The morning sun shines brightly in Konoha.
However, the atmosphere in the courtyard of the guesthouse where the Sunagakure squad was temporarily staying was somewhat subtle.
Captain Reppu crossed his arms and looked at his subordinates who were warming up, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.
He just returned from the foreign affairs office of the Hokage Building, bringing back the latest news.
" Shira," Reppu cleared his throat, trying to focus his gaze on his subordinate's face rather than on the overly conspicuous, self-illuminating green bodysuit, "I just received word that we might have to stay in Konoha for a while longer."
Shira was standing on one leg, stretching the muscles on the back of her thigh. Hearing this, she didn't stop, but turned her head to look at the captain. "Hmm?"
"Fighting has escalated again in several nearby small countries, such as the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Grass. The borders are in chaos, with several times more bandits and missing-nin than usual."
Reppu's voice carried its usual composure, but a hint of helplessness could be detected upon closer listening. "The main trade routes back to Sunagakure aren't very safe. With a caravan, we'd be too conspicuous. The Hokage's office suggested waiting until the situation stabilizes a bit, or taking a longer route. I discussed it with the caravan leader, and we've decided to wait and see. So..."
He paused, then said, "Our return is postponed; the exact date is uncertain. In the meantime, we'll continue to stay in Konoha."
After he finished speaking, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the dress on Shira's body.
How many days has this been going on? Ever since that day when this kid somehow got his hands on this outfit, he's been disappearing every morning without fail, coming back drenched in sweat, and his clothes are such a vibrant green... sigh.
Reppu considered himself well-informed, but the combination of colors and styles still challenged his aesthetic and cognitive limits.
Moreover, during his recent walks around the village, he kept hearing strange rumors, such as "four green-skinned monsters," "a green whirlwind at dawn," and "the fox spirit's new skin"...
Considering that Shira had been leaving early and returning late these past few days, coupled with the green outfit before him, Reppu had a vague, absurd guess in his mind, but he refused to think about it deeply, nor did he dare to guess.
Just then, the window on the second floor of the guesthouse was suddenly pushed open with a "whoosh," Asuka's fluffy head popped out, with half a piece of bread in its beak.
He had probably just woken up; his hair was a mess like a bird's nest. He immediately spotted Shira stretching in the yard and her undeniably striking green attire.
"Hmm? Shira? Good morning..."
Asuka greeted him vaguely, blinking his sleepy eyes. The next second, his gaze focused on Shira, his chewing of bread abruptly stopped, and his eyes widened as if he had seen something incredible.
He jerked his head back, and a few seconds later, hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs. Asuka hopped and skipped into the yard, not even properly dressed in his training clothes, one sleeve still dangling.
He rushed to Shira, circled Shira once, then again, his mouth agape in an "O" shape. He pointed a trembling finger at Shira's clothes, then looked up at Shira's calm face, and then at Captain Reppu beside him, whose expression was indescribable.
"Purple... Shira... you... your outfit..."
Even the Asuka's voice changed, filled with disbelief and a dazed feeling of "Am I still half asleep?" "Green? And so... tight?"
After completing the last set of stretches, Shira stood up straight, moved her neck, and made a slight "crack" sound.
He looked at Asuka, his expression natural, even a little radiant. "Yeah, training clothes. A gift from Senior Kai."
"Senior Kai? Which Senior Kai?" Asuka was stunned.
" Jonin, Might Guy from Konoha, a master of Taijutsu," Shira explained, a hint of barely perceptible joy in her voice.
Asuka's CPU seems to be overloaded. Konoha Jonin? A gift? A green bodysuit?
These words kept popping into his head, and then suddenly they matched up with the rumors he had heard in the village over the past few days, rumors that he had dismissed as nonsense!
"Wait!" Asuka suddenly raised his voice, almost cracking. He grabbed Shira's shoulder, his hand landing on the strangely slippery texture of her bodysuit. His eyes widened like saucers.
"The village's been buzzing with rumors these past few days! They're saying four strange men dressed in green, running faster than dogs, were rampaging through the village early this morning! One of them is that blond little demon! And some people are saying they saw the Sunagakure Forehead Protector... Could it be you?! That Sunagakure Forehead Protector is you?!"
He shook Shira, trying to find a hint of guilt or a joke on her face.
However, Shira was only slightly dizzy from his shaking, and nodded honestly. "It's me. Lee and Naruto are with us. Guy-senpai is leading the team."
Asuka: "..."
He released his grip, staggered back a step, his expression blank, as if his worldview had been hit by a nuclear bomb.
My usually quiet, hardworking, and rational teammate Shira, has actually become one of the main characters in Konoha's ghost stories? And she's wearing such... such indescribable clothes?! Along with that legendary "Demon Fox" and a Konoha Jonin?!
Captain Reppu, standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch and rubbed his forehead. Okay, it's confirmed. Those outrageous rumors were actually true, and one of his own subordinates was one of the main culprits.
He began to seriously consider whether he should give Shira a comprehensive mental health assessment when he got back.
Sasori yawned as he staggered out of the house, wiping the joints of his puppet with a cloth in his hand. When he saw the scene in the yard, especially Shira's green outfit, he choked halfway through his yawn and coughed.
"Cough! Cough cough! Shira, what kind of new Sunagakure disguise technique is this? Are you planning to play the role of a walking cactus in Konoha?"
