Chapter 40: Duy sees the Peak of Youth

Tsunade’s question wasn’t a surprise to Yujin. He noticed that Tsunade was calmer. Perhaps she realized that Mito was up to something, and so a glimmer of hope appeared in her heart.

Yujin respected Mito’s decision and, therefore, didn’t respond. His silence, however, spoke more than a thousand words, and Tsunade smiled.

“I’m glad ... It’s something good amidst all the bad things happening.”

He remained silent and didn’t look in her direction. Tsunade didn’t question why no one told her about it and simply accepted the situation with a grateful heart.

The two continued in silence for a long time, just enjoying each other’s company. Yujin managed, after a while, to calm the fire he was feeling, a task quite easy for a master of Harmony. He had control over many physiological functions of his body, and although it was more difficult than usual, he achieved it with a little effort.

Yujin was getting ready to meet Might Duy, putting on clean clothes. His mind, however, was elsewhere. He wondered what that reaction with Tsunade was all about.

He knew what an erection was and what it was for; it wasn’t his first time. However, it was certainly the first time he felt something like that near a woman, and it was also the first time he felt it with such intensity.

For some reason, when he realized that Tsunade was naked next to him, less than three meters away, his body started to have this violent reaction, something he had never felt before.

He wasn’t sure what it meant, as it was the first time he felt this way. Even now, when he thought about that moment, his body reacted the same way, and he needed a dose of effort to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, Yujin calmed his emotions and focused on what was going to happen.

He and Tsunade left the house; Shizune was still sleeping. The sun had not yet risen. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at Yujin’s destroyed house and found Might Duy lightly exercising, doing some squats and push-ups.

When he saw the two approaching, he showed his usual youthful smile and spoke loudly.

“Good morning, Yujin, Tsunade-sama!”

“Good morning, Duy-san.”

“Good morning, Duy. I see you’re excited for our training today.”

When he heard that, Duy started doing squats even faster and shouted loudly.

“But of course, I am! It’s been a long time since I felt this passion for learning something new. Since my academy days.”

Tsunade laughed when she saw Duy like this, remembering the academy days. Tsunade is a year older than Duy, so they didn’t study together, but she remembers when he was young. Basically the same as today, full of energy. In a way, he is quite different from the other ninjas she met before.

“It’s good that you’re excited, but before we get to the practical part, I think it’s good to start with the theoretical part.”

Duy nodded vigorously and listened attentively, pausing his training out of respect. Tsunade already knew what Yujin was about to talk, but still listened carefully.

“Qi is very similar to Chakra. It’s an internal energy that can be controlled to strengthen oneself. If I had to say the biggest difference between the two, however, it would be that Qi lacks versatility. While it’s possible to transform Chakra into other elements like fire, water, earth, and wind, Qi doesn’t have that capability. It’s basically an energy cultivated within us with the ability to strengthen our bodies. Martial Arts were then created to use this energy efficiently. Now, can you imagine what Martial Arts were created for?”

“To defeat enemies, right?”

Duy quickly answered, thinking the answer seemed obvious, but he could sense by the way Yujin spoke that it wasn’t so straightforward. Tsunade stayed silent; she had never heard Yujin address this in their previous conversations.

“Actually, there are two answers to that question, and it’s unknown which one is correct. It’s like the question of which came first, the egg or the chicken.”

Duy and Tsunade fell silent and contemplated the question. They had never thought about it. What came first? The egg or the chicken? Both seemed possible. Impatient, Duy asked.

“So what’s the second answer?”

“The second answer is that Martial Arts were created for self-improvement.”

Neither of them understood what he meant, so Yujin explained slowly and calmly.

“Another way to call Martial Arts where I come from is Cultivation. That’s because, according to those who say so, you cultivate yourself; training your body, disciplining your mind, perfecting your technique, and refining Qi. For those who call Martial Arts cultivation, it’s not about how strong a person is, but about their mastery over themselves. It’s about self-improvement until you reach the pinnacle of your potential. It’s about being better every day. Personally, I prefer this answer.”