Chapter 26: Guy's Trial of Skill
Ah, only one more year! Might Guy was on the verge of exploding with excitement. No other reason; it was currently circulating wildly in the school that Kudo Ryofun had single-handedly taken out a Jonin and four Chunin on a mission!!!
Damn, this news was more shocking than a magnitude twelve earthquake. Originally sitting quietly in the back row, now a group of noisy kids had surrounded Guy, chattering incessantly.
The only common question among them was a simple one: Was Ryofun's achievement this time for real? Was it just someone boasting? After all, as the standout child among the peers, he had faced backlash from all the other kids.
Now, with such an astonishing achievement revealed, these kids naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it, even if it meant seeing Ryofun eat a little humble pie!
Therefore, after Ryofun was not around, the only person who had a close relationship with him left was the one at the back, Guy. After all, everyone knew that Guy was one of the few who exerted effort alongside Ryofun during their youthful days.
"Let me ask, let me ask!" A kid who was significantly taller than his peers finally squeezed to the front.
"Guy, is Ryofun's achievement really that incredible?" Guy was also puzzled. After all, that achievement had been sealed by the Third Hokage. Ryofun, not being narcissistic enough to flaunt his achievements, left Guy in the dark about it.
However, as his close friend, Guy wouldn't let this reflect poorly on Ryofun, so he stammered out his first lie in life, "Of course, everyone knows Ryofun's abilities. Taking down a Jonin and a few Chunin shouldn't surprise you too much, right?"
This was the advantage of being an honest person. When someone widely acknowledged as honest tells a lie, no one doubts the truth of what they say.
"Everyone back to your seats!" When the Chunin instructor entered the classroom, he was infuriated by the noisy kids. What's happening? Does my usual punishment not work well enough?
However, once the Chunin instructor figured out what was going on, his face turned serious: "Everyone study quietly in the classroom, Might Guy, come out!"
After giving Guy a thorough scolding, the Chunin instructor hurried off to the Hokage's office. Upon entering the office, he was met with a crowd of ninjas blocking his way.
At that moment, the Third Hokage's face was ashen. If this rumor were confined to a small circle, there might still be a way to mitigate it. Unfortunately, now even an ordinary old lady on the street could tell you a secret about Kudo Ryofun!
The only ones capable of knowing the details of that battle were those present that day. Feeling calculative, the Third Hokage waved his hand, and just as the instructor was about to report, a Jonin stepped forward to cover his mouth and pulled him out of the way.
"If you're here to discuss Ryofun's achievements, I advise you to think twice. The Third Hokage has already become aware and is in a state of anger," the Jonin, who had grouped with the instructor, said gravely.
Once everyone had cleared out, the Third Hokage turned to the shadows and said, "Danzo, how could you do this? Do you understand what the consequences would be if the people of the village found out?"
"Sarutobi, you know what I want. As long as you send Ryofun to ROOT, I will guarantee that he comes to no harm!" As the leader of ROOT, Danzo had the confidence to back up his words.
"You know I can't hand such a promising talent over to you. He should walk the path of a proper ninja!"
"You will come to request my assistance; we shall see." With that, Danzo turned and left, leaving the Third Hokage with only his back to look at!
"Go fetch Kudo Ryofun!" a direct subordinate of the Third echoed softly: "Understood." Five minutes later, a bewildered Ryofun was brought in.
"Ryofun, this matter is my fault! Don't worry, I will send the most capable assistants to protect you!" The statement hit him out of nowhere, giving Ryofun no time to react.
"Third Hokage, what's happening today? Why are you suddenly sending people to protect me?" It wasn't that Ryofun was naïve; he was simply too focused on his ninja training to pay heed to the latest gossip.
Ten minutes later, after all the details were explained to Ryofun, he felt utterly crushed. This was simply going to backfire on him! Remembering the bizarre conversation he had with Danzo a few days ago, Ryofun realized this was surely Danzo's doing!
After refusing the Third's offer of protection, Ryofun began to jog home. The old women and uncles in the streets were far too enthusiastic; if he didn't hurry, he would be trapped for a long time!
At the end of a small path, Might Guy was earnestly defending Ryofun: "Ryofun's achievements are absolutely real! Don't slander him!"
"A little brat defeated a Genin and now thinks he's invincible? Such a thing is rare indeed! Why not test his abilities?" With that, the provocative Chunin stepped up to Guy.
As he thrust his right hand forward, expecting to settle it with a punch, the equally young Guy also moved his right hand forward.
"Bang!" The two fists collided, leading to a shocking turn of events. The Chunin was taken aback; instead of being punched out as he imagined, Guy only retreated a few steps. With no hint of fear on his face, he felt a sharp pain shooting through his right hand!
Filled with burning rage, the Chunin clapped his hands together: "Earth - Fire - Water - Wind, Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!!" A straight line of flame surged forward. Even if he had to face punishment, he was determined to eliminate the kid who had embarrassed him in front of his comrades!
Just as the Chunin prepared to finish off his opponent, a dark figure charged directly through the flames.
"Taijutsu: Leaf Gale!!!" A rapidly enlarging right foot kicked out, catching the unprepared Chunin off guard and knocking him to the ground, unable to rise for a long time.
Unscathed, Might Guy was about to continue the attack on the Chunin who had slandered his best friend when a small hand reached out and stopped him.
"Ryofun!!"
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