When Ryosuke respectfully addressed him as "senpai," Might Guy was stunned. A Uchiha clan member speaking to him like that? He could hardly believe his ears.
Forget the Uchiha—Guy barely ever received that kind of respect from anyone in the village. Most people still viewed him as nothing more than a taijutsu nut, a dropout with no ninjutsu or genjutsu talent. But Guy knew better. His father, a master of taijutsu, once rescued him from the hands of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. From that moment, Guy firmly believed that taijutsu could forge a powerful shinobi.
Unfortunately, most of Konoha didn't share that belief. To them, he was just a backup, a last-place Genin, a joke.
So, hearing this Uchiha boy's tone now, Guy couldn't help but ask in disbelief, "You're… talking to me?"
Even Rock Lee, who stood nearby, was surprised. The prideful Uchiha acknowledging his teacher? That was monumental. And if Guy-sensei could gain that kind of recognition, it must mean that taijutsu truly held potential.
Ryosuke smiled earnestly. "Of course. I'm talking to you."
After all, this was the man who nearly kicked the final boss out of existence in the original series. Ryosuke genuinely admired Guy's courage and spirit. He had opened all Eight Inner Gates without hesitation, willing to sacrifice his life for the village. Compared to the Hokage and village elders—who only ever seemed to appear when it came to taking credit—Guy was a true hero in Ryosuke's eyes.
Guy, coming back to his senses, asked, "So, what brings you here?"
Ryosuke replied with a grin, "I was hoping to spar with you. A little taijutsu might help me grow stronger."
He didn't want to ask about the Eight Gates straight away—that would be too abrupt. But if he could build some rapport first, maybe he'd be able to learn it later. Knowing Guy's open-hearted nature, a sincere request might just be enough.
Guy, seeing Ryosuke's determined expression, couldn't help but flash his iconic thumbs-up with a dazzling white smile. "Of course!"
It had been a while since he had a good spar. Once upon a time, he sparred often with Konoha's prodigy Kakashi, but now Kakashi was tied up with ANBU duties and rarely had time. This was a golden opportunity.
He turned to Lee. "Lee, take a break and observe this match. It'll be good training for you."
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee obediently stepped aside, excited to witness this match. Uchiha vs. Guy-sensei—what kind of sparks would fly?
In the center of the training field, Might Guy assumed his stance and looked across at Ryosuke.
"Are you ready?"
Ryosuke activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. His crimson irises spun with power as the tomoe appeared.
He knew—against someone like Guy, he'd need his Sharingan just to keep up. Without it, he'd probably be knocked out before even seeing the first punch.
"I'm ready."
Guy blinked in mild surprise. The Uchiha boy was taking him seriously. Sharingan was no joke—it was the pride of the Uchiha, and Ryosuke was using it right from the start.
Guy's lips curved into a smile. A Uchiha with humility and respect? This was getting interesting.
"Alright then, I'm coming!"
He dashed forward in a burst of speed and threw a punch straight for Ryosuke's gut.
Ryosuke saw the movement—but seeing was one thing, reacting was another.
He had barely raised his arms to block when the punch connected—and sent him flying. His body slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.
Guy paused, momentarily startled. He'd used full strength out of respect, but maybe that had been too much?
Rock Lee scratched his head. He had expected a fierce back-and-forth... but Guy-sensei had launched him in one blow.
Lying on the ground, Ryosuke winced. His chest and back throbbed with pain.
Was Guy just that strong? Or was this body still too weak? He remembered blocking Asuma Sarutobi's attacks before—but now, against Guy, he hadn't even stood a chance.
At that moment, the Auto Cultivation System chimed in his mind:
"Your body has experienced intense pain. Cultivation speed increased."
"Strength +1, Speed +1, Constitution +1."
A wave of warmth rushed through him, dulling the pain. He felt a little stronger already.
Just one punch—and his stats increased?
If one punch gave him +1 to everything, what would a hundred, or a thousand punches do?
He pushed through the pain and launched himself up with a kip-up, grinning.
"Again, Guy-senpai!"
Guy had been worried the boy might need medical attention. But seeing him leap up with enthusiasm, he relaxed.
Ryosuke charged again—and this time, Guy reduced his strength, matching Ryosuke's pace.
The two exchanged blow after blow. It wasn't a real match, more of a guided spar, but to Ryosuke, it was golden.
He noticed the change in strength.
Damn, he's holding back… the system isn't responding.
He frowned. No new stat increases. Without real impact, he wasn't progressing.
"Guy-senpai," Ryosuke said mid-spar, "Please don't hold back. It's not exciting unless it's full force."
Guy paused, surprised again. He looked into Ryosuke's eyes and saw not arrogance—but determination and youthful passion.
"Understood," he said solemnly.
What followed was something the training field had never seen before—a Uchiha getting launched like a ragdoll repeatedly, only to stand up and keep fighting.
Time and again, Ryosuke rushed in, took hits, flew through the air, crashed down—and got back up, eyes burning with resolve.
Even Guy was impressed.
This was a Uchiha with grit.
Rock Lee stood on the sidelines, jaw slack, heart pounding. He couldn't help but feel admiration. That tenacity… that was the same fire that burned in his own soul.
No ninjutsu, no genjutsu—just pure, passionate training.
Ryosuke might be an Uchiha, but in that moment, he was walking the same path as them—the path of youth.