Chestnut Duel

Might Guy wasn't naturally gifted as a ninja—in fact, he hadn't even qualified for the Ninja Academy at first. If not for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, being moved by his efforts, his path as a ninja would have been far more rocky.

And Guy knew his own lack of talent well, which was why he put in extra effort to make up for it. That was also why he often called himself a "genius of hard work."

It was his way of building confidence, and at the same time, a constant reminder to himself to work even harder!

Guy put in more effort than others, so he wanted recognition in return. That was why he chose a rival for himself—Kakashi Hatake!

As the son of the "Konoha White Fang" and a well-known genius throughout the village, Kakashi was the perfect person to prove himself against.

That was exactly why Guy sought him out, intending to prove through their duels that even without talent, with enough hard work, anyone could become a respected ninja.

As for the ways they dueled—from full-contact taijutsu battles down to rock-paper-scissors or eating sushi and dumplings—it was enough to make anyone's jaw drop or burst out laughing.

Guy shouted "youth" at the top of his lungs, chasing after Kakashi in his own unique way. Zhang Miao often marveled at his bizarre thought process, but setting aside his eccentric behavior, Guy truly possessed qualities worthy of respect.

Take this time, for example, when he came to "duel" Zhang Miao with chestnuts. It seemed like a childish move, but Zhang Miao understood it was probably Guy's way of showing concern.

"This guy probably heard somewhere that I'm an orphan, and since Kakashi happens to be out on a mission, he came specifically to check on me, right?"

Thinking this, Zhang Miao couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting.

"He seems rough and reckless on the surface, but who knew he had such a delicate heart? Still, even so, I'm not going down easy!"

As Zhang Miao thought this, he quickly tossed chestnuts from the bag into his mouth, crunching loudly. Before long, the big bag was nearly empty.

Seeing Zhang Miao's ferocity, Guy naturally refused to back down.

He kept stuffing chestnuts into his mouth, puffing his cheeks out like a toad. In no time, his eyes went wide, and he started pounding his chest with his fists, making a thumping sound—clearly choking.

Watching this, Nightingale and the Anbu with the Pointy Beak mask at the door were utterly dumbfounded.

Were these two okay?

Obviously, Zhang Miao was fine. With the system helping him digest, his stomach was practically forged from steel. As long as he could shove food in, he didn't have to worry about indigestion.

But Guy was another story. Looking at his swollen belly, Zhang Miao figured the Leaf Village Hospital had a bed reserved for him today.

And sure enough, Zhang Miao's guess was right. Before long, Guy collapsed, his face turning green. At the same time, the system's chime rang in Zhang Miao's mind.

"Ding—Congratulations to the host for winning an official duel. Obtained Five-Star Jonin Might Guy Ninja Fragments x10!"

Zhang Miao: "..."

That worked too?

As if sensing Zhang Miao's thoughts, the system explained again.

"Regardless of the method, as long as both parties acknowledge it as a duel, the system recognizes it!"

Hearing this explanation, Zhang Miao understood.

When they were eating chestnuts earlier, Zhang Miao had genuinely intended to beat Guy, so he took the competition seriously. But he hadn't expected Guy to be serious too.

"This guy Guy actually went all out competing with a little kid over how much he could eat..."

Thinking this, Zhang Miao didn't know what to say. But considering Guy's personality and his bizarre thought process, Zhang Miao found it perfectly normal.

Still, there was a benefit. Ten five-star Might Guy Ninja Fragments were an unexpected bonus for Zhang Miao.

Looking at Guy writhing on the ground with a round belly, Zhang Miao's eyes flickered as an idea came to him for quickly collecting more Guy Ninja Fragments.

So he stood up, hands on his hips, and looked down at Guy.

"Hey, Acorn Brother, even though you lost this time, I'll give you another chance to challenge me. Come back at this time tomorrow, and you can pick whatever we eat!"

With that, Zhang Miao waved at Nightingale behind him.

"Sister Nightingale, send someone to take him to the Leaf Village Hospital!"

Nightingale: "..."

Who do you think you are? Why should I take orders from you?

Nightingale was annoyed, but seeing Guy on the ground looking like he was about to die from overeating, she could only glare at Zhang Miao before turning to the Anbu with the Pointy Beak mask.

"Owl, take him to the hospital!"

"Yes!"

Nightingale seemed to outrank the Pointy Beak Anbu, so at her command, he immediately scooped up Guy and vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.

Zhang Miao knew the Pointy Beak Anbu had taken Guy to the Leaf Village Hospital, so he grinned at Nightingale.

"Hehe, thanks, Sister Nightingale. Give me my little brother!"

With that, Zhang Miao took Naruto from Nightingale's arms.

What surprised Nightingale was that Naruto, who had been crying just moments ago, immediately stopped fussing the moment Zhang Miao took him. He even babbled and nuzzled into Zhang Miao's chest.

Seeing this, the corner of Nightingale's mouth twitched beneath her mask.

"Sure enough, these brothers are both weirdos."

Zhang Miao didn't care what Nightingale thought. He carried Naruto inside, set him down on the floor, and let him crawl around the room while Zhang Miao lay on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

At some point, Nightingale followed him in and crouched down beside him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"You guess?"

Hearing Zhang Miao's words, Nightingale rolled her eyes at him in exasperation, then turned and left without another word.

But she had only taken two steps when Zhang Miao's voice rang out behind her again.

"Hey, Nightingale, do you have any siblings?"

As an Anbu, wearing a mask was meant to conceal one's identity, so Nightingale normally shouldn't have answered such a question. But facing Zhang Miao, for some inexplicable reason, she chose to respond.

"I have a younger sister. She's studying at the Ninja Academy. I hope you two can become good friends in the future!"

After speaking, Nightingale turned back, only to find Zhang Miao wearing a look of utter disdain. She frowned.

"What's that expression supposed to mean?"

"Nothing much!"

Zhang Miao shrugged, then bent down to pick up Naruto, who was crawling around on the floor, and placed him into the crib. After doing that, he turned to Nightingale and raised an eyebrow.

"Your sister... is she pretty? If she's not, I'm not interested!"

Nightingale: "..."

This insufferable brat! Who do you think you are?

Nightingale took several deep breaths, barely managing to suppress the fury inside her, before squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"My sister is very beautiful, and she's a genius at swordsmanship. Are you satisfied now?"

"Hmm... that'll do!"

Zhang Miao nodded as he flipped himself onto his small bed, then waved a hand at Nightingale.

"Got it. Bring your sister tomorrow so I can take a look. If she's acceptable, I'll take her as my Eighteenth Concubine. Alright, you're dismissed. Withdraw!"

Nightingale: "..."