On the weekend, Kaito had prepared everything and headed to the training ground. On this day, he didn't create any Shadow Clones to study. This was because, just two days ago, his body had fully recovered, something that had surprisingly taken over a month. It seemed that pushing the boundaries of his body at his current age was still too much to handle.
However, Kaito was determined to keep moving forward according to his plan, making sure not to waste any chakra if he could avoid it.
Soon enough, Kaito arrived at the training ground and, unsurprisingly, saw Lee there. During holidays, the probability of Lee appearing at the training ground was almost one hundred percent. However, Kaito noticed that Lee didn't seem as enthusiastic today. He just greeted him briefly and showed no intention of sparring.
Although Kaito hadn't planned on sparring today either, Lee had developed a fascination for sparring after their previous matches. Whenever Kaito showed up here, Lee would challenge him. As for their win-loss record, it was about fifty-fifty. When Kaito had enough chakra to use the Three Basic Jutsus, his winning rate was significantly higher, but when his chakra ran out, Lee's chances of winning would soar.
Kaito looked at the downcast Lee, thoughtfully speculating that something must have happened. Since he didn't know the reason, he felt it was better not to comfort him recklessly. Instead, he chose to focus on his own training for now.
Kaito began his training for the day. Both the volume and intensity of today's regimen were far greater than usual. As the training progressed, sweat and salt continued to pour out. Eventually, that familiar boundary loosened, and as he gritted his teeth, successfully breaking through once again.
After breaking through, Kaito didn't stop immediately but continued with stretching exercises to wrap up the session. He then staggered over to his usual resting spot and sat down cross-legged.
Kaito could feel that this breakthrough was somehow more difficult than before, though he didn't quite know why. He didn't have the time to dwell on it, as his mental state was also reaching extreme exhaustion.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and resisted the urge to simply fall asleep. Gradually, he calmed his mind. If a normal workout wasn't enough to push him into that meditative state, he would try again after breaking his limits. If this attempt failed, he would just have to wait another month.
He maintained a calm mindset. Whether he succeeded this time or not, it didn't matter—after all, mastering Sage Mode was inherently challenging. But he firmly believed he would eventually succeed. If not this time, then the next, and if not then, he would keep trying until he did. He was determined to learn Sage Mode!
With this mindset, Kaito's body slowly calmed. This time, the exhaustion drowned out the sensation of ants crawling all over his body, and soon that fatigue also began to fade. For the first time, his body truly stilled. His spirit, which had been restless since birth, also stilled—a rare occurrence. Gradually, his spirit and body began to align.
For a fleeting moment, Kaito felt as if he had glimpsed a peak. However, after that brief peek, he slipped out of that state once again. Slowly, Kaito opened his eyes, a look of excitement in them. It was a feeling—he knew he had succeeded, even if it was only for a brief moment.
Since he had managed to do it once, he was confident there would be a second time, and eventually, the conditions for entering that state would become less stringent. He set a small goal for himself: before acquiring the summoning scrolls of the Three Great Sage Lands, he aimed to enter that state without requiring special training.
Kaito then frowned slightly. Although he had entered that state, he hadn't sensed anything special—he hadn't perceived any natural energy. It was just an empty stillness, though his perception was incredibly sharp during that moment. Sage Mode was something not documented in the library, which frustrated Kaito. It made sense; further training probably required substances like the toad oil.
In the future, he could attempt to sense natural energy—although he wouldn't absorb it, just being able to sense it without needing toad oil would already be a massive breakthrough. One step at a time, Kaito thought. He sighed and then smiled in excitement—the day's progress had been truly exhilarating.
Kaito slowly stood up and looked around, frowning. Lee had already left, and he hadn't even trained much. This was concerning. After spending so much time together, Kaito had grown quite fond of this diligent young guy with a talent for hard work.
However, for now, he had something else to handle. Kaito looked toward a large tree and asked, "Excuse me, are you planning to keep hiding?"
"Hahaha, to think you could detect me. You're quite the impressive little guy!" A young man wearing the green vest of a Konoha jonin stepped out.
Seeing the person emerge from behind the tree, Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. He had a rough idea of who it was, but just in case it was an enemy… And yes, this was indeed Might Guy, the man who represented the pinnacle of physical prowess for ordinary people, albeit for a short while.
"Hello, may I ask what brings you here?" Kaito asked.
Might Guy looked at Kaito with some admiration. He had hesitated over whether to show himself, having observed this area for several days. Naturally, his primary interest had been Lee. However, he had also seen Kaito's dedication and effort. Over the days, Kaito had left the impression of being a disciplined individual who never overtrained—but today, something had clearly gone awry. One moment of distraction had led to overexertion.
Training like this was bound to put excessive strain on Kaito's body!
Although Guy had wanted to follow Lee to check on him, he decided that Kaito's current condition was more pressing—an oversight could leave irreversible damage to his body.
"Kid, you need to understand that training requires moderation. While youth has no limits, you're still young, and such intense training could harm your body." Since he had already been discovered and had stepped out, Might Guy didn't hesitate to say what was on his mind.
Kaito suddenly understood and nodded. "I know that, sir. You've probably observed that my training normally doesn't harm my body. Today was a special case, and tomorrow I'll return to my regular routine."
"Is that so? Well, that's good to hear," Guy nodded. "If it's just a one-time thing, that's fine. I was just worried about you overdoing it." He then smiled. "Since you understand, I'll be on my way. Keep striving and burning your youth! I believe in you!" Saying this, Might Guy patted Kaito on the shoulder.
Kaito forced a smile. Though he had regained some strength, he was still exhausted, and those two pats almost made him collapse. He couldn't complain, so he merely nodded.
"I will keep working hard."
Might Guy gave him a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing as he beamed, and then left. Since everything was fine here, he still wanted to check on Lee.
Kaito watched Guy's retreating figure and smiled. Finding Might Guy turned out to be quite beneficial. After all, Guy was undoubtedly the top expert in taijutsu within the Leaf Village and had an excellent understanding of physical training.
As Kaito's body grew, each increment in his training volume needed careful adjustment, and with Might Guy's guidance, he could achieve even better results.
Still, what exactly happened to Lee?