Chapter 8: Very Good, Full of Spirit!
Danzo Shimura's face was grim, as if enveloped in a storm, as he strode directly through the Root base's passages, completely ignoring all the subordinates who bowed to him along the way, returning directly to his most private resting room.
The heavy door closed behind him, completely isolating the outside world.
This resting room, rather than being for rest, was more like a sanctuary enshrining his lifelong ambition.
On the most prominent wall of the room, a meticulously crafted replica of the Hokages Ceremonial Robe hung conspicuously.
The white robe body, with red flame patterns, gleamed with an alluring luster in the dim light.
Upon reaching this point, the extreme longing for the Hokage position, like the most potent poison yet the sweetest nectar, instantly filled his body, which had long been corroded by power and darkness to the point of near decay, bringing with it a morbid vitality.
A scorching, almost obsessive light projected from Danzo's single eye, fixed intently on the ceremonial robe.
He slowly, as if performing some sacred ritual, stepped forward.
He first cast aside the cane he usually used for disguise, and his figure seemed to straighten a bit.
Then, he solemnly picked up the best and softest clean silk scarf available in Konoha Village, which had been prepared beforehand, and approached step by step, as if afraid of disturbing this beautiful dream.
He reached out and used the silk scarf to meticulously and gently wipe the almost non-existent dust from the equally replicated Hokage's Hat next to the ceremonial robe.
Although he performed this repeated wiping every day, he always felt that he had to wipe it again, to ensure it remained spotless and flawless.
After wiping, he casually tossed the expensive silk scarf onto the floor.
Finally, his withered left hand trembled as his fingers hovered over the fabric of the ceremonial robe, yet he dared not truly touch it with force, as if it were a fragile illusion.
A sigh, mixed with endless longing, resentment, and pain, difficultly escaped from deep within his throat:
"When... when will I finally be able to wear you openly!"
The voice echoed in the empty secret room, filled with boundless desolation and obsession.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the window.
Naruto swiftly changed into the new winter clothes the Third Hokage had sent last night; the fitted tailoring made him look much more energetic.
He picked up the thick envelope, carefully pulled out a few banknotes, folded them, and tucked them into his somewhat old wallet, then casually shoved the still-bulging envelope under his pillow.
Having done all this, he clapped his hands, quite satisfied, and prepared to go out.
Actually, hiding it or not didn't really matter.
Naruto knew perfectly well that his every move in this so-called "home," whether dressing, eating, training, or sleeping, was almost entirely exposed to the gazes hidden in the shadows.
The Anbu, tasked with surveillance and protection by the Third Hokage, were constantly watching.
Moreover, in this village that ostracized him, no thief would ever bother to visit the residence of a "demon fox."
In the eyes of most villagers, this was an ominous place, and they feared even approaching it, let alone sneaking in to steal.
To some extent, this widespread aversion ironically constituted a unique form of "safety."
Naruto opened the door and walked out.
Arriving at the secluded training ground outside the village, where he had agreed to meet his "teacher," Naruto didn't wait long before he saw a figure sprinting towards him with an exaggerated, energetic posture.
The person was wearing a green jumpsuit, with a signature bowl cut, but on his face hung a very incongruous, long white fake beard, which bounced with his running.
"Yo! Naruto, you're still so punctual!"
The newcomer stopped in front of Naruto, gave a thumbs-up, and flashed a toothy grin, his pearly white teeth glinting.
"This is youth... ahem!"
He almost habitually said "youth," but fortunately, he braked in time, vigorously stroked the obviously fake beard, and forced himself to correct, "This is the vigor of youth!"
In fact, Might Guy was not teaching Naruto under his true identity.
This slightly clumsy disguise had practical considerations behind it.
When Naruto first approached him, directly asking for Taijutsu guidance, Might Guy, though moved by the boy's enthusiasm, directly refused.
He might be thick-headed, but he wasn't stupid. Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and his identity was extremely sensitive. As an elite Jonin and a direct subordinate of the Hokage, establishing too close a relationship with a Jinchuriki without authorization could easily bring unnecessary trouble to both himself and Naruto.
He might be thick-headed, but he wasn't stupid. Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and his identity was extremely sensitive. As an elite Jonin and a direct subordinate of the Hokage, establishing too close a relationship with a Jinchuriki without authorization could easily bring unnecessary trouble to both himself and Naruto.
Later, genuinely moved by Naruto's day-after-day, persistent requests regardless of the weather, and the pure "youthful" fire burning in his eyes, Might Guy came up with this compromise.
He went to a prop store and bought this most conspicuous fake beard, teaching Naruto under the false identity of "Narutos disguise name for Might Guy: Cheng Dai, a mysterious Taijutsu master."
Thus, a peculiar sight appeared in Konoha Village: a "Narutos disguise name for Might Guy: Cheng Dai" with a comical white beard, but a physique and hairstyle identical to Might Guy, daily led the blonde Uzumaki Naruto in intense physical training within the village.
Although anyone in the village could see through this clumsy disguise at a glance, everyone seemed to tacitly remain silent, and no one directly exposed Might Guy.
"Grandpa Narutos disguise name for Might Guy: Cheng Dai, let's start training quickly!"
Naruto shouted excitedly, already eager to start moving his limbs.
"Very good, full of spirit!"
Might Guy again gave his signature thumbs-up, his pearly white teeth, combined with the fake beard, shining with vibrant light.
But he then reined in his smile, his expression becoming serious: "However, Naruto, basic physical training for your current physique has already begun to slow in progress. The real challenge is just beginning!"
As he spoke, he magically pulled out two leg weights that didn't look very heavy from behind his back.
"Here, these are specially prepared for you based on your current physical limits—Weighted Leg Wraps!"
He handed the weights to Naruto, his tone full of encouragement, "Don't worry, they're not heavy at all. To start, one on each calf, only forty kilograms in total. Once you've fully adapted, we'll keep adding more!"
His understated tone made it sound as if he wasn't talking about forty kilograms.
For any ordinary adult, strapping forty kilograms of heavy weighted metal to each leg would likely make even normal walking a stumbling, breathless affair, let alone undergoing Might Guy's almost perverse level of high-intensity Taijutsu training.
That would be a fantasy.
However, Naruto was no ordinary person.
He was a Ninja who had undergone basic training, with physical abilities far exceeding the average person.
More importantly, he carried the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan, known for its immense vitality and tenacious endurance, and was also the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
His recovery ability, stamina limit, and physical endurance far surpassed those of ordinary Ninja.
Therefore, these forty kilograms of weights, for Naruto, who had undergone a period of diligent training and was gradually unleashing his potential, were not an unbearable burden, even though he could clearly feel the heavy weight and found his movements much more sluggish than usual, requiring more stamina.
He merely stiffened slightly when first putting them on, adapted to the heavy sensation in his legs for a moment, and then nodded to Guy, indicating he was ready.
"Excellent! Then, today's youthful... vigorous training officially begins! First, ten laps around Konoha Village. If you can't do ten laps around Konoha Village, then three thousand kicks! Let's go!"
Guy waved his hand and, like a wild horse unbridled, dashed out first.
Naruto took a deep breath, moved his legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, and resolutely followed.
Each step was more strenuous than before, but the light in his eyes burned even brighter.
[end of chapter]