"So, it's a classified incident."
The wind rustled through Training Ground 98. Tonbo and Guy stood facing each other.
"Yeah," Guy nodded, his face unusually solemn. "Lord Third strictly forbade me from speaking about the details."
"Understood. I was just curious how a Genin—even your father—could hold off the Seven Swordsmen."
Tonbo didn't press further. He knew the truth about the Eight Gates, but as a mere Chunin, he had no business knowing forbidden kinjutsu. Feigning ignorance was a survival skill.
"Guy! Tonbo! Let's have a youthful duel!"
Guy suddenly exploded with energy, striking a pose. It seemed his father's sacrifice hadn't dampened his spirit; it had ignited it into a roaring inferno.
"Eh?" Tonbo blinked. "Isn't Kakashi your rival?"
Please don't switch targets. I can't handle that level of intensity.
"Kakashi isn't back in the village yet!" Guy shouted, pointing a thumb at his chest. "And you're already a Chunin! You must be strong! I challenge you!"
Tonbo sighed, scratching his bandaged cheek. "Well, since you asked so politely..."
"I'll entertain you for a bit."
He was genuinely curious. Guy at thirteen was already a Taijutsu specialist. How did Tonbo's stolen techniques stack up against the future "Strongest Man"?
Swish! Swish!
They moved without a countdown.
They closed the distance instantly, forming the Seal of Confrontation before their eyes sharpened.
On the sidelines, Genma and Ebisu watched, leaning against a fence.
"This should be interesting," Genma chewed on his senbon. "We know Guy is a beast, but Tonbo? All we know is he's Intel."
"He's a Chunin," Ebisu noted, adjusting his sunglasses. "He outranks us for a reason."
Pow! Bam!
The fight began.
Guy was fast. His Strong Fist style was heavy, direct, and bone-shattering. At thirteen, his conditioning was already freakish.
But Tonbo didn't buckle.
When Guy threw a heavy punch, Tonbo didn't just block; he shifted his weight, using a defensive stance borrowed from an Iwa Chunin to ground the impact. When Guy threw a shuriken, Tonbo deflected it with a Kunai flick he'd learned from a Kumo memory.
"Whoa," Genma muttered, watching Tonbo weave through Guy's assault. "That style... it's not Konoha standard."
"It's a mix," Ebisu analyzed, his eyes wide. "I see traces of Stone style grounding... and Cloud style deflection. He's incorporated enemy techniques into his own taijutsu."
Tonbo was holding his own. He realized quickly that he couldn't beat Guy in a contest of pure stamina. He needed an edge.
He parried a high kick and saw his opening.
His left hand blocked. His right hand formed a single seal behind his back.
Guy's pupils constricted.
Demonic Illusion: Phantom Clone.
In Guy's vision, the singular Tonbo suddenly fractured. Ten Tonbos appeared, surrounding him from every angle, all launching attacks simultaneously. Shuriken, kunai, fists.
"What?!"
Guy flinched, instinctively guarding against a phantom punch to his left.
Smack!
The real Tonbo swept his leg, catching Guy off balance. Guy tumbled, rolling across the dirt before springing back to his feet.
But the fight was over.
Guy stood there, blinking, shaking his head to clear the confusion.
"Haha, match over!"
Tonbo laughed, forming the Seal of Reconciliation.
"Man, your Taijutsu is getting scary, Guy. If I hadn't used a trick, you would have ground me down eventually."
Tonbo wasn't lying. Guy lacked combat experience, but his raw stats were terrifying. If Tonbo hadn't ended it with Genjutsu, he would have lost the attrition war.
"Ah! As expected of a Chunin Squad Leader!" Guy gave a thumbs up, his teeth sparkling. "I am still far from the goal! I must punish my slackness! Five hundred laps around the village on my hands!"
Genma and Ebisu walked over.
"What happened just now?" Genma asked. "You froze for a second."
"I was careless!" Guy admitted loudly. "I fell for Tonbo's Clone Technique instantly!"
"Clone Technique?" Ebisu frowned. "We didn't see any clones."
"It's a specialized Genjutsu," Tonbo explained. "A Phantom Clone. Only the victim sees them. It projects the image of multiple attackers directly into your visual cortex."
"It's cheap on chakra, but unlike the Haze Clone Technique or Shadow Clones, it has no physical substance. A standard 'Release' dispels it instantly."
"I see," Genma nodded, filing the information away. "Still, useful for creating an opening."
Tonbo smiled. He was sharing secrets, but he was also planting seeds. He knew that somewhere, deep in the earth, a black-and-white creature might be watching.
Black Zetsu.
Tonbo had no bloodline limit, so he shouldn't be a target. But paranoia was a survival trait. By explaining the weakness of his jutsu openly, he made himself seem like an open book—a "talent," but a predictable one.
"So," Tonbo sat on the grass. "Let's talk tactics. How do we survive the next war?"
The four of them sat in a circle.
What followed wasn't a childish chat. It was a seminar.
They discussed chakra efficiency, trap placement, and code-breaking. Tonbo was surprised by Guy. The boy wasn't just a muscle-head. His insights into physical mechanics and combat psychology were profound.
No wonder he becomes a great sensei, Tonbo thought. He understands the heart of battle better than anyone.
But the others were staring at Tonbo.
Every tip he gave was blood-soaked. Every strategy was practical, stripped of Academy idealism. He spoke like a veteran who had lived through hell.
"He's a genius," Genma thought, exchanging a look with Ebisu.
"Just like Kakashi."