Naruto: I Can Upgrade My Techniques Infinitely
Chapter 132: Guy-sensei: Long Live Friendship!

Chapter 132: Guy-sensei: Long Live Friendship!

Catching a spy didn’t really change Nara Kazuki’s day-to-day life.

Still, he noticed a subtle tension creeping across the whole of Konoha. Word was that something useful had been extracted from the mouth of that "model family" during interrogation.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t just the interrogation.

The Yamanaka Clan—rivals in renown to the Nara—held a serious edge in extracting information. Their mental probes could crack even the most stubborn enemy, though the roughness of their methods sometimes led to collateral issues. But when weighed against the value of the intel they obtained, those risks were usually deemed acceptable.

That said, the Yamanaka were rarely deployed unless necessary—because once they were done with a subject, that shinobi typically lost all capacity for coherent communication.

"...So you think this might be linked to Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked, crouched on a stump with that book open in his hands. Kazuki nodded, still holding his upside-down handstand—thumbs pressed into the ground, entire body balanced above. He’d been training under Might Guy for a while now, and the results were obvious. His physique was peak-tier, the kind that in his previous life would’ve made everyone at the gym seethe with envy.

"Yeah... white snakes. They’ve shown up twice now. Can’t help but feel this has something to do with him," Kazuki said, his breathing steady and rhythmic. Sweat trickled down his face, dripping to the dirt in small, steady splashes.

"The village has tightened security lately," Kakashi said, flipping a page with lazy finesse. The novel had been trending recently, and he seemed thoroughly engrossed.

Still, Kazuki had his suspicions—maybe Kakashi had just slapped a new dust jacket on Icha Icha Paradise.

The thickness matched perfectly.

"Not our problem, though." Kazuki dropped down from his handstand and twisted his neck with a satisfying crack. He could feel the power building up again—his muscles primed, his chakra reserves sharp. He was ready to rack up another "steel stack" when the next fight hit.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and stretched. At first, his physical training had been all about pushing up his strength stat. Now? It was a full-blown addiction. He craved the progress, the power, and the clean, satisfied fatigue that came after pushing himself to the edge.

"YO! KAZUKI! KAKASHI!"

Guy’s voice exploded across the training field. Kazuki’s eye twitched as he turned his head—there he was. Might Guy. Crawling toward them on his hands in a thumb-stand, legs still kicking like some kind of over-energized insect.

Kakashi closed his book and sighed. Here we go again.

"Since Guy won that lottery, he’s been going a little overboard," Kazuki muttered. He shot Kakashi a glance.

"Yeah, he keeps dragging us to the yakiniku place every night. Even if he won big, at this rate the cash won’t last long," Kakashi replied.

Kazuki couldn’t agree more.

After winning the jackpot, Guy had turned into Konoha’s most aggressively generous dinner host. He showed up daily, practically dragging them by the collars to eat together. Kazuki and Kakashi had indulged him the first time. After that, they’d both tried to avoid it—but Guy never gave up. The invitations kept coming, loud and earnest.

"Guy, we’re not going today. Save your money and focus on training! That’s the only way to make your Youth truly shine!" Kazuki struck a Guy-style thumbs-up and flashed a matching grin.

Guy flipped upright and scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "I know, but... you two treated me so many times before. Accepting your kindness without repaying it doesn’t feel Youthful at all!"

He meant it. That was just how Guy worked—honest to a fault, and burning with loyalty.

Kazuki and Kakashi had always known about Guy’s financial situation. They often paid for his meals—not to show off, but just out of instinct. After all, Guy was their teammate, their friend.

Sure, he got a stipend from his late father’s pension, but Guy was a taijutsu specialist—he ate like a starving bear. And being a bottomless pit during his growth phase hadn’t helped either. His expenses always seemed to outweigh his earnings.

"Guy... we’re comrades," Kazuki said, slinging an arm around Guy’s shoulder. A tidal wave of sweat hit him, but Kazuki didn’t flinch. He was drenched too—brother in sweat.

"No need to count favors between comrades," Kakashi added calmly. And he meant it. To him, both Kazuki and Guy were precious friends.

Guy’s eyes welled up with emotion. Tears clung to his lashes.

Kazuki scratched his head. Guy was a lot, but he had heart.

In the end, Guy dragged them both to the yakiniku place again. They shared another steaming hot dinner of "Long Live Friendship," and Kazuki couldn’t help but chuckle in exasperation. Fortunately, he managed to insist on splitting the bill this time.

He’d have been furious if all that talk earlier had gone to waste.

Guy was simple, maybe, but that simplicity was exactly why he’d climbed so far on the path of taijutsu.

After the meal, Kazuki headed home. He wanted to get back to training his jutsu.

His progress with Rasengan had advanced a lot, but the next rank-up still felt far off.

"I wonder if this Rasengan..." Kazuki was lost in thought as he opened the door to his home. But before turning the handle, he checked.

The strand of hair he’d wedged into the frame was still there.

Inside, everything looked normal. But then Kazuki froze.

A letter had been placed on his desk.

Unmarked.

"A love letter?" Kazuki looked around. Nothing seemed disturbed. He moved to the window—still shut. The hair trap there also remained untouched.

He raised an eyebrow. Whoever entered hadn’t triggered his security. They were either highly skilled... or had noticed the traps, removed them, then replaced them before leaving.

Kazuki raised his hand. A small breeze fluttered through and unfolded the letter.

He read the line written inside.

"A tree cannot stand without its roots. Will you become Konoha’s Root?"

"...The hell?" Kazuki’s lip twitched.

With a casual flick of his fingers, he summoned a fire jutsu and reduced the letter to ash.