[Give sum reviews dudes.]
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"What my dream is?" She looked at me for a moment as I asked her what her dream is.
Tsunade thought for a moment before answering with a gentle smile, "You know, since that day, I've been training with my grandma to get stronger and better. I want to surpass Grandpa Hashirama someday and protect the village in his place."
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I went into a daze for a moment before answering nonchalantly, "Hmmmm, good luck with that, I guess."
I wasn't really paying attention. The moment she said Hashirama and village, I already lost interest.
I looked up at the clear blue sky, letting my mind wander. The takoyaki was good, the weather was nice, girl by my side, life was good.
I could feel her staring at me hard but I ignored it.
"Is that ALL you have to say?!" There was a tick mark on her head now.
I raised an eyebrow.
What else did she want? I said good luck and gave my positive response.
I didn't want to break her heart by saying some bullshit and how she was so wrong or stuff. She was wrong for being a brainwashed ninja, yes, but my goal for now was grabbing her attention and heart.
Indoctrination on proper morality could happen another time when I knew the girl would listen and didn't waste my time.
I turned to look at her properly. She was clearly disappointed, arms crossed, and lower lip stuck out in a pout.
"Hmph!"
I stared at her pouting face for a few solid seconds, long enough that she started getting nervous, sweat forming on her forehead, probably wondering what was going through my head.
"Cute."
I said it with a small smile, trying my absolute hardest not to look like some kind of creep. Which, with my natural resting face, was a challenge.
"Eh?!"
Her face went from normal to tomato in about half a second and actual steam started rising from her head which I didn't even know that was physically possible.
"W...wh...wha..." She was stuttering so hard she couldn't form words as her whole body started shaking like a leaf.
I just watched with amusement.
This was kind of fascinating. Was this what happened to all girls when you compliment them? Or was it just because I looked like I might eat someone at any moment so the contrast was extra shocking?
I wondered if she would actually faint like Hinata does in the anime.
Strong women not shy to be vulnerable in front of their loved one was so plus plus in my book.
She slowly stood up, shaky as hell, and hair falling over her eyes and casting a shadow.
"Garou!" She muttered my name.
"Hmm?" I leaned forward curiously.
*SWOOSH.*
She chakra enhanced her speed and disappeared into the distance without even saying goodbye.
I sat there, still on the ground, holding an empty takoyaki box, watching her figure get smaller and smaller until she was gone.
I smiled for a while.
Her antics were... nice.
Refreshing in a kind of way that was different from all the violence and training and monster stuff I did all the time.
Then my smile faded and got replaced by my usual stoic expression.
I looked up at the clear blue sky.
"Maybe having a family in this life would be the answer."
---
Tsunade POV/
I ran away from the park as fast as my legs could carry me, face burning like I'd got a fever.
What was WRONG with him?!
My thoughts were a complete mess, jumping from one thing to another. The way he looked at me. The way he said cute like it was nothing, like he was commenting on the weather.
Cute...
He called me cute.
My face got even hotter.
I kept running until the Senju compound came into view. A huge gate standing tall, two jonin in vests guarding it like always. The compound stretched out beyond them, houses blending into nature, flowers everywhere, and that peaceful atmosphere that made you forget about the outside world.
People came and went through the gate like always. Inside, the main street was bustling, kids playing, vendors selling stuff, families just living their lives.
"Oh, Princess-chan! You're back!"
I snapped out of my daze and saw Uncle Kanaka, one of the gate guards. Middle-aged guy with a beard, always smiling.
"Ah, yes, Uncle Kanaka. I'm back." I tried to sound normal. "Is my grandma in her place?"
He nodded with that warm smile. "Yes, she's resting in her chambers, Princess-chan."
I thanked him and headed inside, walking through the compound. The sights and sounds helped calm me down a little.
Kids laughing, parents working, and everyone looking happy and content. This was what Grandpa Hashirama wanted, right? A place where people could live in peace.
The mansion slowly came into view on its hill. Majestic building made of stone and wood, covered in vines that made it look like it grew there naturally. High ceilings inside, fancy chandeliers, the whole deal.
"Oh, you're back, little Tsunade. How was your day outside?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin. Toka Obaasan appeared beside me like a ghost, she was an elderly woman, and always sneaking up on people.
[Picture]
"Umm, it was fine, Toka Obaasan." I tried to keep my voice steady. "Nothing new happened. Just hung out with Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
I lied through my teeth, blush already creeping up my neck.
Oh no, she was going to notice, she always noticed.
"Oh my." Her eyes twinkled. "You naughty girl. Do you think I don't recognize that face you're trying to hide from me?" She covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling gently. "Hmhmhm~ It sure is fun to be young."
"TOKA OBAASAN!" My face was on fire. "Why do you always have to tease me like that?! Hmph!" She only laughed gently as she looked at me with that knowing eyes.
I pouted and then bolted toward Grandma Mito's room, running away before I spilled anything I didn't want to.
*KNOCK KNOCK.*
"You can come in, my child." Grandma's voice, soothing as always.
