Chapter 33

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The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving Might Guy standing forlornly at the village entrance.

"Father, do you think Kyomu will still come?"

"He will definitely come!" Might Duy reassured, patting Guy's shoulder. "Even geniuses need to work hard. Maybe he's focusing on more training subjects, and physical training is temporarily overlooked."

"Is this what the world of genius is like?" Guy's mood sank even further as he looked down at his hands. "And I, apart from daily physical training, have nothing..."

~Bang~

Before he could finish his sentence, Guy was punched away.

"Guy, pull yourself together!" Duy's expression turned serious. "Give your all to everything you do, and you won't regret the days of your youth!"

"But father, my talent..."

"Talent is innate, but youth is in our hands." Duy helped Guy up from the ground. "We may not control everything, but youth—we can. It's the only way we can catch up to, or even surpass, geniuses!"

"Sob~... I understand, father..."

Tears streamed down Guy's face as, under Duy's fist of love and words of guidance, he regained his firm attitude and longing for 'youth'.

In the end, not wasting the time of youth with day-to-day efforts and self-discipline was the essence of youth in the eyes of the Might father and son.

If Guy were given the passive skill "Rewards of Resilience," perhaps he could train his body to the point of destroying planets or even galaxies. 

But there are no ifs in life.

"Kyomu, you're here too!" Kyomu stopped his running and wiped the sweat off his forehead, greeting the father and son. "Uncle, you're here too?"

Both father and son looked at Aragami, slightly awkward, and remained silent for a moment.

The father and son were known as oddities in the village, and hardly anyone wanted to interact with them. Their interactions with outsiders were mostly limited to buying groceries and asking for prices.

"I'm here, of course. After all, Guy and I are the epitome of youth, and don't underestimate my dedication to youth!"

Duy snapped back to reality, stood up, grinned, and flashed a thumbs-up at Aragami while his teeth sparkled.

"Kyomu, keep it up. I see the eternal light of youth in you!"

"Thank you." Kyomu nodded earnestly. "I will keep going."

Suddenly extending his hand in invitation, Kyomu asked, "So, would you two youth ambassadors like to join me in completing the youthful feat of running three laps around the village together?"

"Sob sob sob~..."

Guy didn't expect that the thing he had been looking forward to would come to him in such a sudden manner. Tears welled up in his eyes again.

"Yes!"

"Alright, let's begin."

Kyomu resumed his stride, and the Might father and son immediately followed suit, their expressions solemn and serious.

This might be the only person in the village willing to train with them and endorse their concept of youth.

Let's cherish it!

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was vast. The three of them ran together, taking nearly five hours to complete the physical training of running around the village.

Kyomu had never felt so tired before, but the feeling of being soaked in sweat was quite satisfying. Moreover, with the x6 training buff, Kyomu's gains were not insignificant, and his physical fitness visibly improved.

But no matter how good the passive skill "Gourmet Critique" was, it was nowhere near as excellent as "Rewards of Resilience" The days of being online for twenty-three hours a day were gone forever.

But passive skills were just like that, each month was and will be completely random and uncertain.

Huff, huff, huff~

Hands on knees, Kyomu bent over, gasping for breath. Meanwhile, Guy, hanging behind him, had already entered a state of unconscious running, staggering like a zombie.

"Come on, you can do it."

"Come on, the finish line is in sight."

"I can't let Kyomu look down on me. Come on, run!"

Guy muttered to himself, controlling his body with strong willpower. With a final burst of speed, he rushed past Kyomu and collapsed on the ground.

But Kyomu , with quick reflexes, caught Guy just in time, preventing him from falling face-first into the mud.

Duy fared even worse than his son, collapsing next to Kyomu's feet.

In terms of talent, Duy was not as good as his son, not even in martial arts talent.

Although life was not exciting, the future was still bright.

Helping Duy to his feet, Kyomu brought the two father and son together, letting them support each other as they stood.

"Uncle, Guy, your dedication to youth is inspiring."

With Kyomu's words, the father and son regained their spirits. Stepping back, they grinned and gave Kyomu a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the compliment. We'll keep going!"

Smiling, Kyomu returned the gesture to the father and son. Then he spoke again, "By the way, do you guys are still going to train later?"

Duy looked up at the moon. "Today's youth can only go this far..." Then he looked at Kyomu. "Will your youth continue?"

"No." Kyomu shook his head. "Continuing training will be too much for my body. I need at least five meals a day now."

