Upon receiving Guy's invitation, Aoba remembered that it was graduation season. However, it wasn't the year of the Konoha 12's graduation but rather the year of TenTen, Lee, and Neji, who were a year older.
Neji, in particular, was the top of his class. No wonder Guy was so excited.
Since Neji and his peers were graduating this year, it meant that the Konoha 12 would graduate next year. There was still plenty of time, so Aoba wasn't in a rush.
After casually changing his clothes, Aoba was ready to head out for dinner when he was stopped by Yumi.
"That's too informal. Even if you're good friends, you should still pay attention to your appearance with Guy's subordinates present. Let me fix this for you."
Yumi fussed over him for more than half an hour like a puppet. When he looked in the mirror, he indeed appeared much more presentable. It was clear that dressing up was truly a woman's talent.
Avoiding Yumi's enthusiastic gaze, he quickly headed out.
High-ranking ninjas didn't spend as much time in the village as one might imagine. This time, Asuma and Kurenai were no longer around. Only Kakashi and Aoba came to celebrate with Guy.
"Hey, Kakashi, Aoba this way!"
Guy's loud voice could be heard from afar. Aoba slightly lowered his head to hide his embarrassed expression, while Kakashi, seemingly accustomed to such situations, remained unfazed.
Alongside Guy were three young ninjas: Neji, Lee, and TenTen.
Aoba and Neji had never formally met, and Lee was also unfamiliar with him. However, TenTen recognized him immediately.
"Oh, it's you! You're the person who bought all the surplus goods... I'm sorry."
TenTen clearly remembered Aoba as the one who had bought the excess inventory. But upon speaking, she felt she had been rude.
"Heh, it's you. Your family deals in ninja tools, right?"
"Yes, so you're the friend of Guy-sensei that he always talks about. Next time you come, I'll give you a discount."
"Then it's a deal."
"You three should remember that both of them are highly skilled ninjas. Aoba here has fought the current Raikage twice and even cut off his fingers twice."
"I know, it's Lord Aoba from the Wind Chasing Sword!" Lee seemed to be a fan, eagerly sharing the Aoba's nickname.
Even Neji, who was usually calm, was slightly moved. It was clear that Aoba's achievements against the Raikage held considerable weight.
"Kakashi is also quite renowned."
"The famed Konoha ninja. It's said that Mr. Kakashi knows over a thousand jutsu."
"Not quite that many, just a few hundred," Kakashi downplayed.
"That's still impressive. I can't even master one," Lee admitted, sounding somewhat disappointed.
"Lee specializes in taijutsu. But don't be disheartened, Lee. Youth is an asset. As long as we burn with passion, we'll surely become remarkable ninjas," Guy encouraged.
"Yes, Guy-sensei. I'll..."
Bang...
The sound of Aoba placing a large plate of grilled meat on the table interrupted the moment. He did it forcefully to distract from the awkward mentor-disciple conversation. Didn't he notice that the surrounding customers kept glancing over?
"Let's eat and talk," Aoba suggested.
"Alright…"
Seeing the atmosphere finally returning to normal, Aoba breathed a sigh of relief. He started grilling meat and took out three boxes.
"Nice to meet you all. These are a small token from Kakashi and me. We've been working on some potion research recently, and these are some of our results."
He knew that Kakashi would probably not prepare any gifts. So, he included Kakashi to avoid any awkwardness. Besides, Kakashi had indeed been involved in some of the research recently.
Inside the boxes for Neji and Lee were two bottles of potions each.
"I don't know much about Gentle Fist, but I've worked with Hyuga clan ninjas on missions. I know that practicing Gentle Fist puts a lot of strain on the wrists. Over time, it can cause hidden injuries."
"I know some medical ninjutsu and potion-making. This is a special potion I created for joint fatigue and meridian clearing."
"It doesn't take much, just a few drops on the wrist, and you'll quickly feel the effects. You can try it now."
Neji hesitantly applied a drop to his wrist. Soon, he felt a cool sensation spreading through it.
Though he was young and didn't have severe injuries, he could clearly feel the potion soothing his meridians and smoothing chakra flow. The potion's value was far greater than he had anticipated, even accelerating his Gentle Fist training.
Lee didn't have Neji's sensitivity but felt his bruises healing quickly and enjoyed the refreshing coolness.
"This is too generous."
The Hyuga clan had its own expensive training aids, usually only available to the head family. For Neji and Lee, such high-value items were out of reach.
Aoba's two large bottles, if used properly, would last for a long time and greatly benefit Neji and Lee.
These potions weren't new creations but simplified versions of Life Potions. Aoba couldn't just casually give away Life Potions.
He had spent considerable time diluting and reformulating Life Potions, incorporating a portion of their vitality into a new potion designed to assist taijutsu training.
With his current techniques, he could produce ten of these potions from one Life Potion.
The production was decent, but he had no plans to commercialize it. Instead, he aimed to create a small circle centered around himself.
Neji, Lee, and TenTen were all excellent prospects. Even TenTen, who had previously picked up a great weapon, was considered a future star.
Although it seemed that Aoba hadn't done much lately, he had actually been subtly creating a network.
From Sasuke and Naruto to Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Anko, and now these three young ninjas.
There would be future generations of the Konoha 12 as well.
Aoba was gradually building a circle centered around himself.
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Currently on Chapter 192 - Jiraiya Appears