"Sensei, Naruto's youthful spirit is burning bright!" Lee shouted
"Yes! Naruto's spirit has touched even my youthful heart! I shall ask Kakashi for permission to train him some more!" Guy laughed
The two of them had just parted from Naruto, and they were extremely pleased with Naruto's efforts during the training. And there was also the thing he did before parting...
-Just before parting-
[Mission, yell "My burning youth will never be extinguished!" for a reward, but if you can come up with something even better and make me laugh, I'll make the reward better]
Naruto quickly processed it, and immediately, he started doing upside down pushups on one hand.
"Hahahaha! The youth in my heart shall burn brighter than the rising sun!" He then used his free hand to give Guy and Lee a thumbs up, as well as a bright smile showing all his teeth.
Guy immediately burst into tears
"That's the spirit Naruto, you are the definition of youthful spirit!"
"Naruto! Let our youthfulness burn together!" Lee shouted as tears ran down his face
Ino: Bwahahahaha!
[Okay, you somehow turned the situation I gave ten times more embarrassing...I love it]
[The original reward was going to be a minor improvement to your physique, but your efforts are seen, so it will be a medium improvement now]
Naruto felt his body strengthen even more, and was very pleased with the result. With his rough calculations, he is currently 2.5x stronger than the original Naruto in terms of physical capabilities!
-Present-
"Phew, that was quite the work out, perhaps I should buy something to eat" Naruto rubbed his chin
*Pat*
"Na-kun, that was some amazing 'youthful spirit' there, eh?" He heard a playful giggle as a hand landed on his back.
Only one person would call him Na-kun, so he immediately knew it was Ino, and a shiver ran down his spine...she...saw and heard all that?
He coughed
"What youthful spirit?" He shifted his gaze
"Haha, don't even try to hide it, you were so eager to join them in shouting as well, I wondered if I was watching the right person at first" Ino laughed
Naruto scratched the back of his head, it was one thing to do it whilst he was alone with Guy and Lee, but to be seen by others, now that's a much higher hurdle.
"What? Shy now that you know you've been seen?" Ino grinned with her hands behind her back as she leaned closer towards him.
"Kinda..." Naruto covered his flushed face with a hand as he spoke
*Thump*
Seeing his expression, Ino paused for a moment
'That expression is so unfair...'
To hide her fluttering heart, she patted Naruto's back and laughed
"Come on, don't be shy, you were rearing to go!"
Having teased him so much, she decided to treat him to ramen to make it up to him, which he accepted heartily.
"Say, how was your latest mission? I heard your team took on a C class mission" Ino asked
"It was easy, I easily dealt with the enemies" Naruto said with a proud expression as he grinned
"Hehehe, really now?" Ino smiled as she watched him show off
She glanced at the massive great sword on his back, that was bigger than he is.
"About that...thing" She pointed at it and asked
"Oh, my prize for winning against one of the enemies" Naruto said, if they weren't in the ramen shop, he'd had pulled it out to show it to her.
"And you're using it?" She asked
"Of course, won't I look awesome if I swing this around?"
"More like stupid" She replied
"Bleh" Naruto stuck out his tongue at her before continuing to eat
-Training ground the next day-
"Alright, that's it for today" Kakashi said to the three collapsed Genin in front of him
They were tasked to land a hit on him today, but having known all the tricks these kids have, Kakashi was practically untouchable.
"Before going, I'm also going to inform you all, the Chunin exam is coming up, and I have signed you three up for it"
"Huh? Seriously?" Naruto sat up and asked
"Mn, I believe you three are ready" He nodded
"Cool" Naruto laid back down, tired and defeated...
Though Naruto reacted rather calmly, Sakura and Sasuke were both rather surprised. They had only just graduated after all, so taking the Chunin exam now seemed rather sudden for them.
