Click. Might Guy, dressed in his green jumpsuit, stepped out of his house with a bun in his mouth. The warm sunlight fell on his face, and even the ever-energetic Guy couldn't help but let out a whimper as he stretched.
The flowers planted along the street were in full, brilliant bloom. Just looking at them was enough to lift one's spirits.
"Indeed, morning is the perfect time for youth to blossom!"
Might Guy took a deep breath, stuffed the rest of the bun into his mouth in a couple of bites, and mumbled loudly, "Facing the morning sun of Konoha, let sweat and petals dance together!"
With that, he took off, his legs kicking up dust as he ran towards the commercial district. However, along the way, he noticed more and more people walking in the opposite direction. The once wide and empty road began to feel a bit crowded.
"Huh?"
Might Guy stopped and scratched his head. With a slight push of his feet, he leaped to a high place, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, and looked at the flow of people on other streets in the distance.
The bustling crowd gathered like a tide of ants, moving in groups of three and five towards the Konoha village gate.
"What's happening?"
Seeing this, Might Guy couldn't help but feel a little curious. But after a moment's hesitation, he continued against the flow of people towards the Hyuga clan's compound.
Time flew by, and two months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Konoha remained peaceful and serene, with the populace completely unaware of the conflict on the Land of Fire's border.
It wasn't until the Konoha leadership announced that Kumogakure was coming to Konoha to sign an alliance treaty that the public was suddenly shocked, and then pleasantly surprised—surprised that their Third Hokage had secretly accomplished such a great feat.
To put it nicely, it was an "alliance treaty," but wasn't it really them coming to seek protection?
Faced with the submission of their former great enemy from the Great Ninja War, all the citizens of Konoha felt a sense of pride.
However, a minor Chunin like Might Guy with no background naturally didn't know what was happening at the border, nor did he, engrossed in his daily training, know about Kumogakure's visit for the treaty.
He only knew that Hyuga Kumo, his training partner, had completely disappeared for the past two months.
Every time he went to the Hyuga clan to look for Hyuga Kumo, he would be stopped by a Branch Family member with a complicated expression. Their attitude, uncharacteristically polite and even courteous, would inform him that Hyuga Kumo was in closed-door training and to please come back in two months.
Closed-door training?
How can one train in taijutsu by shutting themselves away?
Might Guy was well aware of Hyuga Kumo's effort and self-discipline, which was no less than his own. So, his first reaction to hearing this was that the guy was lying to him.
But the complex expression on the Hyuga Branch Family member's face didn't seem like an act, which made Might Guy wonder if something had happened within the Hyuga clan.
Now, two months had passed since that day.
"Kumo should be opening his doors to guests today, right?"
With Kakashi having joined the Anbu and being busy day in and day out, and Hyuga Kumo, his only training partner, being absent, Might Guy had been cooped up training alone for two months and was going stir-crazy.
Seeing that the appointed time had arrived, he was naturally eager to find him.
And when Might Guy ran to the Hyuga clan's compound, the person on duty today happened to be the very same Branch Family member who had been taught a lesson by Hyuga Kumo.
This time, not only did the man not stop him, but he also didn't give him a cold look. Instead, he politely let him in.
His attitude has changed! It's really changed!
That kid Kumo must have secretly done something big!
"Ku—mo—!"
Might Guy ran towards Hyuga Kumo's residence with an excited look on his face, shouting, "Don't pretend you can't hear me, you bastard! Let me see what progress you've made in the last two months. Today, I'll definitely make you shout, 'As expected of Guy-senpai'!"
Previously, whenever he came, Hyuga Kumo's residence had a barrier around it. Now, the barrier was gone.
In his excitement, Might Guy didn't even bother with etiquette. Seeing the door unlocked, he took the hint and walked right in.
But the moment he entered the house, it was as if he passed through a thin film. He suddenly felt the hair on his body stand on end.
It wasn't because he sensed some inexplicable killing intent, but because the air seemed to be filled with invisible electric charges, causing the hair on his body to stand up slightly.
"This is..." Feeling the faint numbness on the surface of his skin, Might Guy couldn't help but be stunned. He frowned and tiptoed towards Kumo's training room. The closer he got, the stronger the sensation became.
Upon pushing open the door, what came into view was a slightly blurry air.
Zzt! Zzt!
All the conductive equipment in the room had been removed. Hyuga Kumo, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, was bare-chested, revealing a chiseled upper body. Tiny blue arcs of electricity flickered on the surface of his body and around him, like countless small blue snakes extending their slender bodies and roaming in the air.
As if hearing Might Guy enter the room, the meditating Hyuga Kumo slowly opened his eyes. A blue light flashed for an instant from the depths of his pure white eyes.
Under Might Guy's astonished gaze, the arcs of electricity surrounding him began to converge, like a tamed flock of snakes gradually receding into his body.
"Guy-senpai, are you heading out to train?" Hyuga Kumo asked.
"..."
Hearing this, Might Guy came back to his senses and stared blankly at Hyuga Kumo's body. The power hidden within was almost visible to the naked eye.
"Kumo, you're actually using Lightning Release chakra to temper your body?" An expression of disbelief gradually appeared on his face, and he blurted out, "Are you crazy, kid?"
The fact that Lightning Release chakra could be used to temper the body was no secret in the ninja world. After all, Kumogakure was the most proficient at it.
The Third Raikage held the titles of "Strongest Shield" and "Strongest Spear," and the Fourth Raikage was famed as the "Blue Lightning" for his speed.
But not just anyone could use Lightning Release chakra to temper their body. The two points of mastering the nature transformation and shape transformation of Lightning Release chakra were enough to stump many people, and it also required a complete understanding of one's own complex chakra pathway system.
Why were most Lightning Release ninjutsu long-range types?
Why were there so few Lightning Release ninjutsu suitable for Chunin and Genin to practice?
It was because Lightning Release chakra was not as stable as Earth Release chakra; it could even be said to be the most unstable of the five chakra natures.
To use ninjutsu, one had to circulate chakra through the body's chakra pathway system. The volatile nature of Lightning Release chakra was difficult to control, and any mistake in the process would severely injure one's own body...
Thinking of this, Might Guy was stunned again. He suddenly realized that Hyuga Kumo, who could see his own internal chakra pathway system with the Byakugan, seemed to be the perfect candidate for this kind of tempering method.
"This..."
For a moment, he opened his mouth but couldn't speak, falling into a brief silence.
One could imagine that with his body tempered by Lightning Release chakra, Hyuga Kumo's future training in the Eight Gates would surely advance by leaps and bounds.
And this was a training method that he, a guy with almost no talent for ninjutsu, could never touch.
However, this depressing thought only appeared for a fleeting moment before it was replaced by the boiling fighting spirit and passion in his heart.
Might Guy's gaze towards Hyuga Kumo changed again and again, finally becoming the same look he usually gave Kakashi.
"Kumo," he said seriously, his eyes blazing as he gave a thumbs-up and grinned, revealing his shining white teeth. "Congratulations."
There was no jealousy or bitterness in his words, only sincere happiness for his friend and for himself.
He was happy for Hyuga Kumo's progress, and also happy to have another rival.
Yes.
At this moment, in his heart, Hyuga Kumo was no longer the kindred spirit who needed to huddle together for warmth, nor was he the junior he pitied, admired, and needed to support.
He was, like that guy Kakashi, a truly respected opponent and best friend.