Do it again? I can't, my lord!

In the early morning of the next day, Tōka, who was sleeping in the woods, suddenly felt his vision go black, as if something was blocking his sight.

He frowned slightly, then opened his eyes, only to see a pair of huge "rabbit ears" appearing before him.

A green outer robe, golden twin tails, a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead, and a pair of...

Tsunade!!

The groggy Tōka immediately sobered up and scrambled to his feet.

"Lady Tsunade," Tōka said with perfect etiquette, leaving no room for criticism.

"Hmph, acting all grown up for your age!" Tsunade pouted, casually tossing a manual to Tōka and leaving without giving him a chance to speak.

Shizune, like Tsunade's shadow, merely gave Tōka a slight nod as a farewell before turning to follow Tsunade.

Who knew when they would meet again after this departure.

Tōka was bewildered by their actions and instinctively opened the small booklet Tsunade had left.

"Yin Seal? And Byakugou Seal?"

It was Tsunade's cultivation notes? Tōka stared blankly into the distance as Tsunade and Shizune's figures disappeared at the edge of the woods.

Why would Tsunade give him these two techniques?

Just as Tōka was wondering, Tsunade's voice echoed from afar, "Consider it a reward for you ending the war on the Land of Wind."

Unlike Orochimaru's method for cultivating the Yin Seal, Tsunade's notes were more detailed and easier to understand.

"Although it's not very useful for now, the Yin Seal and Byakugou Seal will be quite good once my body develops further," Tōka scanned the booklet at lightning speed, roughly memorizing the two jutsu.

He then placed the booklet into the inner pocket of his clothes.

"Since I'm awake, I might as well look around," Tōka patted his backside and walked towards the depths of the woods.

He decided to enjoy this rare day of peace.

However, before Tōka could take two steps, a gust of wind suddenly sounded, followed by Kai, with his green jumpsuit and watermelon-shaped hair, leaping down from a tree with a whoosh.

He straightened his right arm, gave a thumbs-up, and revealed a mouthful of white teeth as he laughed heartily, "Tōka, let's unleash the sweat of our youth together today!"

"Uh..." Tōka was speechless, rarely seeing Kai so energetic.

Normally, Tōka would have ignored Kai's youthful exuberance, but now he wanted to refuse but didn't know how to say it.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck, and Tōka's lips curved into a chilling smile.

"Kai, let's go find Kakashi!" Tōka's words fell, and without giving Kai any time to plan further, he turned and walked towards Konohagakure without looking back.

"What's up with finding Kakashi?" Kai quickly chased after him, asking with a confused expression.

"How can the sweat of youth be unleashed without your lifelong best friend?" Tōka smiled.

"Best friend?" Despite her beautiful face, Kai saw a heart-stopping feeling in her eyes.

Tōka merely smiled without speaking. The moment to witness the bromance between the Kai Emperor and Kakashi had arrived, hehehe...

Inside Konohagakure, in the Hatake mansion, Kakashi sat in the courtyard, holding the White Fang short sword.

Suddenly, a chill swept over him, making him shiver.

"Father's sword, is the killing intent too strong?" Kakashi rubbed his arm and looked down at the White Fang short sword, mistaking the coldness emanating from it.

"As expected, I'm still too weak to wield White Fang," he sighed self-deprecatingly.

Kakashi twisted his wrist, smoothly sheathed White Fang, and slung it back over his shoulder.

Just then, with two whooshing sounds, two familiar figures suddenly descended. Tōka and Kai appeared in the courtyard one after the other.

"Kakashi, let's unleash the sweat of our youth together!" Kai gave a thumbs-up, a row of shining teeth appearing on his lips.

Kakashi's eye twitched, and he glared at Tōka with his dead fish eyes.

No need to guess, Kai's appearance here must be this brat's doing.

Tōka smiled slightly, putting on an innocent expression, which made Kakashi so angry he wanted to slap him.

If it weren't for the fear of hurting his hand, he absolutely, absolutely, absolutely would have done it!

"Since everyone is so energetic, let's run five hundred laps around the village!" Kai roared with his usual thick nerves, green flames emanating from his body.

Tōka and Kakashi exchanged glances, their eyes filled with helplessness.

