RBCT Chapter 87: Practice in the Dark, Silent Guidance
Chapter 87: Practice in the Dark, Silent Guidance
In the bamboo forest, the moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and only the sound of the wind was howling.
With unwavering determination, Matt Dai charged toward the figure standing in the darkness.
His force was greater than ever before.
He concentrated all his power in his right leg, his body spinning rapidly in mid-air, leaving a trail of afterimages, and his leg swept fiercely toward the head of the shadowy figure.
This blow was enough to shatter a boulder.
However, faced with this powerful and heavy blow, the dark figure only made an extremely simple movement.
He slightly turned his body, raised his left hand, and used the outer edge of his palm to meet Matt Daly's kicking ankle with neither too light nor too heavy a touch.
The timing, angle, and force were all as precise as if they were from a textbook.
boom!
A soft sound.
Matt Day felt as if his powerful kick, capable of splitting rocks, had landed on a slippery ball of cotton.
All the force was deflected and neutralized by a subtle force at the moment of contact, and then rebounded in an even more bizarre way.
He lost his balance in mid-air and spun around several times before finally managing to land.
Before he could even stand up straight, the dark figure had already followed him like a shadow.
There were no fierce attacks, nor any earth-shattering ninjutsu.
Yes, it was just a punch, a kick, an elbow, or a knee.
Every movement is simple and direct, yet it contains a profound principle of physical skill.
Matt Day felt like a toddler being brutally trained by a martial arts master using the most basic techniques.
Each of his opponent's blocks struck precisely at his weak points, rendering his subsequent combos unsustainable.
Each counterattack was precisely aimed at the gaps in his defense, forcing him into a frantic state.
His pride and joy were rendered clumsy and crude in the face of his opponent.
This is not an equal battle at all.
This was a... crushing defeat in teaching.
Gradually, Matt Day sensed that something was wrong.
Matt Day discovered that although each of his opponent's attacks left him in a sorry state, they were not intended to kill him.
For example, that chop to the neck just now could have easily severed his throat, but it only struck his Jianjing acupoint, causing half of his body to go numb instantly.
And that knee strike, instead of breaking his ribs, landed on his abdomen, catching his breath and halting his attack.
This...this is...instructing me?
An absurd idea arose in Matt Day's mind.
He couldn't figure it out.
How could anyone in this world use this method to instruct others?
This is even more brutal than daily self-cultivation.
"Concentrate!"
A calm voice rang in his ears.
Matt Dae jolted back to his senses, only to find that his opponent's whip kick had already swept towards his face.
Without a second thought, he immediately leaned back, narrowly avoiding a dangerous fall.
The attack was relentless.
The whip kick missed, and the momentum carried it down in a powerful axe kick, aimed straight for his chest.
Matt Day rolled away awkwardly to avoid it, then immediately sprang up.
In an instant, he made a decision.
"Aaaaaah—!"
"Burn brightly—youth should never back down!"
Might Guy let out a roar, mobilizing all the chakra within his body, and his muscles bulged suddenly under his bodysuit.
An approving smile appeared on the shadowy figure's face.
In the bamboo forest.
The two figures clashed fiercely once again.
Their fists and feet clashed, producing a dull thud.
Matt Day's offensive was like a raging storm.
The opponent's defense, however, was as solid as a rock, remaining unmoved no matter how much the wind and rain raged.
In every exchange, Matt Day could clearly feel that his opponent had pointed out the shortcomings in his movements and power generation techniques.
I feel like a piece of stubborn iron, being repeatedly hammered and tempered by an invisible giant hammer.
Although the process was extremely painful, he could feel that he was...becoming stronger at a rapid pace!
Fists clashed once more.
"Bang—!"
Matt Dai's body flew backward again, crashing into the edge of the bamboo forest and snapping a row of bamboo in half.
"Cough cough—"
His consciousness began to blur.
So strong...
Is this... the true powerhouse...?
Matt Day lay on the ground, watching the figure slowly emerge from the darkness, feeling his eyelids grow heavier and heavier.
After defeating Might Guy, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly withdrew his arm, somewhat surprised.
I thought that attack would knock this young man unconscious.
Unexpectedly, the other side managed to hold on at the last moment.
This willpower, this courage to never back down in dire straits... is commendable.
He crouched down and placed his hand on Matt Dae's chest.
A warm and pure chakra slowly flowed into his body.
It is medical ninjutsu.
Although it wasn't as sophisticated as Tsunade's, it was still quite effective.
Looking down at the young man in front of him, his eyes held a complex expression.
Is this... the future Eight Gates Formation?
Just then, the dark clouds that had been obscuring the moon slowly dispersed.
The bright moonlight once again bathed the earth, illuminating the true form of the shadowy figure.
It was a weathered yet incredibly familiar face, hanging high on the Hokage Rock.
The Third Hokage of Konoha Village —
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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Matt Day felt like he had a very, very long dream.
In his dream, he was running in the dark, with countless mocking voices chasing after him.
"Hey, look, it's that genin again."
"Don't you feel ashamed to wear that ridiculous green bodysuit every day?"
"I heard he can't even use a few decent ninjutsu techniques, he only knows stupid taijutsu."
"..."
These voices felt like needles pricking my heart.
I wanted to refute them, to tell them loudly that my efforts were not in vain.
But no matter how he shouted, he couldn't make a sound.
You can only keep running and running until you are exhausted and fall to the ground.
Just when Matt Day thought he was about to be completely swallowed by darkness.
A beam of light descended from the sky and illuminated him.
The light was warm, dispelling all the cold and darkness.
A tall figure appeared in the light, backlit, making it impossible to see the person's face.
A gentle voice rang in my ears.
"Your youth was not wasted."