After training with Guy for a while, Akira finally understood why Might Guy, despite being an average talent, was the only Taijutsu user able to stand toe-to-toe with god-tier opponents in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Guy truly trained like a madman, putting his life on the line every day. He punched until his arms gave out, kicked until his legs refused to move, and ran until he collapsed from exhaustion. The scariest part was that even when Guy passed out, his body would sometimes keep moving purely out of muscle memory and willpower.
It was terrifying willpower. Perhaps only someone like Guy, with ordinary roots and no flashy Kekkei Genkai, could one day attain such strength that rivaled the power of the Eight Gates Released Formation.
Taijutsu, unlike Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, relied heavily not just on muscle strength but on how efficiently one could control and release chakra throughout the body. Guy's training had no secret techniques or clever hacks—just raw, repeated pain, forcing his body to evolve to keep up with the immense chakra output.
Akira, despite his impressive reserves of chakra and talent in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, couldn't keep up with this brutal regimen. His young body simply wasn't built for it. But he had no other choice. Gritting his teeth, he kept going, doing his best to keep up with Guy's pace.
Thankfully, Akira discovered that this limit-breaking training helped him quickly absorb the excess physical energy stored in his body. Every time he collapsed, his recovery was faster, and his growth more substantial thanks to the stored vitality and his Mystical Palm Technique.
But it wasn't sustainable.
He realized that his limits were becoming easier to reach, recovery was taking longer, and the rate of improvement was slowing. Akira understood he was overdrawing his physical reserves, risking long-term damage to his still-developing body.
He was only six years old, after all. No matter how advanced his healing abilities or how disciplined his training, sacrificing future development for temporary gains was unwise. Not even his Shapeshifting Rebirth technique could prevent stunted growth if he kept pushing like this.
Besides, even among Guy's own students, only Rock Lee could endure that level of training. It wasn't about willpower alone. People like Guy and Lee possessed a rare kind of talent—what Guy once called the talent of hard work itself.
Akira wasn't that kind of genius. He needed a different path.
The next day, he told Guy the truth and said he needed to seek a Taijutsu master who had refined, technique-heavy styles rather than brute-force training.
Guy understood but admitted he didn't know anyone who fit that description. "Most Taijutsu specialists are seen as failures who couldn't cut it in Ninjutsu or Genjutsu," Guy explained with a wry smile. "We rely on grit more than finesse."
"But... there was one," Guy added thoughtfully. "Master Chen. He was a true Taijutsu genius. His skills were elegant, refined, clever—the opposite of mine. But he's dead now. If he were alive, maybe he could help you."
Akira's eyes lit up. Master Chen... Chen Baolong!
He remembered now. In the original timeline, Chen Baolong was a legendary Taijutsu master known across nations. A shinobi who trained a student who, like Lee, could only use Taijutsu. After that student was killed due to his inability to use Ninjutsu, Master Chen was heartbroken. He built a grave for himself, went into seclusion, and was believed dead by all.
But Akira knew better. Master Chen didn't die until much later. In fact, he was resurrected by Kabuto during the Fourth Great Ninja War via Edo Tensei. That meant he was still alive now.
Akira asked, "Guy, do you know where Master Chen lived?"
"Yeah, I do," Guy replied, puzzled. "Why?"
Akira improvised. "Think about it. A legendary master with no heir... wouldn't he want to preserve his life's work? What if he left behind a scroll or manual of his techniques? Like in those old shinobi novels."
"A martial arts manual!" Guy exclaimed, eyes wide. "Like the kind you find by accident and train to become a master!"
Akira nodded solemnly. "Exactly. We should go check it out. If nothing else, we can pay our respects."
Guy, already fired up at the thought of inheriting a legendary technique like Konoha Ryuujin (Konoha Dragon God), didn't need more convincing. He practically dragged Akira out of the village.
When they reached the mountain where Chen Baolong lived in seclusion, Akira asked Guy to first take him to the master's tomb.
"Why the tomb? Aren't we looking for his scrolls?" Guy asked.
"Paying respects first shows sincerity," Akira answered. "It might just bring us good luck."
Guy, impressed by Akira's thoughtfulness, agreed.
As they reached the tomb, they saw a young man placing three rice balls on the grave.
They approached and learned he was Master Chen's son. He believed his father was still alive because every time he left rice balls, they vanished by morning.
Akira knew the truth but played dumb. "Dead people don't eat rice balls. Must be a thief."
Guy clenched his fists. "Even Teacher Chen's offerings aren't safe? That thief needs to be taught a lesson!"
Right on cue, just as the sun dipped and the scent of fresh rice lingered in the air, a shadow approached the tomb.
Master Chen Baolong had arrived for his meal.
Akira smirked to himself. Phase one: complete.
Akira had known about Chen Baolong from the original work, but the man had only appeared in a single episode and wasn't a pivotal character, so Akira didn't really remember what he looked like.
Still, he knew that the person who would show up at this specific place and time had to be Chen Baolong. What he didn't expect… was for him to look so unimpressive.
Short, with a strange catfish mustache, and donning a pair of unnecessary sunglasses, Chen Baolong looked more like an eccentric uncle than a legendary taijutsu master. He completely shattered Akira's mental image of what a peak taijutsu user should look like—but appearances could be deceiving.
