The Forest of Death.
Two figures clashed at blinding speed, so fast that their faces blurred into streaks of motion.
Kitazawa stopped in his tracks, surprise flickering across his face.
His reason for sneaking out of school today was to find Might Guy. Bringing Hinata along was just an excuse to fold her special training into the trip.
He didn't interrupt. Instead, he stood still, quietly appreciating the spectacle of a one-on-one battle between men.
Both combatants were familiar faces.
Might Guy—green spandex clinging to his every limb, his style strange enough to make anyone do a double take.
Across from him, Hatake Kakashi wasn't much less striking—his shock of silver hair and ever-present mask that hid everything but his right eye made him unforgettable.
Kitazawa fixed his gaze on Guy.
Soon enough, he caught sight of Guy unleashing the Leaf Great Whirlwind.
With nothing better to do, Kitazawa memorized the motions.
But he knew: copying the movements wasn't enough. Taijutsu wasn't just about form—it was about power, timing, flow. Without a Sharingan, he would need a teacher.
Bang!
The two men disengaged, breaking apart.
"That's enough for today," Kakashi said flatly, pausing for just a moment before adding, "Kitazawa's here. He must need something."
"We'll pick this up next time then," Guy answered, a little disappointed.
"Guy."
Kitazawa stepped forward with a smile. "Kakashi."
Kakashi's single visible eye flicked to Hinata, who was half-hiding behind Kitazawa. "Strange time for you to be out here."
"Class just ended. I had free time." Kitazawa gestured toward Hinata. "This is my student, Hyuga Hinata."
"I've always admired the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist." Guy's eyes lit up.
"She's just a child," Kakashi cautioned.
Guy scratched his head, sheepish.
The Hyuga weren't unapproachable, but like the Uchiha, they were a clan wrapped in stiff tradition.
"Guy, I came to ask you for a favor," Kitazawa said bluntly.
"Then I'll leave you two to it." Kakashi didn't even wait for a reply before vanishing.
Kitazawa's lips twitched. No doubt Kakashi bolted so quickly because he dreaded being dragged into Guy's endless challenges.
In the original story, Guy had hounded him daily—sparring, racing, testing everything. A good man fears a clingy man, as the saying went.
"Can you teach me the Leaf Great Whirlwind?" Kitazawa asked.
"Of course!" Guy's teeth gleamed as he flashed a thumbs-up. "The fire of youth should be shared! Taijutsu, sweat, and passion—we burn together!"
Given that Guy would eventually even share the forbidden Eight Gates technique with Kakashi, a basic move like the Great Whirlwind was practically nothing.
"Thanks."
An idea sparked in Kitazawa's mind. "Do you know Rock Lee?"
Kitazawa had always believed in settling debts—gratitude repaid, grudges avenged.
Guy was powerful but eccentric, a man with few close friends.
Lee, though… Lee was practically his mirror, and in the original timeline, they would find each other as teacher and disciple six years later.
Kitazawa could help that happen sooner.
"Rock Lee? Never heard of him." Guy thought for a moment, then shook his head.
Not surprising—Lee was only a second-year student right now.
"He's in Class 2-A," Kitazawa explained. "If you have time, you should meet him."
"…Why?" Guy tilted his head.
"I think he's got the spirit of youth," Kitazawa said with a smile. "Perfect for your taijutsu."
"Really?"
Guy trembled, eyes wide. In the ninja world, the bond between teacher and student was sacred, powerful. Every shinobi dreamed of passing their techniques on.
But for Guy, finding a student was harder than most—after all, who would willingly train under the brutal Eight Gates style?
"You'll see for yourself," Kitazawa said confidently. "He won't disappoint you."
"Splendid!" Guy froze, his whole body shaking as tears burst from his eyes. "This must be… the power of YOUTH!"
Kitazawa sighed inwardly. Truly a sight to behold.
Hinata, meanwhile, was completely stunned. What on earth… what a bizarre grown-up.
"Excellent!"
Guy swiped away his tears. "Let's begin a lesson in youth, right here and now!"
"Hinata, since you're here, you should join in too," Kitazawa added.
"O-okay." Hinata nodded timidly.
"Watch closely!"
Guy planted himself before a tree, shouting, "Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
His leg lashed out—a low sweeping kick that slammed into the trunk, then spun upward in a powerful high kick.
BOOM!
The tree shuddered violently. Leaves rained down as a deep groove carved itself into the bark.
"What destructive power…" Kitazawa muttered, awed.
Of course, it made sense. Guy's work ethic in the original story was beyond comparison. Eat, sleep, train—that was his life.
"Your turn!"
Guy stepped aside.
Kitazawa stepped forward, imitating the motion. His kick snapped out, crisp and fluid.
"Wow! Amazing!" Hinata exclaimed before she could stop herself.
"You've done this before?" Guy asked, astonished at the precision.
"No." Kitazawa shook his head.
He hadn't studied the Great Whirlwind before—but he had already mastered the Leaf Whirlwind. Adapting came naturally.
"Kitazawa, you must study taijutsu with me!" Guy declared, eyes burning.
"I don't have that much time to devote to training," Kitazawa said quickly, coughing to soften the refusal. "Besides, we're classmates. If I become your student too, the generations get messy."
Eight Gates training? That was a lifetime of suffering. He had a system now—why chain himself to such torture?
By noon, after two hours of sweat, Kitazawa had fully learned the Leaf Great Whirlwind.
[Current Quest: Master a C-rank jutsu faster than Uchiha Sasuke.]
[Reward: Manipulated Shuriken Technique.]
[Quest complete. Reward granted.]
The Manipulated Shuriken Technique—a blend of ninjutsu and skill, using invisible threads to guide shuriken mid-flight, turning them into hidden traps of deadly precision.
"Guy, thank you for today. Lunch is on me. What do you want to eat?" Kitazawa asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Ichiraku Ramen," Guy answered without hesitation.
"How about you, Hinata?" Kitazawa turned to her.
Her pale face glistened with sweat, her normally neat hair falling in messy strands.
"I-I'm fine," she panted softly.
"Then it's decided," Kitazawa said. "We'll head to Ichiraku. And while we're at it… I'll begin the second stage of your training."