Might Guy's knee filled Kuroha's vision, swelling larger and larger until it dominated all four pupils of his strange eyes.If that strike landed, he'd be bedridden half a day at least.
Guy himself hesitated, considering whether to pull the blow.
Before he had the chance, Kuroha shifted.A small palm braced against Guy's knee, elbow softening the impact as he redirected the force and flipped backward, sliding across the dirt until he stabilized three meters away.
"That speed…"Kuroha's breath hitched. It was the first time he'd exchanged blows with a full-fledged shinobi.
Guy beamed at him."Sharp reflexes! Great balance too. You're still missing the timing for follow-ups, but this is already impressive for your first real fight."
Kuroha rolled his shoulders."Again."
He darted forward, his short frame forced into predictable attack angles — chest-level kicks, jump strikes, nothing with the reach of an older fighter.Guy blocked them with minimal movement, expression thoughtful. Kuroha's age and size were simply too limiting for now.
Seven or eight years old — that would be the age his body could finally support a complete taijutsu style.Right now, even a prodigy would be stuck playing catch-up through raw force.
Still, Kuroha refused to slow down.
He hopped to Guy's left, then right, his small silhouette weaving around the jonin like a flickering spark.
A gap opened.
"Got you—"Kuroha spun, heel whipping low toward Guy's abdomen.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Guy's eyes widened."Tch— careless!"
He threw a punch simultaneously, aiming for Kuroha's chest.
Two thuds.
Kuroha's heel struck true, making Guy stagger two full steps backward.At the same instant, Guy's fist caught Kuroha, launching him into a tumbling spin across the ground.
He skidded to the cliff's edge — his heels hanging over open air.Another inch and he'd have gone down the ravine.
"…Close."Kuroha clutched his chest, wincing, then let himself fall flat on his back with a grin."I win."
Guy's face twitched."I got sloppy."
"But you still lost," Kuroha said without mercy. "And since you lost, you are forbidden from ever trying to make me wear that horrible green jumpsuit."
Guy stared at his own outfit, baffled."Terrible? This is the symbol of youth! Passion! Spirit!"
Kuroha snorted."Don't compare me to you."
They bickered a few minutes longer before Kuroha's chest began throbbing too much to ignore.He waved Guy off and headed home — dinner with Senju Akari was calling.
Guy cupped his hands around his mouth."Should I bring weights tomorrow?"
"No need!" Kuroha shouted back. "I'll have my dad buy them!"
He didn't wait for the response.
Senju Akari had already laid out dinner.But the moment she noticed Kuroha pressing a hand to his chest between bites, concern sharpened her eyes.
"Kuroha… what happened?"
"Nothing serious. Sparred with Guy-san. Took a punch."
Akari froze.
"Guy hit you?"
Her voice cracked, and anger surged so quickly she looked one step from marching out to strangle him.
Kuroha choked."Mother—! I challenged him. And I hit him too. Fair trade."
Akari was not convinced."That brute doesn't know his own strength. Let me see your injury."
After dinner she fussed over him, hands gentle, expression scolding.Kuroha let her apply medicine while tuning out all the worried muttering.
If he stopped training every time something hurt, he'd never reach the strength he needed.
When the lecture finally died down, he slipped toward his room — only for Akari to call out again.
"Oh— your father had something delivered. A box. He said it was something you requested."
Kuroha accepted it, already knowing what it was.
Inside his room, he opened the ornate package.A stack of chakra nature testing papers lay inside… each with a small gold stamp reading VIP.
Kuroha massaged his temples.Of course Jōan would order premium chakra paper.
He grabbed one sheet between his fingers and fed chakra into it.
The reaction began instantly.
The paper split cleanly along one edge — wind nature.Another section crumbled into dust — earth.Another wrinkled tightly — lightning.One portion ignited — fire.The last turned damp and soft — water.
Five natures.Five perfect reactions.
Kuroha stared.
"…Seriously?"
Wind. Lightning. Earth. Fire. Water.On top of the universal yin and yang chakra every shinobi possessed.
He exhaled, a slow whistle escaping him.
"With this… I can learn practically anything in the village."
But one question lingered:
Was he born with all five natures?Or had Dachisen, his self-made cellular chakra system, altered his affinities?
He rubbed his face.
"Whatever. I'll figure it out later."
Right now, he needed to refine the technique further.
And so the days passed.Training. Adjusting Dachisen. Running with Guy.Testing limits, building strength.
Five months slipped by, quiet and relentless — the calm before the storm.