Morning of the Next Day
Today, I decided to take a stroll around the streets of Konoha. My walk brought me to the orphanage gates where Naruto resides.
"Hi, guys," I said to the kids playing in the orphanage playground. I could already feel the ANBU's watchful eyes from their hidden spots.
"Huh? Oh, hi, big brother!" one of the kids playing with Naruto responded.
"Well, can I join you guys?" I asked with a smile.
"Sure, big brother!" they replied enthusiastically. I decided to let them call me "big brother." It felt fitting.
"But what are you guys playing?" I asked curiously.
"We're playing Freeze! One of us is the chaser, and the rest have to run away. If the chaser catches someone and says 'freeze,' the person touched has to stop moving. The chaser wins if they freeze everyone!" they explained.
After an Hour of Playing
When it was my turn to be the chaser, I caught them again and again.
"Ah, big brother, you're so fast! You don't even give us a chance to run!" one of the kids complained.
"Well, you guys need to get faster," I teased, making them pout.
"It's time for me to head home now. You can keep playing," I said, getting up.
"Oh, big brother, can't you stay and play more?" Naruto asked, looking disappointed.
"Don't worry, I'll come back tomorrow," I promised with a smile as I made my way to the gate.
"Ah, big brother, you didn't tell us your name!" Naruto called after me.
"My name is Saruto Yamanaka. You can call me Brother Saruto," I said, waving.
"Bye, big brother Saruto! Let's play again tomorrow!" the kids called out as I left.
In the Forest of Konoha
You're probably wondering why I'm here. It's simple—I'm here to meet Guy-sensei. Yes, the one and only Maito Guy, the man who lives for YOUTH!
From a distance, I watched him practice the Eight Gates technique. It's an incredible technique if someone is physically fit enough to handle it. I wasn't here to learn it—I already know the perfected version of the Eight Gates. I just needed a plausible reason for knowing it in the future, and training with Guy would provide that.
While he was doing push-ups, I casually approached him and joined in, matching his rhythm.
"989, 990, 991… What are you doing here, kid?" Guy asked, noticing me.
"I'm exercising," I replied with a straight face.
"Haha! That's the YOUTH!" Guy exclaimed, laughing.
"I'm not even in puberty yet. How can this be youth, old man?" I replied, deadpan, still doing push-ups.
"Hahaha! That's true, kid. But I'm still in my YOUTH! You can't call me old!" Guy declared.
If only he knew my true age—older than the Sage of Six Paths himself. "Okay, old man," I said sarcastically.
"Enough talking! Let's exercise while our YOUTH is still strong!" Guy said, finishing his thousandth push-up.
"That's true—for you, old man," I teased.
A Grueling Training Session
Guy went on to do another thousand push-ups, while I managed only 800. I wasn't using chakra, just pure physical effort. Afterward, we moved on to squats. Guy completed 5,000 squats, while I maxed out at 1,000. To be fair, I'm only two years old.
"Haha! You've got some spirit, kid! But why are you working so hard? Shouldn't you be playing with kids your age?" Guy asked as he caught his breath.
"I want to get stronger so I won't lose my loved ones again," I said seriously. I wasn't lying—some parallel universes had taught me harsh lessons I didn't intend to repeat.
{Those eyes… He's not lying. And that spirit… This kid is something else,} Guy thought.
"Well, kid, if that's truly what you want, let's do some sit-ups!" Guy said, his smile unwavering.
Evening
"Ah, kid, I just realized I never asked for your name!" Guy said after we'd finished his "Hell Training Mode."
"You're asking this after dragging me through hell?" I joked.
"Hey, that's what you asked for!" he replied with a laugh.
"My name is Saruto Yamanaka. You can call me Saru, old man," I said.
"So, you're from the Yamanaka Clan. They specialize in mind and spirit techniques. Why are you interested in body training?" he asked.
"To protect a strong mind, you need a strong body," I said, my face serious.
"Hm, that's true. But you're an exception. You already have a strong and balanced body for taijutsu training. Come back tomorrow—I'll train you seriously. But since you're still young, it'll just be light exercises for now. Got it?" Guy said with rare seriousness.
"Got it," I replied, impressed by his dedication.
"I'll also prepare a diet plan for you. You're young and need to eat plenty to grow strong!" he added. Truly, Guy is a kind man.
"It's getting dark. You should head home now," Guy said, continuing his one-handed push-ups.
"Alright, bye, old man," I said, walking away.
{What a strange kid. He kept up with me even as I increased the difficulty. He has potential to be a great taijutsu master. I'll have to increase my own training to keep ahead of this YOUTH!} Guy thought, switching hands.
MC's POV
{The Eight Gates is a powerful technique, but it demands an incredibly strong body to withstand the rampaging chakra. Normally, opening the Eighth Gate destroys the user's body from the inside. But with my regeneration, I can handle it. In time, I'll perfect the technique to use the gates permanently without dying. But that's a problem for the future.}
Lost in thought, I reached home. My uncle wasn't there, so I prepared dinner, took a bath, and sat down to focus on chakra control, balancing all seven elements: Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Water, Yin, and Yang.