Chapter 567: The Taijutsu Data Orochimaru Brought
"I get it! I get it now!!!"
Just as Kakashi was left speechless by Naruto, Shira's ecstatic shout came from the distance.
"..."
At that moment, Kakashi really wanted to say, "You bastard, what exactly did you figure out?"
Originally, Kakashi had been quite polite toward Shira.
After all, Shira was officially Sunagakure's instructor, somewhat like Iruka's relationship with Naruto, and besides, Kakashi wasn't familiar with him.
But what happened?
Because of that courtesy, Shira had just done that to his Shadow Clone!
Ignoring Shira, Kakashi crouched beside Guy.
"Guy, stop fooling around with that guy. This was my fault. I shouldn't have called you over."
Kakashi felt guilty. He had misunderstood Guy.
Although using his sweat to activate the Seventh Gate was indeed disgusting...
At least Guy hadn't actually harmed him.
Unlike Shira, who had literally breathed his Shadow Clone to death with the Seven Heavens Breathing Method.
"No, Kakashi. I understand now too!"
Guy stubbornly shook his head with a serious expression.
"No. You don't."
Kakashi looked troubled.
"No, I really do understand, Kakashi! Believe me!"
Seeing that Kakashi didn't believe him, Guy immediately became anxious.
"Um... excuse me, is Konoha's Jonin Might Guy here?"
A voice came from outside the crowd.
Everyone turned toward it.
"Huh? Isn't that..."
Hoshigaki Nanami recognized the newcomer immediately.
Just as the Hoshigaki Clan was known for its shark-like features, the Kaguya Clan was recognized by what they proudly called their noble "bean eyebrows," along with the two red dots on their foreheads.
The newcomer was none other than Kaguya Kimimaro.
After his terminal illness was cured, Kimimaro wanted to become stronger.
But whether it was the Shikotsumyaku of his clan, ordinary taijutsu, or even the Cursed Seal, there was only so much room for improvement.
Now that he already possessed the Cursed Seal, there was no need for him to train Sage Mode either.
So after thinking it over carefully, Orochimaru recommended someone to him.
Might Guy.
Who was the Eight Gates best suited for?
Some people said Hidan, because he possessed immortality. Even if he opened the Gate of Death, he wouldn't die and could use it repeatedly.
But those people overlooked one important fact.
The Eight Gates had both training requirements and usage requirements.
It wasn't some skill machine where you inserted a disc into Hidan and he instantly learned the technique.
Nor was it a video game skill that activated with the push of a button.
Nearly every taijutsu technique placed strict demands on the user's body.
Even people like Might Guy and Rock Lee, who had trained their bodies for years while wearing heavy weights, still suffered muscle tears and broken bones after opening the higher Gates.
Most importantly...
Broken bones.
With Hidan's physique, he probably wouldn't die.
But he most likely wouldn't even be able to open the Eight Gates. Even if he somehow managed it, his entire body would instantly suffer shattered fractures, leaving him lying on the ground unable to move.
Therefore, the person most suited to learning the Eight Gates was naturally someone whose bones were far stronger than ordinary humans—A wielder of the Shikotsumyaku.
The Shikotsumyaku was to the Eight Gates what the Hyuga Clan was to long-range sniping techniques.
"This is something Orochimaru-sama asked me to deliver. I hope you'll accept it."
After explaining why he had come, Kimimaro took a scroll from inside his clothes and handed it over.
"What? I'm going to have a junior disciple? But... why do I suddenly feel like fighting him the moment I see him? Is it because I met another taijutsu master?"
Rock Lee scratched his head in confusion.
"Bushy Brows, you're absolutely right. You have to show him the dignity of a senior and give him a proper training session."
Naruto grinned mischievously as he wrapped an arm around Lee's shoulder, trying to egg him on.
Among everyone present, aside from Hoshigaki Nanami—who felt somewhat awkward about Kimimaro's appearance—Naruto was the one least pleased to see him.
After all, there was once a time when Naruto had mistaken Kimimaro for his own father.
