Naruto was up this morning as early as Guy, having breakfast at the same time. He was completely prepared when Guy came over. The changes that had happened in the last few weeks were amazing. Naruto adapted quickly as he was pushed, challenged, and forced to adapt to the new situations and difficulties given by both Jiraiya and Guy. Jiraiya trained him for an hour or so each day, focusing on chakra control and summoning jutsu, which Naruto was having a hard time mastering. Guy focused on taijutsu and the physical side of things.
"Ready to go, Guy-sensei," Naruto declared as he opened his door a good minute before Guy arrived. He had become so accustomed to Guy's timing that he knew exactly when his sensei would show up for their morning warm-up run.
Guy looked up and smiled. "Ready for a youthful warm-up this morning, Naruto?" he commented, giving his student a warm smile and a thumbs up. "Let's get to it. We can't be wasting time today. You're going to start a new special training, the final one for the month, that will push you harder than almost anything else."
"Yes, sensei! I am ready to go," Naruto declared as he came down the steps of his apartment, ready to run. He had even stretched beforehand, knowing it was necessary. "What is this new special training we are going to do today?" Naruto asked as he ran, keeping pace with Guy, who always set the pace each morning. Guy had been gradually increasing the pace over the last few weeks to keep the warm-up challenging but manageable for Naruto.
"Naruto, today, I am going to start teaching you about the Eight Gates," Guy said confidently. "Of course, there are a lot of limitations you must follow when using them. As you have seen from Lee's fight, they can be deadly, both to the person you're fighting and to yourself."
Naruto was shocked by this—learning about the Eight Gates was both frightening and exciting. He had seen how powerful Lee was with the gates open and knew that if he could learn it, he could become much more powerful too. He saw this as a way to prove his path and strength. "Of course, I can't wait, sensei. That sounds perfect!"
Naruto and Guy continued their run around the village for the usual three miles before ending up at the training ground. Naruto began his routine, doing as many push-ups as possible, pushing hard but saving some energy for the other exercises. He wanted to get good scores on everything, not just exhaust himself at the start.
He finished his push-ups and moved on to sit-ups, then to punches and kicks, focusing on doing everything correctly rather than quickly. He knew it was better to be accurate and steady, ensuring each move was done right, rather than rushing and performing poorly. This approach was a shift from his earlier training, where he aimed to hit records at the expense of form and efficiency. Now, he was more concerned with improving his technique and measuring himself against his past performance.
As he finished his last punches, he looked up at Guy, breathing hard but feeling accomplished. He grabbed his knees, catching his breath after maintaining a steady, intense pace throughout the workout.
"That was a good example of youthful determination. You're doing much better, my youthful student," Guy said, smiling proudly. "Push-ups: 1,156, sit-ups: 1,014, punches: 1,119, and kicks: 1,087. I knew you could do it, and now you can see how far you've come from three weeks ago when we started this training."
Naruto grinned, feeling a mix of pride and exhaustion. "Thanks, Guy-sensei. I can feel the difference, and I'm ready for whatever comes next."
"Excellent! Now that we have established your progress, it's time to move on to the next phase of our training," Guy said. "We'll start incorporating more advanced techniques and work on refining your Eight Gates. This will be challenging, but I know you're ready for it."
"Yes, of course, Guy-sensei, what do I need to do, cause whatever it is, I am going to do it," Naruto declared with a lot of energy in his tone as he looked at Guy. He knew that this was his way of getting strong and improving himself enough to stand up to anyone.
"Naruto, first and foremost, you must understand when you can use this technique. This is not something you can use in any fight," Guy said firmly, looking his student in the eyes. "This move is for those moments when others are depending on you, when you are protecting what is most important. It is not a move to show off or make yourself look good. Understood?"
Naruto nodded, taking in the seriousness of Guy's words. He knew his sensei meant every word based on his tone and intense gaze. "I won't, I promise. This is for protecting my friends and those who matter to me. For saving lives, right?"
Guy nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Exactly, Naruto. The Eight Gates technique is incredibly powerful but also dangerous. It's a double-edged sword that can harm you as much as it helps. Use it wisely and only when absolutely necessary."
Naruto grinned, his determination shining through. "Got it, Guy-sensei! I'll use it to protect my friends and the village. I'll train hard to make sure I'm ready when the time comes."
Guy gave Naruto a thumbs up, feeling proud of his student's resolve. "That's the spirit, Naruto! Now, let's begin with the basics. We'll start with understanding the first gate and work our way up. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Steady progress is the key."
"I understand, I will do everything to at least master the first gate before the end of the week. You have my word, believe it," Naruto said, giving his own thumbs up with a huge grin on his face.
Seeing that grin and the thumbs up, Guy could once again see the youthful energy of Naruto. He could see so much potential in the boy and wanted to help make it a reality. He wanted to help Naruto become the greatest Hokage ever, or at least play a part in his development towards that goal.
"Alright, we will start with working towards opening the first gate, the Gate of Opening," Guy said, focused on Naruto.
