Might Guy's aura violently shifted. Standing across the courtyard, Kei felt the sheer heat of it wash over him. A moment ago, the Green Beast had been a coiled spring; now, he was an apex predator initiating the hunt.
"You are absolutely right, Kei!" Guy declared, his voice ringing with absolute, fiery conviction. "When crossing fists with a true friend, holding back is an insult! Only by burning with the full springtime of youth can I prove myself worthy of your trust!"
Standing on the sidelines, Kakashi let out a long, heavy sigh. He stared at the blind doctor, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was witnessing. How does he do it? Kakashi wondered. How did he completely disarm Guy and forge a bond of mutual respect in the span of a single conversation? It brought back the sickening, violating memory of watching Kei casually wield the Chidori. It was the terrifying sensation of watching a thief steal your most prized possession and playfully toss it back in your face.
Kei had no time to focus on Kakashi's mounting dread. The air pressure in the courtyard suddenly became crushing.
"First Gate, the Gate of Opening... Open!" A subtle, rushing current of wind began to whip around Guy's feet.
"Second Gate, the Gate of Healing... Open!" The minor fatigue from their initial brawl vanished from Guy's posture instantly.
"Third Gate, the Gate of Life... Open!" Guy's skin flushed a deep, furious red as his blood flow accelerated to impossible speeds. A brilliant, pulsing green aura of raw energy erupted around his body.
"Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain... Open!"
The sheer volume of overflowing chakra generated a concussive shockwave, tearing the dirt from the courtyard floor. Enveloped in the roaring green flame, his hair whipping wildly in the self-generated gale, Guy locked his eyes onto the blind man. "Brace yourself, Kei!"
Kei took a slow, measured breath. He flooded his own pathways with chakra, silently preparing to draw upon the dark, festering well of the Zero-Tails sealed within his coat if the green beast overwhelmed him.
Guy blurred into a streak of green lightning, circling the perimeter so fast he appeared to be striking from everywhere at once, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
Kei did not move a single muscle. He pushed his sensory awareness to its absolute maximum limit. He could track Guy's terrifying speed, but actually reacting physically to a Fourth Gate assault was a completely different story. Flinching or stepping blindly would instantly expose a fatal opening. Standing his ground was the only viable survival tactic.
Over the past three months, the cellular regeneration jutsu had vastly improved his physical limits, but he severely lacked high-level, life-or-death combat experience. Might Guy was the ultimate sparring partner to forge that experience.
Sensing that the doctor had no intention of striking first, Guy launched his assault. He stomped his heel into the dirt, instantly shattering the ground into a massive, spider-webbed crater. Propelled by the explosive recoil, Guy shot forward like a fired cannonball, closing the distance in a fraction of a second.
His speed was so immense it left trailing afterimages. Kei's jaw tightened. The moment Guy entered his immediate striking range, Kei dropped his center of gravity, bending his knees and extending his arms. He released a massive, highly concentrated burst of chakra from every single tenketsu in his body and spun violently.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"
The Kaiten. After weeks of grueling, solitary practice, Kei had finally mastered the Main House's ultimate secret technique. Normally, the absolute defense required the complete vision of the Byakugan to perfectly intercept an incoming threat. Without his sight, Kei was forced to substitute the visual input with his hyper-sensitive sensory web.
BOOM!
Guy's devastating kick slammed directly into the spinning dome of blue chakra. The deafening crack of the collision echoed across the Sanatorium grounds. The sheer, overwhelming force of the Fourth Gate caused Kei's defensive shield to buckle inward for a terrifying millisecond.
But the dome held. The violent rotational force caught Guy's momentum and forcefully hurled the green beast backward.
Kei stopped spinning, his boots sliding through the dirt. His head swam dizzily, and his blood roared in his ears. The impact had rattled his bones, leaving him slightly unsteady on his feet. It was a draw, but barely. Guy had four more gates he could open, and Kei still had the Zero-Tails in reserve. But escalating any further would transform a friendly spar into a death match.
Deciding he had gathered enough combat experience for one day, Kei raised a hand, waving off the fight. He had confirmed his physical limits and secured Guy's friendship. The engagement was a complete success.
Seeing the gesture, Guy immediately closed the Gates. The fiery green aura faded as he walked over, a massive, breathless grin on his face. "Your clan's Rotation technique is truly magnificent, Kei! I couldn't shatter your defense at all!"
Kei dropped down, sitting directly in the dirt to massage his aching legs. "Your Eight Gates formation is terrifying, Guy. I have heard rumors of your endless, grueling training routines. That power is the undeniable reward for your blood and sweat."
"You really do understand me!" Guy said, his expression turning deeply earnest, visibly moved by the blind man's recognition. "Men like us are destined to be lifelong friends!"
"Let us call it a day," Kei smiled warmly. "You are welcome to visit the clinic for a spar anytime. Crossing fists is the fastest way for both of us to grow stronger."
Guy eagerly agreed, opening his mouth to suggest a future training schedule, but Kakashi finally stepped forward, his posture radiating dark disapproval. Seeing the silver-haired ANBU's lethal glare, Guy quickly scratched the back of his head. "Ah, look at the time! I must resume my laps! Farewell, my friends!"
In a blur of green, he vanished from the courtyard.
Kakashi stared at the empty space where his rival had been, letting out another heavy sigh. He knew his attempts to ward Guy away had failed completely. He walked up to the doctor.
"You explicitly promised me that our shadows would not touch him," Kakashi said, his voice cold and flat.
"And I intend to keep that promise, Kakashi," Kei replied easily, brushing the dirt from his pants as he stood. "Guy is fundamentally different from us. He is entirely unsuited for the path of an avenger. I will never invite him to don a mask and join our alliance."
"I challenged him today simply because we are both close-quarters fighters. Taijutsu requires a living, breathing opponent to master. A sparring rivalry sharpens my reflexes, it makes Guy stronger, and having him around might even prove useful if we ever face a threat we cannot handle alone."
Kei smiled brightly. "Do you see? It is a flawless situation where everyone wins."
Kakashi remained silent for a long, heavy moment. He hated the doctor's twisted logic. "I do not care about your training methods," Kakashi finally warned. "Just do not manipulate him, and do not drag him into our treason."
"You worry entirely too much," Kei promised, preparing to offer another round of soothing platitudes.
Suddenly, a masked ANBU operative dropped silently onto the courtyard wall. "Kei Hyuga," the operative announced, his voice muffled by the porcelain. "Lord Hokage demands your presence immediately."
"Understood. I will follow you now," Kei responded smoothly. He turned his blind face toward Kakashi. "I will leave the cleanup of the courtyard in your capable hands, Captain."
Without waiting for Kakashi to protest, Kei followed the ANBU out of the Sanatorium gates.
Kakashi stood alone in the center of the ruined courtyard, staring at the massive craters and torn earth. He thought about Kei's cheerful claim that "everyone wins."
Logically, in any exchange, if someone wins, someone else must lose. Kakashi picked up a broom that had been knocked over in the brawl, feeling a distinct, miserable certainty about exactly who the real loser in this arrangement was.