The next few years of Naruto's life fell into a new rhythm.
To the village of Konoha, they passed in peace. To Naruto Uzumaki, they passed in a grueling, two-front war. The first front was waged at dawn and dusk in the real world, a battle against his own physical limits. The second was waged in the quiet chambers of his mind, a battle for forbidden knowledge.
His life fell into a rhythm. Mornings were for Garp's "Fist of Love." The Academy was for playing the fool. Evenings were for mastering the Rokushiki.
It was on his ninth birthday that a new, vibrant green variable entered his life.
Naruto was on his third lap around the village, his breathing ragged but steady, his form crude but relentless.
"Run faster, brat!" Garp yelled in his head. "You're running like a constipated duck!!"
"SHUT UP, I'M TRYING!" Naruto yelled aloud to the empty street.
"SUCH YOUTHFUL VIGOR!" a voice, somehow even louder than Garp's, boomed from behind him.
Naruto yelped and stumbled, catching himself before he fell. He turned to see a man in a garish green jumpsuit, with a shiny bowl haircut and eyebrows so thick they seemed to have a life of their own. He was giving Naruto a blindingly white smile and a thumbs-up.
"TO PUSH YOURSELF SO HARD AT DAWN! YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN AS BRIGHTLY AS THE RISING SUN!" the man declared.
Naruto stared, utterly bewildered. "Careful, brat," Garp's voice was a low growl of caution in his mind. "This one is… shiny. And impossibly loud. Do not show him anything."
The man, Might Gai, jogged in place. "Your spirit is magnificent! But your form is wasting precious energy! Your hips sway, your arms flail! A warrior must be efficient!" In a fluid motion, Gai demonstrated a perfect running form. "Observe! Back straight, arms pumping, breathing in time with your steps! This is the essence of a youthful run!"
Naruto, following Garp's silent approval ("Listen to him. Learning a proper public form is the perfect camouflage."), hesitantly copied the new posture. It felt strange, but almost immediately, he noticed his breathing evening out, the strain on his legs lessening.
"YES!" Gai cried, tears of joy streaming down his face. "A true genius of hard work! I am Might Gai, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey! If you wish to dedicate yourself to the beautiful art of Taijutsu, find me! We shall train together!" And with that, Gai sped off, disappearing over the horizon in a blur of green.
This was the beginning of Naruto's public training. Under Gai's mentorship, he learned proper stances, katas, and the basic striking style of the Strong Fist. It was the perfect cover story. His rapidly increasing physical fitness was no longer a total mystery; it was the result of his training with the eccentric "Green Beast."
A few months later, Gai introduced him to a boy a year older, with the same bowl cut and even bigger eyes. "Naruto-kun, this is my number one pupil, Rock Lee! He is a genius of effort, just like you!"
Lee bowed stiffly. "It is an honor to meet another who walks the noble path of Taijutsu!"
In Lee, Naruto found something he'd never had before: a friend. They became inseparable training buddies. Lee was in awe of Naruto's monstrous stamina and durability from Garp's secret training. Naruto was amazed by Lee's speed and technical skill from Gai's teaching. They would spar for hours, Lee's crisp, clean strikes against Naruto's raw, brawling power. They pushed each other, competed with each other, and for the first time, Naruto had a rival he respected and for Lee a friend who understood his sweat and determination. Gai even provided them both with his signature training weights, a "youthful" gift that Naruto secretly wore almost constantly, accelerating his private training with Garp to new heights.
Meanwhile, the second front of his war continued within his mind. The debates between Garp and Kurama became a regular occurrence, two ancient prisoners arguing philosophy over the head of their young warden. Garp's stories of human corruption and nobility slowly chipped away at the fox's absolute hatred, replacing it with a more nuanced, weary cynicism.
This paid off when Naruto was ten, and a resentful Academy instructor tried to sabotage his chakra control. It was Kurama who, in a gruff, annoyed huff, exposed the deception and pushed Naruto towards self-study in the library, refusing to have his "jailer be an imbecile." Naruto's intellectual growth began to match his physical growth.
Now, on the eve of his eleventh birthday, Naruto stood in his mindscape. He was a paradox. In public, he was the goofy, taijutsu-obsessed student of Might Gai. In private, he was the secret apprentice of a spectral Marine hero, his body honed by years of impossible conditioning and his mind privy to the secrets of the Rokushiki.
"Alright," Garp said, pacing. "Your public Taijutsu is a good cover. It's simple, direct. But it's nothing compared to the Six Powers. Show me Geppo."
Naruto took a deep breath. He focused, then kicked down against the "ground" of his mindscape. A compressed burst of air propelled him upwards. He kicked again, and again, taking six clumsy, powerful steps into the air before splashing back down into the water.
"Sloppy!" Garp barked, but there was a grin on his face. "But you're doing it. You're walking on the sky, brat."
Naruto looked over at the massive gate. The Kyuubi's giant eye was open, watching with a familiar, grumpy indifference that was far better than its old, burning hatred. He thought of Lee, and the weights strapped to his legs in the real world. He thought of Gai's blinding smile.
He was no longer just a lonely kid with a monster in his gut. He was a warrior with a secret. He had a teacher, a rival, and a family of two very loud, very old, and very grumpy ghosts. He was ready.