"My Taijutsu?" Might Guy blinked, surprised. "The Eight Inner Gates?"
"Exactly," Diarmuid nodded, offering a candid smile. "I won't lie to you. I'm well aware that the Eight Inner Gates is an incredibly powerful technique, perhaps even the ultimate Taijutsu. It is immensely valuable."
Guy fell silent for a moment, his opinion of Diarmuid climbing even higher. Had this been before his father's death, Guy might have taught it to him without a second thought. But things were different now.
Might Duy had used his life to prove the terrifying power of the Eight Inner Gates, single-handedly killing four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and shattering their group. Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was no fool; he couldn't simply ignore such a feat. On the day Guy returned to Konoha alive, Hiruzen had solemnly warned him that the Eight Inner Gates was one of the village's crown jewels and must never be shared lightly.
While the technique might have seemed like a family legacy, Guy knew better: it was the Second Hokage who had entrusted the scrolls to his father on behalf of Konoha. Therefore, legally speaking, the Eight Inner Gates belonged to the village. He couldn't just give it away.
"Passing on the spirit of Taijutsu, along with the fire of youth and blood, is something I would normally love to do," Guy said with a touch of helplessness. "But the Eight Inner Gates... I really can't. The village gave me strict orders regarding it."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid felt a pang of regret, but he nodded understandingly. "Then forget I asked. I'm not one to force people into difficult positions."
As soon as Diarmuid let it go, a grin returned to Guy's face. "I'm so glad you understand, Oji-san!"
However, Guy quickly looked embarrassed. He was the kind of person who felt guilty for being unable to meet someone's request, even when he had done nothing wrong.
Rummaging around, he pulled out a green spandex suit from somewhere. "I don't have much else to give you, so why don't you take this from my personal collection? I was originally saving it for myself to wear when I turned eighteen..."
Diarmuid: "???"
Do I look like a guy who's hurting for a spandex suit? And why do you just carry that on you? Also, your sense of style...
Diarmuid had always thought Guy was great, except for his atrocious aesthetic taste. Who in their right mind would want that neon-green monstrosity?
But seeing Guy's shy, expectant face, and hearing that it was meant to be his own eighteenth birthday present...
Damn, this gift is too heavy! Diarmuid realized. He couldn't bring himself to refuse; he didn't want to wound the boy's sincere, burning spirit.
After a moment of internal struggle, a strained smile appeared on Diarmuid's face. He reached out and took the green suit. "Cough... thank you. I will... cherish it."
Yes, cherish it. Wearing it is out of the question. Too shameful! It's going straight into deep storage.
Guy didn't catch the nuance. He nodded happily, looking at Diarmuid as if he'd found a kindred spirit.
Diarmuid looked at the green suit in his hand, silent for a long moment. Then, a small scroll slid from the sleeve of his haori. "Tell me, Guy, do you have a Lightning nature?"
Guy nodded. "Don't let my looks fool you; I actually possess two nature types: Fire and Lightning."
Diarmuid was stunned. He hadn't expected Guy to actually have a Lightning nature. In truth, Guy did possess it, he just rarely manifested it in his combat style.
"Good. And you're not very skilled in Ninjutsu, are you?" Diarmuid asked.
"Er..." Guy scratched his head. "I'm a commoner. My family didn't have any secret jutsu passed down, and they don't teach much at the Academy. I'm okay with things like the Clone Jutsu, but the rest... I'm not great. My father also perished in the war, so..."
The village was still developing. Unlike Naruto's generation years later, where resources seemed plentiful and every squad had a Jonin mentor to pass down signature techniques, things were different now. The "clannish" mentality regarding jutsu was still prevalent. The systems of the Academy and the village hadn't reached that later level of openness.
Furthermore, it was wartime. For a commoner ninja like Minato to emerge was a rarity among rarities. And even then, Minato wasn't a "commoner" in the truest sense anymore as he had essentially married into the Uzumaki Clan.
Even if Konoha only saw Kushina as the last of her kind, the Uzumaki were still a legendary clan. At their peak, they had established Uzushiogakure on their own. They were the undisputed authorities on sealing jutsu and possessed vitality and chakra reserves that rivaled the Senju.
In a world defined by status and pedigree, the marriage of Uzumaki Mito to Senju Hashirama proved their standing. They were the only ones who could truly claim to be social equals to the first family of the Shinobi world.
