Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room

Xia Mu said goodbye to his friends and went to the market to buy some ingredients.

He planned to cook a full spread that evening to reward Tenten for her hard work on missions. He also wanted to make some meat buns for her to eat conveniently while on missions.

Tenten loved meat buns.

As Xia Mu selected ingredients, he caught sight of a white-haired man with glasses passing by, smiling pleasantly.

The bespectacled man wore a gentle smile that made him seem friendly. He also wore a forehead protector, marking him as an official shinobi. Xia Mu noticed him because he recognized him.

The dream-maker, Kabuto Yakushi!

That was right. This guy was currently a spy infiltrating Konoha!

Kabuto Yakushi had infiltrated Konoha to gather information on young shinobi and find Orochimaru a suitable body for Living Corpse Reincarnation. Over the next two years, he would take part in several Chunin Exams, waiting until Orochimaru chose Sasuke. He would also be one of the key figures behind the Konoha Crush.

So, was this guy deliberately passing by to observe him, a genius whose ability to use One-Handed Seals had just been exposed?

Or was he simply passing through?

Xia Mu did not quite know how to judge Kabuto Yakushi. The man was a genius and a tragic figure, but he had also harmed countless people.

Still, this entire world was twisted. Many things could not simply be divided into right and wrong.

In any case, if Kabuto Yakushi dared set his sights on him, Xia Mu would never let him off!

As for the Konoha Crush, he would naturally do everything he could to stop it. Whether Hiruzen Sarutobi lived or died did not matter, but Tenten's family owned quite a few businesses in Konoha. Hopefully they would not get caught up in it.

After Kabuto Yakushi left, Xia Mu lost the mood to keep picking ingredients. He casually chose some fresh produce and returned to the Ninja Tool Shop.

A few days later, Might Guy's Team finally took a rare break from missions and arranged a training session instead. With Guy's permission, Tenten brought Xia Mu along to watch.

Xia Mu prepared a whole pile of food to bring with him.

Might Guy's Team trained hard. Compared to all sorts of flashy gifts, delicious food was still the best.

Before long, Xia Mu followed Tenten to the training ground. Rock Lee and Neji were already training while Guy guided them from the side.

"Guy-sensei, Neji, Lee, we're here."

Tenten introduced him. "This is my boyfriend, Xia Mu. You may have heard his name before. He made the Ninja Kill Card Game sold at my family's Ninja Tool Shop."

"Huh? Xia Mu made Ninja Kill?"

"Huh? Ninja Kill is sold by Tenten's family's Ninja Tool Shop?"

Clearly, Guy and Rock Lee had focused on entirely different things. Both of them curiously sized Xia Mu up.

Neji was also curious about Xia Mu. Tenten had said Xia Mu was stronger than her, which meant he had to be a worthy opponent. He would have to find time later to spar with him and test Xia Mu's ability.

Xia Mu hurriedly greeted them. "Hello, Guy-sensei, Lee, Neji. I brought some food with me. Let's eat together. Training is so hard, so you need to replenish your nutrition. Oh, and I brought plenty of beef. You'll definitely like it."

Beef was rich in protein, a taijutsu shinobi's favorite!

Even a jonin like Guy could not necessarily afford to eat beef often.

With Tenten's help, Xia Mu quickly laid out a table and served up braised beef and other dishes. The group dug in, while Guy and Rock Lee ate with their mouths shining with oil and praised the food nonstop.

"By the way, Tenten said you want to train in the Eight Gates."

Guy spoke while gnawing on a piece of beef. "I assume Tenten has already told you that training the Eight Gates is not simple. It places extremely high demands on your physical body. Let me examine you. If you do not meet the standard, then even if you brought such delicious beef, I can only refuse."

Xia Mu looked completely composed. "Inspect me however you like, Guy-sensei. My body is no weaker than yours!"

Guy did not waste any time. He immediately began feeling Xia Mu's muscles, and after checking several areas, he could not help but praise him. "Your muscles are incredibly firm. They have a real sense of power. You must have undergone some passionate training in the prime of your youth. Very good. Your physical strength is excellent. You temporarily qualify. Next, let's have a youthful contest. I need to see whether your muscles are all show and no substance!"

"Fine! Test me however you want, Guy-sensei. I'll take it!"

Xia Mu was very confident in himself. It was only a test of muscle and strength. He had trained under several times normal gravity for years, and he paid close attention to maintaining his body. Not only was he immensely strong, he also had very few hidden injuries.

If he did not qualify even like this, then Rock Lee would have no right to learn the Eight Gates at all.

After they had mostly finished eating and rested a bit to digest their food, Xia Mu and Guy stood facing each other, with Rock Lee acting as the referee.

Tenten watched nervously from a distance. She had faith in Xia Mu, but Guy-sensei was an elite jonin. How could he possibly be easy to deal with?

"Begin!"

The instant Rock Lee's voice fell, Xia Mu vanished from the spot with a whoosh.

