I'm sorry for the no upload yesterday I was completely exhausted. Also finals are coming up so I'm gonna try my best to keep a regular upload schedule but I might miss here or there until there over in two weeks.
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"So what was the reason you were watching?" Sakumo said in the deep and harsh voice he used when he first met Hiruko.
Jumping up, the boy in the green jumpsuit flashed a blinding white smile, extending his hand with his thumb up.
"My name is Duy, and you two embody the power of youth, and I was mesmerized by it," Duy said.
'Yep, no different from his son.' Hiruko thought, but he immediately believed what Duy said; as someone who watched the anime, he knew it was in his character.
Sakumo, however, not knowing Duy's character, thought he was either an idiot or a very good liar.
Trying to discern his intentions, Sakumo stared deep into Duy's eyes, who just smiled and stayed with his thumb up.
'Yep, he's an idiot.' Sakumo thought, coming to his conclusion.
Hiruko, noticing the silence, tried his best to break it, though he knew he was probably one of the worst people to try.
"So, um, thank you for the compliment. I'm sure you're youthful too." Hiruko said, trying his best to change the topic.
At his words Duy broke out in tears streaming down his face.
Hiruko and Sakumo, seeing this, were noticeably taken aback as they looked at each other, their eyes conveying a message.
'Master, what did you do to him?' Sakumo thought, but Hiruko picked up on this.
'Me? I just gave him a compliment. Why is he crying? Hiruko conveyed bewilderment.
Duy, wiping his tears, sat on a boulder, beginning to pour his heart out.
Hiruko, watching this, couldn't help but complain internally.
'This is so stupid.'
"I'm sorry for showing such an unyouthful side of myself just now; it's just when you called me youthful, it made me so happy. Sakumo, sir, you probably don't remember this, but we were actually in the same class," Duy said, crestfallen.
Sakumo, listening to Duy's story, though albeit a little checked out, perked up at this: "We were? How come I don't remember you?"
Duy, giving a self-deprecating smile, said, "Of course, you are a genius and first, while I was last place, a person who can barely use ninjutsu due to my condition."
'Has he not developed eight gates yet? Wait, does he even develop it or find it?' Hiruko thought, confused.
Sakumo looked at his master, his eyes conveying a question: 'Could you heal him?'
Hiruko, seeing this, lightly shook his head. It's not that he wouldn't one day, but now just trying to would probably kill him, and who knows if his Devil Fruit even has those capabilities right now?
Sakumo, seeing his master's inability to help him, was slightly sad; as a swordsman, he could feel the potential of this kid. That's why he did him a favor and asked the one man he knew who had the ability to.
Hiruko, sensing Sakumo's wish, had many thoughts of his own.
'You know, if I leave him here, he'll probably go and find and develop it in some way… But then if it goes according to the anime, he'll die before ever really shining. And I can't help but think, Should I change that?'
Hiruko pondered that he had a good life, a system, and potential. All he needed to do was continue on his path, and he'd reach the peak.
So why, why should I feel the need to help others when my life was destined from coming to this world to be different from theirs?
'But,' Hiruko thought, 'what of all the others with impeccable talent that couldn't reach their peak?'
Hiruko thought. Looking at Duy and Sakumo, to him these were characters he knew their hearts and potential more than anyone.
And maybe it's because of that it's his job to change their lives.
Hiruko extended his hand toward his back and grabbed his sword as he used Body Flicker to move a couple meters from Duy.
Sakumo, seeing this, took on a slight smile. 'This is why I followed that man; he is one of miracles.'
"Duy, you are wrong; you are a genius." Hiruko said honestly.
Duy, hearing this, looked almost happy at the idea of being labeled a genius before, but he quickly shook his head; he knew he wasn't and would never be.
"I appreciate it, Hiruko, sir, but you don't have to lie. I know I'm not."
Hiruko, hearing this, gnashed his teeth a little, employing the full power of the Press-Press fruit, a pressure more powerful than any he's done before. Trees snapped from the weight, and grass bowed.
Sakumo, who saw what his master was going to do beforehand, quickly moved behind him before the pressure hit.
And Duy, on the other hand, laid flat on his face a couple inches into the hard rock ground that fractured from the pressure; blood dripped down his face.
"Hiruko wh—" Duy stared but was cut off.
"Do you think I don't see it—the callus and scars from training your butt off, or the sweat that still stains your body from training before this? I will say this one more time: you are a genius, a genius of hard work, so be proud and tell me, what is your dream?" Hiruko said seriously, a strip of blood descending from his nose.
"But my body—" Duy couldn't help but say. His chakra pathways were messed up; he could access chakra, sure, but the amount he could access was practically zero.
Hiruko, taking a deep breath, continued, "I never asked you about your body. Who said you had to use chakra to be a ninja? If your body can't use chakra, then unlock the limits of the human body and become strong. Be the actual ninja in a world full of wizards,"
Hiruko said, his voice growing hoarse.
Sakumo, who was standing off to the side, couldn't help but question his master calling them wizards.
Duy, however, listening to Hiruko, felt something he hadn't in a long time; he felt… faith, faith that he could be a ninja, one who was a genius in hard work.
Seeing his contemplation, Hiruko, who was about to run on E, gave one last push.
"I asked, 'What is your dream? Tell me, and when you accept it and wish to strive for it, touch this sword, and I will help you, but I have no interest in changing the fate of a person who doesn't have the will to strive and fight and die for it. So tell me."
Duy, hearing this, looked up, his eyes meeting Hiruko's, and when he did, Duy knew he was serious and that this was his chance.
He didn't know if Hiruko would deliver even half of what he said, but a part of him didn't care and was going to leap into the unknown, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take this leap of faith.
"I—I can't, Hiruko." Duy said his body was unable to fight against the power of nature.
'Maybe I was wrong about him,' Hiruko said lightly, shaking his head as he was about to withdraw his pressure.
But suddenly Sakumo's hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Forgive me, master, for my impudence, but please trust him." He whispered to Hiruko before shouting to Duy.
"Duy, I am Sakumo Hatake, the right hand of Hiruko. Even though I've known him for less than a month, I know he will help me achieve my dreams, and you need to believe too."
Duy, hearing this, could only whimper and ask,
"How? How will I know I can reach my dreams? How will I know this is my path?" Duy said, tears fully flowing.
Sakumo, seeing this, simply laughed. "You don't. Duy, it's a leap of faith, but if you hear something, no matter how small, have faith in this man, then show us your youth, yell out your dream for all to hear, and touch that sword." Sakumo said before turning back to stand behind Hiruko,
This was the extent of his help toward Duy, if he couldn't grasp this rope, Sakumo would forget the name Duy.
Duy, on the other hand, knew what he had to do; gnashing his teeth slightly, he yelled with all he had.
"My name is Might Duy, an orphan at Konoha's home for children. My dream is to be the best Taijutsu master in the world, to reach the peak only with taijutsu and show others that hard work trumps talent… I wish to show the world my youth," Duy said through tears as he tried to push his body up to resist the gravity.
For the next 30 minutes his muscles buckled again and again. Ligaments tore, and blood gushed from every surface it could.
As Duy struggled to stand and walk, every step toward Hiruko felt like agony incarnate, but Duy kept going.
Hiruko looking could only describe it as a dead man walking.
His voice grew hoarse, his eyes white, but no matter what, he kept walking. And after 30 minutes, Duy touched the sword in Hiruko's hand.
"This is Youth," Duy said quitely as he passed out into the arms of Hiruko, who threw his sword to the side and caught him.
"Yes, Duy, yes, it is." Hiruko said,