"Guy-sensei, what's the reward?" Ren asked curiously.
A mysterious smile appeared on Might Guy's face. Instead of answering his question directly, he asked, "You should have seen the power of my Eight Gates Released Formation just now, right?"
"Yeah." Ren nodded.
"The Eight Gates Released Formation is the forbidden ninjutsu I practice. You have also seen this kind of ninjutsu; it's very terrifying in its ability to increase strength. If I open all eight gates now, even against Lord Third Hokage, I'd have the power to fight," Might Guy said very seriously.
"But, any gain of power comes at a price. The reason why this ninjutsu is listed as a forbidden technique is that it has very terrible side effects. Even with my current physical strength, which has reached a very strong point, if I open the Eighth Gate, I will definitely die. Do you now know what a forbidden technique means?"
"Mm." Ren did not hesitate and nodded directly.
Might Guy rarely showed such an extremely serious temperament, staring at Ren, and asked again: "The use of forbidden techniques is risky. Even so, are you still willing to learn?"
"I'm willing to take risks," Ren responded calmly.
Might Guy stared at Ren with a serious look. Then...
"Woooooo! That's great! Finally, someone is willing to learn my unique secret skills!! Ren, I really didn't misjudge you!" Might Guy was instantly moved. Tears flowed from his eyes like small rivers.
Ren: "..." Someone is willing to teach me the Eight Gates Released Formation, it's too late to be happy, so why would I refuse? Isn't Guy-sensei a bit too excited?
He seemed to understand the doubt in Ren's eyes. Might Guy sighed and said with emotion, "I have met many ninja who are good at taijutsu before, and they are willing to practice taijutsu with me, but when they heard that my forbidden technique might lead to death, they all retreated, and no one was willing to follow me in my practice."
Ren could understand this state very well. The children of their current generation all grew up in Konoha's peace period; they had never experienced war and didn't know the cruelty of war. So they didn't know the importance of power at all, nor did they know the true meaning of the Eight Gates Released Formation. It's no wonder that in the original story, there was only a persistent idiot like Rock Lee. Only then would he follow Might Guy to practice the Eight Gates Released Formation and transform into a hardworking genius.
"Ren, aren't you afraid of death?" Might Guy asked.
"I'm afraid," Ren nodded and said truthfully.
"Then you still dare to follow me to learn the Eight Gates Released Formation?" Might Guy was surprised.
Ren was silent for a while, and then said, "Because I think, Guy-sensei, your ninjutsu is only a half-finished product."
"Semi-finished product?" Might Guy was even more surprised.
Ren nodded and said: "Yes, in my opinion, the Eight Gates Released Formation is also a forbidden technique created by other ninja. Since it is created, not born, that means... it can be improved, or even changed! So I feel that there must be a way to avoid the physical damage caused by the Eight Gates Released Formation! It is even said to avoid the death ending after the eight doors are fully opened!"
Might Guy was stunned for a moment. Then he burst out laughing, his laughing body trembling slightly. There were even tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. He looked very excited.
"Hahahaha, I didn't think so. After so many years, someone finally has the same idea as me!"
"Ren, if you were about the same age as me, I really want to treat you as a brother!"
Ren was full of black lines. Not to, not to...
After his mood had stabilized, Might Guy's expression became serious again, and he said with a serious face, "Yeah, I've thought about it before. Maybe as long as the strength of the body reaches a certain level, even if the eight doors are opened, the damage to the body can be reduced as much as possible. Its side effects are related to the body; the stronger the body, the lower the side effects. Starting from the Fourth Gate, every subsequent gate will have great side effects. That's why in the beginning, I let you wear sandbags and do weight-bearing exercises. Physical strength is the key to taijutsu."
Ren nodded in agreement.
"Okay, now I'll start telling you about the cultivation process of the Eight Gates Released Formation, the forbidden art!"
...A few hours later...
Might Guy sat cross-legged on the ground, raised a finger, still talking to Ren, "You have almost met the prerequisites for Eight Gates Released Formation cultivation. During this time, you can explore the first door of the Eight Gates Released Formation – the threshold for opening the Gate of Opening. If you feel any discomfort, stop first, don't force it."
Ren nodded. At the same time, he was also constantly asking questions about the details of many aspects of the Eight Gates Released Formation. Might Guy was surprised by the critical issues mentioned by Ren, and there were even some details that he hadn't noticed before, which made Might Guy fall into contemplation for a while.
After learning the Eight Gates Released Formation, it was already very late. Only then did Ren realize that his stomach was already empty. The Konoha training ground was still a long way from home, so he decided to have dinner directly outside today. Immediately, Ren went to the famous ramen restaurant in Konoha – Ichiraku Ramen.
"Uncle, one bowl of noodles!"
"Yo, it's Ren! This time you want the pork tonkotsu ramen with barbecued pork as usual?"
"Yes, Teuchi-uncle!"
Ren's parents always went out to do business, and their family was quite rich, so they didn't worry about food and clothing. So he and his sister TenTen had been regular customers of Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant. After meeting Might Guy, Guy-sensei was always generous in inviting them to eat barbecue, so Ren hadn't been to Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant for a long time.
The ramen hadn't been served yet. Ren sat bored and looked around. At this time, he suddenly saw a boy in an orange sports suit standing at the door of the ramen shop, but he didn't come in.
Yo, isn't this Naruto? Seeing the whisker marks on his face, Ren immediately recognized his identity.
"Why do you keep standing here and don't come in?" Ren walked over and asked.
Naruto obviously didn't expect that someone in the village would take the initiative to talk to him, so he was taken aback. Immediately, he scratched his head in embarrassment and shyly, and said with a smile, "That... I originally wanted to come over to eat Ichiraku Ramen, but the pocket money I saved for half a month suddenly disappeared. I remember that I clearly put it in my pocket..."
It was the money that was lost. Ren waved at him and said, "If you lose it, just lose it. Come in and eat with me. I'll treat you to this ramen."