A Word of Thanks

Early Saturday morning.

Nohara Father and Son carried gift boxes through several streets and arrived at a residential area on the outskirts of Konohagakure.

The Might Household was small, even a little shabby. All sorts of training equipment were piled up in the yard.

Hiroshi stood at the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Coming." A booming voice came from inside, its warmth almost palpable even through the door.

The door swung open, and Might Duy poked half his body out. He was wearing that same old Green Spandex as always. When he saw Hiroshi, he clearly froze for a moment.

"Hello, Uncle." Shin-chan poked his head out from behind Hiroshi and waved at him.

Hiroshi bowed slightly. "Hello, I'm Shin-chan's father, Nohara Hiroshi. Thank you for taking care of Shin-chan lately. I came to express my gratitude."

Might Duy's eyes lit up. He grabbed Hiroshi's hand and shook it vigorously. "You're too kind! Shin-chan is a good boy, a boy full of youth!"

Dazed by his enthusiasm, Hiroshi managed, "Uh, thank you..."

"Come on in." Dai took Hiroshi by the hand and led him inside, calling as they went, "Guy, we have guests!"

The sound of thumping came from inside, followed by a small green figure rushing out.

"Shin-chan, you're here!"

"Yep. I brought you a present." Shin-chan handed him the gift he had prepared.

Inside, Hiroshi and Dai sat facing each other.

Might Duy looked at Hiroshi earnestly. "Mr. Nohara, Shin-chan is a very talented child, but my training methods aren't right for him."

Hiroshi froze. "They aren't?"

"Right." Dai nodded. "My method is to break through your limits and then go even further. But I tried to get Shin-chan to break through his limits, and the boy seemed to have none."

Dai paused, then continued, "So I think it's right for him to learn Blade Techniques. That boy should have a path that suits him better."

Hiroshi was silent for two seconds, then bowed deeply.

"Thank you."

Dai jumped. "What are you doing?"

"Thank you for thinking of Shin-chan." Hiroshi straightened up and looked at him earnestly. "You weren't upset just because he stopped training with you. Instead, you considered what was best for him. I'll remember your kindness."

Dai froze, then pulled Hiroshi into a hug and squeezed him tightly. "Mr. Nohara, you're a wonderful father, full of youth!"

Hiroshi could barely breathe from the squeeze, but still smiled and patted Dai's back.

At the doorway, Shin-chan and Guy watched the scene, looking at each other in bewilderment.

After leaving the Might Household, Hiroshi rubbed his aching shoulder.

"That man... is really enthusiastic."

Shin-chan nodded. "Thick-Eyebrow Uncle is always like that."

"Let's go. Next stop." Hiroshi picked up the other gift box. "The Hatake Household."

The Hatake Household stood near the center of Konoha. It was much larger than the Might Household, and several bamboo stalks grew by the entrance, rustling in the breeze.

Hiroshi stood before the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

The door opened quickly.

Kakashi answered, dressed in casual clothes. His Silver Hair was a little messy, as if he had just woken up. He froze when he saw Shin-chan, then spotted Hiroshi and nodded.

"Please come in."

Father and son followed Kakashi inside.

The Living Room wasn't large, but it was neat and tidy. A sword hung on the wall, its scabbard gleaming faintly with a cold light. It clearly wasn't an ordinary object.

Hatake Sakumo came out from the inner room and gave Hiroshi a slight nod.

"Mr. Nohara?"

Hiroshi hurriedly bowed. "Yes, I'm Shin-chan's father, Nohara Hiroshi. Thank you for taking care of Shin-chan lately. I came to express my gratitude."

Hatake Sakumo waved a hand. "There's no need to be so polite. Shin-chan is a good child, and it's my pleasure to teach him."

Hiroshi handed over the gift box. "It's just a small token of our appreciation. Please accept it."

Hatake Sakumo glanced at it, didn't refuse, and set it aside.

"Have a seat." He gestured for Hiroshi to sit, then took a seat across from him.

Shin-chan and Kakashi stood nearby and looked at each other, unsure whether they should sit.

"You two can sit as well."

Only then did the two children sit down.

The adults started chatting.

They talked about Shin-chan's progress, Blade Techniques, Chakra, and matters concerning the Ninja.

Hiroshi had been a little reserved at first, but as they talked, he gradually relaxed. Although Hatake Sakumo was famous, he was easygoing and didn't put on airs.

"Shin-chan is very talented," Hatake Sakumo said. "He learns quickly, and he has astonishing instincts. Sometimes he doesn't even need to think; his body just knows what to do."

As he spoke, he looked at Shin-chan, his eyes filled with admiration.

After chatting for a while longer, Hiroshi stood up to take his leave.

"Shin-chan." Hatake Sakumo called out to him.

Shin-chan turned around. "Yeah?"

"Will you come again tomorrow?"

"I will."

Hatake Sakumo smiled warmly. "Good."

On the way home, Shin-chan held Hiroshi's hand and skipped along.

"Dad, thank you."

Hiroshi looked down at him. "What for?"

"Thank you for bringing me to say thanks." Shin-chan looked up. "The uncles were all happy."

Hiroshi smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Shin-chan, remember this: when people treat you well, you should remember it. When you get the chance, you should repay them. That's how you should treat people."

Shin-chan thought it over and nodded, then tilted his head and asked, "Then I'm nice to Guy, and Guy's nice to me. Does that mean we don't need to thank each other?"

Hiroshi froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Right. You're friends, so you don't need to be so polite with each other."

A gentle breeze blew past, carrying the warmth of early summer.

A few days later, one morning.

Teacher Ibuki walked into the classroom, looking even more serious than usual. "Everyone, take your seats. I have an announcement."

The children hurried back to their seats and looked at him curiously.

Teacher Ibuki stood at the lectern and pushed up his glasses.

"This afternoon, we'll be holding the grade-level exams."

The classroom fell silent for a second, then erupted.

"An exam?"

"This afternoon?"

"Why weren't we told earlier?"

Teacher Ibuki tapped the blackboard. "Quiet. I told you long ago that there would be an exam and that you shouldn't slack off. I deliberately didn't tell you when it would be. I wanted to see whether you'd been preparing properly all along."

Groans rose from all around the room.

Obito slumped over his desk, looking utterly despairing. "It's over, it's over, it's over. I haven't reviewed anything."

Guy said with forced confidence, "Youth isn't afraid of exams!"

Kakashi remained expressionless, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

At the lectern, Teacher Ibuki continued, "The exam will be a one-on-one elimination tournament. The whole grade will compete together. You'll draw lots to determine your opponent. Win and you advance; lose and you're eliminated."

"An elimination tournament?"

"At least it's not a written exam."

Some students shrieked, while others breathed a sigh of relief.

Teacher Ibuki nodded. "The three people who make it to the end will not only receive guidance from the Third Hokage, but also an additional reward."

The classroom erupted into another commotion.

Shin-chan yawned.

An elimination tournament?

One-on-one?

He seemed to have had quite a few one-on-one training sessions with Kakashi lately.