The Past Hokages Are Witnessing Our Youth! (Please Keep Reading)

Body Immobilization Jutsu, a D-rank Ninjutsu.

Although it was a D-rank Ninjutsu, Uchiha Chi remembered Orochimaru using it in the original story. Since even one of the Konoha Sannin knew it, Chi had naturally practiced it seriously.

However, since he had no one to use it on, he still was not sure whether he had mastered the jutsu.

He could not exactly stab himself, could he...

While Uchiha Chi was spacing out, the pile of sand in front of him underwent a considerable change.

The cane stuck in the sand pile actually turned into a lush green sapling!

Uchiha Chi was somewhat stunned. This cane was the one White Zetsu had left behind. It had fallen into Uchiha Fugaku's hands, and Fugaku had casually handed it to him before leaving.

And now, it had turned into a small sapling, its roots deeply embedded in the soil.

Uchiha Chi's expression was a little strange. Of course, he knew White Zetsu's cells were all Hashirama Cells, and that Hashirama Cells turned into trees when buried in the ground.

But this was a cane...

"So, this is White Zetsu's... bone?"

Who would have thought Uchiha Madara's Moon Eye Plan was so poorly funded that White Zetsu, an employee, could not even afford a decent cane and could only pull out one of his own bones to use.

What a Ninja World capitalist.

Thinking about it that way, Uchiha Chi even felt a little sorry for that White Zetsu.

...Next time, I'll fleece him a little more gently.

Uchiha Chi shook his head slightly, casting aside his jumbled thoughts. He touched his rumbling stomach and said,

"Let's go eat."

He had stayed home training for the past two days without going out. The food in his refrigerator was nearly gone, so he could only eat out today.

He returned inside to change into casual clothes, then quickly headed out, intending to get some ramen at Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

Half an hour later, Uchiha Chi left the clan compound.

The scorching sunlight shone directly into his eyes. Raising a hand to shield them, he looked toward the Hokage Rock in the distance.

This was the period after Hatake Sakumo had committed suicide but before the Fourth Hokage had taken office, so only the faces of the First through Third Hokages were carved on the Hokage Rock.

"Hm?"

Uchiha Chi narrowed his eyes and noticed two green afterimages circling the Hokage Rock again and again. They appeared to be doing physical training.

"Is that Might Guy?"

Uchiha Chi muttered.

It was the hottest time of day. Training so desperately under this blazing heat while wearing such outrageously flashy green athletic clothes...

The only people Uchiha Chi could think of were the father-and-son pair of legendary weirdos, Might Duy and Might Guy.

He pondered for a moment. In the original owner's memories, although Uchiha Chi and Might Guy had been classmates, they had barely spoken over the past six years.

After all, the original owner feared people like Might Guy, who acted familiar with everyone.

But things were different now.

He was the same kind of person.

Uchiha Chi arrived beneath the Hokage Rock and casually found a bench to sit on. With his arms folded, he smiled as he watched the running figure.

Very soon, the figure came to an abrupt stop in front of Chi's bench, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Cough, cough... Chi-san, why are you here?"

Might Guy's vigorous voice sounded from within the dust cloud, his tone carrying a trace of curiosity.

Hearing how Might Guy addressed him, Uchiha Chi's expression immediately became fascinating.

Guy-san, what are you trying to say? The cherry blossoms are blooming back home?

Uchiha Chi chuckled and shook his head before saying to Might Guy, "I was just passing by. Are you training here?"

At the mention of training, Might Guy seemed to trigger some kind of conditioned reflex. He jolted and shouted,

"Yes!"

"Five Hundred Push-ups, Five Hundred Frog Jumps, plus a Three Hundred Laps Sprint! That is my warm-up training plan for this afternoon!"

He finished in one breath, then gave himself a thumbs-up and flashed an incredibly confident smile.

His two rows of pearly white teeth reflected a dazzling gleam, nearly blinding Uchiha Chi on the spot.

Yet there was not a hint of a smile on Uchiha Chi's face as he looked at Might Guy's eyes and said coldly,

"Even in weather this scorching, you still persist with your Taijutsu training?

