The next day, before dawn had broken.
Might Guy was still dreaming.
In his dream, he was using Vajra Leg to kick apart a massive boulder.
Behind the boulder, Uchiha Madara's shocked face was revealed.
"Guy!"
The blanket was yanked away.
Dai's huge face appeared before him, his teeth gleaming in the morning light.
"Youth does not permit sleeping in! Get up for special training!"
Might Guy groggily opened his eyes. Before he could react, Dai dragged him out of bed.
"Quick, quick, quick! A day's plan begins in the morning! A man's burning passion must ignite before the sun rises!"
Five minutes later.
Two green-clad figures, one large and one small, ran through the streets of Konoha.
"Guy! Follow Dad's rhythm! One, two! One, two!"
Dai's booming voice rang especially loud through the chilly streets.
Ramen Uncle, who had gotten up early to open his shop, stuck his head out with a yawn.
Seeing the two men in green, he shook his head.
"That Eternal Genin again..."
A woman buying vegetables beside him quietly added, "I heard his son failed too. He's no good at ninjutsu or genjutsu either... sigh..."
"That's the child, right? Poor thing. He'll end up just like his father..."
The voices were not loud, but they were loud enough to reach his ears.
Might Guy's steps faltered.
Dai seemed not to have heard a thing. Instead, his voice grew even louder.
"Guy! Pick up the pace! Let the morning wind blow away all your worries! Youth is meant to run!"
He turned back and gave Might Guy a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing.
The sun had yet to rise, but his smile was more dazzling than sunlight.
Might Guy looked at that back.
In his own way, this man was protecting his son's dignity.
"Dad." He sped up to catch him. "How many times did you take the exam back then?"
Dai froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Three times! Dad took it three times before getting into the Ninja Academy!"
"Back then, everyone laughed at me for being the worst of the worst!"
As he ran, he turned back, looking as proud as though he were talking about some tremendous accomplishment.
"But look at Dad now, Guy. Aren't I an outstanding—"
He paused, and his voice lowered a little. "Eternal Genin?"
Then he started laughing before anyone else could.
Might Guy was amused as well.
The small barrier in his heart melted away amid that laughter.
Dai suddenly stopped, his expression turning serious.
He crouched down and lowered his voice. "Guy, Dad will tell you a secret."
Something stirred in Might Guy's heart.
"Dad spent twenty years mastering a forbidden technique."
Dai leaned close to his ear, lowering his voice even further.
"It's called the Eight Inner Gates. Normally, Dad can only be a Genin, but at critical moments, Dad can unleash tremendous power!"
After saying that, he raised his thumb again, his eyes shining so brightly they were almost frightening.
"So, Guy, as long as you work hard, there's nothing you can't do!"
"Taijutsu can become the strongest weapon too!"
"To protect the people you want to protect!"
Might Guy looked into those eyes.
They held a pure, unwavering faith in his own path.
The last remnants of the original owner's emotions finally settled.
In their place came a brand-new resolve.
Since he was here, he would live an extraordinary life.
And he would protect this foolish father standing before him.
He lifted his head, revealing a smile identical to Dai's. "No fear! Youth is meant to burn!"
Dai froze.
His eyes reddened at a visible speed.
He scooped Might Guy up and spun around in place. "Good son! Well said! Youth is meant to burn!"
Might Guy was spun dizzy. "Put me down—"
"No! Dad's too happy!"
The two ran all the way to Konoha Back Mountain.
They arrived at a secluded clearing in the woods.
Dai pointed at a tree as thick as a thigh ahead of them.
"First lesson: five thousand front kicks before dawn! Watch Dad demonstrate!"
He took a deep breath and abruptly raised his leg.
Whoosh—
The sound of tearing air was sharp and piercing. Every kick howled with force, and his leg shadows blurred into one.
He kicked fifty times in a row without changing expression.
"Did you see that clearly?"
Dai lowered his leg.
"Use that exact posture. Begin!"
Might Guy nodded.
He walked up to the tree, copied Dai's stance, raised his leg, and kicked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times...
At first, he could still keep up.
One hundred times, two hundred times, five hundred times...
Guy's foundation was fairly good.
But by the thousandth kick, his legs had begun to weaken.
By two thousand, the muscles in his thighs ached and swelled as though they were about to tear apart.
By three thousand, every lift of his leg required him to grit his teeth.
Sweat ran down his forehead into his eyes, stinging painfully.
His jumpsuit had long since been soaked through and clung tightly to his body.
Dai sat nearby without making a sound.
