After being blasted away for the fifth time, Ryōsuke's entire body throbbed.
But his heart?
His heart was soaring.
Because with every punch, every kick, every time his ribs screamed—
The system chimed beautifully inside his mind.
Warm currents surged through his limbs, numbing pain and knitting muscle fibers back together.
He could feel himself strengthening—bit by bit, blow by blow.
If his body weren't hitting its limit, he wouldn't have stopped.
If he could endure more, he would've gladly let Guy pummel him until sunset.
This kind of power-up?
You had to savor it.
He stood up shakily—bruised, battered, but grinning.
"Thank you for today's guidance, Guy-senpai."
Guy looked at his swollen face and felt his chest tighten with admiration.
During the spar, Ryōsuke's eyes had burned with hunger—
A desire to grow stronger no matter the pain.
That kind of tenacity was rare even among taijutsu practitioners.
Guy bowed his head slightly.
"You fought well."
Just then, several Konoha chūnin in flak jackets pushed through the crowd.
They had been patrolling when they noticed the commotion.
But when they saw what was happening, their expressions twisted.
Uchiha Ryōsuke—
the grandson of the clan's Grand Elder—
Bruised from head to toe.
Beaten.
By Might Guy, a man famous for failing the basic ninjutsu graduation exam.
The Uchiha chūnin were instantly furious.
Ryosuke's strength was unimpressive, yes—
But his parents had died protecting both clan and village.
He was the last heir of an elder's line.
And now he'd been beaten black and blue in public?
That was an insult to the Uchiha name.
One Uchiha patrolman stepped forward, eyes cold.
"How dare you lay hands on an Uchiha, Might Guy!
Come with us to the Police Force—now."
Villagers around them froze.
They knew the truth—this was a consensual spar.
But they wouldn't dare defend Guy.
Offend the Uchiha Police Force, and you'd end up in jail.
And yes—Guy had hit him.
Quite hard, in fact.
Guy stiffened, panic flashing across his face.
"W–wait! This was a friendly spar! We agreed to it!"
But the Uchiha chūnin wouldn't listen.
"He is injured.
You beat him.
Intentional or not, this disgraces the clan.
You will be detained."
Several patrolmen moved to surround Guy.
Guy, sweating, looked helpless.
He had injured an Uchiha, and on paper—even an accidental injury could justify arrest.
He might really get dragged away.
But suddenly—
"STOP.
All of you—what do you think you're doing?"
Ryōsuke's voice cracked across the training field like a whip.
The Uchiha patrolmen hesitated.
"Ryosuke, this isn't just about you," one said sharply.
"He injured you—our clan's honor is on the line!"
"If we don't bring him in, where is the Uchiha's dignity?"
Ryōsuke's eyes narrowed in disgust.
"This?
This is what you call dignity?"
He stepped forward, gaze cold.
"Honor is earned through strength—
not by bullying innocent people under the Police Force's name."
"This spar was my request.
Guy-senpai did nothing wrong.
Drop it."
The patrolmen opened their mouths, but Ryōsuke's expression made them freeze.
After a tense moment:
"…Fine. We'll report this to Captain Fugaku."
Ryosuke snorted.
Let them.
This so-called Police Force…
How could they expect respect when they didn't even follow their own rules?
Dismissing them with a wave, he turned to Guy.
"Sorry. My clansmen embarrassed themselves."
Guy flailed both hands quickly.
"No, no—don't worry about me!"
He'd been mocked since childhood for lacking ninjutsu talent.
He was used to ridicule—this was nothing.
Compared to Ryōsuke's bruises, he certainly wasn't the victim.
Guy scratched his cheek, then asked cautiously:
"Uchiha Ryōsuke—may I call you that?"
Ryōsuke chuckled.
"Just call me Ryōsuke. No need for formality."
If he wanted to learn the Eight Gates, he needed a good relationship with Guy.
Guy's face brightened instantly.
"Then call me Guy.
My friends call me that."
Ryōsuke smiled warmly.
"Then—Guy it is."
And he could already guess who else called Guy that:
Kakashi.
The only one who ever took him seriously—
The same Kakashi who later learned the Eight Gates directly from him.
Well then—
If Kakashi could learn them…
So could he.
Not just for the Eight Gates—
But because Ryōsuke truly respected Might Guy.
A man born with nothing—
No Kekkei Genkai, no clan prestige,
Yet he climbed to the summit of power through pure heart and effort.
A man who burned brighter than anyone.
After Saying Goodbye
Ryōsuke headed back to the Uchiha district.
He was aching all over—wandering around any longer would be stupid.
Time to apply some medicine, rest up…
And tomorrow?
Get beaten again.
His stats needed to rise.
The stronger his body, the more benefit he'd gain from the Eight Gates.
Yes—unlocking the lower gates didn't boost power too much.
But the Sixth or Seventh Gate?
That required monstrous physical conditioning and shaved away lifespan.
A normal man might die.
But he wasn't normal.
He was a transmigrator with two systems—
One of which literally encouraged him to live long and have many children.
He couldn't afford to shorten his life.
Not yet.
He needed a body so tough,
so durable,
so overwhelmingly powerful—
That opening the Seventh Gate wouldn't kill him.
Maybe—just maybe—
If his stats grew high enough…
Even his Seventh Gate could rival Might Guy's Red Beast.
He just had to keep getting stronger.
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