Ryosuke was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground.
In his mind, the system's mechanical voice chimed in:
"Strength +1. Agility +1. Constitution +1."
At the same time, a warm current flowed through his body, soothing some of the pain.
That intoxicating feeling of growing stronger… it made even the sharp sting of his injuries tolerable.
He scrambled back to his feet.
This wasn't just about taking hits to boost his stats—today, he also wanted to sharpen his combat skills.
A powerful body without technique was wasted strength.
And before him stood the man who would one day be hailed as the greatest taijutsu user in the ninja world.
Even if Guy hadn't yet reached his peak, his taijutsu now was already overwhelming.
No training could compare to this.
Ryosuke launched himself forward, punching straight at Guy's face with full force.
If he didn't go all out, how could he expect Guy to take him seriously?
Guy easily sidestepped, his knee rising sharply.
It slammed into Ryosuke's stomach.
He crumpled, clutching his gut, nearly vomiting bile from the impact.
But Guy didn't press the attack. This was a spar, not a fight to the death.
With a serious look, Guy spoke:
"Ryosuke, you have the Sharingan, but you're not really using it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be falling so easily."
Ryosuke raised his head slowly.
He'd only been fighting with the Sharingan for two days—of course he had no experience.
Up until now, he'd relied purely on instinct. He hadn't fully read his opponent's movements.
"I'll remember that," he said.
Guy stepped back, giving him space.
"Come again."
This time, Ryosuke focused—not just on where he wanted to strike, but on Guy's entire body.
He lunged, fist aimed for Guy's face.
Guy prepared to evade again, ready to counter with a punch to the gut.
But Ryosuke had anticipated it. He tracked Guy's whole body, and at the moment of attack, raised his left arm to block.
He didn't dare use his right hand—it would never pull back in time before Guy's blow landed.
Still, even with the left arm, Guy's punch smashed through, sending him flying once more.
He hit the ground hard.
The system's voice rang again, followed by the familiar rush of warmth easing his pain.
Guy stood straight, a flicker of envy in his eyes.
His taijutsu far outstripped Ryosuke's.
But Ryosuke had the Sharingan—and under his guidance, he was already starting to use it properly.
Any other shinobi would be blind to his feints, unable to react.
Only those crimson eyes could keep up.
Ryosuke pushed himself up again, charging once more.
He was knocked down, again and again.
But with every blow, his Sharingan grew sharper, his movements more precise.
No longer a clueless amateur, he was grasping the fundamentals of close combat.
And with each beating, his stats climbed—five points gained in total.
After that, no matter how many more hits he took, his stats didn't continue to rise.
Maybe this was the daily limit for attribute increases.
Still, this sparring session had lasted much longer than before.
His Sharingan began to ache slightly.
Ordinary Sharingan use didn't carry the risk of blindness.
But if he continued, he might collapse and have to be carried home.
Naturally, he didn't want something like that to happen.
Panting heavily, he said,
"Guy, let's stop here for today."
"Alright," Might Guy readily agreed.
Although the other's taijutsu wasn't as good as his, he felt no dislike for sparring with him.
Ryosuke acknowledged his strength, which was why he came to him in the first place.
And real combat gave Guy a chance to review his own techniques.
What surprised him was that the other's strength and speed seemed to have increased somewhat.
Rationally, that was impossible—improving power and speed wasn't something that happened overnight.
Yet he still had that distinct impression.
On the sidelines, even Lee was deeply moved by this Uchiha clansman.
Time after time, he was knocked down, yet time after time, he got back up.
As a member of the proud Uchiha clan, he still worked so hard at taijutsu training.
It proved that taijutsu was useful. Maybe it really was possible to become a ninja through taijutsu alone—fulfilling Lee's own dream of becoming a true shinobi.
After Ryosuke left, Lee turned to Guy.
"Guy-sensei, I think I'll head home too."
He was still young, and the earlier twenty laps around Konoha had already been heavy enough, pushing his body to its limit.
Guy had warned him before: train hard, but never exceed your body's limit—otherwise, injuries would come easily.
But this time, Guy suddenly spoke up.
"Lee, wait. During my sparring with Ryosuke just now, I thought of a new training method. It might be very effective."
"Do you want to give it a try?"
Lee couldn't help but ask,
"Guy-sensei, what kind of training method is it?"
Since becoming Guy's student, he had learned proper taijutsu training methods, and his results had improved greatly.
Unlike before, when he trained blindly, working hard but gaining little.
Now, with efficient methods, he could grow stronger faster, and sooner become a ninja—just like his teacher.
Guy looked at Lee, smiling.
"It's actually simple. Just… take a beating."
Hearing this, Lee's excitement instantly deflated.
He wasn't afraid of hardship, he wasn't afraid to train his body—but he didn't want to become a punching bag.
"Guy-sensei, does that really work?"
"Of course it works," Guy answered without hesitation.
"You might not have noticed while watching, but in my sparring with Ryosuke, I could clearly feel it—his speed and strength really did increase a bit."
Lee still looked unconvinced. Guy-sensei's perception probably wasn't wrong, and maybe Ryosuke really had gotten stronger.
But there could be other reasons.
Maybe Ryosuke had just been in better condition today. Many factors could explain it.
Seeing Lee's silence, Guy assumed he didn't believe him. In truth, even he wasn't completely sure himself.
"Still, we should give it a try. Maybe it really will have amazing effects."
Hearing this, Lee reluctantly agreed.
"Alright, Guy-sensei."
Guy stroked his chin, glancing at Lee's already exhausted body.
"Better save it for another time—when you're rested."