Guy began explaining the concept of the Eight Gates. "The Eight Gates are eight specific points on the chakra pathway system which limit the flow of chakra within an individual's body. By opening these gates, you can surpass your physical limits temporarily. The first gate, the Gate of Opening, is located in the brain and removes the restraints of the brain on the muscles, allowing you to use 100% of their strength."
Naruto nodded and then he started his training to open the Gate of Opening. It was not easy, and Naruto had to push a lot of focus on the training. Yet, he spent the whole rest of the day working on that, except for a single hour when he worked on the summoning jutsu. Things went slowly in both for most of the rest of the week until Thursday.
That day, Naruto was training up in the wilderness near a waterfall with Jiraiya. Naruto was standing before Jiraiya as he tried again to use the summoning jutsu. "Jiraiya-sensei, I know that I can't figure this out. It seems that I just can't do it. I can't get this," Naruto said, more than a bit annoyed at the situation and having failed to figure it out.
"It seems you need to be pushed into learning this," Jiraiya said as he noticed the cliff Naruto was near.
Jiraiya walked up and pushed Naruto off said cliff before he could even react. Naruto panicked and closed his eyes. He could feel his chakra swirling around him. He then did the hand seals quickly but also unknowingly opened the first gate at the same time in an attempt to save his own life as he fell. His heart was beating quickly. Luckily, as Jiraiya was counting on, he summoned a great toad which caught him and then bounced back off it with the strength he had gotten from opening the first gate.
Landing, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Hey, that wasn't cool, Ero-sensei! I could have been seriously hurt or worse if that hadn't gone right."
Jiraiya smirked, clearly pleased with the outcome. "But it did go right, didn't it? You needed that push, Naruto. Sometimes, we have to face extreme situations to unlock our true potential. Remember that."
Naruto huffed but couldn't argue with the results. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make a habit of pushing me off cliffs, okay?"
Jiraiya chuckled. "No promises, kid. Now, let's get back to training. You've made good progress today."
The next day, when Naruto returned to training with Guy, he opened the first gate. As he did so, he felt a surge of energy and his body moved far faster for a brief period before the effects wore off. He experienced the blowback of the move, but his body, far more resilient due to being a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, handled it better than most would.
"See, what do you think, Guy-sensei? Do you think I might be able to learn the second gate if I push it before the start of the fight against Neji?" Naruto asked, curious and determined. "I think I can. If I can get the first one down, the next one can't be that much harder. Figuring it out in a handful of days shouldn't be impossible."
Guy looked at Naruto with a mixture of pride and caution. "Naruto, your progress is remarkable, and your determination is inspiring. However, the Eight Gates are not just about physical capability but also about mental and emotional readiness. The second gate, the Gate of Healing, is more dangerous and taxing on the body. It will increase your strength further, but the risks are higher."
Naruto nodded, understanding the seriousness in Guy's tone. "I get it, Guy-sensei. I'll be careful. I just want to do everything I can to win against Neji and prove myself."
Guy smiled warmly. "Your resolve is strong, Naruto, and that is the essence of youthful spirit. We will work on the second gate, but remember, it's not about rushing. Mastery comes with time, patience, and practice. Let's start with reinforcing your control over the first gate before moving on to the second."
Naruto grinned, feeling more determined than ever. "Got it, Sensei. I'm ready to work hard and master this."
The rest of the time Naruto had to train passed quickly as Naruto, Guy, and Jiraiya worked hard to prepare Naruto as best as they could. The training gradually became about more than just the fight against Neji. It was about molding Naruto into the best possible ninja and person he could be. Despite his two teachers each having their own personal quirks, they became increasingly important to the blonde ninja.
In turn, Naruto became very important to them as well. Guy and Jiraiya both admired Naruto as they saw the markings of greatness within him. His natural charisma brought out the best in others, a unique and special power that both mentors wanted to see grow and reach its apex in time.
The night before the finals, the three of them gathered to have dinner together—ramen, of course, as per usual. After a month of training, Naruto had also grown fond of curry and had even ventured into trying spicy curry. As they sat around the table, Naruto felt a deep sense of gratitude.
"Guy-Sensei, Ero-Sensei, thank you, both of you, for all your help," Naruto declared with a sincere and honest tone. "I know that without your help, I would have been in serious trouble, and there would be no way I could have stood a chance tomorrow, and without your help. I wouldn't have even been strong enough to find my way forward to becoming strong enough to protect what matters to me. I owe you both a great deal. Believe it."
Guy smiled, giving Naruto a thumbs up. "Nonsense Naruto, the power of youth was in you all along, your youthful determination, your never give up attitude, were there from the start. You're a great kid to begin with, we only helped you along the way, taking a beautiful natural time and polishing it a bit more so it shined for others to see more clearly. Now remember to keep up this hard work and know that we both will be here for you to help you, Naruto."."
Jiraiya nodded, a proud look in his eyes. "As Guy-san, said so well, you have great potential Naruto. You can be a great hero and help so many with your example. Continue to believe in your path, and I know you will achieve your dreams and you will be the greatest Hokage ever. I'm glad I got to see you like this so I could tease you in the future about it."
Naruto grinned, feeling a warmth in his chest. "I won't let you down. I'll do my best tomorrow and every day after that. I'll show everyone what I'm made of."