"Five hundred laps around the village? Only you can do something like that," Tōka glanced at the enthusiastic Kai, showing no intention of moving.

Although Tōka wasn't lazy, he wasn't a training fanatic either. Kai's self-abusive Taijutsu training simply didn't suit him.

"If we can't complete it, let's do a thousand kicks!" Kai roared, clenching his fists.

Tōka's mouth twitched. A thousand kicks, would his legs still be functional?

Seeing this, Kakashi, fearing Kai would suggest a thousand punches, a thousand push-ups, or other nonsensical things, quickly interrupted Tōka, who was about to retort.

He turned to Kai and shouted, "Let's begin, Kai!"

"Oh!!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kai and Kakashi shot out one after the other, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

"Two guys who don't listen at all! But, I guess I do need to let off some steam." Tōka leaped up and sprinted after Kai and Kakashi.

Running is also a skill, especially long-distance running which tests stamina the most.

Four key points: Maintain a steady pace, adjust to the speed that suits you best, not too slow and not too fast to expend energy quickly.

The speed cannot be generalized as it depends on individual stamina.

Initially, Tōka only thought about keeping up with Kai and Kakashi's pace, but he didn't pay attention to conserving energy and ran too fast, pushing himself a bit too hard.

As a result, after one lap, Tōka felt his legs getting heavy and his breathing became slightly rapid.

"This won't do, at this rate, forget 500 laps, even ten laps will be a problem!"

Tōka's initial goal wasn't 500 laps; it was something he couldn't possibly complete at his current level.

Especially during the developmental stage, excessive training can leave indelible hidden injuries.

Therefore, Tōka set his target at a minimum of ten laps, attempting to break through twenty, which was a training plan that could truly benefit him.

"Catch my breath, then continue." Tōka slowed his pace, slightly calming his heaving chest.

The moment Tōka slowed down, Kai and Kakashi's figures vanished in a flash at the end of the forest path.

"Two freaks!" Tōka pouted and decided to stick to his own method.

Breathing, the second element tested in long-distance running, is breathing.

Try to maintain a balanced breathing speed and avoid frequent changes.

Breathing isn't a simple matter, especially during long-distance running. If you inhale too much or exhale too much at any point, it will disrupt your breathing rhythm for a period afterward.

Once the rhythm is off, the body's coordination will be affected, leading to increased energy expenditure. What could have been ten laps will only be eight.

Thump, thump, thump...

Tōka ran, step by step, at an unhurried pace, sweating and enjoying the run.

After an unknown amount of time, Tōka gradually got into his rhythm, his stamina growing bit by bit as his energy was expended.

"Tōka, hurry up and catch up! Youth has just begun!" Kai roared, releasing the long-suppressed sorrow in his heart.

"You're too slow!" Kakashi's voice was unusually light.

Kai and Kakashi flashed past like the wind, and Tōka finally noticed that he had been lapped again.

Seeing this, Tōka became even less anxious to catch up.

He gradually stopped, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly, repeating this several times.

His slightly agitated chest calmed down, returning to its optimal state.

"Run to your heart's content, pour out that pent-up emotion!" Tōka continued his slow jog, gazing at the two receding figures, thinking silently in his heart.

Water is also indispensable for running.

Long-distance running can easily lead to dehydration. After running for a while, the body will become tired and thirsty, which is the difficulty of long-distance running.

You can drink a small amount of water before running, but too much will make your stomach feel uncomfortably full.

After running, you can also drink a little water to replenish the fluids lost by your body.

Tōka passed a tea stall and, remembering this, bought a pot of clear tea and sealed it in a scroll.

Training requires methods; effort that yields twice the result with half the work is definitely superior to effort that yields half the result with twice the work.

The last point is to pay attention to your stride while running, trying to direct all your movements forward and finding a suitable gait.

Time flowed by with the sweat shed by the three. The sun rose in the east and set in the west, and the shadows of the three figures gradually lengthened.

As early as ten laps in, Tōka's speed had completely slowed down. He was half-running, half-walking, far behind Kai and Kakashi.

How many laps he had been overtaken, Tōka no longer remembered. He only felt his steps getting heavier and heavier, as if they were filled with lead.

