Eight Extremities vs. Steel Fist
For Shirō, the current priority was to deepen his understanding of Magecraft.
The core of his abilities lay in Projection Magic. By advancing his magical knowledge, he could refine his grasp of Projection and eventually lay the foundations for constructing his own Reality Marble. Compared to that, everything else—Ninjutsu, sealing, martial arts—were only supplements to cover Magecraft's shortcomings.
Unfortunately, he could no longer use Projection Magic freely due to his damaged circuits. Medea's stolen knowledge sat frustratingly out of reach. Still, he could analyze and study the theory with his existing foundation—it was just slower.
Early the next morning, before Qieshi went to work, Shirō followed him to the medicinal fields to learn basic management. At the very least, he had to know how to keep records properly.
Afterward, he went to find Hatake Sakumo to report his recent training results and explain his long-term cultivation plan.
There was a difference between "training" and "cultivation." Training was what Sakumo arranged for him—chakra control drills, physical conditioning, and daily shinobi basics. Cultivation, however, was the path Shirō chose for himself: the study of Magecraft, specific ninjutsu, and the martial arts he would specialize in.
In martial arts, he had already decided: Eight Extremities Fist (Bājíquán).
With Li Shuwen's memories as a reference, he knew its depth and danger. Even focusing solely on Eight Extremities would be a lifelong challenge—let alone juggling ninjutsu and Magecraft. His reason for practicing it was simple: to have a trump card in close quarters when disarmed. One style was enough.
However, when Shirō reached Sakumo's house, the White Fang wasn't there. He guessed he was busy with ANBU affairs and chose not to disturb him.
Instead, he decided to head to the training grounds for some physical drills—his injuries only prevented chakra use, not pure body training.
As he approached, he heard a booming, all-too-familiar voice:
"Five thousand push-ups! If you can't, then five thousand high kicks!"
That voice could only belong to one man. Shirō smiled faintly.
Inside, Might Dai was already drenched in sweat, his son Guy struggling beside him. Their Spartan training was relentless; they simply swapped to another exercise each time they reached their limit, never stopping.
Shirō stepped forward. "Uncle Dai, wait a moment. I have a better training method."
Dai straightened, grinning even as sweat poured down his face. "Shirō! Long time no see! What youthful flame do you bring today?"
"Uncle Dai… can you stop moving for one second?"
"Hah! Youth cannot stop, even for a heartbeat! Speak, I'll listen while training!"
"…Fine. Do you remember the Eight Extremities Fist I showed you and Guy before?"
Dai paused, recalling. "Ah, the foreign taijutsu…Guy and I never managed to learn it, right?"
"That's the one."
After Shirō had gained proficiency in Eight Extremities, he had attempted to pass it to Dai and Guy in return for the Eight Inner Gates training. But it had been a mismatch.
Steel Fist—Dai's style—focused on raw external power and conditioning. Eight Extremities, while explosive, contained layers of force: Ming Jin (obvious force), An Jin (hidden force), and Hua Jin (transforming force). The subtleties baffled Dai and Guy. They could grasp Ming Jin, but the other two clashed with their path of breaking limits through pure vigor and the Gates. For them, Eight Extremities was impractical.
Still, Dai respected Shirō's pursuit. He dropped into stance. "So… you want to test it against me?"
"Exactly. I've been working on an application. If Uncle Dai spars with me—even with your weights on—it'll help me polish my moves."
Dai's grin widened. "Yosh! Then let's do 500 later! First, we spar! Do you need to warm up?"
Instead of answering, Shirō inhaled and shifted. His joints cracked audibly, body loosening as he activated Eight Extremities' force method. That alone impressed Might Dai.
"Interesting! Then… come at me, Shirō!" Might Dai said, sliding into his Steel Fist stance.
"Excuse me then, Uncle Dai."
Shirō lunged, executing Fierce Tiger Ascends the Mountain—one of Eight Extremities' signature opening strikes. His footwork was sharp, momentum driving his whole body like a cannon blast.
But Dai blocked effortlessly, redirecting with one arm.
Without hesitation, Shirō chained into Explosive Strike Interception, trying to follow momentum with momentum. Again, Dai parried.
One after another, Shirō unleashed the Eight Extremities' core movements. But his transitions were stiff, his rhythm broken. Each time, Dai intercepted before he could maintain momentum.
Yet Dai never struck back. Not because he feared hurting him—Dai's weighted kicks without chakra wouldn't kill, at worst draw blood. But because he saw Shirō's flaw: poor flow between techniques. This spar would teach more than a thousand drills.
Shirō realized this too. Rather than discouraging him, it lit a fire. Again and again, he attacked, refining his movements under Dai's guidance.
By the end, both understood. For now, Shirō would focus on the Eight Extremities' Eight Main Gates—the core power methods—before touching on its more intricate "Six Openings."
That was the path forward.
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