"One thousand nine hundred... ninety-eight! One thousand nine hundred... ninety-nine! Two thousand!"
"One, two... seven hundred eighty-two... eight hundred ninety-three..."
"Musashi, stop!"
At the Konoha Training Grounds, Might Guy called out with a heavy expression, signaling for Musashi to cease his training. The latter didn't seem to hear; his body, weighed down by heavy training gear, continued the rhythmic motions.
"Eight hundred ninety-nine, nine hundred, nine hundred and one..."
"Musashi! Stop! You can't keep training like this."
Musashi finally looked up, flashing his usual smile at the serious-faced Guy.
"Big Brother Guy, don't stop me."
"My Youth is at its peak right now; this is the prime time for training. How can I possibly slow down?"
"Musashi, the intensity of your workouts lately has spiked too much. You're going to cause permanent damage to your body," Guy warned.
"Don't worry, Big Brother Guy. I know my limits. I won't get hurt," Musashi laughed. "The point of Youthful training is to shatter your limits!"
"If my body truly can't handle it, I'll be the first to know. A growing Youth doesn't let a little soreness stop him."
Guy remained unconvinced. Just watching for a few moments, he felt Musashi's training regimen was far too extreme for a child his age. Even his own weights weren't this terrifying back then.
"You're obsessed, and so is Kakashi. Lately, both of you have been acting like madmen. Especially Kakashi!"
"I went to say hi to him yesterday, and the guy almost took my head off! I barely see him these days."
"Musashi, training is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to understand that."
Musashi nodded. "I know, Big Brother Guy."
"You should go check on Senior Kakashi instead. Don't worry about me. Daiki is right over there watching me. If I get hurt and he has to carry me to the infirmary, I swear I'll stand at the village gates and scream 'Musashi Ryomiya is a total idiot' a hundred times!"
Only then did Guy reluctantly stop his lecture.
Once Guy left, Musashi resumed his training. The smile faded from his eyes, replaced by a cold, stubborn determination.
"Nine hundred sixty-eight, nine hundred sixty-nine..."
Big Brother Guy, of course I know this is a marathon.
I know strength isn't built overnight.
It's not like I can just "want" to save someone and suddenly be granted power. It's not like I can just "want" to survive and magically escape death.
Everything has to be built brick by brick.
And for that, I can't waste a single second. I can't afford a single moment of laziness.
After the Nine-Tails Attack, the Third Hokage had retaken office. Musashi had thought about visiting Naruto, but the boy was being kept under tight watch by the Hokage and the council. He had to drop the idea.
He was too weak.
In front of the higher-ups, he had no voice. There was no point in even speaking.
He was too weak.
Even if Naruto were handed to him right now, he couldn't guarantee the boy's safety.
Since the funeral, he had stopped trying to socialize. He stopped wasting energy on meaningless things. He poured every waking moment into training.
---
Four years later.
"Isn't that the fox kid?"
"The demon brat... yeah, that's him!"
"Hey, kid! Get lost! You looking for trouble?"
"Go play somewhere else. Don't walk near him, you hear me?"
"I'm not selling to you. Beat it!~"
On the streets of Konoha, a small figure faced a sea of hateful glares. Naruto Uzumaki walked with his head down, looking miserable.
A crumpled ball of paper flew from the crowd and bonked him on the head. He stopped, looking at where it came from with confusion and hurt in his eyes.
Why?
I didn't even do anything.
Why does everyone hate me so much?
He wanted to scream at them, to demand an explanation, but looking into their eyes—filled with nothing but loathing—his own eyes began to sting. He lowered his head, refusing to let the tears fall until he was out of sight. He had already cried last night; he wouldn't do it during the day.
He kept walking, heading away from the village center until he reached the edge of a forest.
"Nine hundred sixty-seven, nine hundred sixty-eight..."
A familiar voice reached his ears. Naruto quickened his pace and saw a figure in the shade of the trees.
I knew he'd be here!
Naruto's gloom vanished. He found a spot in the shade, sat down, and rested his chin on his hands, watching with great interest.
A while ago, when he couldn't stand the village anymore, he had chased a wild rabbit out here and discovered this "weirdo."
Green spandex, a bowl cut, and someone who constantly counted while exercising.
The moment Naruto arrived, the guy had noticed him. Naruto expected the usual look of disgust or a cold "Get lost!"
But it never came.
The "weirdo in green" looked at him for a long time. Then, instead of driving him away like everyone else, the guy just went back to his workout.
Taijutsu training, huh?
Naruto was delighted to find another person in the village who didn't look at him with malice. He was so happy that he didn't notice the "weirdo" occasionally glancing at him with a gaze that was incredibly complex.
---
From then on, Naruto came here often. He was surprised to find the "weirdo" was there every single day.
It became a new sanctuary for him. Whenever he felt sad or mistreated, he'd run here and sit for a while. Watching the "weirdo" repeat the same movements with machine-like precision made him feel much better. His troubles seemed to drift away.
Plus, he found something interesting.
Sometimes, while training, blue arcs of electricity would pop up on the "weirdo's" body.
Three circles on the arms, three on the legs. Sometimes they'd even appear on his head, making his hair stand up like needles. It was hilarious!
The electricity wasn't static, either; it moved around his body. Sometimes there was more on the top, sometimes more on the bottom. When Naruto was bored, he'd count the rings.
"One, two, three, four, five... Wow, so many blue rings on his legs today!~"
He could watch until sunset and never get bored. Only when the "weirdo" packed up to leave would Naruto head back to his empty home.
---
Ichiraku Ramen.
"I'm back!"
After cleaning up and changing his clothes, Musashi arrived at the shop, slipped on his uniform, and got to work. Once the evening rush died down, Ayame walked over to him while cleaning the counter.
"Musashi, how are your studies going lately?"
"Piece of cake!"
"You sound pretty confident."
"It's just the Academy. The material is easy."
"Musashi, if the training is too much, you don't have to come in at night. I heard graduating from the Academy isn't easy. You should focus on your training so you can get good grades when the time comes."
"Don't worry, Sis. It doesn't affect my training."
"Besides, if I don't come see you for a bit every night, I lose my motivation to train."
"You little silver-tongued rascal."
In reality, if Musashi hadn't wanted to keep a low profile, he could have graduated long ago. Look at Itachi—he had only been in school for a short time before his Shadow Clone was discovered and he was forced to graduate early.
"Are you free tomorrow, Musashi? The warehouse needs cleaning. Father is busy, and I'm too slow on my own," Ayame asked.
"Huh? Tomorrow? I can't," Musashi said. "Guy and I have a meeting with Senior Kakashi. It's important. Tell you what—I'll handle it when I get back at night. I'll bring Daiki along; it won't take long."
"Fine." Ayame pouted slightly. "Always hanging out with those guys. You say you like me best, but I guess boys' words are all lies."
Musashi sighed. Seeing Ayame's rare bit of attitude, he walked over and gave her a hug. "That's not true! If we're talking about who I like, it's definitely you, Sis! You're my favorite! I'm only with Big Brother Guy for training—I have to get strong so I can protect you, right?"
Ever since the Nine-Tails attack four years ago, when Musashi had burst into her room and protected her throughout the escape, Ayame's attitude toward him had shifted. At first, she was too shy to even look at him. But eventually, she became much closer to him than before. She really started acting like she was raising her future husband.
Ninja kids really do grow up fast! Musashi thought.
Four years had passed. Ayame had grown into a graceful young lady. When he hugged her now, Musashi's head didn't even reach her shoulder.
Ayame gave his head a playful, scolding swat and let him be.
Little brother, hurry up and grow up.