In the morning light, two figures, one large and one small, left intersecting footprints on the streets of Konoha.
Might Guy ran ahead, listening to the exceptionally firm footsteps behind him.
A smile unconsciously curved his lips.
Although Guy was long used to the strange looks from passersby, the presence of this small follower behind him still brought a warmth to his chest.
The footsteps behind him were a pure acknowledgment of his path of youth, even if it came from a three-year-old child.
What surprised Guy even more was that this little blonde boy had been keeping pace with him, showing no signs of falling behind.
From his breathing rhythm and the stability of his steps, the child clearly had a physical foundation beyond his age, obviously the result of long-term, rigorous training.
However, Might Guy still didn't believe that Naruto could run one hundred laps around Konoha with him; such a volume of exercise was simply too much for a small child.
Indeed, no matter how much a child exercised, at that age, he ultimately couldn't do things he couldn't do, and over-exercising could even cause harm to his body.
However, Uzumaki Naruto was no ordinary child.
Although he looked like just a three-year-old toddler, that seemingly tender body contained strength far beyond his peers.
First was the system's Taijutsu enhancement — those data bonuses increased his muscle fiber density and bone strength by percentages.
Every morning, when other children his age were still sleeping soundly in their warm beds, Naruto was already training with custom Taijutsu weighted gear.
"Hoo—hoo—"
Naruto adjusted his breathing rhythm, his steps unwavering.
Sweat dripped from his golden hair; his daily training regimen was Spartan, consisting of five hundred push-ups, five hundred squats, and then a ten-kilometer weighted run.
Such intensity would be difficult even for adult ninja to maintain, but Naruto gritted his teeth and completed it day after day.
An ordinary child facing such almost masochistic training would surely suffer physical harm, but Naruto would not, all thanks to what was in Naruto's body.
The Uzumaki Clan's bloodline.
The Chakra as vast as the ocean and the tenacious vitality like a cockroach supported him in breaking through one physical limit after another.
Whenever his muscles screamed, Chakra would automatically circulate, repairing those minor injuries, and when his lungs burned with pain, powerful vitality would give him new strength.
The current Naruto.
It was no exaggeration to say that if he fully developed his talent and didn't spend his days concocting schemes to prank his father, as in the original story, thereby wasting time, he was confident he could defeat an ordinary Genin with Taijutsu alone.
Those days of arduous training, those drops of sweat shed in unknown corners, all transformed into the strength to keep running at this moment.
Might Guy's heart was in turmoil.
He couldn't remember how many times he had thought the footsteps behind him would stop—at every turn, every uphill climb, he had quietly prepared words of comfort.
In his mind, those encouraging words had been rehearsed countless times.
"Don't be discouraged! At your age, you've already far surpassed me at that age!"
"When you're a bit older, let's shed the hot-bloodedness of youth together again!"
"Keep it up! The future of Konoha!"
He even imagined giving his treasured green training jumpsuit to this child; the shiny fabric would surely suit this spirited little guy.
However, reality repeatedly defied his expectations.
The small figure always stayed close behind him, and Guy could clearly hear Naruto adjusting his breathing rhythm, a technique that could only be mastered through long-term training.
This... this is simply...
Guy's heart pounded violently, not from the fatigue of running, but from uncontrollable excitement.
A genius! And an even more precious kind of genius than just a genius—a hardworking genius!
This realization made his blood boil.
The streets of Konoha gradually became livelier.
The morning mist dispersed, and the sun grew hotter.
Residents opened their windows, vendors began setting up their stalls, and everyone watched in surprise as the two, one large and one small, ran wildly around the village.
One lap, two laps... sweat left winding trails on the road, only to be evaporated by the midday sun.
When they reached the ninety-ninth lap, Guy subtly slowed his pace.
For the last lap, he controlled his speed to just allow Naruto to run alongside him.
Finally, both crossed the starting line at the same time—a spot that had already been clearly marked by their footprints.
"Ha... ha..."
Naruto immediately bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily.
His golden bangs were soaked with sweat, clinging to his flushed little face.