The worst part was that even now, Kimimaro's voice sounded exactly like his dad's, giving Naruto a constant headache.
As a result, Naruto had become the very thing he once hated, actually encouraging Rock Lee to spread Konoha's "Will of Bullying."
Of course, Naruto was mostly joking.
There wasn't any real malice behind his words.
Even if Lee really accepted the challenge, it would only be a friendly spar.
"So that's how it is. Guy, after all these years, you've been training the wrong way."
"Orochimaru... as expected of one of the Legendary Sannin. I never imagined that after turning over a new leaf, he'd become this reliable."
After reading only the beginning of the scroll, Kakashi couldn't help sighing in admiration.
In Kakashi's eyes, all three Sannin had now become dependable seniors.
Orochimaru provided data, science, and research.
Tsunade provided medical treatment that could save anyone who wasn't already dead.
Jiraiya provided 'Icha Icha' novels.
"Training the wrong way? Kakashi-sensei, what do you mean?"
Rock Lee, who had been chatting with Naruto, immediately froze.
"Yeah, Kakashi. Explain yourself. What's written in there?"
Might Guy also became completely serious.
Rock Lee's training methods had been taught by Guy.
Half of Guy's own methods had been developed through trial and error, while the other half came from Might Duy.
And both shared one characteristic.
No technique whatsoever.
Couldn't finish fifty laps around the village?
Then run another hundred.
All that could really be said was that people in the ninja world had incredible physiques.
If ordinary people from Earth without all this supernatural nonsense tried that, they'd have long since...
[Guy-sensei, your lips are turning purple. Maybe opening the Eight Gates isn't very good for your heart.]
[Lee, you really think you can outrun me?]
[Let's start training in Konoha Village~]
[Guy-sensei, I still remember how, word by word, you pulled me out of the fog~]
"Guy, Lee, don't worry. I'm not saying your hard work was wrong. It's just that your training efficiency has a problem. I only realized it myself after reading Orochimaru's data analysis."
"Not just you, even I trained my taijutsu the wrong way before."
Kakashi calmed the two of them before explaining the report's conclusion.
"According to Orochimaru's research, the improvement gained from weight training is far inferior to the constant pressure that an overweight person's body fat places on their bones every moment of the day—including while sleeping."
"Even after training to your current level, your bone density is still only barely comparable to that of the Akimichi Clan."
"W-What?!"
Rock Lee felt like the sky had collapsed.
"Kakashi-sensei, are you saying Choji spends every day eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, and his bones are just as strong as mine after running around the village every day?"
"Oh, not exactly."
Kakashi shook his head and pointed at one of the data entries in the scroll.
"The data Orochimaru used came from Akimichi Rianko of Kumogakure—the same opponent Sakura and Ino fought during the last Chunin Exams."
"Whew... that's good."
Rock Lee let out a sigh of relief.
As long as it wasn't Choji.
As for Akimichi Rianko, he had heard stories about her.
Working together with her teammate Sarutobi Amane, she combined a Human Bullet Tank with burning fat, making her strength extraordinary.
If Ino hadn't had a one-shot ability, almost anyone else—including Lee himself—would have had a hard time defeating her.
"A powerhouse like that... she must train hard every single day too, right?"
Rock Lee asked hopefully.
"No records of physical training. Extra eating sessions, however, were recorded."
Kakashi shook his head and continued reading from the scroll.
"According to the records, Akimichi Rianko is even better than ordinary members of the Akimichi Clan at consuming energy."
"In a single meal, she once ate fifty fried chicken drumsticks, a forty-inch pizza, and three hundred dumplings."
"As for pork knuckle rice, she treats it as an everyday snack."
"W-What?!"
This time, it wasn't just Rock Lee who was shocked.
Sakura and Ino were equally stunned.
Neither of them had imagined their former opponent had worked this "hard."
Choji usually just snacked on a bag of potato chips.
Who in the world treated pork knuckle rice as a snack?
(End of this chapter)