— But first... — I whispered, channeling chakra into my legs.
A second — and the weight on my body vanished. For a moment, I felt as if I were floating.
"How much is it now? 65 kg of weights all over my body…"
Removing the weights made my legs feel light, like feathers barely pressing into the ground. I jumped — and felt my muscles almost sing from the relief.
"Lightness is good. Now I'll show him how I've changed…"
— We'll start when this coin drops, — I said, tossing a 10-yen coin into the air.
The coin spun, tumbling in the air. At that moment, I sharply began to gather chakra, concentrating it throughout my body, especially in my legs and shoulders. My pulse slowed, my vision focused, my breathing evened out. Everything around vanished — only the coin, myself, and him remained.
— Flash step, — I exhaled, and at that instant, the coin hit the ground.
A strong gust of air — and in the next fraction of a second, Guy's strike cut through the spot where I had stood, a blow powerful enough to fell a tree.
"I made it!" — flashed through my mind as I hovered slightly to the side. He didn't notice my movement.
But Guy wasn't the type to give his opponent a pause. The moment I landed, he sharply closed the distance, almost teleporting beside me, and swung his leg in a side-turning attack.
I barely dodged the spinning attack by sliding sideways, feeling his leg cut through the air past my ear.
"He's fully reinforcing his body with chakra..." — I thought as I saw this strike was faster than the last.
I forced myself to move not by sight but by instincts. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it.
A blow to the stomach — nearly knocked the breath out of me. I managed to raise my other hand, but the next moment — another strike, this time with a leg.
I barely blocked it — my block was crooked, Guy's leg felt like a hammer.
Crunch.
Pain.
I was thrown several meters back — my arm felt like it was bent in half.
"He didn't hit like this during sparring..." — ran through my mind detachedly.
"If I take ten like that — it'll be bad. Need to finish this soon."
With my right hand, I was already forming the concentration seal.
I can't catch him by speed alone, so I need to use techniques!
Five clones appeared beside me and stepped forward in sync, and at the same moment, I blended into the background — chakra flowing into my legs, muscles tense.
— Go, — I whispered.
Guy struck the first clone. His fist cut through the air and the clone's body, turning it to smoke. As expected, he immediately hit the second — also an illusion.
Here's the moment.
I dashed from the spot using the flash step. A burst, a flash — I was at his side, between breaths.
— Here! — I exhaled and landed a sharp blow to the stomach.
My fist hit the mark — Guy staggered, his eyes widened. He tried to strike back. I immediately stepped to the right, preparing to strike again.
But he was already waiting.
— Gotcha! — a short shout, and I saw his pupils lock on me precisely.
His leg swung from the turn. I barely raised my elbow. The strike wasn't full strength, but still knocked me back a meter.
I slid across the ground, curled up, stood up. His breathing quickened.
— Got me, — he smirked weakly.
"He adapted... Damn."
I was already preparing to dash away again when a voice rang out:
— Cease the fight!
Behind us stood several people — ninjas we'd seen earlier at the training ground. One of them, a tall man in a chūnin armor with a Leaf headband, stepped forward, frowning.
— The recall has already started. Why are you still on the training field? — his voice was strict but not aggressive, more tired than anything.
I turned slightly to him and calmly replied:
— We're training. Just arrived and wanted to practice techniques. Didn't realize it was this late...
The chūnin sighed irritably, scanning us with a weary look.
— Newbies, huh. Looks like you haven't read the camp rules? After nine in the evening, any training is forbidden. Noise, especially combat encounters, can attract unwanted attention and disturb others.
He emphasized the last part, glancing past us toward several tents, from which irritated faces were already peeking out.
— This isn't an academy or a training center. We're at the border. So safety and order come first. Quickly to your tents. If this happens again — you'll be punished by the headquarters, and trust me, it won't be sparring sessions.
— Understood, it won't happen again, — I nodded shortly, catching Guy's gaze. He also bowed sharply.
