A Match

As autumn gave way to winter, the days slipped by, and before anyone knew it, the new year of Konoha 53 had arrived.

"Kakashi, I did it!"

Snow fell heavily over Konoha. Gu Qi, drenched in sweat, found Kakashi reading a romance novel about youthful love.

"Huh?" Kakashi looked at Gu Qi, confused. "What did you do?"

"Training my chakra under a waterfall! I did it!" Gu Qi looked like he was waiting to be praised.

Kakashi thought for a long while before finally understanding. "Oh, that!"

Then he looked at Gu Qi in alarm. "Wait—you actually completed it?"

"Huh?" Gu Qi was bewildered. "Wasn't that how you told me to train?"

Kakashi's mouth twitched. "I told you to do that so you could feel the water's flow. I didn't actually expect you to train your chakra under a waterfall. That's impossible!"

"Huh?" Gu Qi was baffled. What was he supposed to make of that?

Kakashi looked at Gu Qi, speechless. "So what have you been training all this time?"

"No, wait. Wasn't this how you told me to train?"

"Yeah, but I told you to feel the water's movement! The part about training your chakra was just something I said offhand."

"So you've been lying to me this whole time! All that hard work I've put in these past few months was for nothing?"

Gu Qi's face fell. So he'd spent months working himself to the bone and even put his ninjutsu training on hold, all for nothing!

Seeing Gu Qi's expression turn from bright to stormy, Kakashi hurried to say, "Well, it's not completely useless. Training under a waterfall has its benefits. For example, it can build your stamina, and, uh, other things..."

Gu Qi's face had already been dark, but at the mention of building stamina, it darkened even further.

The pain of training under a waterfall was beyond words. Just thinking about it made Gu Qi explode.

"Kakashi, I learned a new technique. I'll show it to you right now," Gu Qi said with a sweet smile.

"Hey, hey, you're only demonstrating a technique! Why are you grabbing a shuriken? And hey, we're on the street! You can't just use chakra wherever you want!"

In the end, Gu Qi managed to suppress his urge to kill Kakashi. After all, the Uchiha Guard weren't to be trifled with.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I really didn't think you'd misunderstand what I meant," Kakashi apologized over and over as they walked.

"Hmph!" Gu Qi turned away, not wanting to speak to Kakashi at all.

Kakashi put an arm around Gu Qi's shoulders. "Don't be mad. I'll teach you a few ninjutsu techniques to make up for it."

"Hmph!"

"All right, I'll teach you every ninjutsu technique I've ever learned. How does that sound?"

"Really?" Gu Qi asked softly.

Kakashi was known as the Copy Ninja. Over the years, he'd picked up quite a few techniques.

"Of course. You're my little brother, after all."

"Fine. I'll let you off this time." Gu Qi was in a much better mood, so he decided to be the bigger person and forgive Kakashi.

When Kakashi saw Gu Qi smile, he finally relaxed. You could dodge an attack you saw coming, but not a sneak attack.

If Gu Qi decided to get back at him in secret, Kakashi's hard-won vacation might be ruined.

"By the way, you have pretty good chakra control. Would you be interested in learning some Medical Ninjutsu?" Kakashi suddenly changed the subject.

Gu Qi looked at Kakashi in surprise. "You want me to learn Medical Ninjutsu? Can I?"

Medical Ninjutsu wasn't easy to learn. It required extremely precise chakra control.

One mistake could cost someone their life.

"You can do it. Believe in yourself," Kakashi encouraged him.

Gu Qi couldn't help asking, "If you were my age now, and we fought, who would win?"

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "It'd probably be fifty-fifty. Back then, I was good with a sword, and it wouldn't be a fight to the death, so it's hard to say."

"So that means I could become a ninja right now?" Gu Qi asked eagerly.

Kakashi didn't answer. Instead, he awkwardly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, you'll be entering the Ninja Academy in another year. You'll have to study hard then!"

"Tch!"

