Chapter 47 – The Bromance Duo
On the streets of Konoha, after parting ways with Shisui, Ryuya walked forward with his brows knit, his head lowered in thought.
The news that Shisui was about to join the ANBU filled him with a faint sense of unease.
After half a year of working together on missions, Ryuya and Shisui had grown quite familiar with each other.
In the original storyline, Shisui had always been one of Ryuya's favorite characters.
Shisui's talent and strength were undoubtedly among the very top in the entire village of Konoha, yet due to his young age, his mindset and awareness were far from mature.
Toward the Third Hokage, Danzō, and the village's upper leadership—as well as toward the Uchiha clan—Shisui still harbored unrealistic hopes and naïve ideals. He believed that with his own strength alone, he could mend the rift between the clan and the village.
What he failed to understand was that only power and balance were the true keys to maintaining the delicate relationship between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's leadership.
In the original story, the moment Shisui revealed to the Third Hokage and the others that he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and the secret of Kotoamatsukami, his fate had already been sealed.
Once others learned that someone possessed the power to manipulate another person's will at any time, no matter that person's past character or achievements, it would inevitably provoke fear and greed.
Yet Shisui had no clear awareness of this at all.
Otherwise, with Shisui's abilities, even if Danzō possessed the forbidden technique Izanagi, it would have been impossible for him to so easily seize Shisui's eye in a one-on-one confrontation.
People had hearts of flesh and blood. After spending so much time together, Ryuya truly did not want to see Shisui walk down that tragic path.
If Shisui could survive, it would be a tremendous boon—to Ryuya himself and to the village alike.
Was there any way to help Shisui escape such a fate?
Ryuya couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Lost in contemplation, his footsteps never stopped as he headed toward the training grounds outside the village where his Shadow Clones were stationed.
Ever since fully developing the Glutony Seal, Ryuya now possessed ample chakra and stamina to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu for daily training.
This secluded training site outside the village was where Ryuya had recently been assigning his Shadow Clones to practice taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and kunai throwing.
Earlier that morning, while Ryuya was studying in the Sealing Team, the Shadow Clone here had dispersed due to chakra and stamina depletion. That was why he had come personally to summon another one.
Coming here himself was also a way to avoid drawing attention.
"Kakashi! Let's have a hot-blooded match full of youthful passion!"
Before Ryuya could even approach the training ground, a loud, spirited voice rang out from the dense forest, interrupting his thoughts.
The voice came from the exact direction of Ryuya's usual training spot.
Ryuya leapt up onto a tree and looked down, immediately spotting Might Guy, dressed in a tight green jumpsuit, flashing a brilliant white grin as he gave a thumbs-up toward the man standing opposite him—Kakashi.
This painfully chunni scene was one Ryuya had seen before.
Opposite Guy, Kakashi—with his full head of silver hair—stood lazily with his hands in his pockets, half-slanted posture, gazing at the energetic Guy with dull, lifeless eyes, wearing an expression that screamed utter disinterest.
Seeing this, Guy didn't get discouraged at all. He immediately dashed forward, throwing a punch as he launched an attack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, a series of rapid collisions echoed through the forest as the two figures moved like lightning, leaping back and forth across the clearing.
Originally planning to find another spot, Ryuya instead stopped and began watching.
He hadn't expected to run into Guy and Kakashi here.
After coming to train here so many times, this was the first time he had encountered them.
Throughout the entire Naruto story, the bond between Guy and Kakashi ran from beginning to end.
Kakashi and Might Duy were of the same generation, and their connection had already formed before they even entered the Ninja Academy.
As a child, Kakashi was the model prodigy—the genius of Konoha—while Might Guy was nothing more than a dead last who could only use taijutsu.
Yet Guy never grew disheartened by mockery. Instead, he turned ridicule into motivation to push himself even harder.
Not only that—he chose the genius Kakashi as his lifelong rival.
The moment Guy decided to make Kakashi his rival, their fates became forever intertwined.
It was this bond that drove Guy to grow into the "Blue Beast of Konoha," the man who nearly kicked the story to its conclusion. And it was also Guy's constant rivalry and stimulation that pulled Kakashi out of the darkness of his childhood.
By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, both had become true pillars of Konoha.
Such friendship and bonds were truly enviable.
Watching the two exchange blows, Ryuya couldn't help but compare himself to them.
Judging by the intensity of their clash, in pure taijutsu, Ryuya knew he was no match for either of them.
Although the Fengji Seal and his body-enhancement secret technique had greatly improved his physical abilities, he had trained for far too short a time. He couldn't compare to the fruits of their years of harsh practice, nor to their real combat experience.
As for ninjutsu, Kakashi—the famed genius—was clearly far beyond him.
