Training with Might Guy turned out to be incredibly tough and grueling, squeezing every st drop of energy from us to the point where we could barely make it home. For the girls, the training ended after the third hour, and they left, but I continued working with the jonin in the green jumpsuit.

  "Alright, genin," Guy addressed me. "I see you've rested enough. Get up, we're having a spar."

  "Yes, Guy-sensei," I replied quietly, slowly rising to my feet. Over the past few days, I had felt nothing but pain.

  "Get up with more energy, Suzuki," Guy encouraged, fshing all 132 of his teeth in a grin. "Be more cheerful, and everything in your life will fall into pce."

  "Yes, sir," I whispered, barely audible.

  After adjusting my clothes and stretching my arms, I took a fighting stance. I knew full well that Might Guy didn’t hold back. During sparring, he wouldn't hit hard enough to crush me, but that didn’t make it any less painful.

  "I'm coming!" Guy warned.

  The next moment, his leg shot toward my chest with astonishing speed and force. I managed to block at the st second, deflecting the blow with my arms instead of my torso. The impact made my bones tremble, and pain surged through my body like a raging wave, focusing on my arms.

  I tumbled through the air like a leaf in the wind, then ducked sharply to dodge the next kick. His leg whistled over my head, leaving a trail in the air. A hit like that would have fttened me. Stepping aside, I tried to strike him from the side. Guy allowed the blow to nd but easily blocked it, pying with me like a cat with a mouse. Then, he grabbed my leg and flipped me over, smming me face-first into the ground. Thanks to my chakra, I avoided serious injury and came away with just a scare.

  Breaking free from the dirt, I rolled and leaped back, only to immediately catch another kick from Guy. Unable to keep my footing, I was thrown sideways, crashing through some bushes and knocking over a tree before bouncing across a small ke’s surface like a skipping stone, creating ripples in the water.

  As I came to a stop, trying to regain my bance, I attempted to stand on the water using my chakra control. But Guy was already in front of me like a shadow, instantly closing the distance. This time, he gave me a chance to showcase my skills. I unched rapid, lightning-fast strikes, aiming to knock him off his feet. Each punch felt like a hammer striking an anvil, accompanied by energy bursts as our powers cshed. I weaved and sidestepped his slowed, yet powerful, strike, then attempted to outmaneuver him, trying to flip him over my hip with unexpected agility and strength.

  At the st second, Guy, as agile as a leopard, performed a graceful move, and I took a powerful knee straight to the torso. The force of the blow unched me into the sky like a rocket. I soared high enough to be surprised, catching a distant glimpse of Hokage Rock, majestic and monumental. From such a height, the ke below appeared incredibly small, like a toy, and the vilge around it looked like a miniature model. I was so high up.

  “Damn!” I shouted, realizing just how far I was in the air.

  “Scared, genin?” Guy asked, suddenly beside me, his voice near my ear. A wave of primal fear shot through my body.

  I turned around, only for Guy to spin and kick me back down toward the ground. In the next second, my back smmed into the water’s surface before crashing into the bottom of the ke, stirring up clouds of silt.

  Frantically swimming back to the surface, I noticed Guy’s green outfit fshing past me. As I surfaced, I saw him charging toward me, causing an explosion of water spray. A moment ter, another blow struck. It was blunt but powerful, sending me flying to the surface again. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and panic almost set in. As I burst out of the water, I was thrown onto the shore. Before I could fully recover, I dodged just in time as Might Guy nded where I had been lying.

  “Hmph, you're improving,” the jonin said, shaking his body dry instantly. That was a trick I’d love to learn. “Alright, get up.”

  “Yes, sir,” I replied, beginning to stand.

  My body ached and throbbed, but the cold water seemed to help a little. Honestly, sparring and training with Guy, pushing my physical limits, had given me a tremendous boost in skills and strength. If, during the first session, I had only managed to reach the third phase, by the third day I had sted almost until the end of the third phase. It felt like my body was rapidly adapting and changing to better endure these “torments.” The spars also helped improve my taijutsu skills. I was still far from a master, but the experience had raised me to a level beyond what I had ever achieved before.

  "Let’s go again," Might Guy said.

  "Yeah, let’s," I barely exhaled.

  "You can use your techniques."

  This time, the spar went a bit differently. The jonin didn’t beat me up too much but allowed me to give it my all. I used every technique I knew, timing them to maximize their effectiveness. But when Guy took the initiative, I paid heavily for every mistake and wrong move.

  During the spar, we made our way back to the training ground, where it ended with me smming my back into a thick tree. I briefly lost consciousness but quickly came to my senses.

  Shiko and Ayamane had already recovered and were watching me with great interest. For some reason, the captain of the eleventh team didn’t push them to train as hard or test their limits. It was clear that he didn’t make them do all the things I was doing. Maybe it was because they were from cns and received training there? Or maybe it was because they didn’t show the same drive to reach new heights? I didn’t know. I didn’t have an answer.

  "What can I say," Guy said once we had caught our breath and could stand somewhat straight. "Overall, in these few days, you’ve managed to reach new heights, and I’m incredibly proud. Of course, there’s still much to work on, but even so, you are worthy genin of our vilge."

