Kumogakure Border - Morning Mist Pervades
Raikage A's Lightning Release Armor tore through the morning mist and landed with a thud atop the border outpost. His sharp gaze instantly locked onto the opposite bank of the river—the green figure shimmering in the morning light, surrounded by several Kumogakure.
"That's... Might Guy?"
Ai's brows furrowed into a tight knot. Might Guy was doing a handstand, his other hand enthusiastically embracing a fluorescent green bodysuit; the words "Eight Gates - Youth Limited Edition" on the fabric were so bright in the sunlight they hurt the eyes.
"Brothers of Kumogakure!" Guy's voice could be heard clearly across the river. "Look at this perfect tailoring!" He did a backflip, his bodysuit bulging in the wind, revealing exaggerated muscle lines. Breathable, sweat-wicking, highly elastic and not constricting, the added Chakra- guiding fibers can even aid in Taijutsu training!
Raikage's temples throbbed. The tense border standoff he had envisioned was now resembling a farcical scene of street vendors.
"Lord Raikage..." The voice of the Anbu behind him trembled, "Should we... stop him?"
Just as Ai was about to lash out, he suddenly heard excited shouts from below:
"Mr. Kai! Please give me one!"
A Kumogakure Chunin, his eyes gleaming, squeezed to the front. The blood-red figure piercing Heavenly Screen battlefield in the sky flashed through his mind, and he thought of his own Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, who was always shouting "Yo yo check it out!" Suddenly, as if struck by a revelation, he slammed his fist into his palm:
(It turns out that true strong people are always unconventional!)
Kai was moved to tears. "That's amazing! This is the spark of youth!" He quickly unfolded a special edition shirt printed with the words "Daytime Tiger," and said, "Try this on! It fits you perfectly!"
"You damned bastard!"
The Raikage finally lost his temper and leaped from the outpost. The Lightning Release Chakra that erupted upon landing pulverized all the rocks within a ten-meter radius.
The scene fell silent instantly. Only Kai's cheerful voice broke the frozen air:
"Oh! Isn't this Raikage?!" He pulled out an XXL-sized bodysuit from somewhere. "Want to try on our newly developed 'Lightning Release Armor Compatible Version'? It has breathable design under the armpits..."
Ai's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He stared intently at Kai's seemingly honest, smiling face, yet he caught a glint of sharpness in those eyes—like the ninja in the Heavenly Screen image who calmly said, "Now is the time to protect him to the death," before opening the Gate of Death.
(Is this guy... doing it on purpose?)
This thought suddenly calmed the Raikage. He took a deep breath, turned to the Chunin who was buying the bodysuit, Chunin sneered:
"Put on your new battle uniform. Add 3000 push-ups today."
Having said that, he turned and Earth Flow the outpost without looking back. Behind him came Kai's energetic shout:
"Raikage! Group orders get a 20% discount!"
On the way back
Killer B hangs upside down from the treetop. "Yo~ Big brother's got a slap in the face~ What a funny expression~ You idiot, you bastard~"
"Shut up!" Ai snatched her brother's sunglasses. "That Kai... he's basically warning us."
The scene from just now replayed in his mind—the undulating motion of the muscles in Kai's back as he bent down to pick up his clothes was clearly a prelude to the opening of the Seventh Gate, the Gate of Wonder. What was even more terrifying was that, at such close range, his Lightning Release perception had not detected any Chakra fluctuations.
(To be able to control one's power to this extent...)
The Raikage suddenly stopped and gave an order to the Anbu:
"Notify the research department to prioritize the development of the Chakra Cannon." His voice was more solemn than ever before. "Also... get me a set of that damned bodysuit for research."
Killer B stumbled and fell. "Yo?! Big brother wants to join the youth too?!"
"Idiot!" The Raikage's roar startled all the birds in the forest, "It's an analysis of Chakra conduit fibers!"
Land of Fire Border - Watchtower
Kakashi leaned against the top of the cedar watchtower, the pages of "Icha Icha Paradise" rustling in the border wind. His single eye, however, remained fixed on the opposite bank of the river, a kilometer away—where Raikage A's Lightning Release Armor was emitting a blinding blue light.
(This is bad...)
The silver -Jonin's fingers were already gripping the Kunai. The Fourth Raikage's lightning-fast advance, comparable to the Flying Thunder God Technique, was still vivid in the Heavenly Screen image. If the Raikage were to suddenly attack now, Guy probably wouldn't even have a chance to open the Seventh Gate...
"Hmm?"
The pages suddenly stopped turning. Kakashi watched as the Raikage turned and left, the violent Lightning Release Chakra like a tide. In the distance, Guy's energetic shouts could be faintly heard:
Only three limited-edition pieces left! First come, first served!
