"Guy-sensei, don't do this. Please, get up."
Naruto stared down at his sensei, completely stunned. Guy had actually dropped to his knees, hands clasped together in supplication, tears and snot streaming down his bruised face. The sight was so pathetic that Naruto immediately grabbed Guy's shoulders and pulled him upright.
"Sensei, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Naruto's brow furrowed with genuine concern. This wasn't like his passionate, energetic sensei at all. The Guy he knew would never say such defeatist things. Something terrible must have happened. "Did you encounter some kind of difficulty?"
Looking at Guy's tear-streaked face, Naruto suddenly remembered his own dark times before the System appeared. Back then, he'd been in an equally desperate situation. But he'd overcome it through sheer determination.
In Naruto's view, there were no obstacles in life that couldn't be conquered.
He clenched his fists and thrust them upward in an encouraging gesture, flashing Guy a brilliant smile. "Guy-sensei, don't be afraid when you encounter difficulties! Face them with a smile! The way to eliminate fear is to face fear head-on!"
Guy wanted to scream.
Naruto, you ARE my difficulty!
The thought made fresh tears spill down his cheeks. When this had started five days ago, he'd been thrilled. He'd thought he'd finally found his youth, someone who truly understood the beauty of taijutsu. Those first few hours sparring with Naruto had been glorious.
But then he'd slowly realized the horrifying truth.
Naruto never got tired. Not ever. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, he was ready to "discuss" techniques. When Guy tried to eat, Naruto wanted to spar. When Guy went to the bathroom, Naruto was there, waiting outside, asking about another round. When Guy finally collapsed into bed, barely conscious, Naruto would appear at his window for "just one more match."
Guy hadn't closed his eyes in five days. Dark circles hung beneath his swollen eyelids like bruised crescents, though the rest of his facial injuries covered them well enough. His body screamed for rest. His mind begged for mercy. Every muscle fiber in his body felt like it had been wrung out and beaten with a stick.
Getting pummeled in every single sparring session? That wasn't youth! That was torture!
And Guy wasn't some fresh-faced kid anymore, full of endless energy like Naruto. He was a grown man who needed sleep, food, and occasionally, just occasionally, to not be punched in the face.
"Naruto, please," Guy's voice cracked as he grabbed Naruto's shoulders. "Let the sensei rest for one day. Just one. I can't... I can't stand it anymore."
Naruto's expression immediately shifted to disapproval. "Mr. Guy, don't forget: youth means never giving up and never stopping! How can you say such negative words? That's not what you taught me!"
"Waaahhh..." Guy couldn't hold back anymore. Fresh sobs burst from his chest.
"Guy-sensei, let's eat some noodles." Naruto patted Guy's back with what he probably thought was a comforting touch but felt more like being slapped by a steel beam. "We can have another match after we eat."
Desperation sparked in Guy's mind. "Naruto!" He lifted his head suddenly, an idea forming through the fog of exhaustion. "Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. He's my student, actually. A true martial arts expert who loves youth just as much as you do!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, guilt stabbed through Guy's chest.
Lee, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But I have no choice.
"Oh?" Naruto's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Really? That sounds great, Guy-sensei! Let's go right after we eat!"
Relief flooded through Guy's battered body. Naruto was finally letting him go. The plan was perfect: eat noodles, introduce Lee as a training partner, then go home and sleep for approximately three days straight.
"Here are your noodles. Please enjoy." The server placed a steaming bowl in front of Naruto.
The yellow curry udon gleamed under the restaurant's warm lighting. Naruto picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and his eyes widened in delight. "Wow, Guy-sensei! This is incredible! No wonder you were moved to tears eating it!"
Guy barely registered Naruto's words. He shoveled noodles into his mouth mechanically, his mind already dreaming of his soft bed and closed curtains.
After paying the bill, Guy stood slowly. "Naruto, you head to the training grounds in the western forest first. I'll go find my student and bring him to meet you."
"Sure thing, Guy-sensei!" Naruto waved enthusiastically as they parted ways outside the restaurant.
Guy didn't wave back. He simply turned and shuffled away, his posture hunched and defeated, looking like a man walking toward his own execution.
Guy found Lee at his usual training spot, a clearing in the forest where the young ninja ran endless laps around a well-worn dirt path.
Watching his student's determined form, Guy felt another pang of guilt. Lee was his most admired student, the one who resembled him the most, who embodied everything Guy taught about youth and perseverance. He'd taken Lee under his wing years ago after witnessing the other academy students mock him for his inability to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. They'd thrown stones, called him a failure, said he'd never be a real ninja.
Guy had approached that crying boy and told him the truth: you could become strong without ninjutsu or illusion techniques. From that day forward, Lee had walked the path of pure taijutsu, working ten times harder than anyone else, waking before dawn every morning, training until his body gave out.
Lee believed that hard work could overcome any talent gap. Guy had taught him that youth meant standing up wherever you fell. That youth never accepted defeat.
And now Guy was about to throw his precious student to Naruto like a sacrificial offering.
"Sensei! You're here!" Lee spotted Guy and called out without breaking stride. "Wait for me! Just three more laps!"
Guy nodded silently, unable to meet his student's eyes.
After completing his final lap, Lee jogged up, his face flushed with exertion and covered in sweat. "I'm done, Sensei!"
Guy placed a heavy hand on Lee's shoulder. "That's right, Lee. Youth is sweat and determination."
Lee tilted his head, squinting at Guy's face. "Sensei... what happened to you? Your face is..." He leaned closer, eyes widening. "Did someone beat you up? I almost didn't recognize you!"
"Don't worry about these trivial details." Guy waved dismissively, forcing his voice to sound upbeat. "Lee, today I'm taking you to experience true youth!"
Lee, don't blame me. I'm doing this for your own good, Guy thought desperately. You need to understand what real youth feels like. And I need to sleep before I die.
"Really? That's incredible!" Lee's face split into a massive grin. His round eyes sparkled with excitement. "Guy-sensei wants to take me to experience youth!"
"Lee, don't go."
The new voice came from above. A figure dropped gracefully from the thick branches of a nearby tree, landing in a crouch before rising to his full height.
Hyūga Neji stood there, his long dark hair falling past his shoulders, his pale Byakugan eyes taking in the scene with immediate understanding. He'd been resting in that tree while Lee trained below, as he often did. When Guy had arrived, Neji had recognized the distinctive pattern of bruising on his face instantly.
He'd seen that exact same swelling, those precise angles of impact, that specific arrangement of purple and black marks before. On his own face. In the mirror. After becoming Naruto's "friend."
While Neji grudgingly admired Naruto's strength, he couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for anyone else who had to endure "the process." According to his sister Hinata, Naruto had been searching for him for days now, saying he wanted to "nurture their relationship."
Neji knew exactly what that meant: another beating disguised as bonding.
When he'd heard Guy mention taking Lee to "experience youth," Neji's sharp mind had immediately connected the dots. Guy was trying to sacrifice Lee as a substitute, throwing the boy at Naruto to buy himself some peace.
So Neji had intervened.
"Sensei." Neji gave a respectful nod to Guy.
"Ah, Neji! You're here too." Guy's expression flickered with surprise, then quickly shifted to forced casualness. "But what do you mean by telling Lee not to go?"
"Yeah, Neji." Lee turned to his teammate, confusion written across his face. "What's wrong? Why shouldn't I experience youth with Guy-sensei?"
Neji opened his mouth to warn Lee about the horror that awaited him.