The Growth of Friends!

Inside the yakiniku restaurant, the three members of Team 11 feasted heartily and raised their cups in celebration!

Of course, it was not alcohol.

Three years had passed, and Jiogan and the other two were now fourteen. On Blue Star in his previous life, they would still have been half-grown children, but in the Ninja World, they were already capable of standing on their own!

Inuzuka Yoru had spent these past years in the Border Defense Force, carrying out missions away from the village year-round and rarely returning. Now that they had all grown taller and shed their childishness, he looked like a proper man!

But compared to Inuzuka Yoru, Ranmaru had changed the most. He had gone from being small enough to often perch on Inuzuka Yoru's head to being the size of a tiger from Blue Star! He looked incredibly imposing!

Thanks to Ranmaru's growth, the combat strength of the man and dog had far surpassed what it had been three years ago. They were now Special Jonin as well!

Kurama Feiyun, meanwhile, had grown even more graceful and lovely!

Kurama Feiyun had considerable talent for medical treatment. After three years of studying Medical Ninjutsu, she had successfully mastered the Healing Technique and the Mystical Palm Technique. She had even received Tsunade's personal guidance. She was now a key member of the Medical Team and a Special Jonin as well!

Moreover, Kurama Feiyun had not neglected her genjutsu. It could be said that aside from Tsunade, she was one of the strongest medical ninja!

Being reunited with his friends in such a joyful gathering, Jiogan finally relaxed for once.

The three of them had rarely managed to get together over the past few years. Jiogan and Kurama Feiyun had it easier, since their bases were both in the village, making it convenient to meet. Inuzuka Yoru, however, spent most of the year outside the village. Whenever he occasionally returned to rest, Jiogan had often happened to be away on missions!

Only Kurama Feiyun's schedule was relatively flexible, as she kept regular hours at Konoha Hospital.

The relationship between Jiogan and Kurama Feiyun had also been steadily warming. Other than taking that final step, they had basically done everything! Neither the Kurama Clan nor Jiogan's mother objected to their relationship. Both sides approved of them wholeheartedly!

Over the past few years, Jiogan had used his generous mission income and the proceeds from looting fallen enemies to buy a three-courtyard residence near the Kurama Clan Compound. Though it could not compare to the estates of great ninja clans, it was still far superior to an ordinary civilian home!

Once they had children in the future, he would bring his mother over, close the Fruit Shop, and let her look after her little grandchildren while enjoying a peaceful retirement!

The three chatted for a long time. Jiogan told the other two that he had just been promoted to jonin. Kurama Feiyun merely smiled, proud of him.

Inuzuka Yoru, on the other hand, looked utterly devastated. "Damn you, Jiogan! We were all promoted to chunin together, and I finally managed to become a Special Jonin, yet you actually became a jonin!"

"Woof, woof!" Ranmaru grunted twice in agreement.

"I don't care, I don't care! Jiogan, you have to treat us to yakiniku today!" Inuzuka Yoru said.

"Woof, woof!" Ranmaru barked twice in agreement.

Black lines appeared across Jiogan and Kurama Feiyun's faces. Speechless, they said, "Yoru, you bastard! That last sentence was what you really wanted to say, wasn't it?"

"Woooof~" Ranmaru wagged his tail again in agreement.

After a round of horseplay, Jiogan ended up paying the bill anyway. After all, he had completed so many high-level missions and obtained so much loot that he did not care about such a small expense!

After parting ways outside the yakiniku restaurant, Jiogan and Kurama Feiyun held hands as they walked toward the Kurama Clan Compound. They were headed the same way now, so it was perfectly reasonable, right?

When they arrived at the Kurama Clan Compound, Jiogan said, "It's still early. Why don't you come sit at my place?" He refused to let go of Kurama Feiyun's hand.

Kurama Feiyun's face flushed slightly. She knew exactly what Jiogan had in mind, but she did not refuse. She nodded in agreement, her heart beginning to race.

When they reached Jiogan's new home, he poured Kurama Feiyun a glass of water. Rather than sitting opposite her, he sat down beside her.

After Kurama Feiyun finished her water, she looked shyly at Jiogan. He could no longer hold himself back. He pulled her into his arms, inhaled the fragrance of her hair, and lifted her chin.

Looking at Kurama Feiyun's flushed cheeks and trembling lashes, Jiogan kissed her.

By the time they came back to their senses, it was already late. The disheveled pair straightened their clothes, and Jiogan saw Kurama Feiyun out. Before she left, they embraced for a long time once more before reluctantly parting!

That night, Jiogan had an erotic dream. In the dream, ahem, he and Kurama Feiyun battled until dawn.

The next morning, Jiogan got up, threw away his underwear, and changed into a new pair...

Ahem, having a wet dream during puberty was perfectly normal!

The next day, Jiogan ran into Might Duy. The two had met frequently over the past three years. Jiogan's Water Release Nintaijutsu had also gradually been perfected through sparring with Might Duy.

Ever since Jiogan had mastered a nintaijutsu that fused Water Release, Might Duy had rarely sparred with him. He might have been single-minded, but he was not a masochist. Without using the Eight Inner Gates Technique, he was no match for Jiogan at all!

Might Duy himself was now a Special Jonin. According to the news Jiogan had learned, Might Duy's name was also on the next list of jonin promotions! It would be announced soon!

At fifteen years old, Might Duy had already reached eighty percent of the level Might Guy displayed in the anime. He had mastered the Eight Inner Gates Technique through the Sixth Gate! According to Might Duy himself, if he disregarded the consequences and risked his life, he could barely open the Seventh Gate, but the cost was enormous!

At Konoha Back Mountain, Jiogan and Might Duy lay beside a small river, chatting and sharing their latest training insights.

"Brother Duy, the Seventh Gate is the highest level before the Gate of Death in the Eight Inner Gates Technique! The cost of opening the Seventh Gate is far too great for you right now. It will affect your future growth. I hope you will never overdraw your body until you have accumulated enough strength to withstand the price of the Seventh Gate!" Jiogan said.

Reaching the level of Might Guy from the original story was the best state in which to open the Seventh Gate. Might Duy was still a little short of that now. He would probably need another three or four years, until he reached adulthood, before attaining that level!

In the Anime Timeline, Rock Lee had forcibly opened the Fifth Gate during the Chunin Exam and overdrawn his body, leaving him unable to train the Eight Inner Gates Technique to its highest level. He was sidelined for more than five hundred episodes and could only open the Sixth Gate by the finale!

"Mm, you're right, Jiogan. I can feel it too. I won't force myself," Might Duy said.

After eating grilled fish together, the two went their separate ways.

At this time, Anima and Okamura Taro were still chunin. Their talents were limited, and Special Jonin would be the highest level they could ever reach. Yet Jiogan remained in contact with them and did not distance himself simply because their talent was limited.

As for Maruboshi Kosuke, just as in the anime, he was still a genin, still atoning for his sins until the day he died. Though that day was still far away!

After the Chunin Exam ended, Maruboshi Kosuke had delivered the celebratory gift he had promised Jiogan: the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's Water Release Ninjutsu, the Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

Being able to draw from the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's experience with Water Release Ninjutsu was extremely important to Jiogan, even though he rarely used that technique.

In return, Jiogan taught Maruboshi Kosuke the Water Palm Prison Technique. Although Maruboshi Kosuke could not wield it as effortlessly as Jiogan, it truly strengthened his foundation, and he had relied on the Water Palm Prison Technique to achieve success on multiple missions!

Thus, Jiogan and Maruboshi Kosuke were the only two ninja in Konoha who had mastered the Water Palm Prison Technique, and both possessed formidable true strength!