Kakashi Kunai slid back into his ninja tool pouch. He scratched his silver hair, his deadpan eyes filled with helplessness: (This guy... he actually turned the border standoff into a trade fair?)
He gazed at the group of Kumogakure surrounding Kai on the riverbank. Several of them had already donned fluorescent green bodysuits and were striking various bodybuilding poses in the sunlight. Even more terrifying, the leader ninja was actually taking notes diligently!
"Muscles... lines... Chakra circulation..." the Kumogakure muttered. "So that's it! No wonder Killer B Bee always talks about art!"
Kakashi's lips twitched. (Art my foot!)
Border Post - Konoha Camp
"Guy-senpai is so cool!" The young Chunin excitedly waved his fist. "Did you guys see the Raikage's expression just now? It looked like he swallowed Kunai!"
The ninjas below the watchtower echoed in agreement:
"The powerful figure who kicked away Six Paths Madara in the Heavenly Screen is right here on our side!"
"I heard that Jonin does 10,000 push-ups every day!"
"When I change shifts, I'm going to ask him for the secrets of Taijutsu!"
Suddenly, everyone fell silent. Kakashi, who had appeared at the top of the outpost at some unknown time, was looking down at them with dead fish eyes.
"Um..." the team Jonin, explained with a forced smile, "We were discussing tactical deployment..."
"Hmm~" Kakashi's eyes curved into crescents, "They're having a lively discussion." He pointed to the other side of the river, "But compared to Taijutsu..."
Everyone looked in the direction they were looking—five Kumogakure dressed in tight-fitting clothes were doing synchronized handstands, their fluorescent green buttocks forming neat wavy lines in the sunlight.
"Spare me..." Kakashi's sigh was drowned out by the cheers of the Konoha Ninjas, "Oh! This is youth!"
Dusk falls
Kai finally returned to the camp, satisfied, with a thick stack of orders in his bag. To his surprise, he found a campfire lit in the center of the camp, and a dozen Konoha Ninjas were doing aerobics in their makeshift green-dyed training uniforms.
"Kakashi!" Guy's tears glistened in the Kakkō, "This is the spark of youth!"
"Ah... yes..." Kakashi lay listlessly on a tree branch, while from the distant Kumogakure camp, the chant of "One, two, three, four" could be faintly heard.
(The Sunagakure's reconnaissance team will be here in a couple of days... what a terrifying scene they'll witness...)
The night wind swept across the border, carrying with it the shouts of "Youth! Passion! Hot-blooded!" from the two camps, startling the owls in the forest into flight.
Kakashi's grip on the pages of "Icha Icha Paradise" was slightly crumpled. The scene at the camp below made his one exposed, dead-fish-like eye appear even more lifeless than usual.
A dozen or so border ninjas, dressed in training uniforms hastily painted green with dye, were performing "Youthful Vitality Exercises" under Guy's command. Even more terrifying, they had somehow found fluorescent paint and had scrawled "Eight Gates Apprentice Version" crookedly on their backs.
(It's only the third day...)
Kakashi's fingertips trembled slightly. He clearly remembered Guy's bulging bag when he set off, containing at least fifty sets of bodysuits. And now...
"Kakashi- senpai!" A border Genin suddenly leaped onto the watchtower, his homemade green uniform still dripping with wet dye. "What do you think of my 'Azure Beast Modified' look?"
The silver-haired Jonin raised his head and saw that the other person had tied his Forehead Protector around his thigh and deliberately torn his trousers into ripped holes.
"... Very innovative. "Kakashi's voice seemed to come from a very far away place.
Genin jumped down joyfully, Genma Shiranui silently appeared beside him, Senbon dangling from his mouth. This usually calm Special Jōnin's temples were throbbing at that moment.
"Just now... the border guard captain talked to me." Genma's Senbon were bent from being bitten. "He asked the Lord Hokage whether he sent us here to intimidate Kumogakure or to start a clothing revolution."
Kakashi raised "Icha Icha Paradise" to cover his twitching lips.
"The most outrageous thing is..." Genma pointed to the other side of the river, "Kumogakure have also started wearing them."
Looking in that direction, there were more than twenty sets of dark green bodysuits drying outside the Kumogakure on the opposite bank of the river—clearly knock-offs made overnight, with the words "Lightning Release Armor - Youth Edition" embroidered on the chest in the Land of Lightning script.
"Hey, give me some reaction!" Genma poked the petrified Kakashi with Senbon. "Now, the border guards on both sides don't throw Kunai at each other anymore; they exchange fashion tips instead..."
"..."