Chapter 26: Kai's Invitation

"What do you think? Should we intervene? Ah, that suspicious guy just laid hands on the young lady!" A Hyuga clan guard, hidden in the shadows, instinctively prepared to rush out as he watched Hinata being grabbed by a man with a melon-shaped hairstyle.

"Wait a moment! I know that guy. That's Might Guy, recently promoted to Special Jonin in the village. He may be a bit eccentric, but he won't cause any problems," another Hyuga guard stopped his companion, gesturing for him to hold back.

"Sigh, I really don't understand why the young lady is so intent on following that brat every day, and why the head of the clan not only ignores it but even arranged for us to protect her throughout," the guard who was ready to charge out complained, pausing at his companion's explanation.

"Hey, whose fault is that? You failed to stop that little fox brat!" his companion teased. "Maybe the clan head saw how foolish you looked back then and thought that this brat was hiding some hidden talents, so he had us tail the young lady to investigate."

"I told you! It's not that I couldn't stop him; I just didn't know what was going on..." Hyuga Hengzu was about to defend himself but quickly fell silent.

Because something was happening over there.

"Eh? Hinata?" Naruto, slow to realize, finally noticed the little Hinata captured by Might Guy.

However, the shy Hinata simply stared at Naruto, who was so close to her, her face turning as red as a boiling kettle, and then she felt a faint "pong" sound echoing in her ears before she fainted, her head spinning.

"Hey, Hinata! What's wrong? What did you do to her?" Little Naruto, unable to comprehend the situation, shouted at Might Guy as he saw Hinata's face flush, and her little head tipped back, unconscious.

"Ah?" Guy looked innocent, but before he could explain, Naruto suddenly twisted away from his grip, breaking free with a swift motion, and shook Hinata's body, "Hinata, wake up! Are you alright?"

This kid?

Guy instinctively looked at his hand. Although he hadn't used much force out of concern for the two children and had even let go voluntarily, Naruto's sudden escape was executed so skillfully that it could not have been achieved without adequate training.

Taijutsu is different from ninjutsu and genjutsu; it requires effort and sweat to yield results. If Naruto had escaped using sheer strength or speed, Guy wouldn't have been as surprised, especially considering that the Jinchuriki was rumored to be able to control tailed beast chakra.

But the way Naruto had escaped was instinctual, a movement that was anything but a result of innate power or talent. His actions were incredibly precise, indicating that he had undergone specialized training, but who in the village had trained him? Or... had he trained himself?

If he had trained himself, just how far had he come?

As Guy observed Naruto shaking Hinata, a sudden thought crossed his mind. He quickly reached out toward the still-unaware Naruto.

His movement was swift as lightning. Before Naruto could react, Guy's hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Alright, if you keep shaking her like that, her brain might get scrambled. Just let her sit for a moment."

"Ah, oh." Realizing he was getting flustered, Naruto finally registered what was happening and thanked Guy, who was carefully setting Hinata aside, "Thank you, thank you! You're a strange guy, but you're still a good person!"

"A good person? Hahaha!" Guy burst into a hearty laugh at Naruto's comment, his wide smile revealing his bright, shining teeth. "Of course! I'm Might Guy, the friendliest and most wonderful ninja in Konoha, the Blue Beast of Konoha!"

"...Is this guy really a Special Jonin from the village?" The hidden Hyuga Hengzu couldn't help but twitch his mouth at the sight of this lively character who seemed a bit out of touch.

"I graduated with him, and he really is like this, but he's strong. He once defeated a classmate from the Uchiha clan, named... Uchiha Obito. Not only that, but he has always been a rival to Hatake Kakashi," another Hyuga guard recalled, reminiscent of his childhood. "Overall, he's a good guy."

"That Hatake Kakashi?" Upon hearing the name of the well-known Jonin, Hyuga Hengzu was taken aback. The Copy Ninja Kakashi was famous throughout the ninja world, and this peculiar character was his rival?

Meanwhile, Guy looked at Naruto. "So, I see you're here to train as well. It's a shame I accidentally destroyed this training ground, but as compensation, I'll introduce you to a better place. How about we train there together?"

Naruto thought back to the impressive scene he had just witnessed at the training ground. Naturally, he was excited at the prospect of training with someone so capable. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he raised both hands and feet in agreement.

However, he glanced at Hinata lying nearby and asked with concern, "Brow-bearded uncle, can I take her home first before coming back? Leaving her here alone doesn't seem right."

Brow-bearded... uncle?

Guy couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated by that term, but he wasn't too concerned about it. He looked at Hinata, rubbed his chin, and let his gaze wander between Naruto and Hinata before suddenly laughing, "Ah, youth! You don't have to worry about her. There are two people from her family watching over her. But... how about the young lady and those two behind her join us for a good sweat?"

The last sentence was directed not at Naruto but at Hinata, who was lying on the ground, pretending to be unconscious because she was too embarrassed to face the situation.

"Y-you found out..." The embarrassed Hinata and her two guards behind her were caught in an awkward moment.