Amon watched Hinata disappear into the crowd of chattering Academy hopefuls, her small frame swallowed by the gathering like a pebble dropped into a pond. He turned sharply, the stiff fabric of his Hyuga robes whispering softly. Cicadas screamed their agreement with the oppressive heat as he strode toward the courtyard designated for graduating Genin. Dust kicked up beneath his sandals, gritty against his soles. The scent of sunbaked earth and nervous sweat hung thick in the air. Inside, his mind was a cool, calculating chamber: Team Gai. Tenten. Rock Lee. The Green Beast. Gossip whispered that Gai was eccentric, obsessed with youth, powerful yet unconventional. Clan archives held nothing substantial on him—a deliberate void. Branch Family elders might yield fragments of truth, traded carefully like precious currency. He'd need leverage.
The courtyard buzzed with tightly coiled energy. Students clustered like nervous birds, eyes darting, voices pitched high with anticipation. Amon stood apart, a silent pillar of Hyuga composure. His Byakugan activated for a fraction of a second, a reflexive scan: Kakashi's lone figure leaning against the monument. And Gai—a shock of green spandex radiating impossible vitality, flanked by an intensely focused boy in identical green and a girl meticulously checking kunai weights. Lee. Tenten. Amon's gaze flickered away just before being noticed. The Branch Family elder, Ko, had grudgingly confirmed Gai's formidable taijutsu mastery and bizarre training regimes when pressed subtly over tea weeks prior. "Unpredictable," Ko had muttered, eyes downcast, "But dangerous. Respect the unpredictable." It was less than Amon wanted, more than most knew.
"Hyōta Neji!" The voice boomed across the courtyard, impossibly loud and startlingly close. Gai materialized before him, teeth gleaming like polished tiles, a thumb jabbed dramatically toward his own chest. "Your springtime of youth blossoms before you! Welcome to Team Gai! Prepare for a journey of fiery passion and splendid effort under the guidance of your magnificent sensei!" Behind him, Lee vibrated with tears of pure joy, shouting "YOSH!" Tenten sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward, though a tiny smirk played at her lips. Amon bowed precisely, the movement smooth and practiced. "Hai, Gai-sensei." Inside, his mind raced, analyzing Gai's explosive chakra signature—wild, untamed, yet controlled with terrifying precision. He sensed the raw physical power thrumming beneath the ridiculous exterior, a stark contrast to the Hyuga's refined, internal flow. This man moves like a force of nature, Amon thought, filing the observation alongside Ko's warning.
Gai's grin widened impossibly. "Excellent! The flames of youthful determination burn bright in your eyes! We commence immediately! First test: a hundred laps of Konoha perimeter—show me your splendid resolve!" Lee shot off like a green arrow, yelling encouragement. Tenten adjusted her weapons pouch, falling into a steady run. Amon took a breath, tasting dust and anticipation. He matched Tenten's pace, his Hyuga grace making the run seem effortless. Yet beneath the calm surface, his senses stretched outward. He felt the thrum of the village's protective barrier, the distant pulse of the Hokage's office, the subtle tremor of Gai's immense chakra observing them. More profoundly, he sensed the life—the rustle of leaves charged with latent energy, the flicker of small creatures in the undergrowth, the deep, slow heartbeat of the earth itself. It was a whisper, a promise of something vast and ancient stirring within his perception. The path ahead was jagged, fraught with politics and peril, but this… this connection… felt like the first true step onto ground that was entirely his own.