Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 4: Youth, That Fluttering Heart~

"Good morning, Genma!"

As Genma approached the pharmacy, a boy with pineapple-shaped hair gave a weak wave, looking rather lethargic.

"Yo, Shio—still as listless as ever, huh? How's business lately?"

This boy was Nara Yanshui (literally "Saltwater"), three years younger than Shiranui Genma and not yet old enough for the Ninja Academy.

They hadn't met at school; rather, they became acquainted through the pharmacy.

Two years ago, Genma had been introduced here as an apprentice. Meanwhile, Yanshui, though young and lazy, had shown maturity beyond his years and had been roped into becoming an apprentice as well.

At first, Genma assumed that this "pineapple head" was just some brat too childish to be worth befriending, so he paid him little attention. But before long, the two of them realized they were often stuck working together due to lack of skill. As they helped each other, they chatted more and more, each discovering how surprisingly mature the other could be.

After enough back-and-forth, they became close friends who could talk about anything.

In terms of intellect, Genma wouldn't say he completely overshadowed Yanshui. The Nara Clan was known for producing "tacticians," and in this world—where genetics tend to be stable—Yanshui was definitely a bright kid.

At the age of three, Genma had only done small chores at home—like farm work. Handling medicinal herbs or accounting would have been out of the question until he was at least ten.

It was nearing noon, a time when most families were at home getting ready to eat, so the pharmacy had little business. Yanshui slouched on a high stool, resting his chin in his hand. He cast Genma a sidelong glance and asked,

"Business? Eh, same as usual. But, aren't you supposed to graduate early and become a ninja? Why're you still apprenticing here with me?"

Being able to talk about anything was great for friends, but that didn't mean there weren't any topics one might hesitate to bring up.

In particular, repeating grades was a bit embarrassing. Genma rarely mentioned it to Yanshui—he would only talk about everyday Academy happenings.

From Yanshui's perspective, Genma was already unusual enough: he wasn't part of the Nara Clan, yet he worked in their family's shop.

Though the store did hire non-Nara employees, Yanshui could see Genma was different. In their downtime, there were only two people who studied medicinal theory and learned to identify herbs: him and Genma.

The Nara Clan was fairly prominent, and it had become common in such large clans for "main family" and "branch family" lines to split duties. The main family often held more power and specialized in leadership, while the branch family was tasked with many responsibilities but spread so thin that they rarely excelled in a single area.

Yanshui, a typical branch member, was required to study the medicinal arts and learn to recognize herbs so he could one day help run the clan's pharmacy business.

What puzzled Yanshui was that Genma came from a small clan—one that didn't seem to trade in medicinal herbs.

Sure, a two-year apprenticeship might be enough time to build some basic "people skills," but with Genma's abilities, you'd think he'd be aiming to graduate from the Academy by his third year—maybe even early.

While some parents let their kids graduate late, hoping to spare them the rigors of ninja life, a child from a small clan would normally be urged to excel quickly, raising the clan's status—harsh as that might be.

At least, that was how Yanshui saw it: for a small clan, pushing a gifted kid to succeed early, while tough, was the logical path.

Genma scratched his head. "Er… I'm kind of a special case. Maybe you could ask your dad—because I'm not really sure myself."

Yanshui's expression remained flat as he gazed up at the sky. "Oh… got it. Asking him is too much trouble. Since you don't know, I'm too lazy to care. By the way, what brings you here at this hour?"

Yanshui found most things "too much trouble" unless they broke from his usual routine—those were the only times he took any real interest.

Knowing Yanshui's personality well, Genma gave a crafty grin. "Your dad said he'd give me a raise. It's hourly pay, so if I come in now, I'll squeeze in a few more hours and make a bit more~"

Yanshui rolled his empty-looking eyes, apparently taken aback. But a moment later, a hint of excitement shone in them.

"Deal. Once you get your paycheck, you have to treat me. And don't expect me to hold back."

"Hmph, fine by me. It's not like you can suddenly turn into an Akimichi and eat me out of house and home."

"Heh, if I can't become an Akimichi, doesn't mean I can't invite one to join me. We'll eat you into bankruptcy."

"Pffft."

Genma stuck out his tongue, ignoring Yanshui's smug look, and began his studies.

After two years, Genma had only matched names to herbs—he hadn't memorized all the medicinal properties. Whenever the shop was idle, he'd bury himself in herbal theory or whatever projects he needed to practice.

Even something as simple as identifying herbs involved first training your eyes, then your sense of smell, and sometimes even taste.

The first two were manageable: whether fresh or dried, all sorts of herbs were in stock. But tasting them wasn't so easy. You couldn't just go around sampling anything—one slip, and you could be poisoned.

So even if Genma had studied the theory, the actual application of mixing or testing herbs required permission from Yanshui's father. As of now, he had no license to prepare real prescriptions—much less taste-test them.

