Passionate Team Guy

On the reddish-brown ground of Konoha Training Ground 3, Rock Lee was running in circles while doing a handstand, moving faster than an average person could run. In the distance, the muffled thuds of wooden stakes being struck echoed through the air. Neji Hyuga was practicing the basic movements of Rotation for defensive training, with Chakra surging out from the acupoints all over his body, the kicked-up dust forming a pale white ring.

Takuma had originally just been looking for a place to drink water and rest. Having finished a solo mission, he had passed by the third training ground and only turned in to take a look after hearing the commotion. He soon spotted Tenten in another corner of the field.

Tenten was practicing throwing ninja tools. Catching a glimpse of a figure under the shade of the trees, she paused for a moment before waving.

"Why are you here?" She jogged over, sweat beads hanging on her forehead, her breathing not yet fully recovered.

"Just passing by." Takuma handed her his canteen. "Your team's training intensity is too high. That guy in the green suit has already run four hundred laps on his hands."

"Lee? This is just the beginning. Guy-sensei said he can break through six hundred laps today." Tenten took the canteen, drank a mouthful, and wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve as she handed it back. "Did you come alone?"

"Just finished a mission. I heard the noise while passing by and came in to check." Takuma took the canteen back and didn't pursue the topic. He scanned the training ground. "Is Guy-sensei not here?"

"He was just here..." Before Tenten could finish her sentence, a powerful aura pressed in from the entrance of the training ground.

Might Guy appeared at the gate, his green spandex reflecting the sunlight, his teeth shining bright enough to serve as a mirror. He strode over, each step kicking up a gust of youthful pressure.

"Oh! Isn't this the youth from the bookstore!" Guy's voice was full of vigor, clearly audible from across the training ground.

The corner of Takuma's mouth twitched slightly. The last time he had any formal interaction with Guy was shortly after he had transmigrated. Witnessing Guy run five hundred laps around the village on his hands and do push-ups under a waterfall had instantly extinguished any thoughts he had of practicing the Eight Inner Gates. Now that Guy was standing before him, that overwhelming enthusiasm hit him head-on, and Takuma felt as if he were being scorched by the sun at close range.

"Guy-senpai." Takuma greeted him honestly.

"I heard you're executing missions alone now? Amazing! Running alone on the path of a ninja, not backing down in the face of loneliness—that is youth!" Guy gave a thumbs-up, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"This youth is a bit too painful." Takuma couldn't help but retort.

Guy laughed heartily and patted Takuma on the shoulder with such force that Takuma's knees nearly buckled. "Pain is what makes it youth! Youth without sweat and tears is a fake! How about it, want to spar with my disciples?"

Just as Takuma was about to politely decline, Neji's voice came coldly from the center of the training ground.

"Guy-sensei, there is no need to waste time on irrelevant people."

Neji stopped his Rotation practice and walked over slowly. His eyes were filled with vigilance and detachment as he looked at Takuma.

"Neji, don't say that. Takuma is my friend." Tenten frowned slightly, her tone defensive.

Neji didn't respond to Tenten; he merely glanced at Takuma, turned, and walked toward the wooden stake area to continue his practice.

Tenten whispered to Takuma, "Don't mind him, Neji is like that with everyone."

Takuma shook his head, indicating he didn't care. He knew the state Neji was in before the Chunin Exams; this coldness wasn't directed at him personally, but at the entire world. Keeping one's distance was the greatest form of respect when dealing with someone like that.

"Where are your teammates?" Guy asked suddenly, his tone uncharacteristically restrained. He had clearly heard about what happened to Team 12.

"Raido-sensei is still recuperating, and Yamada and Sato are gone." Takuma said calmly.

Guy was silent for two seconds, then gave a thumbs-up again: "Carrying the will of your comrades and moving forward—that is also the heaviest part of youth."

Before Takuma could figure out how to respond to such a solemn statement, Guy had already wrapped an arm around his shoulder, his grip as tight as an iron hoop.

The system notification sounded in his mind without warning.

[Event Detected: Team Guy's Youthful Training]

[Witnessing complete, obtained a lottery chance]

This trigger was completely unplanned. It seemed the system's judgment mechanism was indeed friendlier toward "unintentional" behavior.

Takuma hurriedly made an excuse to leave. Hiding behind a tree, he started the lottery. After spinning for a while, the wheel stopped on a dull gray light. He was all too familiar with this color; every time it appeared, it meant the system was about to pull something ridiculous.

[Lottery Result: Bruce Banner's Elastic Shorts—made of Gamma Radiation-grade elastic fiber, absolutely impossible to tear. No matter what degree of physical change the host undergoes, these shorts will fit perfectly and never rip.]

[Note: Can be worn after transformation.]

A pair of purple shorts appeared in Takuma's hand. The fabric was impossibly soft, but when he pulled on it, he could feel an intense resilience; even when stretched to the limit, there was no sign of tearing.

Takuma stared at the shorts in his hand, expressionless and speechless. Dr. Banner's elastic shorts... the only thing that didn't explode every time the Hulk transformed. The prize provided by the system certainly lived up to the description of being "absolutely impossible to tear," but for a ninja, the practical value of these shorts was effectively zero. He couldn't exactly go to the battlefield wearing purple elastic shorts and explain to the enemy that this was the only shred of dignity preserved after a scientist from another universe transformed.

He stuffed the shorts into his ninja tool pouch with lightning speed, his movements so fast they left a blur.

He didn't notice when Tenten had followed him.

"What is it?" She leaned in curiously, her eyes fixed on his bulging ninja tool pouch.

"Nothing! Girls shouldn't look!" Takuma pressed his hands firmly over the pouch opening, his voice rising involuntarily.

Tenten narrowed her eyes. She had known Takuma for too long; this reaction meant only one thing—that item must be very embarrassing. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to peek from behind Takuma's shoulder. Takuma blocked her by turning sideways like a cat guarding its food, and the two stood in a stalemate for two seconds. Suddenly, Tenten reached for the buckle on the side pocket of his pouch, and Takuma used a Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between them.

"Absolutely not." Takuma stood three meters away, his tone firm.

Tenten stood where she was, arms crossed, a playful smile on her lips.

"Takuma, do you know that your earlobes turn red every time you hide something?"

Takuma subconsciously touched his ear. He realized halfway through the motion that he had been tricked!

"Fine, I won't force you." She waved her hand, turned, and started walking back. After two steps, she stopped and looked back at him. "But next time you're sneaking a look at something, remember to find a more secluded spot."

Takuma's expression froze. Had she seen it?

Tenten didn't look back, just raised her right hand and waved it casually as a farewell. Her back retreated toward the center of the training ground, the sunlight stretching her shadow long, extending all the way to Takuma's feet.

Neji's Rotation kicked up grass clippings and dust again, and Rock Lee had already broken through the five-hundred-lap mark, shouting slogans about "burning youth." Guy stood on the sidelines counting loudly, his voice as booming as if he were shouting through a megaphone.

Takuma stood there watching for a while and suddenly felt that these purple shorts weren't so bad after all.

He fastened the buckle of his ninja tool pouch and turned to leave the training ground. Behind him came Guy's shout—"Takuma, kid! Next time you come, we must burn with youth together!"

Takuma quickened his pace, practically fleeing.

Youth or whatever—he would leave that for others to burn.