"Hey! Senior Kakashi, cat got your tongue?" Musashi asked, finding the silence strange.
Even though they hadn't seen each other in a while, there was no need to be this distant, right?
"Ah! I was just spacing out," Kakashi Hatake snapped back to reality.
Realizing the person behind him wasn't an enemy, he relaxed but sounded a bit resigned.
"Musashi, don't sneak up on people like that. It's scary."
Musashi laughed, completely unfazed. "No way, it's just that you're too uptight, Senior Kakashi. Close friends are supposed to act close, right?"
"Also, Senior Kakashi, stop walking around with that long face all day."
"You were like this in the Anbu, and now that you've left the Anbu, you're still like this?"
"Then didn't you leave for nothing?"
"Look at me. Try being a little more optimistic every day."
Kakashi smiled wryly. "Musashi, I'm not like you."
"What's different?"
"We're basically the same."
"Don't we both have two eyes and two legs?"
Musashi comforted him, "Senior Kakashi, don't rush the team-leading thing, and don't get down on yourself. If today's students didn't meet your standards, someone will eventually."
"Thanks, Musashi."
"What's there to thank?" Musashi draped his arm around Kakashi's shoulder and started dragging him away without taking no for an answer. "Come with me, I'll take you to see something fun. Big Brother Guy has new students today too. His test is definitely going to be way more interesting than yours. Let's go watch."
Kakashi wanted to refuse, but he found that Musashi's strength was astonishing.
He was literally being dragged away against his will.
He couldn't help but feel helpless internally.
This Musashi.
Not only did he share Guy's taste in clothing and fanatical dedication to training...
He even shared that same shameless persistence.
Truly.
A friend with zero boundaries.
---
For the sake of peace and quiet, Musashi had chosen a training ground a bit further away.
After walking back for a while, they indeed heard the sounds of fighting, as well as Might Guy's familiar shouts of encouragement.
Musashi dragged Kakashi along, picking up the pace. Before long, they saw Might Guy battling three students.
"Just in time. Looks like Big Brother Guy isn't finished yet," Musashi said enthusiastically.
In the field, Neji Hyuga, Tenten, and Rock Lee were joining forces to besiege Might Guy.
At this time, Rock Lee was still wearing a loose white martial arts uniform and had his hair in a ponytail—a rather old-fashioned look.
In the center of the trio, Might Guy's eyes were shining. He was beaming, revealing a mouthful of sparkling white teeth.
He was clearly enjoying this battle immensely.
Especially seeing the determined looks in their eyes, he was incredibly satisfied.
This was the never-say-die Youth he admired so much!
"No, I can't be defeated like this!" Rock Lee growled low in his throat.
"Getting eliminated here would be too pathetic!" Tenten held onto her resolve.
"I absolutely cannot fall here." The veins near Neji Hyuga's eyes bulged.
Might Guy looked emotional and laughed loudly.
"If this is all you've got, you're all going back to the Academy to retake the year!"
"Konoha: Strong Whirlwind!"
A sweeping roundhouse kick!
A powerful shockwave blew all three of them rolling away.
Kakashi usually punched kids one by one.
Guy was different; he kicked three at once.
After the air pressure from his kick sent the three flying, Guy seemed to feel he had gone too far and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Oops, did I overdo it?
Fortunately, the three didn't lose their courage from that kick.
A moment later, they regrouped and charged again!
This time, Might Guy paid attention to his strength, daring not to use too much force.
He was terrified of accidentally eliminating three such good seedlings.
A few minutes later, all three were completely exhausted.
With the attitude of landing one last hit no matter what...
Three palms weaky slapped onto Might Guy's face.
Is the gap really this big? The three thought with disappointment in their hearts.
Before they could collapse from exhaustion, a pair of powerful arms hugged all three of them tightly.
"You three."
Might Guy announced happily, "You all pass!"
Tears burst from Rock Lee's eyes. "I did it! I finally did it!"
Moved by their hard work, Might Guy could no longer hold back his own tears, which flowed like a river.
"This is truly... Youth! It's so moving!"
Just as he was immersed in the emotion, a familiar voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Big Brother Guy, if you hug them any longer, two of them are going to suffocate."
"What?!" Might Guy finally reacted.
His Youth was too passionate; the young students couldn't quite handle it yet.
Tenten and Neji Hyuga were being squeezed until their eyes rolled back in their heads.
Releasing his arms, the two rescued students gasped for air, casting grateful looks at Musashi.
"Yo! Musashi, Kakashi! You're here!"
"Kakashi, come look at my Team 3! They are very, very excellent students."
"Neji, Tenten, Lee. Look at your senior. This is Kakashi, my Eternal Rival."
Neji and the others looked at Kakashi Hatake.
As Konoha ninjas, they had heard of his famous reputation back in the Academy.
His resume of becoming a Jonin at twelve made the three look at him with admiration.
"Senior Kakashi, Konoha's genius ninja." Neji Hyuga's eyes were serious. A ninja like Kakashi Hatake was the goal he chased.
"To be Senior Kakashi's Eternal Rival... Teacher Guy, you're amazing!" Rock Lee was excited and yearning.
"Teacher Guy, are you sure you're Senior Kakashi's rival?" Only Tenten bluntly asked the doubt in her heart.
Silly Teacher Guy doesn't look like a match for an excellent ninja like Senior Kakashi at all.
"Hahahaha~" Might Guy laughed loudly. "Tenten, don't underestimate your teacher!"
"In my battle record with Kakashi, we are currently tied!" Might Guy said proudly.
As for how many of those battles were Rock, Paper, Scissors or 'who can pee the farthest', there was no need to tell them.
Neji and Tenten were skeptical, but Rock Lee was moved to tears.
"An Eternal Rival... that's so moving, Teacher Guy!"
"I want to find an Eternal Rival too!" As he spoke, he looked at his two teammates.
Tenten dodged away with a face full of rejection.
Neji Hyuga didn't take his words to heart at all.
As a genius of the great Hyuga clan, someone like Rock Lee wasn't even in his sights.
However, his coldness couldn't stop the fire growing in Rock Lee's eyes.
"It's you, Neji! You're a genius. I will make you my Eternal Rival. One day, I will defeat you!"
Neji Hyuga: "...Foolish."
The group's gaze then shifted to Musashi Ryomiya.
Compared to Kakashi Hatake's loud reputation...
They were naturally unfamiliar with Musashi.
However, his image was really hard for them to ignore.
The same green spandex suit.
The same Jonin flak jacket.
The same body radiating vigorous vitality.