In late June of Year 44 of Konoha, the village was flooded with missions, bringing smiles to the faces of the Chunin and Jonin.
You needed money to buy expensive equipment and arm yourself, giving you a better chance of staying safe on missions.
Throwing shuriken was basically throwing money away. Only a steady stream of missions could cover the cost. If you wanted to live comfortably, you couldn't afford to stop taking them!
Might Guy knew this all too well. Ever since their three-man team had formed, their captain had changed almost every two weeks. All three Jonin from Ino-Shika-Cho had led them at one point or another.
Other Jonin led the lower-paying missions. In any case, after months of hard work, Might Guy had finally upgraded his ninja tools.
Explosive Tags, smoke bombs, higher-quality Military Ration Pills, finely crafted kunai—these were all benefits of taking on high-level missions!
Though Might Guy was still the same passionate young man whenever he returned to the village, on missions he consistently showed the potential of an excellent ninja and was becoming increasingly accustomed to killing.
Even on his rare day off, Might Duy insisted on going out to look for D-rank missions. Might Guy hesitated to speak up about his father's choice, but in the end, he couldn't hold back his quiet objection.
"Dad, do you really have to take D-rank missions? I don't need money from home anymore..."
"Don't forget to keep yourself in check, Guy. This is the way of the ninja I chose. The flames of my youth are still burning!"
"..."
Might Duy opened the door, turned to his son with a radiant smile, and gave him a thumbs-up. Wearing a proud look, he headed out. He was genuinely happy that his son had achieved more than he had.
Weeding, looking for lost items, delivering small objects, cleaning yards, babysitting—those were the kinds of tasks included in D-rank missions. Most were assigned to newly graduated or untalented Genin.
Having experienced high-level missions, Might Guy had little regard for a few thousand ryo in payment. His father's choice made him feel a little embarrassed, too...
When he arrived at the training ground, weighed down by his thoughts, Might Guy had none of his usual energy. It wasn't until Kakashi spoke that he snapped out of it.
"You're actually late!"
"Guy, don't tell me you ran into another old lady who needed help."
Kakashi, a short sword strapped to his back, stood with his arms crossed. Only after making his quip did he notice that something was wrong with Might Guy.
"Sorry, I...I just don't want to see my father take D-rank missions anymore. When he was on a mission before, he even begged a Chunin in front of everyone..."
Thinking of how his father was constantly mocked and given a hard time, Might Guy felt worse and worse. It made him feel as if he, too, stood a little shorter.
"There's no need to care what other people think, Guy. Your father raised you on D-rank missions. That's already an incredible achievement!"
"He's unquestionably an excellent ninja. If you want to change things, start with yourself."
"..."
Shu Furukawa seized the rare chance to use Talk no Jutsu, showering Guy with uplifting words until his mouth went dry. Only then did he reluctantly stop.
Kakashi stood frozen beside them. He also thought it was impressive that Might Duy had supported his family through D-rank missions, but he wouldn't have praised him as extravagantly as Shu had.
Ashamed of the thought he'd had earlier, Might Guy burst into tears and shouted through his sobs:
"I shouldn't have questioned my father! Shu, you're right. I'll keep working hard, starting with earning enough to get us a new house!"
"Run five hundred laps around the village. If..."
Seeing that Might Guy was about to start his usual "burning youth" routine again, Kakashi hurriedly cut him off. He tossed over the nunchaku he'd prepared and reminded him:
"Don't forget the point of today's training. This weapon suits you surprisingly well!"
Might Guy was delighted to get the nunchaku. Even on low-level missions, having a weapon made things more efficient. He wasn't used to a short sword, so he'd asked for new equipment.
He meant to twirl the weapon, but ended up smacking himself with it. After crying out in pain, Might Guy saw the two of them draw their blades and hurriedly said:
"Wait, let me get used to it! Fighting right now would be too dangerous..."
"It's fine. I've already mastered the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu, Mystical Palm Technique. As long as I control my strength, a few scrapes won't be a problem!"
Shu lowered his short sword and gave him a smile as he spoke. Then he pushed off the ground and shot forward like a shadow.
"Clang... clank..."
The weapons clashed. Seeing that Might Guy could only block, Kakashi didn't hold back. He joined the fight, swinging his weapon as he explained:
"None of us have any experience with this weapon, so the only way for you to get used to it is through actual combat!"
"I'll watch my strength."
"Ah!"
Cries of pain rang out across the training ground. Might Guy regretted it a little. All the gloom he'd been feeling vanished in an instant.
There was no "Iron Body" in the ninja world. Even minor scrapes and bruises hurt like hell...
On September 9, Shu Furukawa celebrated his birthday. In the months since graduating, aside from his regular missions, he'd spent most of his time studying under Tsunade.
After he'd thoroughly mastered advanced Medical Ninjutsu such as the Mystical Palm Technique and Chakra Scalpel, Tsunade, who had been a strict teacher throughout, finally showed her approval.
Perhaps she was so pleased that she decided to treat everyone at a tavern on his birthday. She even invited some old friends along.
"This is the first time I've met Shu. I didn't have talent like that when I was seven."
"Tsunade, you should've taken on a student like I did long ago! None of us are young anymore. The Old Man's told me several times that you're the one he worries about most."
"Women are different from men. When you get older..."
Jiraiya, already drunk and dressed in a blue Jonin uniform, heard a crack and instinctively stopped talking. Tsunade was glaring at him, furious. She shot to her feet and roared:
"Jiraiya, you idiot! Go on, I dare you to keep talking!"
"..."
Jiraiya hurriedly shrank back against the seat, an awkward smile on his face. Beside him, Orochimaru, dressed in black, remained calm and spoke in a low, slightly hoarse voice:
"Earning Tsunade's approval at your age is no small feat."
"It seems Shu could inherit everything you have to offer. I always thought you'd take on Shizune, since she's Dan's family."
Tsunade drained her cup of sake. Her face flushed, she simply shook her head and replied earnestly:
"I just want Shizune to live a peaceful life. Death takes everything away. It's enough for her to become a good medical ninja."
Watching Shu pour Tsunade another drink, Jiraiya tossed his white hair to show off his carefree charm and changed the heavy subject. With a cheerful laugh, he said:
"It's Shu's birthday today, and I've prepared a special gift for him."
"This is a collector's edition that hasn't even been officially published yet. You'll thank me someday!"
As he spoke, a knowing, lecherous grin spread across his face. Shu accepted the book and a scroll, then thanked him with a solemn expression:
"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya! I'll be sure to read it carefully."
Ignoring Jiraiya's lecherous expression beside him, Orochimaru maintained the dignity of a Sannin and offered Shu a scroll of his own. He smiled faintly and said meaningfully:
"Tsunade told me you have exceptional talent for ninjutsu. This is a collection of my insights on ninjutsu. I think you'll like it!"
"Shu, I hope we'll meet one day on the path to discovering the truth."
"Thank you very much for your generosity, Lord Orochimaru."
Shu bowed slightly and accepted the scroll with both hands. Seeing this harmonious scene, Jiraiya grew even happier. He laughed and raised his cup to his old friend again:
"With talents like these, the village will flourish even more."
"Perhaps Minato and Shu will both become Hokage one day. For us, that's the passing on of the Will of Fire!"
"..."