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"Yuichi, how did you buy these things?"
Yuhi Kurenai was carrying two dumbbells, occasionally lifting them up with ease, while Yuichi Yuki seemed to struggle with his own set.
Taking a deep breath and adjusting his stance, Yuichi Yuki replied, "I asked the boss to go settle the bill with Uncle shinku."
He punched his chest twice, a metallic sound echoing. "This weight is no joke!"
Although it looked like he'd only purchased two dumbbells, he had actually bought an entire set of weights for training. He planned to use these to support his physical conditioning.
He wasn't worried about any adverse effects. His Uzumaki heritage granted him incredible resilience and healing. As long as he kept up with his nutrition, he'd be fine.
He had consulted Yuhi shinku about it the previous night. After all, it was wise to take advice from an experienced jonin rather than rely solely on his own judgment. Even if Yuhi Shinku specialized in genjutsu, his overall knowledge as a jonin was invaluable.
Observing Yuichi Yuki's struggle with the weights, Kurenai clenched her fist, feeling a renewed determination. She didn't want to lag behind!
By the time they reached the training ground, Might Guy was already there, sweating intensely. Watching him, Yuichi Yuki couldn't help but feel that hard work was its own kind of genius. To consistently push oneself over so many years required its own form of talent.
Sensing someone watching him, Might Guy looked up and, spotting Yuichi Yuki and Kurenai, immediately lit up with excitement.
"Yuichi, let's begin our youthful morning training!"
Yuichi Yuki readily accepted the challenge. He was determined to train his body for future goals, such as mastering the Fire Crow Clan's Sage Mode. Yet, he also knew he couldn't neglect chakra control or his ongoing development of Chidori.
Creating a seal, he summoned two shadow clones, who immediately split off to begin their respective tasks—one to practice chakra control, and the other to work on releasing a lightning chakra arc.
He was ready to dedicate a year or two to mastering Chidori, attributing any future skill with it to his hard work. With Uzumaki Kushina and Yuhi shinku supporting him, he felt confident he wouldn't be pulled into the dark dealings of the Root organization.
Shouting to himself, he echoed Might Guy's enthusiasm: "Youth is all about hard work! Any morning without sweat dishonors youth! Go!"
As she watched him, Yuhi Kurenai glanced down at the dumbbells she held, a peculiar thought crossing her mind. "Will Yuichi someday wear that green jumpsuit too?"
Kakashi Hatake, who had just arrived, overheard her muttering. "Green jumpsuit? What are you talking about?" As he looked up, his gaze landed on Yuichi Yuki and Might Guy, both deeply engaged in training.
"Has he been... influenced?" Kakashi asked, unsure of whether Yuichi Yuki's recent behavior was due to a mental strain from his shadow clone incident.
Earlier, Kakashi had hoped to spar with Yuichi to settle an old score. But seeing his intense focus on training, Kakashi decided to hold back.
He picked up his practice sword but then froze, struck by an alarming thought. If Yuichi starts acting like Guy… would he come to pester me too?
Looking back at Yuichi Yuki with concern, he reassured himself. No, that can't happen. Yuichi isn't that type.
Meanwhile, Might Guy noticed Yuichi Yuki struggling with his movements and shook his head. "You look too weak like this, Yuichi!"
No man likes to be called weak. Straightening up, Yuichi Yuki punched his chest with renewed energy.
"This is a 50-pound weight! Once I get used to it, I'll move to something heavier!" he declared, envisioning a future where he could fight while blazing with power. It wasn't just about being strong—he wanted to look cool while doing it. Only with strength could he protect those he cared for.
"Guy! Let's keep pushing forward!" Yuichi Yuki declared. "I may not match your intensity yet, but one day, I'll keep up with your speed, even wearing weights!"
Moved to tears, Might Guy cried out, "Yuichi, you and Kakashi will forever be my rivals in life!"
Dropping to the ground, Guy began doing rapid push-ups, his tears falling as he continued.
Off in the distance, Kakashi paused mid-swing, watching them with an unreadable expression.
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