Xia Mu vs. Guy

So fast! Both Neji and Rock Lee were startled.

Guy focused his mind and suddenly planted his feet, raising his right arm to block. With a bang, Xia Mu's whip-like kick slammed viciously into Guy's right arm, and the gale it produced swept sand and stones from the ground into the air.

Even though Guy had braced himself in time, the force still shoved him sideways several meters.

"Not bad strength! Keep going!"

Guy was clearly satisfied. He followed up with a sweeping roundhouse kick of his own. "Konoha Great Whirlwind!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their fists and feet collided continuously, producing deep, drum-like booms. The sheer force of their clashes sent shockwaves through the air, making sand and stones dance wildly around the area. The two figures darted ceaselessly through the debris, leaving only afterimages behind. Only Neji, with his Byakugan activated, could keep track of them.

Too fast! They were completely impossible to see!

Xia Mu did not use any ninjutsu either. Since Guy wanted to assess his muscles and strength, pure taijutsu was enough.

Over the years, Xia Mu had not merely delivered milk, tilled fields, and mined ore in the Gravity Training Room. He had also worked hard to hone his fists and legs. The martial techniques taught at the Academy were no longer enough, so he went to the library to study. He could always find records of various punching and kicking techniques, and he was always improving.

In a sense, learning techniques also meant learning how to exert force.

The reason certain techniques were powerful was that they made use of force-generation methods, allowing a person's strength to be fully brought out while keeping their movements smooth and connected. That was how a particular style came into being.

To explain it in gaming terms, the damage had to be high enough, but energy regeneration also had to be maintained to ensure combos could cycle without interruption.

After several years, Xia Mu had developed his own fighting style. Even without using the Six Styles, it was not bad. It just needed further polishing and, more importantly, actual combat experience.

Facing a taijutsu jonin like Guy, being at a disadvantage was only natural. But Xia Mu had plenty of endurance and was not afraid of taking a beating at all.

Half an hour later, the exhilarating pure taijutsu battle came to an end.

Guy wore a bright smile, clearly very satisfied with Xia Mu's physical qualities. He could also see that Xia Mu's comprehension was not bad. During battle, he continually accumulated experience and compensated for his own shortcomings in taijutsu.

Guy naturally would not refuse such a promising talent who wanted to train in the Eight Gates.

As for Xia Mu's character, Guy trusted his instincts—or rather, he trusted fists and feet.

Real men understood one another through battle. Guy believed that every punch and kick Xia Mu threw spoke of seriousness and persistence. On top of that, based on what he had learned about Tenten these past few days, a kind and intelligent child like her liked Xia Mu so much that Xia Mu naturally had to be a good kid.

Assessment complete!

"Hahaha! This is youth! Xia Mu, don't you agree?" Guy gave a thumbs-up, flashing his gleaming white teeth.

"Oh! What a passionate battle of youth, Guy-sensei!" Xia Mu also gave a thumbs-up.

Tenten felt alarm bells blaring in her head. She felt like her boyfriend was being assimilated by her kappa-like teacher. This could not go on—she did not want to marry a kappa in the future!

However, Guy's test was clearly not over.

He suddenly asked, "Xia Mu, you want to learn the Eight Gates to become stronger. What is your purpose in becoming stronger?"

Xia Mu naturally understood that this was another test. Looking Guy straight in the eyes, he said, "To protect Tenten, and to protect my friends. That is why I need great strength. The path of a shinobi is not safe. I may encounter powerful enemies in the future, but as long as I am strong enough, my loved ones and friends will not be in danger. I firmly believe that!"

Guy nodded in approval, but the next second, tears streamed down his face.

He raised his thumb again. "Well said! That answer is youth itself! Very well, I will teach you the secrets of the Eight Gates!"

Xia Mu raised his thumb as well. "Thank you, Guy-sensei! I won't disappoint you!"

Rock Lee also began shedding thick streams of tears. "Ohhh! That was so moving and so passionate! Xia Mu, you're incredible!"

"Why are all of you drawing in the same style now?!"

Tenten complained weakly from the side. She had nearly cried herself. She truly did not want her boyfriend to turn into a kappa!

Fortunately, things quickly returned to normal.

Guy took out a scroll and handed it to Xia Mu. "It would be best if I personally guided you, but Xia Mu, you are not my student. My main duty is still teaching these three. So, I'll give you the Eight Gates scroll directly. You're a very smart kid, so self-study should not be much of a problem. Of course, if you encounter any issues, you can have Tenten pass them on to me, or come find me when I have time. I'll answer your questions."

Xia Mu accepted the scroll and sincerely thanked him. "Thank you very much, Guy-sensei!"

Guy waved him off, feeling rather pleased. After all, the Eight Gates had gained another successor.

He had no narrow-minded attachment to keeping techniques within a particular school. Besides, the origins of the Eight Gates were unclear. He had learned it from his father, but as far as he knew, his father had not created it either.

Thus, passing down the Eight Gates would not be a problem. At least it was not being taught outside the village.

