{A/N: Drop some comments, My kind sir}
"Shin, come in" his father's voice called again from inside the room, cutting through the weird shout of "YOUTH!" that had echoed moments earlier.
Shin paused, raising an eyebrow at the odd noise, but he shook it off and stepped inside.
The moment he entered the room, he spotted his father sitting comfortably on a chair, facing four other people.
Two of them were dressed in matching green tracksuits. One had pale, almost ghostly white eyes with an emo vibe going on, while the other looked like he could run a marathon without breaking a sweat.
The last one was a young woman, and while the guy in his mid-twenties stood out, the other three seemed to be about Shin's age—14 or so.
It was unmistakable: Team Gai.
"Hmm!?" Shin blinked, trying to hide the surprise that flickered across his face. What are they doing here?
Their sudden appearance at the Shonin clan estate was definitely unexpected, but he kept his expression neutral and approached his father. With a calm voice, he asked, "Father, may I ask who these people are?"
Though Shin already recognized them—which otaku wouldn't know Might Gai and his team?—he couldn't exactly reveal that he knew about them beforehand. That'd raise some awkward questions, so he played along.
Shiren, his father, looked up and smiled. "Oh! Son, this is one of Konoha's elite jonin, Might Gai." He gestured towards Gai with a hand, as if presenting him like some grand prize.
Shin turned towards Gai, keeping his tone polite, "It's nice to meet you, Sir Gai." Even though, in the back of his mind, he didn't really give a shit about Gai. But hey, no harm in keeping up appearances for now, right?
Gai beamed, his signature smile practically shining across the room. "Oh no, no, kid No need to use 'sir,' it's weird. You can just call me Uncle or Sensei" he said, giving a thumbs-up that seemed way too enthusiastic for such a simple greeting.
Shin nodded, barely holding back a smirk at Gai's over-the-top energy. Yeah, definitely not calling you Uncle.
With the introductions rolling, Gai's students stepped forward, each taking their turn.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Rock Lee!" the boy in the other green tracksuit said, his eyes sparkling with passion.
"I'm Tenten..." the girl introduced herself, sounding more grounded in comparison, like she had already accepted that she was in for a long day.
The last one, the guy with the white eyes, gave a polite bow. "I am Hyuga Neji. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Shin returned their greetings with a small nod and a polite smile. "The pleasure's all mine. I'm Sho Shin."
Even as he spoke, Shin couldn't help but think, 'Man, they look exactly like they do in the Anime, Though they were real now.'
Shiren leaned back in his chair, his voice calm but firm as he spoke.
"Shin, the reason I called you here is because Gai and his students are in our village due to their mission of escorting herbs from the Land of Tea to the Land of Fire."
He waved his hand casually, gesturing for Shin to sit down. With a quiet sigh, Shin complied, settling into the chair.
"And what I want," Shiren continued, his tone steady, "is for you to give Gai's students a tour of our village." The request hung in the air, making Shin's eyebrows twitch slightly.
He turned his head slowly, casting a sideways glance at Shiren.
"I beg your pardon?" Shin asked, his voice low, carrying a sarcastic edge, almost like Loki, his lips curling up in a smirk.
Twenty minutes later...
"Sigh." Shin let out a deep breath as the warm water stopped cascading down his skin.
He reached for the towel, rubbing it over his damp hair and shoulders.
Wrapping the towel around his waist, he stepped out of the bathroom, his gaze falling on the fresh set of clothes laid neatly on his bed.
As he dried off, his mind wandered. I need to grow stronger, and fast, he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He did a quick mental calculation. If Rock Lee was fourteen now, that meant only about three years remained before Madara made his move.
The thought of being trapped inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi wasn't exactly appealing. Shin shuddered slightly, knowing he had no intention of getting caught up in that nightmare.
But before that, there was a more pressing, though far less exciting, task at hand. Giving Team Gai a tour of the village.
It wasn't exactly something that required great strength, but his father had insisted, as always, that Shin make an effort to build connections.
His's father's all about connections. He became the clan head not because he was the most suited for it, but because of the people he and his father knew . And now he expects shin to follow in his footsteps.
With a half-hearted roll of his eyes, Shin finished getting dressed. His father had drilled the importance of networking into him since he was young, and now here he was, giving a tour to a bunch of kids.
'One with no screen time, one who'll be killed by sticks, and maybe one who'll be a little useful in the future.' Shin's thoughts flickered to each member of Team Gai without a hint of remorse or pity.
Once dressed, Shin grabbed his wristbands and slipped them on, his movements methodical. Exiting his room, he made his way through the hallways of the Shonin Clan estate.
The soft thud of his sandals on the wooden floor echoed faintly as he headed for the entrance. He had already informed Team Gai to meet him there once he'd finished his shower.
Let's just get this over with, he thought, adjusting his collar. His father might have been right about connections, but Shin wasn't exactly thrilled about playing tour guide today.