His strength was astonishingly impressive, but more importantly, with the ability *Please Do Not Die*, the Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates could theoretically be used without limit. On a battlefield, that kind of potential could change everything.
After weighing the pros and cons, Julian White made his decision at once. He would invite him to join the team, immediately.
It was 3:30 in the afternoon, and the sun still hung high in the sky.
In the undeveloped forests east of Konoha, two green figures moved with relentless rhythm, like tireless beasts driven purely by will.
The afternoon heat soaked through their tight green suits, silent proof of the effort this father and son poured into their training.
"Guy! Five hundred push-ups are just the warm-up. Your real youth is only beginning! You want to beat Kakashi, don't you? No slacking!"
Might Duy's black bowl cut gleamed under the sunlight. He raised his signature thumbs-up, his teeth flashing as brightly as a stun flare.
He was cheering with everything he had.
The small powerhouse clenched his teeth. Sweat streamed down his young face, and the white bandages around his fists were already soaked through with blood. Each strike against the wooden post came with a hoarse shout, every ounce of strength poured into the blow.
"Dad, I can keep going! One thousand punches. If I can't finish, I'll do five hundred squats instead!"
There was no trace of fatigue in Guy's voice. The fire in his eyes burned even brighter, as if a giant were sealed inside his small body, raging and consuming everything it had.
Might Duy looked at his son with pride. He pulled him into an embrace, tears streaming down his face.
The father and son held each other and cried openly.
"That's it! Youth never fades!"
The training intensity climbed even higher. Duy raised the difficulty, kicking loose several logs from a nearby banyan tree. While throwing sandbags at Guy, he ordered him to keep striking the post without stopping.
"Too slow! Youth waits for no one!" Duy shouted excitedly as another sandbag flew.
Guy weaved nimbly between the logs. The sandbags struck him from time to time, and occasionally he managed to counter with a punch of his own.
Each impact was heavy, wood splintering and flying, yet his stance never wavered.
And yet, every fierce punch only made young Might Guy's fragility stand out all the more.
"That's incredible!" a voice whispered nearby.
Julian and Nawaki froze in shock, then quickly stepped out from hiding.
"Oh! You're the kid who took second place in today's entrance exam, right? Amazing!"
"Dad, do you know him?" Guy asked curiously.
Julian hurried to introduce himself. "We're upperclassmen now. We saw your father's strength during today's exam and wanted to see how a true expert trains."
When Julian finished, Guy's eyes lit up.
"Dad! The village finally recognizes your strength. That's awesome!"
Might Duy did not respond with his usual booming encouragement. Instead, he frowned slightly as he looked at Julian.
"Of course, kid! This is how we burn our youth. But you came here with a purpose, didn't you? A talent like you wouldn't just come to watch."
"Speak up. If it's a reasonable request, I won't refuse."
Julian blinked, then spoke plainly. "Senior, you're right. But I don't want to interrupt your training. Please continue. We'll watch for a bit and come back later."
With that, he turned and pulled Nawaki away, leaving the stunned father and son staring at their retreating backs.
"Julian, weren't we here to invite them to join the team? Where are we going now?" Nawaki asked, confused.
Julian dragged him along at a jog. "Idiot. You don't invite people empty-handed. That shows no sincerity."
"Didn't you notice? When it comes to taijutsu alone, Might Duy is a true master. We need to think carefully before making the invitation."
"So… we buy a gift?" Nawaki said thoughtfully. "I know a shop that sells kunai. I think it's called Daily Calm Ninja Tools."
"Nice thought, but we need something they actually need."
"Look at their training. It's pure unarmed combat."
"They work hard, but all their equipment is homemade. They're short on funds."
"And look at Guy. After that level of training, he's still thin. His nutrition clearly isn't enough."
"Huh? Then we can just hunt for food in the wild. That's easy."
Julian said nothing. He simply shot Nawaki a glance and motioned for him to follow.
They headed straight for the Senju clan grounds.
If you wanted to hunt wild boar, you had to do it on clan land.
Konoha's territory was divided among its clans, with only a small portion open to civilians. Naturally, Might Duy could not hunt boar there.
None of this was worth explaining to Nawaki. It was easier to save his breath.
The two slipped silently into the forest. The woods were still, afternoon sunlight filtering through dense leaves and scattering across the ground in flickering patches.
The air was thick with damp, moldy scents mixed with the stench of soil and rotting leaves. Clear signs that wild boar had been here.
Further in, they found tracks. In the soft mud by a stream were hoof prints the size of rice bowls.
A patch of grass in a clearing had been completely overturned, black earth exposed as if raked by an invisible claw.
Following broken shrubs, they found a muddy pool not far away, its edges churned into sludge.
"Looks like it, and it's a big one."
After careful searching, they found the base of an old pine tree smeared with dark brown mud and pine needles. Beside it lay a small pile of oddly shaped droppings.
Julian formed a quick hand sign. Nawaki immediately understood and crept forward.
A crunching sound echoed through the forest. A wild boar gnawing at tree roots.
At a blistering pace of three seals per second, Nawaki cast Earth Release: Underworld Swamp.
It was as if an invisible hand dragged the forest floor downward.
Although Underworld Swamp was only a B-rank technique, its size and depth depended entirely on the caster's chakra.
It was scalable, efficient, and devastatingly practical.