Work's Here!

"Grrr—"

Just then, Might Duy's stomach let out a clear, empty growl, leaving him somewhat embarrassed.

"Hahaha, indeed, youth also needs to eat."

Namikaze Yoru didn't mind at all, letting out a hearty laugh. "I feel like you and I really hit it off. How about we grab dinner together?"

"Well... that's a bit much to ask..."

"I've got a Yakiniku Q discount coupon!"

After "tricking" Nawaki into treating him to a big meal last time, the owner, grateful for such a rare big spender, had thoughtfully given him a 10% off coupon for next time.

Seeing that Might Duy was genuinely hungry, Namikaze Yoru took the chance to extend the invitation.

Namikaze Yoru naturally understood that Might Duy was a failure as a ninja, a true "oddball" within the ninja system.

With no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu, relying solely on taijutsu, no one was willing to team up with him.

And as a ninja who didn't produce anything, without a team, he couldn't take on high-level missions to earn money. He could only manage unrestricted daily tasks, so Might Duy's life was actually quite tight.

Coupled with the high-intensity taijutsu training that demanded ample nutrition, Might Duy reluctantly followed Namikaze Yoru into the barbecue restaurant.

"Boss, first, twenty servings of pork and twenty servings of beef."

The round-faced owner of Yakiniku Q immediately beamed and nodded in agreement.

Before long, the table was piled high with plates of meat. Namikaze Yoru grilled as he chatted casually with Might Duy.

Learning that the other usually trained in that remote forest, Might Duy was still a bit shy at this point, not yet having reached the level where he could train without caring about onlookers.

Add to that his lack of reputation and some inner inferiority, it had taken Namikaze Yoru quite a search to find him.

That Namikaze Yoru had managed to find that spot and train alongside him for an entire afternoon left Might Duy especially astonished, since even a jonin would struggle to endure his training intensity for long.

This shared hardship greatly boosted Might Duy's goodwill toward Namikaze Yoru, and the two even agreed to train together again tomorrow.

At the table, Namikaze Yoru, whose appetite had grown since returning from the Land of Whirlpools, needed no introduction. Might Duy, as a taijutsu-type ninja, also had no small appetite.

Add to that their high-intensity training that afternoon, the two swept through the meat on the grill like a storm, a scene that could only be described as "ferocious."

At first, Might Duy was a bit reserved, but as their conversation deepened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Especially when Namikaze Yoru, caught up in the moment, unconsciously overlapped the figure before him with Might Guy from his memories.

He even pulled out Might Guy's youth quotes from his past life—"Hard work never betrays you," "Hard work can surpass genius," "Burn your youth," and so on.

For a moment, Might Duy looked as if struck by lightning, his entire aura shifting, as if he had finally found a kindred spirit. His eyes burned with the fervor of "a scholar dies for his bosom friend."

The meal was a delight for both guests and host. After paying the bill, Namikaze Yoru took his leave under Might Duy's reluctant gaze.

Namikaze Yoru felt he might have laid it on a bit thick, afraid that if they kept talking, Might Duy would drag him off to keep "burning" through the night.

The next morning.

"378... 379... 380..."

Namikaze Yoru was woken by a strange noise. Opening the window, he saw Might Duy right outside his small house, sweating profusely as he did squat after squat.

Passing villagers couldn't help but cast odd glances his way, but Might Duy seemed not to care at all.

When he spotted Namikaze Yoru's figure, Might Duy immediately stopped and shouted excitedly:

"My comrade! I went home last night and thought all night about your words, and finally understood your deep meaning! Youth needs to burn like this!"

"Huh?"

"Just like now, the gazes of others make a warm current surge in my chest—this is my youth power!"

"..."

Namikaze Yoru was speechless for a moment, sighing at how this was the father of Konoha's rare beast. A few casual words of guidance from him had apparently opened up his meridians like unlocking his second acupoint.

And as for that so-called warm current, are you sure it's not just blood rushing to your head, making your face red from embarrassment?

With things like this, Namikaze Yoru had no heart to sleep anymore. He hastily washed up and quickly dragged Might Duy, who was still eager to keep training (and showing off) in front of the house, off to the training ground.

From sunrise to sunset, aside from stopping to scarf down a few rice balls Might Duy had brought, the two trained almost nonstop for the entire day.

By the end, Namikaze Yoru felt every muscle in his body screaming in agony.

This time, Might Duy didn't accept Namikaze Yoru's dinner invitation. He said a serious goodbye, promised to continue tomorrow, and left on his own.

Back home, Namikaze Yoru hastily filled his hungry stomach, but even his hands trembled uncontrollably as he washed up.

This kind of "burning youth" life continued for about half a month.

Until one day at noon, news arrived.

Namikaze Yoru knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally come.

As the intensity of the war on the front lines continued to rise, the number of ninjas free to move around the village had noticeably decreased.

Rumors circulated that Kumogakure, which had yet to join the fight, was also growing restless with ambition, constantly testing the waters at the border.

These rumors spread wider and wider through the village, and the villagers began to worry about the front lines in their discussions.

Even Konoha, as the victor of the First Shinobi World War, was quite uncertain about going head-to-head with the three great ninja villages. Especially if Kumogakure joined the fight, Kirigakure would likely not hesitate to take a vicious bite out of Konoha, that great tree.

This situation persisted until Kumogakure sent ninja as envoys to Konoha. Only then did the Hokage Building declare that Kumogakure had come to submit a treaty of alliance, and would join Konoha in ending the war.

The Kumogakure envoys, arriving in Konoha as allies bearing a treaty, were welcomed by many of the villagers.

In fact, many felt that the dark clouds of war hanging over the village would completely dissipate after this diplomatic mission.

As for Namikaze Yoru, he wasn't so optimistic. After all, he knew that the Third Shinobi World War would erupt in the near future. If asked to describe it, he could only use the pinnacle of prophetic words:

"War may end, but it's also quite unlikely that war will end."

After saying this, Namikaze Yoru felt as though he had once again awakened the wisdom of his past life. His head felt a faint ache—perhaps the Uzumaki Constitution was awakening some new ability.

During this period, dark-skinned ninja could often be seen on many of Konoha's streets, as if taking advantage of their envoy status to thoroughly experience the local customs.

After finishing a day of training with Might Duy, Namikaze Yoru once again appeared at the ninja academy gates, precisely capturing Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina as they exited.

"Brother Yoru." *2

Ever since Namikaze Yoru returned from his mission, whenever he craved ramen, he would inevitably show up at the academy gates.

Seeing his clansman Namikaze Yoru appear, Namikaze Minato knew he was short on a meal companion and tactfully followed along toward Ichiraku Ramen.

As for Kushina, having already learned from Uzumaki Mito of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, she felt a strong sense of closeness to Namikaze Yoru, who carried the same aura as Uzumaki Mito.

Having precisely captured the two, Namikaze Yoru once again led them to Ichiraku Ramen.