The dossiers in the Hokage Office had finally been dealt with for the time being. Nangō Kumoi rubbed his brow and rose, preparing to head to the Senju Ancestral Home.
Today, he had arranged to accompany Clan Head Shui Yuan Uzumaki to visit Mito Uzumaki and help resolve the heavy knot in her heart.
As he passed through Konoha Park, a series of steady, stubborn shouts caught his attention.
Following the sound, he saw a little boy in an old green jumpsuit with a bowl cut, meticulously practicing the most basic straight punches and kicks against a thick old tree.
His movements lacked any proper form and were even somewhat clumsy. Every punch threw his body off balance from excessive force. Sweat had long soaked his bangs and the back of his clothes, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.
Yet in his bright black eyes burned a nearly stubborn torch that would never be extinguished.
"One hundred ninety-seven! One hundred ninety-eight! Hah—ha!"
That figure, that all-out determination... Kumoi slowed, and a name flashed through his mind—Might Guy? No, the timing did not match.
Then was this the man who, with an ordinary body, had stunned the world with the Eight Gates Released Formation and been called the "Eternal Genin"... Might Duy?
His thoughts raced as this small figure drew him in, and he quietly approached.
Might Duy was completely immersed in his own world, utterly unaware of the visitor behind him.
He threw another punch with all his strength, but a sharp ache shot through his shoulder due to his incorrect posture. He lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Still... not good enough?"
He lay sprawled on the grass, gasping heavily, his voice filled with frustration and self-doubt.
"My chakra is so low, and I can't