"I want you to push your limits far more than you have ever dared until now! If you can still move by this evening then you know you haven't tried hard enough!"

From Create Your Own Story

You aren't sure on exactly what to make of Guy's words but figure he means for you to add more and more difficulty in everything you normally do and how hard you train, so with that in mind you how to Guy and Ibiki then sprint off to wait at the training area where the taijutsu class is to be held, without eating anything whatsoever. You figure that by doing the taijutsu training on an empty stomach your body might be weaker and have less energy, hence increasing the difficulty. While you wait for the rest of the class you do one handed push-ups not stopping even after your arms feel red raw. Your class gathers as you continue to exercise, such effort has forced your body to drip with sweat and your skin to change colour to be as red as a beetroot.

"Now that you are all here I want the two best taijutsu users to stand opposite each other in the centre." Ibiki calls out in a quiet but commanding voice. However you continue doing your exercises and pushing yourself further, you know you can easily win against anyone in your class and that means it isn't a challenge so Guy's words wouldn't be in effect. "Izo! Kenji!" You hear sighing from where your classmates are gathered but you don't distract yourself from your self induced workout. "Izo!"

"Sensei, Kenji doesn't want to fight me because he knows I'm better than him. What if another student or two were selected as well?" You try to sound resonable in your request but you know you have already overstepped the mark for respect. Ibiki waits in silence for a minute or so, just long enough to make you begin to doubt yourself but as soon as the first thought of wrong doing comes to your mind he speaks.

"Very well then. Kenji, Yamato, Taito and Takashi, you will form a four man team against Izo. The rules are the same as normal only instead of me interfering if I think it is over it is only over when one of you announces you cannot go on and admit defeat." You were on your feet as soon as Ibiki began and at the ready position as you saw Kenji's three best friends and together they formed the top five taijutsu users in your class with you being the best. As soon as the other three surrounded you with Kenji forming a square Ibiki called for the match to begin.

At once Kenji and Takashi came at you from your left and right respectively while the other two stood back to gauge your response. It was when you didn't move at all to dodge the synchronised kicks aimed at your head that all four of them were surprised. You fell to the ground in a heap and a fresh cut opened up along your eyebrow so that every couple of seconds that went by a drop of blood fell in front of your line of sight, but you didn't feel it and still felt the burn of whenever you workout. You know that you are still more than a match for them so get back to your feet and do just enough to show your alright to get all four of them to really attack you in earnest. When you go past the point of pain to feeling it in places you've never done before you strike back. First you catch Kenji's foot mid kick and throw him powerfully through the air aiming to use his body to hit Takashi but your arms didnt have their usual power and could only manage to barely lift him off the ground for a few seconds. It was then that you changed your tactics from strength and power to speed, the only problem with that was that after trying to throw two fast jabs to keep a bit of space that you realised you had lost your speed as well. You had to be patient, timing was everything now and every time you were hit you felt every tiny ounce of power behind the attacks, something you haven't felt for some three or four years and had forgotten. Yamato was first, he took a step forward, too large, and threw a kick aimed for your stomach but as soon as you knew saw the step you moved in and swept his back leg out so that he fell heavily on him back. With a punch to the jaw you knocked him unconscious but you were breathing heavily and your vision was starting to blur. Kenji saw you sway and moved in, but so did Taito, and with a stroke of skill and fortune you crouched beneath a kick from Kenji which struck Taito and knocked him over, as soon as you heard the connection you reached up with an upper cut using as much strength as you can. It hit and Kenji went down, with movement speed that surprised you in your current condition you made the two downed students unconscious but as soon as you did you heard a voice call out.

"I'm out! I can't win!" You know the voice but due to your exhaustion can't recognise it. The next thing you feel is a huge weight landing with a thump on your shoulder and you crumple to the ground on the spot.

"Too bad you didn't keep your nerve or you would have outlasted him." The voice paused. "Trust Izo to take your words to a whole new level. I told you he was something." "Indeed! Such burning desire to brutalise and exhaust himself before fighting numerous talented opposition! I'll take him on as my student!" It must have been Guy but you were dropping into darkness as the voices spoke to each other.

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