I slid the door open and stepped inside.
Grandma Mito sat there like a painting come to life. Long bright-red hair that seemed to glow in the light. Large black eyes with no visible pupils. She wore this high-collared kimono with the Uzushiogakure symbol on the back of the obi. Her hair was done up in buns with decorative hair pins, three clips in the front catching the light. Dark red lipstick, that rhombus marking on her forehead, and little tags with kanji hanging from her hair decals.
[Picture]
She opened her arms and smiled, and I ran into her embrace before I even thought about it.
"My little child." She stroked my hair gently. "Did you have fun outside?"
I buried my face in her chest, hiding the blush that definitely hadn't gone away. "Yes, Grandma. I went to the park and ate some takoyaki."
"Mhmm I see~" She hummed thoughtfully. "So who is the boy that stole my child's heart? Hehe."
I groaned internally, it seemed I couldn't hide anything from her.
"No one stole my heart, Grandma. Don't accuse me of things I didn't do." My voice was muffled against her kimono, but the redness on my face probably gave me away.
"Haha." Grandma laughed softly. "I'm not accusing. I just want to know who this boy is that made you like this."
I hesitated. "Umm... do you remember my first birthday? There was this perverted boy from the Hatake clan who came to court me?"
Her expression shifted for just a second, something serious flashing through her eyes, but then her usual gentle smile returned.
"Hmm, yes. I remember." She nodded. "He's the child of those two naughty Hatakes. Gintoki and Ayaka."
I nodded, "Well..."
And then I told her basically everything. The classroom incident. The fight with Kanna. The weird techniques. The way he acted at the park today.
She listened carefully, nodding along, her expression turning slightly serious when I described the fight with the Shimura kid.
When I finished, I looked up at her. "So... what do you think?"
She hummed gently, closing her eyes to think.
Then she opened them. "Can you bring him to me, my child? I want to have a talk with him."
I blinked, "Bring him here?"
"And if he refuses," she added with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "tell him that I will tell his secret to the monkey. Alright?"
I was confused now. "What secret, Grandma?"
She just looked at me with that stare. The one that said don't ask questions you're not ready to hear answers to.
"It's not for you to know, child. Just tell him to come."
I wanted to push, I really did, but that stare...
I nodded finally with disappointment, "Okay, Grandma."
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These events made Mito thoughtful 'Is this fate?' Mito asked herself, but a moment later shook her head and dismissed her darker thoughts.
---
Garou's POV/
I was taking a shortcut through the woods near my clan's compound. Trees everywhere, plant life thick enough that you'd miss the path if you didn't know it was there. It was peaceful and quiet, kinda good for thinking.
*BROOM. BRR. BOOM. BRR. HUFF.*
I stopped walking.
Those sounds... were familiar, for someone who trained.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I changed direction, following the noise through the trees. Closer and closer until I pushed through a final curtain of leaves and saw...
A man training.
Tall guy, well-built, with high cheekbones and a nose that's kinda prominent but fits his face. Dark hair cut in this weird bowl style that combs to the right and lifts slightly. Thick eyebrows, noticeable body hair on his wrists and forearms. He had this bristly mustache with a small goatee, plus stubble filling out the rest.
The outfit? Horrendous but weirdly fit.
Green jumpsuit, orange striped leg warmers and a yellow scarf around his neck.
He looked like a traffic light.
I stayed back a bit and just watched. He was punching a tree. The trunk was covered in marks, some of them stained with dried blood. Sweat soaked his entire body, his green jumpsuit dark and clinging to him.
*PAW. PAK. PAW. PAK.*
He kept going, over and over... same tree and same punches. He used no chakra, just pure physical effort.
Finally, he hit the ground from exhaustion and wheezed like a dying engine.
*Step Step Step*
I walked closer, not hiding my presence like low-key losers. His eyes were closed and his chest heaved.
"Hmm?" His eyes snapped open and locked onto me instantly.
"Hello there!" I said casually.
He blinked, probably surprised to see someone wandering through the woods. "Ah, hello? Can I help you with something?"
I shrugged, "Nothing really. Just heard some sounds and came to check it out. My name is Garou. What's yours?"
He sat up, then started studying me. "Maito Dai." He answered with dead seriousness. Eyebrows furrowed and eyes intense.
I didn't flinch or react. Just looked back at him with my usual resting face, which apparently scared people anyway.
He stood up slowly and walked toward me until we were face to face, close enough that I could see the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Can I touch your body?!"
'Gaeeeee,' A voice echoed in my head that I didn't know where it came from.
The question came out of nowhere, but there was nothing creepy in his expression, just genuine curiosity and a weird glint in his eyes.
I nodded because I knew what he was curious about.
He stepped closer and started touching my muscles. Biceps first, squeezing gently.
His expression went from frowning to surprised real quick. Then he moved to my triceps, chest, back, legs, humming and nodding to himself the whole time like he was inspecting some kind of masterpiece.
And guess what, I WAS a masterpiece.
Finally he backed away and his face lit up with excitement.
