The next morning, before the sky had even begun to brighten, Might Guy was still deep in sleep.
In his dream, he was using the Great Vajra Leg to shatter an enormous boulder. Cracks spread across the surface of the rock before it exploded apart with a loud bang, revealing Uchiha Madara's shocked expression behind it.
"GUY!"
The blanket was suddenly ripped away.
Duy's huge face instantly filled his vision, his sparkling teeth gleaming brightly in the dim morning light.
"Youth does not allow laziness! Get up for special training!"
Might Guy opened his eyes groggily. Before he could even react properly, Duy had already dragged him straight out of bed.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! A man's hot blood must begin burning before the sun rises! The best training starts at dawn!"
Five minutes later, two green figures, one large and one small, were already running through the quiet streets of Konoha.
"Guy! Match your father's rhythm! One-two! One-two!"
Duy's energetic voice echoed loudly through the chilly morning air.
An uncle preparing to open his ramen stand poked his head out while yawning. After spotting the familiar green figures, he helplessly shook his head.
"It's that Eternal Genin again..."
Nearby, an auntie carrying vegetables lowered her voice and whispered to another villager.
"I heard his son failed the Academy selection too. Apparently he has no talent for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu."
"That child? Sigh... he'll probably end up just like his father."
Although the voices were quiet, they still clearly reached their ears.
Might Guy's footsteps slowed slightly.
Duy acted as though he hadn't heard anything at all. Instead, his voice became even louder than before.
"Guy! Speed up! Let the morning breeze blow away every worry! Youth means running forward with passion!"
As he spoke, he turned around and flashed another thumbs-up. Even without sunlight, his smile was dazzling enough to brighten the entire street.
Might Guy quietly looked at his father's back.
This man was protecting his son's dignity in his own awkward but sincere way.
"Dad," Might Guy suddenly asked while speeding up to catch him, "how many times did you fail back then?"
Duy blinked for a moment before bursting into loud laughter.
"Three times! Your father failed the Academy entrance test three whole times before finally getting in!"
As he spoke, his face showed no embarrassment whatsoever.
"Back then, people called me the dead last among dead lasts!"
Rather than shame, there was only pride in his voice, as though he were talking about some incredible accomplishment.
"But Guy, look at your dad now! Aren't I still an outstanding..."
He paused briefly before scratching his head awkwardly.
"...Eternal Genin?"
The moment those words left his mouth, he was the first to laugh loudly again.
Might Guy could not help laughing along as well.
The faint sense of distance remaining in his heart gradually disappeared within that laughter.
Suddenly, Duy stopped running.
His expression became unexpectedly serious.
He crouched down slightly and lowered his voice mysteriously.
"Guy, your father is going to tell you a secret."
Might Guy's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Your dad spent twenty years mastering a Forbidden Technique."
Duy leaned close to his ear and spoke in an even lower voice.
"It's called the Eight Gates. Under normal circumstances, Dad may only be a Genin, but at critical moments, I can unleash tremendous power!"
As he spoke, his eyes shone brightly with unwavering confidence.
"So Guy, as long as you continue working hard, there is absolutely nothing impossible!"
"Taijutsu can also become the strongest weapon!"
"It can protect the people you care about most!"
Might Guy silently stared into those passionate eyes.
There was no hesitation within them.
No doubt.
Only absolute faith in his own path.
At that moment, the lingering emotions left behind by the original owner of this body completely settled down.
Replacing them was a brand-new determination.
Since he had arrived in this world, he would absolutely live a different life.
And more importantly...
He would protect the foolish but warm-hearted father standing before him.
Might Guy raised his head and revealed the same dazzling grin as Duy.
"I'm not afraid! Youth is meant to burn brightly!"
Duy froze on the spot.
Then his eyes reddened at a visible speed.
He immediately scooped Might Guy into his arms and spun around excitedly.
"GOOD SON! WELL SAID! YOUTH IS MEANT TO BURN!"
Might Guy felt dizzy from the spinning.
"Put me down first..."
"No! Your father is too moved right now!"
...
The father and son continued running all the way toward the mountains behind Konoha.
Eventually, they arrived at a quiet clearing deep within the forest.
Duy pointed toward a tree trunk as thick as a grown man's thigh.
"First training session! Five thousand front kicks before sunrise! Watch your father carefully!"
He inhaled deeply before suddenly raising his leg.
Whoosh!
The sound of air splitting rang sharply through the clearing.
Each kick was swift and powerful, so fast that his leg shadows blurred together. Even after throwing fifty consecutive kicks, Duy's breathing remained perfectly steady.
"Did you see clearly?"
Duy lowered his leg and proudly crossed his arms.
"Follow this posture exactly. Begin!"
Might Guy nodded seriously.
He walked toward the tree and copied Duy's stance before raising his leg and kicking forward.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
At first, the rhythm felt manageable.
One hundred kicks.
Two hundred kicks.
Five hundred kicks.
Might Guy's physical foundation was naturally decent thanks to this body's years of exercise.
However, after reaching one thousand kicks, soreness gradually spread through his legs.
At two thousand kicks, the muscles in his thighs burned painfully, as though they were about to tear apart.
By three thousand kicks, even lifting his legs required gritting his teeth.
Sweat continuously flowed from his forehead into his eyes, causing a painful stinging sensation.
