“Has my Body Flicker speed…
hit its limit?”
“The Body Flicker route is a dead end for now.
Earth Release is progressing slowly, and Fire Release…
*sigh*…”
At the edge of the training grounds, Aoba sat expressionlessly in the shade of a tree.
He held a copy of *Flora and Fauna of Konoha* as cover, faint blue light flickering beneath his dark sunglasses as he pondered his next move.
“Youth!
Is about pouring sweat under the blazing sun!”
“Even if rejected a thousand times, I will stand up and challenge you on the thousand and first!”
Not far away, Might Guy—clad in his tight green jumpsuit—was doing fingertip push-ups while bellowing slogans cringeworthy enough to make anyone curl their toes.
Guy was the only one who could train nonstop through the entire free-activity period.
Even grown adults couldn’t endure such relentless exercise, let alone a bunch of children.
Of course, Guy was an exception.
He was also one of only two people from whom Aoba had gathered anomalous data—the other being Kakashi.
A normal person’s growth wasn’t a continuous upward line, but a repeating cycle of rising, plateauing, rising, and plateauing until the body began its eventual decline.
Not those two, though.
Their growth was a genuinely unbroken upward curve.
One simply climbed faster than the other, but both were steadily, relentlessly rising.
Talent was truly that unreasonable.
Aoba’s teeth ached from sheer irritation.
It gave him the distinct impression that a cheat system couldn’t beat raw talent.
Due to the limits of his physical constitution, his Body Flicker speed had reached the maximum his body could currently handle; any faster, and he risked tearing the tendons in his legs.
Since a single path was blocked, Aoba was considering whether he could combine different techniques.
For instance: Body Flicker + Clones?
+ Genjutsu?
…
“Nine hundred ninety-eight!
Nine hundred ninety-nine!
One thousand!”
Guy snapped up to his feet and flashed Aoba a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming white in the sunlight.
“Aoba!
The warm-up is over!
Come, engage in a duel of youth with me!”
Aoba: “…”
*You’ve been warming up all afternoon.
Don’t you ever rest?*
Too tired to even complain, Aoba closed his book and let out a soft sigh.
“I refuse.”
“Why?!
Is it because my youth isn’t burning hot enough?!”
Guy grabbed his head with both hands, utter shock plastered across his face.
“No, class is about to end.”
Right on cue, the bell rang.
Aoba stood up and brushed the dust off his trousers.
“Then after school, we can—”
“No, I have to go grocery shopping,” Aoba cut him off flatly.
“Oh!
I see!
Grocery shopping is also a form of training!” Guy seemed to have an epiphany.
“Snatching the freshest beef from a crowded mob is the ultimate test of dynamic vision and explosive power!
In that case, let us compete to see who can buy the discount beef first!”
The corner of Aoba’s mouth twitched.
*Just how is this guy’s brain wired?*
Ever since their chance encounter in the Forest of Death, Guy had challenged Aoba with noticeably greater frequency, and Aoba’s usual half-baked excuses were growing increasingly flimsy.
Even when they were total nonsense, Guy actually believed them, making Aoba’s conscience ache for a brief moment.
*Yeah, things like a conscience really ought to be thrown out.*
The purpose of sparring was to learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses to improve together, but Aoba didn’t need any of that.
He knew his own shortcomings and strengths, and he knew Guy’s as well.
Fighting Guy wouldn’t grant him any growth, and it would prematurely expose his own strength.
Even if it was only a fraction, what if it caught the attention of the village elders?
He didn’t want to be on their radar every single day.
Guy’s strength stat was 17.3; his own was 15.8.
Indeed—despite Aoba being three years older than Guy, he wasn’t as strong, and Guy’s strength was continually increasing.
Guy’s taijutsu stats were also higher than Aoba’s.
This was all analyzed by the auxiliary chip.
However, if they truly fought, Guy still wouldn’t be able to beat Aoba.
Even if Guy’s base stats were better, Aoba had all of Guy’s data and attack patterns.
In a real fight, Guy would only end up thoroughly suppressed.
It was purely an information advantage.
As for whether using an auxiliary chip counted as cheating—surely no one actually thought that way, right?
