Uchiha Mai fought intelligently—or rather, his combat wisdom was terrifying.
The core strategy of a world-class boxer like Mayweather is counter-punching: ensuring one's own safety and preventing the opponent from scoring points while meticulously hunting for a split-second opening to deliver a heavy strike.
This approach is stable and mature, and it heavily influenced Mai when he was conceptualizing his own Taijutsu style.
In contrast, look at Guy. While he possessed significant Taijutsu skill, his combat experience was lacking. His strategy was pure aggression—charge, charge, and charge again. It was a "do or die" mentality.
This mindset certainly had its merits; without this indomitable will, Guy could never have mastered the Eight Inner Gates or developed a move like Night Guy.
However, the fault lay in the fact that Guy's raw power—his speed and strength—did not yet surpass Mai's. When physical stats are equal, the smarter fighter wins every time.
"The match is set—" Might Duy began to call the fight, but he stopped when he saw Guy, face-down on the ground, struggling to push himself up.
"I... haven't lost yet..." Guy mumbled. Blood trickled from the back of his head, but he shook his skull and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand.
"Your head is literally bleeding, man," Mai said, slightly exasperated. He can still keep going after that?
The force behind that "Iron Anchor" was heavier than the punch that gave Asuma a concussion, and it was a direct hit to the cranium. Guy's "cockroach-like" resilience was truly something else.
"I haven't lost..." Guy repeated, whispering now. "I waited days just to settle this with you. I can't accept losing after just one hit. I haven't shown you my true techniques yet, and I know you have more up your sleeve, too. I want to see it all. Papa, please let me use that move."
That move?
Might Duy's expression grew somber. "You only just learned it. You're in bad shape; using it now could be life-threatening. Are you sure?"
Guy nodded with absolute conviction. "Papa, you said there are no limits to youth and passion. With enough spirit, even a failure can surpass a genius.
As long as the blood stays hot, the fire of youth will burn until the end. Is now not the perfect time to ignite that fire? I want to win! I want to defeat Mai!"
"That's my son! Guy, show him! Show Mai the fire of our youth!" Might Duy burst into tears again, officially granting his permission.
Mai's gaze sharpened. At this stage, there was only one "trump card" Guy could possibly be referring to: the Eight Inner Gates.
The Eight Inner Gates is a forbidden technique that releases the body's natural limiters on chakra flow, granting temporary, overwhelming power. It is a staple of the Naruto world.
In the future, a thirteen-year-old Rock Lee would open five gates to fight Gaara. Currently, an eight-year-old Guy could likely only reach the first or second gate. Even so, Mai was worried—not just for himself, but that Guy might literally drop dead.
The First Gate, the Gate of Opening, is located in the brain. It releases the brain's mental limiters, allowing the user to utilize 100% of their physical potential, far exceeding the normal safety threshold of the human body.
Under normal circumstances, humans only use a fraction of their strength to prevent muscle and bone damage.
You hear stories of mothers lifting cars to save children—that is the body bypassing its limiters. Guy was already suffering from a mild concussion from the "Iron Anchor"; pushing his brain further was suicidal.
But this was the way of the "Might" lineage. Their training was a constant dance on the edge of death. Only by hovering near that forbidden line could they break their limits and achieve power that rivaled—and eventually surpassed—geniuses and bloodline users.
"Mai, I'm about to get a lot stronger. Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Opening... OPEN!"
Guy roared, his chakra surging as it smashed through the first barrier. In an instant, his aura exploded—it was as if he had activated Kaioken or turned into a Super Saiyan. The sheer pressure coming off him changed completely.
"HAAAH!!!"
Guy launched himself like a projectile. His fists became a blur, slamming toward Mai like a Gatling gun.
Having learned his lesson from being KO'd by a counter-attack, Guy stuck to punches; they were less powerful than kicks but left fewer openings for Mai to exploit.
Mai gritted his teeth and met one of the strikes with his own fist. The impact felt like hitting a solid block of iron. His knuckles throbbed with white-hot pain.
Confirmed: Do not trade blows with this guy.
Mai immediately shifted tactics. Frontal confrontation was a losing game. The boost to speed and strength from even the first gate was too massive. It was the classic "A young man's strength beats an old master's skill."
Mai fell back into a pure defensive-counter stance. Opening the first gate drains stamina at several times the normal rate; Guy couldn't keep this up forever.
Guy pressed the attack, his moves becoming more wild and unrestrained. He began mixing in kicks, his speed so high that even though openings were appearing, Mai couldn't move fast enough to capitalize on them.
To survive the onslaught, Mai had to push his self-styled Mai Style · Ancient Martial Arts to its absolute limit.
Form 3, Form 4, Form 9, Hidden Form 9, Form 13, Hidden Form 15, Form 16, Form 22...
As Mai unveiled more of his repertoire, the watching Might Duy became increasingly shocked.
This wasn't just a collection of moves; it was a coherent, unprecedented system. Mai was actually holding his own against a Gate-enhanced opponent through sheer technical brilliance.
"This kid... he really has something," Duy whispered.
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