"Hey~ Kakashi, he's the one you've been hiding, the genius named Mitarai Ishikawa?" The moment Ishikawa appeared, Might Guy—tall, muscular, with thick eyebrows and large, gleaming eyes—shouted with excitement.
His bull-like gaze locked onto Ishikawa, scrutinizing him from head to toe as if trying to unearth something extraordinary.
"Genius? Am I really that impressive?" Ishikawa's mouth twitched as he gave Kakashi—who, unusually, wasn't late—a blank look.
What was Kakashi up to? He wanted to play the role of the genius teacher to attract attention, but now, with Neji—the top prodigy of their generation—standing right there, what was he supposed to do?
"Ishikawa, I didn't expect you to be a hidden genius! You sly fox, acting like a normal student back at the academy," Before Kakashi could speak, Lee rushed over, eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Come! Let's have a genius vs. loser duel! I want to see if you deserve the title of genius!"
"You think you're worthy of challenging Brother Ishikawa?" Before Ishikawa could even refuse, Taro, his younger teammate, jumped in front and shouted, "A loser like you? I'll handle you myself!"
Just earlier, they'd been intimidated by Neji's presence, but now that their big brother had arrived, their courage returned in full force.
"Exactly! Brother Ishikawa's a genius, just like Neji!" Jiro chimed in from behind, his eyes narrowing as he shot a scornful look at the ever-righteous Rock Lee.
"And you toss around the word 'genius' like it means nothing? Please. If beating you in a test counts, then hell—our entire class must be full of prodigies."
His voice dripped with sarcasm. To him, calling someone like Lee a benchmark of talent was laughable—an insult to the word itself.
That kind of 'genius' wasn't worth a paper shuriken.
"Damn you guys…" Lee clenched his fists, his face blazing red with humiliation. But the shame wasn't from their words—it was from the truth behind them. Deep down, he knew: against Taro or Jiro, he didn't stand a chance.
He didn't have ninjutsu. He didn't have genjutsu. Just fists and willpower.
"So it's fine to come in last, as long as it isn't me, huh?" Before Lee could bite back a retort, Neji stepped forward, his tone flat, eyes unreadable.
Lee was his teammate, after all. Mocking Lee was tantamount to mocking all of Team 3. And to be honest, Neji was quite interested in this Ishikawa, Kakashi's so-called genius student.
"Neji, this isn't the ninja academy anymore! Our brother's not someone you can underestimate!"
"That's right! Don't think you're the only genius around here. Our brother is just as good!"
Seeing Neji take a step forward, Taro and Jiro instantly swallowed nervously—then, in perfect sync, shoved Ishikawa out in front like an offering.
Their movement was so smooth and natural, it was like watching flowing water.
Ishikawa stumbled forward and nearly fell. Shameless! Utterly shameless! You two were acting all high and mighty just seconds ago—and now you're pushing me forward?
"Ahem, can someone explain what exactly is going on?" Ignoring Neji's icy glare, Ishikawa turned and asked Kakashi directly.
He still had no idea what they were fighting over! Why was this even happening?
"Uh…" Kakashi scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed under Ishikawa's stare.
How was he supposed to explain that he had gotten up early today, gone to report Ishikawa's performance to the Third Hokage—hoping to secure more team assignments—and that Guy had overheard the word genius?
And of course, his lifelong rival had seized the opportunity, roping them into an impromptu team showdown. The Third Hokage, naturally, gave his approval by conveniently withholding all their missions.
"Hahaha! Let me explain, young man!" Seeing Kakashi hesitate, Might Guy stepped forward with a thumbs-up, grinning proudly. "First of all, allow me to introduce myself! I am your teacher Kakashi's eternal rival—Konoha's Jonin, Might Guy!"
"Hmm…" Upon hearing this, Ishikawa and his two younger brothers nodded in unison, politely showing respect to the veteran ninja.
Seeing this, Might Guy grew even more excited. Flashing his dazzling white teeth, he spoke confidently, "On the path of becoming a ninja, competition and mutual growth are the best forms of training! To help you all flourish, I propose that the fiery bond between Kakashi and me be passed down to you—the new generation!"
"So today, your mission is a class showdown! Oh! Can you feel your blood boiling, boy?! I can already feel the flames of youth blazing once again!!"
With that final dramatic cry, Guy's thunderous declaration caused Kakashi to silently take two steps back to distance himself. Ishikawa and the other two stood frozen in place, faces blank and expressions blown away like leaves in the wind…
Even Guy's own students—Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten—couldn't bear to watch. They subtly stepped away, their expressions filled with awkward embarrassment.
Clearly, they still hadn't fully adapted to this over-the-top passion performance. Especially since Lee hadn't yet inherited Guy's burning enthusiasm… or his iconic green tights.
"Sensei... Can I refuse?" In the sudden awkward silence, Ishikawa turned to Kakashi with a helpless expression.
A Team duel? What kind of nonsense was this? Only someone with too much free time would agree to such a pointless event. If he became a target of Lee's obsession, he'd end up as miserable as Kakashi—scared to even use the restroom alone!
"NO!!" Before Kakashi could even open his mouth, Might Guy bellowed his reply, then turned to him with intense determination. "Kakashi! Our previous 48 matches ended in a draw. Today's Team duel will be our 49th—one of us must win!"
"You're really that serious, huh? Looks like I've got no way out..." Seeing his old rival's expression, Kakashi gave a bitter smile and nodded.
Though he often found Guy's antics overwhelming, he couldn't deny one truth—Guy was right. The path of a ninja demanded rivals—someone to push you forward, to compete with and rely on.
And Ishikawa's team needed that same kind of bond.
"Very well!" Might Guy shouted, practically vibrating with enthusiasm, "I hereby declare the class duel officially underway! As for the penalty—whichever team loses will have to run around all of Konoha ten times… and I'll personally supervise each step!"
His eyes blazed as if he'd been injected with pure adrenaline. The punishment he mentioned sent a visible chill through all six participants. Their pupils shrank. Fear gripped their spines.
Run ten laps around Konoha?! A village that covered over ten square kilometers?! That wasn't training—that was a death sentence!
"First challenge: Speed! First team to reach the opposite mountain peak wins!" Before anyone could protest, Might Guy waved his hand and shouted the announcement with glee.
Before the echo of his voice had faded, Ishikawa and his two confused teammates shot out like arrows from a bow.
No way in hell was he risking those ten laps! If he didn't give it everything now, he'd be running until his legs turned to jelly.
Escape? Forget it. With Might Guy supervising, he'd be dead before he could make it halfway!
"You guys are so sneaky!" After a brief pause, Rock Lee chased after them in a flash, refusing to be left behind.
Neji and Tenten exchanged helpless glances, then sighed and quickly followed. If Ishikawa's team lost, they might get away with it—but if their own team lost, there was no escape from Guy's brand of punishment.
This was the hard-earned truth they'd learned after spending over two months under his guidance.
"Yes! This is youth!" Watching the six students dash off, Might Guy raised his fist to the sky, tears streaming down his face. "Oh~ This is the moment you burn with passion! Now go, Kakashi!"
"...Huh? Were you talking just now, Guy?"
Guy: "?"