Uzuki Yugao: What do you think of me?

At noon, the group ate lunch at the home of Mikoto Uchiha.

During the meal, Fugaku Uchiha did not say much, occasionally mentioning a few points of caution regarding training or sharing interesting anecdotes about the older generation, which kept Asuma Sarutobi fully engaged and talking non-stop.

Halfway through the meal, Fugaku Uchiha excused himself, leaving Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi to finish their lunch in peace. As for Nebula Kotetsu... it goes without saying that from the very beginning, he had only been focused on burying his head in his food.

Mikoto Uchiha also had her own affairs to attend to, so the special training was only scheduled for the morning, leaving the afternoon for the three of them to practice on their own. Asuma Sarutobi clearly did not want the three of them to continue spending time together, and Nebula Kotetsu, naturally, would not ask for trouble; after finishing his lunch, he returned home to focus on practicing the Great Fireball Technique he had just learned.

He had only just mastered the basics, and the fireball was only half a person's height. Only when he could release the ninjutsu with six hand seals and increase the scale of the Great Fireball to the size of a person would he truly be considered to have mastered this C-rank Fire Style.

Once again, he dug out all the ninjutsu scrolls and training records of the Kotetsu Clan, categorized them according to their content, sorted out the training materials that might be useful to him, and focused on studying them.

Bit by bit, the knowledge regarding chakra circulation, key points of hand seals, and the fundamental abilities of a ninja was imprinted into his mind.

Although it might not necessarily be useful, the same principle applied... what if he ended up needing it?

What if the system accounted for 99% of his talent, and at the critical moment, he was missing that final 1% of sweat? Therefore, if he had the time, he still needed to enrich himself.

He had originally planned to spend the entire afternoon enriching himself, but he had only been studying for an hour when he had visitors.

Hearing the knock at the door, Nebula Kotetsu was wondering which girlfriend who couldn't stand the loneliness had come looking for him early, but upon opening the door, he found two familiar faces.

"Anko, Yugao, why are you here?"

At the doorway.

Anko Mitarashi, who was peeking inside, was still wearing her fishnet outfit, giving off an overall non-mainstream vibe that only felt youthful and beautiful because she was carrying it with her looks.

As for Yugao Uzuki, her long purple hair was draped down, and even her training gear could not hide her slender and graceful temperament.

"What, aren't you happy to see us?" Anko Mitarashi retorted.

Nebula Kotetsu chuckled: "How could that be. But isn't today a day off? Didn't you go out to play with friends?"

Anko Mitarashi said: "I'm not some little girl who thinks about shopping all day long."

As she spoke, she pulled Yugao Uzuki, who was standing beside her, over.

"We're here to train with you today."

"Yugao wants to practice swordsmanship, and as for me, I have some training questions I need to ask you for advice on."

Nebula Kotetsu raised an eyebrow: "Ask me for advice? Are you sure?"

Who didn't know he was the notorious dead-last of the Ninja Academy.

"Besides, shouldn't you be asking a teacher if you have questions?"

"Teachers aren't as good at teaching as you are," Anko Mitarashi complimented, while thinking to herself: Besides, none of the school teachers are as easy on the eyes as you.

Unable to resist Anko Mitarashi's constant pleading, Nebula Kotetsu agreed to train with the two of them.

Kotetsu Hagane might return home at any moment, and if he saw these two new characters, he would definitely grumble about his big brother, so he simply took them both out.

Konoha Training Ground.

The three found a quiet area.

Nebula Kotetsu: "Alright, let's start the training. Who's going first?"

Anko Mitarashi glanced at her best friend beside her, then said: "I'll go first."

"Yugao, you go practice your swordsmanship over there first. Nebula and I will be a while."

"Alright then." Yugao Uzuki, who knew her best friend's little scheme well, did not object and walked a short distance away with her sword to practice by herself.

Nebula Kotetsu looked at Anko Mitarashi with a calm expression.

"So, what questions do you have..."

On the training ground.

Yugao Uzuki swung the long sword in her hand, one stroke at a time.

She occasionally glanced at Anko Mitarashi, who was "humbly seeking advice."

The young woman had come prepared.

She had carefully prepared several questions that were neither stupid nor beyond the scope of what Nebula Kotetsu, who had just graduated, would have mastered. The latter also became serious, carefully answering the other's doubts.

Occasionally, when he reached out to provide guidance, he would hold a kunai, trying his best to avoid skin contact.

Anko Mitarashi, however, was not very satisfied.

"What's the meaning of this? You're using a kunai to teach me the essentials of a movement?"

"It would be much more convenient to just use your hands."

Nebula Kotetsu: "I'm used to it."

Anko Mitarashi: "Used to what? I'm not used to it. What does it look like holding a kunai? Do you think I'm dirty?"

Nebula Kotetsu's expression remained unchanged: "Take it or leave it."

Anko Mitarashi: "...Fine, look at how my chakra control is this time."

Yugao Uzuki, who was peeking: "..."

"Girlfriend, you're supposed to be playing hard to get!"

Though she was complaining in her heart, Uzuki Yugao did not speak, content to remain a quiet bystander.

Half an hour passed.

Mitarashi Anko had exhausted all the questions she had prepared, yet she still refused to leave.

"Nebula, take another look for me."

"How is my Transformation Technique?"

Suddenly, Uzuki Yugao, who had been practicing alone on the side, seemed to recall something; she stopped her longsword and said urgently, "Anko!"

"Didn't your aunt tell you to finish tidying up the flower garden before noon?"

Hearing this, Mitarashi Anko's expression changed in alarm as she remembered that the task her mother had assigned her had been completely forgotten.

"Oh no! I forgot!"

"Yugao, didn't I tell you to remind me earlier!"

Uzuki Yugao said awkwardly, "I only just remembered myself."

Mitarashi Anko hurriedly stood up, "I have to go back!"

"Yugao, come with me quickly."

Uzuki Yugao gestured with her longsword, "You go ahead. I'll head to the store for soy sauce for the house once I finish this set; it's not on the way."

"Then I'm off!"

"Nebula, bye-bye~"

Mitarashi Anko ran off in a flurry.

Nebula Kotetsu also prepared to head home to cook.

He had originally intended to focus on his training, but half the day had been wasted on the young girl.

Just as he started to walk back.

He noticed a flash of purple before his eyes, and the young girl stood before him, watching him with burning eyes.

"Yugao, is something the matter?"

Uzuki Yugao did not answer him immediately.

Her slightly bold gaze scanned him up and down, filled with a sense of wonder.

It was as if she were looking at a plate of three-colored dango.

"Yugao, do you... need something?" Nebula Kotetsu asked again.

The other party's unbridled, aggressive gaze made him feel a sense of familiarity. In the past, whenever he encountered lone women on the street, that was exactly how they looked at him.

Uzuki Yugao withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and looked into his eyes.

"Anko likes you, you know that, right?"

Nebula Kotetsu: "..."

Why was she starting with such a direct question?

Facing the girl's aggressive stare, he answered truthfully, "I had my suspicions, but I wasn't entirely sure."

Uzuki Yugao continued, "Then do you like her?"

Is she standing up for her best friend?

With this thought in mind, Nebula Kotetsu said, "I wouldn't say I like her or dislike her."

"My feelings for Anko are just those of a friend."

Uzuki Yugao's tone sharpened, "A friend?"

"Yes!" Nebula Kotetsu affirmed, "You know, I have very few friends. The male students don't want to be my friends, and the female students..."

"Rest assured, I will treat Anko as I always have; I won't hurt her."

However, Uzuki Yugao's next words caught him completely off guard.

"What do you think of me?"