"As expected of Konoha's new green leaves after the Third Shinobi War." Tōka exclaimed, shuffling his feet forward.

At this point, Tōka's speed was only slightly faster than a turtle's crawl, and he swung his arms slowly.

His legs felt numb, as if they were no longer his own, each step incredibly heavy.

His body felt like a soaked sponge, several times heavier.

Putting aside Kai, who was a Taijutsu master, Kakashi's stamina could also outclass Tōka by a significant margin. After all, Kakashi needed to practice swordsmanship, and poor stamina wouldn't cut it.

However, Tōka also had his advantages. He was only seven, not yet eight years old.

How big is Konohagakure? It stretches as far as the eye can see!

For an ordinary seven-year-old, completing one lap around Konohagakure would be considered good. Only ninjas or those who train their stamina year-round could possibly run a hundred laps.

It had to be said, Kakashi's strength was truly formidable.

In terms of stamina, his speed within a hundred laps was no weaker than Kai's.

Unlike Kai, who specialized in Taijutsu, Kakashi was an all-around genius who excelled in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu, developing all three equally.

The sky gradually darkened, and the forest became noisy.

It seemed like the birds returning to their nests were sharing the joy of the day, chirping incessantly.

Tōka felt he had reached his physical limit, so he let out a heavy sigh and stopped walking.

He said with exhaustion, "As expected, this kind of Taijutsu training that pushes beyond one's limits isn't suitable for me."

Tōka had no intention of practicing the Eight Inner Gates anyway, so why torture himself?

Tōka tugged at his collar. His clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking uncomfortably to his skin.

After another lap, Kai's speed also started to slow down, and Kakashi's Chakra was nearing its limit.

"Probably another two or three laps, and they should stop."

Tōka glanced at the sky; night was approaching.

He found a shady spot under a tree and sat down. The evening air was soft with a hint of coolness.

"This is so comfortable!" Tōka held a cup of water, leaning against a tree stump, a look of contentment on his small face.

As expected, after three laps...

Thump! Thump!

Two dull sounds rang out. Kai and Kakashi collapsed one after another not far away, sitting on the ground and gasping for air.

Tōka timely handed them two cups of water. The two of them grabbed them fiercely and drank them down in gulps...

"Finally, I'm alive!" Kai said, breathing like an ox.

Kakashi glanced at Kai, cursing inwardly, He's strong like a monster.

Clearly, Kakashi also noticed that Kai's stamina hadn't reached its limit yet, while he felt effort just moving his fingers.

"Kakashi, Tōka, we didn't run five hundred laps, so let's do a thousand kicks next!" Kai sprang up like a carp, striking a pose of "golden rooster stands on one leg" to prepare for kicks.

Kakashi and Tōka's foreheads twitched in unison, roaring inwardly, Stop joking, okay?

At this point, both of them felt their legs weren't their own anymore! Another thousand kicks, and they'd be broken for sure!

"Kai, let's save the kicks for later. Don't you feel hungry?" Tōka quickly changed the subject, deciding he wouldn't continue no matter what.

"You're right. After such great exertion, we should replenish ourselves properly," Kakashi quickly agreed.

"Yeah, how about some grilled meat? My treat!" Tōka puffed out his chest and said generously.

Hearing this, Kai's stomach growled uncontrollably. Even the thick-skinned Kai couldn't help but blush.

Tōka and Kakashi exchanged a smile. This stubborn guy also knew hunger! Knowing hunger was good, because it meant he'd go eat.

In the end, the three decided to go for a big grilled meat feast!

"So fragrant..."

In front of the grilled meat restaurant, Kai drooled, his nostrils, larger than a bull's, inhaling the scent greedily.

Tōka and Kakashi exchanged a look and each took two steps to the side, indicating they didn't know this green-skinned kappa.

"Tōka, Kakashi!" Just then, Kai suddenly called out.

Hearing his voice, Tōka's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

He saw Kai looking overly energetic, fists clenched, eyes blazing with fire, "After dinner, while it's still dark, let's run another five hundred laps!"

Again? A million alpacas stampeded through Kakashi's mind...

Tōka turned and walked into the grilled meat restaurant, completely ignoring Kai's words. (To be continued)