Chapter 34

The return home went smoothly. Nothing hurt in particular, as the training with the captain of the Twelfth Team was more mental than physical — which I had somewhat expected. My body, however, wasn't used to the absence of strain today and seemed to be bracing for some sort of trick.

There was no trick. Still, I engaged in a bit of physical training after arriving home, just to pass the time. Following an active workout — which by Might Guy's standards would barely qualify as a warm-up — I cleaned up and decided to find out where Mebuki lived.

The Street of Flower Shops was a unique and picturesque part of Konoha, bustling with vibrant flowers and lush greenery. Shop after shop displayed not only a wide variety of blooms but also products made from them: exquisite decorations, exclusive medications, and more. The windows showcased bouquets, potted plants, and occasionally even small fruit-bearing trees and delicate bonsai, each like a miniature work of art. Narrow, winding streets connected the shops, threading through both shinobi residences and the homes of Konoha's ordinary citizens. Each house had its own charm—some were modest and cozy, while others were more refined and spacious. Here and there, elegant restaurants with beautiful terraces offered patrons the chance to enjoy tea or a fine meal amid the floral splendor. In short, it was a special place in the village.

Along the way, I bought some buns to avoid any misunderstandings. A guy delivering food looks far less suspicious than one wandering around empty-handed. It reminded me of advice from my old world: always carry a paper cup to appear harmless. After all, no one expects a grenade in a paper cup.

House #13 didn't stand out among the others: a low fence, large windows on either side, a white door in the center, and a flower bed of white blooms whose name I didn't know.

I paused for a moment, taking in the surroundings and focusing on the energy inside the house. I sensed the presence of one small, weak person, along with someone stronger.

When I knocked, I didn't have to wait long. The door opened, revealing a girl with long pink hair tied back by a headband. Her pretty face was framed by curious light-green eyes. She wore a red shirt with a small circle on the shoulder. In time, she would undoubtedly grow into a charming kunoichi.

"Mo-o-m!" she called out. "Someone's here."

"Yes?" came Mebuki's somewhat weak voice. "Who is it?"

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"Suzuki," I introduced myself with a smile. "I have a small delivery."

"Mom, a guy named Suzuki is here with a delivery."

A moment of silence passed. After a while, Mebuki appeared in the hallway, looking tired and worn out. She froze for a second, then a joyful smile appeared on her face.

"Sakura, you can go," she said. "I'll take care of this."

"Okay, Mom," the girl nodded and left.

Silence lingered for a moment. I stepped forward and handed her a bag of pastries, as if it were expected.

"Suzuki," she whispered softly as I got closer. "I didn't expect you today."

"Why not?" I smirked at her and ran my hand across her face, then over her chest. With my other hand, I pulled her close, giving her freedom to act.

"I'm just not ready today," she replied with slight embarrassment. "I'd like to, but I'm not ready."

"And why should that concern me?" I asked her.

My hand slid under her dress, in a direction that was entirely understandable.

"Suzuki, please," she whispered. "Not now, not while my daughter's home."

"Alright," I chuckled and let her go before asking a somewhat foolish question. "By the way, Sakura is your daughter, right?"

"Yes," she nodded with a smile.

A grin spread across my face. Mebuki immediately understood my train of thoughts.

"Don't even think about it, Suzuki," she said with a slight smile that appeared on her face. "Not now. She's not a genin yet."

"Oh well," I shrugged, becoming more serious while changing topic. "And you don't happen to have a husband around here, do you?"

"Uhm," she glanced away. "No, he's on a long mission right now."

"So, you do have a husband," I said, shaking my head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. But you understand, right…?"

"Of course," she replied.

We both knew what we were talking about. Honestly, I didn't care much about her husband. If everything was fine between them, she wouldn't have strayed and ended up at my door, right? After being with my friend in the pants, she probably won't be able to build any other relationships.

"Good," I nodded. "This is for you."

"Thank you," she said calmly, taking the bag. "How much do I owe you?"

"Consider it a gift," I replied with a kind smile. "By the way, I'm heading out on a mission soon, so I won't be in Konoha. If I hear anything..."

My tone was serious, but I didn't finish, allowing her to complete the thought. What I meant was that I wouldn't tolerate any unfaithfulness on her part. I could easily ruin her life, just like her daughter's. It was a bit of a jerk move, but I needed to show that I wasn't just the nice guy from the restaurant.

"Don't worry," she said with a hint of satisfaction. "I won't do anything without your permission."

"Good."

After that, I hugged her again, touching her in a few interesting places, drawing soft moans of satisfaction from her. Things didn't go any further, though, as I had other matters to attend to. What special things, you ask? Just meditating and resting, really.

The next few days of training under Captain Tetsuya Sarutobi's command were quite intriguing. He taught us various board and strategy games, using them to help us grasp the importance of strategic thinking.

