"Hikari, I brought my students to see you. Aren't you happy?"
*Flash!*
As soon as Maito Gai finished speaking and smiled, a brilliant white flash almost blinded Kamizuki Hikari.
[Originally, I thought the legacy of Konoha's White Fang was lost. But now that I see you, Maito Gai, it's clear who the successor is!]
"Hikari-senpai!"
Neji and Tenten greeted politely.
Hikari waved in response as a sign of courtesy, then turned to Gai with a helpless expression.
"You coming to find me at this time means you definitely have something in mind! Let me tell you now, I, Kamizuki Hikari, live as a gatekeeper and die... pfft, no, I won't die. Wherever you came from, go back there, or I'll lose my temper!"
Maito Gai ignored Kamizuki Hikari's words and smiled sincerely. "Hikari, Tsunade-sama asked me to take you to Konoha Hospital. She wants to treat Lee."
"Hmm, with Tsunade-sama here, Lee's injuries are just minor scratches! You go ahead; I still have contributions to make to Konoha!" Kamizuki Hikari tried to shoo them away. Unfortunately, without exposing his full strength, he was just an ordinary Chunin. How could he possibly get rid of Maito Gai, the human adhesive?
"This is youth!"
"Hikari, let us joyfully sprint toward the hospital!"
"No, let go of me. Chotto matte!"
"What's wrong?" Maito Gai, holding Kamizuki Hikari by the wrist, turned back to ask.
Kamizuki Hikari looked to the heavens speechless.
'Why was I born into this world only to be tormented by this genius Maito Gai?'
'The heavens have forsaken me—I must turn to the dark side.'
"Don't grab my hand. Men shouldn't be so intimate. If you really need someone to hold my hand, let Tenten do it instead! A pretty girl like her must have soft, fragrant hands."
Tenten shyly covered her face. She loved listening to Hikari's words. Every time he complimented her, it made her feel like a blooming flower, though it also made her a bit embarrassed.
Neji, however, looked at Hikari with disdain.
They were all shinobi. Hands were used for training taijutsu and ninjutsu—how could they possibly smell nice?
Maito Gai casually grabbed Tenten's wrist and gave it a quick sniff.
"It's not fragrant. Hikari, you're definitely lying to me. Come on, let's go!"
And then Kamizuki Hikari flew.
Not as a metaphor—literally.
Maito Gai grabbed his wrist and took off in a full sprint. Hikari's feet never touched the ground, making him resemble a kite being dragged through the sky.
Tenten rested her chin in her hands, watching longingly into the distance.
"Hikari-senpai is so handsome and speaks so nicely. How is he still not married?"
Neji looked at her in disdain. He felt like he was the only normal person in this team; the other three were all weirdos.
"Looks don't put food on the table. Hikari-senpai is too weak. He's just an ordinary Chunin. What woman would want to marry him?"
"I would!" Tenten gazed at Kamizuki Hikari's fading figure with admiration.
"Hikari-senpai is such a kind person. Even when Gai-sensei treats him like that, he never gets angry. And he's so handsome—he'll definitely make a great husband in the future!"
Seeing Tenten's expression, Neji felt a twinge of jealousy.
"But Hikari-senpai and Gai-sensei are about the same age. The gap between you two is too big. If you ask me, Tenten, you should find someone closer to your own age. That way, you'd have more in common."
Tenten tilted her head and looked at Neji.
With just one glance, Neji immediately straightened his posture and posed handsomely.
"Ah, as expected..."
Neji perked up his ears, eager to hear what Tenten would say next.
"Hikari-senpai is still the best. Mature older men are the most charming!"
Neji's mouth twitched. He suddenly felt like he was just a clown.
---
Konoha Hospital.
"Hikari, we've arrived!" Gai stood at attention and put him down.
Looking up, Hikari noticed the cute nurses inside the hospital all glancing in his direction with teasing expressions. He wanted to cover his face—this was truly a humiliating day.
Being dragged here like a kite by Gai… he'd lost face all the way to Kaguya's realm.
Fortunately, Kamizuki Hikari never cared much about saving face. He smiled and waved.
"Thank you for your hard work, ladies!"
"It's no trouble at all!"
"If Hikari-kun hugged me, it wouldn't feel like work at all!"
"Hikari, my niece is twenty years old and single. How about I introduce you two?"
"Big sis, you can't do that! Hikari is ours!"
Having served as Konoha's gatekeeper for over ten years, Kamizuki Hikari often visited the hospital during his breaks, mainly to secretly study medical ninjutsu. His secondary objective? Chatting with the young ladies and gathering material for... research.
With his handsome looks, he held a position in the hospital second only to Kakashi.
But there was no competition with Kakashi—he was a master of mystery, had immense strength, and was renowned across the Five Great Nations as the Copy Ninja of Konoha. Against such an opponent, Kamizuki Hikari had to settle for second place.
"You brat, you're here to flirt with the girls again, aren't you?" A mature head nurse in her thirties stood at the entrance, taunting Hikari.
"How can you call it flirting? I'm simply educating them about the dangers of the world!" Hikari defended himself.
He might joke around, but he never actually took advantage of anyone. He was committed to maintaining his purity—moving through a garden of flowers without a single petal sticking to him.
"Heh."
"Since Gai brought you here, I assume you're here to see Lee and Kakashi? Let me warn you—behave yourself. No messing around with the nurses, understood?"
"Yeah, yeah. Big sis, you don't have a boyfriend yet, do you? How about Gai? He's a Jonin of Konoha, incredibly strong—I'm sure he could… satisfy you."
"You brat! What nonsense are you spouting?! Forget it, you two can just stay out here. You're not going in today!"
At these words, Gai immediately became anxious.
"Hikari, Tsunade-sama needs to treat Lee. We have to go in!"
Kamizuki Hikari smiled. "Since big sis said so, why don't you use your charms to persuade her? Maybe she'll change her mind."
Gai stroked his chin, considering.
"My looks are on par with Kakashi's, second only to yours, Hikari. Using my charm should be no problem!"
The head nurse clenched her fists, glaring at Maito Gai.
Did this man actually believe he was on Kakashi's level? Where did he get this confidence?
"Beautiful lady, I—"
Just as Gai was about to act, Kamizuki Hikari pulled him back.
"Enough messing around. Tsunade-sama is here!"
Maito Gai immediately fell silent. Turning back, they saw Tsunade striding toward them, her overwhelming presence drawing the attention of both men and women alike.
[What an absolutely shameless Fifth Hokage. No woman should be that big—it must be some kind of mutation!]
Tsunade: ###
Hearing Kamizuki Hikari's thoughts, she felt an urge to beat him to a pulp.
She shot him a sharp glare, but Kamizuki Hikari, thick-skinned as always, met her gaze without flinching.
"Tsunade-sama, I'm so glad to see you!" The head nurse, like an excited fangirl bowed in respect, letting Hikari witness firsthand Tsunade's overwhelming prestige in Konoha's hospital.