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Chapter 229: Training (1)
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"Huh?" Tenten rubbed the back of her neck, standing on the door of her house. "Really? But why? You know, I am not a Taijutsu artist. I don't like doing Guy-sensei's t-training either, they hurt my body the next day."
"Really? A shame." Neji shook his head. "I was planning to bathe in the Hyuga hot springs with you and Hanabi once we were done training. A shame indeed. Looks like Hanabi and I will have to bathe alone."
Both Tenten and Hanabi's ears perked up at that, the latter's eyes lighting up while the former blinked repeatedly.
Tenten soon smiled awkwardly at Neji. "Uh, I just remembered, yeah recently my body has been feeling lazy. A l-little exercise is probably for the better."
Neji smiled. "Agreed. We will be waiting, so go and dress up expecting a lot of sweating."
Tenten nodded and ran inside her house and Neji chatted with a pouting Hanabi while watching Tenten's with his Lord's Eye to make sure she didn't run into any accident while changing her clothes.
—-
Tenten came out wearing dark sweat pants and a sleeveless black top. Hanabi blinked seeing that, glancing at her kimono outfit.
"You're gonna sweat a lot, Hanabi." Neji said.
"You didn't tell me to change~" Hanabi complained, glancing at Neji.
"Hehe, little Hanabi you should have expected a lot of sweating the moment training was mentioned. Your fault." Tenten said, smiling proudly.
"I am not little! Also, even Onii-sama is wearing his usual outfit." Hanabi said and watched Neji grin playfully as he snapped his fingers and his clothes changed. "...Not fair! You are cheating!"
"Hey, calm down. It's okay. I think I have some female clothes close to your size." Neji said. Watching her narrow her eyes. "Don't ask why I have them, I just do. So, you want to?"
"...Sure." Hanabi nodded slowly.
—-
"Hey, it's too loose around my chest." Hanabi complained as Neji and the team made their way towards Training Ground 3. Hanabi was wearing black short sweat pants that hugged her butt tightly, however the black top she was wearing wasn't so tight. It was loose, rather. "Whose clothes are these anyway…"
"Why do you insist on them being someone else's clothes? I might have just made them." Neji asked in curiosity, wearing black clothes and a dark tank top himself, making the whole team a match.
"I wonder. Maybe because there's a lingering female scent on it?" Hanabi asked dryly. "Haah, if you don't want to say it, then forget it."
Hanabi was right. That was Momo's workout outfit that Neji once put in his inventory because he was too impatient to undress her in the usual manner. Neji actually had lots of female clothes in his inventory that he had put in this manner and forgot to take out later on.
"Ok fine, it's a girl's outfit. She's my best friend. I will introduce you two someday." Neji said as both Hanabi and Tenten's ears twitched at the word 'best friend'. All of a sudden, Tenten looked more interested than Hanabi. "You know what, maybe you have met her before. She has black hair, and looks like this-" Neji took out two photos from his inventory and showed them Momo's picture in her two hairstyles. "Ever seen her before?"
He figured they just might. If they did, it would lessen his need for search.
"No… never saw her."
"Same here…"
Both girls said, actively observing the photos.
"She's beautiful though… is she some Daimyo's daughter?"
Neji smiled awkwardly. Daimyo's daughters actually didn't look so good. They certainly had better appearance than civilians, but couldn't compare to the top Ninjas.
"Anyway, if you don't know her, how about them?" Neji said as he took out some more pictures and showed them all.
Unfortunately, they recognised none of them and Neji had to continue walking in disappointment.
'Just who ended up here? And why aren't they famous? With their powers, they can probably match beings like Kagyua. Are they hiding themselves?' Neji questioned himself.
In the end, he figured he will know the answer once he becomes a runaway Ninja and actively searches for them with his cult.
'Okay. Let's focus on the task at hand then.' Neji decided and took out three water bottles from his inventory, handing two of them over to his teammates. "The water inside is mixed with a certain medicine. It will boost any training you do 10 times."
The water inside the bottles were actually mixed with a certain type of pill named "Hyper Training Pill". It wasn't a reward from his system, but rather something produced in his Arcane Plane. He had quite a lot of them, so he could train with these himself while also helping others.
Though, truth be told, he didn't need the bottle. His [Voidmancer] Class had three starting skills, but a new skill always unlocked once he passed 100s in his level. So he unlocked a 4th skill when he reached level 300 and his 5th upon reaching level 400. His 4th skill "boosted" his training 50 fold. The effect wasn't stackable though, so this 10x boost of the water bottle wouldn't work. But he still drank it to not make the girls suspicious.
Though it seemed they were already suspicious, wondering just where did he gained the medicine from.
—★—
Guy was training his disciple as usual. At that moment, both of them were doing a handstand.
"Listen, Lee! Today's training goal is to push the entire earth away from us! If we can't do that, we will do fifty laps around Konoha!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" his protege replied in similar enthusiasm.
From morning till noon, they continued their training of handstanding before finally falling on their faces.
"Guy-sensei…" Lee breathed heavily. "It's too difficult for me!"
Guy had fallen with him, not that he couldn't hold for longer, but he didn't want his disciple to feel left out. "Yes, indeed."
While they were repenting of their weaknesses, they heard footsteps come towards them and soon found Team Neji entering the training ground.
Huh.
Team Neji didn't have a training ground of their own yet, and would have actually used Ground 3 if Guy didn't ask to keep Lee with him. So Guy let Team Neji use this from time to time, though they rarely ever came to train.
