Chapter:- 30

"Gai-sensei and Lee, I apologize for calling you weird and crazy."

"Faster, you miserable insect!" Yui cheered loudly while standing on a massive log that went up and down. Beneath the log, which weighed at least half a ton, was Naruto. He carried the log on his back, doing push-ups. "Only 100 more to go! If you don't finish, there won't be a place where your ass is safe from me!"

"Hai, sensei!" Sweating profusely, his muscles aching, and his throat burning with every breath, Naruto continued his squats. When he finally finished, he lowered the heavy log from his back and tried to catch his breath.

"We're done for today. You can rest," Yui said calmly, walking past her exhausted student, who collapsed on his back, smiling at having survived another day of training with his new teacher. She was a complete sadist; not even Jiraiya and Kakashi-sensei combined could match the level of strictness she imposed.

"Impressive." Meanwhile, on her side, Yuei was preparing dinner with a deer-elk, a large animal for a meal meant for three people. Considering how much her not-so-little friend ate, this dinner was still on the modest side. "Naruto, please go to the nearby lake and take a swim while dinner cools a little."

"Alright, Yuei-nee!" Grinning, the blond leaped up as if all his exhaustion had magically vanished.

Yuei smiled at the honorific. Naruto was a cheerful and introverted boy, and his single smile could brighten anyone's day. Despite his occasional clumsiness and density, he was a good kid.

In the two months he had spent with them, Naruto had developed excellently. Under Yui's training and the varied diet of vegetables and meat provided by Yuei, he had grown from a short boy of 145 cm to a taller height of 155 cm. To Naruto's pride, he was now even taller than a certain Shino. Physically, he had shed all traces of baby fat from his face and body, gaining well-defined muscles. The sight of his six-pack was quite charming on the cheerful ninja.

But...

"What's wrong?" Yui paused from her task of sharpening her fan's blades when her sister approached.

"I don't want him to do it."

"Not again." Yui's eyes went blank as she got up, unwilling to engage in the same old argument.

"Yui, he's just a child." Yuei grabbed her sister's arm to stop her.

"A boy with a lot of courage who volunteered for this."

"But..."

"Yuei." Yui interrupted her sister, pulling away from her grasp abruptly. "We're in the middle of a war, and no matter how much you believe in your little fantasy that everything can be fixed overnight, it's just that... a fantasy."

"Is that so bad? Amongst all this death, wanting peace and preserving everyone's lives."

"Peace isn't achieved through fantasies." The determined looks on both warriors remained unchanged.

....

"We've arrived." A few days after their conversation, they reached their destination.

Naruto carried a large backpack filled with items he had collected during these two months of training. He walked cautiously as they arrived in a small city that, unfortunately, appeared abandoned and desolate. Naruto frowned as he picked up some wooden rubble, revealing a helmet that was easily recognizable.

The Fire Nation had left its mark here.

"This city used to stand on the border between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation," Yui dismounted Fang with her sister to survey the city. "Despite being in a highly dangerous area, it remained standing for nearly 85 years after the war began. The main reason was that this city was protected by a clan known as 'The Yata.'" She pointed towards a distant complex with a wooden sign bearing the character for 'will.'

"Although this clan didn't possess bending abilities, they were renowned for their exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills," Yuei continued the story, and Naruto followed them towards the large complex. "Legend has it that a thousand years ago, an army of two thousand Earthbenders attempted to overthrow the king of Ba Sing Se. Our town stood in their way, and they intended to destroy it. However, the leader of the Clan at that time refused to let the town be destroyed for selfish reasons."

"He fought alone for two days and two nights without rest, and he didn't let anyone pass," Yui said proudly, her gaze filled with nostalgia fixed on the symbol of the complex.

"Wow," Naruto expressed his amazement, a deep respect growing within him. It was incredible to think that someone could possess such strength to fight relentlessly for so long and emerge victorious.

"Yes, wow," Yuei smiled as she gently caressed the weathered wood of the doors. "He had a saying, 'For me, bravery is standing up to defend what you believe in.' He stood up against an entire army because he believed that this town was worth defending, that the lives of every person here were worth more than his own."

Naruto nodded in understanding, his gaze lingering on the 'Brave' character etched into the ceremonial rock at the entrance.

"You've been with us for two months, and it's time for you to know everything," Yui said as she entered the complex and led them to the backyard. Her sister and Naruto followed closely. Finally, she stopped before a large rock bearing an inscription.

"We were born here," she began, turning to meet Naruto's curious gaze. "So you...?" She didn't need to say more; he understood where the story was leading.