After the father and son finished their emotional display, they finally remembered a guest was standing nearby.
Might Duy cleared his throat, covering his mouth with a clenched left fist. "Guiding your Taijutsu training... of course, that's no problem. We are all shinobi of Konoha. However, I'm not sure exactly what it is you wish to learn?"
"Leg techniques and kicking maneuvers. I want to create my own Taijutsu style, but my current repertoire is lacking in kicking skills. It's incomplete," Uchiha Mai answered truthfully.
In the future timeline of Shippuden, Might Guy and Rock Lee would use moves like the Leaf Hurricane and Leaf Great Hurricane. Those spinning kicks were stylish, hard-hitting, and flashy—extremely high in visual appeal and power.
Normally, in a real fight, a spinning kick is a low-utility move because it easily compromises one's center of gravity and balance. But this was the Naruto world.
Those "Leaf Winds" were essentially the companion techniques to the Eight Inner Gates; they definitely had something extraordinary about them.
According to standard tropes, the Eight Inner Gates was the Might family's secret art. Compared to that, the "Leaf Winds" were just the box holding the pearl—relatively less important.
Mai wasn't greedy enough to ask for a family secret right away; learning the kicks would be plenty.
"Sou desu ne..."
Might Duy rested his chin on his hand and nodded. "I do indeed have some insights regarding leg techniques. Teaching them to you is fine.
However, since your goal is to create your own style and you're just looking to round out your system, I need to think carefully about what to show you. If possible, could you demonstrate the Taijutsu you've already created?"
Might Duy didn't doubt the boy's claim of wanting to invent a new style. Isn't that standard operating procedure for a Uchiha genius?
"Copy Ninja", Kakashi was said to have learned a thousand jutsu, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the "Professor," was the same. But in actual combat, they usually stuck to a few core moves. Why? Because those "thousand jutsu" were often slight variations.
Take the Great Fireball Technique—a C-rank jutsu that spread from the Uchiha to the whole world. It's powerful and requires few seals, but its only weakness is that it rarely hits anyone.
In the ninja world, there are countless similar versions: Fireball, Large Fireball, Double Fireball, etc. The Great Fireball only stands out because it hits the "sweet spot" of power versus speed.
The same logic applies to Taijutsu. Creating a "new" style wasn't hard; ensuring its power and universality was the real challenge.
"You want to see Mai's techniques?" Might Guy's eyes lit up. He raised his arm immediately, unable to contain himself. "Let me do it! The power of Taijutsu is only truly revealed in battle. Let me spar with Mai, Papa! You can observe his style from the sidelines."
Might Duy nodded. It was a solid plan. Taijutsu wasn't for show; you needed a resisting opponent to see how the mechanics truly functioned.
Since meeting Kakashi, Guy's strength had skyrocketed through diligent training. In terms of pure Taijutsu, he was already formidable.
"No problem," Mai smiled.
Guy was the perfect opponent. And who knows? He might even earn some points. Beating the Hokage's son in front of the Hokage had worked; beating Guy in front of Duy felt like a similar opportunity. The only downside was the lack of a crowd.
Surely I can harvest some Style Points... right?
Duy's courtyard was too cramped for a real fight. Fortunately, his home was on the outskirts of Konoha, near a river. Duy led the two boys to an open clearing by the water. After witnessing them perform the Seal of Confrontation, he stepped back to observe.
"Mai, I have waited a long time for this day! You are the second opponent I have ever truly wanted to challenge. Witness my youth and passion!"
Guy felt his blood boiling. He let out a roar to build momentum and lunged forward, opening with a high, leaping roundhouse kick aimed at Mai's face.
As the wind of the kick whistled toward him, Mai ducked instantly and fired an upward hook. It was aimed directly at the base of Guy's thigh—fast, accurate, and ruthless.
You're the one who left your "gate" open; don't blame me for being heartless.
Guy realized halfway through his kick that Mai's fist was following a very dangerous path. His face went pale. Even if he was young, as a Taijutsu specialist, he knew that area was the "vital of vitals."
Guy had once followed Kakashi even to the restroom to demand a fight. There, he had discovered his "Little Guy" wasn't as impressive as "Little Kakashi," which had left him quite depressed for a time.
If he took a punch there and ended up with "broken eggs," it would be a tragedy of epic proportions.
Discarding all thoughts of balance, Guy strained every muscle to change his move mid-air, bringing his hands down to shield his groin.
Mai smirked. Here it is!
Kicking maneuvers have a larger range of motion than boxing, making it easier to lose one's center of gravity and harder to feint or change directions—especially with leaping side kicks or spinning kicks. If the opponent lacks the eyesight or speed to catch the opening, the kicker is safe.
But Mai, as a Uchiha, had protected his eyesight well, dreaming of the Mangekyō. Plus, his recent mastery of the "Lightning Whip" had boosted his upper-body speed and flexibility.
He was the definition of "Quick Eyes, Fast Hands."
Because his striking speed was naturally higher, and his opponent was using a cumbersome leg technique, it was much easier for Mai to adjust.
Seeing Guy retract his leg to protect his vitals, his posture now too distorted to recover, Mai pulled back his fist, raised his arm, and hopped forward.
Clasping his hands together, he funneled the strength of his left arm into his right, and as he descended, he slammed his right elbow down onto the top of Guy's head.
Mai Style · Ancient Martial Arts · External Form: Iron Anchor!
Don't ask why the move name was so long. It sounded cool, mysterious, and helped harvest Style Points. By blending boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, and traditional arts, Mai had achieved an effect similar to the "Yagami Style" from King of Fighters.
Call me the Iori Yagami of Konoha!
Guy couldn't dodge in time. His head took the full force of the "Iron Anchor." His ears rang, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground, dazed.
The watching Might Duy's lip twitched. We agreed to test Mai's style... shouldn't there be some back-and-forth? What's with the one-hit KO?
However, from that single move, Duy could conclude one thing for certain: this Uchiha boy absolutely had his own unique understanding of Taijutsu.
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