Seeing him up close, Akira's memories from the anime started surfacing. Yes—this was undoubtedly the real Chen Baolong.
But then he noticed something strange—Guy looked like he had seen a ghost.
Akira narrowed his eyes. "Wait… does Guy actually know Chen Baolong?"
He couldn't recall if the original story ever mentioned a connection between the two. If Guy knew Chen Baolong was still alive, it would ruin Akira's carefully planned act. So, he quickly pivoted to steer the situation.
With an exaggerated expression and dramatic flair, Akira pointed at Chen Baolong and shouted righteously:
"It's YOU! The guy who's been stealing the offerings! And now you dare to use a Transformation Jutsu to pose as the late Master Chen? How shameless can you be?!"
His acting was impeccable—every word laced with righteous fury, every gesture perfectly timed. It was Oscar-worthy. And it worked. Guy's wide-eyed shock turned into focused fury.
So this thief not only defiled Master Chen's memory but also dared to mock him with a Transformation Jutsu? Absolutely unforgivable.
Chen Baolong, meanwhile, casually picked up the rice balls left at his own grave, unfazed by Akira's theatrical accusations.
That nonchalant attitude only enraged Guy further. Without hesitation, he sprang into action.
"Leaf Whirlwind!" he shouted, launching his signature spinning kick.
"What the hell?!" Chen Baolong muttered, startled by the sudden aggression.
But he was no ordinary shinobi. He was once the pinnacle of taijutsu in the Hidden Leaf—arguably still was. Even surprised, he reacted with the reflexes of a seasoned master.
With swift precision, he countered Guy's Leaf Whirlwind… using the exact same technique.
Guy was stunned. This so-called thief was a taijutsu user too? That made the impersonation even more intolerable.
Fueled by anger and emotion, Guy pressed harder. His attacks became more precise, more intense. But the stranger in front of him seemed to read his every move.
Of course—Chen Baolong was the creator of Leaf Whirlwind. He knew its weaknesses better than anyone.
It only took a few exchanges before he exploited an opening in Guy's form and launched a counter.
A spinning Leaf Gale kick knocked Guy back hard, sending him sliding across the ground.
"So strong…" Guy muttered through the pain, in awe.
Still dazed, he looked up—just in time to see the man reaching for one of the rice balls.
Akira seized the moment. "Guy! Look! He's eating Master Chen's rice balls!"
That lit the fuse.
Guy pushed himself up and roared: "Fourth Gate—Open!"
The green chakra flared as he tapped into the Gate of Pain, one of the Eight Inner Gates. His speed exploded as he dashed forward.
Chen Baolong was caught off guard by the burst of speed. Still, his instincts saved him—he dodged just in time. But in the motion, he fumbled the rice ball… and dropped it.
The soft thump of it hitting the dirt seemed to shatter something inside him.
"MY RICE BALL!!!" Chen Baolong howled, his voice trembling with grief and rage.
"You ruined my only joy… I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU!"
He crossed his arms. The wind howled.
"Leaf Dragon God!!"
Chen Baolong's body spun rapidly, generating a violent, tornado-like vortex that spiraled toward Guy.
Realizing his mistake, Guy shouted, "Wait! This is a misunderstanding!"
But it was too late.
Chen Baolong, lost in his fury, couldn't hear him. The tornado roared forward like a summoned dragon. Guy, overwhelmed by the sheer force and majesty of the technique, stood frozen for a moment—just long enough to get caught in the blast.
He was hurled back nearly twenty meters and crashed to the ground, unconscious.
Luckily, Chen Baolong had held back. If he hadn't, Guy would've been obliterated.
Akira, who had hidden well away from the battle, watched from a safe distance with a grin.
Everything had gone according to plan.
Akira hadn't approached Chen Baolong expecting to be taught directly. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to convince the reclusive master to speak with him.
But he remembered a detail from the original work—Lee once came to pay respects at the grave, leading to a dramatic moment. That gave Akira an idea.
If he couldn't ask to be taught, he would steal the knowledge.
And to do that, he'd need Chen Baolong to fight. So he orchestrated this confrontation, just to observe it.
Most people wouldn't be able to learn high-level taijutsu just by watching. But Akira had a trump card—his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Even when dormant, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan outclassed average shinobi. And the Sharingan's greatest power? Observation and replication.
Just as Sasuke once copied Lee's taijutsu, Akira now used his Sharingan to memorize Chen Baolong's every movement.
Leaf Whirlwind. Leaf Gale. He saw them all. With Lightning Release enhancements to compensate for his weaker physique, he believed he could pull them off.
Unfortunately, the fight hadn't lasted long. Guy was outmatched. Still, Akira had managed to see it—the legendary Leaf Dragon God.
While he hadn't fully grasped its complexity, the visual alone gave him insight.
As Guy groaned and struggled to sit up, Chen Baolong had already vanished.
Guy, aching and covered in dirt, muttered with awe, "Leaf Dragon God… is just too strong."
Yet, despite the pain, a fire had lit in his eyes.
Akira smirked. He knew Guy too well.
After seeing the power of the Leaf Dragon God with his own eyes, there was no way Guy would give up.
He would chase that strength.
And that meant… Akira had just opened the door for both of them.