Although he was unhappy with how overprotective Kakashi was, Gu Qi thought it over and gave up on becoming a ninja right away.

He could take it easy for now and do whatever he wanted. Why choose the uncertain life of a ninja?

Instead of going to the battlefield now and serving as cannon fodder, he could build up his strength and face the future with an air of superiority after graduation.

"By the way, Anko's back. You'd better watch out!" Kakashi warned him suddenly.

"What's there to worry about? I could take her out in no time," Gu Qi said confidently.

"Oh? Big talk."

At some point, Anko had appeared in front of them.

"Ha! You coward, you actually came back!" Gu Qi said disdainfully.

Crack, crack!

Anko cracked her knuckles and looked at Gu Qi with a sinister grin. "I can't believe I ran into you right after getting back. What a nice surprise!"

"You want to fight me? Kakashi, get her! Kakashi..."

Gu Qi stared up at the heavens, speechless. That bastard Kakashi had tricked him again.

"Go ahead and shout. You could shout until your throat gave out and no one would save you," Anko sneered, slowly walking toward him.

Gu Qi suddenly thrust out his right hand, took a deep breath, and called, "Wait!"

Anko stopped. "What? Want to beg for mercy?"

"I'll never beg for mercy. Not in this lifetime. I mean, the two of us need to settle this." Gu Qi said.

Anko looked at Gu Qi with interest. "Oh? How do you want to settle it?"

"Tomorrow at noon, Training Ground 42. We'll fight. Win or lose, I'll treat you to dumplings for a week."

"Fine. It's a deal." Anko turned and left.

"Phew, at least I didn't embarrass myself in the street." Once Anko was gone, Gu Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you confident you can beat her tomorrow?" Kakashi suddenly asked from behind Gu Qi.

Gu Qi jumped, then glared at him angrily. "Where were you just now, you bastard?"

"Ah, well, about that... I got a little lost on the road of life."

"Drop dead!"

"So, are you confident you can win?" Kakashi asked again.

Gu Qi shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Then why did you challenge her?"

"Anko doesn't have any trace of the tracking potion on her anymore, which means she can ambush me and beat me up anytime she wants.

"Rather than getting beaten up by her every day, I'd rather have one good fight tomorrow and take stock of what all my training has accomplished," Gu Qi said frankly.

"Haha! If Anko knew the real reason, I wonder if she'd beat you up even harder, little Gu Qi."

"Big Sis Kurenai~"

Gu Qi's eye twitched. Kurenai Yuhi and Anko seemed to get along pretty well. If Kurenai told her, tomorrow could turn into a disaster.

Seeing Gu Qi's distress, Kurenai Yuhi covered her mouth with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret this time!"

"Thanks, Big Sis Kurenai!" Gu Qi finally let out a sigh of relief.

"But I can't do you this favor for free!" Kurenai Yuhi said with a mysterious smile.

Gu Qi was at a loss. "Big Sis Kurenai, just tell me what you want!"

"Kakashi's ninja tools were made by you, right, Gu Qi? How about selling me some?" Kurenai asked.

Gu Qi smiled. "I thought it'd be something serious. No problem!"

A shuriken cost only 50 ryo to make. It wasn't as powerful as an Exploding Tag, but it had the advantage of being cheap.

After Gu Qi gave Kakashi a few to test, Kakashi seemed to grow fond of the little things.

Some ninjas who were on good terms with Kakashi and had heard about them also wanted to buy some once they learned Gu Qi had made them.

Gu Qi had spotted a business opportunity. The shuriken cost 50 ryo from the system, and he sold them for 100 ryo apiece, doubling his money.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Gu Qi kept a tight rein on how many he sold. He only made them to order.

After all, Gu Qi claimed that he made them by hand. If he sold too many at once, he'd be exposed.

Even so, Gu Qi had made quite a bit of money lately.

"Then thank you, Gu Qi. I'll come cheer you on tomorrow at noon, too!"

"Heh."

She just wants to watch me get beaten up! Gu Qi thought maliciously.