While Minato hadn't changed his name, he had effectively become a "son-in-law" of the Uzumaki. The fact that his son was named "Uzumaki Naruto" was proof enough. Minato had gained the "hidden legacy" of the Uzumaki, which gave him significant political capital and access to powerful sealing jutsu that took his strength to another level.
Back to the present, Diarmuid suppressed a smile at Guy's humble demeanor. He reached out and ruffled Guy's bowl cut. "Don't feel ashamed. The Eight Inner Gates in your possession are enough to look down upon ninety percent of the noble clans. Just keep working hard. However, since that is a Kinjutsu, you do need a more conventional set of techniques to bolster your everyday strength. You can't be expected to put your life on the line against every enemy you meet... Here, consider this a gift."
With a flick of his wrist, Diarmuid tossed the small scroll to Guy.
Guy caught it, looking bewildered. "This..."
"Open it and see," Diarmuid smiled.
Guy nodded and took a peek, then quickly squeezed his eyes shut. "This is Lightning Release Nintaijutsu! And it's B-Rank... I haven't earned this. It's too precious... I can't take it!"
A B-Rank jutsu might sound low-tier to the uninitiated. But jutsu rankings weren't based on raw power alone; they were based on the difficulty of mastery. Above B-Rank were only A and S, levels that the average person could never hope to achieve. B-Rank represented the level of knowledge and understanding expected of an elite Jonin.
Powerful B-Rank jutsu were everywhere. Most of the "Raikage Secret" Lightning Nintaijutsu Diarmuid had acquired from the Third Raikage were B-Rank, including the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and the Hell Stab series. Even Madara's Majestic Destroyer Flame was B-Rank. Tobirama's Flying Raijin Slice, used to kill Uchiha Izuna, was B-Rank. Kitsuchi's Mountain Jutsu, which he used to pin the Ten-Tails, was also B-Rank.
Rank was about complexity; power depended on the user.
Given Guy's current status as a Genin, he had never even touched a B-Rank jutsu. To him, this was a legendary treasure.
"Take it and learn. B-Rank means it normally requires a Jonin's level of understanding, but this is Nintaijutsu, it shares a lot with the Taijutsu you already know. With your talent... you have a real shot at being self-taught. Work hard," Diarmuid said. He was also subtly hinting that Guy shouldn't go around spreading it. Though, knowing Guy, he wouldn't share it with anyone he didn't deem worthy.
Diarmuid added, "I see you becoming a Jonin one day, a Sensei to others. You can't very well teach your students if you don't have a few trump cards up your sleeve, right?"
Guy finally understood the weight of the gesture. He looked emotional and a bit regretful. "I don't know how to thank you, Oji-san. About the Eight Inner Gates, I really—"
"Say no more, you're making my heart ache," Diarmuid cut him off with a laugh. "Besides, didn't you already give me a gift? This spandex suit..."
Guy turned even redder with embarrassment. He valued his suit, but he wasn't delusional; a complete set of B-Rank Lightning Nintaijutsu was in a completely different league. They weren't even on the same planet.
Before he could say another word, Diarmuid waved him off. "Use your youth to write your own legend, Guy. I'm off."
With that, Diarmuid's figure vanished. Guy searched the area but couldn't find a trace of him. He looked at the scroll in his hand with complex emotions. Taking several deep breaths, he yelled into the empty street, "I won't let you down!"
With nothing else to do, Diarmuid grabbed a bowl of Ramen Ichiraku. As he ate, he saw a small bird flying toward him as if it had crossed thousands of miles.
Diarmuid held out his arm, and the bird landed nimbly. It opened its beak and spat out a scroll that was somehow larger than its own body.
Diarmuid took the scroll and sighed. "This is so inconvenient. Doesn't anyone in the Shinobi world have a Summoning animal that acts like a Den Den Mushi?"
The technological development of this world was bizarre. On one hand, you had high-tech; Orochimaru had a television with a few channels, and Konoha apparently had full surveillance systems. The village was practically in the "Electric Age," with utility poles and streetlights everywhere. Yet, there were no telephones!
It was ridiculous. Ninjas had to rely on their own legs or messenger animals to send word.
He opened the scroll. It was a message from Kakuzu, inviting Diarmuid to meet him in the Land of Waves, located across the southeast coast of the Land of Fire. The message didn't specify the business, only listing contact locations.
Diarmuid closed the scroll and flicked his wrist, letting the bird fly off.
"The Land of Waves? A country that doesn't even have ninjas... What is Kakuzu doing there?" Diarmuid murmured.