Sorry for not posting yesterday, everyone. I was busy visiting with my mother's family. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the chapter!
— X —
At the barbecue restaurant, the air was filled with the chatter of people and the smell of grilling meat. Team 3 sat at one of the tables, waiting for their food to arrive.
All four of them looked disheveled, their clothes crooked and rumpled. Tenten looked the worst of the group, having taken direct hits from Guy himself. Lee, who had received more blows, was hiding his pain better due to his superior endurance.
Neji and Guy, however, looked relatively fine, as they hadn't taken many direct hits, but they were still exhausted from the spar.
Then, Guy asked out of curiosity, "Neji, why didn't you use the Gentle Fist? You relied on that incomplete taijutsu instead."
"I'm not trying to kill anyone here," Neji replied. "You are my teacher; why would I use a lethal technique on you?"
"You modified the Gentle Fist?" Guy asked, his voice rising with excitement. If this were true, it would be revolutionary.
Lee and Tenten were shocked by the revelation. The statement solidified their belief that Neji was a prodigy among prodigies.
"Yes," Neji said calmly. "It was just a simple tweak."
"Simple?" The three of them stared in disbelief that he would call such a thing simple.
But Tenten remembered something from years ago, during a sparring match between Neji and another student. 'Didn't he hit his opponent once, and they were unable to breathe?'
The memory sent a chill down her spine. She glanced at him nervously, and he noticed, offering a small smile in return.
'I don't even want to know what changes he has made,' Tenten thought.
Neji shifted the conversation. "Where should we meet tomorrow for the mission?"
Lee and Tenten glanced over, equally curious.
"In front of the Hokage Building at nine o'clock sharp," Guy announced.
The trio nodded in unison.
As they continued their meal, a memory surfaced in Tenten's mind. "Neji," she began, "how did you train your chakra control? I remember you and Lee discussing it once."
"Practice and repetition," Neji replied, not looking up from his food.
"But what kind of practice?" Tenten pressed.
He set down his chopsticks. "It's a progression. You start with leaf concentration, then move to silent movement, walking on walls, and then water. After that, you learn to coat objects with chakra and manipulate chakra threads. The next level would be something like medical ninjutsu."
Tenten was surprised by the detailed roadmap. She committed each step to memory, mentally cataloging a new training regimen.
"And if your goal is to rival someone like Tsunade," Neji added, his tone pointed, "you can't train as you usually do. You must push beyond your limits."
Tenten met his gaze, understanding the weight of his advice.
From the head of the table, Guy listened with a proud smile.
. . . .
The Next Day,
As the morning sun warmed the streets of Konoha, Might Guy stood proudly in front of the Hokage Building, the first to arrive. Soon, Lee appeared in a vibrant burst of energy, followed closely by the ever-punctual Tenten. Finally, Neji arrived not late, but characteristically last, once again dressed in casual clothing without a weapon pouch in sight.
Tenten eyed his attire with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Neji, not this again. Where is your weapon pouch?"
Lee, ever the echo of concern, vigorously nodded. "Yes, Neji! A shinobi's gear is a testament to their spirit! Why would you not be equipped?"
Guy and the other two turned to Neji, genuinely curious to hear his reasoning.
Instead of answering them directly, Neji's pale eyes settled on their sensei. "Guy-sensei," he began, his tone calm and analytical. "Is our mission outside the village today?"
"No," Guy admitted, crossing his arms. "It is not time for that yet."
"Precisely," Neji said, turning back to his teammates. "We are within the walls of Konoha, a place of relative safety. Today's mission, unless I am mistaken, involves assisting civilians with manual labor. Why would I need a full complement of weapons for that?"
"You are correct, Neji," Guy confirmed.
Tenten and Lee glanced at each other, reluctantly conceding that his logic was sound.
"But, Neji," Guy continued, his voice taking on a more serious, mentor-like tone. "As a shinobi, you must always be prepared for the unexpected. That is the core of our discipline."
Tenten and Lee nodded in firm agreement with their sensei's wisdom.
"Prepared for what, exactly?" Neji countered, his gaze sharpening. He gestured toward Guy. "And are you truly prepared, Sensei? You wear your training weights. In a true emergency, that would restrict your speed and power. Is that not also a form of being unprepared?"
Guy opened his mouth to retort, to speak of the virtue of self-imposed hardship, but he stopped. He had forgotten that Neji's Byakugan was perpetually active, seeing the dense the weights as clearly as others see clothing. A slight, knowing smile touched Guy's lips.
"Fair point," Guy conceded, a glint of respect in his eyes. "A truly excellent observation."
Lee and Tenten stood in stunned silence, their eyes wide.
