Youth is Sweat

"Brother!"

"I know, I know. Don't even think about using your Super Strength to drag me along."

Diejian, who had been admiring his foliage plants in his room, found himself cornered by Tsunade, who had burst in uninvited.

Due to the upbringing of their grandmother Mito and the foundational ninjutsu training she had begun at the ninja academy, Tsunade's natural penchant for violence had been augmented by the addition of "Super Strength."

Consequently, Diejian had recently become quite terrified of refusing Tsunade's requests; whenever he lacked a sufficient reason to persuade her otherwise, he generally just went along with her whims.

Just what exactly do I possess that makes her look up to me this much? Diejian wondered, glancing at the pink hair accessory he had bought for her on a whim a while back, which was currently bobbing atop her head.

"Tsunade, I don't mind, but it would be best if you didn't use that Super Strength on others."

"Brother, don't say such rude things. Aside from that pervert Jiraiya and you, I've never used it on anyone else."

"I feel like that in itself is quite rude, you know."

At the very least, this meant he was being treated on the same level as that perverted boy Jiraiya, a realization that left Diejian with complex feelings as an older brother.

"So? Where are we going today?"

"Training!"

That was rare—when it came to Tsunade, everyone assumed she meant gambling, and the few times she had invited him out, it was always to places like izakayas that adults frequented.

Although she obviously didn't drink alcohol, the young girl who would sit in such establishments munching on yakitori while sipping non-alcoholic drinks had become somewhat famous in town; it was said she had once eaten an entire all-you-can-eat izakaya out of stock, leaving the shopkeeper in tears—a story that had already become something of a legend.

Having to train on a day off after finishing a mission was, physically speaking, not a major issue (as the mission had mostly been light cargo transport), but mentally, it was rather exhausting.

While not quite as fickle as Juri, Diejian was also prone to boredom, so as the one who had proposed the idea, he felt a bit uneasy deep down.

It might not be a bad thing to get a better understanding of Tsunade's strength, Diejian thought, nodding in agreement as he pulled a simple first-aid kit from his large medical bag.

It was a homemade kit containing salves and bandages for when he was sent flying by Tsunade's Super Strength, as well as Military Ration Pills and other medical supplies to maintain minimum energy levels in case they were ever too exhausted to move.

They walked for a while after leaving the house.

Tsunade chattered incessantly, reporting on her school life, gossiping about friends, and occasionally teasing Diejian about his relationship with Ina with a maturity that felt slightly premature for her age.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the training grounds.

They set their bags down on a bench near the entrance of the fenced-in area and were just about to start warming up when they noticed the sound of someone striking a scroll target.

"We have company?"

"Seems so. That's rare for this early in the morning."

Still, this was a ninja village, after all.

It wasn't strange to find one or two diligent people training.

Besides, having someone else there wasn't a problem.

As long as Diejian didn't use any Fire Style techniques that might affect the surroundings, it would be fine.

Of course, there was no guarantee that the path Tsunade might be sent flying toward wouldn't include that other person.

The two shouldered their bags again and walked into the training grounds, passing through the area filled with small props that looked like a playground, and headed toward the main plaza.

On the other side of where they were headed stood the wooden posts that had been there when they took their Genin promotion exam.

Out of curiosity, they wanted to see which ninja had been training at the grounds earlier than them.

If it's an adult, perhaps I can learn something from that level of dedication, Diejian thought, harboring a small ulterior motive.

What they found was a boy drenched in sweat, repeatedly kicking a scroll target.

His eyebrows were shockingly thick, paired with long lower eyelashes in a way that was wonderfully discordant.

The clothes he wore were also unique—a green spandex bodysuit that accentuated every line of his body.

"Ugh, what is that? That fashion sense..."

"That is..."

Tsunade frowned, making no effort to hide her disgust, but Diejian narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the boy.

The red scarf wrapped around his neck seemed soaked through with a massive amount of sweat.

It was still early morning.

How long would it take to sweat that much?

This boy likely hadn't started just this morning.

He had been here alone, kicking that scroll target over and over, since much earlier than that.

As the boy raised his leg to kick the target, his supporting foot slipped, and he fell.

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at the sight, but Diejian was looking at the ground beneath the boy's feet.

Where the boy's supporting foot had been—only there, the dirt had been worn down into a depression.

Just how long has he been standing in this exact spot, and how many times has he kicked that target?

"Hey, Brother, that guy with the thick eyebrows—"

"Tsuna..."

Startled by Diejian's rare, stern expression and reprimand, Tsunade, who had been wearing a mocking look, was momentarily rendered speechless.

Diejian gently patted the startled Tsunade on the head and spoke to her in a soft voice.

"You must not mock those who are working hard."

Although Diejian belonged to the category of people called geniuses, there were always others better than oneself, and Hatake Sakumo stood above him.

While his experience was still shallow and he had once lagged behind Kagami, even then, he had already mastered the basics at a level no lower than a Chunin.

Even Diejian dared not say that he had never felt a sense of inferiority toward Sakumo, who was both his friend and rival.

Moreover, now that he was in a state where he could not skillfully use ninjutsu, even a single Fire Release technique would be mocked by Juri.

Diejian, who was once called "truly a Senju," was now just one of the mediocre.

Naturally, there were people gossiping; he knew he was being ridiculed as a "fallen Senju."

