Renji walked over to Guy, handing him a coconut as well. "Thank you, Guy-san. You are an absolute lifesaver. This task alone would have taken thirty of my best men... twenty days of continuous, grueling labor."
Kimimaro stood frozen, the words echoing in his mind. Warm-up? Is this man... this 'sensei'... actually serious? A strange, unfamiliar spark ignited within Kimimaro's chest. It was a mixture of frustration, pride, and an unwillingness to be outdone by a man wearing a ridiculous green suit.
"Damn it..." Kimimaro muttered under his breath.
He dropped the empty coconut and blurred out of sight. He began moving faster than before, grabbing larger stacks. When his flesh and muscle began to fail under the weight, he activated his Kekkei Genkai. White, hardened calcium protrusions burst from his forearms and shoulders, forming makeshift skeletal brackets that allowed him to stack and carry fifty bricks at a time.
Hours dissolved into the afternoon. Utilizing the Shikotsumyaku for such an extended, grueling period of physical labor was incredibly taxing... a bizarre, endurance-based drain he had never experienced in short, lethal battles. But he refused to stop.
Finally, Renji called out to the field. "Great work, everyone! Drop your loads! We have gathered all the necessary bricks!" He pointed proudly to a towering, massive pyramid of clay bricks.
The Team 3 genin sighed in relief, but Renji wasn't done. "Our next task is to haul the heavy cement bags and the reinforced steel rods!"
Lee, Neji, and Tenten instantly slouched, their spirits practically escaping from their mouths.
"But!" Renji shouted with a wide grin, "That is a chore for another day. For the rest of this evening, the construction crew is throwing a party!"
Kimimaro stood apart from the group, staring down at his hands. They were raw, calloused, and throbbing with a deep ache. He had made exactly 2,473 trips. His bones ached from the constant density shifts. Meanwhile, Guy had finished over 5,000 trips... all while walking on his hands.
"Phenomenal job today, everyone," Guy said, walking over to Kimimaro with a warm, genuine smile. "You too, Kimimaro. You really didn't back down."
Kimimaro glared at the man with a deep frustration. He couldn't understand this man. "You are just an ordinary Jounin," Kimimaro said, his voice sharp. "What you did there today was close to impossible. Performing such strenuous tasks with such reckless disregard will only cause permanent, irreversible damage to your body."
"Ha! Well, that is just the spirit of youth speaking, my boy!" Guy laughed, giving Kimimaro a firm pat on the shoulder. "But make no mistake, I take immaculate care of my bones, tendons, and ligaments. In fact, I've practically named all of them! Aside from Lady Tsunade herself, I am the foremost expert on muscular health in Konoha."
Guy leaned in close, his dark eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Kimimaro's muscles and breathing. "Let's see... based on your exertion, your physical endurance has likely increased by five percent today alone. Your power output? Up by seven percent. Hard work never betrays you."
Kimimaro turned his face away. "Pointless..." he mumbled, walking away from the noise to find a quiet, isolated spot on the edge of the camp.
He sat watching the construction workers and the shinobi laugh, share food, and drink together under the twilight sky. It was warm, chaotic, and filled with an inexplicable sense of life.
"What is it with the people in this village?" Kimimaro thought, staring at his aching hands. "It is nothing like the Sound Village. Is this place... even real?"
~~
Kimimaro stared down at the small glass syringe resting in his palm, its clear yellowish barrel giving a light shine. It was his prescribed dose for the day.
He couldn't help but be surprised at Guy's almost frustrating naivety. He had simply handed the medicine over, turning his back without so much as a second glance to ensure the fluid had actually entered Kimimaro's veins. It was a reckless level of trust.
"Guy-san really believes everyone." He said out loud
An idea took over his mind, as his fingers tightened around the syringe. "I could just send this back to Kabuto-san."
If Kabuto could analyze the compound, they might finally replicate. Once that happened, Kimimaro would have no further use for Konoha. "He wouldn't have to play the part of the cooperative shinobi anymore."
But first, he reminded himself, carefully slipping the syringe back into the hidden folds of his clothes, "I need to establish contact with Lord Orochimaru's spies. Slipping away unnoticed is impossible with Guy constantly monitoring me."
Just then, a heavy hand dropped onto his shoulder, and an unmistakably boisterous face presented right beside his own.
Kimimaro's heart rate spiked. A cold sweat broke out across the back of his neck as his muscles locked up. "Damn it. Did he see the syringe?"
But as Guy leaned in, his cheeks flushed into a deep red, his usually sharp eyes completely glazed over. He waved a small cup unsteadily through the air. "Come on, Kimimaro!" Guy slurred, his voice vibrating. "Lighten up! Have a drink with me!"
Kimimaro exhaled slowly, forcing his racing pulse to slow down as he carefully masked his relief. "Guy-sensei, you are clearly intoxicated," he replied, his voice maintaining its usual detached tone. "And as you well know, my health condition strictly prohibits me from consuming alcohol."
Before Guy could offer a loud, drunken protest, a sudden crash came from the party in front.
Both men turned toward the commotion. Rock Lee was currently fighting civilians with an erratic stance, having accidentally chugged a bottle of sake thinking it was his medicine. The boy's eyes were wide, his movements were unpredictable as he began to completely wreck the party.
"I will go handle Lee," Kimimaro said seeing the perfect opportunity to distance himself from Guy as he flicked away.
Guy was still standing there, but the goofy grin was entirely gone. His posture was perfectly straight and his eyes were sharp. He raised the cup to his lips and took his first sip.
Guy wasn't drunk at all.
~~
A/N: Planning a time skip of 2 or 2.5 years. [About 6 months before Shippuden]
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