In the end, the fight never actually broke out. Before Uchiha Haru could even start forming hand seals, Yuki Seisui had already pinned her down with one hand and was now sitting on her back.
This left Uchiha Haru both embarrassed and furious. Huffing in frustration, she went off to one side to practice ninjutsu and shuriken control.
"Impressive!" Yamanaka Yukio, who had been quietly observing the interaction, gave Seisui a big thumbs-up.
"Seisui, you're amazing. It's only been a short time, and things are already like that."
What the hell are you talking about?
Training time was monotonous and dull. Instead of pulling out flashy techniques like the Rasengan, Seisui created three Shadow Clones, making four of him in total, and began drilling basic swordsmanship.
The sword techniques drawn from his template were already quite polished; he just needed to adapt them to his own body and rhythm to use them proficiently.
His current focus was on integrating those drawn abilities into his personal style.
Only then would those powers truly belong to him.
Right now, he was merely using them, not owning them.
It was a subtle but important difference.
But during training, something unexpected happened.
The first Shadow Clone, yes, the one with his own personality, immediately walked over to Uchiha Haru and started taunting her.
He was absolutely asking for it.
The result? Predictable. Haru punched him straight into the smoke.
The moment the clone dispersed, Seisui felt the memory and thoughts flow back to him. His face darkened.
That clone had gone completely rogue, like it was off the leash and living its best life.
As for Haru, the one who'd been annoyed by him, Seisui didn't turn around to look. But during his sword practice, he could constantly feel a subtle, lingering gaze on his back.
When they exited the Duel Arena, Seisui glanced at Haru and muttered:
"Women, no matter the age, really hold grudges..."
"That's why I just want a normal woman and a peaceful life where I'm the head of the household."
Nara Shikaku, lying nearby, chimed in quietly, "Heh."
Seisui gave him a sidelong glance and chuckled, "Heh." If nothing changed, Shikaku was definitely going to be a classic henpecked husband in the future.
"Hope your dream comes true."
"Screw you!" Shikaku cursed from the ground.
Dreams always feel out of reach. Aspirations are what you pursue.
But calling it a dream... did that mean he'd never get to live that kind of life?
Their real bodies had been training outside the Duel Arena for six hours. By the time they all exited, exhaustion hit them like a wave.
Everyone, except Haru, was used to this, collapsing on the ground to rest their aching bodies.
Uchiha Haru, though, came out and flopped down next to Seisui. Her face slightly flushed, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move to the base of a tree, slumping down with her back against it.
Her body felt weak and sore, she hated it, but she understood this feeling. It meant she'd pushed herself to the limit.
Just then, Might Duy came running over from the other side.
He'd actually been there for a while, but when he saw them all in the middle of training, he didn't want to disturb them. Instead, he spent the time running laps around Konoha.
His original intention had been to teach Seisui and the others some training methods. But after watching their intense routine, he realized he didn't have much to offer.
With a dejected expression, he said, "I can only teach you the secrets of Taijutsu... nothing else."
"A truly disappointing youth…"
"No, Uncle Duy, this is youth!" Seisui immediately sat up, not wanting to crush the man's spirit.
"As long as you're chasing your dreams with everything you've got, that is youth."
"To endure hardships others can't, to swallow insults others won't, to do what others wouldn't dare… and in the end, to enjoy things others never will. That… is youth!"
He sounded like a walking quote from a philosophy textbook.
"Endure hardships others can't… do what others won't…" Duy repeated the words under his breath. Then, to everyone's surprise, he stepped forward and hugged Seisui tightly, tears streaming down his face.
"Seisui! I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"
"You're the true heir to the spirit of youth!"
"From now on, let me teach you the ultimate secrets of Taijutsu!"
"Waaahhh!"
Uchiha Haru, watching from the base of the tree, twitched.
She was struggling to reconcile the image of this guy, someone who'd once slit her throat without hesitation, now sobbing in the arms of Konoha's eternal Genin.
"Seisui, I've prepared a little gift for you two," Might Duy said as he wiped his tears away.
He reached behind and pulled out two pieces of clothing.
Two bright green, skin-tight bodysuits.
Just looking at them screamed "youth."
Minato eyed Duy's own green outfit and looked intrigued. He'd never worn a bodysuit before, but he'd heard they were great for movement and agility.
Duy handed the suits to Seisui and Minato, one for each.
"Thank you, Uncle Duy," Minato said, clearly pleased.
Seisui gave Minato a look, then quietly cleared his throat and shoved his suit into Minato's arms, offering his thanks to Duy as well.
He accepted the gift, sure, but there was no way in hell he was ever wearing that.
Still, Seisui had to admit: this kind of outfit would be ideal for training. Maybe he'd go buy a few black versions to use as workout gear.
"This bodysuit is perfect for Taijutsu training!" Duy said proudly, giving a big thumbs-up.
"But judging from your condition, today isn't good for more training. I'll come back tomorrow to teach you."
With that, Duy scratched his head, gave them a smile, and turned to leave.
"Seisui, if you want to learn Taijutsu, you can just ask me," Akimichi Choza said as he munched on some chips and waddled over. "I can teach you."
"You don't get it. Uncle Duy is really strong," Seisui replied.
Nara Shikaku glanced thoughtfully at Seisui. He knew the guy wasn't exactly a genius tactician, but when it came to other things... his friend was starting to feel a little legendary.
If Seisui said Might Duy was strong, then odds were, it wasn't a joke.
Still, Shikaku couldn't wrap his head around it. If Duy was that strong… why was he still a lifelong Genin?
Seeing everyone still lounging around, Seisui smiled and changed the subject. "Alright, enough of that. I'm heading out to buy some combat gear. Anyone wanna come?"
"No thanks," Shikaku said weakly, trying and failing to lift an arm.
"You broke me."
"My body's totally shot. But hey, pick up a couple sets for me, will ya?"
"Same here!"
"Yeah, me too!"
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was not
hing if not united, even when it came to letting someone else do their shopping.
Seisui didn't mind. As long as they paid up, he was happy to help.
"How about you, Haru?" he asked. "Want me to grab something for you too?"
Uchiha Haru's face darkened instantly. "Pervert!"
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