"What is strategy?" he began after a few rounds of Go. "Strategy is a plan that allows you to achieve a specific, important goal in the future. This plan includes actions for different situations and responses when things go wrong. A strategy must be flexible so nothing becomes problematic or overlooked."

In general, the jonin's lessons were both fascinating and educational. The most important takeaway for me was the emphasis on having a long-term plan. I had never really considered what I'd be doing in five years, let alone ten.

And that's a great question. What do I want to do in the future? It's hard to say because it's a complex question. Of course, I need to become strong enough so I don't have to worry about what most people think or what they might do, and to make them think twice before crossing me. After that, I can focus on some research.

So, my strategy is simple: train, train, and train some more. When I reach my peak, I'll think about bigger things.

The training with the captain of the Twelfth Team ended fairly quickly, and we gathered again with our three teams to discuss the next steps. Captain Kiochi had been chosen earlier to lead all our groups. From what I understood, Might Guy wasn't particularly interested in high-ranking or responsible positions. I'm sure if he had to command, he'd make a good leader—maybe a bit eccentric, but certainly capable.

"So," Captain Kiochi began, "I think we need to discuss a few things before we head out on the mission. Captains Sarutobi and Might agree with me that you need to understand what your comrades are capable of."

The captains of the Eleventh and Twelfth teams nodded in agreement, confirming Captain Kiochi's words. I already had an idea of what this meant. Most likely, the captains wanted us to spar with each other to showcase our skills. It would be friendly sparring, of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if some grudges arose afterward.

"And that means we want to conduct a few friendly sparring matches between you," continued Captain Kiochi, smiling widely. "What do you say, genin?"

There was no immediate response, as no one seemed sure how to react. Personally, I didn't mind testing myself against Neji or Rock Lee. I was curious to see how much Neji had improved since we graduated from the Academy, and Rock Lee intrigued me as a future taijutsu master.

"Yosh!" Rock Lee suddenly exclaimed, pumping his fist. "I'm ready! Right now!"

"Then Rock Lee, I want you to spar against Suzuki Grandvitara!"

"Hai! Guy-sensei!" he shouted, turning to me. "Suzuki! Let's have a great, manly sparring match!"

"Ahem!" I coughed for a moment. "I don't mind sparring, but maybe without the 'manly' part."

The girls giggled a bit at that. Sure, they found it funny, but to me, a "manly sparring match" sounded especially intense and not very appealing.

"Yeah!" Rock Lee shouted enthusiastically.

He didn't need to be asked twice. Rock Lee jumped forward, ready to fight. After throwing a few punches in the air, he grinned at me, giving a bold yet somewhat goofy thumbs-up.

"Alright, Suzuki," Captain Kiochi sighed. "If young Rock Lee is so eager to fight, it would be impolite to refuse him, don't you think?"

"Yeah," I exhaled, stepping forward.

Rock Lee started bouncing on his feet, preparing to attack. The other genin moved aside, giving us space to maneuver.

"What are the rules?" I asked the captains.

"Standard for sparring," Kiochi-sensei waved dismissively.

"You don't need to worry about Lee," Might Guy assured me, noticing my questioning look.

We approached an invisible line, clasped hands in a gesture of respect, and bowed. After that, we backed up, keeping about ten steps between us, waiting for Captain Kiochi to give the signal, acting as our referee.

"Are you ready, Suzuki?" Lee asked.

"And you?" I replied with a slight smile.

"Always ready!" he shouted.

"Lee, you may remove your weights," Might Guy said to his student.

"Hai, Guy-sensei!" Lee quickly removed his weights and tossed them aside. The heavy thud they made when they hit the ground told me he had been carrying quite a load.

Since he removed his weights, I figured I should do the same. I quickly took off the weights from my legs and noticed the respectful look from the boy in the green jumpsuit. He waited patiently as I finished, only glancing at the captain once I was ready.

Captain Kiochi waved his hand and jumped back to clear the area. As soon as Lee got the signal, he dashed towards me, his movements sharp and precise. A quick step forward followed by a sudden jump to the side. I hesitated for a split second, not expecting such speed from him.

Crossing my arms, I blocked his heavy strike. But Lee wasn't finished. With a rapid shift, he launched himself in another direction. I spun, dodging his strike, and immediately switched to offense. I kicked, forcing Lee onto the defensive.

He blocked my kick, but it was a mistake. The force threw him sideways, and he rolled over. I didn't pursue the attack, giving him a moment to recover. Crouching slightly, I waited for his next move.

I focused intently, analyzing his likely actions. It was clear he would fight in close quarters. As I observed his movements, I sensed an odd chakra in the air that began to mix with my own, giving me an unexpected lightness and mobility. My senses sharpened—I could hear not only the beating of his heart but also the blood flowing through his veins. Strangely, this wasn't happening to me—it was happening to him.

