Teacher Might Guy's Training?

The next day.

Team 3 gathered at the training ground. By the time Neji and Tenten arrived, Might Guy had already led Rock Lee through more than a hundred push-ups.

The number from his mouth kept climbing as he worked with tremendous effort!

Tenten was somewhat speechless. "Good heavens! If they train like this, how will they have any strength left to do missions?"

Neji smiled faintly. "It's fine. To them, this amount only counts as a warm-up."

Besides, Tenten!

Did you have some misunderstanding about the missions assigned to newly graduated genin, or were your expectations simply too high?

Tenten pursed her lips slightly and looked curiously at Neji's arms.

"But where did you find such an ugly cat?"

"I picked it up. It's pretty fierce, but it probably has an owner. We'll see if we can return it to its owner later."

"Oh! But we're going on a mission. I hope we can find them before we leave."

"I think we can."

The corners of Neji's lips lifted slightly as he replied casually. Tenten did not pay it much mind, though she was quite eager to find out what their first mission would be.

Seeing that the two had arrived, Guy pressed one hand against the ground from his push-up position and sprang straight up, landing steadily before them.

He had already achieved this level of control over his own strength? Neji marveled inwardly. Rock Lee at his side also slowly rose.

Guy looked at the assembled Team 3 and praised them.

"Not bad! It seems you are very punctual. However, Rock Lee and I could no longer restrain the hot blood of youth, so we did some warm-up exercises."

The merciless compliment machine and those dazzling twin rows of white teeth truly made for a unique sight in Konoha.

They were just short of clutching each other's heads and crying. Neji quietly mocked them in his heart. Even someone as honest as him had been led astray quite a bit.

"Teacher Might Guy, what is our first mission? Escort duty, or clearing out bandits?"

Tenten looked at Guy expectantly. His white teeth flashed as he raised an eyebrow.

"Tenten, that is an excellent question. Our first mission of youth shall be the passionate..."

Rock Lee stared with his big sparkling eyes, and Tenten's gaze was equally expectant. Their first mission was well worth commemorating.

"Catching a cat!"

"Catching a cat?"

Tenten's expression fell. She had thought it would be some exciting mission, but it turned out... they were catching a cat.

Wait, a cat?

Tenten seemed to realize something.

Meanwhile, Rock Lee fell into thought. Catching a cat?

Among animals, cats were cunning creatures. They were incredibly agile and extremely wary.

Teacher Might Guy had accepted cat-catching as our first mission, so he must be training our agility.

Teacher Might Guy is the best!

Rock Lee's blood instantly boiled, and he was full of motivation!

Guy was equally fired up. He pulled a wrinkled drawing from his clothes and held it before them. It depicted a rather ugly-looking cat.

He declared passionately, "That's right, we're catching a cat. This is Lady Daimyo's cat, named Little Tiger!"

"It often escapes from Lady Daimyo's hands. It is extremely cunning and has toyed with many genin. But I believe you will definitely complete this mission successfully!"

"Because our passionate youth will never fail!"

Rock Lee responded with great excitement, while Tenten gave a weak "Oh."

Her brows furrowed slightly. It looked somewhat familiar, but Guy had crumpled the drawing so badly that it seemed to have sweat stains on it, making it a little blurry.

Neji merely smiled faintly from the side, gently stroking the cat buried in his arms. It looked like a furry hand warmer.

"Oh, right! Teacher Might Guy, this is the cat I just picked up by the roadside. Do you think it might be...?"

Tenten's mind buzzed, and she immediately understood. She looked at Neji in utter surprise.

Her gaze locked onto the cat in his hands, filled with excitement and shock.

Finding it somewhat hard to believe, she muttered softly, "It can't be..."

"Hm?"

Guy's passionate speech was interrupted. Together with Rock Lee, he looked at the furry bundle in Neji's arms.

A tail emerged from it, swaying leisurely. Three pairs of eyes followed its movement.

Meow~

The lazy cat raised its head, gave the three of them a disdainful glance, yawned, then buried itself back in Neji's arms to continue sleeping.

Its fluffy tail seemed as though it were not part of its body, continuing to drift slowly through the air.

"Little Tiger!"

Guy's eyes widened as he looked at Neji, then at Little Tiger in his arms.

Apparently disturbed by Guy's booming voice, Little Tiger raised its head and let out an annoyed meow.

Why are you yelling so loudly?!

Seeing the restless Little Tiger, Neji gently stroked it. The cat comfortably yawned again and shot Guy a sideways glance.

Hmph, this is nice~

I won't hold it against you this time!

Ahem!

Guy coughed a few times as he looked at Little Tiger in Neji's arms. He had never expected things to turn out like this. It was somewhat beyond his expectations.

He glanced at Rock Lee again. The boy was still staring at the cat in Neji's arms as though pondering something, making Guy feel rather awkward.

"Um... Neji! How did you find Little Tiger? You should know that it is famous among genin. Many have tried to catch it, and some entire teams have spent a whole day failing to catch it before eventually giving up on the mission!"

Neji lowered his head slightly and stroked the cat in his arms, the corners of his lips curving upward as he pretended not to know.

"Hm? Is it that hard to catch?"

"I only sensed it by the roadside. I waved at it, and it came into my arms."

"Yes, yes! I can prove it. That really is what happened."

Tenten raised her hand from the side, narrowing her eyes slightly as she testified, looking rather pleased.

Guy was instantly speechless. He had specifically taken this mission because it could be considered the most troublesome task available for genin.

After all, with Team 3's strength, there was hardly anything that could truly train them.

Little Tiger had happened to escape again, so he had accepted this mission.

Yet now...

Looking at Little Tiger in Neji's arms, Guy could not help but feel his eyes grow slightly moist. This was youth!

Better not mention it!

Rock Lee continued tilting his head as he watched Little Tiger's tail. His eyes had begun to spin in circles.

Tenten smiled at Guy, looking rather smug as she drawled out, "Teacher Might Guy~"

Guy's body shuddered. As a jonin, his sharp instinct for danger detected a strong wave of malice.

He said seriously, "Ahem! Tenten, if you have something to say, say it. Youth is not meant to be wasted!"

"Yes! Since we've already completed our first mission, what should we do next?"

Tenten's sparkling eyes seemed to overwhelm Guy with their momentum. Her unspoken anticipation seemed to say, Take another difficult mission, take another difficult mission...

Guy acted as if he knew nothing, and a surge of hot blood suddenly rose within him.

"Very good! Then let us shed the hot blood of youth and do fifty handstand laps around Konoha before turning in the mission!"

"Isn't that right, Rock Lee!"

"Rock Lee?"

Guy, his white teeth flashing, waited a long time without receiving Rock Lee's answer and could not help looking over.

"Rock Lee?!"

Dizzy from staring at the cat's tail, Rock Lee swayed as he was about to collapse, only for Guy to catch him.

With slurred speech, he said, "Teacher Might Guy, Little Tiger's tail is amazing. I'm so dizzy! Is this Teacher's training?"