"This is something that must be endured to build physical strength." Guy took over the conversation, then, somewhat impulsively, he invited Aragami, "Kyomu, would you like to come to my house to taste the stew my father makes?"

But as soon as he said it, Guy regretted it. He felt both anxious and embarrassed. What if Kyomu refused?

"Um... Kyomu, actually my father's stew isn't that good. If you..."

"Then it's settled. And thank you in advance for your hospitality." Kyomu smiled and accepted Guy's invitation.

"Oh? You agreed?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Kyomu shrugged. "But I have to apologize for the unexpected visit. I didn't prepare any gifts."

"No need for gifts!" Duy was very enthusiastic. "Your visit to our home is the best gift."

Supporting each other, the Might father and son led the way, while Kyomu followed behind at an easy pace, chatting with them about training insights along the way.

The atmosphere was very harmonious.

"This is my home..." Guy spoke softly, with a strong sense of embarrassment. "It's a bit simple, but it has everything you need, I promise!"

"It's very cozy, especially this rustic style, it suits my taste."

Kyomu's words were always pleasant to hear, and his actions were genuine and natural. This made the father and son feel relieved, knowing that the other person didn't mind their poverty.

It was very poor indeed.

The small thatched house had only one stove, one table, one bed, and no extra decorations whatsoever.

Of course, as a lower-ranked shinobi, Might Duy only accepted simple D-ranked missions, and the rewards were truly meager.

Moreover, without good food, it was impossible to sustain high-intensity training, and the limited money naturally made things even more difficult.

Sitting naturally on a stool, Kyomu relaxed as if he were at home. This action relieved the father and son, knowing that the other person didn't despise their poverty.

Kyomu is really nice!

The feeling of inferiority quickly faded, and Guy seemed to have opened up, sitting beside Kyomu and talking endlessly about training and daily trivialities.

Guy was actually quite talkative, but due to psychological reasons, he never dared to open up to anyone.

But Kyomu was an exception, and a very good listener at that.

Every word you said, he would listen attentively. Whether it had any nutritional value or not, he would pick up the conversation at the right time and never let the conversation fall flat.

Socializing and interpersonal relationships were another factor in achieving success, and Kyomu surpassed most people in this world in this regard.

If the Uchiha clan had someone half as skilled as Aragami, they wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable situation, disliked by people and dogs alike.

"Dinner's ready!"

Duy placed a large basin on the table, filled with meat. There were also some materials resembling grass roots and bark mixed in.

"This is my secret nourishing stew, good for the body and tastes great!" Duy grinned again, showing off his signature move. Though it looked silly, it was expressed with great enthusiasm.

"But... we only have two sets of chopsticks and bowls. If you don't mind, you can use mine."

It was clear that no third person had ever visited their home.

And when Duy said this, Guy's face turned red with embarrassment. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable.

Even a bit of complaint and disdain emerged in his heart, thinking about having such a father...

"I don't mind." Aragami replied earnestly, interrupting Guy's thoughts. "But with such a big pot and so much delicious food inside, I think it's more fun to fight for it."

"How do we fight for it?"

"Of course, it's whoever's quicker gets it. Survival of the fittest, even for ninjas, eating is no exception."

Father and son's eyes lit up, each taking out a kunai from their ninja pouch and sticking it on the table, just like Aragami did.

"So... shall we begin?!"

"Let's go!"

With that, the three of them aimed for the largest piece of meat in the pot, each trying to pick it up with their kunai.

Ding, ding, ding.

Not yielding to each other, the three of them engaged in a battle of wits and skills with their kunai, but in the end, Kyomu emerged victorious, snatching the largest piece of meat.

Meanwhile, the Might father and son moved on to fight for another piece. Although they didn't give in to each other, the atmosphere suddenly became lively. It was definitely a unique family feast.

As the delicious, steaming food entered his mouth, Kyomu froze in place.

x10 critical buff!

"Delicious!"

Suddenly, Kyomu gave a thumbs-up, his eyes forming crescent moons. "Uncle, you cook really well. I envy this guy, Guy, for being able to eat this every day."

Duy paused his eating motion, then broke into a big smile. "If you like it, you can come over more often. While I may not be good at anything else, when it comes to attitude towards youth and cooking skills, I'm the best."

Giving a thumbs-up, Duy's mood was better than ever. This little guy, Kyomu, was really likable.

Otherwise, how could he be a genius!

(End of this chapter)