Guy grinned. Good, his former students were finally feeling the power of youth!
"Hey, Neji! What's up!" Guy jumped off the ground, shocking Lee who was too tired to move. "Where's our cute Kurai?"
"Ah, Kurai." Neji smiled somewhat awkwardly. "She is in the forest of death, 'playing' with some wild animals. I can call her if you wish."
"Oh, no no!" Guy immediately waves his hands. "She's enjoying her own fire of youth with her animal friends! We humans shouldn't interrupt."
"That's true."
"Hah! Good that you understand, Neji!" Guy grinned. "Anyway, it's been a while since I last saw you. What brings you here? You even have your cute little cousin beside you."
"Hey Neji, Tenten, Hanabi!" In the meantime, Lee waved at the three people wearing matching clothes. "I feel like you guys are going to do something really big! With all that matching clothes and everything."
"Hah, actually, yes." Neji admitted, turning back to Guy. "Sensei, I was just wondering, can you teach me Eight Gates?"
Guy blinked, while Lee sat up hearing his words. Despite his surprise, Guy's answer came swiftly. "Why, of course, my dear student. It's actually a forbidden technique, but I did teach it to Lee. But are you sure? The training will be harsh, and might mess up your Gentle Fist style since both techniques are somewhat opposite of one another. Though I must ask, why so suddenly?"
"Akatsuki." Neji replied calmly. "I barely defeated the Akatsuki with my team and Team Kakashi's powers combined. I can't help but feel what'd have happened if I ended up with more than two opponents. Yet, you and Lee apparently defeated two Akatsuki on your own. Because of that, I can't help but want to learn your powers too."
Hanabi and Tenten looked at his lies with dry expression.
"That's true but…" Lee said from behind. "It has a high price you need to pay. That's why only I and Guy-sensei know this technique."
"Well, I have Kurai." Neji answered as Guy blinked. "Pretty sure she can heal every injury I come across."
"...That's right!" Guy yelled, as did Lee. "That's actually very smart! Fine, then, my dear student! I will teach you the Eight Gates starting from tomorrow after getting approval from the Hokage! But! You have to promise that Kurai will help me and Lee whenever we get too hurt using Eight Gates, you hear?"
Neji gave him a grin. "Is that even a condition? I would have healed you anyday regardless even if you trained me or not. You are my Sensei and Lee is my rival, did you forget?"
Lee gasped for air hearing Neji, while Guy teared up. This was great. Guy didn't think of this when they were healed, but with Kurai's help they could continuously use Seventh Gate in any battle. Although it would hurt alot, there would be no permanent injury. Though he wasn't sure about the Eighth Gate…
"However," Guy turned to Tenten and Hanabi. "I am assuming you want them to train on that too? Unfortunately, that wouldn't be possible. Eight Gates is a bit of a rough technique, female bodies are a bit too weak to bear it."
Both of the girls frowned.
Neji was suddenly glad this wasn't Twitter.
—★—
Although Guy said he would start teaching Neji the Eight Gates starting tomorrow, he had put Neji's body through multiple tests today.
The 'tests' weren't that hard for Neji. The two girls, however, had other opinions. Though Guy wouldn't be teaching them Eight Gates because of their biological incompatibility, he was still giving them the same training Neji received. So obviously, the two much weaker girls had given up halfway through. Hanabi managed a bit more than Tenten, since she was experienced in harsh training, but even she couldn't endure through it till the end.
-A thousand handstand pushups in under thirty minutes.
-Ten laps around Konoha in under thirty minutes.
-Five Hundred pushups with a huge boulder on his shoulders.
-Ten climb up and down the Hokage mountain in under an hour.
Neji completed all, in their due time, while maintaining a certain realistic level. He had gained 4-points in STR and 3 in DEX, and another 3 in END.
The girls had given up on the 2nd trial, and were just panting on the ground by the time Neji finished everything.
"Alrighty! It seems your body is ready, Neji!" Guy said with a proud smile, while Lee looked at Neji with new admiring eyes.
"I… I always thought you were just gifted. But surely, without having worked out like crazy before, you wouldn't have been able to complete these. You really are a great person, Neji." Lee said, starting to tear up.
Neji almost felt bad. He did work out and train a lot, but not enough to receive this type of gratitude. Almost entirely of his strength came from levelling up rather than working out.
"In any case, I think you should go and take a shower. The ladies are also in bad shape." Guy said, looking at the two girls. They weren't on the floor anymore, but they were sweating a lot.
Hanabi had a bottle of water in her hand as she stared at his direction, sweating heavily. Tenten was there too, but she wasn't in a state to even look in his direction.
Hanabi smiled and waved at him once she noticed him looking since he wasn't wearing blindfolds. He waved back.
"I think you're right. They do need a bath." Neji said, watching Hanabi blush slightly. "Anyway, Sensei, when do I come tomorrow?"
"3 AM. Not even a second late." Guy said seriously.
"Understood." Neji nodded, and then turned to Hanabi and Tenten. "Anyway, let's go."
He swiped his finger at them and they were flung in the air. Neji jumped up as well, flying towards the Hyuga compounds while telekinetically dragging Tenten and Hanabi behind.
They started screaming.
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Master4thWall Note: 😔 Powerstones for Hanabi and Tenten glow up. Also Oyakodon in the process of writing 👍