  "Thank you, Guy-sensei," we responded in unison.

  We went home and immediately rested. After cleaning myself up, I still had some energy and decided to take a walk around the vilge and grab something to eat. I had no desire to cook, even though the fridge was stocked with ingredients. For a snack, I chose Ichiraku Ramen.

  This pce wasn’t particurly popur, but it had enough customers to stay open. It seemed the surrounding area didn’t attract much foot traffic from people who might want to visit.

  Pushing aside a small curtain, I walked in and immediately noticed a short kid in an orange jumpsuit that looked like construction gear. It seemed someone had tried to modify it rather clumsily. He wore a rge green headband with round green goggles. His golden hair and whisker-like marks on his cheeks immediately gave away who he was.

  Shrugging, I didn’t pay much attention to him and sat at the counter to pce my order.

  "Wow," Naruto—because it was indeed him—said. "Are you already a genin, right?"

  "Huh?" I was surprised. "Yes, I’m a genin."

  "I’ll be a genin soon too," the boy said, smiling broadly. "And after that, I’ll become Hokage. Because that’s my dream."

  "Do you tell everyone that?" I asked.

  "What would you like to order?" Teuchi asked me.

  "Pork ramen," I said, then gnced at Naruto, who kept throwing hungry looks at the bowls of delicious-smelling food. "Make it two. One for me and one for this kid. What’s your name, by the way?"

  "Naruto Uzumaki," he replied instantly. "Future Hokage! Believe it!"

  "I’ve heard that before," I smirked.

  Teuchi quickly began preparing the order, making two bowls almost simultaneously. He had a helper who wasn’t familiar to me. Judging by her resembnce to the owner, she was probably his retive—maybe even his daughter.

  "Yeah," Naruto nodded.

  "And what do you understand by Hokage?" I asked.

  If I’m not mistaken, he eventually achieved his dream. But how? I don’t know.

  "Hokage is the strongest shinobi in the vilge, who everyone loves and respects," Naruto said. "Like the Third, the old man."

  "Well, I don’t know. Hiruzen Sarutobi could still put many young ones to shame," I replied. "But to me, a Hokage is someone who is willing to sacrifice their life so that the vilge can continue to thrive and grow."

  "I’ll be so strong that no one will have to sacrifice anything," Naruto said immediately. "I’ll be the strongest Hokage. All the vilgers will live well and happily, and also... Sakura... Ahem."

  He cleared his throat, then loudly added, "Because that’s my ninja way!"

  "Alright, alright," I said, turning my head away. "I won’t bother you anymore. Your shouting is making my ears ring."

  "Here’s your order," Teuchi said, pcing two bowls in front of us—one for me and one for Naruto.

  "Thank you!" Naruto excimed, immediately digging in. He worked with his chopsticks like a wnmower, and within a minute, the entire bowl of ramen had disappeared. Another minute ter, the bowl was completely empty.

  I had just started eating, slowly savoring the fvor, surprised at how quickly he had devoured his meal.

  "You're fast," I said to him, shaking my head.

  "Yeah," Naruto grinned proudly, as if it was a compliment. "One old man called me a 'speedster'!"

  The girl coughed and looked at Naruto with slight surprise.

  Apparently, the word "speedster" had a completely different meaning here. But I wasn’t going to enlighten him on that; there was no point. Better to just continue eating and not think too much about it.

  "Alright, Naruto," I said. "I need to go."

  "Can you train me for a bit?" the boy asked. "Please, please, please!"

  "Uh..." I hesitated, looking at his pleading eyes. What should I tell him? It’s better to be honest. "Sorry, but I don’t have much time right now. I’m heading out on a mission soon, and I’ll be away from the vilge for a few months. When I get back, if you still want to train, you can find me again."

  "Of course!" he nodded enthusiastically. "And what's your name?"

  "Suzuki Grandvitara," I told him.

  "Great, Suzuki-sensei," he replied. "When you come back from your mission, I'll definitely find you! I gotta run!"

  Seconds ter, the boy disappeared, leaving only the curtain swaying in his wake. I just watched it and shook my head.

  "What an energetic kid," I said quietly, though I was overheard.

  "He's always like that," the girl said, smiling. "Naruto often comes here with coupons. By the way, my name is Ayame."

  "Suzuki," I nodded in return.

  "You're not a frequent visitor here," Ayame remarked.

  "Ayame, don’t bother the guest," Teuchi said.

  "What? I'm not," she replied, realizing her persistence. "I’m not doing anything."

  "Heh," I chuckled. "How much do I owe you?"

  After paying for both myself and Naruto, I decided to take a stroll through the vilge. I needed to unwind from the tension of the past few days. People were everywhere, as usual, going about their business. Noticing a small, nearly empty bar, I decided to step inside. At the entrance stood a hulking guard with an eyepatch, clearly not a shinobi. His job seemed to be intimidating regur people. He gave me a once-over, then returned to solving a sudoku puzzle on paper.

