Chapter 3: Rivalry Sparks

Currently, the previously quiet village began to buzz with activity.

On the streets, people bustled about, moving back and forth.

Various-sized stalls lined both sides of the road, echoing with the sounds of vendors calling out.

Time is the most unforgiving force, and eight years had passed since that fateful night of the Nine-Tails attack.

Some villagers had finally started to recover from the nightmare of that event.

Just then, they spotted a certain child with yellow hair and six whisker-like marks on his face. 

The kid rushed out, darting around mischievously, even hopping over some vendors' stalls like a gust of wind.

"Hey-you!"

"Naruto, it's you again!"

"Stop right there!"

"That brat, stop running if you dare!"

"Haha, catch me if you can!"

Kiyoshi happened to witness this scene.

Passing by, he smiled faintly.

With a quick push from his feet, he sprang up, bounding across the rooftops of buildings.

Moving at a decent speed…

He headed toward the Ninja Academy.

He naturally recognized the boy's identity.

The so-called Child of Prophecy, also the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the reincarnation of Asura, second son of the Sage of Six Paths, and one of the future legends of the shinobi world.

Uzumaki Naruto!

But he had no intention of greeting him.

After all, Naruto's identity was too sensitive.

Just as Kiyoshi arrived at the academy's gate…

A gray figure sped over, moving like a whirlwind on his hands in a handstand.

"Yo, morning, Kiyoshi!"

The sweaty figure jumped up with a grin.

Ignoring the disdainful glances from others nearby, he enthusiastically greeted Kiyoshi.

He wore a gray training outfit, with a bowl haircut and thick eyebrows.

He looked… rather amusing.

"Lee!"

Kiyoshi nodded with a smile.

Among the students at the Ninja Academy…

Rock Lee was the one he respected the most, without a doubt.

His relentless dedication was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

It was hard to fathom just what kind of unusual body allowed him to train so relentlessly.

Anyone else training like that would have broken down long ago.

"Whew… whew… What a wonderful day! I ran ten laps around Konoha already!" Wiping off his sweat, Lee gave Kiyoshi a thumbs-up, his teeth shining brightly.

Because he lacked the talent to control chakra for ninjutsu, he couldn't learn any ninjutsu or genjutsu.

In the Academy, he naturally faced discrimination and ridicule, often isolated by classmates.

But Kiyoshi was the exception.

Not only did he never laugh at Lee, but he even encouraged him again and again.

This made Lee more determined than ever to believe that even without ninjutsu, he could still become a real ninja through hard work and taijutsu alone.

He was one of Lee's few good friends in the Academy.

Although Kiyoshi often trained with him, building physical strength and practicing taijutsu…

And had even treated Lee's injuries from training multiple times…

Unfortunately, Kiyoshi didn't share Lee's morning enthusiasm for greeting the day by running around Konoha.

This disappointed Lee a little.

"Ten laps…"

Hearing this, Kiyoshi couldn't help but twitch his mouth slightly.

Konoha wasn't small; even a single lap took considerable time.

Not to mention, after hearing Kiyoshi's casual suggestion, Lee began adding handstand laps around the village, using only his hands in place of his feet.

Who knows what time this guy woke up; he kept up this intensity day after day, and now he was even running so many laps.

And Lee was only nine.

His unwavering willpower was truly impressive.

"Hmph, without talent no matter how hard you work, it's useless…"

A cold snort came from nearby.

A figure dressed in traditional attire approached the academy entrance.

With long black hair, a gray band tied around his forehead, and a calm expression.

What stood out were his pure white eyes.

"Neji, morning!"

Kiyoshi greeted him with a smile.

Though Neji looked well-groomed…

His energy seemed slightly lacking.

The bandaged hands, wrapped much like Lee's, seemed a bit stiff.

He, too, must have undergone intense training.

"Neji, next time we spar, I'll definitely defeat you!" Lee declared with burning eyes as he faced Neji.

 "I'll prove that even a talentless person like me can surpass a genius through hard work!"

"I'll be waiting."

Neji's tone remained steady.

But his gaze shifted to Kiyoshi, filled with a competitive spirit.

"I'm looking forward to the day you finally go all out against me, Kiyoshi!"

He always felt that whenever they sparred, though Kiyoshi seemed to put in full effort, he still held back.

This realization had pushed Neji to train even harder than usual.

"I always give it my best…"

Feigning innocence, Kiyoshi looked at Neji seriously.

"What can I say? The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist isn't like ordinary taijutsu. Facing you in close combat is quite restricting; I can't afford to be careless!"

"Besides, I'm a medical ninja, remember? I just need to stay behind and let my teammates protect me!"

"Fighting isn't really my place!"

After all, he couldn't exactly say:

If I went all out…

You wouldn't even be able to block a single attack, right?

If he said that, Neji, with his pride, would probably explode on the spot.

"Hmph…"

This was the answer he gave every time.

By now, Neji was used to it. He shrugged and walked straight toward the classroom.

He had to admit, Kiyoshi's chakra control skills surpassed even his own as a member of the Hyuga clan, famed for their chakra precision.

It made sense that he would excel at medical ninjutsu.

In fact, Kiyoshi had long aspired to follow in his late father's footsteps. His father, a former medical ninja in the upper ranks, had died years ago protecting him.

Neji had no argument against Kiyoshi's choice to pursue the path of a medical ninja.

"I'll be waiting for that day to come, Kiyoshi!"