Two months later, the back mountain training ground behind Konoha echoed nonstop with the heavy sounds of impacts. The forest shook repeatedly as fierce gusts of wind swept through the leaves, startling birds into flight every now and then.
"Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven! Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight! Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine!! Ten thousand!"
Thud!
Might Guy's final side kick slammed violently into the thick tree trunk before him, causing the entire tree to tremble as countless leaves scattered into the air like rain. Only after completing the final strike did Guy slowly lower his leg and exhale deeply. Sweat poured down from his forehead and soaked through his green training clothes, while steam faintly rose from his overheated body. His breathing was heavy, but the look in his eyes remained sharp and spirited.
Unfortunately, even after completing ten thousand kicks, the familiar System notification still did not appear.
Guy silently opened the System panel within his consciousness.
[Great Vajra Leg: 999]
[Great Vajra Finger: 999]
[Muscle-Tendon Change Classic: 758]
Ten days ago, both Low Grade Supreme Techniques had already reached a strange bottleneck. No matter how intensely he trained afterward, that final step simply refused to move forward. According to the System's explanation, reaching the next stage required either an Epiphany or spending one hundred monk value points to forcefully break through.
In other words, he had reached a Bottleneck.
However, even if Guy actually possessed one hundred monk value points right now, he still would not use them this way. If he could not rely on his own comprehension to break through a mere Low Grade Supreme Technique, then he would truly be disgracing the Taijutsu talent of this body.
Even so, he had never relaxed his training for even a single day.
Nearby, another loud thud suddenly sounded.
Obito collapsed flat onto the ground with all four limbs spread wide, gasping desperately for breath like a dying fish. Sweat completely soaked his clothes, and even his messy black hair was plastered tightly against his forehead.
Guy turned his head toward him and grinned.
"You're already done after just fifty laps?"
Obito instantly widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Just fifty laps?! That's fifty full laps around the entire back mountain! Not everyone is a monster like you!"
Guy immediately gave a bright thumbs-up.
"Youth is meant to burn hotter and hotter! The more intense the training, the more youthful it becomes!"
"Burn your head..." Obito muttered weakly while rolling his eyes.
Not far away, Kakashi leaned calmly against a tree trunk while repeatedly thrusting a Kunai into the bark with precise movements. Every stab landed on the exact same point without the slightest deviation, to the point where the tree trunk was already riddled with tiny holes. Although Kakashi himself remained silent, the corner of his eye occasionally drifted toward Guy's direction.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Rin sat quietly atop a large rock while smiling gently at everyone training. Beside her were neatly folded towels and several bottles of water she had brought along.
"Obito, come drink some water," Rin said as she stood up.
The moment he heard her voice, Obito practically resurrected on the spot.
"Rin! You specially brought water for mβ"
Before he could finish speaking, Rin had already walked straight past him and arrived beside Guy first.
"Guy, drink some water before you continue training."
Guy naturally accepted the bottle before tilting his head back and gulping down several large mouthfuls.
"Ahhh! Thanks!"
Obito's outstretched hand froze awkwardly in midair.
For a full two seconds, he remained completely petrified.
Then he slowly turned around with a deeply wronged expression.
"Rin!! I'm thirsty too!!"
Rin turned her head and smiled apologetically.
"There's still some left inside. You can pour it yourself."
Obito: "..."
Not far away, Kakashi's shoulders trembled slightly. Although he did not laugh out loud, it was obvious he was struggling very hard to hold it in.
Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the nearby forest trail.
Kurenai Yuhi jogged over while carrying a cloth bundle in both hands. Her naturally curly black hair bounced lightly with every step, while her cheeks looked slightly flushed from running.
"S-Sorry... I'm late."
She walked directly over to Guy before carefully handing over the cloth bundle.
"My mom... made too much again."
Guy casually accepted it and opened the wrapping cloth. Inside were several rice balls, some pickled radish, and a small box filled with dango. Without any hesitation, he picked up one rice ball and took a huge bite.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
Kurenai stood quietly beside him while watching him eat. The corners of her lips gradually curved upward, and her wine-red eyes sparkled with happiness.
Meanwhile, Obito shamelessly leaned over.
"Give me one too."
Guy immediately moved the food away from him.
"If you want some, ask your own family to make it."
"You stingy bastard!"
This exact scene had already repeated itself countless times over the past two months. Even the dialogue barely changed anymore.
Obito nearly ground his teeth flat from frustration.
Rin covered her mouth and laughed softly nearby, while Kurenai also could not help laughing. However, the moment she laughed, her cheeks immediately turned even redder than before.
