After eating and drinking my fill, I felt energetic again, and the soreness in my bones from training seemed to have been soothed by the hot soup.
The three of them didn't rush back to the training ground, but instead strolled leisurely through the streets of Konoha, taking it as a way to digest their food.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, its warmth bathing my soaked yet half-dry training clothes. The streets were bustling with people, much more lively than in the morning.
The shouts of vegetable vendors, the laughter of children, and the hurried figures of ninjas intertwine to create a scene full of life.
Eyes were still on them, or rather, on Naruto.
Those gazes, filled with scrutiny, habitual aloofness, and a hint of barely perceptible disgust, were like persistent flies in Natsuhi, buzzing annoyingly yet impossible to completely dispel.
A woman walked by quickly, pulling her child along, whispering something to them; a passerby glanced at her, then quickly looked away, as if they had seen something unclean.
But this time, Naruto didn't seem to care as much.
He walked between Shira and Rock Lee, one hand in his pocket and the other gesturing excitedly to Rock Lee —probably about the extra-thick piece of char siu in his ramen earlier, or the Teuchi uncle giving him an extra half-boiled egg today.
He wore a smile, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Occasionally, when those piercing gazes swept over him, he would subconsciously purse his lips or look away, but he would quickly become engrossed in Rock Lee and Shira's conversation, no longer paying attention to those malicious stares.
Shira Earth Flow beside them, listening to their casual conversation, her gaze calmly sweeping over the passersby who cast strange looks at her.
He could sense that Naruto wasn't truly immune; those gazes were like tiny needles that would still prick him. But now, just as the needles were about to pierce him, two more figures appeared beside him.
These two figures were like two walls, not very thick but sturdy enough, shielding him from some of the most direct chill and giving him the courage to quickly retreat into his shell, lick his wounds, and then peek out again.
"It's a bit annoying to be stared at," Rock Lee said, noticing the gazes. He frowned, his thick eyebrows furrowing, and his tone was more of a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
"But Naruto, ignore them! Let's train, getting stronger is the only way! When we become super powerful and shock everyone with our Taijutsu, let's see what they can say then!"
Rock Lee clenched his fist, as if to shoo away those annoying stares.
Naruto nodded vigorously, his smile widening. "Yeah! With players as strong as Rock Lee and Shira, no one will dare underestimate them!"
Shira didn't respond to that, but instead glanced at the increasingly close outline of the training ground ahead. Earning respect through strength is true, but for Naruto, this path is destined to be a hundred times more difficult than for ordinary people.
However, having this spirit and such companions around is always a good start.
Back on the training field, the afternoon sun warmed the sandy ground. The traces of the morning's strenuous exercise were still there: several deep footprints and a patch of dark sand damp with sweat.
The training ground was quiet in the afternoon, with only the rustling of the wind through the nearby trees.
"Alright! Almost digested!" Rock Lee was the first to jump to the center of the field, stretching his wrists and ankles, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Shira, his gaze filled with undisguised anticipation and fighting spirit.
" Shira! Let's spar! It's a deal! Let me see the Taijutsu of Sunagakure!"
Seeing his eager expression, and then looking at Shira who was also excited and had automatically run to the sidelines to squat down in the shade of a tree, ready to watch the battle, Naruto nodded and walked to stand opposite Rock Lee.
"Okay, come on." He took off his somewhat heavy coat, revealing only his black shorts underneath, which showed off his well-defined arms.
He didn't adopt any particularly fancy starting stance; he simply stood with his feet slightly apart, his center of gravity slightly lowered, and his gaze calmly fixed on Rock Lee.
Shira has not activated its activity, nor is it possible for it to activate its activity.
He simply stood still in the most ordinary state. But as he stood still, a calm aura, which had settled down after experiencing life-and-death battles and being tempered by countless trials, quietly spread out, completely different from the vigorous and restless energy of Rock Lee opposite him.
Rock Lee immediately sensed the difference. It wasn't the pressure from powerful Chakra, but a more restrained and solid "realness," like facing a piece of refined iron that had been hammered and tempered countless times, its sharpness concealed.
Far from being afraid, the flame in his eyes burned even brighter, an instinctive excitement at challenging the stronger.
"I'm in, Shira!"