On the reddish-brown ground of Training Ground Three in Konoha, Rock Lee was running laps upside down, moving even faster than an ordinary person could run upright. From farther away came the muffled thuds of fists striking a wooden post. Neji Hyuga was practicing the basic movements of Rotation, spinning in a full-circle defensive maneuver as chakra surged from the tenketsu all over his body. The dust he kicked up formed a pale ring around him.
Takuma had only been looking for somewhere to drink some water and rest. He'd just finished a solo mission and was passing by Training Ground Three when he heard the noise and turned in to take a look. He soon spotted Tenten at the other end of the training ground.
Tenten was practicing throwing ninja tools. She caught sight of a figure beneath the trees out of the corner of her eye, paused in surprise, then waved.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, jogging over. Sweat clung to her forehead, and her breathing hadn't quite settled.
"Just passing by." Takuma handed her his canteen. "Your team's training is way too intense. That guy in green has already run four hundred laps on his hands."
"Lee? This is just the beginning. Guy-sensei said he could break six hundred laps today." Tenten took the canteen and had a sip. When she handed it back, she wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. "Did you come alone?"
"I just finished a mission. I heard the noise as I was passing by, so I came to take a look." Takuma took the canteen and didn't pursue the topic. He glanced around the training ground. "Is Guy-sensei not here?"
"He was here just a—" Before Tenten could finish, a powerful presence pressed in from the entrance to the training ground.
Might Guy appeared at the entrance, his green jumpsuit gleaming in the sunlight and his teeth shining bright enough to serve as a mirror. He strode over, each step stirring up a gust of youthful pressure.
"Oh! If it isn't the youthful lad from the bookstore!" Guy's booming voice carried clearly across half the training ground.
Takuma's mouth twitched. The last time he'd interacted with Guy properly was shortly after he'd crossed over. He'd seen Guy run five hundred laps around the village on his hands and do push-ups beneath a waterfall, and the sight had instantly extinguished any desire to train in the Eight Inner Gates. Now that Guy was standing right in front of him, his enthusiasm came at Takuma like a blast of heat. Takuma felt as if he were being exposed to the sun at close range.
"Guy-senpai," Takuma greeted him dutifully.
"I heard you're carrying out missions on your own now? Amazing! Running alone along the path of a ninja, facing loneliness without backing down—that's youth!" Guy gave him a thumbs-up, flashing his white teeth.
"This youth thing sounds painful," Takuma couldn't help remarking.
Guy burst into laughter and clapped Takuma on the shoulder with enough force to nearly buckle his knees. "Pain is youth! Youth without sweat and tears is a fake! So, how about a spar with my students?"
Takuma was about to politely decline when Neji's voice came coldly from the middle of the training ground.
"Guy-sensei, there's no need to waste time on an outsider."
Neji stopped practicing Rotation and walked over at an unhurried pace. His eyes were filled with wariness and distance as he looked at Takuma.
"Neji, don't say that. Takuma's my friend." Tenten frowned slightly, her tone protective.
Neji didn't respond to Tenten. He only glanced at Takuma, then turned and headed back to the wooden posts to continue training.
Tenten said quietly to Takuma, "Don't take it personally. Neji's like that with everyone."
Takuma shook his head to show that he didn't mind. He knew what Neji Hyuga was like before the Chunin Ninja Exams. That coldness wasn't directed at him personally, but at the whole world. Keeping his distance was the greatest respect he could show someone like that.
"What about your teammates?" Guy suddenly asked, his tone unusually subdued. He'd clearly heard about Team 12.
"Sensei Raido is still recovering. Yamada and Sato are gone," Takuma said calmly.
Guy fell silent for two seconds, then raised his thumb again. "Carrying on with your comrades' will—that's the heaviest part of youth, too."
Takuma hadn't yet figured out how to respond to the unusually serious remark when Guy threw an arm around his shoulder, gripping him like an iron band.
A system notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Event detected: Team Guy's Youthful Training] [Witnessing complete. Reward: One draw]
The trigger had been completely unplanned. It seemed the system's criteria really did favor actions that weren't deliberate.
Takuma hurriedly made up an excuse to leave, then started the draw behind a tree. The wheel spun for a while before stopping on a dim gray glow. That color was all too familiar. Whenever it appeared, it meant the system was about to pull something on him.
[Draw result: Bruce Banner's Stretchy Shorts—Made from Gamma Radiation-grade elastic fibers, they absolutely cannot be torn. No matter how drastically the host's body changes, these shorts will fit perfectly and never rip.] [Note: Can still be worn after transforming.]
A pair of purple shorts appeared in Takuma's hands. The fabric was impossibly soft, but when he tugged hard, he could feel the powerful tension pulling it back. Even when he stretched it to its limit, there wasn't the slightest sign of a tear.
Takuma stared at the shorts in his hands, speechless. Dr. Banner's stretchy shorts... They were the one thing Hulk never ripped apart when he transformed. The reward certainly lived up to the claim that it absolutely couldn't be torn, but its practical value to a ninja was practically zero. He couldn't exactly go into battle wearing purple stretchy shorts and explain to his enemies that they were the last shred of dignity left to a scientist from another universe after transforming.
He stuffed the shorts into his ninja tool pouch so fast that his hands blurred.
He didn't realize Tenten had followed him over.
"What's that?" she asked curiously, eyeing the bulging pouch.
"Nothing! Girls shouldn't look!" Takuma clamped both hands over the opening, his voice rising despite himself.
Tenten narrowed her eyes. She'd known Takuma too long; that reaction could only mean one thing. Whatever he was hiding had to be embarrassing. She rose onto her toes, trying to peek over his shoulder. Takuma turned sideways to shield it like a cat guarding its food, and the two of them remained at a standoff for two seconds. Tenten suddenly reached for the clasp on the side pocket of his pouch, and Takuma used the Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between them.
"Absolutely not." Takuma stood three meters away, his tone resolute.
Tenten stayed where she was, arms crossed over her chest, the hint of an amused smile on her lips.
"Takuma, did you know your ears turn red every time you hide something?"
Takuma instinctively reached for his ear. He'd only halfway raised his hand when he realized what she'd done. She tricked me!
"Forget it. I won't force you." She waved a hand and turned to leave. After taking two steps, she stopped and glanced back at him over her shoulder. "But next time you want to sneak a peek at something, remember to find somewhere more private."
Takuma's expression froze. Had she seen it?
Tenten didn't look back. She merely lifted her right hand and waved it twice in a casual goodbye. Her back receded toward the center of the training ground, and the sunlight stretched her shadow all the way to Takuma's feet.
Neji's Rotation sent grass clippings and dust swirling again. Rock Lee had already passed his five-hundredth lap, shouting slogans about "burning youth" and the like. Guy stood at the edge of the training ground, counting loudly as if he were shouting through a megaphone.
Takuma stood where he was for a while, and suddenly the purple shorts didn't seem so bad.
He fastened the clasp on his ninja tool pouch and turned to leave the training ground. Behind him, Guy shouted, "Takuma! Next time, you have to come burn with youth!"
Takuma quickened his pace, almost fleeing.
As for youth, he'd leave the burning to everyone else.
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