Might Guy crouched in front of Shira, his wide eyes burning with raging flames as he examined him up close, full of surprise and curiosity.
"Oh ho ho! A young man from Sunagakure! You can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, yet you firmly believe you can become a great ninja with Taijutsu alone?! How unusual!"
Guy's voice was as loud and passionate as ever, but instead of immediately agreeing to Shira's request, he sprang to his feet and folded his arms. His smile grew even brighter, though it also held a scrutinizing look.
"Your determination and the look in your eyes are wonderful! They're full of the brilliance of youth! But..."
His tone shifted. He raised a finger, his voice turning a little more serious. "I, Might Guy, wield my Taijutsu to protect my comrades in Konoha and my beliefs! I cannot casually pass it on to someone from another village whose background and purpose are unknown! It's a matter of principle!"
His words rang with conviction, showing that he was no reckless fool who acted on passion alone.
Shira's heart tightened. He knew this was the most crucial hurdle.
He met Guy's gaze without flinching, his voice sincere and urgent. "Mr. Guy! I've been feeling my way along the path of Taijutsu on my own in the dark, and I've run into a bottleneck I can't overcome!"
"I've heard that you stand at the pinnacle of Taijutsu. All I ask is that, as a fellow Taijutsu practitioner, you have a brief spar with me! Please! Even if all you do is point out my shortcomings, it would be an immensely precious treasure to me! I'll be returning to Sunagakure with my family soon, so there isn't much time!"
His words were half truth and half falsehood. They expressed both his respect for Guy and the purity of his own path, while deftly scaling "instruction" down to "a one-time spar and a few pointers." He also imposed the time limit of his "imminent departure," greatly reducing the potential risks.
Guy stroked his chin, his thick eyebrows lifting. "Oh? You've been exploring Taijutsu on your own? Hit a bottleneck? And you want to spar with me? Interesting."
The scrutiny in his eyes gradually gave way to the interest of someone eager to test himself. He could sense a strange fluctuation of energy within the child before him, one that did not match his age, as well as a determined will bordering on stubbornness. It reminded him of himself back then...
"All right, young man!" Guy suddenly slapped his thigh and burst out laughing. "Although I can't teach you any specific techniques, a passionate challenge of youth knows no village boundaries. Let me use these fists to feel the measure of you!"
"Remember, this is just an exchange between Taijutsu practitioners! I won't use any chakra or Ninjutsu, so attack me with everything you've got! Come at me!"
"Yes! Thank you very much, Mr. Guy!" Shira was overjoyed. He immediately stepped back several paces and assumed the most solid basic Taijutsu stance he had honed through years of arduous training, his gaze becoming utterly focused.
"Come on, young man! Show me your youth!" Guy also assumed a standard opening stance, but he had clearly held back most of his strength, acting more like a sparring partner feeding Shira moves.
Shira did not immediately use his trump card. Instead, he held his speed and strength to the limits of his normal state and attacked first.
A straight punch! A side kick! An elbow strike! A low sweep!
His movements were swift and precise. With every move, Might Guy could feel Shira's dedication and love for Taijutsu. It made him even happier.
After all, ninja like him who specialized solely in Taijutsu were few and far between in this Shinobi World.
Shira's attacks grew fiercer and fiercer, yet Might Guy still met every one of them with effortless ease.
"Oh?! Very good! Your fundamentals are exceptionally solid! Your stance is very stable!"