"This is Musashi. He's your senior and an exceptional Taijutsu specialist."
Neji Hyuga and Tenten shifted their gaze back and forth between Musashi Ryomiya and Might Guy.
Look at this one. Look at that one. Repeat.
"Guy Sensei," Tenten couldn't help but ask, "Is Senior Musashi your relative?"
Might Guy scratched his head and laughed boisterously. "Aha-ha-ha-ha! Although Musashi and I share a similar youthful spirit, we are actually best friends!"
Neji and Tenten continued their observation.
Hmm. Same outfit... but the vibes are totally different.
Senior Musashi is way hotter than Guy Sensei. Like, the upgraded version. Better keep that to myself, though.
Musashi looked at the three genin, his gaze lingering on Tenten for a moment.
He smiled. "Congratulations, you guys. As of today, you are officially full-fledged ninjas."
"Also, Big Bro Guy is an incredibly capable ninja. Having him as your Jonin instructor is something worth celebrating."
"Tell you what—let's go get BBQ for lunch. My treat!"
Tenten immediately cheered. "Awesome!"
Once again, the universal truth was proven: free food builds bonds.
Over a meal of grilled meat, Musashi quickly got to know the members of Team Guy.
After eating and drinking his fill, Musashi dragged Kakashi Hatake along—using "digestion" as an excuse—to witness the official formation ceremony of Team Guy.
---
Inside the hallway.
"Everyone, tell me your goals or dreams," Might Guy said to the trio.
Neji Hyuga, the strongest of the bunch, spoke first.
"Dreams? I have no interest in discussing such things."
Might Guy: "..."
He turned his gaze to Rock Lee. In times like this, Lee would never let him down.
"Me! Let me go!" Lee was practically vibrating with excitement.
"My dream is to prove that even without talent for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, I can surpass a genius through hard work alone! That is my goal!"
Neji couldn't hold back a scoff.
"What are you laughing at?" Lee demanded.
"You can't even use Ninjutsu. You hardly count as a ninja," Neji said coldly.
"Even without Ninjutsu, I can become an excellent ninja. That is my Nindo—my Ninja Way!"
"Those without talent are destined for mediocrity. That is the fate of a ninja," Neji retorted indifferently.
"Neji," Might Guy cut in, his expression serious. "Talent does not determine a ninja's worth."
"Even if Lee cannot use Ninjutsu, he can still become an outstanding ninja through hard work." He pointed a thumb at Musashi, who was happily eating a melon on the sidelines.
"Both I, and your Senior Musashi here, have proven this."
Musashi: "(￣◇￣;)"
Don't drag me into this...
Rock Lee, who had been feeling a bit down, was instantly revitalized.
Neji glanced up at Musashi and finally stopped arguing.
He didn't acknowledge Lee deep down, but as Jonin, Guy and Musashi were not people he could lightly dismiss or criticize.
However, in his heart, he remained firm: the destinies of geniuses and mediocrities were inherently different.
Sensing the tension in the air, Tenten spoke up to smooth things over.
"My dream is to become a legendary kunoichi like Lady Tsunade!"
Might Guy nodded approvingly. "Excellent, Tenten!"
"That is a worthy goal! Lady Tsunade's Taijutsu is also incredibly fearsome. She once beat Lord Jiraiya—one of the Sannin—within an inch of his life."
Encouraged, Tenten asked, "So, Guy Sensei, how can I become a great kunoichi like her?"
Might Guy flashed his signature 'nice guy' pose, teeth sparkling.
"Only through hard work!"
Tenten: "（＝＿＝）"
Musashi: "..."
Classic Guy.
---
Many days later.
In the Team Guy meeting room, Musashi nodded appreciatively as he sampled some sashimi.
"The flavor is excellent. I was planning to just eat a bento for lunch, but I didn't expect a sashimi feast."
Rock Lee shoveled rice into his mouth and explained, "Senior Musashi, Tenten brought this back from the Medical Corps. It's really fresh. Eat up!"
Musashi nodded, then turned to Tenten, who was sitting in the corner sulking.
"Tenten, I'll mention it to Izumi. Next time you go, tell her to prep some Pomfret. That tastes even better."
Tenten: "┭┮﹏┭┮"
"Senior Musashi, stop making fun of me!"
"I'm not making fun of you," Musashi replied with a straight face. "I'm serious. Pomfret is delicious."
Tenten felt even more depressed.
In her quest to become a powerful kunoichi like Tsunade, she first trained in Taijutsu with Guy.
However, as a girl, her physical progress couldn't keep up with Neji or the stamina-monster Lee.
She then remembered that besides Taijutsu, Tsunade was a top-tier Medical Ninja.
So, Guy asked Musashi for a favor, and Musashi connected her with Izumi Uchiha in the Medical Corps to learn Medical Ninjutsu.
The results were... distinctive.
Lately, Team Guy's diet had consisted exclusively of fish hotpot, spicy fish heads, sashimi, sweet and sour fish...
It turned out the fish used for practicing medical stitching and resuscitation were... plentiful.
To thank Musashi for the introduction, Guy had Lee invite him over whenever they had these "feasts."
The food was honestly way better than a standard bento.
But Tenten had zero appetite. After sulking for a while, she looked up pitifully.
"Guy Sensei... besides Taijutsu and Medical Ninjutsu, does Lady Tsunade have any other legends?"
Guy thought for a moment. "Besides those two, Tsunade is known for her Summoning Jutsu."
"She can summon the giant slug, Katsuyu. She's known as the Slug Princess."
Tenten's eyes lit up with hope again. "Summoning Jutsu? How do I learn that?"
"First," Guy said, "We need to check if you have an affinity for Space-Time Ninjutsu."
A few minutes later, the sashimi was cleared away.
"You have the prerequisites for Summoning," Guy confirmed. "Now you just need to sign a contract."
"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"
POOF!
As the smoke cleared, a large red tortoise appeared in front of everyone.
The tortoise looked at the group of small humans. "Guy... are these your students?"
"It... it spoke!" Tenten and Lee had never seen a talking animal before.
"That's amazing, Guy Sensei!" Lee shouted.
Tenten recovered from her initial shock. She looked at the bulky tortoise and asked, "Guy Sensei... no slug?"
"Compared to a slug, isn't a ninja tortoise much cooler?" Guy asked.
Tenten and the tortoise locked eyes.
They confirmed it instantly: Not the right vibe.
"Little girl," the tortoise rumbled. "You got a problem with me?"
Tenten was brutally honest. "Uh... well, you don't exactly look like the stuff of legends."
"Rude child. I wouldn't sign a contract with you anyway."
POOF!
The tortoise vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving in a huff.
Tenten made a face at the empty air.
It wasn't until Guy explained just how rare and difficult it was to find a Summoning Beast that she realized what she had done.
She had missed a huge opportunity.
Her path to becoming the next Tsunade was blocked once again.
Looks like I'll have to try something else.