Kuin burst into the training area with enthusiasm, launching a flying kick in Midori's direction. But before he could react, Midori deftly grabbed Kuin's leg and sent him tumbling to the side. Stunned, Kuin's gaze landed on the sleek figure of Calico, who had joined the impromptu match.

A bit winded but undeterred, Midori had barely time to take in the scene when he was met with a swift headbutt to the stomach from Calico. "Oof," he grunted, doubling over momentarily. He grabbed calico by her scruff and threw her away. Midori realized he was in for quite the training session.

Kuin wasted no time and immediately followed up with a powerful roundhouse kick. Midori dodged with a nimble backflip, and, in the middle of the acrobatic display, aimed a swift frontflip kick at Kuin's chin, connecting with surprising accuracy.

As Kuin landed on all fours, he began sprinting in a wild circle around Midori. Calico, having quickly recovered, joined the frenzied chase. Midori couldn't help but find humor in the situation.

"Your four-legged technique is coming along well, Kuin. I didn't expect you to master it this quickly."

Stopping in a wing chun pose, he continued to tease, "In a few more years, you might actually pose a challenge for me."

However, the banter didn't last long. As one, the duo charged the Chunin. Midori noticed that Kuin and Calico were placing small bags around him after each failed attack. Pretending not to take notice, he playfully taunted, "You've got to do better than that, guys!"

Kuin, standing at a distance, retorted confidently, "You won't be saying that in a few seconds!"

With a series of hand signs, Kuin activated the Flame Palm Jutsu, igniting a wooden kunai. In one swift motion, he hurled the fiery weapon toward Midori's leg pouches. Midori watched the kunai lazily, thanks to his enhanced senses.

Analyzing the sensations, Midori thought, Warm, earthy, dry... this has to be wood. But what's it doing?

Just as the flaming kunai touched the bag, a miniature explosion erupted from it, sending a shockwave that triggered the other bags' explosions. Midori's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Holy sh—"

BOOM!*

In the aftermath, Kuin declared triumphantly, "And I win."

But before Kuin could fully relish his victory, Midori's slap landed hard on the back of his head. "What the hell was that?" Midori's anger was evident.

Kuin, rubbing the sore spot on his head, answered, "Just some fine sawdust."

Midori nodded thoughtfully. "A unique way to cause an explosion, I'll give you that."

Another hard slap on Kuin's head. "Ow, what's that for?"

Midori, making hand signs, extinguished the smoldering remains with a water ball. He turned to face Kuin. "You're not supposed to use force like that in a spar unless both parties agree to it. If it were one of your classmates or even a slow Genin, they would've been fried."

Grabbing Kuin's shoulders, Midori continued in a more gentle tone, "Don't get carried away like that again, okay?"

Feeling guilty and nodding contritely, Kuin mumbled, "Yeah, I got way too into trying to beat you. I'm sorry."

Midori ruffled Kuin's hair affectionately. "Just don't do it again, kiddo."

"How did you escape the explosion anyway?" Kuin inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Midori, with a hint of pride, responded, "I used the substitution technique. I thought you guys were learning about this already."

"We are, but the version we're learning takes a lot longer with hand signs than what you just did."

Midori nodded, appreciating Kuin's observation. "You're correct; that was a signless version of the technique. If you're familiar enough with a jutsu, you can shape the chakra for it without the need for hand signs."

Kuin acknowledged Midori's point. "Okay, so that technique was a bit of a failure. Back to the drawing board."

Midori offered an encouraging perspective, "That technique wasn't half bad. If I weren't a Chunin, you would've certainly injured me. Keep working on it; I'm sure you can refine it into something formidable." With that, he extended a hand to help Kuin up.

Kuin, appreciating the mentorship, accepted the hand and flashed a determined smile. "Now, let's move on. Calico, you'll have to sit this one out, buddy."

Calico emitted a disappointed whine before obediently settling down to watch the match.

Kuin and Midori created some distance between them and bowed, settling into their respective stances. The spar was about to begin anew.

Noticing Kuin's unique stance, Midori inquired, "Hmm, that's new. Have you been training with someone else recently?"

Kuin began to explain, "Yeah, you know my friend Sasuke, right? Well, his mom decided that I'd make a good sparring partner when she taught him the Uchiha Interceptor Fist."

"She couldn't teach me that style due to its Uchiha origins. Instead, she taught me a style she copied from a Taijutsu specialist from Iwa."

With the stage set, Midori gave a nod and commented, "I see Well, I think it's time to test its effectiveness." With that, he charged, and the spar continued with a newfound sense of purpose and exploration.

The spar began, and Midori and Kuin circled each other, a focused intensity in their eyes. They were about to engage in a friendly but earnest test of their Taijutsu skills.

Midori, adopting a stance reminiscent of Wing Chun, moved with precision and control, his years of training evident in his fluid movements. Kuin, on the other hand, had taken up a stance inspired by his recent training sessions with Sasuke's mother. His stance exuded adaptability and an eagerness to experiment, a style that was a blend of Jeet Kune Do principles.

With a nod, Midori signaled the start of their bout. In an instant, the two clashed, their fists and feet meeting in a rapid exchange of blows. Each strike and block was executed with precision, demonstrating their honed skills.

Spectators, including Calico, watched the two fighters closely. The wind of their swift movements stirred up small eddies of dust, bearing witness to their martial prowess.

As the spar unfolded, the two combatants exchanged good-natured banter in between strikes. Midori couldn't help but tease Kuin about his newfound skills. "That style you're using, Kuin, it's quite different. You've seemed to adapted to it well."

Kuin, parrying a strike, grinned in response. "Well, variety is the spice of life, right? Thanks to your guidance and some sessions with Sasuke's mother, I've learned a lot."

Midori laughed, acknowledging the progress Kuin had made. "You're right, my friend. Life's all about trying different things."

Their spar continued, a vibrant dance of martial arts that was both playful and rigorous. The 2 continued to spar until the sun began to set.

Clank*

"Ah, nothing beats a dinner after a hard day's work," exclaimed Midori while rubbing his now full stomach.

"You haven't lied yet, man," Kuin agreed, mirroring Midori's satisfied pose.

Calico, ever the faithful companion, barked in agreement at their feet.

The three of them had gathered at the Yakiniku Q L a Yakiniku restaurant, nestled on the west side of Konohagakure, after a long day.

"Man, I can't believe how much you've improved. I'm sad I missed most of it."

Since Midori's departure on that scouting mission, he had been in high demand for more missions, and their intensity had escalated as the border skirmishes transformed into full-blown warfare over the past three years. Consequently, he had barely spent any time with Kuin during this period.

"Don't worry about it, man. Duty calls. Besides," Kuin gestured to Calico, "I've got my partner to keep me company. I'm just glad you came back safe."

Midori leaned back, allowing a genuine smile to grace his features. His eyes were closed, and for that moment, the burdens of his missions felt distant. "You're a good kid, Kuin."

"I know," Kuin responded playfully before leaning forward. "So, did you meet any interesting people during your adventures in Cloud territory?"

Midori's smile, once warm, took on a more brittle quality. The weight of what he had experienced in the field became evident. "Ah, and it seems another pure soul falls victim to the corruption of war stories." He leaned forward after thinking about a non depressing story. "My team and I met this one girl right. She had huge knockers I tell you. We could barely fight without taking a sneak peak anyways-"

Midori continued telling abridged and heavily edited versions of his adventures to Kuin for the rest of the night.