Rock Lee, who remained in place, hadn't yet processed what had happened.
"What does that mean? I forgot everything, so why did he say 'not bad'?"
It felt like he had grasped something, yet also like he hadn't. The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. But not understanding left him unwilling to give up.
After all, Mizuki had said that when Tai Chi is practiced to a profound level, it can block all attacks.
"Forget it, I'll keep training. Mizuki-sensei told me to go back and contemplate it thoroughly. Once I understand, I'll have learned it. I'll take my time."
❊❊❊❊❊
The next day, Team 5, led by Might Guy, came to Training Ground 8 to practice.
Tenten practiced with ninja tools, Neji practiced Gentle Fist, while Guy and Rock Lee practiced Taijutsu.
Konoha's Taijutsu is divided into two major schools: Strong Fist and Gentle Fist. Gentle Fist is exclusive to the Hyuga clan and requires the Byakugan. Strong Fist has different lineages, such as Might Guy's Eight Gates and Tsunade's superhuman strength.
At this moment, Guy and Rock Lee were practicing the Front Lotus with the Eight Gates activated. Everyone was focused.
When they tired from training, everyone sat together to rest. Tenten took out snacks and drinks from her storage scroll.
Guy suddenly said, "Rock Lee, you seem distracted during training today."
Rock Lee said, "Sorry, Guy-sensei. Yesterday I encountered a new Taijutsu style, but I still haven't learned it. I've been thinking about it."
Guy became interested, "What Taijutsu is it?"
Rock Lee answered, "Tai Chi. Mizuki-sensei taught it to me."
Upon hearing the words "Tai Chi", Neji suddenly looked up.
Guy was momentarily stunned, "Mizuki? He knows Taijutsu?"
Yesterday in the Hokage building's conference room, he had come to see Mizuki in a new light — Body Swap Technique, Rasengan, and that fearless courage when facing the Third Hokage's accusations.
Guy's expression became serious, "Tell me about this Tai Chi."
Rock Lee scratched his head, "I don't know how to explain it. I simply haven't learned it at all. Yesterday Mizuki-sensei demonstrated it once, but I've already completely forgotten it."
Tenten asked curiously, "Is it very complicated?"
Rock Lee, "It's not that it's complicated. It's just… how do I put it… very strange."
Guy said, "Describe what happened."
Rock Lee said, "Yesterday I was training on the outskirts of the village when Mizuki-sensei found me. He asked me to call him sensei and said he would teach me a profound Taijutsu style."
He wasn't good at lying, and his face turned red. But revealing that he had taken on a master to pursue Sakura would be even more embarrassing.
Guy said indifferently, "It's just taking on a master. Why are you blushing? I never said you couldn't learn from others."
Clearly, he had misunderstood.
"After I became his disciple, Mizuki-sensei told me the Taijutsu is called Tai Chi." Rock Lee recited Mizuki's words, "…Embodies the supreme principles of heaven and earth — yin and yang, motion and stillness, positive and negative, form and spirit… Overcoming motion with stillness, hardness with softness, speed with slowness… Using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, capable of blocking all attacks…"
Guy's expression grew more serious.
Tenten pursed her lips, "Rock Lee, were you tricked? Mizuki is just a Chūnin. How could he possibly master this kind of Taijutsu? He's definitely fooling you."
Guy remained noncommittal, "Is there more?"
Rock Lee nodded, "Mizuki-sensei demonstrated it once, then asked how much I remembered. The first time I said eighty percent — he didn't say anything. After a while he asked again. I said thirty percent, but he still didn't respond. The third time, I said I'd forgotten everything. Mizuki-sensei smiled, patted me on the shoulder, and kept saying 'not bad!' To this day, I still don't understand what he meant!"
Tenten was even more convinced Rock Lee had been deceived.
Guy frowned in thought but said nothing.
Neji reacted most strongly. His eyes glazed over as he muttered to himself.
"…Overcoming motion with stillness, hardness with softness, speed with slowness, using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds… Yin and yang, positive and negative…"
He repeated the words over and over. The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became.
Suddenly, he leaped up and shouted, "I understand now!"
Rock Lee and Tenten stared at him in confusion.
What did you understand?
Neji moved to an open area nearby. Chakra burst from the tenketsu all over his body, and he began spinning rapidly like a top. A blue hemispherical chakra shield surrounded him.
This was Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven — capable of blocking all physical damage. Absolute defense.
"What's happening with Neji?" Tenten asked.
Guy didn't understand either, "Neji seems to have grasped something and is testing it."
On the field, Neji's rotation slowed, and the chakra emanating from his body diminished.
Finally, he stopped spinning. The chakra shield became a thin layer — like foam, ready to burst at the slightest touch.
"Tenten, attack me with ninja tools!"
Tenten said, "Are you sure, Neji? I feel like you'll get hurt."
Neji said, "Don't worry, just attack. The more ninja tools, the better."
"Alright!" Tenten reluctantly took out a scroll and summoned a large number of shuriken.
She held back her strength. The shuriken weren't fast or powerful — even if they hit his body, they would only cause superficial wounds.
The next moment, something shocking happened. When the shuriken struck the chakra shield, they seemed to hit soft sponge. They sank in but couldn't pierce through. Eventually, their momentum died, and they fell gently to the ground.