And while Guy wasn't skilled in ninjutsu, he possessed the taijutsu-enhancing Eight Gates, a form of ninja-taijutsu that stacked buffs upon buffs. Their overall combat strength far exceeded Ryuya's.
At the very least, without summoning Green Snake, Ryuya estimated he could only last a few exchanges against them.
Looks like I still have a long road ahead…
Ryuya sighed inwardly.
Just as he was reflecting, the fight below reached a critical point.
"Gate of Opening—open!"
"Gate of Healing—open!"
"Gate of Life—open!"
Having just been sent flying by Kakashi's punch, Guy roared three times in succession, directly opening the first three of the Eight Gates.
Instantly, Guy's body flushed red, wrapped in a surge of green energy.
With the Gate of Life open, his speed and attack power skyrocketed.
"Primary Lotus!"
With a fierce shout, Guy shot toward Kakashi like a streak of green light.
Even while airborne, Guy's fists and kicks rained down like lightning, the assault relentless and continuous.
Kakashi's expression grew serious. His left eye cover had already been removed, revealing a crimson three-tomoe Sharingan that tracked Guy's every movement as he struggled to block the unending barrage.
Boom!
After dozens of exchanges, Kakashi finally failed to withstand Guy's ferocious assault and was sent flying by a powerful kick, crashing dozens of meters away beneath a large tree.
After landing that kick, Guy did not pursue further.
He stood there, brimming with energy, as the green aura around his body gradually faded and the Eight Gates state was released.
In the distance, Kakashi rose to his feet beneath the tree. Though he looked disheveled, he hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
Looking at Guy, he sighed sincerely.
"Guy… you've gotten stronger again."
Having grown up together, Kakashi had personally witnessed Guy's journey from a ninjutsu-less underdog to who he was today.
The hardship behind that growth was something ordinary people could never endure.
"Kakashi! You really are worthy of being my lifelong rival! To dodge my attacks so perfectly—how about we rest a bit and go another round?"
Guy stared at Kakashi with sparkling eyes, his voice brimming with passion.
Kakashi was instantly speechless.
Although Guy was still only a chūnin, his true combat strength was not necessarily inferior to Kakashi's.
More importantly, Guy was a stamina monster. Without using finishing techniques, Kakashi found it hard to gain the upper hand.
"Guy… someone's here."
Unwilling to waste more stamina, Kakashi changed the subject.
As he spoke, both he and Guy turned their gazes toward Ryuya's direction.
They had already noticed Ryuya's presence during the fight.
"Sorry to interrupt. I usually train here. I accidentally saw your incredible match and couldn't help myself."
Ryuya leapt down from the tree, spreading his hands apologetically.
"You're Akimichi Ryuya?"
The moment Guy saw him, his eyes lit up with excitement, his entire body practically itching for a fight.
Ever since Green Snake had been revealed, Ryuya's name had spread among Konoha's younger generation.
"Uh…"
Ryuya's mouth twitched—he was a bit overwhelmed by Guy's enthusiasm.
"Guy, let's go."
Beside him, Kakashi gave Ryuya a brief, lifeless glance before speaking.
With that, Kakashi ignored Guy's reaction, hands in pockets as he walked away.
"Bye-bye!"
Guy hurriedly waved at Ryuya before following after him.
"Bye~"
Ryuya wasn't offended at all. He flashed Guy a bright smile and quietly watched the two leave.
He knew very well that Kakashi was that kind of person—cold on the outside, warm on the inside, and not someone easily approached.
After they left, Ryuya did some basic training on the spot, left behind a Shadow Clone, and then turned around to head back to the Sealing Team.
With the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, having died in battle, the one-year agreement between them had already become void, so Ryuya naturally continued staying with the Sealing Team.
Unlike combat units, the Sealing Team rarely went on missions. Its relatively stable environment was far more suitable for Ryuya's research.
Besides, with the huge sum he had extorted from Yoshida Jin, Ryuya didn't need to worry about training expenses for quite some time. Wasting large amounts of time on dangerous missions simply wasn't worth it.
There was no progress on Senjutsu for now, and Ryuya's current research focus lay in two areas.
The first was investing massive effort into researching Soldier Pills and the Akimichi clan's secret Three-Colored Pills.
This was the wealth code Ryuya was desperate to crack.
In the future, money would be indispensable to his cultivation. Relying solely on missions would never be enough.
If he could develop a superior version of Soldier Pills or the Three-Colored Pills, making money would become much easier.
Whether selling them to the clan or independently, it would be a stable source of income.
With the successful precedent of the Fengji Seal, Ryuya now had much greater confidence in doing research.
The second focus was the development of a knockoff version of the Strength of a Hundred Seal (Yin Seal).