Hearing how the Uchiha addressed him, Might Guy almost doubted his ears.
From an Uchiha, of all people, he had never received such respect. In fact, he rarely received it from anyone at all.
Though Guy knew that relying solely on taijutsu to walk the path of a shinobi was possible—his own father had once saved him from the terrifying Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist with nothing but taijutsu—most of the village saw things differently.
That story had never spread far; only a few knew the truth.
To most, he was still nothing but "dead last."
In disbelief, Guy asked,
"You… you were talking to me?"
He could hardly believe such words came from the mouth of an Uchiha.
Even Rock Lee looked surprised.
His teacher, praised by one of the proud Uchiha? To be called "senpai"? That was an honor beyond compare.
If the Uchiha acknowledged anything about his teacher, it could only be his taijutsu.
It proved what Lee had always been told—taijutsu truly had limitless potential.
Ryosuke answered with sincerity.
"Of course I was talking to you."
This was Might Guy—the man who, in the original tale, had nearly kicked the story to its end.
His heart, his spirit, his will… Ryosuke deeply respected this man.
Even knowing that opening the Eight Inner Gates meant death, he had not hesitated.
That kind of resolve, that kind of selfless courage to protect the village—that was worthy of respect.
Unlike the Hokage and the other leaders, who were absent when sacrifice was needed, but quick to appear when it was time to claim glory.
Forever preaching their so-called Will of Fire.
Their hypocrisy was disgusting.
Guy blinked, then steadied himself.
"So, what did you come here for?"
Ryosuke smiled.
"I was hoping to spar with you in taijutsu. It might help me improve."
He couldn't just ask outright to be taught the Eight Inner Gates. Not yet.
First, he would earn Guy's trust. With Guy's character, a sincere request was sure to be accepted eventually.
Guy studied his serious expression, then raised his thumb with a shining grin.
"Of course!"
For him, growth in taijutsu came not only from hard training, but also from sparring against many opponents.
Once, he had sparred often with Kakashi, but Kakashi was now buried in Anbu duties.
He barely had time to face Guy anymore.
Guy glanced at Rock Lee.
"Lee, stop your training for now. Watch our sparring closely—it will help your own progress."
"Yes, sensei!" Lee responded dutifully, stepping aside to watch.
His teacher was right—observing this fight would benefit his own growth.
An Uchiha versus Guy-sensei… what kind of sparks would fly?
Lee's eyes shone with excitement.
In the empty training ground, Guy lowered himself into a stance, focusing on the Uchiha before him.
"Are you ready?"
Ryosuke immediately activated his Sharingan.
His eyes turned scarlet, two tomoe swirling slowly into place.
Against Guy, without the Sharingan, he wouldn't even be able to follow his movements—let alone fight back.
"Ready."
Guy's eyebrows lifted in surprise at the sight of the two-tomoe Sharingan.
For the Uchiha to reveal their eyes so openly… it was proof that this young man truly respected him.
After all, much of the Uchiha's combat strength lay in their dōjutsu.
Encountering such a strange Uchiha clansman, Guy actually felt very happy.
"Ready? Then I'll make my move."
Without hesitation, Might Guy rushed forward and drove his fist straight into Ryosuke's stomach.
Although Ryosuke's Sharingan had tracked the movement, just as he was raising his guard, the blow smashed into him.
His body was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.
This sight made Guy pause for a moment.
The opponent had activated his Sharingan out of respect for him, so naturally Guy had used his full strength.
But this Uchiha seemed a little weak.
Off to the side, Lee scratched his head in confusion.
He had expected a tough battle, yet the other guy had been blown away by just one punch from Guy-sensei.
Ryosuke, sprawled on the ground, felt the pain burning in his chest and back.
Should he say it was Guy being too strong, or his own body being too weak?
He had been able to just barely withstand Sarutobi Asuma's attacks, but against Might Guy's taijutsu, he couldn't even hold a single blow.
It seemed Asuma's taijutsu couldn't compare to Guy's at all.
Just as he was struggling to get up, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Your body feels intense pain. Training speed accelerated.""Strength +1, Speed +1, Constitution +1."
At once, a warm current surged through his body, soothing him immensely.
The pain dulled, replaced by a sense of newfound strength.
So being beaten can actually raise my stats?
Even though it was only +1, and the number seemed small, for this body it was already a huge improvement.
And if one punch gave him +1… wouldn't a few thousand punches let him soar to the heavens?
Suppressing the pain, he sprang to his feet in a swift carp-leap.
"Guy-senpai, again!"
Guy had been worried this Uchiha wouldn't be able to stand, but seeing him rise with such energy, he relaxed.
Then he saw Ryosuke rush forward once more, eyes blazing with eagerness.
This time, however, Guy didn't want to use the same level of force.
Instead, he toned down his strength, meeting Ryosuke's offensive with controlled blows.
The two of them traded strikes, clashing back and forth in what looked like a balanced fight.
But Ryosuke quickly noticed the difference—Guy's speed and power were being suppressed, allowing him to withstand the attacks.
That only made him dissatisfied.
Without the system chime of new stat increases, he felt bitterly disappointed.
How am I supposed to get stronger like this?
"Guy-senpai, use the same force as before! Otherwise, it isn't exciting enough!"
Only that way could he gain real combat experience—and more attribute points.
Guy blinked at his words.
If he used his full strength again, the boy might not withstand it.
But seeing the seriousness in Ryosuke's eyes, he answered just as seriously:
"Alright."
What followed was a shocking scene—an Uchiha clansman being pummeled again and again, sent flying by Guy's fists and kicks.
Yet every time, that Uchiha charged back with excitement, attacking once more.
An Uchiha, known for their pride and arrogance, enduring this kind of beating so stubbornly—it was almost shameful for their clan.
But Guy's expression was deadly earnest.
Because in Ryosuke's eyes, he saw burning passion and determination.
The radiance of youth.
Even Lee, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel admiration for this Uchiha.
Such unyielding perseverance deeply moved him.