and said proudly, "Guy's goal is to become the strongest taijutsu ninja! Right, son?"

"Yes, Father!" Guy answered loudly.

"..."

Looking at the goofy father and son in their green jumpsuits, Lin Ze only hoped they wouldn't give him a set too.

"Lin Ze, want to have a taijutsu match?" Guy suddenly suggested, fighting spirit flaring in his eyes.

"Guy! Don't go challenging people out of nowhere!" Might Duy hurriedly stopped him.

But Lin Ze smiled. "It's fine. I was just thinking of getting some exercise myself."

Might Duy looked at Lin Ze, then at Guy, and finally nodded. "All right, but don't take it too far!"

The two put some distance between them and took their fighting stances. Guy's gaze instantly sharpened with focus, nothing like the hot-blooded fool he had been during training just moments earlier.

"Begin!" Might Duy shouted.

Bang!!

Guy charged over in an instant, kicking up a great cloud of dust that showed just how explosive his burst of power was. He was faster than Lin Ze had expected, too.

Guy sent a swift straight punch directly at Lin Ze's face, his fist whistling through the air.

Seeing this, Lin Ze hurriedly twisted sideways to evade the punch, gathering strength in his elbow as he countered with a fierce elbow strike.

Guy displayed excellent fighting skills, swiftly stepping back to avoid the attack before twisting at the waist and launching a fast sweeping kick at Lin Ze.

Their movements grew faster and faster, the sounds of clashing fists and feet echoing through the woods.

Watching from the side, Might Duy nodded repeatedly. "Not bad. They're both promising youngsters!"

A few minutes later, Guy's stamina had clearly dropped after his prolonged training, and his movements began to slow. Lin Ze seized the opportunity, darted behind him, and lightly tapped his shoulder. "You lost."

Guy panted heavily, but he wasn't discouraged in the slightest. Instead, he flashed his white teeth and said excitedly, "Lin Ze, you're amazing! I'll definitely beat you someday!"

Lin Ze smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Might Duy walked over and patted both of them on the shoulders. "Today's match was fantastic! This is the hot-blooded passion of youth!"