After arriving at the back mountain and finding a suitable base, Naruto immediately threw himself into training.
He began with the exercises he could do almost anywhere: push-ups and sit-ups.
First, he found a large boulder and used it to do push-ups.
Just like before, he alternated between regular push-ups and one-handed push-ups, completing a set number with each.
Although the exercises themselves hadn’t changed, they had become much more difficult thanks to the sixty kilograms of weighted sandbags strapped to his body.
But the harder the training, the greater the rewards, so long as he persevered.
Especially now.
His bloodline had evolved beyond merely possessing Ashura’s chakra.
It had reached the level of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths himself.
That made every training session twice as effective.
Not only did he no longer need to worry about damaging his still-growing body, but after finishing each exercise, a short rest was enough for his stamina to recover completely.
Next came sit-ups.
This time, instead of doing them at home, Naruto hooked his legs around a sturdy tree branch and performed hanging sit-ups.
His upper body hung upside down before he repeatedly curled himself upward.
It was far more demanding than ordinary sit-ups.
The two ANBU hidden nearby were completely dumbfounded.
Back when Naruto trained at home, nobody had ever noticed.
And during his years in the hospital, he’d constantly kept his sensory ability active to avoid being discovered.
So this was the first time the ANBU had witnessed him secretly training.
They were both shocked and confused.
How could a three-year-old child already understand the importance of physical training?
And who had taught him?
They were even worried he might permanently damage his body.
Normally, children this young weren’t suited for such high-intensity training.
Their bones and muscles hadn’t fully developed yet.
If it were an ordinary child just wearing over sixty kilograms of weight would probably be enough to fracture their bones.
It could even stunt their growth.
But Naruto wasn’t an ordinary child.
Ashura’s chakra and his Ōtsutsuki-level bloodline completely eliminated those concerns.
Instead, the constant stimulation only made his body healthier and stronger.
After finishing his usual foundational exercises, Naruto began running through the nearby clearing and forest.
He started with a light jog before gradually increasing his speed.
This not only trained his leg strength and movement speed, but constantly weaving between the trees also sharpened his reflexes and dodging ability.
If one day he could sprint through a dense forest without colliding with a single tree…
Then his reaction speed in actual combat would undoubtedly be exceptional.
It was obvious he’d carefully planned out every aspect of his training.
Finally, he stopped in front of a tree.
He wasn’t training on a wooden dummy because he knew proper boxing.
Instead, he imagined the tree as an enemy.
His goal was simple.
When the day finally came to fight another person.
He wanted to make sure he wouldn’t hesitate to throw a punch.
And with weighted sandbags strapped to both arms, every strike also increased his strength.
As he repeated the motion over and over, even his punching form gradually became more natural.
Honestly training outdoors was far more effective than staying cooped up inside doing repetitive exercises.
Even the atmosphere felt completely different.
Before he realized it, an entire day had passed.
From the moment he arrived that morning until dusk.
He had trained without stopping.
Unlike ordinary children who quickly grew bored and wanted to play, Naruto never became impatient.
He barely rested the entire day.
What surprised even Naruto himself was that, despite training nonstop, he only felt slightly hungry rather than starving.
Still after exercising all day, he’d worked up quite a sweat.
Letting out a long breath, Naruto finally decided to stop.
He returned from the woods to the clearing.
Just as the two ANBU wondered what he planned to do next they watched him begin taking off his clothes.
One of the ANBU immediately turned her head away.
She had long flowing hair.
Apparently she was a woman.
Then she remembered that Naruto was only three years old.
Besides, she was on duty.
So she turned back.
The next second, she nearly gasped aloud.
Beneath Naruto’s small frame was an astonishingly well-trained physique.
His arms and legs were packed with muscle.
His abdomen displayed a clearly defined eight-pack.
Even the muscles across his back stood out in distinct layers.
It was the result of more than three years of relentless training.
Back then, he’d exercised because he had nothing else to do.
Now he willingly gave up the carefree life of an ordinary child and devoted even more time to becoming stronger.
No one ever became powerful without reason.
No one ever succeeded without effort. Get faster updates on g.com.
The brilliance people saw on stage was built upon years of unseen hard work behind the scenes.
Splash!
Naruto jumped straight into the stream.
The creek wasn’t very wide, but it was deep enough to reach an adult’s waist.
When he first entered, the water nearly swallowed him whole.
Fortunately, the current wasn’t particularly strong.
He quickly found his footing.
First, he washed the sweat from his body.
Then he took a deep breath and dove underwater.
His plan had always been to catch fish for dinner.
If he couldn’t catch any then he’d have to search the forest for wild fruit or edible plants instead.
Those would be his meals from now on.
Fortunately, luck was on his side.
Several fairly large fish were swimming nearby.
Curiously, they even drifted closer to him.
Naruto seized the opportunity.
His hand shot toward one of them.
But underwater resistance slowed his movement considerably.
The fish effortlessly dodged his grasp.
One even flicked its tail at him, as if mocking his clumsy attempt.
Naruto frowned, was he really going to get bullied by a fish?
Silently.
His blue eyes transformed into crimson.
Since he was underwater, he wasn’t worried about being seen.
He activated only his three-tomoe Sharingan, not the Mangekyō.
Immediately the flow of the water and every movement of the fish became crystal clear.
He adjusted his angle.
Timed his rhythm.
And the instant the opportunity appeared he struck again.
Splash.
This time, the resistance of the water no longer affected him.
His hand shot forward like a spear, piercing straight through the fish’s body.
He had caught tonight’s dinner.
A thoughtful expression appeared on Naruto’s face.
During that strike he had instinctively coated his hand with chakra.
Perhaps this was what made taijutsu truly powerful.