Chapter 23

"I can't go on..."

Atop the steep cliffs, Obito lay on the grass, not wanting to move a finger.

Kakashi managed to hold on, but his stamina was severely depleted. Another round and he might end up like Obito.

"Are you guys okay?" Kyomu was still energetic. "Can't handle this level of intensity? Then stop boasting about surpassing me in the future. It's embarrassing."

Encouragement wasn't going to work, but teasing seemed to ignite the spirits of both Obito and Kakashi.

And the effect was immediate.

"Who said I can't go on? I'm just taking a break, that's all." Obito got up from the ground. "Come on, let's do another round!"

Kakashi didn't say anything but gave Kyomu a piercing look before silently turning around and leaping, grasping onto the protruding rocks of the cliff and slowly descending.

Aragami Kyomu could mock about anything except for not being as good as him. Hatake Kakashi couldn't stand it.

A showdown was necessary!

Kyomu naturally followed suit, descending from another direction along the crevices of the cliff. While Obito was too tired to move, he gritted his teeth and descended slowly along another side of the cliff, shivering.

As for Rin, she knew she couldn't keep up with the three in their training progress, and her goals weren't aligned. So, she decided to leave the training early and went home to prepare dinner for them.

How could they train on an empty stomach?

When the three completed another round of climbing the hundred-meter-high cliff, Rin came running from a distance with a food container in hand.

"Hey!" She waved and shouted, "It's time to eat! I brought your favorites, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Kyomu and the others all looked in Rin's direction, smiling on their faces.

However, the way Kyomu and Kakashi looked at Rin was pure friendship, while there was a hint of something more in Obito's eyes.

A girl so gentle and lovely naturally stirred something in Obito's heart.

Soon, the four of them sat together, enjoying the various delicacies Rin brought.

There was Obito's favorite Tenro-Fu, Kakashi's beloved Grilled Autumn Trout, and Kyomu's favorite Mokugeki Flower.

After the meal, their evaluation of Rin reached another level.

This girl Rin, gentleness was ingrained in her, and thoughtfulness was her beautiful trait. Whether as a friend or a wife, she was the most suitable.

No wonder she captivated Obito to the point where he wished to create a paradise of beauty with her, destroying the world if necessary.

"So full..." Obito patted his round belly. "Rin, thank you."

"Don't mention it, it's what friends do." Rin smiled sweetly and then turned to ask Kyomu and Kakashi how they found the meal.

"Great," Kyomu thumbs up. "Did you make all these dishes yourself?"

"Of course!" Rin's face beamed with pride. "I mentioned it when I introduced myself. My biggest dream is to become a medical ninja who saves lives, and next is to study and cook delicious food."

"A noble dream," Kakashi chimed in. "Simple yet noble, much better than someone who constantly talks about unrealistic ideas."

"Kakashi, don't make me lay hands on you when I'm just finished eating!" Obito joked.

"Don't talk to me with the mouth that's eaten Tenro-Fu," Kakashi retorted, disliking Tenro-Fu the most. He couldn't help but frown and distance himself from Obito.

"Huh?" Obito suddenly noticed something extraordinary. "Did you guys notice? Kakashi is still wearing a mask when eating!"

"Is that something strange?" Kakashi didn't think there was any problem.

"It's very strange," Kyomu and Rin echoed in unison. "It's like eating with a mask on. You need to explain how you manage to eat while we're not looking."

Kakashi rolled his dead fish eyes and helplessly shrugged. "I can't explain it to you, and I can't be bothered to explain."

Kyomu didn't press further, and after ignoring this issue, Obito pulled Kakashi into another round of banter.

Even though he couldn't win a word against Kakashi out of ten, Obito was still enjoying himself.

Kyomu had no intention of intervening. It was a good time to digest, watching the two argue was also quite entertaining, and it helped pass the time.

It was a win-win situation.

Half an hour passed in a chattering buzz.

Standing up and patting his buttocks, "I won the second stage of the training. So, I'll go run two laps around the village, and you guys can do as you please."

Kyomu simply stretched his body, waved at the three, and jogged away.

Kakashi and Obito glanced at each other, then turned to look at Rin simultaneously.

"I think... I'll pass," Rin shook her head. "I can't keep up with Kyomu's training pace."

Rin knew her limits. She truly couldn't handle Kyomu's training intensity, and Kyomu's training style wasn't suitable for her. She couldn't blindly follow along.

In Uchiha Obito's mind, doubts began to arise.

Physical strength was important for a ninja, but it wasn't everything. He also felt that Kyomu's training methods weren't suitable for himself.

Kakashi finally glanced at the figure of Kyomu gradually disappearing into the distance. "I won't go either. I need to go home and practice swordsmanship and other combat skills."

"Then let's part here." Obito smiled wryly. "I don't know if Kyomu's training method is right or wrong. I just can't use it. I simply don't have his energy and endurance."

After exchanging opinions, Kakashi left alone, while Obito accompanied Rin.

The two walked together, chatting and laughing along the way, and agreed on training projects that both of them could accept, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

...

"Guy, come on! Don't let your youth go to waste!"

"Yes, not wasting my youth!" Might Guy shouted,

 "If I can't complete two laps around the village, I'll do 1000 push-ups on the spot!"

"Yes, that's the spirit! That's how youth should be!"

Might Duy was moved by his own words, tears streaming down his face as he followed Guy, continuously cheering him on.

Such a scene was already commonplace for the villagers or ninjas around. They were too exhausted to mock anymore.

It was normal to exercise, but the unrealistic promises and self-aggrandizing slogans were a bit too comical.

Especially their frequent self-congratulatory moments added a touch of absurdity.

Moreover, would merely exercising really be effective?

Shaking their heads, most people couldn't be bothered, except for a figure that gradually caught up and surpassed Duy and Guy.

"Is that... Kyomu?"

"Guy, do you know him?"

"Yeah, he's a genius, a genius surpassing Kakashi." Might Guy nodded, a hint of inexplicable inferiority flashing in his eyes. "He's dazzling, making people too intimidated to approach him."

Noticing the change in Guy's expression, Duy suddenly grabbed him, squatting down and looking up at him.

"Guy, geniuses never waste their youth. So, we must work twice as hard, or else our youth will be meaningless."

"I understand, father..."

Duy suddenly punched Guy, knocking him to the ground. "No, you don't understand. In your eyes, I see cowardice!"

"Father, I..."

"Don't explain. The moment you hesitate, your youth loses its meaning, becomes dim and meaningless. You've disappointed me."

"No, I haven't!" Guy got up from the ground. "Since geniuses are working hard, then I will work twice, ten times, a hundred times harder! One day, I'll catch up to him and have a proper conversation with him!"

"Guy!"

"Father!"

Father and son embraced and wept together, a scene so familiar that the passersby had no strength left to comment.

It could only be said that like father, like son. Such bizarre displays of both tears and laughter resembled the behavior of someone suffering from late-stage schizophrenia.

But no matter how you looked at it, Guy's rekindled spirit, and his resolute steps were commendable.

He didn't know what lay ahead, but he only needed to take each step steadfastly and wait patiently.

The future would not disappoint!

Glancing back at the stumbling figures of Duy and his son, Kyomu felt deeply moved.

But soon, he shook his head to dispel the thoughts in his mind and continued to run forward against the wind.

He had his own path to tread, and while he could admire Duy and his son, there was no need to live like them.

However, the Eight Gates Formation might be worth considering.

After all, coming close to or even becoming the final act had once been Kyomu's dream.

Since he's come this far, he couldn't leave with regrets.

(The End of Chapter)