A Meal Together and Might Duy

Seeing Danzo leave on his own, Torikaze shrugged helplessly and turned back to Hoshi and the others.

"That guy's had a rotten temper since he was little. Don't take it to heart. Just accept the scroll—Danzo meant well, too.

Don't worry. If you run into him again, just flatter him a little and it'll blow over. He may look fierce, but he's actually pretty shy underneath."

Hoshi glanced at the scroll on the ground, but Torikaze's words did little to ease his mind. Compared to what he saw before him, he was more willing to trust the plot he already knew.

Danzo was the kind of man who could order the assassination of comrades he had fought alongside for over twenty years. Hoshi decided it was best to keep his distance. He had already been worried about being assigned under Danzo before.

It had taken great effort to get assigned under Torikaze. He had no intention of making himself noticeable in front of Danzo. Lying low and developing quietly was the only sound strategy.

To the Torikaze Squad, this was only a minor interlude. The three accepted the scroll, exchanged a few perfunctory words, and let the matter pass. Becoming stronger was far more important than Danzo.

Torikaze and Hiruzen had very different teaching styles. Hiruzen placed greater emphasis on daily instruction and gradual accumulation, while Torikaze preferred to uncover problems through battle after battle and offer guidance accordingly.

Their teaching methods also influenced Hoshi and the others' development.

In just three months, Hoshi's group completed more than a dozen D-rank Missions similar to the bandit suppression mission in Spark Village, while Tsunade's group completed only one mission in the same period.

Since they had always been good friends, the six often found time between missions to have a meal together and chat about the situations in their respective squads.

It was worth mentioning that Shinku joined their circle very quickly. After completing more than ten missions, he had overcome the psychological shadow that made him think he would die the moment he left the village, and his original personality returned.

Freed from that shadow, Shinku was a gentle and talkative young man. He quickly blended into Hoshi and the others' little group.

That afternoon was no exception. As usual, the six came to a fried chicken shop, eating fried chicken as they discussed recent events.

Jiraiya: "Wow, Hoshi, I'm seriously miserable. Teacher Hiruzen is way too boring. He never takes us on missions himself, and when we want to pick up missions on our own, he won't allow it. Every day, all we can do is train, train, train. I'm going to suffocate."

Tsunade: "+1. I really want to leave the village and have some fun too."

Orochimaru: "What's wrong with training in the village? You have so much time to develop ninjutsu. Idiot Jiraiya, are you really that eager to go out and get yourself killed?"

Shinku: "Strongly agreed. You have no idea how badly I want to stay in the village and train properly, but every time I get dragged out to suppress bandits. I come back covered in blood every time. If this keeps up, I'm going to get depressed.

"I'm an illusion-specialist ninja. Why do I have to wrestle with those filthy bandits every day?"

Jiraiya: "You smug bastard, Orochimaru. Of course you're happy staying in the village. Teacher values you so much—how many ninjutsu have you learned in three months? If I could learn that many ninjutsu, I'd want to stay in the village too."

Orochimaru shot back, "Oh? Could it be that someone can't learn ninjutsu because he spent two months trying to learn the Great Dragon Fire Technique and still failed?"

Jiraiya suffered 1,000 points of critical damage. His eyes widened as he said, "What do you mean I still hadn't learned it after two months..."

"Did you learn it, then? I saw you fail while practicing Fire Release the day before yesterday." Tsunade promptly drove the knife in.

Jiraiya's face reddened, the veins on his forehead bulging as he argued, "That's only because Teacher explained it too fast! How was I supposed to remember so much all at once?"

Then came a stream of incomprehensible remarks—things like "I'll definitely surpass that smug Orochimaru someday" and "I'll become the greatest ninja"—which made everyone burst into laughter. The shop was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

At times like this, it was usually Hoshi's turn to step in and feed Jiraiya some chicken soup for the soul, saying things like how he would definitely succeed.

Hoshi's words were not wrong. In fact, at this stage, Jiraiya really was the weakest of the three. It was not until his Summoning Technique went wrong and he unexpectedly obtained Mount Myōboku's inheritance that he began his path to a comeback.

What he did not know was that his words encouraged more than just Jiraiya. They also inspired another little guy not far away.

Clang.

The sound of a cup shattering suddenly came from nearby, drawing Hoshi and the others' attention, along with the owner's angry scolding.

"You can't even handle something as simple as wiping tables. What else can you do? What was I thinking, taking in a clumsy fool like you as a worker just because I pitied you?"

The one who had broken the cup was a little boy in a green jumpsuit, seemingly about the same age as Hoshi and the others. Hearing the owner's scolding, he quickly turned around and repeatedly bowed in apology.

When the little boy turned, Hoshi and the others finally got a clear look at him.

How should they put it? Shinku would fall silent at the sight, and Tsunade would shed tears.

They had never seen anyone with such terrible fashion sense: a green jumpsuit paired with orange leg warmers, a faded yellowish-brown old scarf around his neck, along with thick eyebrows and a center-parted hairstyle.

No matter how they thought about it, there were only three words to describe that outfit: an assault on the eyes.

The owner had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Seeing how pitiful the boy looked, he grumbled a few more words before turning and returning to the kitchen.

Once the owner had gone back into the kitchen, the boy hurriedly cleaned up the broken cup. When he turned back, he did not forget to flash Hoshi and the others a huge smile, revealing a mouthful of dazzling white teeth.

While Tsunade and the others broke out in cold sweat, Hoshi and Orochimaru looked at the boy in surprise. Orochimaru spoke directly.

"Duy, why are you here?"

Hearing Orochimaru's question, Hoshi became even more certain of his guess. This skinny boy, whose outfit and styling were both suffocating yet who looked so optimistic, was none other than the future ultimate madman who would explain the meaning of youth with his life—

Might Duy, the man who used the Eight Gates Formation to beat the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into a three-man escape party all by himself.

But at this point, he looked nothing like the fearsome man he would become. His worn-out clothes and thin body both showed how difficult his life was.

Hearing Orochimaru's question, Duy scratched his head and answered awkwardly, "Ah, I'm still short on money for a set of Weighted Gear, so I came to work part-time at this shop."

But the next second, his eyes suddenly widened. He excitedly hurried over to Hoshi, who was seated on the outermost side, and asked, "Were those words just now yours? Is what you said true? As long as I keep working hard, can I achieve success? Even someone like me can become a ninja?"

Hoshi looked at Duy, who was so excited that he could barely speak properly, and smiled. He patted his shoulder and told him solemnly, "Yes. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, you will definitely succeed. I believe in you. I also think you'll definitely become an incredibly powerful ninja someday."