On the training ground, three people lay sprawled on the ground, motionless.
The clouds in the sky drifted by slowly.
No one knew how long had passed.
"Ha... haha..."
Tokuma Hyūga suddenly started laughing.
His laugh was weak, his voice hoarse, like a broken bellows.
"Hahaha..."
As he laughed, tears streamed down his face.
"We... actually finished the run..."
He muttered to himself.
Yakumo Kurama, lying on his back, said something in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible.
"Thank you... Tokuma-kun..."
Tokuma couldn't laugh anymore.
He just felt that the limp girl on his back didn't seem quite as heavy anymore.
Roy lay on the far side.
He felt like every bone in his body had been taken apart and put back together.
It hurt.
Yet there was a strange feeling.
Not bad.
At some point, Teacher Minato had walked over to them.
He wasn't smiling, just looking at them calmly.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Feel like... I'm about to die..." Tokuma answered weakly.
"Good." Minato nodded. "That's a good thing. A ninja's first priority is understanding where their own physical limits lie. Today, you touched yours."
He extended a hand.
"Get up. Ichiraku Ramen is on me."
Half an hour later, at Ichiraku Ramen.
Three steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen sat before the three young apprentices.
The rich aroma instantly sparked their appetites.
Tokuma and Yakumo both instinctively glanced at Roy beside them.
Roy had already picked up his chopsticks.
"Eat," he said. "Teacher's treating. Don't let it go to waste."
His words didn't sound like his usual self.
A bit... casual.
Tokuma and Yakumo were both momentarily startled.
Then Tokuma picked up his chopsticks too and roared loudly.
"Let's eat!"
He began devouring his food, sweat beading on his forehead.
Yakumo also started eating, taking small bites, slow but earnest.
The atmosphere was different now.
That oppressive, awkward feeling seemed to have evaporated along with the sweat from those hundred laps.
"Roy." Tokuma's mouth was full of noodles, his words garbled. "What kind of monster... are you, anyway?"
He was asking about the three weighted vests.
"I just have better endurance," Roy replied calmly.
"Tch." Tokuma pursed his lips. "Who're you trying to fool? That weight would give even a taijutsu instructor trouble."
He didn't press further.
He knew asking would be pointless.
When this guy didn't want to talk about something, no one could pry it out of him.
Still, Tokuma thought now, it wasn't such a big deal.
Everyone had their secrets.
As long as he knew this guy was his teammate, that was enough.
"Roy-kun..." Yakumo spoke softly. "Your hands... are they alright?"
She saw that the hands holding his chopsticks were a bit red and swollen at the base of the thumb.
It was a mark from gripping the three weighted vests for so long.
"It's fine." Roy pulled his hands back slightly.
"Um... I..." Yakumo took a small box of ointment from her ninja tool pouch.
"This is an ointment our clan makes. It's really effective for relieving muscle soreness... if you don't mind..."
She gently pushed the ointment towards Roy.
Roy looked at the box of ointment.
Then he nodded.
"Thanks."
After finishing the ramen, all three felt quite full.
Teacher Minato paid the bill and then led them to Training Ground Eleven.
"Full and rested," he said with a smile. "Your afternoon training starts now."
"Again?" Tokuma wailed.
"Don't worry, no more running," Minato said. "Starting today, you'll be learning this."
He took out a formation diagram.
"The Three-Man Rhombus Assault Formation.
This is the most basic and practical combat formation for a three-man squad.
Tokuma, your Byakugan and Gentle Fist are the squad's spearhead, responsible for frontal assault and reconnaissance.
Yakumo, your genjutsu is the squad's control core, responsible for support and disruption.
Roy, your mind and that sword make you the squad's finisher, responsible for delivering the fatal blow to the enemy at the critical moment.
From now on, you must forget that you are individuals.
Every movement, every breath you take must be synchronized with your comrades.
This is what bonds are."
The new training began.
The process was even harder than imagined.
"Tokuma, you're charging too fast! Yakumo's genjutsu hasn't caught up!"
"Yakumo, don't space out! Roy already created an opening for you!"
"Roy, your positioning is too far back! You have to trust your teammates to protect you!"
Teacher Minato's shouts echoed continuously across the training ground.
The three fell countless times.
They made countless coordination mistakes.
Tokuma's body gained several more bruises.
Yakumo exhausted her chakra multiple times.
Roy's clothes gained several new tears.
But not one complained.
Not one gave up.
When Tokuma made a mistake in his charge, Roy's sword would always appear beside him at just the right moment, blocking a fatal attack.
When Yakumo ran low on chakra and was about to fall, Tokuma would always use his body as a shield for her.
When Roy found himself surrounded while seeking the best angle for an attack, Yakumo's immature but timely genjutsu would always create a sliver of an opening for him.
They were like three stones, each a different shape.
Under Teacher Minato's big hands, constantly grinding and striking them, they slowly began to wear down their rough edges.
The sun began to set.
"Alright, stop!" Teacher Minato called a halt.
The three could barely stand from exhaustion.
"One last time," Minato said. "Use everything you learned today. Show me."
The three exchanged glances.
They all saw the same thing in each other's eyes.
Trust.
"Go!"
Roy uttered a low command.
The three instantly dispersed, taking their respective positions.
Tokuma at the front, Yakumo at the rear, Roy at the side.
A formation, rough but finally taking shape, was complete.
They stood back-to-back, warily watching their "enemy," Teacher Minato.
Roy felt the warmth of the other two against his back.
Troublesome people.
But...
It wasn't so bad.
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