What Are You Looking At? So What If I Am?

"Besides."

Hyuga Sho's tone changed, carrying a hint of coldness.

"If someone says you can't be a ninja because you don't know ninjutsu... then if someone told you to eat excrement, why wouldn't you go eat it?"

"!"

Might Guy froze in his seat.

He opened his mouth.

In the end, he still couldn't come up with anything to refute him.

Because...

"Hyuga Sho's presence is so overwhelming... He's so confident... I want to become as dazzling as him..."

A moment later.

Hyuga Sho left the classroom, leaving Might Guy to silently ponder and work hard on his own.

"I didn't expect you to encourage others, too."

In the corridor.

Hyuga Mami looked at Hyuga Sho, quite surprised.

Hyuga Sho smiled, his face honest and simple. "Because you encouraged me like that back then, Young Lady."

I encouraged you?

Encouraged you to eat excrement...

Hyuga Mami's eyes widened slightly. She felt a little surprised.

Because she couldn't remember when she had encouraged Hyuga Sho to eat... that.

"Young Lady, you said I had a talent for battle, and you also said I worked very hard..."

Hyuga Sho helped Hyuga Mami recall those things.

"I did say that..."

Hyuga Mami's gaze grew slightly unfocused as she sank into her memories.

Of course, there had been no encouragement to eat excrement or anything like that.

Five months...

Nearly five months.

That Dead Last of the Hyuga Clan had already become the model student who could set an example for the other students.

A transformation...

Perhaps encouragement really was useful.

"Do you still need my encouragement now?"

Hyuga Mami asked.

At that moment, the two looked into each other's eyes.

Those ethereal eyes met Hyuga Sho's bright, spirited gaze.

"Of course."

Hyuga Sho, who was committed to raising a Loli, answered firmly.

"Then..."

Hyuga Mami turned around and began walking.

"Hyuga Sho, please defeat Kakashi for me to see."

"No problem."

Noon.

After eating lunch, Might Guy trained with his father, Might Duy.

"Dad... I failed every part of my Three Body Techniques review this morning. I'm sorry..."

"..."

Might Duy fell silent.

A moment later...

"You idiot, Might Guy!!"

Might Duy punched his son in the face, turning five-year-old Might Guy into a comical meme.

Might Guy spun 360 degrees in midair before crashing to the ground with a bang.

"I'm, I'm sorry, Dad... I've been enrolled for almost half a year, but I still haven't learned the Three Body Techniques..."

Because the punch had hurt so much, and because Might Guy felt terribly ashamed, he couldn't help shedding tears.

"Don't apologize...! I'm not angry about this!"

Might Duy was crying, too.

Although... he didn't know why, either.

"Don't apologize for your efforts. That would be disrespectful to all your hard work, Guy!"

"Dad!"

"Guy!!"

The two immediately hugged each other and cried in each other's arms.

"That father and son are doing that again..."

"Those green jumpsuits are so disgusting..."

The passersby who witnessed the scene whispered among themselves.

"Thank you for your encouragement!!" x2.

The next moment, they saw the father and son giving thumbs-up with bright smiles.

Of course, their gleaming white teeth were there, too.

After the passersby were scared away...

"Dad..."

Might Guy's eyelids drooped.

"That wasn't encouragement. They were making fun of us..."

"Ahh~ Don't worry about the details! Guy, listen carefully. Your youth has only just begun... Youth never looks back, just like me!"

Might Duy encouraged his son.

"You can't use genjutsu or ninjutsu. Instead, I'm happy about that... Once you know your weaknesses, you can make your strengths shine! And right now..."

Might Duy revealed a huge smile.

"Your Taijutsu has already begun to shine!!"

"..."

Might Guy fell silent.

Then... he smiled.

"Dad, actually, Hyuga Sho said something similar this morning. He encouraged me. Maybe... Taijutsu really is my strength."

"That's right~~~!"

Might Duy pressed on while the iron was hot.

"That child Hyuga Sho is a wonderful example... What he says makes perfect sense, just like what Dad thinks! You have to follow his example and work hard! One day, you'll be able to defeat that Kakashi kid, just as he challenged Young Master Asuma!"

The father and son's conversation had gotten off to a good start.

But the next moment.

Two discordant voices joined in.

"Huh? Isn't that Might Duy, the eternal Genin?"

"You're still playing training games with a child? You really are impressive for an eternal Genin, hahaha!!!"

The passersby were two ordinary Konoha Chunins.

Even though they were ordinary, they were still far stronger than Might Duy, who had been a Konoha Genin for twenty years.

"Thank you for your encouragement!"

Might Duy's reaction was to...

Give them a thumbs-up.

But Might Guy... had an indignant look on his face.

A few minutes later.

After parting from his father, Might Guy caught up with the two Konoha Ninjas.

He threw out a small stone.

It struck one of them in the back of the head.

"Ow!"

The two turned around.

"What are you doing, brat!"

"Huh? Look closely. Isn't that the kid from Might Duy's place? What do you mean by this, huh?!"

Facing their questioning, Might Guy took a deep breath and clenched his tiny fists.

"Stop looking down on Dad!!"

That afternoon, at the Ninja Academy.

"Student Might Guy has been hospitalized."

Funano Daihoku's expression was somewhat grave.

He did not explain the specific reason.

Hyuga Sho thought about it and made a decision.

The next day.

It was a day off.

Hyuga Sho slipped out of the Hyuga Clan compound and headed toward Konoha Hospital.

On the way.

He saw two familiar faces.

"Hyuga Sho, what're you looking at?!"

The speaker was Ebisu.

He looked very arrogant.

Of course, most of that arrogance was an act.

Hyuga Sho clearly saw Ebisu trembling.

He was obviously putting on a brave front.

Beside him, Shiranui Genma held a toothpick between his teeth, a hint of sweat seeping from his forehead.

A second later, he said, "Y-you, what're you looking at?"

Hyuga Sho looked at the two lying on the ground and expertly searched their waist pouches.

The money in their wallets was just enough to buy some fruit for a visit to Guy.

"What's it to you two?"

With a completely calm expression, Hyuga Sho tossed out those words and walked away.