Meian acknowledged Might Guy with a polite nod. The man's boundless enthusiasm was legendary—and exhausting.
"Meian!" Guy's grin was impossibly wide. "Kakashi says you're quite the talent. I'd like to see what you're made of."
Before Meian could formulate a response, Guy launched himself forward in a blur of motion. His leg came up in a devastating arc aimed at Meian's head—a straightforward test of speed and power, delivered with the confidence of someone who'd thrown thousands of kicks.
Meian raised both arms to intercept.
The impact was tremendous. Bang!
Meian's feet carved two shallow grooves across the training ground as he slid backward—more than ten paces. His forearms screamed with numbed sensation. He flexed his fingers experimentally. "Considerable force."
Kakashi and Guy exchanged glances. Guy knew precisely how much power he'd channeled into that kick; he'd held back intentionally. Yet Meian had met it head-on and absorbed the blow without so much as a grimace.
Guy's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Kakashi, you weren't exaggerating! This kid's got real strength!"
"Easy, Guy." Kakashi's voice carried a note of warning. "Don't actually injure him." He was curious about Meian's progress, but not at the cost of a broken arm.
"No promises I can't keep!" Guy rushed forward again, fists raised.
Their knuckles collided mid-air. Boom!
Meian felt the raw pressure behind the punch, though he managed to deflect it—barely. Even holding back, Guy's power was suffocating.
Upper-level Chūnin strength, at minimum, in taijutsu alone, Kakashi noted with quiet approval. Ninja strength manifested in countless forms—hand-to-hand combat, ninjutsu, genjutsu, tactical brilliance. To see Meian holding his ground against Might Guy, even in a light sparring match, was genuinely impressive.
Ten minutes of sustained combat later, one of Guy's punches finally slipped through Meian's guard.
Meian stumbled backward, his body protesting. He caught his breath and assessed the situation coldly. His taijutsu is on another level entirely. I wouldn't last a minute if he stopped holding back. And if he opened the Eight Inner Gates… He didn't need to finish that thought. One hit would end it.
Guy jogged over, his smile radiant with the joy of a good fight. "Meian, your taijutsu potential is incredible! You should train with me regularly. My techniques surpass Kakashi's. We could push each other to new heights!"
Meian, still cataloging the dull ache spreading through his limbs, shook his head firmly. "I appreciate the offer, but no. I won't be focusing primarily on taijutsu."
Guy's expression fell. "But why? You have such potential! With proper training, you could surpass me! I could teach you secret techniques—methods that let your physical power rival ninjutsu itself!" His eyes were wide with evangelistic fervor. "Think about it!"
Kakashi stepped in smoothly. "That's enough, Guy. He's given you his answer. And frankly, pushing Meian down a pure taijutsu path wouldn't serve him well."
"What about training with both of us?" Guy made one final attempt, arms spread hopefully. "You could learn from Kakashi and from me!"
"No." Meian's tone was respectful but absolute. "Kakashi can provide the instruction I need. His taijutsu is sufficient." Under standard conditions, Kakashi and Guy were evenly matched in hand-to-hand combat—different styles, equal effectiveness.
Kakashi smirked. "See? I can handle his taijutsu training. There's no need for your Eight Inner Gates approach."
In truth, Kakashi understood the technique but had never fully mastered it. That was a secret he kept close.
Guy's shoulders sagged in defeat. "What a shame. You could become stronger than me if you committed to it!"
"Don't sell him short." Kakashi's amusement was evident. "Meian isn't like the other students you've trained."
Guy sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. But you'd better teach him properly, Kakashi. If you slack off—"
"And you think you could do better?" Kakashi's grin widened.
Guy opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. He hated admitting it, but Kakashi was the superior instructor.
Meian, unbothered by their exchange, steered the conversation forward. "Kakashi, what are we covering today?"
"Lightning Style ninjutsu." Kakashi's decision came easily. "Interested?"
Meian nodded.
Resigned to defeat, Guy settled onto a nearby log to observe. He was genuinely curious whether Kakashi's boast held truth—could Meian really internalize a jutsu's principles from a single explanation?
Kakashi spent the next thirty minutes laying out the fundamentals of Lightning Style jutsu. He covered chakra channeling, the nature of electrical energy, control techniques, and the various applications of lightning-based attacks. His explanation was thorough and methodical.
Guy managed to stay alert for perhaps five minutes before his head began to nod. Theory had always been his weakness—his brain simply didn't process abstract concepts the way combat did. Within ten minutes, he was snoring softly.
Meian, by contrast, absorbed every word. He asked occasional clarifying questions and took mental notes, his focus unwavering.
When Kakashi finished his lecture, he smiled. "Alright. Now I'll show you the jutsu itself. It's a C-rank technique called Lightning Style: Lightning Spear."
Meian acknowledged this with a nod. A basic jutsu by most standards, but exceptionally versatile—especially when combined with Water Style techniques.
Kakashi moved through the hand seals without deliberately slowing his pace. As he completed the final seal, electricity crackled along his hands and forearms, arcing between his fingers like a contained storm.
Stab!
The technique's radius expanded—three to four meters of supercharged air. The ground erupted with small impacts where the lightning made contact.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The damage was moderate but precise. Raw power had never been this jutsu's strength; its value lay in its speed and application.
Meian smiled. "My turn."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You've got it already?"
"Perhaps." Meian's confidence was quiet but genuine.
He wove through the hand seals with fluid precision, moving at natural speed. As the final seal locked into place, electricity bloomed across his hands—brilliant and crackling.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Spear!"
Stab!
Boom!
The jutsu erupted outward with perfect form, the arcs striking the training ground in a controlled pattern that matched Kakashi's execution almost exactly. The ground split with small fissures, electricity dancing across the surface before fading.
Kakashi's eye widened slightly—the universal tell of genuine surprise. "First attempt, and you nailed the form."
Guy jerked awake suddenly, jolting upright. "Wha—did something happen?"
"Meian just executed Lightning Style: Lightning Spear flawlessly on his first try," Kakashi said mildly.
Guy's jaw dropped. "On his first attempt? After just listening to an explanation?"
Meian flexed his hands, testing the sensation of the lightning chakra still tingling across his fingertips. The technique was elegant in its simplicity—a perfect marriage of electrical control and channeling efficiency.
Kakashi nodded slowly, already considering what to teach next.
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