"You haven't told me yet, what's the rush?"
"Oh, right." Tenten remembered her purpose. "Teacher, the Chunin Exams are coming up soon!"
"We've all signed up."
"So it's just an exam, what about it?" Musashi said nonchalantly. "You've barely mastered the Rasengan. The next step is just taking the exam normally. What's the rush?"
"But Teacher, this is my first time taking the Chunin Exams. I'm nervous."
"If I don't pass, it'll be so embarrassing."
'You won't be the only one who doesn't pass,' Musashi thought to himself, knowing what was about to happen.
However, she was his disciple after all. While he could see Karin at home every day, Tenten didn't have that luxury. He comforted her, "Don't worry. Just perform normally."
"Teacher, I still don't feel confident. How about you teach me a secret technique?"
"A secret technique?" Musashi thought for a moment. "If you can't win, run."
Tenten complained, "Tea~cher~~"
"Alright, alright." Musashi couldn't handle the little girl acting spoiled. "How about this: if you have any confusion about your training, just ask here. I'll be here for the next couple of days, so it's convenient to teach you."
"Here?" Tenten looked around, looking troubled. "Teacher, how about we go to the training grounds? There are so many people here, I'm embarrassed."
"Tenten!" Musashi stopped what he was doing and did a perfectly straight handstand in the middle of the main road. "As a ninja, it's not that you can't have a sense of shame, but you should use it for the right things."
"How can something like training be affected by the gazes of others?"
"Look at me, look at Big Brother Guy! We never care about such things."
Tenten secretly made a face where he couldn't see.
However, she immediately regretted coming to find Musashi.
Musashi said, "Like this. You stand on my feet."
"Today's lesson will be completed right here."
Tenten was dumbfounded.
Looking at Musashi doing a straight handstand, she imagined herself standing on his feet.
It would be so otherworldly, so majestic... like hell it would!
She wanted to refuse, but looking at Musashi standing solemnly in the wind, she could feel a will as hard as steel, exactly like Might Guy's.
"Okay, Teacher o(╥﹏╥)o."
She jumped up and landed on the soles of Musashi's feet. Feeling the amazed gazes of people in the distance, Tenten felt uncomfortable all over.
She silently squatted down, hugging her knees in grievance.
Regret. So much regret.
I should have just trained properly with Neji.
Teacher was right; it's just a Chunin Exam, what's there to be nervous about?
The surrounding crowd gave them a wide berth. Musashi wasn't afraid of anyone overhearing. He started walking forward on his hands, and the lesson officially began.
"Tenten, for you, the difficulty of the Chunin Exams lies in your opponents."
"Those good at long-range attacks, those good at close combat, those good at genjutsu... different opponents require different coping methods."
"For ninjas who have just started training, except for a very small few, it's difficult to suppress all opponents. At this time, speed and reaction... Tenten? Are you listening seriously?"
Tenten: "Teacher, I am listening seriously... o(╥﹏╥)o..."
---
"Wow, this dango looks so pretty. Can we eat it?"
"Mn, I like this pinwheel!"
"Daiki, what is that thing the child is holding?"
On a bustling street in Konoha.
Daiki Nojiri looked at the cheering and jumping Haku with eyes full of tenderness and affection.
He hadn't expected everything to go so smoothly.
Two nights ago, he and Haku had spent an unforgettable evening together.
The beautiful fireworks reflected on both their faces. He felt that for a moment, the other person must have feelings for him.
Just like today, when he asked the other person out again.
Haku agreed very readily, as expected.
With a situation like this, isn't the answer obvious?
This isn't unrequited love.
This is mutual affection!!
Seeing Haku happy made him happy.
Haku was like a child going out for the first time, finding everything novel.
"Do you like it? If you like it, we'll buy it. We're not short on money," he said with a smile.
"Really? That's great."
Haku's reaction made Daiki grin from ear to ear.
Today, Haku was wearing a light pink sleeveless open-front shirt. His slender, lotus-root-white arms were dazzlingly bright. Although his slender figure wasn't voluptuous, paired with his long, loose hair and beautiful, elegant face, Daiki still couldn't take his eyes off him.
So what if he's flat? That's called class!
He loved this type to death!
Although the characters in his artistic creations were mostly voluptuous, that was just to please the readers. Deep down, Daiki still preferred this kind of slender, clear, and elegant beauty that seemed out of this world.
Work is work, love is love.
This right here, is love.
"Daiki, you try some too. This tastes really good." Haku handed over a skewer of candied hawthorn.
Daiki accepted it immediately.
While eating the candied hawthorn that tasted sweet all the way to his heart, Daiki asked, "Haku, you seem a little different lately compared to before."
"Different?" Haku didn't quite understand. "Different how? My clothes?"
"No." Daiki shook his head and organized his words. "It's just... when you first arrived, you didn't seem interested in anything."
"But these past two days, you seem much more cheerful. Before... you rarely smiled at me."
"Is that so?" Haku said softly, then revealed a big smile, his beautiful eyes curving into two arcs. "Senior Musashi said some things to me."
"Musashi?" Daiki paused. "What did he tell you?"
"Senior Musashi told me to be bold in making friends, to learn to accept others' kindness, and to try new things."
"That guy Musashi..." Daiki felt a warmth in his heart.
'It had to be you! You truly are my good brother!'