Chapter 318: A Pure Heart X The Blond of the Sarutobi Family
"I know you,"
"Red Flash!"
Might Guy caught his breath, slowly straightened his back, and looked at Ryo with burning eyes, saying, "Legend has it your swordsmanship is formidable, that no one who has seen it has survived a single slash of yours,"
"I did not expect that besides being fast, you are also skilled in Space-Time Ninjutsu..."
Might Guy looked Ryo up and down like he was looking at a freak. With his straightforward personality taking over, he spilled the beans on Ryo's minor battle records one by one like pouring beans from a bamboo tube...
Ryo did not expect the youth to know him better than he thought. On second thought, he and Kakashi were best friends, and he usually had a good relationship with Obito, Rin, Asuma, Kurenai, and others. They were either classmates, peers from the same term, or alumni within two or three years of each other. Immediately understanding, he smiled, "Just some empty titles blown out of proportion by others, not worth mentioning."
Two years ago, when rushing to the frontline battlefield to support Fugaku Uchiha, Ryo did indeed reveal the Breathing Styles. At that time, solely focused on harvesting Life Energy, he killed a bit too fast. He never expected to be crowned with the title of Red Flash. Of course, some also called him Konoha's Fast Blade, as he never needed a second strike to kill...
Now, if Might Guy had not mentioned it, he would have forgotten...
"This is not bragging," Might Duy looked at Ryo with bright eyes. The youth's face, thirty percent like Fugaku and seventy percent like Mikoto, did indeed somewhat resemble the Uchiha Clan Head and current Captain of the Police Force, Fugaku Uchiha, whom he had seen in a corner once. But unlike most Uchiha...
The youth's face was warm, his smile radiant as the sun, far from the typical Uchiha who always kept a straight face, acting aloof, arrogant, and unapproachable... It made it completely impossible to dislike him...
Ryo smiled, also looking deeply at Might Duy. "If Uncle Might were to really fight, you would not seem like a Genin either."
Might Duy laughed heartily, putting his hands on his hips and saying freely, "I do not know Ninjutsu, so it is not wrong that I cannot become a Chunin."
"But Uncle knows Taijutsu!" Ryo looked earnestly at the man and said, "I do not agree with the village's standards for selecting ninjas."
"An excellent Taijutsu talent like Uncle should be awarded the title of Elite Jonin,"
Instead of being criticized as the Eternal Genin, even though the title Genin for Konoha, in some aspects, was not a derogatory term, and even had some hidden meaning to it, that is.
"Well said!"
"This guy Ryo Uchiha is really to my liking!"
Might Guy looked at Ryo with shining eyes and said, "In my heart, Father is the most formidable Taijutsu ninja!"
Might Duy waved his hands repeatedly. Being praised by the two juniors, two red clouds immediately crept up his old face... Fortunately, having mingled in the ninja world for over twenty years, he still somewhat knew propriety. He simply praised Ryo, "The Uchiha is indeed a great clan of Konoha. Compared to you, my level is truly not worth mentioning."
But, is the person who could develop the Eight Inner Gates truly not worth mentioning?
In the future, Guy would open all eight gates and almost kick to death Madara Uchiha, who had initially mastered the Six Paths power, with a single Night Guy. Guy in the Night Guy state was well-deserving of the Super Kage level.
"I was just taking a shortcut," Ryo gently shook his head and said, "I merely borrowed a bit of the convenience of Breathing..."
"Breathing?" The father and son, Might Guy and Might Duy, keenly grasped the keyword in Ryo's words.
The youthful Might Guy was straightforward, hot-blooded, and outspoken. He immediately blurted out, "What Breathing? Can you elaborate on it?"
That kind of speed, which left him in the dust even after opening three gates, was a temptation that almost no Taijutsu ninja who worshipped Taijutsu could resist.
Neither could Might Duy!
But Might Duy, coming from a civilian ninja background, could control himself. The man knew very well that large clans in Konoha like this one always guarded their ninjutsu more heavily than anyone else. If one was not a clan member, or even not a blood relative, it would absolutely not be taught to outsiders. Just like Shadow for Nara, Expansion for Akimichi, Mind Transfer for Yamanaka... These were the secret techniques of their clans, and also taboos that must be guarded to the death!
"Guy!" Might Duy suddenly shouted sharply, directly reaching out to cover Might Guy's mouth.
The man smiled apologetically at Ryo, "I am sorry, my son is ignorant and offended you. Please forgive him."
