Extreme Training

Only by keeping one's eyes fixed forward can one persevere!

Watching Might Duy and Might Guy pull two laps ahead of him, Sato Hideaka panted heavily. He kept chanting the slogans he used during military training to shift his focus, trying his best to forget the exhaustion and keep pace with the father-son duo.

Possessing "absolute control" over his cells, Sato Hideaka could effectively utilize the power within his muscle tissues while running to conserve stamina, yet he still lagged far behind the astonishing physical strength of Might Duy and Might Guy.

By now, the three of them had run around Konoha Square for—he didn't know—eighty, eighty-one, ninety laps... The specific count had blurred in Sato Hideaka's hazy mind, and he could no longer keep track. The only belief in his heart now was to cling tightly to the two of them and not be left behind!

After running another dozen laps, Might Duy and Might Guy finally stopped. Soaked to the bone, Sato Hideaka struggled to control his legs, forcing himself to run two more laps to complete a full hundred before he finally allowed his body to come to a halt.

The prolonged running caused his numb legs to clash with his brain's commands. Due to the lack of coordination between his upper and lower body, Sato Hideaka suddenly lost his balance and crashed to the ground. Lying there, his chest heaved violently, his breathing sounding like a bellows, rattling with a harsh, wheezing noise.

"Guy, let's begin our two thousand stake kicks..."

Might Duy glanced at the collapsed Sato Hideaka, gave him a thumbs-up, and then turned to Might Guy, speaking with fiery passion.

For six-year-old Sato Hideaka to be able to follow them and complete one hundred laps around Konoha Square during his very first training session left Might Duy feeling deeply astonished.

One had to know that when Guy was Sato Hideaka's age, after a year of training, he wasn't much stronger than Sato Hideaka was now. Therefore, Might Duy did not force Sato Hideaka to stand up and continue training, as in his view, this was already quite remarkable.

"Yes! Two thousand stake kicks! One, two, three... nine!"

Might Guy let out a roar. Like a robot receiving a signal, he ignored his own exhausted body and began frantically lashing out with his right leg against a scarred, battered wooden stake, his kicks landing with heavy thuds.

The stake, thick enough for a person to wrap their arms around, trembled incessantly under the heavy impacts, and the soil around its base began to loosen from the vibrations.

Lying on the ground, Sato Hideaka watched the passionate father and son. The conviction to protect Yakushi Nonō surpassed his fatigue and weariness. His teeth chattered as he used his arms to prop up his body, slowly standing to his feet.

Every movement felt like reaching his absolute limit, yet with his legs trembling violently, he still managed to stand. He walked to a wooden stake, gathered every ounce of his remaining strength, and swept out a leg!

"One, two, three... one thousand nine hundred eighty-seven, one thousand nine hundred eighty-eight, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, two thousand!"

Watching Sato Hideaka stand up again, Might Duy couldn't help but feel a soul-stirring shock. This child of only five or six years old had broken through his physiological limits and completed another two thousand stake kicks—it was truly terrifying!

What kind of belief was supporting him?

Might Duy looked at the equally shocked Might Guy, his youthful blood seemingly burning once more: "Good! Two thousand stake kicks complete. Now, fifty laps of frog jumps around Konoha Square!"

Under the curious, mocking gazes of the onlookers, the three of them began to frog-jump around Konoha Square like clowns. Step by step, drenched in sweat and gasping for air, they completed each test of their physiological limits.

Sato Hideaka's gaze remained fixed on Might Guy. Whatever task Might Guy could complete, he forced himself to complete as well: one hundred laps around Konoha Square, two thousand stake kicks, fifty laps of frog jumps, eight hundred push-ups, one thousand sit-ups...

Breaking through physiological limits requires no brain to ponder, no logic to analyze, and no cunning schemes. It requires unwavering belief and unparalleled perseverance. When sweat, pain, and exhaustion are cast aside, humanity will open the gates to the forbidden!

Repeatedly pushing past his limits caused Sato Hideaka's mind to drift, and he finally lost consciousness while bench-pressing a barbell.

When he woke up again, the sky had already turned dark. A pain like knife cuts radiated from every part of his body. The muscles in his arms and legs were swollen like buns, and dark, bruised blood even seeped from the worst of the wounds.

A warm, soft sensation slowly spread from his right leg.

Sato Hideaka struggled to look in that direction. What met his eyes were the worried, pained, and angry gaze of Yakushi Nonō, and her hands, currently using the Cactus Technique to treat the external injuries caused by his training!

"Hideaka, is this what you call training? This is clearly self-mutilation! It's just a Genin Exam; is it worth risking your life like this? Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you like this..." Tears welled in Yakushi Nonō's eyes, her gentle voice carrying a rare tone of severity and reproach.

Sato Hideaka tremblingly reached out his right hand to wipe the tears from the corner of Yakushi Nonō's eyes. He forced a smile onto his lips and said, "For this Genin Exam, I have a reason I must win. I know my own body; with Sister Nonō's treatment, the hidden injuries from this training won't be a problem!"

"Stop this training starting tomorrow, and then there won't be any problems! If you train like this again, something terrible will happen. Promise your sister you won't do this anymore, okay? Sister is really worried about you...?"

A hint of pleading appeared in Yakushi Nonō's eyes. When she saw Sato Hideaka being brought to the hospital by Anbu ninjas—his muscles swollen and congested, his clothes in tatters and stained with blood, his entire person in a coma—she had nearly fainted on the spot.

This was extreme training; Sato Hideaka had pushed past his physiological limits dozens of times, resulting in severe physical overdraft and damage!

She had identified his condition at a glance and had been continuously treating him, alleviating his worsening injuries. Otherwise, his muscles wouldn't just be swollen like buns—they would have been like watermelons.

"Sister, please help me, okay? I really want to win this match."

Sato Hideaka's azure eyes shimmered as he stared intently into Yakushi Nonō's large, brown eyes. Without her medical ninjutsu, in his current state, even getting out of bed to walk tomorrow would be a struggle.

As for continuing the extreme training, only with Yakushi Nonō constantly treating the injuries caused by his sessions could he continue to train the next day. Therefore, her support was crucial!