Crunch.
Might Guy, now changed into his signature green spandex suit, walked out of his house with a steamed bun in his mouth.
The slightly warm sunlight spilled onto his face, and even the ever-energetic Might Guy couldn't help but let out a muffled groan as he stretched.
The flowers planted along the street were already in full, vibrant bloom. Just a single glance was enough to lift one's spirits immensely.
"As expected, morning is the ultimate moment for youth to blossom!" Might Guy took a deep breath, stuffed the bun into his mouth in two or three bites, and shouted loudly, though his words were slightly garbled: "Facing the rising sun of Konoha, let our sweat dance alongside the flower petals!"
With that, he kicked up a cloud of dust as he charged towards the commercial district on powerful legs.
However, halfway there, he noticed more and more people were heading in the opposite direction. The originally wide and spacious road began to get somewhat crowded.
"Huh?"
Might Guy stopped, scratched his head, then leaped up to a higher vantage point with a slight push of his feet.
He shielded his forehead from the sun with his hand and looked towards the crowds flowing through other streets in the distance.
The hurried footsteps of the crowd converged like a tide of ants, with people moving in groups of three or five towards the entrance of Konoha village.
"What's going on? Did something happen?"
Seeing this, Might Guy couldn't help but feel curious. However, after only a moment's hesitation, he continued on against the flow of the crowd, heading towards the Hyūga clan compound.
Time flew by. Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, the interior of Konoha remained peaceful and tranquil. The common people were completely unaware of the conflicts happening at the border of the Land of Fire.
It wasn't until the Konoha higher-ups released the news that the Kumogakure delegation was coming to Konoha to sign a treaty of alliance that the populace was suddenly shocked, and then overjoyed.
They were thrilled that their Third Hokage had secretly accomplished such a significant thing.
Putting it nicely, it was a "treaty of alliance."
But really, weren't they just coming to cling to Konoha's powerful leg? Faced with the submission of a former great enemy from the Great Ninja War,all of Konoha's citizens felt a shared sense of honor and pride.
However, a small-time Chunin with no background like Might Guy naturally had no idea what had happened at the border.
Being completely absorbed in his daily training, he also didn't know the news about Kumogakure coming to sign the alliance treaty.
All he knew was that his training partner, Hyūga Kumokawa, had completely vanished without a trace these past two months.
Every time he went to the Hyūga clan to look for Hyūga Kumokawa, he would always be stopped by a branch family member with a complicated expression on their face.
They would politely, even courteously—a stark change from their usual attitude—inform him that Hyūga Kumokawa was engaged in closed-door training and to please come back in two months.
Closed-door training? How can you train in taijutsu without ever leaving your room?
Might Guy was well aware of Hyūga Kumokawa's effort and self-discipline,which were no less than his own.
So, his first reaction upon hearing this was that the guy was lying to him.
But the complicated expression on that Hyūga branch family member's face didn't seem feigned, which also made Might Guy wonder if something had happened within the Hyūga clan.
Now, two months had passed since that day.
"Kumokawa should finally be open for visitors today."
Because Kakashi had joined the ANBU and was busy around the clock every day, and with Hyūga Kumokawa, his only training partner, absent, Might Guy had been stifled, training alone for these two months.
Seeing that the agreed-upon time had arrived, he was naturally impatient to seek him out.
When Might Guy ran to the Hyūga clan compound, the person on duty today happened to be that very same branch family member who had been lectured by Hyūga Kumokawa.
This time, not only did the other party not stop him, they didn't even give him a cold look. Instead, they politely let him enter.
Their attitude changed! Their attitude really changed! That kid Kumokawa must have secretly done something big!
"Ku—mo—ka—wa—!"
Might Guy ran excitedly towards Hyūga Kumokawa's residence, shouting loudly: "Don't pretend you can't hear me, you bastard! Let me see just how much you've improved these past two months! I'll definitely make you shout 'As expected of Senior Guy' today!"
Every previous time he had come, Hyūga Kumokawa's residence had been sealed with a barrier. Now, the barrier was gone.