After their brief exchange, Team Guy made their way to the Mission Assignment Room. Following standard procedure, Neji, Lee, and Tenten waited by a nearby wall while their sensei approached the counter to find a suitable mission for them.
They waited for a few minutes, watching as Guy conversed with the mission assignment staff. Finally, with a scroll in hand, he turned and strode toward them, his expression brimming with intensity. He struck a triumphant and dramatic pose, one finger pointed skyward, amplifying the anticipation.
"Today, my youthful students..." he announced, his voice booming through the room as he paused for maximum effect, "We are doing D-rank missions!"
Lee's enthusiastic posture instantly deflated. "But I expected we would be doing a C-rank mission!" he lamented, his shoulders slumping.
"Lee," Guy said, his tone shifting to one of gentle guidance, "a shinobi must have patience. Rushing ahead without it is how mistakes are made." He placed a reassuring hand on Lee's shoulder.
Tenten nodded in agreement. "He's right, Lee. We have to walk before we can run."
Their first assignment was to paint a house, with a total pay of 25,000 ryo. The team finished with astonishing speed, largely because Neji and Lee didn't hold back, moving in a blur of motion. Tenten struggled to keep up with their pace, while Guy observed their work with a proud, watchful eye.
Once finished, the client inspected the fresh coat of paint and smiled warmly. "Thank you for the excellent service," they said, bowing respectfully. The team returned a slight bow of their own.
Back at the mission desk, they received their portion of the payment: 6,000 ryo. The village took 80% of the fee for D-rank missions, and as their Jonin sensei, Guy received nothing, relying instead on a fixed monthly salary. He would only get a portion of the earnings on higher-ranked missions, as the village's share decreased with each increasing rank.
Lee's eyes welled up with tears as he accepted the money, his hands trembling. "My first official salary as a shinobi!" he choked out emotionally.
Neji simply tucked his share into his pocket without a word.
Tenten, however, counted the bills and frowned. "Is this it?" she asked, realizing the 6,000 ryo was split three ways, leaving each genin with only 2,000 ryo.
"Yes, it can seem small at first," Guy said, a nostalgic look in his eyes. "I remember my first payment for cleaning a stable. I only received 1,000 ryo, but I was so excited I couldn't sleep!"
Lee sniffled, deeply moved by his sensei's story.
To cut short the impending drama, Neji interjected calmly, "Guy-sensei, are we permitted to take on more missions today?"
"Absolutely!" Guy affirmed with a thumbs-up.
Exchanging a final, determined glance, Team Guy dove back into the mission pool. They worked tirelessly, completing a staggering eight missions in a single day.
Though Tenten's energy flagged early on, she gritted her teeth and persevered, having long since put in what would have been a full day's work for any other shinobi.
By the day's end, after the village's share was taken, each genin's individual earnings totaled 15,420 ryo.
"You all did insanely well today!" Guy boomed, his voice full of pride. "Each of you showed a brilliant flash of the Springtime of Youth!" His expression then softened into one of thoughtful mentorship. "Tenten, your determination was excellent, but you will need more physical conditioning. I will help you with that, and we will transform that effort into your own unyielding power!"
He flashed a brilliant smile and thrust a thumb towards the training ground. "So now, everyone! Follow me! The next stage of our growth begins immediately!"
"Hah..." Tenten sighed, sounding a little downcast. But having seen the sheer gap between her stamina and the boys, she resolved to push through the grueling session. She knew she had to keep up.
It was a grueling training session for Tenten, but for Lee, Neji, and Guy, this was a normal Tuesday morning.
Tenten's whole body shook and burned; she couldn't feel her legs anymore. She was even more surprised to see Neji keeping up with them so effortlessly. She had never thought the prodigy possessed such insane stamina. If she had known how much he trained in secret just to get stronger, she would have been utterly shocked.
'What's with this team?' Tenten thought to herself. 'They're all stamina monsters!'
"Guy-sensei, I'll be heading back," Neji said. "I have other things to do."
"Alright!" Guy replied. He noticed Tenten on the ground, barely moving from exhaustion. "Tenten, you can head back early as well."
Thank god, Tenten thought with relief, grateful she wouldn't have to train anymore.
"Lee!" Guy boomed. "Let's chase the sunrise and surpass our limits with the power of youth!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee cheered.
With that, the two of them continued running side-by-side.
Neji looked down at Tenten. "Do you need me to carry you home?"
Tenten felt a bit embarrassed. "C-Can you?" she asked.
"Yes," Neji said simply. He knelt down, offering his back to her.
Summoning the last of her strength, Tenten pushed herself up and onto Neji's back, letting him carry her.