"You are a taijutsu master just like me, right?!" His grin was huge, all his white teeth showing. "RIGHT?!"
"I'm not a ninja, so calling it taijutsu specifically isn't really accurate, but yes, you are right." I replied.
He tilted his head in confusion,"What do you mean?"
"I can't use chakra, and my techniques don't depend on chakra." I kept my voice calm.
"I got some kind of disease or whatever. So I created my own techniques without it. So, a martial artist is just fine, not a taijutsu master. Please don't refer to me as the latter. I don't want to be associated with ninjas."
His eyes went wide. "You can't use chakra?! And Martial Arts?! Like the Samurai?! What kind of techniques?! How did you create them?! How long have you been training?!"
The questions came rapid-fire, one after another. He was genuinely interested and genuinely excited.
There was no judgment or pity... just pure curiosity.
I spent the next few minutes explaining. The chakra disease (which I was pretty sure wasn't actually a disease, but whatever). The concept of martial arts and what it stood for. The techniques I had developed. The philosophy behind it. Every bullshit Master Bang taught me before he started teaching me any real thing.
He nodded at everything, face completely serious, like he was absorbing every word.
When I finished, he just stared at me for a moment. Then–
"THAT'S SO YOUTHFUL OF YOU, MASTER GAROU!!"
He struck the Nice Guy pose. His arm flexed, teeth gleaming with literal light reflecting off them that I didn't even know it was possible.
But then I froze for a second.
Not because of the pose or the yelling, I expected that, but because of one word...
Master.
There came a day I was called something else beside a Hero Hunter.
I don't think I deserved that title yet.
I composed myself quickly. "So why are you training this hard to the point of hurting yourself?"
His smile immediately softened, but the fire in his eyes didn't dim. "Well, I have the same chakra disease, not as extreme as you, but still there. I train hard to prove them wrong. To show that even with my disability, I can be more and I can protect the village!"
"Them?"
"The people, the villagers." He said it simply, like it was obvious.
"But why?" I tilted my head. "Why prove something to random people you don't even know?"
He grinned, not the huge flashy grin from before, something smaller, but somehow brighter.
"They ridicule me. They make fun of my belief that one day I'll be as strong as the great men out there." He looked up at the sky. "So I want to prove them wrong in order for them to try too and see that it's possible. That it's possible for anyone to be great if they wanted to. I want to show them that my YOUTH will never die! Even without chakra, without talent, without a special body, I WILL become great! My YOUTH is enough! My YOUTH will continue! My YOUTH will never DIE! One day I will reach my TRUE SPRING OF YOUTHHHH!!!"
He threw his arms up, shouting at the sky, every word burning with passion. The fire in his eyes shone so bright it was almost blinding.
I looked at him standing there, this ridiculous man in his ridiculous outfit shouting about youth.
And I smiled, a real smile.
At last, I encountered a person in this world with a real Dream.
The people of this village, from their greatest to their most pathetic... they were all blind.
No Sharingan or Byakugan could see what was right in front of them it seems.
This man was a sun. Shining brightly in the sky, giving warmth to anyone who needed it. And the people here? They dismissed that kindness, they couldn't stand being in his light. They saw something they could never have, something they could never be, so they ran and then they mocked, because they were not him.
Dai?
Dai just wanted to be a real man. The kind who protected, who provided, who lifted others up, who showed his happiness without shame, and who would give you his life anytime, anywhere with no questions asked.
It was not about what he had, it was not about what he did, but It was about what he WAS.
And that was worthy of respect.
Unfortunately, he was a ninja.
Anyways, I had to change the career of this man. I couldn't let a Dream like this become tainted with the blood of innocents.
The Dream of Dai had to be realized and be as pure as possible.
As a martial artist, I couldn't let Dai go without proper guidance.
Even if after that, Dai still became a senseless brainwashed killer, then I wouldn't care because my job as a guide had been done and it was all up to Dai to be whatever he wished to be.
"The fact that something seems impossible shouldn't be a reason not to pursue it. That's exactly what makes it worth pursuing. Where would courage and greatness be if success was certain and there was no risk? The only true failure in my eyes is shrinking away from life's challenges." Dai finished as he gently looked at the rays of sun that filtered through the trees.
After a pause I opened my mouth "I believe you will achieve your dream."
Dai's head snapped toward me. Tears and snot suddenly streamed down his face, he was crying, full-on sobbing, but smiling at the same time.
He understood... I didn't look down him and his great Dream.
But it was enough for now, time to move this along.
I turned and started walking away.
Ten metres then I stopped and turned back.
Our eyes locked.
I raised my fists until they were cupped in front of me, bowed with only my head.
"A Martial Artist from the school of Water Stream Arts, challenge Maito Dai to a fight!"
My grin spread wide immediately. My battle spirit surged, blood pumping faster, and cells screaming for action.
Dai looked confused for a second, then his face hardened into something serious. He wiped the tears and snot away with the back of his hand then sood tall and met my gaze.
He formed the seal of confrontation.
"The Eternal Genin of Konoha, accepts your challenge!"
The End.
[Don't forget STONES!]