Sign-in! Might Guy!

"I just got weaker; that doesn't mean you've gotten stronger."

The moment Uchiha Rei stepped out of the little house, he noticed two figures lurking in the shadows and tailing him. They were Anbu, the Third Hokage's spies.

Uchiha Rei's gaze remained calm. He didn't care. The night before, he had secretly used the Phantom Seal to temporarily suppress the poison, concealing the abnormal fluctuations in his chakra.

That way, neither the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan nor the sensory insects of the Aburame Clan could detect his true condition.

Rei had indeed "grown weaker," but he knew it was only an illusion. Starting today, word of his declining strength would reach certain people.

The morning sun shone over Konoha's Public Training Ground. Might Guy had already completed his victory reward.

One hundred sets of handstand push-ups. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but a confident smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

Now that the poison in Rei's body had been eased, he wasn't as picky about where he could Sign in.

As luck would have it, he had come to the Public Training Ground today,

where many Konoha shinobi had formed bonds.

Since he was already here,

he might as well Sign in.

The familiar system notification sounded in his ear:

[ Ding! ]

[ Sign-in location: Konoha Public Training Ground! ]

[ Sign-in successful! ]

[ Reward received: Konoha Style Taijutsu: Konoha Whirlwind! ]

[ Notice: This sign-in location can be used repeatedly! ]

A clear sense of power quickly spread through his body, especially as the vitality in his leg muscles surged to life. He instinctively tried throwing a kick. The wind howled, and the blow was powerful enough to split the air.

"Konoha Whirlwind... One of Might Guy's signature Taijutsu techniques." Uchiha Rei furrowed his brow slightly, then glanced at the green figure nearby with an almost amused look. "Could there really be some kind of 'bond' between us?"

The power itself wasn't top-tier, but the sensation of his cells springing to life was unmistakable. This meant his chakra was recovering faster. The progress was slight, but his combat ability was gradually returning.

He had already made up his mind. He had to come back and Sign in again tomorrow.

"Uchiha Rei!" Might Guy wrapped him in a bear hug, his voice booming from his chest. "Today is the happiest day of my life! I can't believe someone was willing to practice Taijutsu with me!"

"Might Guy, I enjoyed training today too." The sudden embrace caught Uchiha Rei off guard, but he didn't pull away. He just patted Guy on the shoulder. "Are you free tomorrow? I'd like to practice Taijutsu with you again."

Men didn't need to beat around the bush.

"Do you really mean it?" Guy's eyes shone like twin suns, and his whole body seemed to glow. His thick eyebrows blazed like two flames, burning even brighter.

"Of course. I keep my word." Uchiha Rei smiled.

"From today on, you're my new training partner!" Might Guy was so excited he nearly exploded on the spot. He gripped Uchiha Rei's hand tightly, as if he had found the most precious bond in his life.

"Then let's pick a time." Uchiha Rei pulled his hand free and spoke seriously.

"How about five tomorrow morning?" Guy asked.

"No!" Rei shook his head gravely. That would be too late for his sign-in. "That's far too late! Only midnight is worthy of the burning passion of youth!"

Might Guy was stunned. He raised his thumb.

"Sounds good! See you then!" Guy shouted in reply. "Let's sweat together in the name of youth!"

Watching Guy earnestly shout such passionate words, Uchiha Rei couldn't help sighing inwardly. I really did underestimate the 'bonds' and 'will' of this world.

That man had barely scraped through the Ninja Academy graduation exam, relying on Taijutsu to fight his way to prominence. Now, in Konoha, he was Kakashi Hatake's "mortal enemy."

But Rei didn't know that Asuma Sarutobi, who had loved flirting with girls since childhood, had always considered him—Uchiha Rei—the greatest rival of his life.

Though Uchiha Rei had always kept a low profile at the Ninja Academy and almost never showed off, revealing his talent for Genjutsu and Ninjutsu only when necessary, his excessively handsome face never failed to draw the girls' attention. Whenever he passed by, he caused a small commotion. For Asuma, who was good at flirting but always ignored, this was a grave humiliation.

In young Asuma's mind, he was supposed to be the one who was handsome for only three seconds—not Uchiha Rei, who barely said a word yet always had girls flocking around him. He had challenged Rei in public many times, from weapons sparring to Taijutsu matches and Ninjutsu clashes. Unfortunately, the results had been completely one-sided.

Ten fights. Ten losses.

Genjutsu was the worst.

Relying on the Uchiha Clan's innate talents, Uchiha Rei had beaten Asuma with Genjutsu in all six of their direct confrontations, leaving him trapped in embarrassing Dreamscapes or confused by distorted illusions before he stumbled to defeat. Every time he came to, Asuma would pound his chest in frustration and grit his teeth, swearing to get even.

Though Uchiha Rei appeared unruffled, he had long since dismissed Asuma's "kindergarten-level" provocations as tedious routine.

His real target had always been the genius hailed as the pride of the Uchiha Clan: Uchiha Itachi.

If you can't even beat Uchiha Itachi, Asuma, what kind of rival are you? Uchiha Rei often thought to himself.

These defeats had hit Asuma hard. After that, he gradually stopped flirting with girls at school.

It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was that no one looked at him anymore.

In his heart, even the most beautiful kunoichi paled in Uchiha Rei's shadow.

Asuma's attention gradually shifted. He stopped obsessing over flirting with girls and focused entirely on defeating Uchiha Rei.

He began studying Genjutsu Resistance Techniques with great effort.

Kurenai Yuhi, a Genjutsu kunoichi in their year, had often discussed Genjutsu with Uchiha Rei. This had also stirred Asuma's resentment.

"I'd already arranged a match with him! Why do you have to drag Uchiha Rei off to practice Genjutsu?" Asuma gritted his teeth. He held a grudge against Kurenai Yuhi for "interfering," convinced that she had repeatedly gotten in the way of his friendly matches with Uchiha Rei.

Meanwhile, after parting from Uchiha Rei, Might Guy excitedly broadcast the big news to the entire village:

"Kakashi! I've found a new youth partner!"

Kakashi lazily turned a page without lifting his head. "So you won't come looking for me anymore?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Guy waved his arms vigorously. "You're my lifelong rival! Uchiha Rei is my lifelong friend! Youth needs enemies, and it needs friends. That's what makes youth complete!"

Next, Might Guy excitedly shared the news with a second person, then a third, until it finally reached Asuma Sarutobi.

"What?! Uchiha Rei became your friend?" Asuma nearly exploded. "Why did things turn out this way? I was first! I was clearly first...!"

"Don't you know?" Asuma asked solemnly. "Uchiha Rei was poisoned. He's terribly weak, and he's still insisting on training Taijutsu with you. Practicing with him now would only hurt him!"

"He... he was poisoned?" Might Guy was shocked. Then his expression changed, and he clenched his fists. "Uchiha Rei is training despite his injuries. He really is... my true comrade in life!"

Might Guy's eyes welled with tears as he clapped Asuma on the shoulder. "At last, you understand what youth means!"

"I'm going to find Lady Tsunade right now and get Uchiha Rei cured!" Before he'd even finished speaking, Might Guy had vanished down the streets of Konoha like a green bolt of lightning.

Asuma opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, all that remained was a burning afterimage of youth in the sunlight.