"Whew, just made it in time!"

A loud, booming voice suddenly echoed at the entrance. A well-built man appeared in the doorway.

"Duy—Uncle Duy! Are you here to buy medicine?"

His iconic thick eyebrows, big eyes, and that skintight green jumpsuit identified him immediately as Might Duy. One glance was all Genma needed to confirm. He stepped forward to greet him.

"Oh, Genma! No need to trouble anyone else—I'll take two packets of that weekly body-conditioning mixture."

As he spoke, Might Duy rummaged in his pockets and took out a rather empty-looking wallet.

Genma efficiently began weighing and mixing the medicinal powders, with Yanshui helping out. In no time, they had prepared two large packages of the body-conditioning remedy.

When Genma handed the medicine over, Might Duy rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhat sheepish. His usually upbeat demeanor seemed dampened.

"What's wrong, Uncle Duy? Short on cash?"

Having trained under Might Duy for three years, Genma knew him well. Duy nodded. "Yeah… I only have enough for one-and-a-half doses right now."

"One and a half, huh? If that's all you're missing, I can spot you the rest. But Uncle Duy, you've always only bought one packet before~"

Might Duy's expression softened, a trace of happiness flickering across his weathered, resolute face.

"I—I have a son now. He takes after me and works really hard. I even finished today's tasks early so I could hurry home and cook for him."

Seeing the pride beaming on Duy's face, the earlier gloom vanished. Genma stuffed both packets into Duy's arms without another word.

No need to comfort or encourage Might Duy—he could be depressed and downtrodden one moment, but his burning passion never arrived too late.

"Uncle Duy, don't worry. I believe neither you nor your son will waste this 'youth' of yours. Just think of the cost as a loan from me. Once your son becomes a ninja, with two of you working, you'll pay it back in no time."

"But… you're just a kid. How could I possibly borrow money from—"

"Ah, it's nothing. I earn wages here, and I don't spend much anyway. Besides, you never took a single coin for those taijutsu lessons you taught me."

"T-those taijutsu lessons aren't worth much…"

Before Duy could finish, Genma spoke in an unexpectedly cold voice:

"If Uncle Duy doesn't want them, I'll just buy the medicine myself and toss it out."

Genma furrowed his brow, feigning anger. With Duy being so accommodating by nature, he couldn't refuse such a show of resolve.

Of course, Duy wasn't a fool. Realizing Genma's good intentions, he gripped the medicine tightly. Then, to Genma's surprise, Might Duy grabbed him in a fierce hug.

"G-Genma… Thank you! Th-thank you so much! You're right—youth will never fail us! Uwah!"

Genma froze momentarily at the intensity of Duy's passion, but his instincts told him something about this was different from the usual.

In truth, Might Duy's strength was extraordinary—he was famed for singlehandedly defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, so calling his power "off the charts" was fair. But at this point in time, he had shown only the strict fundamentals of Strong Fist. Maybe he truly hadn't yet reached his future might, or maybe he just felt he wasn't strong enough yet. Either way, Duy certainly had more power than a typical genin.

But the villagers mostly saw him as a "failure." They ridiculed him, but he used their insults as motivation to work even harder. The more he persevered, the more some people disliked him.

When Duy talked about his missions, he always made them sound idyllic and worth remembering. But Genma knew that no one is born unbreakable. The most optimistic people often have painful pasts. They've endured such deep hurts that small slights become trivial by comparison.

It seemed Duy's sudden surge of emotion was because something in him had been touched. After all, Genma's presence as his disciple was a genuine show of trust, his acknowledgment of Duy's beliefs had always been sincere, and now helping cover the medicine cost was yet another validation. After so much time together, it was no wonder Might Duy was overwhelmed.

"All right, Uncle Duy. Your son is probably waiting at home, right? Actually, when he starts at the Academy, he might be in my class~"

"S-so that's how it is." Duy blinked, wiping away tears. "If that's the case, he'll have a rival to look up to from day one. Genma—please, please become my son's lifelong rival!"

Genma panicked, picturing all the endless challenges that come with that fiery brand of "youth." His mind was spinning in every direction. Finally, the image of a certain stoic, silver-haired man flashed through his head, giving him an idea.

"Ahem… Uncle Duy, I might not be the strongest around, but the son of Konoha's 'White Fang' will also be my classmate. Yes, I'll aim to make him my lifelong rival."

"Oh! The son of the White Fang, huh?" Duy hesitated for a moment, then flashed his shining teeth and raised a thumbs-up. "Anyway, remember my son's name—it's Might Guy."

Genma nodded seriously. "Might Guy. Got it."

Satisfied, Might Duy turned and left. Watching Genma's overflowing enthusiasm throughout the whole scene, Yanshui rubbed his eyes. "Being that fired up all the time… is that really okay?"