Naruto woke up the next morning with a groan that sounded less human and more like a dying animal.
His entire body felt like it had been put through a blender and then stapled back together. Muscles he didn't even know he had were screaming at him.
He tried to roll over—and instantly regretted it.
"Fuuuck..." he hissed, biting back tears as pain shot through his spine and legs.
Then he realized something.
The weights were still on him.
The heavy arm bands, the ankle bands, the vest, the waist band... all of it, still strapped tight like some medieval torture device.
'Bro... are you serious...' Naruto thought, his face buried in his pillow.
He wanted to cry, but somehow crying felt like too much effort right now.
Naruto struggled to sit up. It took several minutes of grunting, sweating, and sheer stubborn willpower to even get to the edge of his bed.
He sat there hunched over, breathing heavily, sweat already dripping from his forehead just from sitting up.
'I'm gonna die. I'm actually gonna die from training,' he thought.
But despite everything—the aches, the nausea, the crushing weight—he couldn't help but grin.
Because deep down... he felt stronger.
Just a little.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
And that was enough.
Naruto forced himself onto his feet, legs shaking violently under the crushing pressure. He stumbled toward the bathroom like a zombie, taking the slowest, most painful shower of his life.
Afterward, he put on fresh clothes—because hell if he was going to train smelling like a corpse—and grabbed a quick breakfast (which he almost threw up again just looking at it).
Then, with pure stubbornness in his veins, he limped his way out the door to meet Gai-sensei and Rock Lee for Day Two of hell.
'Let's see if I can survive today without puking,' Naruto thought grimly as he made his way toward the training grounds.
When Naruto finally made it to the training grounds, he found Gai-sensei and Lee already warming up—doing one-finger handstand push-ups like absolute monsters.
"Ah! Naruto! The youthful flame in your heart still burns brightly, I see!" Gai called out, his teeth sparkling in the early morning sun.
Naruto barely managed a nod, still wobbling under the crushing weight strapped to his body.
"Today's training," Gai announced with a booming voice, "will be a refreshing, spirit-forging run—around the entire village!"
Naruto's eye twitched.
'Refreshing my ass,' he thought bitterly.
"And no shortcuts!" Gai added, pointing at him dramatically. "We will be running along the village wall, across the market streets, through the training fields, and around the Hokage Monument! A true tour of Youth!!"
Naruto just grunted. At this point, arguing felt like it would cost too much energy.
They started.
Within the first minute, Naruto realized something important.
He couldn't feel his legs.
Every step was a jarring, miserable struggle. Each stride made the weights dig into his skin, his muscles screaming in protest. The vest pulled on his shoulders like he was carrying a boulder strapped to his soul.
Ten minutes in, Naruto was already sweating buckets, stumbling along like a drunk, while Gai and Lee jogged ahead like it was a casual morning stroll.
He kept pushing.
Half an hour later, Naruto vomited violently into a bush.
Gai gave him a thumbs-up from a distance. "Good job, Naruto! Vomiting is a sign of effort! True youth!!"
Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, cursing every god he could think of, and stumbled back into the run.
Passersby started to notice.
Some civilians laughed at him. Some ninjas gave him pitying glances. A few kids pointed and snickered.
Naruto didn't care.
He gritted his teeth and kept running. Even when his lungs burned. Even when his legs felt like they were about to snap in half.
He ran past Ichiraku Ramen.
Past the Hokage Tower.
Past the training grounds.
When he finally, finally made it back to the starting point, he collapsed face-first into the dirt, arms sprawled out, chest heaving.
Lee stood over him, flashing a thumbs-up. "You did great, Naruto-kun! True perseverance!"
Naruto could only groan in response, feeling like his soul was trying to leave his body.
Gai knelt beside him, grinning. "Rest well, my student! Tomorrow, we begin actual Taijutsu drills!"
Naruto let out a faint, broken laugh.
'I'm gonna fucking die...' he thought, smiling anyway.
Because even through the pain, even through the humiliation—
He was getting stronger.
