The two of them stood very close.
"Uchiha? You're from the Uchiha clan too?" Orochimaru asked in surprise. The boy's hair, which was neither black nor purple, didn't resemble the typical Uchiha look.
"Yes!" Liuyun nodded with a smile.
"Why were you fighting?" Orochimaru asked with interest.
"It was over something trivial. We were just forced to fight back," Liuyun replied, not wanting to explain too much. To someone like Orochimaru, these matters weren't worth mentioning.
His answer caught Orochimaru off guard.
"Heh... Trivial, huh? Forced to fight back? Interesting..."
Orochimaru narrowed his snake-like eyes and studied Liuyun carefully. After a moment, he let out a hoarse chuckle.
"Uchiha Liuyun, is it? You're quite impressive... I'll remember you."
With that, Orochimaru gently patted Liuyun's shoulder before turning and walking away.
Liuyun stood frozen, watching Orochimaru's back disappear into the distance. His clothes were already damp with cold sweat.
'Being noticed by Orochimaru... That's definitely not a good thing,' he thought. Even though Orochimaru wasn't yet the monster he would become, he was still a dangerous man.
As the sky dimmed, Liuyun sighed and took off, running all the way home.
Back Home
By the time he arrived, the sun had nearly set. He saw his mother, Asuka, waiting at the door again.
After enduring her scolding, Liuyun finally sat at the dinner table.
"Running around all day… You're too tired to even eat now, huh?" Asuka snapped, noticing his lack of appetite.
"Go take a shower first. Then sit outside and cool off before you eat."
"Oh… Oh..." Liuyun hurriedly left the table.
The cool water washed away most of his exhaustion. As he looked at his swollen limbs, he sighed.
"My physical endurance is still too weak..."
His body had a poor foundation. Even though he could enhance it with chakra, it didn't mean he could completely avoid injuries. Fighting seven Uchiha at once wasn't easy, and the pain was unavoidable. The original owner of this body had been lazy and disliked physical activity, so it wasn't realistic to expect drastic improvement after just a few days of training. Physical conditioning required time and effort.
After dinner, he skipped his usual training since his entire body ached from the fight. Instead, he sat at his desk and focused on his homework.
Once that was done, he began listing the major events from the original Naruto story, writing them in Chinese characters.
"Since Orochimaru hasn't left for the Land of Rain yet, that means the Second Shinobi World War hasn't officially started," he mused.
Hanzo the Salamander hadn't declared war on the Land of Fire yet, but based on Liuyun's estimation, it was probably coming within the next year or so.
The original series never clearly outlined the timeline of the Second War. Liuyun had only watched the anime and hadn't studied any extra material, making it difficult to determine the exact sequence of events.
One thing was certain—he wanted no part in the war.
No matter how brutal the battles became, as long as Konoha didn't start forcing academy students onto the battlefield, he could remain uninvolved.
Right now, he had a peaceful, happy life. That was enough for him.
The next morning, Liuyun resumed his training routine.
Since it was the weekend and there were no classes, he decided to push himself a little harder.
As he ran through the village at dawn, he unexpectedly ran into Might Duy. Taking the opportunity, he asked Duy about his experience with physical training.
"Haha! Liuyun, training is simple! Just work on whatever you're lacking! The key is to get your blood flowing properly!" Duy laughed as he did push-ups.
"The most important thing is to train until your body aches every day. Too little, and you won't see results. Too much, and you'll wear yourself out. Balance is key!"
They were at one of Konoha's public training grounds, an outdoor area equipped with various exercise equipment.
"Brother Duy, you must know a lot about taijutsu, right? If you have time, could you teach me?" Liuyun asked eagerly.
Duy's response was surprising.
"Taijutsu? Hahaha! I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I only know a little..."
"What? That's a joke, right?"
' If even you only know 'a little' about taijutsu, who in the ninja world can claim to be an expert?'
"I'm serious!" Duy insisted.
Before Liuyun could argue, Duy explained, "The only true taijutsu masters in the ninja world are the Hyūga clan."
"Most of us who follow the 'Strong Fist' style have only touched the surface of real taijutsu," he continued. "People who practice Strong Fist usually focus on speed and power. But things like technique, perception, and reaction time? Those are often neglected."
"The Hyūga, on the other hand, have it all. They're fast and strong. Their Byakugan gives them unmatched perception. Their Gentle Fist style is all about refined technique. And their natural flexibility gives them incredible reaction speed."
Might Duy spoke with great admiration for the Hyūga clan. To him, they were the true masters of taijutsu.
Liuyun listened carefully.
"I see… That's why you say only the Hyūga truly understand taijutsu," he said thoughtfully.
Of course, understanding and mastering were two different things. As someone who had watched Naruto, Liuyun knew that taijutsu wasn't about knowing everything—it was about specializing in what worked best.
In the ninja world, many had reached the pinnacle of taijutsu.
Aside from the father-and-son duo Might Duy and Might Guy, there were others like Tsunade, whose monstrous strength made her a force to be reckoned with.
Then there were the Raikage, who combined lightning-speed movement with devastating taijutsu.
These warriors, despite their different fighting styles, had all surpassed the Hyūga in actual combat effectiveness.
For Might Duy and his son, their key to success lay in raw speed and strength, enhanced by the forbidden Eight Gates technique.
"Liuyun, I think you should focus on speed training," Duy suggested. "Speed creates power. And since you're an Uchiha, your Sharingan will naturally give you great perception."
Liuyun murmured, "A speed-based ninja…? Could I really do that?"
"Of course you can! If you want it badly enough, you can achieve anything!" Duy said with unwavering confidence.
To him, effort always triumphed over talent. It was this belief that would one day shape his son into one of the greatest taijutsu users in history.