The dawn was beginning to break over the trees, painting the sky in shades of pale orange and gold. Satoru stood with the First Gate open, his muscles tense, his breathing changed, chakra surging through his damaged pathways. His three-tomoe Sharingan remained active, the red eyes spinning slowly as he studied Guy's expression.
Guy stared at him for several seconds.
Satoru noticed something different in Guy's expression. It wasn't fear. It wasn't even ordinary surprise.
It was excitement.
That's not the expression of someone who's concerned. That's the expression of someone who just found something interesting.
Guy's posture became more energetic. His usual seriousness gave way to a huge grin.
"Excellent!" Guy's voice boomed across the clearing. "To open the Gate at your age takes tremendous spirit! The flames of youth are burning brightly today!"
Satoru blinked. He had expected questions. Demands. Accusations. Instead, he was receiving an enthusiastic declaration about youth.
Guy's expression became more serious, though the enthusiasm remained beneath the surface. "But if your body cannot follow your spirit, that flame will burn out far too quickly!"
Satoru didn't waste the opportunity.
He launched forward, his acceleration dramatically greater than before. Guy's eyes widened slightly. Satoru threw a straight punch. Guy raised his forearm to block.
BOOM!
The collision sent a shockwave through the clearing. Dust and grass kicked outward. Satoru's arm trembled from the impact. Guy's feet dug trenches into the ground.
Guy didn't move backwards.
Satoru registered that fact immediately.
He stopped that. Not redirected. Not dodged. Stopped.
Guy's grin widened. Satoru realised Guy was genuinely enjoying this.
He followed with a barrage of attacks. Left punch. Right punch. Low kick. Elbow. Spinning strike. His Sharingan predicted Guy's counters. The First Gate gave his body enough speed to actually act on those predictions.
For the first time, Satoru was able to stay within Guy's combat range.
Guy parried. Redirected. Ducked. Pivoted. Blocked. Occasionally countered.
Satoru realised something important. Guy wasn't simply matching him with speed. Guy's fundamental taijutsu technique was vastly superior. Every movement had purpose. Guy wasted almost nothing.
Guy's expression changed slightly. The exaggerated excitement remained, but there was genuine respect underneath it. He recognized that Satoru wasn't merely relying on the Sharingan. Satoru had actually learned to activate the First Gate.
Guy began testing him rather than simply overwhelming him. He deliberately changed rhythm and attack angles.
Satoru kept adapting.
He discovered that his First Gate felt different while fighting an actual opponent. In training, he could consciously monitor his body. Here, his attention was divided between Guy's movements, his own footwork, Sharingan prediction, chakra circulation, and First Gate maintenance.
Yet the combination worked surprisingly well. His Sharingan provided the information. First Gate provided the physical execution. For several exchanges, he genuinely felt capable of fighting Guy.
Guy spoke between exchanges, his voice carrying the same dramatic energy. "Magnificent! Your youthful spirit is blazing!" He ducked under a punch. "But your body is crying out for more training!"
Satoru internally wondered how Guy could possibly talk this much while fighting at this speed. He also realised Guy was probably barely exerting himself.
Guy began deliberately forcing Satoru into longer exchanges. Satoru noticed his body beginning to deteriorate. His breathing became heavier. His pathways began burning. Fine motor control started declining. His left shoulder became increasingly painful.
Guy noticed. His expression became more serious.
"The Gates are not merely a shortcut to power!" Guy's voice was still enthusiastic, but there was steel beneath it now. "They are the result of a body trained to withstand the flames of youth!"
He explained that Satoru knew how to open the First Gate. But he didn't yet know how to fight efficiently while it was open. Guy pointed out that Satoru was spending too much of his enhanced capacity simply keeping up. His body wasn't conditioned enough to sustain the output.
Satoru remained silent because he couldn't afford to waste breath. His arms trembled. His pathways felt increasingly constricted. The First Gate was beginning to strain against his damaged network.
He estimated his remaining time. Perhaps thirty seconds. Maybe less.
Thirty seconds. That's all I have.
He recognised the difference between his controlled training and this situation. During training, he could stop whenever he wanted. Here, stopping meant losing the fight.
Until now, Guy had primarily been moving around Satoru's attacks. Suddenly he stopped. Planted both feet firmly.
Satoru immediately recognised the change. Guy was going to meet him head-on.
Satoru attacked. Guy extended one open palm. He caught Satoru's punch directly.
The contrast was striking. Satoru was using the First Gate. Guy caught the strike with one hand.
Satoru tried to pull free. Guy's grip didn't move.
Guy pushed forward. The movement was simple. Satoru was thrown backwards. He tumbled across the grass. He caught himself before hitting a tree.
His First Gate flickered. His pathways burned intensely.
He just threw me. One-handed.
Satoru realised the gap remained enormous.
Guy approached rather than attacking immediately. His voice carried the same motivational energy. "Young Satoru! Your spirit is magnificent! But youth without discipline is merely a spark! The true flame of youth is forged through endless training!"
Satoru realised Guy was confirming something he already suspected. The First Gate removed the limiter. It didn't make his damaged body healthy. It didn't magically strengthen his chakra pathways. It didn't grant Guy's years of conditioning.