"Might Guy, you..."

"W-What's wrong?" Might Guy's tone became somewhat uneasy.

Chi-san is looking at me like this... He must think I'm wasting my time training Taijutsu...

Might Guy felt a bitter pang in his heart.

As a commoner, he had no talent for Ninjutsu and could only train Taijutsu diligently.

Chi-san came from the Uchiha clan. He had probably never seen someone with talent as poor as his, so it was understandable.

Just as he felt Uchiha Chi was about to scold him,

The displeasure on Uchiha Chi's face suddenly vanished, replaced by a warm smile as bright as sunlight.

Imitating Might Guy, he gave a thumbs-up.

"You are simply the Embodiment of Youth!"

"Huh?"

Might Guy froze for a moment, then every muscle in his body began trembling.

"Oh, oh... OOOOOOOOOH!!"

He had thought his classmate would criticize him, but instead, he received such powerful praise!

"The Embodiment of Youth?!"

Might Guy... was ecstatic!

[Excitement detected from Might Guy!]

[Obtained 15 points. Defense increased by 3%.]

As expected of a hot-blooded fool. A little praise was enough to trigger the system.

"That's right." Uchiha Chi glanced at the panel in satisfaction, then smiled gently and nodded. "In my eyes, every drop of sweat you shed while training is the finest expression of youth."

"Every drop of sweat is the... expression of youth..." Might Guy repeated Uchiha Chi's words over and over, and tears unconsciously streamed down his cheeks.

[Moved emotions detected from Might Guy!]

[Obtained 20 points. Defense additionally increased by 4%.]

[Target's emotional fluctuation has exceeded the standard. Host has received an additional reward... Taijutsu: Konoha Senpukyaku!]

[Konoha Senpukyaku: Launch a powerful elbow strike at the opponent while airborne!]

It dropped another reward!

And it even gave him some otherworldly elbow strike...

Uchiha Chi was somewhat shocked. Were Might Guy's emotions really this abundant?

His emotional fluctuations completely blew White Zetsu Old Lady's out of the water!

"Chi-san... thank you for affirming my youth. I will carve your encouragement onto my tombstone!" Might Guy said solemnly.

"That won't be necessary..." Uchiha Chi said with an awkward smile, waving his hand.

"It absolutely is necessary, Chi-san. Meeting you today was truly wonderful!" Might Guy forcefully wiped away his hot tears, then continued, "Once I finish warming up, would you like to express youth with me?"

Faced with Might Guy's sincere invitation, Uchiha Chi's mouth twitched.

You want to kill me, don't you?

Three hundred laps were only part of the warm-up. How terrifying would the actual training be?

If he joined in, he would probably be pissing blood and suffering rhabdomyolysis by that night, then lying in a hospital bed the next day while Might Guy cried and begged him not to die.

Uchiha Chi shook his head and politely declined Might Guy's offer. "I just finished training. I'm going to eat ramen now."

"Ramen?" Might Guy scratched his bowl-cut hair, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes. "That uncle's ramen really is delicious."

The ramen broth at Ichiraku Ramen Shop was rather salty, which ordinary people might not be used to, but it was just right for Ninja.

They often trained or carried out missions, expending great amounts of stamina. The salt in the broth could meet their needs.

Especially for a Taijutsu Ninja like Might Guy, whose entire body was filled with exhaustion after training, a bite of hot ramen was simply incredibly satisfying...

Grrr...

Might Guy awkwardly rubbed his stomach.

Grrr...

Why again... Wait, that doesn't sound like me this time?

Might Guy blankly raised his head and discovered that Uchiha Chi was also looking at him somewhat awkwardly.

No words were needed. Broad smiles appeared on both their faces. Might Guy's laughter was hearty, while Uchiha Chi's laughter, for some reason, carried a faintly unhinged quality.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Haha, hahahahahahaha!"

At this moment, Might Guy could not help tearing up again.

"This... is youth!"

"That's right." Uchiha Chi nodded, feeling that the moment could use some elevation. He raised his head toward the faces on the Hokage Rock and said leisurely,

"The Past Hokages are witnessing our youth!"