The afternoon sunlight slanted into the classroom, dyeing everything in a warm, golden hue.
After finishing his 'butt-up' style push-ups, Shin-chan was sprawled on his desk with his eyes half-closed. Unlike yesterday at this time, he hadn't started counting down the minutes until school was out; he hadn't even said a single word.
Uchiha Tetsu packed his bag and turned to look at him, sensing that something was off.
"Shin-chan?"
"Mm."
"What's wrong with you?"
Shin-chan sat up slowly, propping his chin on his hands as he gazed out the window in a daze. He actually looked somewhat profound.
"I was thinking, why do adults always say 'if you make a promise, you have to keep it'?"
He sighed after speaking and looked at Uchiha Tetsu.
"Yesterday, I went to train with Guy, and it was really exhausting. When I came to school today, I was actually thinking that maybe I should just go straight home after class."
"And then?"
Shin-chan pointed to his chest.
"In here, there's a 'want to go' and a 'don't want to go,' and the two of them are fighting."
"Which one won?"
"There's no result yet." Shin-chan tilted his head and said in distress, "'Want to go' says a promise must be kept, while 'don't want to go' says I'm so tired. The two of them keep fighting back and forth, it's so annoying."
Uchiha Tetsu thought for a moment: "Then who do you think will win in the end?"
Shin-chan was silent for a while, then he slowly stood up and put on his backpack: "I don't know, but my feet are already walking out."
Immediately after, he looked down at his feet as if talking to them.
"I haven't decided yet, why are you moving on your own?"
Naturally, his feet did not answer.
Uchiha Tetsu blinked and asked tentatively, "So, are you going today or not?"
Shin-chan looked down at his feet, which were still moving forward, a helpless expression on his face.
"It looks like I'm going."
"Why?"
"Because my feet won't listen to me," Shin-chan said seriously. "They seem to be controlled by 'want to go'."
Shin-chan walked to the classroom door and turned back to wave at Uchiha Tetsu.
"See you tomorrow, Tetsu."
Uchiha Tetsu stood in the classroom, watching the red figure disappear out the door, suddenly unsure of what to say.
At the school gate, two green figures, one large and one small, were already waiting.
"Shin-chan!" Guy waved vigorously. "Over here, over here!"
Shin-chan walked over slowly and looked up at Might Duy.
"Uncle, what are we practicing today?"
Might Duy squatted down, placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, and said with a serious expression: "Shin-chan, today we are going to perform a very important training exercise."
"What training?"
"A lap around the village."
Shin-chan blinked: "What's a lap around the village?"
"It means running around Konoha Village." Might Duy stood up and pointed into the distance. "From East to West, from South to North, running through every street and every corner of the village."
"Okay." Shin-chan sighed, not even asking why they had to run.
Then, the three of them began running along the streets of Konoha.
At first, Shin-chan ran at the very back.
Guy led the way in front, while Might Duy accompanied them on the side, giving instructions as they ran.
"This way leads to the Uchiha Clan Grounds, that way is the Yamanaka clan's flower shop. At the fork ahead, left goes to the Training Grounds, and right goes to Ichiraku Ramen."
Guy memorized as he ran, muttering under his breath.
Shin-chan wobbled along behind them, taking two steps and then walking two steps, also muttering: "So tired, so hot."
Dai looked back at him and encouraged loudly, "Shin-chan, hang in there! Youth is meant to burn thoroughly!"
"My Youth... has already burned out..." Shin-chan replied weakly.
After running for a while, they passed a flower shop.
A young girl stood at the shop entrance wearing a floral apron. Her hair was tied up with a silk scarf, revealing her fair neck as she arranged a bouquet.
Shin-chan's eyes instantly widened.
Whoosh.
Dai only felt a blur before his eyes. That red figure, who had been sluggishly trailing behind just a moment ago, had already dashed to the flower shop entrance.
"Hello."
The girl looked up to see a five-year-old boy standing before her, hands behind his back, looking up with a bright smile.
"Hello there, little one." She smiled and squatted down. "Are you buying flowers?"
"No." Shin-chan shook his head and looked at her earnestly. "I came to tell you that you are prettier than all these flowers."
The girl was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh: "What a sweet talker."
"It's not sweet talk, it's the truth." Shin-chan was dead serious. "Older Sister, what's your name?"
"My name is Yumi."
"Yumi-nee-san~" Shin-chan drawled out her name. "Are you married?"
Yumi shook her head: "Not yet."
"Then when I grow up, will you be my girlfriend?" Shin-chan's eyes were sparkling.
Yumi smiled and nodded: "Sure, we'll talk about it when you grow up."
"It's a promise!" Shin-chan gave her a thumbs-up. "I'll come to the flower shop to find you then."
With that, he turned and ran.
Yumi stood at the flower shop entrance, watching the small red figure retreat, the smile never leaving her face: "That child is cute."
Shin-chan ran back to the group. Guy was still panting in place, while Might Duy was looking at him in total shock.
"Shin-chan, you just..."
"Uncle, keep running!" Shin-chan was already heading forward. "The next pretty sister is waiting for me!"
Might Duy opened his mouth but couldn't say anything; he could only follow.
Throughout the rest of the journey, they witnessed what was called "intermittent sprinting." Every time he saw a pretty Older Sister, Shin-chan would shoot out like an arrow from a bow.
Striking up a conversation, praising their beauty, asking for names, asking them to be his girlfriend in the future, and then running back.
Each time, his speed was astonishing.
Might Duy went from shock to confusion, and finally to numbness.
"What kind of constitution does this kid have?"
Guy was running out of breath beside them, clearly reaching his limit: "Huff... huff... Shin-chan... you... slow down..."
Shin-chan acted as if he didn't hear, dashing out once more, his voice drifting back from afar: "Pretty Older Sister!"
Guy really couldn't take it anymore and stopped to rest for a moment, his face full of bewilderment: "How does he still have energy?"
Might Duy patted his son's shoulder, his expression complex.
Before long, Shin-chan ran back again with a satisfied smile on his face.
"That sister's name is Rie. She said I can come play with her when I grow up."
Might Duy was silent for two seconds before he couldn't help but ask, "Shin-chan, doesn't it tire you out to stop and start like that?"
Shin-chan tilted his head, somewhat puzzled: "How could talking to pretty sisters be tiring?"
Dai fell silent.
This child... something seemed wrong with him.
Guy stared at Shin-chan with wide eyes.
This guy would dash out and then run back, covering much more ground than he did. Moreover, his speed every time he dashed out was much faster than a normal run.
How could he not be tired?
In the distance, another beautiful woman appeared.
Shin-chan's eyes lit up, and he dashed out instantly.
"Youth!!!" Guy watched his back and gritted his teeth, starting to run again despite his legs shaking even harder.
Might Duy looked at the two children—one chasing beauties, the other chasing Youth—and felt a mixture of emotions.
Especially that red figure.
That speed, that explosive power...
What on earth is this kid made of?
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