Might Guy gritted his teeth and kept kicking.
Since he was Guy, he had to work hard.
Within him, the warm current of the Yijin Jing flowed slowly.
Although his muscles ached, his stamina recovered noticeably faster than an ordinary person's.
It allowed him to barely hold on.
Three thousand five hundred...
Four thousand...
Four thousand five hundred...
"Four thousand nine hundred ninety-eight! Four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine! Five thousand!"
The final kick was complete.
Might Guy collapsed directly onto the grass, gasping for breath.
His legs felt as though someone had pulled out all their bones, limp as two bundles of noodles.
At that moment, the blazing sun had just appeared on the horizon.
It shone through the leaves overhead onto his face.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Dai crouched beside him and raised a thumb. "Well done, Guy! Tomorrow, we'll raise it to five thousand five hundred!"
Might Guy rolled over and looked up at the sky.
The corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
He had done it.
He had done it through his own willpower.
[Vajra Leg: Initial Glimpse: 5/99]
Five thousand front kicks had increased Vajra Leg proficiency by 5 points.
At this rate.
He only needed two hundred days!
In just two hundred days, he could cultivate Vajra Leg to the realm of Great Perfection!
No!
Perhaps even less!
Feeling his strength gradually returning.
Guy stood up.
He looked at Dai and flashed a mouthful of white teeth.
"Dad, I want to train a little longer."
Dai grinned and patted Guy on the shoulder.
"Good! Dad will go back and make breakfast first! Don't stay too late!"
"A man has to fill his stomach too!"
Dai strode away.
Might Guy walked over to another tree and began practicing the basic movements of Diamond Finger.
He jabbed the trunk with his fingers, feeling out how to exert force.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
His fingertips quickly became red and swollen.
But he did not stop.
The warm current of the Yijin Jing wrapped around his fingers, healing them slightly faster than they were being damaged.
The swelling subsided a little, then he jabbed again, and it subsided again.
After more than two hundred jabs, faint footsteps sounded behind him.
Might Guy turned around.
A middle-aged man with long silver hair stood some distance away, holding the hand of a little boy about his age.
He had short silver hair and wore a Konoha forehead protector.
A short blade hung from his left shoulder, its hilt white.
Hatake Sakumo.
Konoha's White Fang.
Might Guy's pupils narrowed slightly.
He lowered his gaze to the little boy.
White hair, a white mask, and bangs covering one eye.
Hatake Kakashi.
Five-year-old Kakashi.
White Fang seemed to have brought his son here to familiarize him with the training grounds as well.
He saw Might Guy training alone.
He saw his red, swollen, scraped fingers.
He saw his worn-out shoes.
Then he looked toward the horizon, where the sun had only just risen.
Something flickered in his eyes.
He crouched down and said to Kakashi, "Kakashi, look at that child."
Kakashi raised his eyes and looked at Might Guy.
His gaze carried the coldness and distance unique to a genius.
"Dad heard he failed the selection." White Fang's voice was calm. "Because he couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu."
Kakashi said nothing.
White Fang continued, "But he didn't give up. Before dawn, he was already training his taijutsu."
"His foundation is solid, and he has this kind of perseverance."
He paused.
"Kakashi, remember what Dad says—one day, he may surpass you."
Surprise appeared in Kakashi's eyes for the first time.
He looked seriously at the green-clad boy poking the tree.
Might Guy sensed that gaze.
He did not turn around and continued poking the trunk again and again.
White Fang rose to his feet and took Kakashi's hand, preparing to leave.
After taking two steps, he turned back again.
He gave Might Guy a gentle smile.
Then he turned and walked away.
Beneath the setting sun, the silhouettes of White Fang and his son gradually faded into the distance.
Might Guy stood where he was, staring in that direction for a long time without moving.
He recalled the timeline of the original story.
At most, one year.
When Kakashi was seven, this hero of Konoha would commit suicide because of rumors and gossip.
All because he had chosen to save his comrades and abandon the mission.
He was condemned by the entire village, condemned by the very people he had saved, and in the end...
Might Guy clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.
He wanted to rush over and tell him, tell him that saving his comrades was not wrong!
Tell him that words could kill, but he had to hold on!
Tell him that his son would become an incredible ninja someday!
But he was only a six-year-old child who had failed the selection.
His words carried little weight.
Speaking up rashly would only make him seem strange.
It was still too early.
He could not intervene.
He could only slowly wait for an opportunity.
Or—
Make himself stronger, more influential.
Then perhaps he could change something.
Guy's gaze gradually became resolute.