In his excitement, Might Guy didn't even bother with formalities. Seeing the door was unlatched, he took it as an invitation and walked right in.
But the moment he stepped inside the house, it felt like passing through a thin film. Suddenly, the hairs on his body stood on end.
It wasn't because he sensed some inexplicable killing intent, but because the air seemed to be permeated with invisible electric charges, causing the hair on his body surface to stand up slightly. "This is…"
Feeling the faint numbness spreading across his skin, Might Guy couldn't help but pause, frowning as he tiptoed cautiously towards Kumokawa's training room.
The closer he got, the stronger the sensation became.
Until he pushed open that door. What greeted his eyes was the slightly hazy air.
Crackle! Zap!
All the conductive equipment in the room had been removed.
Seated in the center of the room, Hyūga Kumokawa was bare-chested, his well-defined upper body exposed.
Tiny blue electric arcs flickered across his skin and the space around him, like countless small blue snakes stretching their slender bodies and swimming through the air.
Seemingly hearing the sound of Might Guy entering the room, Hyūga Kumokawa, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
A blue light flashed for an instant within his pure white pupils.
Under Might Guy's astonished gaze, the electric arcs surrounding him began to retract, like a tamed swarm of snakes gradually sinking back into his body.
"Senior Guy, are we going to train?" Hyūga Kumokawa asked.
"..."
Hearing this, Might Guy snapped back to reality. He stared blankly at Hyūga Kumokawa's body; the power contained within was almost visible to the naked eye.
"Kumokawa, you... you're actually using Lightning Release chakra to temper your body?" An expression of utter disbelief gradually spread across his face, and he blurted out without thinking, "Have you gone crazy, kid?"
The fact that Lightning Release chakra could be used for body tempering wasn't some secret in the ninja world. After all, the ones most proficient at it were from Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage held the titles of "Strongest Shield" and "Strongest Spear," and the Fourth Raikage earned the moniker "Blue Lightning" for his speed.
But not just anyone could use Lightning Release chakra to temper their body.
Mastering both the Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation of Lightning Release chakra was already enough to stump many people.
It also required a complete understanding of one's own complex internal chakra pathway system.
Why were most Lightning Release jutsu of the long-range variety? Why were there so few Lightning Release jutsu suitable for Chunin and Genin to practice?
It was precisely because Lightning Release chakra wasn't as stable as, say, Earth Release chakra. In fact, it could be said to be the most unstable of the five basic chakra natures.
Using ninjutsu required chakra to circulate through the pathway system within the body. The inherently violent and unruly nature of Lightning Release chakra made it extremely difficult to control.
The slightest mistake during the process could severely injure one's own body…
Remembering this, Might Guy was stunned again.
He suddenly realized that Hyūga Kumokawa, with his Byakugan capable of seeing the internal pathway system, might actually be the ideal candidate for using this method to temper his body?
"This…"
For a moment, his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. He fell into a brief silence.
One could imagine that with Lightning Release chakra tempering his physique, Hyūga Kumokawa's future practice of the Eight Gates would inevitably progress by leaps and bounds.
This was a method of training that he, someone with almost no talent for ninjutsu, could never hope to touch.
However, this feeling of frustration only lasted for a brief moment before it was replaced by the boiling, scalding heat of fighting spirit and passion in his heart.
The look in Might Guy's eyes as he gazed at Hyūga Kumokawa changed repeatedly, finally settling into the same look he usually reserved for Kakashi.
"Kumokawa." His eyes burning with intensity, he thrust a thumbs-up, grinning to reveal his shining white teeth. His tone was serious. "Congratulations."
There was no trace of jealousy or bitterness in his words, only genuine sincerity, happy for his friend and for himself.
He was happy both for Hyūga Kumokawa's progress, and for gaining another rival.
Yes.
At this moment, in his heart, Hyūga Kumokawa was no longer that kindred spirit who needed to huddle together for warmth, nor was he that junior he regarded with pitying appreciation, needing guidance and support.
Instead, he was just like that guy Kakashi—a truly valued rival and cherished friend.