"Will we be the only ones?" Sakura asked
"No, there are other teams in your age range that will be participating" He replied
Kakashi then turned his gaze to Naruto
"Also, Guy asked if you could join his daily training, saying something like 'your youthful flames are burning bright', or something like that" He stared at Naruto with a curious gaze
"But I agreed since I think his training will be more effective for you" He had long realised that Naruto has a much more sturdy body than the rest of the team, so training with Guy would probably be more beneficial to him.
"Sensei, please tell me you told him I'll join tomorrow" Naruto looked up at him and said
Kakashi stared back, he suddenly realised something before giving him a smile
"Take care"
*Bang*
As soon as he spoke, a loud explosion occurred near them as Guy emerged from the dust clouds.
"Naruto, our path to youth has only just begun! I hope you have ignited the flame in your heart!" Guy leaned down and grinned
Sasuke and Sakura were somewhat amazed by Guy's speed, but also by his outfit...
Naruto jumped up, and reached into his pockets before pulling out...a cigarette...
????
"One moment" He said
Everyone stared at him in bewilderment, where in the world did he get that!? Furthermore, why is he taking it out now!?
Naruto placed it in his mouth, and took out a lighter, but Guy grabbed his hand and stopped him.
"Naruto, youth may be filled with trenches, but that is a part of growth! We can't let such things consume us to the point of no return" He said
His eyes shone with a burning gaze that told Naruto that if he didn't explain what this is, he would never be able to use it.
"It's not a cigarette" He said
"Why of course it isn't, it's gone" Guy laughed as he picked it out of his mouth and flicked it away
But Naruto jumped up and caught it
"It's something I made, it's used for energy recovery" Naruto said as he placed it in his mouth again and lit it up
'Yeah right' Everyone stared at him as if he was stupid for thinking that could fool them.
"Now now, Naruto, as an adult, I will need to stop you from using these dangerous things" Guy reached out his hand, but Naruto suddenly jumped back at a speed that even surprised Kakashi.
He clamped the cigarette between two fingers and blew out a purple fog that covered him entirely.
"What is this?" Guy leaned over towards the fog, but Naruto's hand reached out from it and pulled him in.
Silence suddenly befell them after Guy's sudden abduction into the fog. But not long after, they heard some deep breaths.
"What is this delightful feeling!" Guy laughed
'That's not weed, is it?' That was the first thought that came to their mind
The fog gradually dispersed, with Naruto still smoking the cigarette, whilst Guy was flexing his arms.
"Wonderful, I feel no end to my energy! And I sense no dangers in it, you're clear!" Guy gave him a thumbs up and said
???
"Guy, what was going on in there" Kakashi asked
"Kakashi, my long time rival! You must give that thing a try, the smoke emitted felt simply fabulous, and I feel like I'm in the prime of my youth!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes, he walked over to Naruto, and caught a faint whiff of the smoke emitted before closing his eyes. After a while, he opened his eyes and nodded.
"It's indeed made with some sort of herb that helps with energy recovery with no dangers, but why is it in the form of a cigarette" Kakashi asked
"Asuma sensei made it look cool"
"Urgh, of course he did...when did you two even meet?" Kakashi pinched between his brows and muttered
Well, in fairness, Naruto actually never met Asuma, however, he was the only smoker he knew since Ino kept complaing about her sensei's smoking habit, thus, he felt that pinning the design on him would be the best bet.
"Change the design" Kakashi said
"No" He refused
"There are many benefits, first, the opponents will not see it coming, second, I don't need to carry it, it's small, and I can hold a lot in my pocket" Naruto insisted on keeping the cigarette design due to the various benefits it can bring.
Kakashi was helpless against his stubbornness, so he ended up giving up on it and let Naruto leave with it in his mouth.
Naruto, who was brought back by Guy, was introduced to the other two members of team Guy as well.
"Everyone, this is Naruto" Guy pushed him in front and said with a wide smile
One was a girl who carried a large scroll behind her back, and the other was a boy with pale white eyes.