Lee launched another attack, but this time, he seemed slower, almost clumsy. Well, not exactly. He was still incredibly fast, but my heightened senses allowed me to analyze his every move and react accordingly.

I smoothly blocked his strike. With a slight push, I caused his next punch to hit nothing but air. It was the perfect opening. I stepped forward, grabbed his leg, and pushed him forward. Lee tried to shake me off and dodge, but I wasn't about to let go. A quick leg sweep, and down he went.

For a moment, he lay sprawled on the ground, but he quickly rolled and jumped back to his feet. Dusting himself off, he shook his head, clearly frustrated. Meanwhile, I shifted my stance and dashed forward. Strike, strike, and another strike—all fairly direct and predictable, so Lee blocked them easily. At one point, I released chakra from my body, boosting my speed. I threw a powerful punch, but Lee managed to crouch and dodge at the last moment.

The boy pushed off with his legs and slid toward me. Then, with a quick movement, he planted his hand on the ground and shot up with a powerful kick aimed straight at my chin. The blow sent me flying, but since I managed to block it, I didn't take much damage.

Spinning in mid-air, I dodged Lee, who leaped after me, attempting to land another hit. But I wasn't about to let him strike me so easily. It would've been unpleasant to take the full force of his attack.

After finishing a somersault, I jumped back a few steps and faced Lee, who had also landed. It seemed he hadn't expected such agility from me. To be honest, I was starting to get an idea of how to quickly disable him.

"Lee!" I called out. "Defend yourself! I'm coming!"

"Suzuki, I'm ready to withstand your strike!" Lee exclaimed, his voice full of enthusiasm.

With a dash forward, in just a few steps, I was right beside him. I wasn't holding back my speed at all, treating this more like a fight against a jonin than a genin and teammate. Lee couldn't react fast enough and took the first hit. My fist slammed into his torso like a battering ram.

Lee was thrown back several dozen paces. He tried to get up, but his body trembled and convulsed. He collapsed face-first to the ground, then flipped over, struggling to regain his balance. That punch had the desired effect. If I had taken a hit like that, I'd be on the ground too.

"O-o-o-oh," Rock Lee groaned. "That was something."

"How are you?" I asked.

"It could've been worse," he replied. "Today you've won. But next time, I'll be even more prepared."

"Good," I smiled at that. Rock Lee seemed like a decent guy, for the most part. It's hard to form a complete opinion since we haven't known each other long, but he doesn't seem unreasonable. Maybe a bit odd, but who among us doesn't have a quirk or two, right?

"Excellent work, Lee," Might Guy said proudly. "I already know what we need to do to make you stronger. But for now, get up and give me five hundred push-ups."

"Hai, Guy-sensei!" he shouted, jumping up and immediately starting his push-ups. "One, two, three..."

"Suzuki, how about testing your skills against Neji?" asked Guy.

"Why not," I shrugged.

Neji Hyuga stepped forward calmly and looked at me. He had grown over time, both physically and mentally. I also noticed a strange, disdainful expression on his face. I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or not.

"Ready?" Captain Kiochi asked. Seeing our nods, he continued, "Then, begin."

We greeted each other and stepped back to opposite sides. Neji stood relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, carefully watching me.

"Begin," Captain Kiochi said.

In an instant, Neji's eyes narrowed. Veins bulged around them as his milky-white Byakugan activated. He took a stance, watching me intently, his eyes scanning my body, searching for a weakness.

"Earth Style! Stone Armor!" I quickly activated the technique, feeling the stone formations cover my body, enhancing my defense. The familiar weight settled over me, and my body adjusted to it easily.

"That won't help," Neji said confidently.

I didn't respond and instead dashed at him. Hyuga didn't expect such speed from me. He thought he could block my hit, but I wasn't planning to strike with my fists. Like a battering ram, I collided with him. Neji was thrown several meters back, and then he lost consciousness.

Captain Kiochi appeared next to the genin almost instantly, activating a medical technique. Neji quickly regained consciousness, his eyes darting around as he tried to focus, though it took him a moment. I dispelled my technique and glanced at Guy. He didn't look particularly pleased, but his frustration was directed at Neji, who had overestimated his ability to withstand a direct hit. Guy himself would have easily endured it, like any other jonin. But that's the difference between jonin and genin—jonin don't get taken down by such straightforward techniques. Some chunin, however, might not fare so well if they tried to take that blow.

"Tsk, Neji, you were careless," Guy said, shaking his head in disapproval. "I didn't teach you to react that way. But we can fix that. Suzuki, you're showing an impressive level."

"Thank you, Guy-sensei," I replied.

Guy nodded and then glanced over at Tenten. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head.

"No, Tenten, I won't suggest you spar with Suzuki," he said. "Right now, he'd just overpower you without realizing it. But maybe with someone else…" Guy turned to Tetsuya and Kiochi. "What do you think?"