Morning dawn shone over Konoha.
The peaceful days after the war had brought smiles to Konoha's villagers.
The shadow of war had faded once again, and the warm sunlight of peace bathed Konoha anew.
Konoha gradually grew lively, bustling, and prosperous from the early morning onward. After waking up and eating breakfast, Neji Hyuga began his run.
Neji wore a black short-sleeved shirt and shorts, blue ninja shoes on his feet. Bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, faintly seeping blood. He maintained an even breath, as though every pore were breathing, and ran along the outer district road surrounding Konoha with an utterly precise rhythm.
Strictly speaking, it could not be called a track. It was merely a path that seemed to have been run upon frequently, its surrounding grass trampled away, forming a stark contrast with the lush grass beside it.
Yet in the past few days that Neji had been running here, he had not seen anyone else running, nor had he seen any Konoha villagers walking along this road.
Neji simply followed the path and ran.
"Inhale... exhale..." Neji steadily regulated his breathing, every step a precise, intense stride.
Ever since he had tested a medicinal formula suited to his constitution that replenished blood, restored vitality, and repaired the body, Neji had begun training his body like a madman.
In the first few days, he had directly rammed a tree trunk so thick it took two people to embrace it to death with a single finger. After testing the formula's limits in replenishing blood, restoring vitality, and repairing the body, every day thereafter was spent either performing "gentle" motions that twisted and pulled at his flesh, or doing frenzied sit-ups, running, one-finger push-ups, and other exercises that worked his body.
With the formula that replenished blood,