To say he had no thoughts on the matter would be a lie, and he was well aware of the bitterness within it.

Even so, the reason Diejian did not become cynical was entirely because there were people who believed in him, and people he believed in.

What kind of person was he? Diejian cast a glance.

Judging by the fact that he was not wearing a forehead protector, he was likely still in a ninja training facility, or perhaps hadn't even entered one yet.

The ninjas Diejian had met, especially those led by his grandfather Hashirama, all possessed a brilliance of talent in their aura, but honestly, he could not see the glow of talent in this person who kept kicking a scroll target in front of him.

His wildly kicked legs lacked power, and his stance was unsteady.

It looked like a layman imitating martial arts.

However, Diejian and Tsunade had approached this close without him noticing; was this the negligence of a mediocre person unable to pay attention to his surroundings, or a manifestation of extreme mental concentration?

"Good morning."

Diejian suddenly greeted the boy, and Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise.

Not knowing what to do, she tentatively followed Diejian's lead and bowed.

"G-g-good morning, you two! Is this... youth!"

Did he only notice after they were quite close?

The boy was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down, and he thrust his arm out, giving a firm thumbs-up.

The splashing sweat droplets made Tsunade jump back with a squeak.

Even Diejian hadn't expected such a reaction; he blinked, thinking what a strange person this was.

"Do you want a drink?"

Diejian offered his canteen, but the boy shook his head in refusal.

When asked why he wouldn't drink despite sweating so much, he said that drinking water would make his spirit soft.

Diejian internally retorted about what kind of spirit-theory this was, but on the grounds that "spirit aside, that is wrong for your body," he forcefully shoved the canteen into the boy's hands.

Since there didn't seem to be any hydration equipment like a canteen around him, if left alone, he would probably keep sweating like this without replenishing his fluids.

Diejian said it contained salt and some tasteless medicinal herbs that were good for the body, and that drinking it would make him stronger, so the boy took the canteen, saying, "Thank you for the encouragement!"

Seeing the boy start to gulp it down, Diejian stopped him, saying that drinking like that was bad for his health.

"You look like you're about to be dehydrated. Drink in small sips. Your stomach won't be able to take it."

Diejian informed him with a tone that was slightly reproachful yet gentle, and the boy tilted the canteen, looking both surprised and happy.

"I told you not to drink it all at once!" Diejian said angrily, and the boy smiled sheepishly, saying, "So that's how it is."

Looking around, there wasn't even a towel to wipe his sweat.

Upon asking, he received the answer: "Not wiping sweat is to experience the realism of actual combat."

Diejian said, "You'll catch a cold," handed him a towel, and repeated the same process of persuasion as before.

Tsunade was worried that Diejian would have nothing to use, so Diejian used the Shadow Clone Technique to create a clone and had it fetch replacements, solving the problem.

"Oh, oh! What was that technique just now!? A clone with a physical form!? You kid! You really are a ninja, aren't you!"

"It's not exactly a secret ninjutsu, but it is classified information, so I can't teach you."

The boy pointing at Diejian and Diejian looked at each other and smiled, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding.

"Sorry for the sudden interruption. I am Senju Diejian. A Genin. This is my younger sister, Tsunade. Isn't she cute?"

"Brother!"

Tsunade roared, blushing slightly.

Diejian had a habit: whenever he introduced Tsunade to someone he met for the first time, he would always add a compliment about her.

"Isn't that exactly why you are admired?" This was Sakumo's answer when Diejian had once consulted him with a bit of foolishness.

"Thank you for the introduction!! I am the Blue Beast of Konoha, Might Duy! Please treat me well!!"

Duy extended his arm with a "whoosh" and gave a thumbs-up.

Diejian laughed heartily, imitated Duy by giving a thumbs-up as well, and their fists tapped together with a light "clink."

The sticky sensation on his fist, inexplicably, did not feel unpleasant.

★

"Hey—are you the same age as me?"

When it came to Senju Diejian, there was no one in the village who didn't know him.

This was largely because he was the grandson of the First Hokage, but Dai had also heard of Diejian as the source of various rumors.

Especially recently, the incident where he attacked the Hokage residence during the genin promotion exam had become a legend.

At Dai's request (he was interested in Diejian in every sense of the word), Diejian had sparred with him, resulting in an overwhelming victory for Diejian, who had easily won using only taijutsu without resorting to ninjutsu.

For Diejian, who often sparred with Tobirama, Sakumo, Kagami, and the others, it honestly didn't feel like much of a challenge, but Dai showed no signs of resentment; instead, he motivated himself to train even harder.

Upon further inquiry, he learned that because he was deemed untalented, he couldn't even enter the ninja training facility.

Just as Diejian was worrying if he had asked something he shouldn't have, Dai simply puffed out his chest and said that if he couldn't enter the facility, he would just train his body on his own.

Facing a Dai like this, Diejian felt an indescribable emotion.

Was it a yearning for the astonishing positivity that he himself lacked?

Or was it envy for that nobility that would never decay?

Diejian simply felt that this guy was interesting, drawn in by the brightness and nobility that swayed within his passion.

This was also because there was no one like Dai in Diejian's usual circle.

But his younger sister Tsunade was different.

She knew that Diejian was a subtly "annoying" guy in a completely different direction.

With a complex and indescribable mood, she watched the two of them interact.