A large hand was now gently stroking Akimichi Chōji's head.
"You trained hard today, son!"
"Dad, I want you to carry me on your back too!"
"Alright, hop on!"
Faced with his son's pleading, Chōza didn't say much. He simply reached out and lifted Chōji onto his back. That broad and sturdy back gave Chōji a deep sense of security.
Watching his two companions being carried by their fathers, Nara Shikamaru could only stare longingly at Shikaku.
"Come on, you're a grown boy now. You should learn to take care of yourself." Shikaku said bluntly, refusing without hesitation.
"Dad, look at how Uncle Chōza and Uncle Inoichi treat their kids! Can't you at least show me a little care too?"
"Nope, too much trouble. Shikamaru, you're a man now. How about you carry me for a bit instead?"
"No way! That's such a drag!"
"See? Neither of us wants to bother, so let's just walk like this."
Shikamaru glanced at Chōji's blissful expression, then at Ino, who was already fast asleep on Yamanaka Inoichi's back, and finally sighed in resignation.
He was still jealous...
"You little brat, this is the last time!" Shikaku eventually caved in, unable to ignore the longing in his son's eyes.
"Dad, you're the best!" Shikamaru said as he eagerly climbed onto Shikaku's back.
Even if it wasn't as broad as Uncle Chōza's, to Shikamaru, it still felt like one of the happiest things in the world.
"Let's leave discussions for tomorrow."
"Look at these three, completely exhausted!" Inoichi remarked with a chuckle.
Shikaku nodded in agreement. "Yeah, today was definitely their toughest training session in years."
Beside them, Chōza grinned. "Hard training means faster growth—and better chances of survival on the battlefield. I'll need to cook extra tonight. Feels like Chōji's already lost weight!"
Inoichi and Shikaku glanced at the chubby boy on Chōza's back and wisely chose not to comment.
---
Hokage Tower.
Kamizuki Hikari slipped into the Hokage's office and immediately claimed his usual seat, settling in for some leisurely downtime.
[Damn, today's training really wore me out!]
Tsunade, now enjoying a much more relaxed schedule after delegating most of her duties, was sipping tea. When she heard Hikari's inner monologue, she couldn't help but glance up.
Morning training? He showed up at ten.
Afternoon training? He had the kids running laps while he rested in the shade.
Tired? What a load of crap.
"So, what do you think of those kids?" Since she had nothing better to do, Tsunade decided to chat with Hikari to pass the time.
It wasn't yet the end of the workday, and as a responsible Hokage, she had to remain in the office. Fortunately, most of the tasks were already distributed—she just needed to wait for reports. Once this transitional period was over, she could sneak out for a drink or even a quick gamble.
The thought of gambling made her hands itch.
"Not bad. They're pretty serious about it." Hikari answered honestly.
Among the younger generation of clan heirs and civilian shinobi in Konoha, the most talented were undoubtedly Naruto and Sasuke—both of whom were now being trained by Kakashi and Jiraiya, respectively.
Then there were Hyūga Neji and Hinata, who also had great potential. But Neji was assigned to Yūhi Kurenai, and Hinata to Maito Gai. Neither was Hikari's responsibility.
As for Rock Lee? Even if someone handed him over, Hikari wouldn't take him. Lee was tailor-made for Gai's teaching style—no one else could handle him.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio, though not prodigies, were diligent and had decent talent. That was more than enough for Kamizuki Hikari.
Through his "sign-in" system, Hikari could acquire various jutsu and bloodlines—except for the Eight Gates.
That was a technique requiring relentless pressure on one's own limits, an indomitable will forged stronger than steel, and the ultimate cost—sacrificing one's life to unleash power many times greater than Kage level.
Hikari had once thought about training under Gai, but he only lasted two days before giving up.
Taijutsu was nice as a bonus, but it'd never be his main path.
"Good. Just don't lead them astray. If you're not up to it, admit it now and I'll assign them a new teacher." Tsunade warned.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio was one of Konoha's pillar forces. While not necessarily the strongest individuals, their value in group battles against other villages was irreplaceable.
Tsunade didn't want Kamizuki Hikari messing that up with his laziness.
"Do I look like someone who doesn't know his limits?" Hikari replied lazily, not even turning his head.
[Is Tsunade getting old? She's so naggy.]
[Who do you think I am? The Akimichi clan's secret techniques fall under Yang Release, while the Nara's shadow techniques and Yamanaka's mind techniques belong to Yin Release. If I can master the very origin of these chakra natures, teaching these kids is a piece of cake!]
Origin, huh?
Tsunade's expression remained unreadable. After all the shocking revelations she'd gleaned from Kamizuki Hikari's inner monologues, she was practically numb by now.
"You sure sound confident. But the ANBU just reported that you were napping in the training grounds while the kids were out doing laps. Weren't you worried something might happen to them?"
"They're Ino-Shika-Chō. Should I treat them like fragile treasures and shield them from all danger?" Hikari retorted.
Sure, he'd been convinced by Shikamaru to slack off a bit—but that didn't change his resolve to train them well.
"Fine, fine. I'm in a good mood today, so I'm not gonna argue." Tsunade said, officially calling a truce. "I'm just reminding you—if you can't do the job, come back here and guard the door. I'll even raise your pay."
[Aww, Tsunade does care about me! It's only been a day apart, and she already misses me.]
[Ah, women—you're such a tsundere!]
A smug grin crept onto Hikari's face as he indulged in his delusions.
Tsunade glared at him.
'I shouldn't have bothered.'
'Miss you? Even if you jumped off this building or died out there, I wouldn't bat an eye.'
'But if you ruin the next generation of Ino-Shika-Chō, I'm taking all your savings as compensation.'
'Speaking of which... just how much money does this guy have, anyway?'
Now that was a serious question.
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