As Might Duy finished speaking, he pressed Guy's head down, and the father and son bowed deeply to Ryo together, apologizing sincerely... That kind of straightforwardness, that pure heart, shining like gold, made it completely impossible for one to get angry...
Ryo quietly looked at the older and younger bowl cuts. He raised his hand in the air, separated a wisp of Nen aura, and through Wind Breathing, slowly transformed it into two gentle whirlwinds. They lifted Might Duy and Might Guy, standing them straight up. He then smiled at the two and said, "There is no need to apologize. I said it was a shortcut, so it is a shortcut. It is not anything extraordinary."
Nen aura emerged, bringing out two clusters of memories, which Ryo slowly grasped in his hands. He tapped the foreheads of the two. Then, while the father and son Might Duy and Might Guy were in a daze, Ryo stretched his body, instantly transforming into spots of light and merging into the light. Following the morning glow, he left the Southern Forest and headed straight for Konoha, sweeping toward a residence adjacent to the commercial district.
From afar, he only left behind a single sentence, "Uncle, Guy, just call me Ryo..."
Might Duy and Might Guy raised their eyes to look at the lush forest in front of them, but Ryo's figure was already gone. Coming to their senses, they exchanged a glance, looking at each other in dismay...
"Father, just now... it seems something extra appeared in my mind..."
Nen Aura Memory quietly began to unfold in Might Guy's mind as Ryo left.
The youth tilted his head and secretly glanced at Might Duy. The man frowned, saying nothing, only waiting to check the memory light cluster in his own mind, discovering it was a ninjutsu called Wind Breathing!
Might Duy's heart stirred, and he looked closely... The memory light cluster unfolded before his eyes, revealing a humanoid light shadow beginning to dance...
Whoosh~ A faint wind rose, rolling up countless tiny wind blades...
In a flash, several techniques slowly presented themselves... Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter.
Second Form: Claws, Purifying Wind... Third Form: Clean Storm Wind Tree... Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm...
Amidst the flashing blades and sword shadows, Might Duy's consciousness and gaze were firmly sucked in...
In just an instant, Might Duy was deeply immersed, staring blankly.
"Father... Father?"
"Should I uncover it and take a look?" Noticing Might Duy's unusual behavior, Might Guy, holding the memory light cluster, was surging with curiosity and could no longer hold back... The bowl-cut youth furrowed his thick eyebrows, immersed his consciousness, and fixed his eyes on the memory light cluster...
Wind Breathing unfolded, just as it had in Might Duy's mind, meticulously disassembled and presented in Might Guy's mind, immediately sucking his gaze firmly in as well...
Chirp chirp... In midsummer, the cicadas clinging to the tree canopy screamed at the top of their lungs.
The father and son, Might Duy and Might Guy, stood like two wooden stakes deep within the Southern Forest, carefully savoring the Wind Breathing in their minds... Once... twice... three times... until...
The Nen aura dissipated, losing its support, and the memories faded along with it.
With a pop, Might Duy and Might Guy, having tasted the sweetness, returned to their senses. As if waking from a dream, they hazily felt... it was not enough!
"Wind Breathing... merge with the wind, become the wind, be one with the wind, learn the wind's breathing..." As Might Duy muttered to himself, his distinct black and white pupils were densely packed with tiny wind blades. Raising his eyes again, looking far in the direction Ryo had left, he said leisurely to Might Guy: "Guy, we really owe Ryo a massive favor this time..."
What shortcut?!
What not worth mentioning?!
A ninjutsu that could deeply stimulate the body's potential by changing the rhythm and method of breathing... was absolutely... at the Forbidden Jutsu level!
Even, in Might Duy's view, this specialized Wind Breathing was not the least bit inferior to the Eight Inner Gates he had developed!
Both were stimulating potential, helping the user to explode, bursting with power and speed far beyond their own... Wind Breathing simply took a different path... the path of breathing!
This was something he had never encountered, or even... thought of!
Guy deeply agreed. In terms of talent in Taijutsu, what Might Duy could see, he naturally could see as well. After all... as the man recognized by Madara, throughout history, he alone stood at the pinnacle of Taijutsu!
The youth's pupils flashed with blade and sword shadows, seemingly still immersed in the practice of Wind Breathing, unable to extricate himself. At a certain moment, as a fallen leaf drifted down from above his head... Might Guy suddenly raised his hand, striking out with a hand blade, slicing it cleanly down the middle along its veins. Might Guy froze slightly. Recovering his senses, he took a deep breath and said solemnly: "You are right, Father..."
