Time passed slowly, and noon came.
Ken and Guy paused near the edge of the field, both breathing steadily. Sweat darkened the dirt beneath their feet.
Guy broke the silence.
"Senior," he said, face uncharacteristically serious, "shall we spar?"
Since Kakashi had graduated, Guy hadn't had a proper opponent. No one who could push him far enough to show him where he stood. He needed that measure, even if he didn't say it aloud.
Ken studied him for a moment.
If he was going to survive what was coming, he couldn't afford to train alone.
He nodded. "Alright."
Guy's expression sharpened. They stepped back and formed the seal of confrontation.
The moment it ended, Guy moved.
Fast. Direct. No hesitation.
Ken didn't meet him head-on. He split into three figures mid-step, the Clone Technique scattering his presence.
Not perfect, he thought as chakra shifted. But it's close.
He gripped a kunai in reverse and vanished in a flicker of speed, forcing illusion and movement to overlap.
Guy reacted instantly.
A sweeping kick tore through the space where all three Kens had been.
Nothing connected.
The clones dispersed as Ken reappeared inside Guy's guard. The handle of the kunai slammed into Guy's stomach before he could adjust.
Guy grunted but didn't stop.
Ken followed with a kick toward Guy's head. Guy raised his arm to block and, without hesitation, snapped a sharp kick upward.
It caught Ken under the chin.
Ken staggered back, teeth clicking together. He didn't press it. He jumped away and threw a spread of shuriken to halt Guy's pursuit.
Guy stopped, chest rising.
"You're incredible at taijutsu," Ken said honestly, steadying his breathing. "I can't match you there."
Guy blinked, then broke into a grin and gave a thumbs-up. "You're strong too, Senior!"
Ken allowed a small smile.
"Then watch carefully," he said. "This is how a shinobi fights."
He vanished.
Shuriken whistled in from multiple angles. Guy snapped his focus back and deflected them with his kunai, metal ringing sharply.
Then—
Thump.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall."
The ground shifted beneath Guy's feet. A low wall erupted just enough to throw off his balance.
Before he could recover, a compact mass of earth slammed into his chest.
Guy hit the ground hard.
A kunai hovered at his throat.
It had all happened too fast.
Ken lowered the blade and stepped back.
"As a taijutsu specialist," he said quietly, "you need sharper instincts and faster reactions. Experience will help, but if you don't get proper guidance… missions become about surviving, not growing."
Guy sat up slowly, expression no longer playful.
He already knew the problem.
"What should I do, Senior?" he asked.
This time, the word wasn't enthusiasm.
It was trust.
Ken didn't hesitate.
"I can't teach taijutsu," he said. "But I fight like an average shinobi. Ninjutsu. Movement. Tools. If you can handle that every day, you'll find your answers."
Guy bowed deeply, fists clenched.
Ken's eye twitched. "Stop that."
"I'm not crying!" Guy said, wiping his eyes anyway. "I'm just… fired up!"
Ken sighed. "We meet every morning. Six."
"Yes!" Guy replied instantly.
As they packed up, Guy glanced back at Ken with open admiration.
Ken turned away.
This wasn't charity.
It was preparation