Shuriken lay scattered around Neji, yet the chakra shield remained intact.
"How is this possible?" Tenten exclaimed.
Such a thin chakra shield shouldn't be able to block damage at all. Why couldn't the shuriken penetrate it?
Guy and Rock Lee also found it incredible.
Neji shouted, "Don't worry about me getting hurt. Continue attacking with full force."
Tenten became determined. She summoned hundreds more shuriken and used her full strength this time.
But the result was the same. The thin chakra shield didn't break.
"Neji, what's going on? This clearly isn't Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, so why is the defense so strong?" Guy asked.
Neji stopped and explained, "I was inspired by the principles of yin and yang, positive and negative, and overcoming hardness with softness, so I modified Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven. The previous form relied on rapidly spinning chakra to deflect all attacks. It seemed like Gentle Fist, but actually belonged to Strong Fist. It consumed enormous amounts of stamina and chakra.
Just now, I changed the chakra shield into numerous tiny chakra vortices, alternating between positive and negative, balancing yin and yang. Instead of forcibly deflecting attacks, I use the vortices to dissipate the force from the shuriken, causing them to lose their power.
Compared to the original Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, this is truly Gentle Fist. The modification greatly decreased stamina and chakra consumption while maintaining the same defensive power."
Guy beamed, "As expected of a genius! You can even modify the Hyuga clan's secret technique."
Neji said, "I owe this to Rock Lee. Without his inspiration, I never would have thought of overcoming hardness with softness."
Rock Lee opened his mouth but said nothing.
Guy saw through his thoughts and patted his shoulder.
"Rock Lee, you must believe in yourself. Those who don't believe in themselves will find even their efforts are wasted! Believe in yourself and work hard — that's true youth!" Guy gave a thumbs up, his teeth sparkling with a "ding ding" flash.
The speech swept away all dejection from Rock Lee's heart.
"Guy-sensei!" Tears streamed down Rock Lee's face.
"Rock Lee!"
Teacher and student embraced and cried together.
Nearby, Tenten rolled her eyes. Neji had grown accustomed to this.
"Neji, since Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven has been improved and is very different from before, you should give it a new name. Have you thought of one?"
Neji nodded, "Yes, it needs a new name."
❊❊❊❊❊
Meanwhile, Mizuki arrived at the Nara family's pharmacy.
"Boss, I've been feeling mentally sluggish lately. I'd like some medicine to refresh and invigorate the mind."
Genjutsu, especially visual types, was one of Mizuki's weaknesses. Itachi could instantly defeat Kakashi with Tsukuyomi. If it were Mizuki, the result would likely be the same.
Increasing mental power might not break Tsukuyomi. But at least, after being stabbed for three days and nights in the Tsukuyomi world, he wouldn't end up like Kakashi — severely mentally damaged with zero combat ability.
The pharmacy owner took out a bottle of liquid medicine.
"This bottle of floral water contains alcohol, peppermint juice, snake gall, honeysuckle, and other ingredients. Apply it below the nose and on both sides of the forehead. It has an excellent refreshing effect. Oh, and it repels mosquitoes. That'll be 15 ryō."
Mizuki paid and left the shop with the floral water. He planned to find a pretext to give it to Rock Lee and see what the system would return.
"Let me try out the Tai Chi the system returned yesterday!"
He left the marketplace and headed to Training Ground 8. Finding a quiet, deserted corner, he began practicing Tai Chi.
His movements were slow, each stance appearing powerless.
❊❊❊❊❊
In the Hokage's office, a crystal ball sat on the Third Hokage's desk. Inside was a live feed of Mizuki practicing Tai Chi.
"Taijutsu? But why does it have no power? This fighting style seems more suitable for elderly people exercising."
After watching for a while, Hiruzen found it uninteresting and prepared to close the Telescope Technique.
Just then, his eyes focused, and his gaze shifted to a tree beside Mizuki.
Looking at the leaves swaying in the wind, Hiruzen's eyes widened, "What kind of tree is this?"
He looked at Mizuki in shock, his eyes full of inquiry. The leaves were moving — there was wind. But Mizuki's clothes and hair remained completely still, unaffected. The wind couldn't reach his body.
Just then, the wind grew stronger. Dead leaves on the ground were lifted and swept toward Mizuki. Hiruzen saw clearly that when these leaves reached about 2 meters from him, they encountered a barrier. They all changed direction, traced an arc, and bypassed him.
Within a 2-meter radius around Mizuki, a forbidden zone had formed where no object could approach.
"Absolute defense similar to Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, watching the crystal ball, growing increasingly wary of Mizuki.
The killing intent he had suppressed yesterday surged again.
"No, I can't let him stay until the Chūnin Exams. I must eliminate him beforehand. Otherwise, as Danzō said, he'll become an endless source of trouble. Direct assassination is too risky. Even if I could kill him, Konoha would suffer tremendous losses. It seems poison is the only option."
He put away the crystal ball and tapped his fingers on the desk. An ANBU member appeared.
"Go tell Danzō I'm waiting for him on the roof."
❊❊❊❊❊
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead of this novel for just $2 or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations: MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
I'm currently translating another project (for $1.5) where the main character travels through various worlds, like Highschool of the Dead, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Darwin's Game, and many more, building a massive harem. It will have smut chapters (+18) and spicy images of the female characters. Check it out if you're interested! :)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)