---
Boom!
As soon as the words fell, Ye Dou had already driven his fist into Might Guy's stomach with full force.
Originally, he had aimed for Guy's face, but his height didn't allow it. Instead, he could only strike the man's abdomen.
There was no chakra enhancement, no special technique—just a simple, raw punch.
Yet, as Ye Dou's fist connected, Might Guy's tightly shut eyes snapped open in shock, nearly bulging out of their sockets.
Unbelievable!
Even in his wildest imagination, Guy hadn't expected that a boy not even six years old could deliver such a devastating blow.
Guy quickly assessed the strength behind the attack. If this punch had landed on an ordinary genin or even a low-ranking chunin, they wouldn't have been able to withstand it. Some might have even been knocked out cold.
"At this age, he's already built his body to such a level… Have I encountered a true genius?"
The realization made Guy's heart race with excitement. What teacher wouldn't want a disciple who could surpass them?
A child this young, without any advanced training, already had the physical prowess of a seasoned ninja. Possibly even higher—considering he hadn't even started using taijutsu-specific conditioning yet.
There was no doubt—Ye Dou had a natural talent for raw physical power.
"You okay, sensei?"
Guy straightened up, forcing a confident grin despite the fact that his right hand instinctively covered his abdomen. His legs trembled slightly, betraying the pain.
"No… No problem at all!" he declared, giving a thumbs-up. "Have you forgotten? Your teacher is the man who has defeated Kakashi in battle fifty times!"
"Really? That's good to hear."
Ye Dou observed him closely. Despite his bravado, Guy was clearly feeling the effects of that punch. He had managed to catch his teacher off guard—a rare feat indeed.
Though it hadn't truly injured him, there was no question that it hurt.
---
Later, in the forest…
Might Guy watched Ye Dou with pure excitement.
At first, he had simply admired the boy's determination and hard work. He had planned to train him into a fine Konoha shinobi—someone with a strong will of fire.
But now, after witnessing Ye Dou's natural physical talent, his ambitions changed.
He no longer just wanted to train Ye Dou.
He wanted to forge him into something even greater—a ninja whose taijutsu could surpass his own.
"I wonder… If Ye Dou keeps progressing like this, just how far will he go?"
With that thought, Guy decided to ask something that had been on his mind.
"Ye Dou, tell me… Why did you choose taijutsu?"
If Ye Dou had a gift for ninjutsu or genjutsu, Guy wouldn't have discouraged him from pursuing it. After all, taijutsu was the hardest and most physically demanding of all ninja arts. Few had the will to endure its relentless training.
Unlike ninjutsu, which relied on chakra control, or genjutsu, which required exceptional intelligence, taijutsu demanded absolute dedication to physical conditioning.
Breaking one's limits—it sounded simple, but the sheer amount of effort required was beyond what most could comprehend.
"The only way to truly master taijutsu is through relentless effort and sweat."
From that perspective, Might Guy was a truly remarkable mentor.
"My ninjutsu talent is weak," Ye Dou answered honestly, not hiding the truth.
Upon hearing this, Guy's doubts vanished.
"Then let us burn brightly and sway our youth together!" he exclaimed.
A brilliant smile spread across his face as his signature nice guy pose came out—complete with shining teeth.
"Don't worry, Ye Dou! Even without ninjutsu, you can become an outstanding ninja! You just have to work harder than anyone else!"
With unshakable confidence, he added:
"Never forget! I am the man who has defeated Kakashi fifty times!"
---
Ye Dou didn't need him to say it. He already knew.
He knew exactly what had happened during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
He knew how, when Uchiha Madara was resurrected—how even the tailed beasts, Gaara, and the revived Hokage had fallen before him like leaves in the wind.
And yet, in that same battle, Might Guy had stood his ground.
He had opened the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, and in that moment, nearly kicked Uchiha Madara to death.
Even Madara, in his near-invincible state, had called him "the strongest taijutsu user he had ever faced."
Physical strength alone was not inferior to ninjutsu.
It could shake the world.
---
As the sun set and the sky turned crimson, Might Guy continued his lesson—not just on taijutsu, but on spirit.
Although he was only a jonin, Guy's mastery of taijutsu surpassed even the Fourth Raikage.
Even before opening the Eighth Gate, his power with the Seventh Gate was strong enough to destroy the monstrous Kisame Hoshigaki.
For Ye Dou, this was a golden opportunity.
He listened carefully, absorbing every word, etching every lesson into his mind.
Of course, no one could master taijutsu overnight. There were no shortcuts—only pure effort.
Yet, there were immediate results.
Earlier, his punches had reached about 200 units of power.
Now, after just one day of training with Might Guy, his punches could reach over 223 units with ease.
It wasn't because his body had suddenly become stronger.
It was because Guy had taught him how to properly throw a punch.
How to focus all of his power into a single point.
How to prevent any energy from being wasted.
That was today's greatest lesson.
Of course, his understanding was still shallow. He needed far more practice.
"223 power… Ye Dou, you've improved again!"
Another punch struck the wooden training post, and the monitoring device recorded the exact number.
But Ye Dou clenched his fists.
"I can do better."
He could feel it.
223 units wasn't his limit.
His punch was still rough—his force dispersed instead of being completely focused. If he refined it further, his power would increase even more.
"I have time. If I keep training, one day… every punch, every kick will be perfect. No wasted energy. Maximum power every time."
This was the third time since arriving in this world that he had felt true excitement.
And Might Guy's teachings had already helped him more than he had expected.
"Ye Dou, it's getting late. Let's end today's training here."
With his hands on his hips, Might Guy grinned widely.
"Tomorrow—let's burn our youth even brighter!"
Ye Dou nodded.
As he walked deeper into the forest, he reminded himself—blindly training without rest wouldn't make him stronger.
True improvement required balance.
And he understood this better than anyone.
---