6:00 PM, Training Ground 10 Kamizuki Hikari blew the whistle, signaling the end of the dayâs training.
"Alright, thatâs enough for today. Shikamaru, donât forget to prepare some medicinal herbs when you get home and deliver them to ChÅji and Ino later. Whether you charge them or not is up to you!"
Shikamaru shakily raised his hand, tempted to give Hikari the middle finger as a token of his "respect".
Unfortunately, his fingers were in so much pain that they refused to obey. His legs, too, were sore and numb, screaming at him to quit.
"No need to be polite today. Just head home early. And rememberâarrive on time tomorrow!" Hikari pressed Shikamaruâs hand back down, ignoring the pained grimace on his face.
"Think about ChÅji. If you two can complete the first stage, youâll be able to train with him! Right now, youâre stuck here while heâs over there training separately. What does that tell you?"
âIt tells me weâre the dumb ones, obviously. What else?â
Speaking of which... where was ChÅji?
Shikamaru glanced in the direction where ChÅji and Tenten had gone, a sense of unease creeping up on him.
Could it be that ChÅjiâs situation turned out worse than theirs?
"Hikari-senpai, ChÅjiâs injuries are pretty serious. Could you come take a look?" Tenten walked over, her tone gentle and polite.
(Shikamaru: Author-san, do you even know what âgentle and politeâ means?! She trained ChÅji to the point he canât even walk! Gentle my ass! Dad was rightâwomen are all tigers!)
"Iâll go check on him." The moment Hikari finished speaking, he was already sprinting toward ChÅjiâs location.
"Come on, letâs go too!" Shikamaru said to Ino, ignoring the protests from his legs as he hobbled after.
Hikari quickly reached ChÅjiâs side. The Akimichi heir lay sprawled on the ground, his spirit as wilted as an eggplant left out in the sun.
"ChÅji, you still alive?" Hikari asked with concern.
âHikari-senpai, canât you see Iâm still breathing?â
But ChÅji couldnât say that out loud. If he wanted to make it home in one piece, he needed Hikariâs help.
"Senpai, Iâm alive for now. But if you donât heal me soon, that might change." ChÅji closed his eyes, his expression eerily serene.
"Tch, had me worried for a second. Thought you were a goner."
Kamizuki Hikari muttered as his hands glowed a vibrant green.
Mystical Palm Techniqueâactivate!
Ribs? Realigned. Healed.
Bruised thighs? Healed.
Hand injuries? Healed.
Shoulder abrasions? Healed.
Excess fat? ...Nah, ignore that.
"Howâs that? My medical ninjutsu isnât half bad, right?" Hikari grinned.
ChÅji opened his eyes, marveling at how light his body felt. He sat up and touching himself all overâ
"Ah!"
Ino, who had just arrived, let out a shriek.
Shikamaru sighed. "ChÅji, if youâre gonna act like a perv, at least pick a pretty girl. How about Ino?"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Inoâs rage exploded. Her fist shot out like a cometâ
*Pop!*
A sound like a water balloon bursting echoed through the training ground.
Shikamaru collapsed, convulsing on the ground.
"What theâ!"
Body Flicker Technique!
Hikari appeared beside Shikamaru in an instant. After a quick examination, he winced.
Ino had actually shattered one of Shikamaruâs kidneys with that punch.
If he hadnât been there, Shikamaruâs future marriage to Temari mightâve been... troubled.
Yang Release: Healing Unlike the usual green glow of the Mystical Palm Technique, this time, Hikariâs hand radiated a warm, orange-yellow light.
"Shikamaru! Are you okay?!"
Ino was horrified. In her fury, sheâd tapped into some hidden potential and delivered a punch that couldâve ruined Shikamaruâs future happiness.
"Iâm... fine..." Shikamaru forced out the words, though internally, he was weeping.
âWith Ino like this, I canât afford to mess with her anymore. That punch almost ended my lineage!â
Being a smart guy, he knew plentyâhe had studied the human body in depth.
He understood the impact on vital organs. His kidneyâa manâs most critical assetâhad nearly been destroyed today.
"All good, all good!" Hikari withdrew his hands. "Ino, from now on, you have to control your punches. Never aim for this spot again."
Ino tilted her head. "So... other places are fine?"
For the sake of Shikamaru and ChÅjiâs survival, Hikari pressed a hand on Shikamaru, pinning him down.
"First, the heart. Itâs vital. One punch like yours could shatter it, and Shikamaru would die."
Ino nodded solemnly, memorizing the spot.
"Then the chestâthe lungs are here. If you hit hard enough, no more lungs, and Shikamaru would die."
Ino noted that too.
"Then thereâs the liverâ...and Shikamaru would die."
Ino: Got it.
"The spleenâ...and Shikamaru would die."
Ino: Yup.
"And the stomach. Ifâ"
Shikamaru, looking miserable, cut in. "Hikari-senpai, can you stop saying Iâll die? Itâs freaking me out."
Kamizuki Hikari obliged.
"The stomach is more elastic. The punching style I taught you focuses on penetration and impact. Hitting the stomach would reduce its elasticity, cause vomiting, and lead to long-term indigestion."
Shikamaru: âThanks a lot, Hikari-senpai.â
Inoâs eyes sparkled. "The human body is so fascinating! Since Sakura is studying at Konoha Hospital, Iâll go learn there too. I need to master all of this!"
"Excellent. Those who seek knowledge will always improve. Ino, youâve taken the first step toward greatness. As for you, Shikamaruâstep it up!"
Shikamaru: âIâd rather find a sugar mommy and retire early. This effort isnât worth it.â
"ChÅji, donât get complacent either. Ino just broke through the first stage. Starting tomorrow, sheâll be training with you!"
ChÅji forced a smile, trying to look normal.
"R-Really? Thatâs... great. Will Tenten be joining us again tomorrow?"
Tentenâs eyes gleamed with hope. She didnât care about missionsâshe just wanted Hikari to ask her.
Hikariâs expression turned stern. "You think hiring people is free? Tomorrow, you two will spar. Whoever wins gets a special reward!"
"And Shikamaru, donât be discouraged. With effort, youâll succeed. Inoâs progress is your achievement too."
Shikamaru instinctively touched his kidney area, grumbling inwardly.
âThis achievement... It cost me a kidney!â
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