Shame

The training ground,

By the time Sora Uchiha and the others arrived, the place was already packed. Everyone was far too enthusiastic about Minato.

Kurenai Yuhi tried to squeeze her way to the front, but failed. The stench of sweat from the male ninja was too much to bear, so they had no choice but to sit together at a high vantage point and watch from a distance.

"Argh, damn it! We got here too late! It's all Rin's fault for taking so long to pick out her clothes." Kurenai raised a fist and fumed.

Rin looked utterly innocent as she blinked. "But I seem to remember you were the one who couldn't decide between the red outfit and the white one, Kurenai."

"Uh, that's because you said they both looked good, so I couldn't choose..." Kurenai's voice immediately weakened as she tried to protest unconvincingly.

"Heh heh, Kurenai's really ahead of her time—turning the tables like that." Mitaraishi Anko cheerfully teased the flustered Kurenai.

"Anko!" Kurenai shouted, both embarrassed and furious.

Everyone burst into laughter, and for a moment, they forgot how frustrating it was not to have gotten a good spot.

"Kakashi! Face my eighty-seventh challenge!"

On the training ground stood a bowl-cut youth in tight pants, dressed head to toe in green. With a fervent gleam of youthful passion in his eyes, he pointed dramatically at his opponent.

Facing him was a white-haired boy in a ninja outfit, his face covered by a mask.

Kakashi glanced at him and said casually, "What are we competing in?"

"Those two are at it again..." Obito sat on the steps, watching the pair below as the crowd gathered around them, and grumbled in exasperation.

Sora watched the two conspicuous show-offs below with interest. He found it hilarious. Under Might Guy's influence, even the normally composed Kakashi had become a bit of a clown.

"If I remember right, last time they competed to see who could eat more. I heard they ate fifty bowls of ramen between them at Ichiraku Ramen." Kurenai tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said with a smile.

"There are so many people here. I wonder what they're competing in this time?" Rin covered her mouth, her eyes curving with amusement.

"Hee hee, this should be good." Mitaraishi Anko's eyes widened.

Sora silently watched the two of them, curious too. The events they competed in were always bizarre, involving every pot, pan, and household item imaginable. They hardly ever held proper ninja contests.

Might Guy's face flushed. Feeling the eyes of everyone around him, he thought of what they were about to compete in. Even the "youthful explosion" himself felt ashamed.

"There are so many people here. L-let's see who has the greater sense of shame!" he stammered as he announced the event.

Kakashi's expression gradually turned serious. Even he thought that competing to see who had a greater sense of shame in front of so many people was just too embarrassing.

"What, are you scared?" Seeing him fall silent, Might Guy grew excited and proudly wiped his nose. "It's fine if you are. I'll count this as a win!"

Kakashi's gaze grew serious. "All right. You go first."

Might Guy paused, then his eyes sharpened. "I see. You've accepted my challenge even with all these people watching? As expected of my rival. I acknowledge your resolve!"

He stepped forward and roared, drawing everyone's attention. In truth, they were already watching the two of them, so the gesture was entirely unnecessary.

"Everyone, eyes on me!" Might Guy bellowed at the sky.

"I have an announcement!"

"I, Might Guy, haven't taken a bath in an entire month!!!"

In an instant, the whole training ground fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone fell quiet, staring at the tight-suited boy with complicated expressions, a sense of awe silently rising in their hearts.

He hadn't bathed in a whole month, and he'd announced it in front of everyone. This guy... was terrifying!

"Ha-Guy, are you really going to take me down with you by revealing something like that?" Kakashi murmured.

Might Guy was the one who hadn't bathed, but why did Kakashi feel like he was the one being humiliated?

"Y-your turn!" Might Guy shouted with his eyes shut. Feeling the strange looks from those around him, he felt as if his heart were about to explode!

It felt like ants were crawling all over him!

Kakashi nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "You win this time."

I... I won?

?

When I type this symbol, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with me. It means there's something wrong with you.

Might Guy froze, then asked blankly, "What?"

"I said," Kakashi replied in a deep voice, "you won the forty-seventh contest. So far, I've won twenty-four times and you've won twenty-three. I'm just barely ahead."

"That's not right!" Might Guy panicked. "You're admitting defeat? How can you give up before we've even started? Did you never intend to admit defeat in the first place?"

Kakashi smiled faintly, his eyes saying, You've fallen into my trap. "Of course. How could I embarrass myself in front of so many people?"

Might Guy fell silent. Feeling the crowd's amused gazes, he felt a chill run through him.

He'd won, but why did it feel so awful?

They shouldn't have had a contest about who had the greater sense of shame.

"Hahaha! Look at Guy. His face is red as a monkey's butt!" Kurenai burst into laughter, pointing at Might Guy below and grinning like a child.

Sora couldn't help laughing too. Kakashi had never intended to win. He'd just wanted to humiliate Might Guy a little.

A bit of a sadist, wasn't he?

"No!" Might Guy suddenly shouted. "Kakashi, you can't give up! You have to tell us one of your embarrassing secrets too!"

"No." Kakashi replied flatly.

"Argh!" Might Guy flew into a rage. "Kakashi, face my forty-eighth challenge! This time, we'll compete in Taijutsu!"

With that, he swung a fist at Kakashi's head!

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and immediately retreated, dodging the punch.

Might Guy held his fists out as if gripping a pair of dumbbells. "First Gate, Gate of Opening—open!"

In an instant, green Chakra surged from his body.

Everyone was startled and quickly backed away, clearing space for the two of them to fight.

Kakashi's expression changed slightly. "Hey, hey, are you serious?" As he spoke, he quietly surveyed the area, planning to use anything he could find.

The fight was about to begin.

Whoosh—!

A sharp whistle cut through the air as a Kunai dropped from above and stabbed into the ground between Might Guy and Kakashi.

"Am I too late?"

The next moment, a figure appeared between the two of them in an instant. Blond hair, a battle outfit, and a Kunai entrance.

Minato Namikaze had arrived.

"Minato really knows how to make an entrance," Sora couldn't help remarking.

With a look like that, only white-clad Sasuke could possibly compare.

Suddenly, he sensed something and turned toward the corner of the training ground.

Over there... was nothing.

"Was that my imagination?" he murmured doubtfully. Just now, he'd sensed that someone seemed to be watching him.

He shook his head and paid it no more mind.

In the shadows of the training ground, a figure let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"That guy's senses are incredibly sharp."