Seeking Guidance

Satoru had confirmed from the intelligence he had gathered that war would arrive before long, so he became even more low-key.

In his daily life, he practiced taijutsu with his only acquaintance, Akimichi Choza, though even Choza did not know that Satoru had developed these techniques himself.

After several months together, with Satoru's help and their families' connections, Choza had clearly become quite close with Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka.

Even at his current age, Shikaku already showed signs of having an extraordinary mind.

As for Inoichi, perhaps due to the influence of the Clan Secret Technique, his eyes seemed to have begun shining far more brightly than those of ordinary people.

Now, the four of them were practicing taijutsu by the river they often visited.

The Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques leaned more toward mental strength, while the Nara Clan focused more on strategic coordination. However, at Satoru's suggestion, they had also come to recognize the importance of taijutsu to some extent.

The principles of Chakra, as well as its advanced applications, were knowledge that even those born into great clans could not access at their level, despite not being mere first-years.

When ninja fought, physical stamina, one of the two key elements in producing Chakra, always seemed to run out before mental energy.

That was probably because mental energy could achieve a "power-up" effect through external stimulation, emotional outbursts, and similar factors.

But physical stamina... once it was gone, it was gone. Unless one rested, the only way to force out more Chakra was to risk one's life.

Therefore, no matter how fired up one's spirit was, without sufficient physical stamina to support it, Chakra would still run out when it ran out.

That was precisely why the Uzumaki Clan's powerful stamina could produce such exaggerated effects—

A long blue bar meant greater room for error. In intense combat, even when suppressed, as long as one was not instantly killed, there would be countless chances to turn the situation around.

Training taijutsu was a good way to strengthen physical stamina.

Besides, they barely knew any offensive ninjutsu. Even just for self-defense, taijutsu was their best option at present.

"Satoru, I always feel that among everyone in class, you're the only one I can't see through..."

After catching his breath, Shikaku took the soda water Satoru handed him and drank deeply.

"Gulp... Just this alone—if you made it public, I'd dare say you'd become the most popular person in the entire school!"

After Satoru's improvements, his magical soda water came in several excellent flavors.

Shikaku was drinking orange-flavored soda, while Inoichi had lemon flavor. As for Choza...

Choza was happily eating Satoru's specially made magical pork floss bread, and his soda water... was milk-flavored.

"Keep it low-key, low-key..."

Satoru took a large gulp of cola-flavored soda water, wondering whether he should switch to carbonated water next time as he waved at Shikaku.

"It's a technique my old man developed. I just improved the flavors..."

"Adding Chakra to beverages to stimulate the taste buds and change their flavor, Satoru, I have to say—you're a genius!"

Inoichi blissfully gulped down a cup of soda water, then stared in amazement as the cup automatically refilled and exclaimed loudly.

"Satoru, you even engraved the formula onto the cup! Such a genius idea, and you say you only did it because you were lazy?!"

"He really did it because he was lazy!"

Choza swallowed the bread in his hand and matter-of-factly held out his hand to Satoru.

"Give me a honey-flavored one!"

Satoru's mouth twitched. He formed several hand signs, and a piece of bread gradually took shape from nothing in his hand.

"Hey, Choza, I told you this bread isn't nutritious. Didn't you stop eating it for a while? Why did you start again?"

"Ha! Smells amazing..."

Choza's eyes lit up as he accepted the hot bread covered in honey and took a satisfied bite.

"Delicious... Satoru, I only started coming into contact with the Clan Secret Technique a few days ago, and then I discovered..."

"The Chakra contained in your bread can also be accumulated for activating secret techniques—it's really strange!"

Excitement appeared on Choza's chubby little face.

"Although there isn't much of it, the quality is very high. It can even be stored without affecting my figure!"

"Satoru! You're practically my greatest benefactor! If I can lose weight without affecting my secret technique training, it'll all be thanks to you!"

"..."

Satoru silently muttered to himself, You're freeloading, yet you make it sound so righteous.

Satoru could roughly guess the reason. The bread he gave Choza was created using Arcane Power, so it possessed certain traits different from Chakra. That was not particularly strange.

Even bread Satoru created with the Chakra version of the Food Creation Technique had this effect, because the Chakra he converted from Arcane Power was very special.

But if someone else used this technique, the bread they created would not have such a special effect.

As Satoru silently complained to himself, he heard a rustling sound...

"Who's there!"

Satoru swiftly rose and turned toward a patch of bushes nearby, forming the hand signs for the Deformation Technique.

"Come out!"

Choza and the other two were startled. Forgetting their food and drinks, they immediately stood up and took formation.

Although they had not yet finished learning their Clan Secret Techniques, their combat formation already looked fairly convincing.

"Ugh... I'm dying..."

"Water... Is there... any water..."

An awkward voice came from the bushes, and Satoru's expression became strange.

"Huh?"

Looking closely, there was someone lying in the green bushes, almost completely blending in with them.

He was dressed entirely in green. Satoru had almost failed to spot him until the man stuck his head out of the bushes...

"Holy crap! Those eyebrows! That bowl cut!"

Choza and the other two gaped. This person's appearance was far too unusual...

But Satoru found the person before him somewhat familiar...

Could it be...

"As long as you're not an enemy, here's some water."

Looking at the young man who was nearly unconscious, Satoru handed him a cup filled with Sprite-flavored soda water.

"Gulp, gulp, gulp... Burp!!"

After chugging down a huge mouthful and recovering a little, the thick-browed young man stared in shock as the cup refilled with water. His hand jerked, and he nearly threw it away.

"Whoa! Is this a magical artifact?!"

"...It's just a toy."

Satoru looked at the young man sitting cross-legged on the ground and asked,

"Who are you? How did you get thirsty enough to end up like this? There's a river right beside us!"

"Haha! Thank you for the water, little brother. It was truly delicious..."

The thick-browed young man laughed heartily and gave Satoru a thumbs-up.

"Youth shines all the brighter because of outstanding young people like you!"

"I'm Genin Might Duy. I was training alone in the mountains just now... By the time I realized my body was severely dehydrated, it was already too late—I rushed to the river, but it seems I passed out before I could make it..."

Dai looked somewhat dejected, but he quickly rallied again.

"This only proves that my training isn't enough!"

"Without precise control over one's physical condition, it is impossible to master that!"

"..."

All right, Satoru was certain now. The man before him was one of the "keywords"—the father of Eight Gates Might Guy, the bizarre man who had become the first in Konoha's history to successfully cultivate the forbidden Eight Gates Formation, yet remained unknown—

His most famous trait was probably his nickname: the "Eternal Genin."

"Having such a powerful person and not realizing it... If that old man weren't my father, I'd really want to curse him out..."

Satoru sighed, then smiled.

"Hello, Big Brother Dai... I'm Mitokado Satoru. These three are Akimichi Choza, Shikaku Nara, and Inoichi Yamanaka."

"We're first-year students at the Ninja Academy, practicing combat here... Big Brother Dai, could you give us some guidance?"