....
After the brutal training, Naruto stumbled home like a zombie. He peeled off the sweat-soaked training gear, took a long, steaming bath until his muscles stopped twitching, then whipped up a quick but balanced breakfast—eggs, rice, and some grilled fish.
After eating, he got dressed for school...
Still wearing the weights.
Luckily, the weights were slim enough to be hidden under his clothes. The vest fit snugly beneath his jacket, and the bands around his arms, ankles, and waist were tucked away, invisible to anyone not paying close attention.
'Pain is temporary,' he thought, 'but badassery is forever.'
When he arrived at the Academy, Iruka-sensei spotted him immediately.
Naruto didn't even have time to sit down before Iruka's voice boomed across the classroom.
"NARUTO!!"
Naruto winced. 'Here we go...'
Iruka stormed over, his forehead vein practically throbbing.
"First, you're two minutes late! Second, what was that yesterday?!" Iruka barked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You nearly hospitalized Kiba! Are you trying to get expelled before you even graduate?!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh... sorry, Iruka-sensei. Got a little carried away," he said with a guilty grin.
"A little?! You flicked him across the field like a cannonball! How the hell did you even do that!?"
Some of the students snickered quietly behind their hands, but Iruka wasn't laughing.
"And another thing—" Iruka paused mid-rant, squinting slightly.
"...Is it just me, or are you walking funny?"
Naruto stiffened.
"Uh, just sore from extra training, sensei!" he said quickly, flashing a peace sign. "Gotta push yourself to be the best, right?"
Iruka narrowed his eyes suspiciously but decided to let it slide... for now.
"Just get to your seat," he grumbled.
' Naruto's getting stronger, I'm not gonna act like I'm not proud, he practically aced last weeks test and here he is. ' Iruka thought.
Naruto shuffled off and plopped into the seat beside Hinata, feeling the extra weight pulling at every muscle. But he wasn't bothered. Not in the least.
'Man, I should visit the Hokage soon,' he thought, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk.
"Naruto-kun," a soft voice whispered beside him.
Naruto turned, instantly brightening when he saw Hinata looking at him with wide, worried eyes.
"What's up, Hinata?" he asked.
"O-oh, nothing... you're just... um, quiet today," she said, her face tinting a delicate shade of pink.
Naruto scratched his cheek. "Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about something."
Hinata smiled shyly. "O-okay... How was your morning?"
Naruto chuckled dryly. "It was something, alright. I was training with Gai-sensei. It was an experience... one I wouldn't wish on anyone," he said with a lopsided grin. "What about you? How's your training been, Hinata?"
Hinata's smile faltered. She lowered her gaze, fiddling with the hem of her sleeves.
"I-I'm not that good," she admitted, voice barely above a whisper.
Naruto frowned. 'Man, she's really hard on herself,' he thought.
"Come on, that can't be true," he said, leaning in slightly. "Actually, wait... I have an idea! I really wanna see how strong you are. Why don't we train together for a while? I need a sparring partner anyway."
Hinata's head snapped up, her lavender eyes wide in surprise.
She stared at him, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.
'I want to get closer to Naruto-kun... but I'm not confident enough...'
Being born into the prestigious Hyūga Clan, Hinata had always felt the crushing weight of expectations. She was supposed to be strong, composed, the perfect heir. But her natural timidity and anxiety always held her back. She hated how weak she felt compared to her younger sister... to the other prodigies.
Naruto, meanwhile, knew her struggles well enough. He saw her. Not as a failure—but as someone with immense potential waiting to bloom.
And maybe, just maybe, if he gave her the push she needed, she could start believing it herself.
Hinata's hands clenched into little fists on her lap.
"I... I would like that," she said, her voice barely shaking.
Naruto grinned brightly.
"Awesome! Let's do it after class!"
Hinata nodded, her cheeks pink but her eyes burning just a little brighter.
As Naruto leaned back in his chair, a little proud of himself, he thought:
'Alright... time skip time.'
TO BE CONTINUED