After laughing for a while, Kurenai suddenly remembered something important.
"Oh right... don't come train in the back mountain recently."
Guy was still chewing his rice ball while speaking vaguely.
"Why?"
Kurenai instinctively lowered her voice.
"There's a bear."
Obito immediately froze.
"A bear?"
"A Ninja Bear." Kurenai nodded seriously. "Someone spotted it deep in the mountains several days ago. It's apparently several times larger than a normal bear. The Village already sent multiple Ninja teams to search for it, but nobody has found it yet."
Rin also nodded from nearby.
"My dad mentioned it too. He warned me not to go too deep into the back mountain recently."
Obito immediately swallowed nervously.
"Then... should we change our training location?"
Guy did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly turned his head toward Kakashi.
Kakashi also remained silent.
Their eyes met briefly.
Then, almost simultaneously, both pairs of eyes suddenly lit up.
The moment Obito saw those expressions, his heart instantly sank.
"H-Hey... you two..."
Guy grinned excitedly.
"A Ninja Bear?"
Kakashi calmly pulled his Kunai free from the tree trunk.
"And nobody has managed to find it yet?"
Then the two spoke at almost the exact same time.
"Doesn't that make it the perfect real combat opponent?"
Guy genuinely felt excited.
Over the past several days, he had gradually realized something. Simple repetitive training alone was no longer enough for him to break through the Bottleneck he had encountered. He needed real combat. He needed pressure. He needed a genuine opponent capable of forcing him further.
And now, this mysterious Ninja Bear had practically delivered itself right to his doorstep.
Obito's face immediately turned pale.
"Are you two insane?! That's a bear! A giant Ninja Bear!!"
Guy casually stood up while dusting dirt off his pants.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Kakashi calmly placed his Kunai back into his pouch.
"This is the perfect opportunity to test the results of our training over the past two months."
Obito stared blankly at the two of them before pointing with trembling fingers.
"You two are definitely crazy!"
Even Rin looked stunned.
"Kakashi... are you really planning to go?"
Kakashi did not answer verbally, but the expression on his face already said everything.
Kurenai suddenly grew anxious.
She hurried forward and tightly grabbed onto Guy's sleeve.
"No! It's too dangerous!"
Guy lowered his head and looked at her.
Kurenai's eyes had already turned slightly red, while her small hand gripped his sleeve tightly without loosening at all.
"You're only six years old! That's a giant bear! People could die!"
Guy scratched his head awkwardly before flashing his usual bright grin.
"It's fine. I have youth."
Kurenai nearly choked from anger.
"What good is youth at a time like this?!"
"Youth is meant to burn!"
Kurenai was instantly rendered speechless.
Tears quickly gathered within her eyes.
The moment Guy saw that expression, he immediately panicked slightly.
"H-Hey... don't cry..."
Kurenai bit her lip stubbornly without speaking, but her hand still refused to release his sleeve.
At that moment, Kakashi suddenly spoke from nearby.
"We'll go tonight."
He glanced calmly toward Guy.
"There are too many people around right now."
Guy nodded immediately.
"Alright."
The moment Kurenai heard the word "night," tears instantly rolled down her cheeks.
"You..."
She hurriedly lowered her head and wiped her eyes before taking a deep breath.
Then she suddenly looked back up with a determined expression.
"Then... I'm going too!"
Guy froze.
"Why are you going?"
Kurenai's eyes were still slightly red, but her expression had become incomparably serious.
"I'll keep watch for you."
"And if... if you can't beat it..."
"...I'll run back to the Village and call for help."
Guy opened his mouth slightly. Originally, he wanted to refuse immediately, but after seeing those determined eyes, he ultimately swallowed the words back down.
Meanwhile, beside them, Obito frantically shook his head.
"I'm not going! I'd rather die than go look for a giant bear in the mountains at night!"
Rin suddenly stood up and walked beside him.
"Obito."
Obito immediately turned his head toward her.
Rin smiled gently.
"If you won't go, then I'll go with Kurenai and follow behind them."
Obito froze completely.
"Y-You're going too?!"
Rin nodded naturally.
"Of course."
Obito looked at Rin.
Then at Kurenai.
Then at Guy and Kakashi.
His expression shifted wildly between pale and red several times before he finally shouted through gritted teeth:
"I'M GOING TOO!!!"
He clenched his fists tightly while yelling loudly.
"I absolutely cannot let you two girls enter the mountains alone at night! That's way too dangerous!"
Rin's smile immediately brightened further.
"Then let's all go together."
Obito clenched his teeth tightly.
For some reason, he suddenly felt like he had been tricked.