This Is Youth!

After forcing Danzo to disband Root, Ye Ning finally got to enjoy a rare stretch of peace.

Tsunade was still passed out from drinking, Orochimaru was busy with his research, and Kurama Dequn had gone on another mission. All three of his teachers were occupied, so he, their student, had finally earned himself a rare vacation.

Ever since arriving in the world of Naruto, Ye Ning had been pushing himself relentlessly. He was either developing ninjutsu or on his way to developing ninjutsu. The weather was perfect today, so he decided to give himself a day off.

He'd been in Konoha for ages, but still hadn't properly explored it.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't wake that good-for-nothing woman, Tsunade. Ye Ning had no choice but to give up and go exploring by himself.

His first stop was the Ninja Academy.

Not because he was curious about it, but because the academy was actually close to the Senju Clan Grounds.

He only had to walk down one street and turn a corner to get there.

Ye Ning had planned to take a quick look and leave, but he hadn't expected to spot a familiar face by chance.

A boy with wild, spiky hair and orange goggles perched over his eyes was grinning foolishly at a girl beside him. The girl had strange markings painted on her cheeks, and wore a gentle smile. Anyone could tell at a glance that she was a kindhearted girl.

Ye Ning clicked his tongue without thinking.

Tsk...

He'd just gone out for a stroll, and he'd run into the pure-love guy?

Come to think of it, it wasn't all that strange to run into Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara at the Ninja Academy.

After all, neither of them was a genius like Kakashi, who graduated from the academy at just five years old.

But now that he thought about it, they should only be six, right...?

Uh...

People in Naruto sure did grow up fast. At six, they were already thinking about romance.

Ye Ning gave them a casual glance, then turned and walked away.

He needed to keep his distance from Obito Uchiha.

Who knew when Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu had started keeping an eye on him?

Those two were a pain. Until he'd developed Kekkei Tōta, Ye Ning wanted nothing to do with them.

Ye Ning wandered aimlessly around Konoha, but as he walked, he suddenly realized there was a serious problem.

He didn't know his way around!

He was lost!

Taking in the completely unfamiliar buildings around him and the crossroads where he stood, Ye Ning couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

How the hell could he get lost just by going out for a stroll?

Which way was he supposed to go now?

Ye Ning shook his head helplessly, then simply closed his eyes, picked a direction at random, and strode off.

But it didn't take long for him to realize he might have chosen the wrong way.

The farther he went, the fewer people he saw. He could even make out a forest up ahead.

Beside the forest stood a rather shabby little wooden hut.

Apart from the hut, there wasn't another building in sight.

Near the edge of the forest, Ye Ning heard faint sounds coming from within. They were intermittent, and carried a hint of pain, which immediately piqued his curiosity.

Following the sound, Ye Ning finally found its source.

A little kid dressed head to toe in a dark green training suit, with a bowl cut on his head, was supporting himself with one finger and struggling through push-ups.

The sounds Ye Ning had heard were the noises the kid made as he strained.

Was that... Might Guy?

Ye Ning tilted his head, perplexed.

At this point, Guy should have enrolled late already, right?

The Ninja Academy wasn't closed today. Why wasn't he at school? What was he doing here?

Noticing the damp ground beside Guy, Ye Ning quickly realized he'd been training here for quite a while.

"Four hundred ninety-eight... four hundred ninety-nine... five hundred!"

Might Guy squeezed out the last of his strength and finally finished all five hundred push-ups. He collapsed onto the ground, completely spent, but his face was filled with satisfaction.

Hidden in the shade of a tree, Ye Ning quietly watched the small figure.

How should he describe Might Guy?

Konoha's training fanatic, the man who nearly kicked his way to the finale, Konoha's Blue Beast, a rare beast...

Those were all things people called him.

But if Ye Ning had to describe Might Guy, he'd call him a hardworking genius.

He didn't have Kakashi's talent for ninjutsu. Even the most basic Three Basic Techniques gave him trouble, yet through sheer hard work, he became the "Guy Emperor" everyone acknowledged.

The hardship it took to get there was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

At the very least, Ye Ning could hardly imagine it.

He thought he trained hard, but compared with Guy's almost self-destructive routine, his own training was far too easy.

While Ye Ning was lost in thought, Guy took a brief rest, then struggled back to his feet. He went upside down, supporting himself with his hands as he walked in place of his feet.

Weakened by exhaustion, Might Guy wobbled unsteadily, his whole body teetering as if he could collapse at any moment.

Ye Ning finally couldn't hold back. He jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Might Guy.

"If you keep training, your body won't be able to take it."

Might Guy froze, then straightened up, looking puzzled.

"Who are you?"

"Ye Ning. What about you? What's your name?"

The corners of Might Guy's mouth shot upward. He flashed a row of gleaming white teeth.

"Might Guy! I'm going to become stronger than anyone one day!"

Ye Ning nodded.

"If you keep training like this, your body won't be able to take it. Besides, aren't you a student at the Ninja Academy? It's not a day off, so why aren't you in class?"

"Huh? Huh? There's no day off today?"

Might Guy's expression instantly turned alarmed. "I thought there wasn't any class today! Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"Y-Ye Ning, right? I'll remember that. Thanks for reminding me!"

Might Guy hurriedly set off for class, looking so panicked that Ye Ning couldn't help laughing to himself.

"You're going like that?"

Ye Ning pointed to the marks on Guy's body from his self-destructive training and said softly, "You should take care of those first."

"Huh? You know how to heal injuries?"

"I haven't learned any advanced Medical Ninjutsu yet, but these minor injuries are no problem."

Unlike the way he'd acted around Kakashi, Ye Ning had no desire to tease Guy.

Kakashi was aloof and proud, so a little teasing wasn't a bad thing. But Guy was different. At this age, he was sensitive and lacked confidence. What he needed most was encouragement.

"Might Guy, do you train like this every day?"

"Yeah! I believe that if I work hard, I'll surpass those geniuses one day!"

"Even when it's painful and exhausting, you don't regret it?"

"Regret it? No, I won't regret it. Because this is youth!"