Because I Never Gave Up

Konoha Hospital.

"Guy... why did you do something like that?"

After learning that his son had been injured, Might Duy had rushed back overnight after completing a D-Rank Mission in a neighboring village.

The moment he entered the ward, he saw Guy sitting against the hospital bed, his head wrapped in bandages.

"Dad..."

Guy lowered his eyelids and stared out the window.

"Why can you be so optimistic?"

"!"

Might Duy's eyes narrowed slightly.

Guy turned back and looked at his father with melancholy in his eyes. "When does youth end?"

"Youth never looks back, so it never ends."

Might Duy immediately broke into a smile.

Both his answer and expression were the same as always.

Slap...

Guy clenched the bedsheet.

He could not endure it any longer.

"Dad! Are you saying... youth doesn't end even when you die?!"

"What are you talking about, Guy?! That's when youth reaches its greatest climax! It's the most passionate moment!"

Might Duy waved his hands, trying to encourage his son.

Yet Guy's tears began to fall. "Dad! There's something wrong with your head! How can there still be youth after you die?! Even if you keep believing that until the very end, it doesn't guarantee you can defeat the strong! Just like me!"

Yesterday.

Guy had been easily dealt with by two Chunin.

They had not even needed to use much strength before sending him to the hospital.

Slap...

Might Duy gently placed a large hand on his own head.

"Guy... true victory is not defeating the strong. It is being able to keep 'protecting' what matters most to you."

"Wah... wah..."

Guy's lips trembled as tears surged forth. He squeezed his eyes shut and cried, "I only... wanted to 'protect' the 'youth' Dad talked about!"

"!!"

Might Duy's eyes widened.

A moment later, tears also streamed down his face.

Father and son embraced tightly.

In this cruel world, the two of them, without talent, struggled to survive.

"Sorry you had to see that, Hyuga Sho."

A moment later.

After wiping away his tears, Might Duy walked out of the ward.

Outside.

Hyuga Sho, carrying a basket of fruit, had witnessed the entire scene.

"Thank you for coming to visit Guy."

From the nurse responsible for registration, Might Duy had learned that Hyuga Sho was the only person who had come to visit Guy.

"Our teacher taught us that classmates should help one another."

Hyuga Sho replied calmly.

"Mr. Might Duy, I have always had a question."

Hyuga Sho set the fruit basket on the hook by the door.

"Your Taijutsu is clearly very strong, so why are you still a Genin?"

From Hyuga Sho's perspective.

Might Duy's Taijutsu surpassed that of every Chunin he had seen.

"Because... I don't know any Ninjutsu."

Without hesitation, Might Duy immediately gave the reason.

After graduating from the Ninja Academy.

One of the Three Body Techniques would be selected as the graduation test. Those who passed could become Genin.

Might Duy's graduation back then had already been an exception.

And to advance to Chunin.

One needed even higher qualifications.

The awkward limitation of "only knowing Taijutsu" had kept Might Duy outside the door.

In other words.

Might Duy had suffered because of the so-called "rules."

"Since you asked me a question, I should ask you one too, Hyuga Sho."

Might Duy smiled, though there was also a hint of a request in it.

Seeing Hyuga Sho nod.

He asked, "Hyuga Sho, are you planning to challenge that kid Kakashi next?"

Through his son Guy, Might Duy had more or less learned what had been happening at the Ninja Academy.

Hyuga Sho said, "Yes."

"..."

Might Duy fell silent.

Then he gave Hyuga Sho a thumbs-up.

"Then, please do your best!"

Guy was only confused.

Might Duy believed that his son would surely regain his confidence through Hyuga Sho's fine example.

A moment later.

Hyuga Sho entered the ward.

He placed the fruit basket by the bedside.

"Hyuga Sho?"

Guy seemed quite surprised by Hyuga Sho's appearance.

"I came to see you."

Hyuga Sho said.

Then, he looked around the ward.

"Nice environment."

If he got injured in the future, he could come somewhere this nice to recuperate too.

He just did not know who would cover the costs.

"I, I was defeated by two Chunin." Guy clutched the bedsheet as he spoke.

"Mm, that's normal."

Hyuga Sho nodded after hearing that.

An Academy Student challenging two Chunin above his level would be lucky not to get beaten to death.

This wasn't some overpowered protagonist story.

If anyone had a chance of pulling off that kind of reversal.

Hyuga Sho felt it could only be Kakashi or Hyuga Mami.

After all, those two had Protagonist Templates.

"Hyuga Sho, can hard work really defeat geniuses...?"

"Of course."

Hyuga Sho answered without the slightest hesitation.

In his previous life.

He did not know how many self-proclaimed—or publicly acclaimed—geniuses he had defeated.

Those so-called geniuses were still human.

And as humans, they had weaknesses.

"You mean you can defeat Kakashi?"

Guy raised his head, his voice rising slightly. He was in great pain.

"Mm, I'll make preparations."

Hyuga Sho thought about it.

With his current strength, challenging Kakashi would probably be somewhat difficult.

If necessary, he could use the Sleeping Powder he had obtained from the Iwagakure Female Ninja, Kōseki.

No matter how strong Kakashi was, could he really be immune to drugs?

He just did not know how much Kakashi could inhale while wearing that mask...

Besides.

If Kakashi used Genjutsu, his chances of victory would rise even further.

After receiving Genjutsu resistance training from Yūhi Kurenai, his resistance to Genjutsu had greatly increased.

"Why can you be so confident?" Guy asked dejectedly.

"Because I never gave up."

Hyuga Sho replied calmly.

Two days later, Guy was discharged from the hospital.

Morning in Konoha.

Hyuga Sho arrived at the Ninja Academy.

There was fresh gossip today.

"Kakashi defeated Uchiha Tekka from the neighboring class!"

"I heard... that Uchiha Tekka is a genius from the younger Uchiha generation, far surpassing Obito."

"Even the teachers at the Ninja Academy think highly of him!"

The Academy Students' exclamations reached his ears.

Hyuga Sho walked into the crowd.

There, he saw Kakashi, breathing slightly heavily, as well as a young Uchiha lying on the ground.

That was probably Uchiha Tekka.

The somewhat disheveled Uchiha Tekka got to his feet.

A mole was revealed on his face.

That distinctive feature made his appearance easy to remember.

"Hatake Kakashi, I lost... but don't think you can stay arrogant forever!"

Like a lone wolf licking its wounds.

Uchiha Tekka clutched his arm and slowly left the crowd.

"..."

Hyuga Sho watched his retreating back as his plan was completed.

His chances of defeating Kakashi... had increased once again.