Chapter 312 — The Spartan Challenge
Johnson, for his part, had somehow appointed himself the unofficial morale officer of the training grounds.
Nobody had given him the position.
Nobody had asked him to take it.
He simply decided everyone looked too serious and that somebody needed to fix that.
Most days, that meant walking around with a cup of coffee in hand while offering commentary on whatever training session happened to be nearby.
"Fred, I know you're a Spartan and all, but you do realize the objective is to hit the kid, right?"
Fred glanced at him.
"I am aware."
"Good. Just making sure. Sometimes you people forget the simple things."
A few seconds later, Naruto blurred past Fred and Will, leaving both Spartans standing there empty-handed.
Johnson took a sip of coffee.
"See? That's exactly what I mean."
Naruto looked back at him.
"You were supposed to be helping them!"
"I am helping them."
"How?"
"I'm reminding them that getting punched by a teenager with super speed builds character."
Naruto stared.
"...That doesn't sound right."
"Trust me, kid. I've been doing this a long time."
Nobody was entirely sure how Johnson managed it, but somehow his constant teasing made the training environment lighter.
The Spartans were used to discipline.
The soldiers of Cascade were used to pressure.
Johnson reminded everyone that they were still people underneath all of that.
He joked with everyone equally.
He mocked failures.
He celebrated improvements.
And whenever someone started taking things too seriously, he was usually the first person to point it out.
"Relax," he would say. "We're fighting aliens, not trying to impress a drill instructor."
Even the Spartans eventually stopped pretending they didn't appreciate it.
Because beneath all the jokes was experience.
Johnson had survived battles most soldiers never returned from.
He knew when someone needed motivation.
He knew when someone needed a warning.
And he knew that sometimes a laugh was the only thing keeping people from breaking under the weight of war.
Time passed.
The training grounds became familiar to everyone.
Eventually, attention shifted toward Naruto's Armament Haki training.
Gaius was already waiting on the field, dressed in simple training clothes instead of his armor.
Diana stood beside him, discussing Haki.
"I understand the concept," Diana said. "But understanding it and awakening it are different things."
Gaius nodded.
"Yes. Strength alone is not enough. Armament Haki requires control, discipline, and will."
Diana looked down at her hands, considering his words.
"My body is already strong enough, and I am confident in my discipline and will."
Gaius gave a small nod.
"That is why you are close."
"You already possess the foundation. You only need to continue pushing yourself."
Diana nodded.
She understood.
She did not need someone to teach her the basics.
She only needed to reach that final step herself.
Footsteps approached.
Naruto came running across the field before stopping in front of Gaius.
"Sorry I'm late. I was training with the Spartans. I wanted to learn more about them."
Gaius waved his hand.
"I know."
Naruto blinked.
"You do?"
"I can sense it."
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"Right."
Gaius turned toward the training area.
"Get ready."
Naruto grinned.
"Alright."
Diana moved aside to watch.
She was not the only one.
The Spartans soon arrived as well, curious about what Naruto's next training would involve.
They had seen his speed.
They had seen his strength.
Now they wanted to understand this new ability.
The answer came quickly.
Gaius moved first.
A single punch.
That was all.
Naruto raised his arms to defend, but the impact sent him flying backward across the training ground.
Several Spartans immediately focused.
They had seen Gaius's strength before.
But seeing it directly was different.
And the most surprising part was that Gaius did not even appear to be trying.
Despite his massive size, his movements were controlled and precise. Every step was deliberate. Every attack carried overwhelming force, yet he moved with surprising grace.
Naruto rushed back in.
He was fast.
Faster than any normal human could follow.
His speed alone should have allowed him to avoid every attack.
But he didn't.
Every time Naruto attempted a counterattack, Gaius simply moved out of the way.
A small step.
A slight turn.
A simple adjustment.
Nothing wasted.
Naruto took another hit.
Then another.
Yet he kept getting back up.
The Spartans exchanged confused looks.
"His speed should be enough to avoid those attacks," Fred said.
