Mikami Yuu had actually known Might Duy for a long time.
After all, Duy ran dozens of laps around Konoha every day. He also frequently took odd jobs like catching cats and dogs, randomly "spawning" all over the village's streets and alleys. As long as you weren't always holed up at home, you were bound to run into him sooner or later.
Might Duy was the kind of person who was a bit blunt and simple-minded—and at the same time, desperately lacking in recognition. In theory, if you chatted with him more, raised his favorability, occasionally gave him gifts… no, wait—trained with him, showed enthusiasm for taijutsu—then you'd have a chance to receive his guidance, and from him, learn the Eight Gates.
Mikami Yuu had actually tried that before.
But…
In the end, he failed completely.
It wasn't that Might Duy refused to teach.
It was that the invisible threshold for the Eight Gates was simply too high. According to Duy, to even get started with this forbidden technique, you had to be able to run ten full laps around Konoha in one go. And if you wanted to go further—opening three gates or more—the standard became even higher.
Duy himself had trained with his head down for twenty or thirty years to reach his current level, and because he hadn't taken proper care of his body, he'd accumulated a pile of hidden injuries and often felt unwell.
But his judgment of the physique requirements needed to open each gate should have been accurate.
Might Guy had already entered the Eight Gates now—he just hadn't used it in the Academy's practical exams.
As for Mikami Yuu…
He was already eight, and still couldn't match the daily training intensity Guy had at six, so he'd never had the chance to learn the Eight Gates.
But now, with the galgame system, things were different. Once he was done being busy these next couple days, Mikami Yuu figured he could go find Might Duy again and see whether he finally qualified to train the Eight Gates.
After saying goodbye to the two teachers, Mikami Yuu left the school building and headed home—only to spot a few familiar figures at the school gate.
"Huh? Rin, you guys are still here?"
Mikami Yuu stopped.
There were three people waiting at the gate. One was Nohara Rin. The other two were a pair of noisy, bouncing figures—clearly Obito and Might Guy.
Obito seemed unwilling to accept that he'd lost to Guy on the ring, and was currently trying to pick another fight with him.
"Yuu-kun, you're out!"
Rin saw him too and smiled gently. "We all came together this morning, so of course we go home together too. It's only a few minutes later anyway. As for Guy…"
"Yuu! You're too late—I've been waiting so long I'm starving and thirsty for it! Hurry and let me witness your youth!"
Guy jumped out immediately, flashing a thumbs-up and a gleaming grin.
Huh?
If you want to challenge someone, shouldn't you be challenging Kakashi? Why me?
Is this… bullying?
Mikami Yuu sighed helplessly. "Guy, it's late, and everyone's tired from the test. Not a good time to fight… How about we compete in something else?"
"What do you mean?" Guy asked, confused.
"Like this: we go to Ichiraku Ramen. Each of us orders a bowl, and we race to see who finishes first. Loser treats. How about it?"
"Huh?"
Guy froze, then nodded. The contest sounded kind of weird, but… sure, why not?
Rin and Obito exchanged a glance. Rin spoke softly. "Can I come too? I haven't had Ichiraku in a long time. I wonder if Uncle Teuchi has come up with any new flavors."
If Rin was going, Obito obviously couldn't say no—being a "lady's escort" was his professional line of work.
So,
Mikami Yuu could only take three tagalongs with him to the place he once dreamed of working—
Ichiraku Ramen.
As Konoha's most famous ramen shop, Ichiraku wasn't actually very big, and the seating was just one long counter. But fitting four eight- or nine-year-old kids was more than easy.
Mikami Yuu ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen. Guy ordered a special extra-char siu.
And then…
Mikami Yuu had barely gotten two bites down when Guy finished the last of the broth in his bowl and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Yuu, looks like I won this time!"
"Congratulations."
Mikami Yuu pulled out a bill and slid it over. "This bowl is on me. If you order more after this, you pay for it yourself."
—He didn't know whether Guy's appetite could compete with Hinata's legendary bottomless stomach, but Mikami Yuu did know that with Guy's activity level, he definitely ate more than him. That was why he only competed on speed, not on quantity—this way, at worst, he only lost the price of one bowl.
And Guy, being as straightforward as he was, didn't notice anything off about that at all.
About half an hour later,
the four of them, full and satisfied, got up and headed home.
Guy's house wasn't in the same direction as theirs, so they split ways halfway.
Obito's house wasn't either.
But he insisted on being the escort, claiming, "Walking at night is dangerous," and stubbornly walked them all the way to their doorstep, still reluctant to leave.
"Alright, Obito-kun, Yuu and I are home. It's late—you should go back too. Don't make Grandma Kyōka worry."
Rin urged him gently.
"Okay… then I'll come find you again tomorrow…"
Obito lingered.
"Tomorrow might not work."
"Huh?"
Faced with Obito's puzzled look, Rin glanced at Mikami Yuu and explained, "Tomorrow, Yuu-kun and I already agreed to go to Konoha Hospital…"
"?!"
Hearing that, Obito instantly snapped awake. His eyes widened like bells, and he blurted in disbelief, "Agreed? You two are going where? The hospital… why are you going to the hospital? Don't tell me…"
Not sure what he was imagining, Obito stealthily glanced at Rin's stomach.
"…?"
Mikami Yuu froze for a second, thinking, There's no way kids in this world are that precocious, right?
Rin, meanwhile, didn't think much of it. Still speaking softly, she said, "Not to see a doctor—classes. Yuu-kun and I signed up through Ooki-sensei for Konoha Hospital's medical training course. Starting this week, we'll go every weekend, so we won't be able to play with you."
"Oh, a training course… I thought it was…"
Obito let out a huge sigh of relief, then immediately raised his hand. "Then I'm going too!"
"Huh?"
"Rin, don't judge me by how I look—I'm actually really interested in medical ninjutsu! I mean, I'm going to be Hokage someday. How could I not know how to save lives and heal people? That course doesn't limit the number of people attending, right? Even if it does, it's fine—I'll stand in the back and listen…
"Right, Mikami?"
Obito puffed out his chest, patted it hard, then shot Mikami Yuu a look full of exaggerated eyebrow wiggling.
Rin also looked at Mikami Yuu for confirmation.
Mikami Yuu shrugged. "I don't mind."