Chapter 16

On the contrary, his whole demeanor was extremely serious, and his words carried a sense of unquestionable authority—so much so that anyone listening couldn't help but be convinced from the depths of their heart.

Might Guy was the undisputed master of taijutsu.

His insight and mastery over taijutsu even surpassed his father, Might Duy.

It was through relentless hard work and indomitable will that he stepped into the ranks of Konoha's elite jōnin.

To have such a teacher guiding one's physical training—

It was truly a blessing few could claim.

"Teacher Guy, what should I do next?"

Might Guy smiled warmly, "For now, you can ease up a little on the intense taijutsu drills and return to foundational physical training."

"Within the next year, increase your weighted training gear to 150 pounds."

"Then, once you turn eight, raise it to 200 pounds."

"Once your basics are solidified, I'll begin instructing you in the Konoha Whirlwind."

"I understand, Teacher Guy." Tian Yu nodded without hesitation.

Over the past six months,

He had devoted most of his training time to building his body through rigorous taijutsu practice. His forging work had taken a bit of a back seat.

The biggest reason?

He'd used up all his stock of forging ores.

No materials meant no forging.

Luckily, news had come just days ago—

Tian Yu's parents would soon return from the Land of Iron, bringing back a massive shipment of high-grade materials!

---

Chapter 16 (continued): The Shock of Parents

In the Land of Fire,

A middle-aged couple traveled down a forested path with a well-guarded entourage.

Behind them trailed dozens of heavily loaded carriages, each packed with massive crates—stretching hundreds of meters in total!

Elite shinobi accompanied the caravan as escorts,

The shipment they were protecting?

It was enough to support Konoha's entire ninja tool supply for the next two years.

"Mr. Tianxiong, we'll be reaching Konoha soon,"

Kakashi walked to the front of the caravan, addressing the couple with his usual calm.

"We're now in a safe zone, so you can relax."

Tianxiong pressed his hands together, bowing respectfully.

"Thank you so much for everything, Lord Kakashi.

If not for your help, most of my shipment would've ended up in the hands of rogue ninja."

Kakashi shrugged slightly, his face expressionless.

"I'm just doing my job. Your shipment is critical to Konoha's supply chain—even the Hokage personally authorized this mission.

That's why it was classified as a B-rank escort mission. I was assigned to oversee it myself."

Tianxiong smiled with deep gratitude,

His gaze stretching out toward the distant silhouette of Konoha's gates.

He'd been gone for over half a year now.

He wondered how his son, Tian Yu, and his daughter, Tian Tian, were doing.

Had the expensive chakra refinement scrolls he bought for them actually helped?

Last year, both children had reached the age to enter the Ninja Academy.

Had they successfully enrolled?

Could it be—were there now shinobi in his family?

The thought brought a mix of hope and realism.

Tianxiong reminded himself:

Even if they didn't have shinobi talent, growing up safe and healthy was enough.

Running a ninja tool business was an honest livelihood—living an ordinary life wasn't shameful.

Still, like any parent, he held quiet dreams.

Looking at Kakashi—Konoha's elite jōnin, the famed Copy Ninja, disciple of the Fourth Hokage—

Tianxiong hesitated, then summoned his courage.

"Lord Kakashi… I have two children who want to be shinobi. If you ever have the time, would you consider giving them a bit of guidance…?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tianxiong."

Kakashi cut in with a cool tone,

His voice devoid of warmth—yet not unkind.

"I'm constantly on missions. Unless assigned by the Hokage, I don't instruct academy students.

You'll have to forgive me."

Tianxiong bowed his head respectfully.

He understood.

Without status or connections, it was impossible.

Ordinary families rarely got the attention of jōnin-level mentors.

Soon, the caravan reached Konoha's gates.

Kakashi offered a curt farewell, then vanished in a swirl of leaves, heading to report to the Hokage.

—

Behind the door of the Tian residence,

"Mom! Dad's back!"

Tian Tian leapt from the couch with joy.

Tian Yu's eyes lit up with rare excitement.

"Brother!" Tian Tian exclaimed, "Now that we have new ore, can you forge a Kusanagi sword for me too?!"

Tian Yu chuckled, "Let's talk after you fully master the kunai throws and the Three Basic Techniques."

Tian Tian pouted, "Hmph! I'm almost there already! Plus, I'm designing a powerful new ninja tool—once it's done, you'll be the one jealous, big bro!"

"Haha, I look forward to it then~"

With their parents finally home,

The once quiet Tian household bloomed with laughter again.

And when their parents learned that both Tian Yu and Tian Tian had been accepted into the Ninja Academy?

They were overjoyed.

The sting of Kakashi's earlier rejection vanished completely.

Tianxiong, practically bursting with pride, declared:

"To celebrate, we're going to Konoha's best yakiniku place—my treat!"

—

In the days that followed,

Tian Yu and Tian Tian got a rare chance to relax.

With their parents back, they no longer had to rotate shifts at the ninja tool shop.

Meals, supplies, and life became more secure again.

As for Tian Yu's system—

Over the last six months, several new tasks had been issued,

But he hadn't had time to complete them.

Now, with the massive shipment of rare ores from the Land of Iron,

He finally had enough raw materials to work with!

—

Back at the ninja shop,

Tianxiong had just finished organizing the shelves.

Kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, and even new-generation prototypes were displayed in neat rows.

The shop was ready to reopen.

"Huh? Boss Tianxiong, you're back!"

Might Guy walked in, cheerful as ever.

"Oh! Lord Guy!"

Tianxiong greeted him warmly.

"We just got in a new shipment from the Land of Iron—want to take a look?"

"No thanks," Guy said with a laugh, scratching his head. "I rely more on my fists than ninja tools!"

"But I actually came to find Tian Yu. Didn't think he'd be out today."

"Tian Yu? He's at the academy."

Tianxiong replied politely—

Then blinked in confusion.

"Wait… Lord Guy, you know my son?"

"Of course! Tian Yu's my prized apprentice!" Guy beamed.

"W-What?!"

Tianxiong stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.

"But… he's still just an academy student!"

His son wasn't even a genin yet—

How did he end up being trained by a taijutsu master like Might Guy?!