Hey! Are you training too? You're doing it wrong. Taijutsu isn't just about swinging around brute force—you have to understand certain principles if you want your body to become stronger.
Young Might Guy, as usual, had come to the secluded grove for training. Normally, nobody came here. But today, surprisingly, someone else was already there—a boy about his age, also a student of the Ninja Academy.
Hearing Guy's voice, Aoyama instinctively stopped what he was doing. Panting heavily, he looked over at the newcomer.
"I know you… You're Might Guy. The one who was given special permission to enter the Academy."
"Nice to meet you! I'm Might Guy! My dream is to become a ninja using only Taijutsu!"
"I'm Aoyama, just a civilian-born ninja. I don't know ninjutsu or taijutsu… but I have a heart that wants to become strong!"
The memory shattered, and Guy's drifting thoughts returned to the present. He faced Aoyama again, watching the shimmering aura of chakra rippling around him. Taking a deep breath, Guy nodded.
"I understand now. My youth—burn bright! Aaaaaahhhh! The Eight Gates Released Formation—Fifth Gate, open!"
Like Aoyama, Guy skipped straight from the Third Gate, bursting open two in one go. Entering the Fifth Gate state, his strength and chakra surged dramatically.
Seeing Guy finally get serious—and feeling that immense confidence he had in Taijutsu—Aoyama grew even more excited.
He'd fought strong opponents before. He'd seen the signature moves of powerful shinobi from other villages. But what he loved most was crossing fists with fellow Taijutsu specialists. Only against someone who also lived and breathed Taijutsu could he truly discover the limits of his abilities.
In Konoha, there was only one true Taijutsu master: Might Guy. Everyone else merely dabbled in Taijutsu. None had the dedication to train relentlessly as he did.
Guy's expression turned firm.
"From here on, I'll be using techniques even I can't always stop once they're unleashed. Aoyama, if you can't withstand it… Believe me, you'll be gravely injured—maybe even killed."
If Guy weren't in the state of the Fifth Gate, Aoyama would have thought he was exaggerating. After all, Guy's strongest techniques, like Morning Peacock and Daytime Tiger, only manifested from the Sixth Gate onward.
Before the Sixth Gate, most Taijutsu techniques were still in the realm of conventional power—not instant-kill forbidden-level moves.
Unless…
You've gotten stronger, haven't you, Guy?
Aoyama recalled Guy's future feats in the main Naruto storyline—like the jaw-dropping, explosive power he unleashed on the island of Turtle in the Hidden Cloud Village, and ultimately the legendary "almost-ending-the-series-with-one-kick" fight that sealed his name in history.
He acknowledged that when Guy went all-out, he could rival even the Ōtsutsuki clan's godlike powerhouses. But here, in the Fifth Gate? Aoyama doubted he'd see anything that incredible.
That was… until the battle shifted.
If Aoyama hadn't opened the Fifth Gate himself, Guy's next move might have killed him outright.
"Night Phoenix!"
With blinding speed, Guy's kicks tore through the air, friction igniting flames. Countless blazing leg shadows lashed out, each strike leaving behind sparks brighter and more numerous than stars in the night sky.
Then—suddenly, without warning—one landed.
The furious barrage crashed down like a storm. Dozens upon dozens of burning kicks slammed into Aoyama, fire exploding in deafening blasts. The flames flared brilliantly, dazzling but agonizing.
And in that moment—
I remembered that day… Running beneath the sunset… That fleeting youth of mine…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Nearly a hundred kicks—all in the span of a single heartbeat. In less than a second, Guy's Night Phoenix made Aoyama taste suffocating death.
CRASH!
His body smashed into the earth, carving a crater. Every bone creaked in protest, his entire body screaming in pain. Yet, somehow, Aoyama pulled himself back up, climbing out of the pit in ragged, humiliating fashion.
Blood spilled from his mouth as he clutched his battered torso, grimacing.
"Damn… I almost died just now. Honestly, I knew about your Morning Peacock—those blazing fists that ignite the air into flames, powerful enough to rival forbidden techniques.
"But I never thought you could unleash such a terrifying kicking technique in the Fifth Gate. The power's on par with a forbidden jutsu already! Lucky for me, I had the Gates open too—otherwise, you really would've killed me!"
His grin twisted.
"And now—it's my turn to attack! Get ready!"
"Meteor Fist of Flames!"
Similar in concept to Morning Peacock and Night Phoenix, Aoyama's technique drew on the same principle. His fist blurred, friction sparking fire. But instead of countless blazing strikes, all the flames merged—compressing into a single, blazing orb the size of a meteor.
With a roar, the fireball shot forward, slamming into Guy.
Guy's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected Aoyama to wield such a move—a Taijutsu strike that also ignited the air into flame, amplifying its destructive force.
The difference lay in the execution.
Guy's Peacock and Phoenix relied on overwhelming speed and countless blows, each strike setting off sparks until the cumulative barrage became overwhelming.
But Aoyama's Meteor Fist was just one attack. One devastating strike.
Instead of scattering fire into countless hits, he stacked all the flames into a single orb. A condensed explosion—amplifying its power to the maximum.
KABOOM!
The meteor's fireball detonated in a thunderous explosion. Fire roared skyward, consuming Guy's form in the blaze.
When the flames dissipated, Guy stood there with arms crossed, his body scorched and smoking. He'd taken the hit, but not without injury.
Yet the ground told a different story.
Though Guy himself endured, the earth beneath him had not. The Meteor Fist's blast gouged two massive trenches on either side of where he stood, the scorched furrows stretching long and deep across the battlefield.
Aoyama grinned, blood still dripping from his lips.
"So? How's that taste? You may have the numbers on your side, Guy—but I've got the flavor that hits!"
Guy, recognizing the power in Aoyama's strike, gave a firm nod.
Yes… that attack was strong indeed. Aoyama, you've given me a new idea! I'll refine my Morning Peacock, reshaping it to mimic your Meteor Fist—stacking the flames of every strike into one massive eruption. The instant effect will be even more spectacular!