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Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Getting Beaten Makes You Stronger

Uchiha Ryosuke was sent flying and crashed hard into the ground.

In his mind, the mechanical voice of the system rang out:

"Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1."

At the same time, a warm current flowed through his body, dulling the pain that wracked his limbs.

This feeling—growing stronger with every blow—was intoxicating.

Even as his body screamed in pain, he didn't care.

He scrambled to his feet quickly.

This time, it was his turn to strike.

Today's goal wasn't just to get beaten and raise his stats—it was also to sharpen his combat technique.

Having a strong body was meaningless if he couldn't fight well. To unlock his full potential, he needed to learn how to wield his strength properly.

And standing before him was none other than the man who would one day become the strongest taijutsu user in the entire ninja world.

Though Might Guy hadn't reached that peak yet, even now his taijutsu was formidable—far beyond what any other training partner could offer.

Ryosuke launched a full-force punch straight toward Guy's face.

He needed to go all out. If he didn't, Guy wouldn't either.

But Guy easily sidestepped and lifted his knee into Ryosuke's gut.

WHAM!

Ryosuke collapsed, clutching his stomach in pain, feeling like his insides had been rearranged. That knee strike had been brutal—enough to make him want to vomit his soul out.

But Guy didn't follow up. This was a spar, not a fight to the death.

Standing tall, Guy gave him a serious look.

"Ryosuke, you may have the Sharingan," he said, "but you don't really know how to use it yet."

"If you did, you wouldn't have gone down so easily."

Ryosuke lifted his head from the ground. It was true—he had only started using his Sharingan in real combat two days ago. He was still relying on instinct, not skill. He'd failed to read Guy's movement properly.

"I'll remember that," he replied through gritted teeth.

Guy nodded and stepped back, giving him room.

"Come at me again."

This time, Ryosuke focused not only on where he was attacking, but also on how his opponent moved.

He charged with a punch aimed at Guy's face, fully aware that Guy would likely dodge and counter.

As expected, Guy twisted to the side and prepared to land another punch to his gut.

But Ryosuke was watching—this time, he used his left arm to block the attack.

Using his right would have taken too long to retract, giving Guy a clean hit. The left was closer—though not as strong.

Even so, it wasn't enough. Guy's punch connected with his forearm and sent him flying again.

SLAM.

He hit the ground, gasping for air.

But the system chimed in again, and another rush of warm energy surged through his body.

The pain dulled slightly once more.

Guy remained standing silently, watching Ryosuke with surprise and—a hint of envy.

His taijutsu was leagues ahead, but Ryosuke's Sharingan allowed him to keep up with movements that most couldn't even see. With just a few pointers, Ryosuke was already reading feints and reacting accordingly.

Another ninja might have been tricked by Guy's fakes—but not someone with a Sharingan.

Ryosuke got up again and charged.

Again and again, he attacked—and got beaten.

But with each round, his Sharingan grew more responsive. His movements got sharper. His reactions, more refined.

He wasn't a novice anymore.

By the end of the spar, he had learned basic hand-to-hand combat fundamentals. His form, his stance, his reflexes—all had improved.

The system had rewarded him with a total of +5 to strength, +5 to speed, and +5 to constitution throughout the fight.

But then… no more stat increases came.

He realized this might be the daily limit. No matter how many times he got hit after that, his attributes no longer improved.

Still, this session had lasted far longer than their previous fight.

But now his eyes ached—his Sharingan was starting to strain.

Regular Sharingan use didn't lead to blindness like the Mangekyō, but overusing it could still cause fatigue and temporary impairment.

If he pushed it, he'd be carried home unconscious. And he didn't want that.

Panting, Ryosuke said, "Guy… that's enough for today."

"Alright," Guy replied with a nod.

Even though Ryosuke wasn't on his level in taijutsu, Guy enjoyed sparring with him.

The Uchiha had come to him not out of arrogance, but with genuine admiration and a desire to grow. It was… refreshing.

And the spar had been useful for Guy too. He'd had a chance to review and refine his own techniques.

What truly surprised him was that Ryosuke's strength and speed had noticeably improved during the match.

Logically, this should be impossible—such gains usually take weeks or months.

And yet… he'd felt it.

Guy dismissed it for now, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about this boy.

From the sidelines, Rock Lee had been watching with wide eyes.

Time and again, Ryosuke was knocked down. And each time, he got back up.

For a noble Uchiha—members known for their pride and reliance on bloodline power—to train so earnestly in taijutsu, it moved Lee deeply.

If someone like Ryosuke believed in taijutsu, maybe he—a boy with no ninjutsu or genjutsu talent—really could become a ninja through effort.

When Ryosuke finally left, Lee turned to his teacher.

"Guy-sensei, I think I'll head home too."

He was still young, and the earlier 20-lap run had already pushed him to his physical limit.

Guy had always told him to train hard, but never past the point of injury. Going too far only damaged the body.

But just as Lee turned to go, Guy stopped him.

"Wait, Lee. That match with Ryosuke just gave me a new idea for training."

"It might be very effective. Want to try it?"

Lee blinked. "What kind of training, Sensei?"

Ever since training under Guy, Lee had learned how to train properly, with real results instead of wasted effort.

If Guy had a more effective method, it could bring him one step closer to becoming a true ninja.

Guy grinned.

"It's simple: get beaten up."

Lee froze, his excitement vanishing like a popped bubble.

He didn't mind hard work—but he wasn't exactly thrilled about becoming a punching bag.

"Sensei… is that really… effective?"

"Of course!" Guy answered immediately.

"You may not have noticed, but I could clearly feel it—Ryosuke's speed and strength increased during our spar."

Lee still looked doubtful. Maybe Guy's instincts weren't wrong. Maybe Ryosuke had gotten stronger. But there could be other explanations—like Ryosuke just being in better shape today.

Even Guy seemed unsure.

"Well, it's worth a try. Who knows, maybe it really works."

Lee sighed but nodded.

"Alright, Guy-sensei."

Guy looked him over, rubbing his chin.

"But… we'll do it another day. You're already exhausted. No sense breaking your body when it's not ready."

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