Chapter 21: Born for Taijutsu

Now, Guy started to feel that something was off.

From Sasuke's movements, it seemed… this kid had grown stronger.

Lee's accelerated elbow strike an attack that the earlier Sasuke couldn't possibly respond to in such close-quarters combat had forced him to only dodge before.

But now?

Sasuke managed to block Lee's attack with a backward move, even while facing away from him.

It was as if he had already seen through Lee's fighting style.

Looking closely at Sasuke's eyes, Guy noticed something surprising:

As a member of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke hadn't even activated his Sharingan yet.

And despite that, he was already able to defend against Lee's attacks.

Fortunately, it seemed Sasuke hadn't unlocked the Uchiha clan's Doujutsu.

Otherwise, this battle would have been even harder for Lee.

The clash between Lee and Sasuke continued for several seconds.

Then, something shocking happened, leaving Tenten, Neji, and even Guy stunned.

Sasuke caught Lee's punch mid-air and, for the first time, counterattacked!

Thud!

A heavy sound echoed as Lee was forced backward.

Sasuke's counterstrike had landed perfectly on Lee.

Though it didn't cause significant damage, it left Lee frozen in surprise.

"How is this possible?"

Lee stared at Sasuke in disbelief.

Tenten and Neji also rubbed their eyes, as if they couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.

Tenten turned to Neji, uncertain.

"Neji, did I see that right? That Uchiha kid actually forced Lee back?"

Neji didn't answer; his expression grew darker.

"You…" As the one directly involved, Lee felt the change most acutely.

Sasuke!

He had visibly grown stronger.

It was as if his proficiency in taijutsu had skyrocketed like a rocket, evolving at a speed Lee couldn't comprehend.

It felt like Sasuke was absorbing the essence of Lee's taijutsu and integrating it into his own technique at an incredible pace.

Impossible. How could anyone learn the intricacies of taijutsu so quickly in the middle of a fight?

Even Neji… couldn't pull off something like this.

Unwilling to accept it, Lee charged again, launching another series of attacks at Sasuke. But in the next moment…

Sasuke's counterstrike nearly broke Lee's rhythm.

The fight had now shifted into an evenly matched exchange.

Neji's eyes widened as he closely observed Sasuke's every movement.

"Compared to earlier, his movements are faster, and his attacks seem to carry traces of Lee's taijutsu style!"

"Is this guy really learning Lee's taijutsu this quickly in battle?"

Hearing Neji's words, Tenten shook her head.

"That's impossible! Neji, learning an opponent's moves during a fight is that even possible?"

Her voice softened slightly as she added, "Even you… probably couldn't do something like that, right?"

Neji nodded.

"I couldn't… do it."

Hidden in the shadows, Guy was utterly shaken.

Neji and Tenten still couldn't grasp just how terrifying Sasuke's transformation truly was.

But Guy could see it clearly.

As Konoha's taijutsu master, how could he not recognize it?

Just minutes ago, Sasuke had been little more than a novice in taijutsu.

Sure, compared to regular genin or even some chunin, he had some skill.

But!

True taijutsu while the foundation of a ninja's combat skills was also a profound and advanced combat art.

Its intricacies were far beyond what ordinary ninja understood.

Speed and strength were just the basics.

What mattered most was the ability to adapt in critical moments during a fight.

And such reaction skills couldn't simply be learned they required real combat experience, hundreds, even thousands of battles to refine.

And yet, Sasuke…

His talent was enough to leave Guy stunned.

During his fight with Lee, Sasuke's growth was visible to the naked eye, his abilities improving at an incredible rate.

Even his reaction time a skill that normally took countless battles to develop was being forcibly elevated thanks to his extraordinary talent.

"This kid's aptitude for taijutsu might just be the most terrifying I've ever seen," Guy thought.

If Lee's talent lay in his unparalleled determination, discipline, and perseverance qualities that, in a way, were a form of extraordinary talent then Sasuke…

This guy was a pure, bona fide genius.

From Guy's perspective, he could see the excitement on Sasuke's face.

With every passing second in battle, Sasuke was growing stronger at a blinding pace.

Lee's techniques were being learned, absorbed, and mastered at an astonishing rate, becoming Sasuke's own.

And then it happened.

Lee launched another Leaf Hurricane.

The move's power and execution met the high standards that even Guy approved of.

But Sasuke's response caused Guy's expression to twitch slightly.

Sasuke seized the single opening in Lee's Leaf Hurricane, using a perfectly timed aerial kick to counter it.

Boom!!

Lee crashed heavily to the ground, staring at Sasuke in disbelief.

His Leaf Hurricane had been broken!

That simple counter, though it seemed straightforward to Neji and Tenten, was something entirely different in Guy's eyes.

To Guy, Sasuke's mastery was on an entirely different level practically monstrous.

"Flawless timing," Guy thought.

"If he had been even slightly faster or slower, he would have been hit by Lee's taijutsu instead."

"The Leaf Hurricane… this is a fundamental taijutsu move developed by countless Konoha specialists."

"In essence, it's not supposed to have any true weaknesses."

While the technique itself might not have inherent flaws, people weren't perfect.

Lee's momentary opening had been seized by Sasuke.

"Even I… in that instant, might not have been able to react quickly enough to strike at Lee's opening," Guy admitted to himself.

"This boy… his talent it's like he was born for taijutsu."

"Again!"

Sasuke gestured at Lee, who was on the ground, beckoning him to continue.

Lee gritted his teeth and got back up, ready to fight again.

But this time, the battle was different.

Sasuke had absorbed enough from their exchanges his taijutsu level was steadily surpassing Lee's.

In just half an hour, Guy watched with his own eyes as his prized student was caught up to in taijutsu skill.

And in the end, even surpassed.

Of course, Lee still held the advantage in raw strength, and his speed was faster than Sasuke's.

But in terms of taijutsu technique, Sasuke… had already become stronger than Lee!

"What kind of monster is this?"

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