When he heard this Uchiha call him "senpai," Might Guy genuinely doubted his ears.
He'd never gotten this kind of respect from an Uchiha—not even from most others in the village.
He knew full well that becoming a ninja through taijutsu alone was absolutely viable.
His own father had once rescued him from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist using only taijutsu.
Since then, he'd believed in taijutsu's power to create strong ninja.
But that belief hadn't spread widely. Most people still saw him as a dropout.
Guy asked in disbelief, "Are you talking to me?"
He just couldn't believe those words came out of an Uchiha's mouth.
Even Lee was surprised.
His teacher—recognized by an Uchiha as "senpai"?
What an honor.
The only thing Guy could be praised for was his taijutsu.
Because that's all he specialized in.
Looks like Sensei was right—
Taijutsu really does have a future.
Ryosuke spoke sincerely.
"Of course I meant you."
Might Guy was nearly the man who kicked the series to its end.
Ryosuke was genuinely impressed by his strength and spirit.
Even knowing that opening the Eight Gates would kill him, Guy didn't hesitate.
That kind of person—someone who protects the village with everything they've got—is truly admirable.
Unlike the Hokage or the elite council, who never show up when it matters but fight like hell when there's glory to grab.
Always chanting about the Will of Fire, yet never showing up to carry its burden.
It made no sense.
Guy snapped out of his shock.
"So, what brings you to me?"
Ryosuke smiled. "Would you spar with me? I think it might help me improve."
He couldn't just walk up and ask to learn the Eight Gates—that would be way too forward.
He'd try after they got familiar.
Given Guy's character, he'd probably agree if asked.
Seeing how serious Ryosuke looked, Guy instinctively gave a thumbs-up and flashed his pearly whites.
"Of course!"
His taijutsu growth wasn't just from hard work—it came from frequent sparring, too.
He used to spar with the Konoha genius Kakashi, but now Kakashi was in the ANBU and had no time.
Guy turned to Lee.
"Lee, stop training for now. Watch our sparring match—it'll help your growth."
"Got it."
Lee obediently stepped aside, eyes fixed on them.
Sensei was right—observing these two would help him a lot.
Uchiha vs. Guy—what kind of sparks would fly?
Lee watched with anticipation.
In the open training field, Guy took his stance and looked at Ryosuke.
"You ready?"
Ryosuke immediately activated his two-tomoe Sharingan.
His eyes turned red, and the two tomoe swirled into place.
Against the King of Taijutsu, if he didn't use Sharingan, he probably wouldn't even see the hits coming—let alone counter them.
"Ready."
Seeing the Sharingan, Guy was slightly surprised.
It meant Ryosuke respected him.
The Uchiha's combat power heavily relied on their eyes.
To use it against him—that was an honor.
He smiled genuinely.
"If you're ready, here I come!"
With that, Guy launched forward and threw a punch right at Ryosuke's gut.
Ryosuke saw the move, but barely got into a defensive stance before the blow landed.
His body flew backward and slammed hard into the ground.
Even Guy was a little stunned.
Ryosuke had used the Sharingan to show respect, so Guy went all out.
This Uchiha was… kind of weak.
Lee scratched his head.
He'd expected a fierce fight—but Ryosuke got sent flying with one hit.
Ryosuke lay on the ground, his back and chest aching.
Was Guy just too strong—or was this body just too weak?
He could barely hold off Asuma before. Against Guy, he didn't stand a chance.
So yeah—Asuma's taijutsu was nowhere near Guy's level.
As he struggled to get up, a voice rang in his mind.
『Your body feels intense pain. Cultivation speed increased.』
『Strength +1, Speed +1, Constitution +1』
Suddenly, a warm current flowed through his body—super refreshing.
His pain faded, and his body felt stronger.
He'd just gained stats?
Only 1 point each, sure. But in this body, even that was a huge boost.
If one punch gave +1, then getting hit a few thousand times would skyrocket his growth, right?
Enduring the pain, he kipped up in one smooth move.
"Again, Guy-senpai!"
Guy had been worried he wouldn't get back up.
Seeing his excitement now, he relaxed.
Then Ryosuke charged again, full of energy.
But this time, Guy didn't use his full strength.
He pulled back a bit to match Ryosuke's level.
The two began a back-and-forth, equally matched battle.
Ryosuke clearly felt Guy was going easier—he could handle his strikes now.
Which annoyed him.
No system pop-up. No stat boost. Total disappointment.
How was he supposed to get stronger like this?
"Guy-senpai, go back to that strength from earlier. It's not exciting enough otherwise!"
He needed real combat experience—and more stat gains.
Guy was taken aback.
At full power, Ryosuke might not be able to handle it.
But seeing that serious look in his eyes...
He nodded seriously.
"Alright."
What followed was a shocking scene—an Uchiha getting kicked and punched into the air repeatedly.
And that Uchiha kept charging back with excitement.
It was a wild sight. An Uchiha fighting with this kind of tenacity? It almost felt like a disgrace to the clan.
But Guy looked on seriously.
He saw fire and desire in Ryosuke's eyes.
The glow of youthful passion.
So he didn't hold back.
Even Lee was starting to admire this Uchiha.
His never-give-up attitude was deeply moving.