Might Guy is a mighty Shinobi, and Masashi Kishimoto didn’t think twice about naming a physically powerful character. The Noble Blue Beast of the Leaf Village lacks Ninjutsu skills, but he is a master of Taijutsu and solely relies on it.
Naruto Shippuden begins with the kidnapping of Gaara, who was the then Kazekage of Sand Village. Kakashi’s team leaves the Sand Village to assess the situation and save Gaara. Might Guy and his team members, who were sent as reinforcement for Kakashi’s team, run into Kisame while going to Sand Village? At the same time, Kakashi’s team battles Itachi in a different area.
Before this event, Might Guy had battled Kisame only once – when Itachi and Kisame dropped into the Leaf Village after Hiruzen’s death. Kisame received Might Guy’s strong kick, and he had it etched in his mind ever since.
During the battle, Might Guy struggles with recognizing Kisame’s face, and hence, one of the conversations takes place as follows:
“Did you recall?”- Kisame
“That’s your weapon, huh?” – Might Guy (*looking at Samehada sword)
“You can tell by looking.” – Neji
“But there is a big difference between knowing it and really knowing it.”
Right before Kisame gets into a battle with Might Guy’s team, Itachi warns him to be careful and mentions that he’s a clever user of Taijutsu. And right from the start, Kisame mocks him for Guy’s inability to recognize him and compares his intelligence to that of a beast, even lesser.
To the viewer, Might Guy is never portrayed as an intelligent man. Brave, emotional, eccentric, but never intelligent, yet viewers often fail to notice that the finest of the Uchiha clan addressed him as clever.
All battles are mental wars first. It is difficult to say if Kisame was disappointed in real for not being remembered as a fierce rival or if he was testing Might Guy to gain an advantage.
As the battle progresses, the viewers constantly see Might Guy struggle to recognize his opponent. Kisame’s continuous mocking of Guy’s intelligence and Tenten’s disappointments keep the viewer’s attention on Might Guy’s inability that’s presented comically.
However, when the battle ended, both the teams were in for a real surprise. They defeated their opponents, only to see different faces lying on the ground. They weren’t fighting Itachi or Kisame but some unknown Shinobis. Lady Chiyo’s presence alongside Kakashi’s team helps them recognize Yura – a Sand Shinobi who goes missing since the attack on Gaara. Might Guy’s opponent stay mysterious till the end.
“I don’t know this man after all.” – Might Guy
Might Guy’s secret power is not in his Taijutsu or his ability to open Hidden Lotus gates. It is in his genuine ability to truly know things. He didn’t take his formidable opponent at face value, and he never knew whom he was fighting till that battle’s end.
The enemy’s deception stayed hidden even from Neji and his Byakugan. Might Guy’s Taijutsu sensed something more that day, something intelligent yet intangible to our current comprehension? There’s an element of “knowing” that was missed by the finest of Shinobis.
