"I understand!"
Guy clenched his fist against his chest, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"The limits of physical strength are youth's one weakness! A genius shouldn't be held back by his body!"
Seeing Guy agree, Kazuhiko seized the opportunity to make his request:
"In all of Konoha, no one is better at building a solid physical foundation and tempering the body than the Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf."
"I hope you'll personally oversee Itachi's taijutsu training for a while."
"I'm not looking for quick results, only a solid foundation and an improved constitution. I hope that in the future, Itachi won't suffer from a bloodline disease because of his physical condition."
Asking Guy to train Itachi wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Kazuhiko had thought it through carefully.
He knew the path Itachi's life would take. At a young age, he would become gravely ill, overdraw his strength, and die young.
The root cause was his poor physical constitution. He awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan too early and couldn't withstand the Sharingan's immense demands, leaving him plagued by illness for years.
What Kazuhiko had to do was mold Itachi into a healthy shinobi with absolute loyalty.
Giving him a trait would certainly be more direct and convenient.
There was no problem with giving Itachi or anyone else a loyalty-related trait.
But traits related to health also enhanced physical strength and chakra reserves.
Kazuhiko would take as many of those traits as he could get.
He didn't even have enough for himself. How could he give them to Itachi so casually?
Guy rested a hand on Kazuhiko's shoulder, his expression solemn.
"Don't worry, Kazuhiko! Since you've entrusted me with this burden of youth, I, Might Guy, swear I won't let you down!"
He turned to look at Itachi.
"I'll use the strictest,