Might Guy, Rock Lee, and Uchiha Ryosuke began their run around the perimeter of Konoha.
The pace was moderate—clearly adjusted to accommodate young Lee, who was still a child.
As they jogged, Might Guy suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Burn, Youth!"
It was his father's mantra—an expression that fueled the fire of youthful passion and helped unlock hidden stamina and potential.
Turning back to Lee and Ryosuke, Guy called out again:
"Join me—shout it out!"
Lee immediately responded with enthusiasm:
"Burn, Youth!"
Ryosuke hesitated a moment, but then gave in:
"Burn, Youth!"
Though it felt slightly cringe-worthy, he was willing to endure anything if it meant getting stronger.
The three of them chanted as they ran through the village, drawing the attention of passing villagers.
Might Guy was already a familiar sight, often seen engaging in eccentric physical training. Most villagers had written him off as a weirdo—a ninja who focused solely on taijutsu when ninjutsu was clearly more powerful.
And now… a member of the famed Uchiha clan was running alongside him?
People were baffled.
"Since when did the Uchiha clan have a guy like that?"
"Who knows. Maybe he hit his head."
"Uchiha are supposed to focus on their Sharingan and fire-style jutsu—that's how you become a jōnin."
"Becoming a jōnin through taijutsu? Practically unheard of."
After all, the Uchiha were known as Konoha's strongest fire-style users. A taijutsu-focused Uchiha was, to many, a complete contradiction.
Unsurprisingly, the Uchiha Police Force had also taken notice.
"This is disgraceful. What's gotten into Ryosuke lately?"
"He's been hanging around that taijutsu fool, Might Guy."
"Why is he wasting time on taijutsu when he has a Sharingan and fire-style bloodline? This is upside down."
"He's just embarrassing the Uchiha name."
They grumbled among themselves but felt helpless. After all, Ryosuke was the grandson of Uchiha Jin, the clan elder. Even if they were dissatisfied, they couldn't just lay hands on him.
Elsewhere in the village, Yūhi Kurenai was out shopping when she spotted the trio jogging through the village. Her eyes widened in surprise—Ryosuke was training with her former classmate, Might Guy.
Though many ridiculed Guy, Kurenai never had. She had always respected his dedication and pitied his lack of ninjutsu talent. If he had even a little talent, he'd be among the elite. He was the epitome of effort and perseverance.
And Ryosuke, a member of the prideful Uchiha clan, chose to associate with him? That alone said volumes about his character.
Her impression of Ryosuke continued to rise—he wasn't arrogant like most Uchiha. He was brave, humble, and kind-hearted.
Nearby, her mother also noticed the boy with the Uchiha fan crest on his back.
"That's the boy you've been mentioning, isn't he?"
"No air of arrogance around him."
Kurenai was caught off guard. Even her mother—normally distrustful of the Uchiha—was praising him?
Her mother continued, "If you like this boy, I won't object. But you'll need to handle the Asuma situation properly."
"He's a bit like your father—started out fiery and passionate, then matured into a serious man."
Blushing, Kurenai quickly retorted:
"Mom! Don't say stuff like that! Ryosuke and I are just acquaintances."
Sure, she liked him far more than Asuma—who was reckless, crude, and arrogant—but still. They'd just met.
Her mother smiled knowingly.
She had once met Kurenai's father in a similar way, and look how that turned out.
As far as she was concerned, if it was Uchiha Ryosuke, she wouldn't object at all. Not even for the sake of Asuma, son of the Third Hokage.
Later That Afternoon...
Having completed 20 laps around Konoha, the trio collapsed in exhaustion.
Ryosuke felt the fatigue seeping through his body. As he came to a stop, the system notification chimed in his mind:
"Your body is extremely exhausted.
Strength +1
Speed +1
Constitution +1"
As expected.
Just as he thought—strenuous training did improve his stats, though not as efficiently as getting beaten up. A proper spar gave +5 to each stat; this run gave just +1.
So... this system really did prefer him getting beaten up, huh?
Meanwhile, Might Guy clapped Rock Lee on the shoulder.
"Well done, Lee. Your willpower is solid."
Lee, panting, responded,
"It's all thanks to you running alongside me, Guy-sensei!"
Ryosuke interrupted with a grin:
"Guy, how about another spar? That run didn't quite satisfy me."
Guy looked at him, recalling yesterday's spar where Ryosuke ended up beaten black and blue. Was this guy smiling about getting hit?
"Like yesterday?" Guy asked.
"Yes," Ryosuke replied without hesitation.
Guy hesitated. Yesterday's blows had been harsh—even with Uchiha medicine, full recovery couldn't have been easy.
He started to refuse, but Ryosuke's voice cut through his doubt:
"Guy—youth knows no fear."
The words struck home.
Yes—this was the path of youth. If Ryosuke didn't fear pain, why should he?
"Alright." Guy grinned.
"Lee, take a break on the sidelines."
Lee immediately stepped aside.
Ryosuke, now serious, slowly activated his Sharingan. Without it, he couldn't even track Guy's punches.
Guy saw the Uchiha's focused stance and dashed forward, throwing a punch at Ryosuke's abdomen.
This time, Ryosuke managed to block it.
Guy was a little surprised—he had used the same strength and speed as yesterday.
Fine then—he punched harder.
Ryosuke was sent flying.