That was a lie.
In truth, Mikami Yuu had been farming the affection of those "pretty girls" to get Constitution points from the galgame system, forcibly boosting his physical stats—only then could he barely keep up with the Might father-and-son training this far.
But judging from how it felt, +8 Constitution still wasn't enough. He'd have to find a way to add a few more points.
On the other side,
Might Duy raised a thumbs-up, his eyes full of passion as he looked at Mikami Yuu.
"Very good, Yuu! This persistence is the brightest light of youth! Your physical foundation is already far tougher than before!"
"…Then do I now have the qualification to ask you about that 'secret art,' Uncle Duy? I know it represents the ultimate taijutsu principle—a forbidden technique that trades burning life for power. But I have that resolve! To protect what I cherish!"
Mikami Yuu forced down his heavy breathing, sat up straighter, and became extremely serious.
He'd dealt with Duy before, and had "coincidentally" witnessed him practicing the Eight Gates, so he'd already brought up the topic once. Saying it again now didn't feel abrupt.
Might Duy stared at the determination in Mikami Yuu's eyes for a few seconds, then slowly stood up, flashing a thumbs-up and gleaming teeth.
"Good! I can feel your resolve!
"But Yuu—training the Eight Gates is incredibly hard. It requires day after day, year after year, forging your body into a steel physique capable of withstanding that violent power! Pain, monotony, sweat—even blood—are everyday things! You should understand that!"
"I understand!"
Mikami Yuu answered without hesitation.
"Then… prove it to me!"
Might Duy pointed at the long road ahead and shouted, "If you can complete the task of running ten laps around Konoha every day for ten consecutive days, then I'll teach you the training method for the Eight Gates!"
"…Alright! Ten days means ten days! Uncle Duy—deal!"
Mikami Yuu said.
If +8 Constitution could let him last nine laps, then with just one or two more points, he should be able to finish all ten. So if everything went smoothly, as fast as half a month—or at worst a month—he'd meet Duy's requirement and learn the Eight Gates.
By then it would only be January next year, still before the graduation exam.
There was time.
"Ha! That's what youth should look like! I believe in you, Yuu!"
Might Duy laughed, flipped back into a handstand, and called to his son, "Guy, we continue! Sprint for the tenth lap!"
"Yes, Dad!"
Might Guy immediately followed with full energy, and even turned back mid-run, flashing Mikami Yuu a mouthful of white teeth.
"Yuu! I'll challenge you again!"
Watching the green spandex father and son turn into two moving "youthful" scenery lines and disappear into the distance, Mikami Yuu leaned against a tree trunk. Fatigue washed over him like a tide—but his eyes were bright.
Ten days, ten laps… he'd have to keep grinding affection even harder!
For Mikami Yuu, who was now romancing six jutsu at once, it was already getting difficult to max all six every single day.
Unless he did nothing all day except talk and practice.
But…
Since every affection tier-up gave +1 Constitution, maybe the more efficient strategy was to focus on the jutsu closest to leveling up first.
…
The weekend passed in the blink of an eye.
A new week arrived.
Early in the morning, the notice board in front of the Ninja Academy's teaching building was packed with people. The final exam score sheet had been posted, and every student crowded around it, craning their necks to look.
"Whoa! Scores are out! I'm finally not last place this time!"
"Quick—who's first?"
"Wow! It's Mikami Yuu! Full marks!"
"No way—didn't he have a weak practical score…?"
"His practical score is high too! Look! Same as Sarutobi Asuma, but his written score blows Asuma away!"
"Hyūga Kamon dropped so many places…"
Amid the noisy chatter, Mikami Yuu's name sat at the top of the list, glaringly obvious.
Obito was squeezed into the crowd too, standing on tiptoes, anxiously searching for his own name. When he finally found it far down the list, his head drooped.
"Ah… again…"
He instinctively turned to look where Rin was, only to see Rin standing with Mikami Yuu, chatting and laughing. A strange sense of gap immediately rose in Obito's chest, making his face heat up.
Yeah… he was red-hot.
First place, Rin… those should have been his, Obito's!
On the other side,
Mikami Yuu wasn't surprised at all by his first-place result. For him, full marks in written subjects was standard. As for the practical score, even though it was officially calculated from his match with Mizuki, his earlier use of the Three Basic Jutsu to beat Hyūga Kamon would definitely influence how the teachers evaluated him.
What actually mattered was what kind of impact "first place" would bring afterward.
Just as Mikami Yuu cleared his throat, about to say something to Rin, a soft voice came from beside him:
"Mikami-kun, congratulations. You really improved a lot this time."
"Thanks… Yūhi."
Mikami Yuu turned and met a fair face and ruby-like eyes.
It was Yūhi Kurenai.
At this age, Kurenai didn't yet have that mature "long-haired onee-san" vibe she'd have as an adult, but her clothing already hinted at her future style—red inner layer with a white outer top. She wasn't wrapping bandages around her hands and thighs yet, so somehow she looked like something was missing.
Kurenai hesitated, then spoke again.
"Mikami-kun, this might be a bit rude to ask out of nowhere, but… could I ask you for advice on how to raise practical combat scores? You know… mine aren't very good either."
"Hm?"
Mikami Yuu paused, then said, "Well… there's no special trick. It's mostly just study more and practice more…"
"Something… more specific?"
Kurenai blinked.
"Well… if I really had to say one thing, it's that you have to treat ninjutsu like people. You can't practice just for the sake of practicing. You should talk to your jutsu more, raise their affection, occasionally give them gifts—and then in some special event, have a special interaction with them…"
"In short: as long as you treat ninjutsu with sincerity, ninjutsu will definitely repay you. Yeah. That's it."
Mikami Yuu said solemnly.
Kurenai, however, slowly opened her mouth—and after a long moment, finally managed:
"…Huh?"
~~~
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