It was Aoba’s advantage, just as Guy’s advantage was his absurdly monstrous taijutsu talent.
Refusing to use one’s advantage and playing to one’s weaknesses instead was what truly qualified as having a screw loose.
Unfortunately, Aoba wasn’t allowed much peace.
Guy seemed to have “seen through” Aoba’s brush-offs and began hounding him with challenges even more frequently.
He took on an attitude of never stopping until he reached his goal.
Even at school, the moment the bell rang, he would pop out of some random corner like a phantom.
He trailed him to the bathroom, and when Aoba napped face-down on his desk during lunch, the moment he opened his eyes, those two thick, bushy eyebrows were right in his face.
Aoba felt utterly numb.
Being stalked by an overly enthusiastic idiot was far more suffocating than being monitored by the Anbu.
At least the Anbu had some shame and knew to sneak around; Guy was completely shameless.
*He’s treating me like Kakashi!*
*Wait…*
*Right, Kakashi!*
“Guy.”
This time, Aoba didn’t reject him outright.
He looked at him seriously.
“I know you really want to get stronger, but you’ve picked the wrong person.”
“No!
My instincts tell me you are strong!”
*Hah, your instincts are pretty sharp.*
“Kurenai—Kurenai Yuhi’s taijutsu, and the weights on your legs.” Guy wore an expression that said he had seen through everything.
*All right, my bad.*
Aoba really had given Kurenai private coaching.
Her taijutsu had shot up dramatically, beating many of their peers, to the point that Asuma now had to go all out just to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
Everyone had noticed it, really, but Aoba hadn’t expected Guy to pick up on it too.
As for the leg weights, Aoba really had only put them on today.
Guy’s face was etched with determination.
“Aoba, you are a genius, but I will prove that hard work can surpass a genius!”
*A genius, huh?
Ever consider that you might be one too…?* Aoba scoffed silently.
Still, receiving the acknowledgment of the future “Might Guy, the Eight Gates Emperor” in his youth was quite flattering.
*All right, looks like Guy has entered his growth spurt and started growing a brain.*
Aoba stroked his chin and decided to switch tactics.
Guy might have developed a bit of sense, but he was still a one-track mind.
If Aoba didn’t explain things clearly, it would only cause more trouble later.
“Guy, do you know why I don’t want to fight you?” Aoba’s expression turned solemn.
Guy blinked, then shook his head.
“Why?”
“Because my path is different from yours.” Aoba tapped his own head.
“I am a genjutsu-type ninja.
My taijutsu is for defense—defensive taijutsu.”
“Defensive taijutsu!” Guy’s eyes widened.
“Precisely.”
Aoba began spinning his tale with absolute seriousness.
“It might look like my taijutsu is good, but that’s all just groundwork for casting genjutsu.
My speed is meant for creating distance.
“Taijutsu is so I can effectively defend myself if my genjutsu gets dispelled.
Actually, Kurenai’s taijutsu was taught by Uncle Shinku.
Uncle Shinku is a Konoha jonin—a genjutsu master!”
Aoba slapped the title of “Genjutsu Master” onto Uncle Shinku without the slightest hint of guilt.
Guy nodded, half-comprehending.
“I see…
A genjutsu ninja’s defensive taijutsu?”
“Exactly.
So challenging me in taijutsu is like asking a fish to climb a tree, or a bird to swim.” Aoba patted Guy on the shoulder and spoke with earnest gravity.
“Your opponent should be someone who also focuses on offensive taijutsu, or someone with exceptional ninjutsu talent.
Someone like…
Kakashi.”
“Kakashi?
Could I really?”
Guy muttered the name.
In his eyes, Kakashi’s genius shone so dazzlingly that he couldn’t even summon the courage to challenge him.
To put it bluntly, there was a lingering fear in his heart.
Analyzing Guy’s psychological state, Aoba was rendered speechless.
Was the title of “Class Number One” really that intimidating?
He was the second-ranked student in the grade, after all.
Guy had no qualms about badgering him constantly, yet didn’t dare challenge Kakashi, who was ranked first.
*Does second place really have that little respect?!*
…