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"Hello, nice to meet you," Hatake Sakumo greeted Might Dai and his son with a warm smile. He then turned to Might Guy and said, "I'll take care of Kakashi from now on. Please get along well with him."
"No, I can't do that," Might Guy replied with a serious face before his father could answer.
"Why...?" Hatake Sakumo blinked in confusion and glanced at Yuhi Shinku. 'Did I just meet a strict parent?'
Seeing Sakumo's reaction, Kakashi clarified, "This guy didn't pass the school's assessment."
"Oh, sorry. I saw him at the entrance of the ninja school and assumed..." Sakumo trailed off, noticing the scars on Might Guy's body from his training.
At that moment, Yuichi Yuuki stepped forward, giving Might Guy a thumbs-up. "Guy will definitely pass the assessment! Youth is so unpredictable, but with hard work, you'll definitely achieve something!"
"You're right!" Might Guy responded excitedly, eyes brimming with tears. "I will pass the make-up exam and become a student of the Ninja School!" With that, he marched forward, his father following with a proud smile.
Watching them leave, Hatake Sakumo turned to Kakashi with a knowing smile. "Kakashi, don't be too proud about getting into the Ninja School. If you slack off, that kid will surpass you."
Kakashi, still skeptical, rolled his eyes. "Him? The guy next to me is much stronger than him."
Yuichi Yuuki: "???"
'Is he talking about me? But I have no evidence...'
"Kakashi, Guy is amazing. His effort rivals anyone's," Yuichi said earnestly. "And Uncle Dai has created a secret technique that can greatly enhance his strength."
Sakumo and Shinku, however, didn't pay much attention to Yuichi's comment. After all, how much could a child know about ninjutsu?
But Sakumo still smiled at Yuichi's enthusiasm. He crouched down and pointed at the scars on Might Guy's body. "Yuichi is right. Those marks show his dedication. Go ask for his name. He'll be a good rival."
Kakashi, now more curious after his father's words, called out, "What's your name?"
Might Guy turned around with a broad smile and proudly pointed at himself. "Might Guy! I will become the strongest man one day!"
And with that, he left with his father.
[Achievement: Lifelong Rival]
[Nothing is more memorable than witnessing the lives of two men. This kick is for you!]
[Reward: Ninjutsu · Defense]
[Ninjutsu · Defense: Passively gain a 20% damage reduction effect. You might even survive the Heavenly Abyss Shock Star to see what the Pure Land looks like.]
Seeing the achievement reward appear, Yuichi was ecstatic. 'This is perfect!' He recalled a mobile game from his previous life where this ability reduced 90% damage actively, and 20% passively. Even with just the passive effect, it was a massive boon.
With his Uzumaki bloodline, his endurance was already exceptional, and this new reward would make him even stronger. What made him happier was realizing how to trigger these achievements. His first achievement had been Childhood Sweethearts, and now Lifelong Rival had triggered—both linked to original characters from this world.
"If I want more rewards, I need to interact with the original characters!" he thought, already forming plans in his head.
"Yuichi, what's wrong?" Kurenai waved a hand in front of him, snapping him out of his thoughts. Without thinking, Yuichi hugged her excitedly.
Seeing this, Yuhi Shinku's forehead veins bulged, and his fists tightened in silent fury.
"Shinku, looks like you've found a good son-in-law," Hatake Sakumo teased with a smirk.
Yuhi Shinku sighed in resignation. "Yeah, yeah..." he muttered, not denying it.
Yuichi, however, found it odd. 'Isn't the White Fang supposed to be cold and serious? Why does he seem more like a jokester?'
Between his earlier conversation with Might Guy and now teasing Shinku, Sakumo seemed a lot less serious than his reputation suggested. 'Is he a low-key version of Jiraiya?'
His thoughts drifted to Kakashi. 'Oh, right! Kakashi did mention that his father invented the Thousand Years of Death technique. A guy who created something like that probably wasn't all that serious either.'
Shinku's voice pulled Yuichi back to reality. "I'll leave you two here. From now on, you report to the classroom by yourselves. Remember, no causing trouble, and listen to your teachers."
Kurenai nodded obediently. "Got it, Dad."
Yuichi, still half-distracted by thoughts of Sakumo, mimicked her response. "Yeah, Dad, I got it."
Shinku's eyes narrowed. "What did you just call me?"
Realizing his mistake, Yuichi panicked. But before he could react, Shinku had already balled his fist. "Yuichi, you brat! I'm going to knock some sense into you!"
As Shinku raised his fist, Sakumo quickly intervened, pulling him back. "Hey, hey, he's just a kid! Calm down!"
"They're the future of Konoha, Shinku. Let it go," Sakumo urged, his voice calm.
Yuichi, clutching his head where Shinku had already smacked him, seized the opportunity. "Oh no, he's lost it! Kurenai, let's run!"
Grabbing her hand, he bolted toward the school. Kurenai's face flushed as she ran, her heart racing.
From behind, Shinku's voice echoed in frustration, "kurenai, don't let that brat fool you!"
Yuichi smirked to himself. 'Too late, Uncle. She's already mine.'
The ninja school wasn't as small as it looked in the anime. In fact, Konoha itself was much larger than he expected. With a population nearing 400,000 to 500,000, it was more of a city than a village.
And with only one ninja school, the place had to be huge to accommodate everyone.
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