— Thanks, — I added, and we hurried away from the training ground.
As we walked toward our tent, breathing more evenly, Guy quietly said:
— But that was awesome. You've gotten much faster… especially that moment with the clones and the side strike. Almost caught me.
— I've got an arsenal, but it's more for taking out opponents than capturing them, — I muttered, stretching my fingers and wrists, feeling the impact of recent blows. Joints ached, muscles were tense.
Guy fell silent, quietly putting something away in his part of the tent while I pulled back the flap and stepped inside.
— Anyway, I think… something's going to start tomorrow, — I said without turning, glancing deep into the dark fabric of the tent. It was just as cramped, hot, and quiet as any forward camp should be.
I took off the protective cloak, reached for the weight belts, and sat down, thoughtfully looking at them.
"I need to increase the weight..."
Today I barely managed to keep up with Guy's movements. He's faster. Stronger. And that's without using the Gates. He hasn't even started learning them yet.
"I've been dragging my feet too long..." — I thought irritably, fastening the weights back on, feeling the heaviness return to my body.
Maybe I've gotten faster. Stronger. But it's still not enough. Still not enough.
"I need to focus. More. Sharper. Deeper."
I lay down on the thin army mat, using my bag as a pillow. The tent was almost dark except for a faint light outside filtering through a gap in the fabric. Somewhere nearby, metal clanked quietly — a perimeter guard shift change.
Morning came unnoticed. It felt like I had just closed my eyes — and now someone was loudly calling outside.
— Rise and shine! Teams 3, 6, 9 — out immediately!
The tent fabric trembled as a young genin with a village headband and bags under his eyes peeked inside. He woke the squads one by one, like clockwork.
We, it turned out, were on the list.
— So early… — Genma muttered, struggling to get up from the cot. Guy was already standing, lively as if he hadn't slept at all. I pulled off the blanket and quickly got up, stifling a yawn.
When we stepped outside, two other teams were already gathering. There were three chūnin and six genin in total. Familiar faces — only Guy and Genma. The rest were strangers but, judging by their gear, experienced.
— Head to the kitchen now. Eat breakfast — then straight to the commanders. There's a mission, — the same genin said, heading to the next tent.
The kitchen was a couple of army tents, steam lazily rising above them. The air smelled of rice, bean paste, and something spicy.
The line moved quickly. We got the standard breakfast: rice, pickled vegetables, a bit of stewed meat, and a mug of broth. I was hungry — everything tasted better than usual.
— Think it's serious? — Guy asked, gulping rice in huge bites.
— If they gathered us all at 6 a.m., it's definitely something important, — I answered, sipping the hot broth.
After eating, we headed straight to the central command tent. It rose above the others, covered in thick fabric, guarded around the perimeter. We were already expected.
— Come in, — an unfamiliar voice called from inside.
We pulled back the command tent flap and entered, expecting to see Koharu-sama again. But to our surprise — she wasn't there. Behind a wooden folding table with maps and a cup of tea sat him.
A black-haired shinobi with a cold gaze. The red Uchiha clan emblem on his shoulder.
He slowly took a sip of tea, set the cup at the edge of the table, and coldly scrutinized us from head to toe.
— Your group has a separate mission, — he said calmly, not raising his voice. Silence hung in the room, broken only by the slight rustle of paper.
— Intelligence gathering. Surveillance of enemy forces: identify positions, fortifications, supply routes. No engagement, no drawing attention. Upon detection — disengage and retreat by a predetermined route.
He approached a large piece of fabric pinned to the wall. It was a map. He pointed with a thin wooden stick to the southwest sector.
— The mission area — this sector. The southern border of Hidden Grass territory. Iwa forces are currently concentrating there. Possibly preparing a transfer.
We all stepped closer, carefully memorizing the marked points.
— The mission lasts three days. Rank — B.
He shifted his gaze to us, lingering slightly longer on each than necessary.
— Understood?
— Yes, Fugaku-sama! — the other teams responded.
Fugaku????