In late November of Year 43 in Konoha, inspired by six-year-old Chunin Hatake Kakashi, the wave of intense training at the Ninja Academy continued.
Over the weekend, more and more young people chose to come to the training grounds. Even as the weather turned colder, nothing could dampen their enthusiasm for training.
Obito Uchiha, who ranked near the bottom in theoretical classes, had begun to show a talent for practical combat. The transfer student Might Guy had become an honor student, excelling in both theory and practice!
"...496..."
"...497..."
"...498..."
"..."
Watching Might Guy continue running even after passing 500 laps, the few people sprawled at the edge of the field had gone completely numb. No one laughed at him anymore.
"That guy's a genius too!"
Sarutobi Asuma gazed at the green figure with admiration and murmured his praise. Ebisu, beside him, was still bracing himself on his knees as he panted heavily. Once he straightened up, he agreed:
"Yeah. Teacher Ryosuke was right. Guy will become an excellent ninja."
In just one year, Might Guy had overturned his classmates' prejudices. His visible progress had repeatedly earned praise from his teachers.
Genma Shiranui had finally admitted defeat. He pulled off his headband and slumped to the ground. Thinking that Might Guy would most likely graduate early next April, he remarked with a sour note:
"A genius who succeeds through hard work? I don't entirely agree, but Teacher Ryosuke was right."
"Not everyone can keep pushing past their limits. After all, we're still just kids."
Talented youngsters could always distinguish themselves at school and earn special attention from their teachers.
No one had any objections to that.
Just as Shu Furukawa had earned the favor of Tsunade, one of the Sannin, his classmates felt only honored and proud whenever the subject came up.
With his hands behind his head, Asuma looked at the sky, now dyed orange-red. Being the Hokage's son, it wasn't easy to be compared with geniuses.
"What are you thinking about, Asuma? You're already doing great. There's nothing wrong with graduating a few years later."
Kurenai Yuhi suddenly leaned over him. Seeing the concern in her eyes, Asuma instinctively shifted aside and replied, a little embarrassed:
"I'm just a little frustrated, that's all. Thanks, Kurenai..."
He didn't say everything on his mind. More than anything, Asuma longed for his father's affection, but the Third Hokage was too busy and spent most of his time caring for his eldest son, the one he was closest to.
The two of them resumed their usual close conversation. For some reason, seeing them made Obito feel a pang of jealousy. Rin cared about him, but she rarely got this close to him...
"Come on! It's only early graduation. Even if I graduate a few years later, I'll catch up with those guys by the time we're Chunin!"
Feeling uncomfortable after being shown up, Obito started complaining loudly again. Before anyone else could respond, Might Guy, still running, immediately gave everyone a thumbs-up:
"That's right! This is the burning of youth!"
"The geniuses are all working hard. I don't want to lose to them when it comes to effort."
"If I can't finish 800 laps, I'll walk on my hands for another 500!"
The group fell silent. Might Guy, burning with youthful spirit, had discouraged them all over again. The transfer student had successfully turned the tables.
That evening, at Training Ground Three, Hatake Sakumo watched the two small figures clash back and forth, a satisfied smile returning to his face.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
As he sprang back, Shu Furukawa spat a powerful stream of water from midair. In the blink of an eye, it swept over his opponent.
The impact made Kakashi stumble. He was soaked from head to toe, and before he could counterattack, a sudden arc of electricity numbed his body.
Kakashi dropped to his knees, unable to believe his opponent still had the stamina to use one jutsu after another. By the time he tried to mount a counterattack, Shu Furukawa was already behind him.
"Your talent for ninjutsu is truly impressive, and you have a great deal of chakra, too!"
"Don't be discouraged, Kakashi. Shu simply played to his strengths. You should have noticed that sooner."
Seeing his son form the Seal of Reconciliation with a look of reluctance, Hatake Sakumo smiled and offered him some comfort.
In their earlier swordsmanship match, Kakashi had gained the upper hand for once. His sustained pressure had made him overlook the issue of chakra.
After sheathing his short sword again, Shu Furukawa showed no sign of smugness. He was better with kunai, after all; the experience he had gained from Collection didn't include swordsmanship.
"That was impressive, Kakashi. You completely dominated me with your short sword."
Pleased by the praise, Kakashi saw Shu Furukawa's sincere smile. Still, he turned away and pretended not to care as he replied:
"I've just been practicing for longer."
"Father, is there any way to increase my chakra?"
"There's no need for a child to pursue that. You don't have to push yourself at your age."
Hatake Sakumo ruffled his son's hair and smiled gently. The village no longer needed children under ten to go to war. There was no need to chase power so early.
As they left the training ground, Shu Furukawa, who had been chatting with Kakashi, remembered how his chakra had changed recently.
The amount of chakra he could draw out at once had increased a little, and his body's recovery had improved as well. He currently had "1.5 Kakashi" worth of chakra.
He couldn't tell whether this was the effect of collecting "essence" or of using the "essence" to cultivate medicinal herbs.
In any case, the "secret medicine" he had made had indeed changed his body. As for Senjutsu Chakra, it differed quite a bit from what he remembered...
That night, Ichiraku Ramen was busier than ever.
The steady stream of customers brought a satisfied smile to the young Teuchi's face. His eyes remained narrowed into slits.
"Teacher Sakumo, have the Jonin been going on missions a lot lately?"
After ordering a bowl of pork-bone ramen, Shu Furukawa turned to ask. Hatake Sakumo nodded and answered with another gentle smile:
"We've just had a few more requests. Don't worry, the village will take good care of you."
Having spent nearly three months away on missions, Kakashi couldn't help voicing a rare complaint when he heard the word "requests":
"Lots of clients specifically ask for Father without considering whether he needs a break."
"That's the life of a ninja. As long as it can raise the village's standing, every ninja gives it their all."
After saying this, Hatake Sakumo laughed heartily. He was clearly proud to contribute to the village. The diners nearby joined in with their praise:
"We have Lord Sakumo to thank for the life we have now!"
"The White Fang of the Leaf guarantees a successful mission!"
"No other country's ninja has a reputation like Lord Sakumo's..."
"..."
Amid all the praise, Shu Furukawa wore an admiring expression too, though he was quietly mulling things over.
Because he was so young, he still couldn't access information about Jonin missions. All he knew was that Hatake Sakumo was deeply trusted by both the village and its clients, and that his missions had been nonstop lately.
Seeing this, Kakashi immediately forgot his earlier frustration. He was proud of his father's achievements.
Their happy, peaceful lives made time fly.
On January 1, Year 44 in Konoha, Shu Furukawa visited Tsunade's apartment again to celebrate the holiday with her.
Perhaps because they had spent so much time together, Tsunade no longer bothered to hide it. She pulled a deck of cards from her blouse and started a game on New Year's Day...
After drawing several bad hands in a row and starting to feel embarrassed, Tsunade saw Shizune's concerned gaze, laughed heartily, and looked at Shu Furukawa with a serious expression.
"You're quite good at cards, too! Shu, once you graduate, I'll officially take you on as my student. You've passed my test over the past two years!"
Shu Furukawa had far outstripped everyone in the Medical Corps. Hearing Tsunade's words, he let a look of excitement and admiration cross his face before quickly composing himself and replying:
"I'll keep working hard, Teacher!"
"..."