"We owe him a huge favor."
"So?"
"Favors owed must be repaid,"
"What do we repay it with,"
The father and son exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, the answer already in their hearts...
Might Duy patted Guy's shoulder in satisfaction: "If others do not care, we still cannot ignore it. This is what a man should be like!"
Might Guy nodded, then... glanced in the direction Ryo had left, and asked Might Duy tentatively: "Father, then I will practice?"
"Practice," Might Duy stretched his limbs and took the lead toward the training ground: "I will join too!"
Taking advantage of the lingering aftertaste in their minds, they had to firmly practice and memorize this Wind Breathing, otherwise... it would be disrespectful and a letdown to the giver... Ryo Uchiha... For Might Duy and Might Guy, this was absolutely unacceptable!
Hah... Using their palms as blades, lifting gusts of wind, soon, flashing blades and sword shadows lit up a training ground deep within the Southern Forest. And at the exact moment the father and son were engrossed in Wind Breathing, Ding~ Ding~ two notification sounds chased Ryo's back and surfaced in his mind...
[Prompt: The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose...]
[Detected: Pending Believers Might Duy & Might Guy feel grateful for your teaching of Wind Breathing, Loyalty +50...]
[Note: Still 20 points short of formalization to become Official Believers...]
They truly are straightforward people... A single gift increased their loyalty by 50 points... Ryo had to admit that whether in the bizarre Hunter world or the scheme-filled Naruto world, the Might Duy and Might Guy father and son were among the few completely honest and loyal... absolute righteous figures he had seen!
And, this, "Perhaps this is, Youth..."
Ryo smiled freely. He maneuvered through the morning glow, his mood as bright as the skylight, making even his Light Release execution smoother than usual. In no time, he arrived at Hiruzen Sarutobi's residence, a typical Japanese-style courtyard...
Hum... The red sun leaped out, the last ray of morning glow fading away.
At this moment of broad daylight, Ryo caught the tail of the morning glow, took a step, and slowly landed in front of the courtyard gate. He raised his hand to knock on the door, Knock knock knock...
After three soft knocks, Creak~ the door opened, and a slacker's face poked out from the crack in the door...
"Eh~ An Uchiha?"
"When did the old man get on such good terms with the Uchiha?"
Asuma Sarutobi, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, cast a sidelong glance at Ryo. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly lost interest. He brushed straight past Ryo's shoulder and walked toward the most bustling part of Konoha's commercial district, "The old man is inside, go find him yourself..."
Kurenai's birthday was approaching, and the time to pick out a gift absolutely could not be delayed.
The youth was already trying to grow a beard to make himself look more mature. He seemed to deeply resent others treating him as a child. That rebellious appearance, insisting on highlighting his individuality during puberty, in some ways, was somewhat similar to himself...
The difference was, some blonds let themselves rot, while some blonds refused to fall, insisting on achieving some results to prove themselves...
The disparity between people, it seems, from the moment their personalities take shape, becomes almost despairingly vast...
Ryo watched Asuma walk away, recalling how he tragically died at the hands of Hidan in the original story, leaving behind Kurenai Yuhi and a son he would never get to meet... Turning his head and withdrawing his gaze, he pushed open the half-closed door on his own and walked in. Tap... tap... One entering the courtyard, one leaving the courtyard. One guarding the gold mountain that is the Scroll of Seals but unwilling to learn, one striving hard to gain recognition and coming by invitation... Ryo, his black hair swaying in the wind, with his back to Asuma, walked in the opposite direction, as if separated by two worlds...
Soon, after the span of a few breaths, Ryo saw the inside Asuma had mentioned—a study with paper-pasted windows. The study window was propped open by a wooden stick resting on the window sill. Faintly visible were two figures revealing a corner of their clothes. One was around fifty, not yet very old, and the other had blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, in the prime of his youth. Ryo slowly halted his steps, stopping three meters in front of the study door.
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face poked out from the window, looking at the youth teasingly and saying: "Since you are here, why don't you come in?"
Ryo did not answer. He merely looked quietly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, and at Minato Namikaze, who had appeared beside him upon hearing the commotion. Pointing a finger at his feet, he said casually: "Are you waiting for me to shatter this barrier to enter, or will you remove the barrier yourself?"