The next day, early in the morning:
After washing and having breakfast, Katsumi Kei got dressed in front of the mirror.
Checking himself in the mirror, he looked very good.
His eyebrows were sharp, his eyes were like stars, his face looked extraordinary—the picture of calmness and composure.
After packing everything he needed to bring, Kei patted Hayate's head and said, "Let's go."
"Woof!"
Hayate responded, then wagged his tail and followed obediently.
Walking on the road with Hayate, Kei attracted a lot of attention, accompanied by sighs, praises, and whispers.
Naturally, it was because of his outstanding appearance. Of course, Hayate's striking form added to the effect.
Over the past four years, Kei had grown used to these stares.
Slowly, he made his way toward the woods outside Konoha.
Since ninjas often trained there, the forest was quite safe.
And the one most often seen? Konoha's proud blue beast, Might Guy.
The exercise enthusiast practically lived in the woods.
Kei knew this well. He trained there often, and over time, built a rapport with Guy.
Sure enough, as he stepped into the forest, a green blur swept by with a gust of wind.
"Yo! Katsumi Kei, you must be here to train! Come let us experience our youth!!!"
With a cheerful shout, Guy continued his forest run.
He never slacked on his training.
Dust kicked up in his wake as the green figure vanished.
Even at that insane speed, Kei knew Guy was carrying over a thousand pounds in weights.
Without them, his speed would easily double.
In that case, Kei would probably only see a fading green afterimage.
This wasn't surprising. Forget Night Guy's Death Gate form—just Sixth Gate: Gate of View Guy could perform terrifying attacks like Morning Peacock.
A flurry of high-speed punches caused air friction to ignite into flames, forming a burning peacock tail of destruction.
This move was so hot, it could evaporate Kisame's massive Water Style: Explosion Water Wave.
Even with chakra assistance, to punch like that meant breaking the sound barrier—possibly twice over.
So naturally, movement speed came with it. Guy's physical ability was monstrous.
And there were stronger people out there.
Which only highlighted how far Kei still had to go.
With one last look at the vanishing blur, he and Hayate entered the forest.
Wind bell flower was a plant resembling morning glory. It could treat minor injuries, but its effects were mediocre. Few bothered to collect it.
Kei immediately spotted one under a large oak.
He grabbed the wooden box from Hayate's back, uprooted the flower, cleaned the roots, and stored it carefully.
Placing the box at Hayate's paws, he gave instructions: "Remember the smell of the wind bell. Don't move when you find one—call me over."
Hayate sniffed the flower, barked, and wagged his tail before trotting off.
As the dog left, Kei turned toward a different patch of forest where the scent seemed stronger.
He had to admit—Hayate's sense of smell was incredibly useful.
One by one, flower by flower, Kei collected all 100 required Wind Bell plants in just half an hour.
At the same time, Might Guy finished his run.
He appeared in front of Kei with a breeze and blinked. "Katsumi Kei, why didn't you exercise today? Picking flowers instead?"
But as he looked closer, his expression shifted.
"You... you extracted chakra yesterday?! That amount is incredible! You really are a genius!"
Kei calmly packed away the last flowers. "Senior Guy, persistence and hard work always pay off. I exercise every day, so my body is stronger than others my age. My mental strength is solid too. Chakra is made of physical and spiritual energy, so it's only natural to extract a good amount, right?"
Guy's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Katsumi Kei is worthy of being called a genius!
This is youth!
Seeing you, my youth is burning! You've worked hard, so I'll work even harder!"
He raised a fist. "Next, I'll do 5,000 push-ups! If I can't, I'll do 10,000 sit-ups! If I can't, 20,000 squats! Let's burn our youth!"
Kei silently slipped away.
He knew what kind of man Guy was, but he had other things to do today and no time to join in.
He left as Guy stood in place, slightly stunned.
Even someone like him appreciated a training partner.
But Guy was still Guy. In moments, he refocused and returned to his intense routine.