A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Classes rolled on, the cafeteria still served mystery stew, and somehow, nobody had burned down the academy yet.
But today was different.
For the first time since school began, Might Guy didn't race over to Guts after class with his usual tornado of energy and enthusiasm.
Instead, he turned dramatically toward another target — his so-called "eternal rival."
Guy shouted, striking a muscle-flexing pose that would make most shirts tear at the seams.
"Let's have our sixth duel!"
Kakashi blinked once, then slowly looked away like he was considering pretending to be deaf.
This rivalry had a backstory — one rooted in a sparring match held a couple weeks back.
No one expected much. Most thought Guy would get outplayed in a minute or two.
After all, he was "that loud taijutsu kid" while Kakashi had already earned the "genius" label and a fan club.
But surprisingly, Guy went toe-to-toe with him — not just for a minute, but a solid ten.
In the end, Kakashi edged out a win, but only barely.
And from that moment on, Guy declared Kakashi his "rival of destiny."
Kakashi, unfortunately, didn't get a say in the matter.
Now, he was stuck between Guy's challenges, Obito's loud mouth, and a growing suspicion that the universe was punishing him for something.
Meanwhile, Guts leaned against a nearby wall, watching the chaos unfold with all the enthusiasm of a guy who just realized his ramen order was missing the egg.
He'd never really vibed with Kakashi. The guy always had this look on his face like he was calculating how much everyone around him owed him in life debt.
And he barely acknowledged Kurenai, which rubbed Guts the wrong way.
Guts said, turning toward her, "train with me today. Illusion resistance."
Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Again?"
He gave a casual shrug.
"Unless you want me getting caught in some third-rate genjutsu and dancing in a chicken suit, yeah."
A week ago, Guts had asked her the same thing. Not to learn genjutsu—he wasn't interested in casting illusions—but to build up resistance.
Coming from a world like One Piece, mental attacks were pretty much nonexistent.
But here in the ninja world? They were everywhere. And Kurenai, even as a student, already showed promise as a genjutsu specialist.
Guts didn't need to master illusions—he just needed to survive them.
At least until he unlocked the full power of Garp's template. Then? Even a Sage of Six Paths might think twice.
Kurenai sighed, dragging out the word like she was pretending to be reluctant. But her small smile gave her away.
She was getting used to this routine.
Across the room, Asuma watched them with all the grace of a man chewing lemons.
He gritted his teeth, grabbed his bag, and stormed off in a huff.
He wasn't going to stand there and watch Guts walk off with Kurenai again. Not when he had a training ground of his own back home.
Half a month ago, I got flattened in front of everyone… one-hit KO'd like some extra in a bad movie.
It wasn't just a loss. It was a humiliation. Kakashi might've lost to Guts too, but at least he put up a fight.
Asuma? He didn't even get to blink before Guts wiped the floor with him.
And now Guts was getting closer to Kurenai.
Asuma clenched his fists.
He couldn't just walk up to her and say,
"Hey, Kurenai, my dad's the Hokage. Want to train together?"
That'd be social suicide. His father might kill him out of embarrassment.
No. The only way forward… was strength.
If he wanted to win a single round against Guts, he had to get serious.
The days at the academy rolled on, a weird mix of peaceful routine and casual chaos.
After finishing up another genjutsu resistance session, Guts wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned.
"I'm buying dinner. Roasted wild boar sound good?"
Kurenai paused. Her cheeks flushed pink as a memory slammed into her mind like a kunai to the forehead.
"The Pig Whip Incident."
She narrowed her eyes. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"...What?" Guts blinked. "No! That was just one time! I'm not some pork-themed prankster."
She stared suspiciously.
He sighed. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have brought it up, but seriously—it's good meat."
Right then, two shinobi walked past, deep in conversation.
"Did you hear? Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama, and Orochimaru-sama just defeated Hanzo of the Salamander!"
"You're late to the party," the other replied.
"They've already been named the Sannin!"
"Three disciples of the Hokage taking down a legend. Amazing!"
Kurenai lit up, stars practically in her eyes.
"Tsunade-sama is incredible…!"
No surprise there. Most girls in the village looked up to Tsunade like she was a one-woman army—smart, strong, and the only female Kage-level ninja at the time. A legend in her own right.
Guts chuckled under his breath.
"Defeated" might be a stretch. Hanzo retreated more because of Konoha's overwhelming strength than a clean win. Still, getting the title "Sannin" was no joke.
It also meant something else.
The war was winding down.
Guts clenched his fist, then suddenly grabbed Kurenai's hand.
Her cheeks flared crimson at the sudden contact. But she didn't pull away.
The sky was glowing with the last streaks of sunset. Most families were already home, dinner on the table, laughter echoing through open windows.
At the edge of the residential district, one modest house stood.
Inside, Might Duy had just finished serving rice.
He sat down across from his son, listening to his stories about school — most of which revolved around "Kakashi" this and "Guts" that.
A heavy knock rattled the door.
"Uncle Duy!" came a familiar voice. "Are you home?!"
Guy jumped up. "It's Guts!"
They opened the door, and there he stood — Guts, with Kurenai standing quietly beside him.
"Guts! What brings you here?" Duy asked, curious.
Guts stepped forward, serious for once.
"I'm ready, Uncle Duy."
His eyes were sharp, his voice steady.
"Please… teach me the Eight Inner Gates."
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