"Naruto! I know a great rice ball shop. Since we just trained together so well, how about grabbing a bite?"
Might Guy's enthusiastic invitation caught Naruto off guard.
Any other jōnin would have been wary of him because of his status as a jinchūriki, keeping their distance.
But Might Guy not only showed no fear, he was inviting him to eat.
Then again, when Naruto thought about Guy's personality—so strong, yet even Danzō kept him at arm's length—he felt it made sense.
"Alright." Naruto didn't think much about it and agreed.
"Oh! Youth! Youth!"
Might Guy leapt lightly and landed beside him.
The two figures, one large and one small, walked toward Konoha's busy streets.
Along the way, villagers still cast cold stares, whispering behind Naruto's back.
Guy noticed it all.
It reminded him of his own childhood.
Because he had no talent for ninjutsu, and his father trained him with strange exercises, he was mocked by many.
But Naruto's suffering far exceeded his own.
Guy's ever-present grin slowly faded, his thick brows furrowing as he glanced at Naruto with concern. He wanted to say something encouraging—
—but then he saw Naruto's calm, steady expression.
'For someone this age to already have such composure… remarkable…'
Guy remembered when he was Naruto's age. He had faced countless moments of despair and self-doubt. But at least he had his father's encouragement.
Naruto had no one.
Moved by the thought, Guy stomped hard on the ground, striking a pose like a warrior powering up.
Before the whispering villagers, he threw his head back and shouted:
"Naruto! Run with me! If you run fast enough, the ugly voices can't catch you! Keep up—don't get left behind!"
The sudden burst almost made Naruto think Guy was about to open the Eight Gates, startling him.
But Guy's roar drowned out the villagers' barking insults.
Then—whoosh! He blasted forward like a cannonball.
Naruto blinked, then smiled faintly at the green figure ahead. For the first time in a long while, a warm feeling stirred in his chest.
Curling his lips into a grin, he chased after him.
Two masked Anbu with fox-like masks shadowed them silently from the rooftops.
One of them, with white hair, fixed his gaze on Naruto's golden hair, his eyes glinting beneath the mask.
Eventually, Guy skidded to a flashy stop in front of a shabby little shop on a quiet street.
Above the door hung a wooden sign: Granny Lee's Rice Balls.
Naruto stared at the sign for a moment.
Knowing Guy's personality, he expected him to shout his order. But instead, Guy quietly gestured to an old, stooped woman with a kind face.
She smiled warmly, nodding back, never speaking.
Naruto realized quickly—she must be deaf and mute.
Soon, two plates piled high with rice balls landed on their table. Guy slid one over to Naruto and gave a thumbs-up, urging him to eat.
Naruto grabbed one, bit down, chewed twice—and stopped.
Guy laughed loudly. "Salty, isn't it? But after sweating through heavy training, replenishing salt is vital! That's why this shop is perfect for shinobi like us!"
Naruto saw through it instantly.
It wasn't about taste—it was Guy making an excuse to support the old woman's business.
With his appetite, Guy alone could probably keep her shop afloat.
But Naruto didn't call him out. He just washed the rice ball down with water and kept eating.
After awakening the full strength of his Uzumaki bloodline, his appetite had grown.
In no time, the mountain of rice balls was gone.
Guy, seeing how much a kid like Naruto could eat, laughed heartily.
"Guy-sensei, can I train with you for the next month?" Naruto asked directly.
With someone like Guy, straightforwardness was best.
And sure enough, Guy didn't hesitate—he even looked excited.
For the next month, at the Third Training Ground, two figures trained relentlessly from dawn to dusk, drawing stares from many passersby.
The more they trained, the more Naruto's talent shone, shocking Guy.
No matter how harsh the regimen, Naruto endured.
Every taijutsu form—he grasped at a glance, mastered in a few tries.
With his powerful physique and sharp instinct, Naruto's taijutsu visibly improved every single day.
Guy watched Naruto's astonishing growth with a storm of emotions.
When he had trained in taijutsu, it was through endless sweat, setbacks, and years of grinding effort.
But Naruto seemed to fly forward at dozens of times that speed.
On the training grounds, Naruto sparred with Guy.
"Leaf Prelude!""Leaf Rising Wind!""Leaf Whirlwind!""Leaf Great Whirlwind!""Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
Each Konoha-style taijutsu flowed one after another, his body flashing like a gale, trading blow for blow with Guy in a storm of fists and kicks.
Though Guy only used a fraction of his strength, the sight of their clashing figures looked evenly matched—intense and fierce.
Feeling Naruto's strength firsthand, Guy's spirit surged.
'If a genius works this hard, someone like me—who only has hard work—will surely be surpassed…'
Even Guy, with his iron will, wavered for a heartbeat. But only for a heartbeat.
In the next instant, he roared inwardly, vowing to redouble—no, triple—his efforts.
After chaining together all the taijutsu Guy had taught him, Naruto landed smoothly, halting his momentum.
Just then, the system's voice echoed in his head:
"Thirty days of training with Might Guy complete. Self-discipline streak achieved. Reward: [Breath of Wind]."
In an instant, the breathing methods and nine sword forms of Wind Breathing filled his mind.
Naruto blinked in surprise.
The reward this time was the Breath of Wind—from Demon Slayer.
Images of brilliant sword techniques flashed through his mind.
'I wonder if channeling chakra through these forms will make them even stronger…'
A month of perfect discipline had ended: his taijutsu soared, and now he possessed the Breath of Wind.
The only regret was failing to learn the Eight Gates from Guy.
When he asked, Guy had shown rare hesitation.
Naruto suspected the old man—the Third Hokage—had warned Guy not to teach him such a dangerous technique.
But that was fine. As long as he could get his hands on the Scroll of Seals someday…
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched through his crystal ball.
The old man bit down on his pipe, cloudy eyes glinting with sharp light as Naruto's taijutsu display played out before him.