"Looking fired up today, Guy!"
Seiji flashed a blinding grin and threw up a thumbs-up that matched Might Guy's sparkling teeth.
Shisui and Rin blinked, shared a quick glance, and both nodded knowingly.Figures. Only Seiji could make even a thumbs-up look cool.
"Guy, I actually came to ask a favor today."
Seiji clapped him on the shoulder, tone suddenly softer. "I've been diving deep into medical ninjutsu lately and learned a few things. If you don't mind, I'd like to run a check on you and your father. After all, bodies burning with youth are perfect research material. Forgive my boldness, Guy…"
He'd slipped seamlessly into Guy's "language of youth," but the boy's expression grew unusually serious.
Might Guy might shout "youth" every other breath and even fill exam answers with speeches about Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Will of Fire, but he wasn't stupid. His instincts were animal-sharp, able to sense truth from lies.
And right now, all he saw in Seiji was a heart sincere as gold.
"Seiji! My eternal rival—how could I ever repay this kindness?"
He still vividly remembered the last spar when Seiji used Healing Palm on his overworked muscles. The fatigue had melted away in seconds, leaving him stunned. Later, when he'd bragged about it to his father, he learned it was an A-rank technique—something even most jōnin couldn't perform. Outside of Seiji, the only people capable were names like Tsunade or certain ANBU medics—utterly unreachable for the Guy family.
"There's no debt, Guy."
Seiji grinned, patting his sturdy shoulder. "This is the Will of Fire and Youth. You help me, I help you. That's how it works, right?"
Guy clenched his fists, tears streaming down like a river.
Seiji tilted his head, curious. Why did the Guy family's tears always curve dramatically down their faces like streams? Was this some kind of weird bloodline limit?
At that moment, a bulkier, equally green figure barreled over—tears flying, arms wide. Might Duy crushed Guy into a hug, then reached as if to pull Seiji in for a group cry.
"Guy! My son! I'm so proud you've found an eternal rival and comrade of youth! Seiji, allow me to introduce myself! I am Guy's father—Konoha's Noble Beast of the Wild Blue, Might Duy!"
After a round of passionate youth-filled declarations, Duy finally shook Seiji's hand. His eyes gleamed oddly as he pounded his chest. The pain in his back seemed forgotten as he boomed:
"Seiji, you can do anything to my body you need! Don't hold back!"
"…That won't be necessary. Just a simple check-up, Duy-san."
Seiji kept his polite smile in place, though internally he was struggling not to crack up. He gestured for them to follow.
Meanwhile, he felt it—that faint, watching chakra locking onto him from the Hokage building.
Observation Jutsu, huh? Perfect. I came here precisely to get your attention.
The sensory thread was unmistakable: Senju Tobirama's jutsu, currently in the hands of Sarutobi Hiruzen. It was almost too easy—like a father keeping tabs on his son.
Seiji's lips twitched upward for a heartbeat, then he led the group to a quiet stretch of grass. The surveillance never wavered.
"Lie down, Duy-san."
"Oh! Understood, Seiji!" Duy plopped obediently onto the grass.
Seiji glanced at everyone—Rin, Guy, and even the unseen watcher—and spoke clearly:
"Keep this quiet, all of you."
The tomoe of his Sharingan spun to life.
Rin gasped, Guy's jaw dropped. Even Hiruzen, peering through Tobirama's technique from the Hokage's office, leaned forward sharply.
"Sharingan… Of course," he muttered. "With that boy's genius and devotion to comrades, it'd be stranger if it didn't awaken. But why reveal it now?"
Shisui, standing nearby, barely furrowed his brow before controlling his expression again.
Seiji ignored their shock. His crimson eyes traced the chakra flow through Duy's body with surgical precision.
Incredible…
Every muscle fiber in Duy's lean frame carried the mark of relentless training. His physique wasn't bulky, yet every strand of muscle screamed raw strength, forged by decades of grinding discipline. His chakra pathways were massive, elastic—far larger than a normal man's.
But the price was brutal.
Clots of deep tissue bruising. Micro-fractures and misaligned bones. Organs strained to the edge of tearing from constant overdrive. His body was steel—but even steel cracks under endless forging without rest, nutrition, or care.
Seiji let out a low breath, genuine respect flickering in his eyes before he shook his head.
As if in response, Duy groaned, clutching his back. The act crumbled—now that treatment was on the table, he allowed himself to show the pain.
"Seiji, is my father… is he going to be okay?!"
Guy's eyes darted between his father's pained grimace and Seiji's heavy look. His face twisted with panic.
Is it bad? Can it be fixed? Just give me something, damn it!
"…Your father's case…" Seiji rubbed his chin, sighing heavily. "It's not simple. Complicated, actually."
Then, in his mind, the system chimed:[From Target: Might Guy. You've gained: Muscle Strength Enhancement (minor).]
Seiji's frown flipped into a grin. "But don't worry. As long as I'm here, it can be fixed."
Guy let out a shuddering breath, seizing Seiji's hand.
"Seiji—you're incredible! Thank you!"