A Friend's Success Hurt More

Kakashi Hatake was sent flying, his body slamming heavily into the ground.

Yuki Yuichi stood in the middle of the training ground, brimming with confidence as he looked at Kakashi Hatake.

Their fight looked intense, but it wasn't actually dangerous.

Kakashi Hatake got to his feet, feeling pain all over.

But to him, this pain was a way to temper himself.

Ever since he was little, his father had told him that a ninja had to endure what ordinary people couldn't.

Just then, Yuhi Kurenai came over with a medical kit.

Minato Namikaze probably hadn't expected that the medical kit would be needed so soon.

After Yuki Yuichi and Kakashi Hatake had treated their wounds, the group sat in the pavilion.

Yuichi's upper body was bare, with a bruised fist mark on his chest. Kakashi Hatake carefully applied medicine to himself, while Uchiha Obito sat there looking fierce.

Sarutobi Asuma swallowed, but excitement soon shone in his eyes.

A fight like that was enough to set his blood racing!

Looking at Kakashi Hatake as he applied medicine, Yuki Yuichi rubbed his chest where he'd been hurt, then stood up and said, "Everyone, let's get ready to train."

"We shouldn't have fights like that too often."

"Hm?" Sarutobi Asuma froze, then looked at him.

Kakashi Hatake nodded. "That kind of thing really cuts into our training time."

Yuki Yuichi had actually planned to practice tree climbing today.

But he hadn't expected to get carried away and end up fighting Kakashi Hatake.

It looked like he wouldn't be able to train today after all.

Just then, Yuhi Kurenai glanced at everyone and tentatively suggested, "Why don't we look around here?"

"Hm?" Yuki Yuichi was taken aback. He looked at Kakashi Hatake and asked, "Do you know what's around here?"

Kakashi Hatake shook his head. "No."

"I don't come here very often."

"I usually train at home or at one of Konoha's training grounds."

"I found this place before, but I didn't have much use for it."

He'd only thought of it suddenly yesterday. Before then, he'd barely ever come here.

He needed somewhere secluded to train when skipping class, and that was when he remembered this place.

"Let's leave it for now. We can look around later." Yuki Yuichi ruffled Yuhi Kurenai's hair, then lay down on the bench.

Yuhi Kurenai looked at Yuki Yuichi, who was resting his head on her lap. After a moment's thought, she nodded, then moved his head off her lap.

"Since that's settled, I'm going to train seriously too!" Yuhi Kurenai said, clenching her fists with a determined look.

"I have someone I want to protect, too!"

Yuhi Kurenai ran onto the training ground to practice the Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique that Yuhi Shinku had taught her the day before.

Seeing this, Sarutobi Asuma and Uchiha Obito exchanged glances, then ran over as well.

If Yuhi Kurenai was working this hard, how could they afford to fall behind?

A couple of days earlier, after Uchiha Obito enrolled, the Uchiha Clan had given him the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

It was a form of support the Uchiha Clan offered its members.

When Uchiha Obito became a Genin and then a Chunin, he would be given more ninjutsu as well.

Sarutobi Asuma was much the same.

When he enrolled, he had also received the Fire Style: Great Flame Technique.

This was a secret Fire Release technique passed down through the Sarutobi Clan for generations. It sent a fierce blaze spewing from the mouth, and anyone hit by it would be reduced to ashes in an instant.

That was the privilege of coming from a ninja clan.

Even a clan member like Uchiha Obito, who wasn't particularly impressive, still had access to ninjutsu.

Watching the three of them practice their techniques, Yuki Yuichi turned his head on the bench.

There were five of them, and they couldn't even scrape together one Water Release Ninjutsu... They were all Fire Release users...

Kakashi Hatake wasn't training. His whole body was still in intense pain.

Sitting on the bench, Kakashi Hatake looked helplessly at Yuki Yuichi, who was lying beside him.

"Hey, aren't you really going to train?"

"Your injuries shouldn't be that serious, right?"

At that, Yuki Yuichi closed his eyes and said lazily, "You gave me internal injuries."

"I can't train today."

Kakashi Hatake's mouth twitched.

He'd known Yuki Yuichi for a while now, and had realized that the guy's physical toughness was far beyond ordinary.

He knew perfectly well that the injuries he'd caused Yuki Yuichi wouldn't stop him from training normally.

Still, seeing Yuki Yuichi lying lazily on the bench, Kakashi Hatake kept that to himself.

On the training ground, Yuhi Kurenai carefully formed Hand Seals and concentrated on controlling the chakra inside her.

Please let it work. It has to work! Yuhi Kurenai silently prayed.

She'd been worried about Yuki Yuichi throughout his fight with Kakashi Hatake, but it was impossible for her not to feel something else, too.

Yuichi is so strong. I can't hold him back!

I want to protect Yuichi, too!

Yuhi Kurenai's little face was serious as she finished forming the Hand Seals.

The next moment, a short, narrow pillar of fire shot from her mouth, scorching the surface of a wooden post four or five meters away until it was pitch-black.

Uchiha Obito had just gathered chakra in his throat and was about to spit out fire. Seeing this, he immediately started coughing, bending over as he coughed out a few sparks and puffs of black smoke.

"Th-this...!"

Uchiha Obito was stunned, staring at Yuhi Kurenai in disbelief.

He'd never imagined he would lose to Yuhi Kurenai at ninjutsu.

Sarutobi Asuma, standing nearby, was just as dumbfounded.

"Y-you've got to be kidding!"

Ignoring their expressions, Yuhi Kurenai saw what she'd done and hopped excitedly.

"Yes!"

"I used Fire Release, too!"

Hearing her, Yuki Yuichi opened his eyes and looked at Yuhi Kurenai, then at the scorched wooden post. He turned to Kakashi Hatake in confusion.

"Did Kurenai do that?"

Kakashi Hatake glanced at him, then nodded slightly. "Yeah."

After getting his answer, Yuki Yuichi sprang to his feet and walked over to Yuhi Kurenai.

"Yuichi, I used the Dragon Fire Technique!"

Yuhi Kurenai looked delighted. Standing in front of Yuki Yuichi, she had the expression of someone thinking, I'm amazing, so hurry up and praise me!

Yuki Yuichi wasn't stingy with his praise. He patted Yuhi Kurenai's head. "Kurenai, you're amazing!"

"Hehe..." Yuhi Kurenai grinned. "I'll protect you, too, Yuichi!"

Yuhi Kurenai paused, then added, "And Dad."

"Yeah!" Yuki Yuichi nodded. "You're definitely going to become a powerful ninja, Kurenai."

People, you have to understand.

First someone else learned ninjutsu before you did. Fine, they learned it. But then they had to show off their affection right in front of you.

Uchiha Obito and Sarutobi Asuma exchanged glances, both seeing the pain in the other's eyes.

Compared to failing themselves, a friend's success hurt more.

Especially when they rubbed it in afterward with a public display of affection. That was worse than being killed.