"Yeah," Kelly agreed. "So why isn't he?"
Nearby, Johnson had been watching as well.
His eyes moved from Naruto and Gaius to Diana standing on the side of the field.
He walked over.
"Hey, Diana."
She looked toward him.
"Why isn't Naruto dodging? Kid's fast enough."
Diana glanced back toward the training match.
"Because Gaius is training him."
Johnson frowned.
"Training him in what? How to endure getting punched?"
Diana remained silent for a moment.
Her eyes stayed on Gaius.
She knew what they were doing.
Armament Haki.
But she didn't know if Tony or Gaius intended to reveal it to everyone yet.
Then, despite the distance between them, Gaius briefly looked toward Diana.
The conversation had not been loud.
They weren't even close to the training area.
Yet somehow, he had heard every word.
The Spartans noticed.
Kelly's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Did he just hear us from there?"
Linda looked toward Gaius.
"Apparently."
Gaius gave Diana a small nod before returning his attention to Naruto.
Permission.
Diana turned back to Johnson.
"They are training Naruto's Armament Haki."
Johnson blinked.
"Armament... what?"
Before Diana could answer, the other Spartans approached, having heard the conversation.
Their attention immediately shifted toward her.
They had questions.
Diana looked between them before explaining.
"Armament Haki is one of the three types of Haki we are training."
She continued, knowing they had no understanding of it.
"Haki is the manifestation of one's will. It allows a person to project their own spirit beyond their normal physical limits."
Fred frowned slightly.
"You're saying it's some kind of energy?"
"Not exactly," Diana answered. "It is not like a weapon, armor, or technology. It comes from within the person. Their determination, their fighting spirit, their will."
She looked back toward Naruto, who was once again rushing toward Gaius.
"Armament Haki allows the user to strengthen their body and attacks by coating them with that will. It can increase the power behind a strike, reinforce defenses, and allow the user to fight against opponents or materials that would normally be impossible to harm."
Kelly glanced toward Naruto as he was knocked backward again.
"So he's deliberately taking those hits."
"Yes," Diana replied. "He is trying to learn how to reinforce himself with his own will before impact. His body is already strong, but Armament Haki requires more than physical strength."
The Spartans still had questions.
Many questions.
They understood training. They understood pushing the limits of the human body. But this was something entirely different from anything they had encountered before.
A power that came from will itself.
A force that could strengthen the body without armor, augmentation, or technology.
But they also understood something else.
Now was not the time to interrupt.
Their questions could wait.
Because on the training field, Gaius was demonstrating exactly why he was the one teaching Naruto.
Not by overwhelming him.
By refining him.
Every exchange was controlled.
Every mistake was corrected.
Gaius never wasted a movement, never struck harder than necessary, and never allowed Naruto to develop bad habits.
To an outsider, it looked like Gaius was simply dominating him.
But the Spartans quickly realized that was not the case.
He was training him.
He was forcing Naruto to improve.
Naruto rushed forward again, throwing a strike.
Gaius redirected it effortlessly.
Again.
And again.
The same pattern repeated.
Each time, Naruto adjusted slightly.
Each time, Gaius pushed him further.
Eventually, Fred spoke what everyone had been thinking.
"Someone should test it properly."
They were gathered near the edge of the training field, watching Gaius calmly redirect one of Naruto's strikes for what had to be the fortieth time that session.
Kelly crossed her arms.
"Test what, exactly?"
"Him," Fred said.
His eyes moved toward Gaius.
"Against Chief."
Nobody laughed.
Nobody dismissed it.
The idea was too interesting for that.
Johnson looked between the Spartans and the towering Ultramarine slowly.
Then a grin appeared on his face.
A grin that suggested he had already been waiting for someone else to say it first.
"Sergeant Johnson officially seconds the motion."
~~~
Enjoying the story?
Want more chapters, bonus content, and a chance to help this world continue growing?
Join me on Patreon:
patreon.com/ZanderLee
Every bit of support helps me keep writing and releasing chapters faster. Thank you!