Unfortunately, being indoors made it impossible for Ryosuke to unleash such overwhelming power without consequence. If he dared to activate it here, the entire room would likely be obliterated in an instant.
To be honest, even if he did use his Susanoo, he could only reach the second stage at best. It was flashy, sure—visually impressive and good for showing off—but in terms of practical utility in such a confined space, it wasn't worth the risk. There was no point in summoning it just to admire it indoors.
With that thought, he chose to simply rest his body.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage had already dispatched someone to summon Might Guy.
According to a recent investigation by his subordinates, Uchiha Ryosuke had been training under Might Guy for quite some time. In fact, his mastery of the Eight Inner Gates was believed to have been taught by Guy himself.
If anyone knew about Ryosuke's capabilities, it would be him.
Although the Third Hokage didn't hold Might Guy in particularly high regard—after all, the man specialized solely in taijutsu and had glaring weaknesses when it came to qualifying for elite duties like the Anbu—his integrity was undeniable. If questioned directly, he would certainly answer truthfully.
Before long, Might Guy pushed open the door and entered, his face brimming with energy and respect.
"Hokage-sama! You summoned me?"
In his heart, Guy harbored a sliver of hope—perhaps his recent achievements had finally been recognized. Maybe, just maybe, this was the moment he'd be invited to join the Anbu.
He had indeed grown stronger recently, thanks in part to Ryosuke's unorthodox training methods. Although the results hadn't been as explosive as Ryosuke's, there was no denying some progress.
The Third Hokage stood up from his desk and moved to sit on a nearby sofa, motioning for Guy to sit as well.
"Have a seat," he offered warmly.
Guy didn't hesitate and promptly took the seat opposite the Hokage. He noticed something unusual in this gesture.
Usually, only high-ranking individuals were afforded the courtesy of sitting down with the Hokage. Ordinary shinobi were typically expected to stand, receive their orders, and leave.
Was this about something important?
Once Guy was seated, the Third Hokage gave a pleasant smile and spoke with a kind tone.
"There's something important I wanted to ask you," he began. "Uchiha Ryosuke... He studied the Eight Gates under you, didn't he?"
The Hokage folded his hands thoughtfully.
"From what I understand, thanks to the Eight Gates, he was able to single-handedly defeat a large force of Cloud Village shinobi. I assume you've heard about this. That victory brings honor to Konoha—and you, too, deserve credit for your role in his growth."
Guy immediately waved his hands dismissively, his smile awkward. "No, no, not at all. That's not my achievement—it's all thanks to Ryosuke's incredible talent."
The Hokage wasn't fooled by the modesty. He wasn't truly praising Ryosuke's battlefield accomplishments, either. What intrigued him was something far deeper. He leaned forward slightly.
"As far as I know, the Eight Inner Gates is a notoriously difficult technique to master. Among ten thousand people, perhaps only one can truly open the gates and survive. And Ryosuke hasn't even trained with you for that long, has he?"
"Did you develop some new method for teaching it?"
Guy blinked, caught off guard by the question. Truth be told, he too had been amazed by Ryosuke's meteoric rise in strength.
After a brief pause, he replied with sincerity.
"Hokage-sama, I haven't developed any new training methods… If anything, Ryosuke may have discovered something on his own."
Guy himself had spent years painstakingly grinding away to open just five gates. Even with Ryosuke's suggested training routines, he'd struggled to keep up. One of those methods, in particular, stood out: taking a beating.
Yes, literally getting beaten up to strengthen one's body.
But honestly, it didn't seem to work as effectively for him as it did for Ryosuke.
The Hokage's interest was visibly piqued. "What kind of method exactly?"
If it worked, perhaps even he—yes, the Hokage himself—could master the Eight Gates and regain some of his former glory.
Guy didn't see the need to hide anything.
"The method… is getting beaten. The more you get beaten, the stronger your body becomes," he said seriously. "I confirmed it with Ryosuke myself."
He recalled the early days of their training. Months ago, Ryosuke had already begun subjecting himself to brutal sparring, taking punishment head-on. And somehow, over time, Guy had watched him grow from a mediocre taijutsu user into a formidable powerhouse.
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with admiration.
Ryosuke, like Guy's own father, had used his fists to protect the village. Guy's instincts had been spot on—he'd picked the right student.
Those who could master the Eight Gates were few, and they had to endure enormous pain and hardship to do so. It wasn't for the weak-hearted.
On the opposite sofa, the Hokage's expression twisted with disbelief.
This—this was the miraculous method he'd been hoping to learn? Getting beat up?
It sounded like sheer nonsense.
How could getting punched repeatedly make someone stronger? What were they, made of iron? The logic was baffling. No shinobi in history had created an entire training discipline around willingly receiving blows.
And even if it did work, it would require superhuman endurance and healing capabilities to survive such torture. The Uchiha clan was known for many things—but unmatched physical toughness was not one of them.
He looked closely at Guy's battered body and couldn't help but ask, "And your injuries... did you sustain them using this method?"
Guy beamed with pride. "Yes, Hokage-sama! These bruises are all from that training. Although I haven't made as much progress as Ryosuke, I can definitely feel the results!"
The Third Hokage resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Results? He didn't see any results—just a walking pile of injuries.
This was absurd.
"That's the only explanation you can offer for his strength?" he pressed. "You've been with Ryosuke for months. Are you telling me you've noticed nothing else unusual?"
There had to be more to the story. The boy's growth was far too abnormal.
Guy lowered his head, deep in thought, before finally speaking.
"If I had to guess, I'd say it's because of Ryosuke's physical constitution. His body and healing abilities are extraordinary."
He recalled how, after every brutal session—after taking blow after blow—Ryosuke would be back the next day, fully recovered as if nothing had happened.
Guy's eyes lit up again as he remembered something else. "Oh! And maybe it has something to do with the Uchiha clan's special medicinal tonic."
The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow at that. Special Uchiha medicine?
He didn't buy it.
A strong body, miraculous healing, and now some obscure Uchiha tonic? It all sounded like baseless speculation. All clans had their own proprietary remedies, and none were particularly groundbreaking.
Unless the Uchiha had secretly started conducting Orochimaru-style body modifications, none of this added up.
Still unconvinced, the Hokage leaned forward once more.
"Anything else? Any other details you noticed?"
Guy rubbed his chin and thought hard.
"…To be honest, Hokage-sama, that's all I can think of."
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