After the old man ordered a bowl of ramen to go, Sasuke casually glanced in the direction he'd left and asked, "Sakura, do you know that old man?"
"Mm-hmm," Sakura nodded. "Before my dad retired, he was on many missions with Grandpa Kosuke as his teammate. Grandpa Kosuke lives not far from our house, and when I was little, my dad took me to visit him a few times."
Naruto, looking puzzled, asked, "Sakura, are you saying that old man is still a ninja?"
With that big pot on his back, he looked more like a chef than anything.
"Of course," Sakura replied. "Grandpa Kosuke may only be a Genin and not very strong, but my dad always said he has incredibly rich ninja experience."
"Sakura!"
"What is it, Sasuke?"
Sasuke withdrew his gaze and said coolly, "Since you have that connection, you should ask for advice from such a senior figure more often."
"Huh?" Sakura blinked in surprise.
'Grandpa Kosuke... Well, he's just a Genin, right? Even my useless dad is way stronger than him.'
"As you said, this senior has been a ninja for decades, so even if he's only a Genin, he must possess exceptional skills. You'll be graduating in two years, so learning from such a seasoned veteran would be invaluable to your progress."
Maruboshi Kosuke—this was the man to whom the Second Hokage personally taught Water Release techniques, whom the Third Hokage wanted to promote to Jonin and pass on his own ninjutsu (but Kosuke refused the promotion), and whose wounds were bandaged by the Fourth Hokage himself.
His swordsmanship and Shuriken throwing skills were exceptional, even among Konoha's Jonin.
As for Water Release techniques, Kosuke was arguably the best in Konoha.
The only exception might be the Third Hokage, the "Five Elements Ninjutsu Grandmaster," whose mastery across all five elements made direct comparisons difficult.
"Is that so?" Sakura nodded thoughtfully.
'Sasuke-kun is so smart—what he says must be right!'
After finishing their ramen and chatting for a while, the trio dispersed.
'Should I really follow Sasuke-kun's advice and ask Grandpa Kosuke for guidance more often?'
On her way home, Sakura manipulated her water-type puppet while pondering this.
It wasn't that Sakura looked down on Grandpa Kosuke's strength, but she was afraid of disturbing him.
Grandpa Kosuke was rarely home. He was either patrolling the outskirts of Konoha or on missions outside the village.
Her father had told her that Grandpa Kosuke was a ninja with a strong sense of responsibility and a burning Will of Fire.
Most ninjas retired around fifty, and even her unreliable father had ended his ninja career before thirty.
Yet Grandpa Kosuke, already in his sixties, continued to dedicate himself to Konoha. Whether his skills were impressive or not, he was undeniably deeply devoted to the village.
'Wouldn't it be terribly rude to disturb someone like that during his rare days off?' Sakura thought.
In public, Sakura always presented herself as a refined and proper young lady. Only Sasuke, Naruto, Ino, and a few others ever saw her true personality.
With a sigh, Sakura murmured, "I'll ask Dad when I get back. If he says no, then forget about it."
After leaving Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto trudged toward the training grounds, his face etched with frustration. He was going to train extra hard today!
Remembering Sasuke's advice about not engaging in strenuous exercise immediately after eating, he opted to walk instead of run.
Today marked yet another defeat against Sasuke. While it wasn't his first loss, it still left Naruto burning with resentment.
For over two years, their relationship had been a blend of mentorship and friendship, but Naruto had never abandoned his determination to defeat Sasuke.
From the moment they first met, a voice within him had urged him to befriend Sasuke, but friendship came with a condition: he must never lose to that guy.
Yet he seemed to be losing every time, never once claiming victory.
"What else can I do to get stronger quickly and finally beat Sasuke?" Naruto muttered, scratching his head in frustration.
He felt his progress had hit a plateau. While daily, increasingly intense training still yielded gradual progress, it lacked the explosive gains he'd experienced when he first began seriously training.
He had completely mastered the Ninja Academy's taijutsu curriculum, and even had a rough grasp of Sasuke's Uchiha-style taijutsu.
'Is reading really the only option left?' Naruto thought, a guilty expression flickering across his face.
Thanks to his extraordinary Taijutsu skills, Naruto had soared through his class's practical assessments, rising to second place, just behind Sasuke.
However, for someone who got a splitting headache just looking at a book, theory class remained his Achilles' heel, where he always ranked dead last.
The best way to overcome hardship is to face it head-on—persistence leads to victory!
Rounding a corner, Naruto stopped suddenly, recalling something Sasuke had once told him.
Gritting his teeth, he abruptly turned and headed toward the Konoha Library, his footsteps growing more resolute with each step.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop just beyond the corner Naruto had passed, a tall, white-haired middle-aged man in a crimson coat lay prone, his gaze fixed intently on the distant hot spring resort.
___
Konoha Library.
Entering the library, Naruto braced himself against the cold, disdainful, and curious stares of the other patrons as he strode to the front desk.
He asked the smiling receptionist for a catalog, glanced at it hastily, and then hurried deeper into the library.
His quick skim had only revealed the location of the Taijutsu section before he snapped the catalog shut.
For him now, nothing was more coveted or desired than learning a new Taijutsu technique.
Stepping into the Taijutsu section, Naruto swallowed hard as he gazed at the endless rows of bookshelves, each crammed with countless volumes. Trembling slightly, he picked up the first book and began to read.
[ Basic Taijutsu for Ninja Academy Students? ]
'No good. I already know all that.'
[ Key Points to Remember in Taijutsu Training? ]
'No good either. Sasuke already taught me this.'
[ Hardcore Fitness? ]
'I know this one too.'
[ Men: How to Train Your Core? ]
[ How Can Men Last Longer? ]
'What kind of ridiculous trash is this?!'
Naruto, utterly speechless, put the books back. Either they contained knowledge he already possessed, or they were completely irrelevant to his needs.
He couldn't find any advanced taijutsu training techniques he was looking for.
With strained patience, Naruto continued browsing. As he pulled out the next book, a green scroll tumbled out. He quickly snatched it up.
[ Konoha Dragon God? ]
Seeing the scroll's title, Naruto's face lit up with excitement. He hastily unfurled it and began reading.
[ The Konoha Dragon God is an S-rank taijutsu ultimate technique created by Chen Baojun, Konoha's strongest taijutsu ninja. ]
'The strongest taijutsu ninja?!'
Naruto's excitement surged. He pulled the scroll wider, eager to study the Konoha Dragon God's training methods.
[ Huh?! ]
[ A section is missing?! ]
___
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