Whoosh!!
The next instant, Might Duy's body seemed to become a blur. In a flash, he appeared before a distant tree so thick it would take both arms to encircle it, and punched.
Boom!
With an explosive crash, the thick tree abruptly snapped under Might Duy's punch and came crashing to the ground.
After doing this, Might Duy remained where he stood, seemingly contemplating and reflecting in silence. He did not open the Sixth Gate.
After a while, Might Duy suddenly spoke toward the tree Uya was hiding behind. "Come out."
I've been spotted!
"..."
Uya stepped out, looking a little embarrassed. He had gotten too excited just now and inadvertently exposed himself.
Getting caught secretly watching someone train was always a little awkward.
Still, he had come here every day for two straight months. However weak Might Duy was in other areas, there was no way he hadn't noticed, Uya thought.
Yet Might Duy was not angry about Uya watching him in secret. Instead, he gave Uya a thumbs-up.
"Kid... you've been working hard."
As the green glow around him gradually faded, Might Duy gave a very rough-hewn grin.
Uya was instantly speechless.
Even if he's strong, will a goofball always be a goofball?
"Sorry, I've been secretly learning from you..." Uya said helplessly.
"It's fine. You have my permission!"
Might Duy laughed loudly, cutting Uya off.
Immediately afterward, Might Duy suddenly did something that nearly made Uya cough up blood.
He actually dropped to his knees, gazed up at the sky, and filled his eyes with tears.
"To think someone would be willing to learn taijutsu from me. Has my youth not faded yet...?"
Pfft!
Even with Uya's considerable tolerance, he had to struggle not to spit at the sight.
Seriously!!!
Might Duy, Might Guy, Rock Lee...
Their determination and resilience were all excellent, but why was each one an even bigger goofball than the last?
No wonder Might Duy was so strong yet remained an eternal genin... apart from taijutsu, fighting, and combat, he probably knew absolutely nothing about anything else, like reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance!
"Hahaha."
Might Duy stood back up and walked over to Uya, laughing, though his body trembled slightly.
This was not excitement. Opening the Fifth Gate was a strain on him at his current level.
Seeing this, Uya frowned slightly again.
The side effects of the Eight Gates Released Formation... really were...
Was there truly no way to avoid them?!
This thought rose in Uya's mind.
Meanwhile, Might Duy patted Uya's shoulder and said with complete seriousness, "Do you want to become my disciple? But that's impossible..."
"Because I'm only a genin. I'm not qualified to take disciples."
Might Duy gave a self-deprecating smile.
The corner of Uya's mouth twitched. Then he shrugged helplessly and said, "I've already been secretly learning from you for two months."
"What? Two months?!"
Might Duy stared at Uya in shock, circled him once, and looked so moved he was about to cry again.
"Boohoo... I never thought I'd still see a boy so devoted to taijutsu."
"..."
Uya really wanted to turn around and leave now.
He no longer had the energy to comment.
Moreover, Might Duy had actually only just realized he was watching in secret, probably because he had activated the Eight Gates Released Formation and Uya had neglected to conceal his presence in his surprise.
And I thought he'd known all along!
Uya was utterly speechless.
Over the course of two months, Might Duy's air of mystery had plummeted. Now, it had hit rock bottom.
"Ahem, actually... I have no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu. To be precise, I have some difficulty extracting chakra... so I can only train in taijutsu," Uya explained.
"Is that so?!"
Might Duy froze for a moment, then lunged straight at Uya for a hug in his excitement.
Uya instinctively tried to dodge, but failed, and found himself caught in Might Duy's exasperating embrace.
"Boohoohoo... we're truly brothers!!"
"Pfft!"
This time, Uya really couldn't hold it in.
Damn it, why does it feel like my dignity is going to be ruined if this keeps up?!
"Don't worry, don't worry!"
Might Duy released Uya and thumped his chest. "Even if you can't train in ninjutsu, you can still become an outstanding ninja!"
"Like you," Uya replied, truly too drained to comment further.
Might Duy immediately looked a little embarrassed. Even now, he was only a genin.
"That's not important. What matters is... boy, did you see the power I used just now?! That's a power I spent over a decade mastering!"
At this point, Might Duy showed a slightly more normal look of pride. "This is the ultimate forbidden technique that releases the body's limits: the Eight Gates Released Formation! There are eight gates in total. Opening them in sequence grants tremendous power. Even I've only trained up to the Seventh Gate."
Listening to Might Duy, Uya felt both surprised and somewhat enlightened.
The original story said he took twenty years to master the Eight Gates Released Formation. Since that point in the original story hasn't arrived yet, it makes sense that he's only reached the Seventh Gate.
In a few more years at most, after the Second War, Might Duy should be capable of opening all Eight Gates.
Seeing that Uya looked completely unsurprised, Might Duy's newly excited expression immediately fell again.
"You're... not interested at all...?"
"No, I'm very interested." Helpless, Uya could only put on a surprised and puzzled expression and ask a question he already knew the answer to. "Then what about opening the Eighth Gate?"
At this, Might Duy immediately grew excited again. Clenching his fist, he said, "With all Eight Gates open, you can definitely gain power rivaling Lord Hokage's... but... well, anyway, it's very powerful."
Remembering that the side effect of opening the Eighth Gate was death, Might Duy wavered again.
Uya was pondering how to obtain the specific training method when Might Duy patted his shoulder and spoke like an older brother. "Well? Want to learn?!"
Uya: "..."
It was that easy?!
Was it really okay to reveal a forbidden technique so casually?!
Still... thinking about something like the Eight Gates Released Formation, even if it were made completely public, probably few people would be willing to learn it. Having met Uya, who likewise had no talent for ninjutsu, it was natural enough for Might Duy to be so excited that he willingly offered it outright.
Of course, the most important factor was his goofy personality...
Might Duy actually looked as though he couldn't wait for Uya to agree, and as though he would cry if Uya refused to learn, leaving Uya helpless.
Just who was learning from whom here?!
"Of course I do!"
Without hesitation, Uya nodded firmly.
Since Might Duy was willing to teach him, Uya naturally would not let the opportunity slip by.
Although he might gradually comprehend the Eight Gates Released Formation himself by continually strengthening his body and slowly working it out, that would take a very long time. Naturally, it would not be as fast as obtaining it directly from Might Duy.
He had a duel to the death in three months!