However, Xia Mu was not satisfied yet. He pressed his advantage. "Guy-sensei, I actually have another favor to ask. Could you introduce me to Kakashi-senpai?"

"You want to meet Kakashi?"

Guy immediately perked up. "He's my eternal rival. Do you want to learn ninjutsu from him? You really have good judgment. Kakashi is a renowned genius shinobi of Konoha!"

Xia Mu shook his head. "No, no. Let me tell you about my plan to become stronger, Guy-sensei. I've specifically looked into quite a few things, not only about your father, but also about Kakashi-senpai's father. Hatake Sakumo-senpai's fame once surpassed that of the Sannin, and his Hatake Kenjutsu made powerful shinobi from every village tremble in fear. So, my plan is to learn the Eight Gates and Hatake Kenjutsu!"

That answer surprised Guy even more.

Neji and Rock Lee exchanged looks, as they seemed never to have heard the name Hatake Sakumo.

Even Tenten was puzzled. Xia Mu did not seem to have mentioned it to her before. Not only had he never brought up Hatake Sakumo or Hatake Kenjutsu, he had not even mentioned Kakashi Hatake.

However, when Tenten thought of the Thousand Blades Demon Blade Xia Mu had designed, she immediately felt that it would be good for him to learn a powerful sword technique.

"I never expected you to have looked into Sakumo-senpai's affairs as well."

Guy sighed. "You're right. Sakumo-senpai's swordsmanship was incredibly powerful. He was called Konoha's White Fang, and his fame truly surpassed that of the Sannin. His name shook the entire Shinobi World. I understand why you want to learn his swordsmanship. If I had talent with the sword, I would want to learn it too!"

As a shinobi from that era, Guy clearly understood the prestige and strength of Konoha's White Fang better than most.

Though it was now a thing of the past, powerful things would never be discarded by the times.

Thinking of how his best friend Kakashi had abandoned Hatake Kenjutsu after White Fang-senpai's death, Guy's thoughts raced. If someone could inherit White Fang-senpai's swordsmanship, it might not be a bad thing.

Xia Mu vs. Neji

Once Guy thought it through, he immediately felt enlightened.

He nodded in agreement. "All right. When I have time later, I'll introduce you to Kakashi. But whether he is willing to teach you Hatake Kenjutsu will depend on you."

"I understand. Thank you, Guy-sensei."

Xia Mu thanked him sincerely again. Then, when he looked up, a broad smile appeared on his face. "Guy-sensei, the Eight Gates are powerful, and Hatake Kenjutsu is powerful too. If I master both, I'll definitely surpass you and become Konoha's strongest shinobi!"

Guy was instantly fired up. "Good kid! You've got ambition! But you're still far from surpassing Konoha's Blue Beast! Still, for the sake of that passionate youthful ambition of yours, I'll give you this bodysuit!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a green bodysuit from who knew where.

The moment Xia Mu saw it, his scalp went numb.

Tenten could no longer endure it. She decisively spread her arms and stood in front of Xia Mu. "Absolutely not! I don't want my boyfriend to become a kappa!"

Rock Lee immediately objected. "What are you talking about, Tenten? This is proof of Guy-sensei's recognition of Xia Mu's youth! And how does it look like a kappa? It's obviously super cool!"

Guy wanted exactly that kind of recognition. Hearing this, he handed the bodysuit to Rock Lee. "Lee! Since Tenten won't let Xia Mu wear it, then I'll give it to you. I have seen the passion of your youth as well. Wear this outfit and go fulfill your dreams!"

"Oh! Thank you, Guy-sensei!"

Rock Lee was moved to tears and embraced Guy.

Behind them, it was as though they stood on a beach at sunset, waves crashing against the rocks along the shore as the scene froze completely.

Tenten's mouth twitched. She no longer knew where to begin complaining. Fortunately, Guy-sensei did not insist on giving the green bodysuit to Xia Mu, or her boyfriend really would have become a kappa.

Neji clearly was not very used to such a scene either.

After all, he came from a great clan with strict rules, so he had to observe etiquette in every action and gesture.

But now, seeing that his teacher and teammate were both such oddballs, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, he still acknowledged Guy-sensei's strength. As long as Guy-sensei could teach him to become stronger, he was willing to respect him.

However, there was something more important right now.

He suddenly looked at Xia Mu. "Xia Mu, Tenten has mentioned you many times and said you are much stronger than she is. I watched your battle with Guy-sensei just now. Although it was only a pure taijutsu fight, you truly are formidable. Please spar with me once. I want to see your real strength!"

Xia Mu was not surprised by this.

Geniuses all had their own pride, especially Neji, who was a rare Gentle Fist prodigy of the Hyuga Clan.

Even though Neji bore the Caged Bird Seal, he was extremely confident in his own strength. He had already been unhappy about failing to defeat Tenten before, and now Tenten was saying that Xia Mu was even stronger.

How could Neji possibly tolerate that?