In the days that followed, Ryosuke trained alone, sticking to his One Punch Man routine.
Each day, his system only granted him:
Strength +1, Speed +1, Constitution +1.
He tried increasing the volume, but the bonus stayed the same. Compared to the attribute gains from sparring and getting beaten up, it was a bit disappointing.
Might Guy had gone out on a mission, only returning after seven days. The moment he came back, Ryosuke immediately sought him out to resume their sparring.
And so, a month passed in this cycle of beatings and training.
That day, in a quiet grove on the outskirts of Konoha—far from any passerby—Ryosuke, Guy, and Lee gathered once again.
"Let's spar," Ryosuke said, eager.
Guy looked at him with genuine surprise. Over the past month, Ryosuke's strength and speed had grown at a startling rate. Guy himself had been improving too, but Ryosuke's progress was even more obvious.
Facing him seriously, Guy readied his stance. "Come."
Ryosuke's Sharingan flared to life, twin Tomoe spinning in each eye. With it, he could not only read Guy's movements but also copy his taijutsu. Leaving such an advantage unused would be foolish.
Guy burst forward, fist aimed straight at Ryosuke.
But instead of dodging, Ryosuke matched him with a punch of his own.
Their fists collided with a thunderous crack. This time, Ryosuke didn't budge an inch.
Guy wasn't shocked—he had already sensed this coming. The boy who used to be sent flying with one blow now stood his ground. From stumbling back ten steps to holding even, Ryosuke's progress in a single month was undeniable.
Guy pressed the attack, refusing to judge based on one exchange.
Ryosuke sidestepped his strike, then countered with a heavy blow of his own. This time, he didn't hold back—he'd swallowed enough beatings already.
But Guy slipped away with a quick backflip, eyes flashing with surprise. Had he reacted a moment slower, he would've been hit.
He's forcing me to focus now, Guy realized. For the first time since sparring with Kakashi, he treated an opponent with full vigilance.
They traded blows for over ten minutes. Punch for punch, kick for kick, each landed hits on the other—but neither fell behind.
When they finally broke apart, both were bruised but steady.
Ryosuke was exhilarated. For the first time, he had struck Guy back as many times as he had been hit. No longer a punching bag, he was now a taijutsu fighter in his own right.
Finally, he thought, I've stepped onto the path of real combat.
Guy, too, was stunned. Ryosuke's speed, power, and even his fighting instincts were now on par with his own. That uncanny resemblance in technique—clearly the result of the Sharingan copying his style—made Guy both wary and impressed.
On the sidelines, Lee's jaw hung open. He knew all too well how far Ryosuke had come. Just a month ago, Ryosuke had been flattened by Guy with a single punch. And now… they were evenly matched.
Could it be true? Lee thought frantically. Did he really get stronger just by being beaten?
After all, Lee had been following the same training, letting Guy thrash him every day. He, too, had grown stronger, but nowhere near this fast.
Then a realization hit him: Maybe I'm not getting hit hard enough!
Taijutsu improvement depended on pushing the body past its limits. Ryosuke had been sparring against Guy's full power, while Lee had only taken controlled blows.
The idea lit up Lee's eyes like a beacon. Perhaps, if he endured harsher beatings, he too could soar to new heights.
Watching Guy and Ryosuke clash in front of him, Lee felt as if a door had just opened to his own path of glory.