The two of them—one grown, one barely past toddler height—kept circling the village border road without stopping.
Sweat dripped steadily down Kuroha's small face. His breathing was tight but controlled. His clothes clung to him, soaked through, yet he never slowed.
One lap.Two.Three.
By the time he completed the fifth, his stride was still steady.
Guy had followed silently the entire time. What began as curiosity twisted into disbelief, then into something close to shock.
A child this young running five full circuits of Konoha without rest… no, this wasn't normal talent. This was something sharpened into existence.
When Kuroha finally stopped, it was at the gate of an upscale Uchiha residence.He looked back and waved casually.
"Big Brows, see you tomorrow."
Then he disappeared inside.
Guy stood frozen.
Those eyes… that must be the rumored 'dual-pupil' kid from the Uchiha. The one everyone whispers about.He'd heard older shinobi mention a strange case years ago, but he'd dismissed it at the time.
After today, he no longer could.
That kind of discipline belonged to someone born for taijutsu.
Guy gave the empty street one last glance, then resumed his own run.
After bathing and eating, Kuroha slipped out again to the training grounds.The next morning, he was back on the perimeter road right on schedule.
Guy joined him immediately.
Seven laps this time.
Neither spoke.
Seven days passed like this.
Each morning, Kuroha ran faster, steadier. His body adapted at a pace that made Guy's jaw tighten. Eventually, Guy couldn't restrain himself—he increased his pace and drew even with the boy.
"Hey, little guy," he said lightly, "what's your name?"
Kuroha exhaled once, then answered, "Uchiha Kuroha."
"Strong name!" Guy flashed a thumbs-up.
A few minutes passed before Guy tried again.
"Kuroha… would you like to train taijutsu under me?"
He meant it.Kuroha's potential was too sharp to ignore.
Kuroha slowed just enough to look skeptical.
"You? What can you teach me?"
The words were bait, carefully placed. Guy stepped right into them.
"I am Might Guy of the Konoha Lightning Step, specialist of taijutsu! If you train under me, I'll teach you everything I know. Everything."
He meant that, too. Guy was loud, strange, but his promises were iron.
Kuroha pretended to consider it.
"You'll teach all of it?"
Guy nodded. "Every form. Every conditioning method."
"Then show me something first."
Guy brought him to a small grove near the village edge. A few worn benches sat under the trees, probably used by elderly villagers during the day.
He stood squarely in front of Kuroha.
"Listen carefully. Taijutsu isn't just muscle and grit. There is a way to restore the body quickly after training, and to strengthen it from within."
Kuroha raised an eyebrow.Now we're getting to the good parts.
"We refine chakra, then send it into the body—not to a core, not to a single point—but into every cell. Let it soak in, reinforce tissue, steady fatigue, increase resilience."
"…That's possible?" Kuroha muttered.
"It is. And I'll teach it to you."
Guy's tone sharpened.
"This method is called the Internal Conditioning Flow. It allows chakra to circulate through each cell, leaving traces behind. In emergencies, those traces can release at once, giving a brief surge of strength."
Internal… conditioning?
Kuroha repeated the name quietly.
A technique that distributes chakra through the entire body…? That's not something I've heard in canon.He followed Guy's instruction step by step.
And then—Warmth spread through him like countless sparks beneath his skin. His fatigue peeled away layer by layer, replaced by a steady internal hum.
It worked.
He lifted his hand.Through his mutated eyes, faint chakra lingered across his palm, spread through muscle fibers and bone.
Most shinobi kept chakra consolidated near their center.
Here, it spread everywhere.
If this method doesn't get absorbed by my eyes… then maybe I really can store chakra in the body itself.He held the thought for two seconds——and then shook his head.
The chakra in each cell was unstable. It leaked easily. If he wanted a true "full-body reservoir," the method would need heavy redesign.
Still… it was a promising direction.
They trained until dusk.
By the end, Kuroha had mastered every technique Guy demonstrated, from basic footwork to Guy's own signature sweeping kick.
Guy stared at him, stunned.
"You learned all that already?"
Kuroha brushed off his hands. "If that's everything, I'll head home."
"Everything?" Guy sputtered. "Who said that was everything!?"
Kuroha smiled faintly.
Guy took the bait.