"Excellent!"
"One thousand laps around Konoha—running on your hands—complete!"
"As a reward, another thousand laps!"
Uzuki Yugao was walking hand in hand with Kusunoki Naraku, the two of them enjoying a sweet stroll through the village.
Then they saw a familiar figure approaching—running upside down.
Might Guy.
Still dressed in his unmistakable green jumpsuit, he was impossible to miss.
Such bizarre clothing and behavior no longer surprised anyone in Konohagakure.
After all, scenes like this appeared every so often.
As for why it was only "every so often"—naturally, it was because Might Guy frequently left the village on missions. As aJōnin of Konoha, he was constantly busy.
Despite knowing him well, Naraku really didn't want to greet Guy in his current state. It was embarrassing—especially since he was out shopping with Yugao.
Unfortunately, Guy didn't share that concern. The moment he spotted Naraku, he enthusiastically called out to him.
"Yo! Naraku!"
"…Guy."
Naraku raised a hand helplessly. "How's your body been lately—"
Guy, still inverted, immediately rushed closer and gave Naraku a thumbs-up. His bright white teeth flashed dramatically.
"Excellent!"
"Your medicine is incredible, Naraku!"
"Could you stand properly before talking to me?" Naraku said flatly, several black lines appearing on his face.
"I don't want to chat while staring at your crotch."
"No problem!"
With an exaggerated leap, Guy flipped through the air, struck a pose mid-flight, and landed upright.
"Looks good," Naraku nodded. "Just seeing how lively you are says it all."
"It's all thanks to you, Naraku!"
Guy tilted his head back at a dramatic forty-five-degree angle, eyes sparkling, tears streaming down his face—without forgetting to give Naraku a thumbs-up.
"Alright, alright. As long as you're fine."
"You keep training. I've got things to do."
Naraku really didn't want to stand around chatting with Guy on a crowded street.
"Understood!"
"I'll always support you two!"
Guy shook violently with emotion, somehow pulling out a flag from nowhere and waving it wildly.
Even Yugao was left speechless by the spectacle. She quickly grabbed Naraku and dragged him away.
Only after they were far from Guy did both of them let out a sigh of relief.
"Why is Guy-senpai so enthusiastic toward you?" Yugao asked.
The scene had been far too dramatic. Even though she wasn't close to Guy, she knew Naraku must have done something significant.
"I just helped him out a little," Naraku replied.
He didn't elaborate, and Yugao naturally didn't press further.
At this point, no one in the ninja world understood the true terror of the Eight Gates better than Naraku.
Early on, he had intended to learn the Eight Gates Technique from Guy. Guy was a remarkably pure person—if someone genuinely wanted to learn, he was willing to teach.
Unfortunately, Naraku's talent lay in the spiritual and mental realm, not physical conditioning. As a result, while he learned the technique, he could only open the First Gate—the Gate of Opening.
Thus, he had no choice but to give up on those legendary, battle-ending kicks.
However, Naraku hadn't simply benefited from Guy as a friend and comrade—he had helped him in return.
Naraku assisted Guy in refining the precious medicinal formulas required for extreme taijutsu training.
Why did Guy train relentlessly, year after year, to the point that it could only be described as brutal?
Because he needed to condition his body to withstand the terrifying burden imposed by opening the Eight Gates.
If the body wasn't trained to a sufficient level, forget unleashing power—simply opening the Gates would cause the body to collapse.
Due to his long-term training, Guy inevitably accumulated numerous internal injuries. Naturally, his family possessed traditional medicinal formulas to help restore fatigue and damage.
Naraku further improved those formulas, allowing Guy's heavily trained body to recover faster and more effectively after prolonged training.
To Guy, this was an enormous help.
That was why he was always deeply grateful to Naraku.
…
"The group that returned to ANBU from Root has indeed clustered together," Yugao said quietly.
"The squad led by 'Moon' and the squad led by 'Three'—both units are entirely composed of former Root operatives."
"Everyone knows they still secretly take orders from Danzō."
"But as long as they complete the missions assigned by Lord Hokage, Kakashi-senpai has never commented on it."
Coincidentally, those two Root-based squads had been placed under Naraku's command.
"I'm not Kakashi," Naraku muttered, looking down at the scroll in his hands.
The Root Word Destruction Seal really was troublesome to learn.
Yes—the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had ultimately entrusted the entire fūinjutsu to Naraku.
For now, however, Naraku didn't need to master the seal completely. Knowing how to解除 it was enough.
…
Konoha Medical Department.
Naraku studied the documents in his hand, deep in thought.
"Elders Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu have already gone to the hospital to visit several Fire Country nobles recuperating in the village."
"Kaguya Aoshi has just returned to the Medical Emergency Unit. He hasn't made any overt moves, but he's paying close attention to the flow of departmental funds. For now, he can't interfere."
"My lord, your intention is…?"
A medical-nin from the Medical Emergency Unit stood before Naraku, reporting on recent changes within the department.
This was already the fourth medical-nin to report to him.
Although Naraku's official managerial position had been revoked, he still had full control over everything happening behind the scenes.
"Alright. You may go."
"Have Kaguya Kabuto keep a close watch on Kaguya Aoshi."
"Yes!"
As the man left, Naraku began to analyze the situation.
"The two elders are still concerned about their connections with the Land of Fire. As for Kaguya Aoshi, he's probably trying to secure development funds for Root on Danzō's behalf."
For now, there was no immediate danger. With Kabuto keeping watch, nothing unexpected would happen.
Yes—Kaguya Kabuto was Naraku's subordinate.
Or rather, in this world, Kabuto had been personally cultivated by Naraku. All of Kabuto's medical ninjutsu had been learned directly from him.
Kabuto himself possessed exceptional talent in medical ninjutsu. Even knowing that Danzō and Orochimaru stood behind him, Naraku didn't particularly care.
As long as Kabuto completed the tasks assigned to him, his allegiance didn't matter.
And Kabuto hadn't disappointed him—he had been invaluable during Naraku's gradual control of the Medical Emergency Unit.
…
Land of Grass — a forest.
Dense trees blocked out the sunlight, casting the surroundings into shadow.
Somewhere within this forest lay a carefully concealed base.
Thud—
A dull sound echoed from underground.
Soon, a man with pale skin and slit, serpentine pupils emerged from a well-hidden entrance.
Orochimaru.
One of the Legendary Sannin, infamous throughout the ninja world.
He moved swiftly, leaving the area, only to return shortly afterward and re-enter the base.
"Hehehe…"
"Excellent. Truly excellent."
Cruel light flickered within Orochimaru's snake-like eyes. His pale face was filled with manic excitement.
"The condition of the test subject has improved significantly!"
He didn't spare even a glance at the lifeless experimental subject before him, instead obsessively reviewing the data in his hands.
Before long, his subordinates cleaned the disordered laboratory, dragging away the discarded body.
"What a pity…"
"I should have taken Naraku with me back then."
"Tsunade wasted that child's talent…"