When Kakashi brought Lee back, he saw Rengoku and Guy locked in a fierce, head-on exchange.
Rengoku wasn't using any weapons. He was fighting Guy with pure Steel Fist taijutsu.
Even though Rengoku had only opened the Fourth Gate, judging from the chakra he was releasing, it completely suppressed Might Guy, who had already opened the Sixth Gate.
However, when it came to taijutsu technique, Rengoku was clearly more than a level below Guy.
One had stronger chakra, the other had better skill.
The two stayed locked in a stalemate, neither gaining the upper hand.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Dull impacts and the sharp rush of fists and kicks kept echoing through the air.
It was the first time Might Guy had met an opponent like Rengoku in taijutsu, "Hahaha, this is what youth is all about!"
"Again! Again!"
"Take this, Morning Peacock!"
"Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!" [T/N: Ahem! Wrong novel.]
Guy swung both fists, his rapid punches rubbing against the air and igniting flames.
The flames burst midair, dazzling like a peacock spreading its tail.
Shockwaves formed from the strikes, along with the flames, surged straight toward Rengoku.
At that moment, Rengoku had many ways to dodge the attack.
But he didn't move aside. Instead, he swung his fists and smashed directly into the flames.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
With the enhancement of the Mangekyo Sharingan, Rengoku intercepted a large number of the flaming punches.
His clothes were somewhat torn, but his body itself was basically uninjured.
Rengoku's chakra already overwhelmed Might Guy's, so the damage from Guy's punches wasn't very high.
He deliberately let himself feel Guy's surging fighting spirit, while also using the chance to temper his own taijutsu.
They had been fighting nonstop up to this point.
After using Morning Peacock, Guy was breathing heavily.
Rengoku could already tell that Guy's chakra and stamina were starting to drop.
If they kept going, unless Guy opened the Seventh Gate, the gap between them would only widen.
Taking advantage of a brief slowdown, Rengoku leaped back and raised his hand in a stopping gesture.
"Let's stop here."
At that moment, Guy had already closed in on him. Seeing that Rengoku had stopped, he still threw a punch that stopped right beside Rengoku's cheek, the wind from it whistling loudly.
Guy looked a bit unsatisfied. After all, it had been a long time since he'd met such a strong opponent.
"How can we stop here? Our youth can keep burning!"
Talking to someone like Guy, it was easy to get caught up in his energy. Rengoku let out a bright laugh.
"Just because we've had enough today, does that mean we won't fight tomorrow?"
Guy froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up.
"You're coming again tomorrow?"
In his mind, Rengoku should be very busy. Even if he showed up today on a whim to learn the Eight Gates, he probably wouldn't stick with it for long.
Rengoku laughed out loud, "Didn't I come to learn the Eight Gates from you? I've only opened the Fourth Gate so far."
Only then did Guy, grinning, close the Sixth Gate, the Gate of View.
Rengoku, on the other hand, didn't close the Eight Gates. He kept the Fourth Gate open the whole time.
He needed precise control over his body, which meant being able to freely open and close the Gates at will.
A scorched smell drifted through the air. The ground nearby had been struck by Morning Peacock, leaving scattered embers.
Rengoku formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Fine Rain Technique!"
He then opened his mouth and expelled a large amount of water vapor.
It fell like a light drizzle onto the ground, extinguishing all the sparks.
Rengoku wasn't satisfied. His water nature transformation was still too poor. He needed more practice.
He turned to Kakashi and Lee.
"So, what's the result of the examination?"
Kakashi handed over the report.
"Lord Rengoku was right. Lee's body has been operating at its limits for a long time, and his nutrition isn't keeping up."
"He needs rest and proper nourishment."
Rengoku took the report and examined it carefully. His judgment had been correct.
Lee was pushing himself with his life on the line. All of his body's energy was being used just to repair damage.
No wonder, during a stage when he should have been growing rapidly, he hadn't grown taller or gained any weight.
His body was full of hidden injuries. The fact that he hadn't died yet was purely because he was young.
Truly living up to the name "Scrap-Life Lee."
Rengoku handed the report to Guy, then beckoned.
"Lee, come here."
Lee walked over, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Why are you training so desperately? Balancing work and rest would reduce the strain on your body a lot, you know."
Lee's expression turned serious as he raised his hand.
"I want to prove that even without ninjutsu or genjutsu, I can still become an outstanding ninja."
"Hahaha," Rengoku patted Lee on the shoulder.
"Why do you need to prove that? That's already a fact. Guy barely uses ninjutsu or genjutsu either, and he's still an outstanding ninja."
Lee looked at Rengoku in surprise. He hadn't expected him to agree so strongly with that idea.
Rengoku continued to advise him, "Training hard is good, but you also need the right methods. From now on, you must set aside time to rest."
At that moment, Guy had finished reading the report. Though he wasn't a professional, he could still understand the general situation.
Only now did he realize that Lee had been forcing himself all along.
"Lee, from now on, take one day off every three days."
Lee looked anxious, "I don't want to rest, Guy-sensei."
Rengoku scolded him, "Don't be ridiculous. Pushing yourself too hard will only make your body worse. Only with enough rest will your training improve faster."
"Also, your body needs proper nutrition."
Lee nodded quietly. In truth, he didn't have much money. Forget nutrition, being able to eat enough was already good.
Rengoku seemed to understand his situation and suggested, "How about this. On your rest days, come to our clan and assist Orochimaru with some experiments."
"That way, you can rest and also earn some compensation to improve your condition."
Lee looked blank, "Experiments? What experiments? I don't know how to do anything."
Rengoku gave a sly grin, "Being experimented on."
"Ah?", Lee was startled and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no. Lord Rengoku."
Rengoku snapped his fingers.
"Then it's settled. You don't have the right to refuse."
Lee turned to Guy for help, but Guy shrugged, looking helpless.
"Whatever Lord Rengoku says, just do it."
Rengoku gave instructions, "Then come over tomorrow. Enter through the Uchiha Hospital, find Nono, she'll take you to Orochimaru's lab. Just go straight to Orochimaru when you get there."
"Yes, I understand, Lord Rengoku," Lee could only obey.
"Kakashi, how are things going with Rin?"
Rengoku had been back for a while. Five years had passed, so he assumed Kakashi and Rin should be together by now.
But when he asked, Kakashi looked a bit awkward and shook his head.
Rengoku found it strange and was about to ask more when Orochimaru contacted him through a clone directly in his mind.
["Rengoku, Sasuke isn't holding on."]
Rengoku's expression sharpened.
"I have something to deal with. I'll come find you tomorrow, Guy."
With that, his figure flashed and vanished instantly.
"So fast!"
Kakashi and Guy were both startled. They hadn't sensed at all how Rengoku disappeared.
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