"This is Tenten, our weapon user who burns brighter than flames when using her various weapons, and the other is Neji, a bright and youthful member of the Hyuga clan" Guy said
Naruto walked over and extended a hand
"Hello" He shook hands with Tenten, but Neji gave him the cold shoulders and ignored him completely
"Don't mind him, he's just not used to you yet" Tenten smiled helplessly
"Now! Let's begin training!" Guy stomped his feet and laughed
The training was much more direct than Kakashi's, consisting of many physical workouts, though Tenten would complain how unfair it is towards her.
"Now Tenten, you need to push through your limits, that is how our youthfulness will truly shine!" Guy laughed as he picked her up and had her keep running.
As she ran, she was surprised to see Naruto keep up with the other three, so she kept pushing forth with determination.
"That's it Tenten! Keep pushing forth!" Guy cheered
Naruto ran beside her, and held out one hand
"Want one?" He said as he passed her a cigarette
???
"Why would I need this?" She uttered in confusion
"It helps with stamina recovery" He replied
"Huh?" Tenten was baffled, how does a cigarette help with stamina recovery?
"Give it a try, how else do you think I keep up with those monsters?" He said as he pointed towards Lee and Guy who ran off ahead.
Hearing this, she wondered if it is as magical as he claims it to be. But how else can one explain Naruto's ability to keep up with those two? So she decided to trust him and grabbed it.
*Click*
Naruto took out his lighter and helped her light it. Once lit, she took a puff, and realised that not only is it not heavy on smoke, it also made her feel refreshed. Even her fatigue was fading, leaving only an ample amount of energy to use up.
"This is crazy, where did you get them?" Tenten asked in amazement
"Made em myself, I save up money from the missions and buy herbs, also, it's been confirmed by Guy and Kakashi sensei that it has no harm to the body, so you don't need to worry about health issues" Naruto replied
"Wow, I didn't expect you to know about medicine, this thing will go for thousands of ryo if you sell it" Tenten gasped, she also realised that she isn't getting out of breathe despite talking with Naruto all this way.
In fact, they already caught up with Neji, who stared at them in bewilderment. Why? Because Tenten and Naruto were both laughing as they were smoking cigarettes during a run! Why are they smoking!?
"Hey Neji" Tenten waved
Neji stared back, stunned that someone as honest as Tenten would smoke
"You...you smoke?" He asked
"Ah?" Tenten realised why he was staring at them now, and waved her hand
"No, this thing helps with stamina recovery, it's been verified by Guy sensei and Kakashi sensei as well" Tenten replied
"Stamina recovery?" He realised that Tenten has been keeping up with him, despite falling short usually.
Furthermore, she is even holding up a conversation with him with steady breathing.
"Wanna try?" Naruto asked
He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to try, so he stared at it for a long while. He was rather hesitant, but since Tenten said it was verified by two Jonins already, he may as well give it a go.
He took the cigarette, and Naruto helped him light it.
The moment it was lit, his expression became that of shock, similar to that of Tenten's.
"Do be careful though, this things recovers stamina and reduces fatigue, but your body is still being worked to the bone, if you don't pay attention, your body can break down due to overwork" Naruto warned them both
They nodded, but the effects of this thing was way too effective, and they became more and more amazed as time went on.
Guy and Lee who were in front wiped their forehead at the end of the run, when they turned around, they saw that the other three were keeping up very well, which surprised them.
"It must be their competative spirits! Hahaha, youth is an amazing thing!" Guy laughed
"Indeed, their spirits are amazing, Guy sensei" Lee nodded in agreement
However, as they got closer, they felt something was off. All three of them ran together, each with a cigarette in their mouths...
'Are we ninjas, or is this a bandit group?' Guy's lips twitched, this was truly a sight to behold.
"Tenten, Neji, y-you all...you all smoke!?" Lee gasped
"H-Huh?" Realising that this thing has caused yet another misunderstanding, the two explained it to Lee.
After a short while of explanation, it was resolved.