His body remained the limiting factor.
I learned how to open the door. Guy spent years building a body capable of walking through it.
Satoru felt the First Gate destabilising. His chakra circulation became increasingly painful. His muscles began losing their enhanced responsiveness. He recognised the warning signs from his training.
Unlike his first attempts, he didn't try to squeeze out extra seconds. He consciously shut it down.
The internal lock snapped back into place. The surge disappeared. The pain returned immediately. His shoulder ached. His muscles felt hollow. His chakra pathways throbbed. His breathing became ragged.
His knees buckled.
Satoru fell onto the grass. He struggled to breathe. His vision swam. He could barely move his arms.
He realised his combat duration was actually shorter than his controlled training duration because combat consumed vastly more physical and chakra output.
His ninety-second controlled duration doesn't mean ninety seconds of usable combat.
Guy walked over. He didn't immediately help Satoru up. He watched him recover.
Guy stood over Satoru with arms crossed. "You burned brightly, young Satoru. But even the brightest flame needs fuel!" He paused. "You opened the Gate because you needed strength, but your body could not keep the flame burning!"
He asked, "Did you feel it? Did you feel where your body began to fall behind your spirit?"
Satoru slowly nodded. He explained between breaths. His pathways couldn't support the output. His body couldn't sustain the Gate. He could open it, but couldn't properly utilise it.
He stated the conclusion himself. "My body needs a stronger foundation."
Guy's expression became pleased. This was exactly the answer he wanted.
Guy crouched slightly, leaning forward with an enthusiastic declaration. He acknowledged Satoru's determination, intelligence, courage, and willingness to experiment. But most importantly, Satoru recognised his own weakness.
Guy's philosophy was simple. Recognising weakness wasn't defeat. It was the beginning of improvement. Youth wasn't about never falling. It was about getting back up and continuing.
Once Satoru could breathe properly, Guy reminded him, "You came here for a reason, didn't you?"
Satoru nodded. He gathered himself. This was the purpose of coming to Training Ground 3.
He looked directly at Guy. No hesitation. "Teach me."
Guy raised an eyebrow.
Satoru clarified. The Second Gate. The remaining Gates. Proper control. How to train his body so he could actually use them. He didn't ask merely for techniques. He asked to learn the discipline behind them.
Guy became unusually quiet. He studied Satoru. Then his face changed into an exaggerated, almost theatrical expression. He declared that Satoru had made a request worthy of the flames of youth.
But he didn't immediately agree.
Guy told Satoru that he couldn't teach him the Second Gate tomorrow. First, Satoru needed to recover. Then Guy needed to assess his physical condition. Then training would begin from the foundation.
Guy made it clear. Satoru didn't get to skip the boring work. Push-ups. Running. Squats. Flexibility. Endurance. Taijutsu fundamentals. Recovery.
Satoru internally realised this might be significantly worse than learning another Gate.
Guy eventually agreed to train him. His reasoning remained consistent with his character. He recognised Satoru's talent. More importantly, he recognised the danger of someone with Satoru's mentality trying to learn the Gates alone. Guy wanted to prevent Satoru from destroying himself through reckless experimentation.
But instead of saying this in cold terms, he framed it as protecting the young flame. "If you insist on walking this path, then I will make sure your flame does not burn itself to ashes!"
Satoru gave a tired, slightly sarcastic response. He had expected a yes or no. Instead, he received a lecture about youth and a training regimen.
I came here looking for a teacher. Apparently I found a human motivational speech with legs.
Despite himself, Satoru was relieved. He finally had someone who understood the Gates firsthand.
As Satoru began preparing to leave, Guy's expression became thoughtful. He asked how Satoru had learned the First Gate. He already suspected an Uchiha connection because of the Sharingan.
Satoru didn't immediately answer.
Guy pointed out that Satoru's activation method wasn't the standard method Guy knew. He had noticed Satoru's mental transition. The calm shift. The deliberate invitation rather than violent forcing.
Guy recognized that Satoru had learned the basic information from somewhere but had developed the activation method himself.
Guy asked, "Who taught you how to open that first door?"
Satoru kept his expression neutral. He didn't want Guy asking about the Uchiha scroll. "No one. I found a scroll."
Guy studied him. Clearly unconvinced. But he didn't press.
Guy pointed toward the village. He told Satoru to recover properly. Then return tomorrow.
He ended with something characteristically Guy-like; energetic, dramatic, and centred on youth. "Tomorrow morning, young Satoru! Arrive with your spirit blazing! The flames of youth wait for no one!"
Satoru internally translated this. Be here before sunrise. He realised that Guy probably considered anything after sunrise late.
Satoru pulled himself upright. Every muscle hurt. He looked back at Training Ground 3. Guy was already beginning another exercise routine.
Satoru watched for a moment. The ridiculousness of the situation hit him. He had come here hoping to find someone who could teach him the Gates. Instead, he found a sixteen-year-old who could effortlessly overpower him while apparently treating the entire encounter as part of his morning workout.
This is going to be hell.
Brief pause.
Then a faint smile.
Good.
He turned and began the slow walk back to the village, leaving Guy to his training as the sun finally rose over the trees.
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