From early morning to midday, a full hundred laps around Konoha—this achievement was enough to make many Genin fall short.
"It seems..." Guy's voice trembled slightly with excitement, "This time it's a draw between us."
He squatted down, meeting Naruto's gaze, his thick eyebrows unable to hide his admiration, "That's incredible! This kind of perseverance... you are definitely a hardworking genius!"
That iconic thumbs-up was held straight.
The sunlight reflected dazzlingly off his white teeth, revealing a brilliant Konoha White Fang.
Naruto straightened up, wiping the continuous beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"Mmm," he said, slightly out of breath, "No matter how high one's talent, hard work is indispensable.
Because... hard work will never betray you."
"Oh oh oh!" Guy's tears of excitement streamed out again, "That's so well said! This is what true sparkling youth is all about!"
The air was filled with the warmth after their morning run, and their breathing sounds rose and fell in the brief silence.
Suddenly, Naruto looked up, meeting Guy's eyes.
"...Mr. Guy, you were holding back, deliberately slowing down to match me, weren't you?"
These words were like a heavy punch, instantly stiffening Guy's body.
His thick eyebrows shot up, and visible panic flashed across his face.
"Hold, holding back? Hahahaha!" Guy's laughter became exceptionally loud, yet it carried an obvious unnaturalness, like laughter being read from a script.
"How could that be? This match was absolutely a genuine draw! You can't doubt the results of your own hard work! Hahahaha!"
The deliberate laughter echoed around them, and Naruto, seeing Guy's flustered state, couldn't help but smile—this straightforward man was indeed not good at lying.
"You don't need to hide it," Naruto shook his head, "Although I proposed the challenge, I have a clear understanding of my own strength.
A match against a Konoha Jonin? Even if I had started training from the day I was born, it would be impossible to truly achieve a draw."
Guy scratched his head awkwardly, "Haha," he admitted with a wry smile, "As expected of a genius, even this maturity is so dazzling... This is the charm of youth!"
But the next moment, Naruto's words made Guy's entire body tremble.
"But! It is precisely because 'failure might happen' that effort shines so brightly! This is the true meaning of youth."
These words were like a bolt of lightning, striking deep into Guy's heart.
His pupils widened slightly.
For years, he had been preaching the hot-bloodedness of youth to others, yet at this moment, from the mouth of a three-year-old child, he heard the words that resonated most deeply with him.
Naruto took a deep breath, his small chest heaving violently, sweat continuously rolling down his cheeks.
He raised his arm, pointing a slightly childish but exceptionally firm finger at Might Guy.
"Mr. Guy, I lost this match.
But I will never give up because of it!" His voice was exceptionally clear in the morning light, "One day in the future, I will definitely become a stronger ninja than you! Because..."
Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, casting brilliant specks of light into Naruto's clear blue eyes.
"The value of a human being is not in 'what they become,' but in 'what they overcome.'
Today, I overcame my own limits... Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, one day! I, Uzumaki Naruto, will definitely surpass you!"
Guy's body shook violently, his thick eyebrows raised high.
He repeatedly chewed on the profound meaning of these words, his eyes, always brimming with enthusiasm, now sparkled with thought.
Suddenly, he let out a thunderous shout:
"That's right!!!" Guy's voice exploded like thunder, "Never be ashamed of your efforts!
Challenge seemingly impossible peaks! Push yourself to the brink, create your own rules! This is..."
His voice suddenly deepened, yet it contained even greater power:
"This is the true meaning of self-discipline!"
The next moment, to Naruto's surprise, Guy suddenly, with tears streaming down his face, squatted down again and gave him a solid hug with open arms.
His strong arms completely enveloped Naruto's small body.
"But even if you lost the match! You perfectly demonstrated the brilliance of youth! I am incredibly proud of your efforts!"
Naruto was somewhat overwhelmed by this sudden enthusiasm, but just then—
[Ding!]
A clear system notification sounded in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host: You have established a Level 3 bond with the original character "Might Guy"!]
[Points gained: 750 points!]