  Inside, the atmosphere was quiet and calm. In one corner, a few senior shinobi were chatting animatedly over mugs of drinks. At another table sat a lone woman, slowly sipping from a wine gss. She was likely drinking wine. You could immediately tell she was a kunoichi—she had an attractive figure and beautiful light brown hair, with a small fringe between her eyes. After a brief gnce in her direction, I made my way to an empty table.

  A smiling waitress approached almost immediately.

  "May I offer you the menu?" she asked.

  "Thanks," I nodded. She stood by, waiting for my order. "Do you have bourbon?"

  "Of course," she replied. "It’s a pretty popur drink."

  "Then bring that, please," I said. "And send a drink to the woman as well, on me."

  "Of course, shinobi-san," she replied cheerfully.

  A little while ter, the waitress brought the woman her drink. She looked at me in surprise, raised her gss in thanks, and took a sip.

  My drink arrived shortly after, and I began enjoying it. The pleasant warmth of the alcohol spread through my body, bringing a sense of ease. Soon, they brought me some snacks, and I continued to rex. I winked at the woman and returned to my drink, not expecting any further interaction between us.

  "Mind if I sit down?" the woman asked.

  "Please," I nodded toward the chair across from me. "I don’t mind at all if such a beauty joins me."

  "Heh," she smiled and calmly sat down, pcing her drink on the table. "By the way, thank you."

  "No problem," I replied. "I like doing nice things sometimes. And if it’s for a beautiful stranger..."

  "I see you know how to py with words, you little charmer," she teased with a good-natured ugh.

  "Why not?" I shrugged. "Want another?"

  "Only if you’re buying," she replied with a pleasant smile.

  "Another gss, please," I called out to the waitress.

  "I’ll bring it right away," she responded.

  And indeed, a minute ter, a new gss with a reddish drink appeared on the table.

  "Mebuki Haruno," the woman introduced herself.

  "Suzuki Grandvitara," I replied. "And what’s a lovely woman like you doing alone?"

  "Rexing," she smiled. "Even a beautiful woman has things to do, and they need to get done."

  "I see," I said.

  "So, you're a genin?" she asked suddenly, getting straight to the point.

  "Genin," I replied. "But I think I’ll become a chunin soon."

  "I see," she smiled, leaning forward slightly. "So young, yet so confident. Are you sure?"

  "Well, my trainer, Might Guy, personally praised my skills," I shrugged. "So... I don’t know."

  "Might Guy is your sensei?" she asked, her interest piqued.

  "No, but my team and his, along with another, are going on a mission together," I expined. "Our captains decided to swap teams to better prepare us for the future."

  "I see," she replied. "That sounds very interesting. And if you’re curious, I’ve been a chunin for a few years now. Do you think you could beat me?"

  "You want to try, Mebuki?" I asked pyfully. The alcohol was affecting both of us. It showed in the slight flush on her face and her deeper breathing.

  "Do you think you can defeat an adult chunin?"

  "And what if I can?" I asked, meeting her gaze.

  “Oh, then you’ll get an interesting reward,” she smiled mischievously. “There’s a small training field nearby. If you’re not scared, we can test your skills.”

  “Let’s do it,” I said. The alcohol was unexpectedly influencing my mind. I could have stopped then, but... I didn’t want to. My thoughts were like a train moving in a single direction.

  Paying for the drinks without counting the money, I followed Mebuki. She quickly led me to a small training field. It was a simple area, not exactly a field, but that didn’t matter... especially not now.

  Mebuki stood in front of me, shifting her leg slightly. She swayed a bit from the alcohol, but not enough that she couldn’t do anything.

  “Defend yourself,” she said and suddenly leaped at me.

  It turned out... Mebuki moved slowly. I blocked her kick, then gently caught her leg and slowly ran my hand from her knee along the inner thigh all the way to the top. She gasped and jumped back. Her face flushed even more, either from the alcohol or from embarrassment.

  And why not? This question popped into my head, followed by some interesting thoughts. Ah? Who could stop me if the woman wasn’t against it at all? Heh-heh!

  A smooth, sliding movement forward. She tried to hit me, but her movements were slow and somewhat clumsy. Slipping further, I grabbed her arm, and with a soft movement, I ended up behind her, pressing her arm to her back, preventing her from moving. My other hand slid toward her neck, but I started from a distance.

  “Oh, how strong you are,” she said, trying to break free. But I was indeed stronger than her, and she couldn’t escape. Even if she tried, and not just pyed along.

  “Who said I’d let you go tonight,” I whispered with a smirk in her ear. The alcohol continued to mess with my body, and I added, “Tonight, you’re mine. And I’ll make sure you can barely walk in the morning.”

  “What a bold genin you are with your words,” she replied with excitement. “But can you prove it? Huh?”

  “Want to find out?” This phrase felt like déjà vu to me.

  “I do,” she replied.

  I let her go, and then Mebuki led me to a pce only she knew. It was a small building with a barely noticeable sign. At the entrance stood a short, slightly plump woman. Behind her hung a sign with text I quickly gnced over. Feeling Mebuki’s interested and expectant gaze on my back as she hugged me, I realized: I’d have to fork out some money, or I’d be going home alone.

  “The full package,” I decided. I had enough savings for several trips to this pce, named “Aunt Kurotsuchi Nanao’s Love Hotel.”