The next morning, in the courtyard behind the Shinobi Tavern.
A white and a green streak of lights were fiercely battling.
They exchanged punches and kicks, the entire courtyard becoming their battlefield.
With each collision and exchange, the ground and walls occasionally collapsed and cracked, the fissures spreading like spiderwebs.
Might Duy, dressed in a green bodysuit and enveloped in a green aura, was steadily gaining the upper hand.
He moved like a green flash, using his speed advantage to launch attacks from all directions at his opponent.
But his opponent, Natsuhiko, knew how to fight back.
In every counterattack, Natsuhiko would set up a small white barrier in the direction of Might Duy's attack.
Although each barrier was easily shattered, the brief delay was enough to level the speed gap, allowing Natsuhiko to keep up with Might Duy.
Unable to secure victory after a prolonged assault, Might Duy spoke:
"Natsuhiko-Sensei, I'm going to accelerate now!"
"Gate of Pain, open!"
With that, his aura surged, his speed peaked, and he vanished instantly from Natsuhiko's sight!
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Natsuhiko, his right fist punching forward heavily.
With a mini-map in his head, Natsuhiko naturally knew Might Duy's location.
However, when Might Duy opened the Gate of Pain, his speed temporarily exceeded Natsuhiko's physical reaction limits.
He couldn't completely evade this strike despite the barrier's delay.
It seemed he had no choice but to use that move.
Natsuhiko's eyes sharpened, reacting in a split second.
The next moment.
A white flag floated above Natsuhiko's head, fluttering without wind.
Might Duy's fist stopped just before hitting the three-layered barrier shield on Natsuhiko's back.
Then, the green aura around Might Duy gradually dissipated.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko let out a sigh of relief.
Indeed, no one can defeat me before I surrender.
This white flag was their agreed-upon signal for surrender to prevent injuries.
It functioned similarly to a safeword.
"I lost again. Mr. Duy, your combat skills have improved rapidly."
Natsuhiko deactivated the barrier shield, turned around, and smiled in praise.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly. As expected of Guy's father.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
During yesterday's research group activity, Might Duy finally realized his strength.
And since Natsuhiko no longer had to worry about being accidentally killed by an overzealous punch from Might Duy, he sought him out early today for sparring to refine his taijutsu.
Might Duy also needed to address his lack of combat experience, so they hit it off, like thunder meeting fire, and had been fighting until now.
"Natsuhiko-Sensei, you're exaggerating. I still haven't figured out how to counter many of your moves."
Hearing Natsuhiko's praise, Might Duy smiled sheepishly, showing no difference from the perennial underdog he once was.
He needs to be made aware of his strengths.
"Those are just little tricks," Natsuhiko shrugged.
Through their sparring, Natsuhiko had noticed that their situations were quite the opposite.
He knew a lot of techniques but needed a decisive finishing move.
On the other hand, Might Duy had formidable raw strength but was straightforward and easily tricked by simple tactics.
The two could perfectly complement each other and address their shortcomings.
After half a day's sparring, both were somewhat exhausted, so they sat down to rest at a stone table in the courtyard.
Natsuhiko produced two water bottles, handed one to Might Duy, and opened the other to take a sip.
Then he asked, "By the way, Mr. Duy, what are your plans for the future?"
Might Duy almost choked on his water, looking nervously at Natsuhiko:
"Natsuhiko-Sensei, are you firing me?"
Natsuhiko's expression turned odd.
"Mr. Duy, knowing your strength now, do you still plan to stay at the tavern as a waiter?"
Wouldn't that mean giving him a job sweeping the floors?
"Being a waiter isn't so bad."
Might Duy scratched his head, smiling sheepishly.
"After all, the pay is good, the workload isn't heavy, and it gives me more time to spend with Guy."
"Plus, working at the tavern feels like home, with all the talented and pleasant customers—though they dress a bit strangely."
You're the last person who should say that!
Natsuhiko thought, looking at Might Duy's corrugated hair and green bodysuit.
Then he heard Might Duy suddenly reflect:
"If I'd known a few years ago, I might have pursued the real ninja life I dreamed of as a kid."
"Like protecting a fallen princess, saving a small country in crisis, or thwarting the evil ninja's plot to destroy Konoha."
Hey, your idea of a ninja's life is pretty strange!
Are you sure you're talking about something other than Naruto movie plots?
Natsuhiko continued to mock silently.
Might Duy added:
"After all, when I first started practicing the Eight Gates, I set a self-imposed restraint."
"The Eight Gates is a power for protection."
"Only when defending something truly important, even at the cost of my life, can I use the power of the Eight Gates."
"To die heroically like the heroes in the tales to save a country was once my greatest dream."
"So, ever since I started training in this technique, I've been searching for something worth dying for."
"But the funny thing is, when Guy was born, I truly had something worth protecting with my life, but I didn't want to die at all."
Might Duy looked at Natsuhiko with a self-mocking smile.
"Now I see, I've been subconsciously ignoring the signs that would reveal my true strength."
"Because only as the eternal underdog Might Duy could I stay by Guy's side and watch him grow."
Natsuhiko felt a bit guilty hearing this.
He had been proud of changing Might Duy's obscure fate but had yet to consider if that was what Might Duy wanted.
Seeing Natsuhiko's downcast expression, Might Duy quickly responded, waving his hands in front of his chest:
"I'm not blaming you, Natsuhiko-Sensei."
"On the contrary, I'm very grateful!"
"My previous life was peaceful, but there was a sense of self-deception."
"After all, a few years ago, even children under ten had to go to war. It was shameful of me to have strength and still hide behind others."
"So, seeing you provide ordinary students a path to strength yesterday was inspiring."
"At the very least, I should share the protective power of the Eight Gates with more people."
Hearing this, Natsuhiko perked up, raising an eyebrow: "Mr. Duy, do you plan to teach the Eight Gates to more people?"
Might Duy scratched the back of his head, embarrassed: "That's the plan, but I haven't figured out the specifics yet, so I'll need to trouble you to keep me on a bit longer..."
"Oh! Natsuhiko-Sensei, wait a moment."
With that, Might Duy seemed to remember something, left a quick word, and ran into the house.
Soon, he returned, holding an old scroll he had handed Natsuhiko.
"And this is?" Natsuhiko curiously took the scroll.
Might Duy gave a thumbs up and smiled:
"It contains the training methods for the Eight Gates and the insights I've gathered over the years. It's my gift to you, Natsuhiko-Sensei."
(End of chapter)
Chapter 106 is up on Patreon.
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