His sharp tongue was as sharp as ever, even in the early morning.
His brother, Sada, silently followed, glanced at the scene, said nothing, but his lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Then he lowered his head and continued fiddling with a small puppet part in his hand, pretending not to have seen anything.
Hmm, this part is really something else.
Shira didn't care at all about Sasori's complaints; in fact, she seemed to enjoy them.
He patted off imaginary dust from his clothes, a smile rarely seen before on his face, a smile tinged with eagerness and excitement.
That smile made him look a little different. How to put it? He seemed less composed than usual, and more unruly.
"You don't understand, Sasori," Shira surprisingly chimed in, her tone quite serious. "This isn't a disguise, it's the 'battle robe of youth'! It's proof of a burning will! Senior Guy said that when you train wearing it, you can feel the Chakra flowing under your skin, and you can hear the muscles screaming more clearly! Even the feeling of sweat flowing through this fabric is different!"
Asuka, Sasori, Sada, and even Captain Reppu were all staring at Shira as if she were an alien. What on earth was going on?
Chakra surging? Muscle screams? The sweat feels different? Has this kid turned his brain into muscles from practicing Taijutsu?
Shira seemed completely oblivious to the strange looks from his teammates. He was still in high spirits and even started imitating Kai's signature move: hands on hips, chest out, the muscles outlined by his tight-fitting clothes becoming even more pronounced. He tried to flash a dazzling smile, but unfortunately, he couldn't quite capture the essence of Kai's White Fang. Instead, his efforts only made him look more comical.
"Besides, training with Senior Kai is so much fun!" Shira's eyes lit up, and she became much more talkative, a stark contrast to her usual taciturn self.
"He always came up with all sorts of... well, 'ingenious' training methods! Running upside down around the village was just the basics! There were also frog jumps uphill with stones tied to them, dodging wooden Shuriken while blindfolded, and squatting with each other back to back until they both collapsed..."
"Every time I felt like I was going to die, but after finishing, I felt like I could do it again! And his slogan, 'Burn, youth!' 'This is my Ninja Way!' When I shouted it out, I really felt full of energy!"
As Shira spoke, she became more and more excited, gesturing wildly. Her green clothes swayed with her movements, appearing even more flamboyant in the morning light.
He felt as if he had been "assimilated" by Kai's pure, infectious passion, and a certain rebellious and "socially adventurous" potential, long suppressed by youth, seemed to have been activated by that green shirt and the crazy morning exercises.
In front of Kai and Rock Lee, in that unreserved, all-consuming atmosphere, he seemed to no longer need to be constantly on guard and like a lone wolf. He could briefly exist simply as a boy who enjoyed becoming stronger and sweating it out.
Asuka was stunned, muttering, "Crazy... really crazy... infected by those strange Jonin from Konoha..."
Sasori rolled his eyes and threw down the cloth used to wipe the puppet. "I think you've been irradiated by that green clothes; your brain's not working properly anymore. 'Ingenious' my foot! That's just torture!"
Captain Reppu finally couldn't take it anymore and coughed loudly, interrupting Shira's "youth speech."
"Alright!" He straightened his face, trying to maintain his captain's authority, though his gaze couldn't help but drift towards the woman in green. "Training methods vary. But Shira, remember your identity. You're Sunagakure ninja. Be mindful of your behavior! And also,"
He glanced at Asuka, who was still lost in thought, and Sasori, who looked at him with disgust. "You two too! While you're in Konoha, you better behave yourselves! Especially you, Asuka, stop asking around about those ridiculous rumors!"
Asuka snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded, "Yes, Captain!" But her eyes couldn't help but dart towards Shira.
Sasori snorted and pulled his brother Sada back into the house, preferring to stay out of sight.
Reppu glanced at Shira, who was radiant, even a little overly so, sighed inwardly, and waved his hand. "Go do what you're supposed to do! Shira, aren't you... going to be late for your 'morning exercise'?"
He really didn't want to say something like "running with green-skinned monsters."
Shira then remembered and looked up at the sky. "Ah! Really! Senior Kai said that if you're late, you have to do a handstand and run around Konoha a hundred times!"
His expression changed, his previous "erratic" demeanor subsided somewhat, and he reverted to his usual efficient ninja self. "Captain, I'm off! Bye-bye~"
After saying that, he turned around, took a step with his legs clad in green leggings, and with a specially trained, powerful, and rhythmic stride, darted out of the courtyard and sprinted towards the training ground, leaving behind a lush green silhouette that gradually disappeared in the morning light.
In the courtyard, the Reppu and the Asuka looked at each other in bewilderment.
Asuka swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Captain... is Shira alright?"
Reppu was silent for a few seconds, then rubbed his temples. "... It should only be temporary."
He paused, then added, "And Asuka, starting today, you'd better get up earlier to train too! Stop sleeping in Tenten! Look at Shira..."
He couldn't continue, because the mere mention of Shira conjured up images of that green outfit in his mind.
"Yes..." Asuka replied weakly, but inwardly she was screaming: But I don't want to become a green-skinned monster, Captain!
A new day dawned in Konoha, beginning amidst the eerie atmosphere of the Sunagakure squad and the frantic running of a certain green figure...
Captain Reppu has begun to seriously consider whether he should request permission from the village to return early, citing the possibility that team members might be exposed to negative psychological influences, even if the journey is fraught with danger...