"Amazing, Naruto, may I try one of those" Lee asked
"Sorry, I can't give out too many, I need to save some for the upcoming Chunin exam" Naruto replied
"That is alright, instead, let us spar once more" Lee said
Naruto grinned
"Fine by me" He said as he pulled out his executioner's blade.
"What an amazing spirit you both have! Hahaha, go all out, I shall watch over and decide the winner" Guy crossed his arms and laughed
Neji and Tenten were curious about Naruto's combat style and abilities, so they watched him attentively.
Once the battle began, their eyes widened as they watched Naruto keep up with Lee. Though he was mostly on the receiving end, he was able to block the attacks, and make use of the blade's size to his advantage.
"Impressive, you seem stronger than yesterday" Lee's eyes lit up as he asked
"Of course" Naruto grinned as he flicked the cigarette in his mouth
The two clashed once more, and half way through, Naruto ditched the greatsword as it would never hit Lee due to it's size.
He crossed his fingers
"Let's try this out, first time using it" Naruto grinned
*Puff*
Two identical copies suddenly appeared beside him
"Hoh, shadow clone jutsu? I didn't know he learned that as well" Guy muttered
One Naruto bent over, and allowed the other two to jump off his back, leaping into the air.
'That one did not disperse, it must be the real one' Lee stared at the one who bent over for the other two and dashed towards him.
The two in the air grabbed one another's arms, and started to spin at high speed before letting go, and releasing one clone towards Lee.
Lee looked up and saw the clone flying towards him, so he took on a defensive stance as the main Naruto also rushed him at this moment.
"Head!" Naruto yelled as he punched towards Lee's head
Lee raised an arm up to block the punch, however, he suddenly received a kick to the waist from Naruto.
"Too gullible" Naruto grinned
The clone came down from above and tackled Lee, who had flinched from Naruto's kick, sending him crashing to the ground, whilst also dispersing itself.
"Good coordination"Guy nodded
Lee took in a deep breath
"Amazing, I shall not hold back now" He said as he suddenly vanished from Naruto's sight.
He appeared behind the clone that threw the other clone, and smashed it into the ground, causing it to disperse.
His speed was incredibly fast, so much that Naruto could hardly keep up with his eyes, so in the end, he was quickly overwhelmed by Lee, and sent tumbling to the ground after a few rounds of exchange.
"Lee, you're seriously insane" Naruto scratched the back of his head as he slowly sat up
"You're no slouch either Naruto, to have forced Lee to go all out" Tenten said as she walked over
"All out...heh" Naruto glanced at the weights that are still tied to Lee's legs.
They must have realised his gaze, and felt a little embarrassed that he found out.
"Even so, no one aside Neji has been able to force Lee to fight like he did with you, you're also amazing yourself" Tenten said
"Thanks" Naruto laid back down on the ground and heaved a sigh
"I'm tired, even with the cigarette, I can't keep up" He thought he would be able to handle Lee since he had his physique enhanced again recently, paired with the cigarette and shadow clones, but Lee still overwhelmed him without even removing his weights.
Tenten sat down next to him
"Hey Naruto, is it true that you kissed Sasuke?" Tenten asked
This question made Lee and Neji both perk up their ears as they sat down behind them with an attentive look on their faces.
[Proudly state that you did kiss him]
[Reward: Slightly increase physique]
Seeing this mission, Naruto turned to Tenten with a smug expression
"Not only did I kiss him, I even held his hand with our fingers interlocked" He replied
"..."
Such fiery news! Neji and Lee both had their mouths agape from shock, whilst Tenten had a speechless expression.
"Why do you seem so proud?" Tenten asked
"Cause the girl I like, likes Sasuke" He replied
"..."
His words were like thunder in their minds, shocking and leaving them bewildered.
"So, you're saying that you did that...out of spite?" Tanten asked with a speechless expression
"I will neither confirm nor deny that" Naruto replied with a blank face
"..."