When Guy saw Ryosuke arrive, a small smile crossed his face. Knowing the young man's diligence, he figured Ryosuke must have been practicing the First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates on his own.
He asked, "Ryosuke, how's the training going? Even if you haven't succeeded yet, don't let it trouble you. The First Gate can't be rushed."
From their time together, Guy understood that Ryosuke was impatient by nature—otherwise, he wouldn't have invented that "get stronger by getting beaten" training method. That approach was practically masochistic. Only someone desperate for strength would devise such a way to train.
But even with Ryosuke's perseverance, opening the First Gate wasn't supposed to be easy. Guy himself had spent two years just to break through.
Ryosuke, however, smiled and said, "I already opened the First Gate yesterday. Now I'm here to learn the Second."
Guy blinked, startled. Two years for him, three days for Ryosuke. The difference was staggering.
Back then, he had feared the pain and spent years building his body before he could endure it long enough to succeed. Maybe Ryosuke's physique was simply far superior—strong enough that the First Gate had yielded so quickly.
Still, the pain shouldn't have been any less. That was the nature of taijutsu, and of the Eight Gates especially: overwhelming pain that ordinary people could never bear. No wonder the technique had never spread. Even if it had, few could endure its agony.
Guy found himself admiring Ryosuke.
"Ryosuke, you really are made for taijutsu. But don't rush into the next step. After opening the First Gate, you should solidify your foundation before moving forward."
Ryosuke nodded. Guy was right.
Though he'd succeeded in opening the Gate, he didn't yet know how long he could sustain it. Endurance required practice.
Yesterday, the thrill of success had led him to relax, then later to meet Kurenai. Still, that hadn't been wasted time—his chakra reserves had grown again.
Chakra was crucial for sustaining the Eight Gates. Even in the original story, Lee had only reached the Sixth Gate in the end, likely because his chakra pool wasn't large enough. Without ample reserves, the Seventh and Eighth Gates were impossible.
So, following Guy's advice, Ryosuke decided to get more accustomed to the First Gate before rushing ahead.
He refined his chakra and pressed against the Gate. It opened instantly—his second successful attempt. Not true mastery yet, but no real difficulty either.
Veins bulged on his forehead, his skin darkened, and his aura surged.
Guy watched in awe. He had already known Ryosuke could open it, but seeing it with his own eyes still shook him.
Now came the test: how long could Ryosuke maintain it?
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.
Ryosuke remained in the state, showing no signs of strain.
Guy's shock deepened. When he had first opened the Gate, he had only lasted a single minute before his body gave out and it closed on its own. Back then, he simply hadn't had the chakra to sustain it.
But Ryosuke lasted thirty full minutes before his face finally tightened with effort.
Even so, it was enough to leave Guy stunned. Three days, and he could already hold the First Gate open half an hour. Ryosuke was clearly a taijutsu prodigy—even more suited to the Eight Gates than Guy himself.
Guy finally spoke. "Ryosuke, that's enough. I'll teach you the Second Gate now."
Ryosuke stopped his chakra flow. The First Gate shut, his skin tone returned to normal, but fatigue washed over him.
This weakness was the inevitable side effect of the Eight Gates. But with his body growing stronger by the day, Ryosuke believed he could overcome even that. As long as he managed his time properly, he could avoid collapsing into full exhaustion.
Guy began to explain the Second Gate. Like before, it required forcing chakra through, this time at a different point.
"The Gate of Rest lies in the brain as well, opposite the First Gate. The First is on the right; the Rest Gate is on the left."
He demonstrated, channeling chakra. Veins bulged across both sides of his forehead now, and his skin darkened even more than before.
"This Gate releases the body's limiters on fatigue. It forcibly restores stamina, counteracting the rapid drain from the First Gate."
Ryosuke's Sharingan spun to life, tracking every flow of chakra, memorizing the exact position of the Rest Gate.
After a short recovery, he sat cross-legged again. He followed the same approach as before, slowly building chakra pressure so he wouldn't faint.
But as he pressed against the Rest Gate, the pain crashed over him like a wave—harsher than the First Gate, overwhelming.
Were it not for his earlier experience, he might have blacked out immediately.
He clenched his teeth, enduring, and kept channeling chakra toward the Rest Gate.
This was far harder.
Sweat poured down his face as the minutes dragged by. After an hour, his body trembled, his hair clinging wet to his forehead.
Watching him push so recklessly, Guy felt his scalp prickle.
'So this is how he trains? Without any thought for his own safety?'
Even Guy, with all his tolerance for pain, wouldn't have dared this.
He stepped forward, voice urgent. "Ryosuke, don't be reckless! If you force it, you might cause permanent brain damage!"