Konoha Training Grounds.
Musashi was dripping with sweat.
After the funeral, he had visited Might Guy. Seeing that Guy had recovered from the grief of losing his father, Might Dai, Musashi stopped worrying and threw himself back into Taijutsu training.
Driven by the trauma of the battlefield, he cranked up the intensity of his workout.
He was done being cannon fodder.
Just past noon, with the sun shining brightly, Might Guy's voice drifted over from a distance.
"Kakashi, move it! I'm introducing you to a little protégé of mine. This kid has got a spark of my style from back in the day!
Just seeing him makes me remember the surging tides of Youth!"
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. I'm walking."
Soon, a glowing green Might Guy arrived, dragging a very reluctant, white-haired boy toward Musashi.
"Yo! Musashi! I knew you'd be here! Hahaha. Look, let me introduce you to a friend. My Eternal Rival, my best friend—Kakashi Hatake!"
Soaked in sweat, Musashi nodded. "I know him. The Genius Ninja of the Leaf, the powerhouse who became a Jonin at twelve. Senior Kakashi."
"Kakashi, this is Musashi Ryomiya. A Taijutsu prodigy with guts of steel."
"Hey." Kakashi Hatake nodded. His single exposed eye was filled with exhaustion and gloom.
Musashi didn't mind. His eyes burned bright on his steaming, sweaty face. "Senior Kakashi, you and Big Brother Guy are my role models! I will train hard and chase after you with all my Youth!"
"Oh! Youth is truly blood-boiling! Musashi!"
"Big Brother Guy!"
"Musashi!"
"Big Brother Guy!!"
"Musashi!!! Sob~"
Kakashi Hatake: "..."
Great. Another troublesome weirdo, just like Guy.
"Kakashi!" Might Guy, overflowing with passion, suddenly turned his tear-streaked face to Kakashi. "The light of Youth is so blinding! Let's have a fiery contest! Do you see the Hokage Monument in the distance? Let's see who can run to the top of the Third Hokage's stone head first! If I lose, I'll do one thousand weighted double-kicks! What do you say!?"
Kakashi Hatake: "No."
"Senior Kakashi!" Musashi clenched his fists, speaking with passion. "How can you refuse Big Brother Guy's invitation of Youth! Count me in! If I finish behind you two, I'll do one thousand squats on top of the Third Hokage's head!"
Kakashi Hatake: "Abso-lute-ly Not."
Might Guy suddenly flashed in front of Kakashi, gripping his shoulders tightly with both hands. "Kakashi! As my Eternal Rival, you cannot back down at a time like this."
Kakashi Hatake: "...No."
Might Guy: "Kakashi, you know me. If you don't agree, whether you are eating, showering, or on the toilet... I will sincerely invite you all day long! Kakashi!"
"Senior Kakashi!"
"Kakashi!!"
"Senior Kakashi!!"
"STOP!" Kakashi waved his hand, cutting off the endless loop of shouting.
"Fine. I'll do it. Let's just start. Guy, this is the last time."
"Yosh!" Might Guy gave a thumbs up. He flicked a pebble into the air with his thumb. "I knew you couldn't refuse the call of Youth! Kakashi, Musashi, we start when the pebble hits the ground. Ready..."
Snap!
Whiz!~
The moment the pebble hit the dirt, three figures exploded forward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake shot to the front, while Musashi fell further and further behind.
He wasn't discouraged. Feeling his muscles tremble under the command of his will, providing powerful propulsion, his spirits soared.
It didn't matter if he couldn't catch them now. One day, he would get closer to those backs ahead of him.
There would be a day!
The wind whipped past his cheeks. Suddenly, a drop of liquid hit his face.
The sun was high in the sky; it definitely wasn't raining.
So, if that wasn't Big Brother Guy's spit... it must be Kakashi's tears.
Musashi looked ahead at Kakashi, who was running with a frantic, almost manic energy, even pulling a body-length ahead of Guy. Musashi fell into thought.
The Third Great Ninja War had just ended. Kakashi had just lost two teammates (Obito and Rin).
That was probably why Guy dragged him out here to goof around with Musashi.
"Kakashi! Truly the man I'm chasing! You win this round!" On top of the Hokage Rock, Might Guy gasped for air.
"Huff... huff..." Kakashi, having won the race, sounded like he was about to cough up a lung.
He was drenched in sweat as if he'd been fished out of a river, but his eye looked a little more alive than before.
"A passionate contest really clears the mind! Kakashi, next time, I won't lose to you!"
"Guy, I said this was the last time."
"Kakashi, I said next time."
Kakashi: "..."
Wisely choosing not to argue with Guy, Kakashi looked at the trail of dust approaching in the distance. "That kid has a lot of energy."
Guy retorted, "Kakashi, Musashi isn't just some kid! He is a Taijutsu genius who has inherited the Will of Fire and my Ninja Way of Youth!"
Kakashi glanced at Guy with his single eye. "So you taught him that technique? Guy, you're being reckless!"
"Ahahaha," Guy laughed awkwardly. "Well... at the time... I was mainly afraid that if I died in battle, the technique needed an heir!"
"Besides, I have absolutely no regrets teaching it to Musashi! Kakashi, you must have noticed it too. That child is very similar to me."
"Zero talent for Ninjutsu?" Kakashi asked.
"No!" Guy's face turned serious. "Musashi is not without talent. In fact, from what I know, his aptitude for Ninjutsu isn't bad at all!"
"And that is one of the reasons I was so moved. This child clearly has talent for Ninjutsu, yet he possesses such incredible 'Guts' for Taijutsu training!"
"That technique... can only be passed down to someone like that!"
"He has talent for Ninjutsu, huh?" Kakashi whispered.
Might Guy: "Exactly. Kakashi, you know that my Ninjutsu talent was terrible. I almost failed the entrance exam because of it. That's why I poured everything into Taijutsu. But you know what? Musashi is different. Since I met him, not once! Not a single day has he slacked off!"
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe a four or five-year-old could have that kind of grit."
"Just watch, Kakashi. This kid's Taijutsu talent will surprise you."
"Is that so?" Kakashi watched the dust cloud get closer. "Then I'll watch. Let's see just how excellent this kid you value so much can become."
When Musashi finally ran up the Hokage Rock, Guy and Kakashi had already caught their breath.
Although Musashi was gasping and drained of stamina, his eyes were still bright.
"Big Brother Guy, I failed. Now I must fulfill my vow: one thousand squats on the Third Hokage's head!"
"Yosh! Musashi, that's the spirit! Failure is not scary! Even I lost to Kakashi again today.
Next, I will do one thousand weighted double-kicks! Kakashi, are you interested in supervising us?!"
Kakashi Hatake: "Absolutely not interested. Thanks! Bye!"
With that, he vanished instantly. Only after putting some distance between them did Kakashi look back at the two who had already started "fulfilling their vows." He couldn't help but sigh.
"I thought Guy was one of a kind in the ninja world. I didn't expect a kid like Musashi to pop up and join him."
"Looks like I'll have to avoid them in the future. If I get tangled up with those two... Ugh~ I can't even think about it!"