His green training suit was already completely soaked.
Duy sat quietly nearby without saying a word.
Might Guy continued kicking forward relentlessly.
Since he had become Guy, he naturally had to endure hardships worthy of Guy.
Within his body, the warm current generated by the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic slowly circulated through his meridians.
Although his muscles ached intensely, his recovery speed was clearly far superior to ordinary people.
That subtle recovery allowed him to continue enduring.
Three thousand five hundred...
Four thousand...
Four thousand five hundred...
"Four thousand nine hundred ninety-eight!"
"Four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine!"
"FIVE THOUSAND!"
The final kick landed heavily against the tree trunk.
Might Guy immediately collapsed onto the grass while gasping for breath.
His legs felt completely numb, almost as if all the bones inside them had disappeared.
At this moment, the morning sun had just begun rising over the horizon.
Golden sunlight filtered through the leaves above and landed gently upon his face.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Duy crouched beside him and gave another shining thumbs-up.
"Excellent work, Guy! Tomorrow we'll increase it to five thousand five hundred kicks!"
Might Guy rolled onto his back and looked toward the sky above him.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
He had actually done it.
Through pure willpower alone, he had completed five thousand kicks.
[Great Vajra Leg: Initial Mastery 5/99]
Five thousand front kicks had increased the Great Vajra Leg proficiency by five points.
At this rate...
It would only take around two hundred days to fully cultivate the Great Vajra Leg to Perfection.
No.
Possibly even less than that.
Feeling strength gradually returning to his body, Might Guy slowly stood back up.
He looked toward Duy and revealed a grin full of white teeth.
"Dad, I still want to continue practicing."
Duy laughed loudly before patting his shoulder heavily.
"Good! Your father will head back first to prepare breakfast! Don't stay out too late!"
"A man also needs a full stomach!"
After saying that, Duy happily strode away.
Meanwhile, Might Guy walked toward another tree and began practicing the foundational movements of the Great Vajra Finger.
He repeatedly stabbed his fingers against the rough bark, carefully feeling the flow of force.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Very quickly, his fingertips became swollen and red.
Yet he still did not stop.
The warm current from the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic continuously circulated around his fingers, making the recovery speed slightly faster than the damage itself.
The swelling would fade slightly before he stabbed forward again.
Then it would recover again.
After repeating the process more than two hundred times, faint footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.
Might Guy turned around.
A middle-aged man with long silver hair stood not far away while leading a young child beside him.
The man wore a Konoha forehead protector.
A short white-handled blade rested across his back.
Sakumo Hatake.
Konoha's legendary White Fang.
Might Guy's pupils contracted slightly.
Then he looked toward the child standing beside Sakumo.
Silver hair.
A small white mask covering the lower half of his face.
Bangs partially covering one eye.
Hatake Kakashi.
Five-year-old Kakashi.
It seemed the White Fang had brought his son here to familiarize him with the training grounds as well.
Sakumo silently observed Might Guy.
He noticed the swollen and bruised fingers.
The worn-out training shoes.
The sweat-soaked clothes.
Then he looked toward the rising sun in the distance.
A faint trace of emotion flashed across his eyes.
He slowly crouched beside Kakashi and spoke calmly.
"Kakashi, look carefully at that child."
Kakashi raised his head and looked toward Might Guy.
His gaze carried the calm indifference unique to geniuses.
"I heard he failed the Academy entrance examination," Sakumo said quietly. "He apparently cannot use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu properly."
Kakashi remained silent.
Sakumo continued speaking.
"But despite that, he still came here before sunrise to train his Taijutsu."
"His foundation is solid, and his perseverance is remarkable."
After a brief pause, Sakumo looked at Kakashi meaningfully.
"Kakashi, remember your father's words."
"One day, that child may surpass even you."
For the first time, surprise appeared within Kakashi's eyes.
He seriously looked toward the green-clad boy repeatedly stabbing his fingers against the tree trunk.
Might Guy naturally noticed their gaze.
However, he did not stop training.
He continued thrusting his fingers forward again and again.
Sakumo quietly watched him for another moment before standing up.
Then he gently smiled toward Might Guy.
Afterward, he turned around and left with Kakashi.
Under the morning sunlight, the figures of the White Fang father and son gradually disappeared into the distance.
Might Guy stood there silently for a long time while watching their departing backs.
His thoughts drifted toward the future timeline he remembered from the original story.
At most, one more year.
When Kakashi turned seven, Konoha's White Fang would eventually choose suicide after being crushed by rumors and endless accusations.
All because he abandoned a mission in order to save his comrades.
He was condemned by the village.
Condemned even by the comrades he saved.
And finally...
Might Guy slowly clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms.
He wanted to rush over and tell Sakumo that saving comrades was never wrong.
He wanted to tell him not to give up no matter how terrifying public opinion became.
He wanted to tell him that his son would grow into one of Konoha's greatest shinobi in the future.
But right now, he was only a six-year-old boy who had failed the Academy examination.
An insignificant child with no influence whatsoever.
If he spoke recklessly now, it would only sound strange and suspicious.
It was still too early.
He could not interfere yet.
The only thing he could do was wait for an opportunity.
Or...
Become stronger.
Become influential enough to change things.
When that day arrived, perhaps he could truly alter the fate of this world.
Might Guy's gaze slowly became firm.