Two years. Two long years eked out within the worn walls of the Konoha Orphanage. Measured not in seasons changing outside the grimy windows, but in the slow, painstaking crawl of proficiency percentages and the gradual, almost imperceptible increase in Ren's minuscule chakra pool. Life for the other orphans was a blur of simple chores, bland food, playground squabbles, and the shared comfort of huddling together against the cold nights. For Ren, it was a crucible disguised as monotony.
Gamer's Mind was a powerful shield against the soul-crushing boredom and the gnawing isolation. It allowed him to observe the passage of time with clinical detachment, cataloging the development of his peers, the predictable routines of the matron, the subtle shifts in the village atmosphere. But beneath that enforced calm, a part of him, the reincarnated soul, remembered a different life, felt the phantom ache of connections long severed. It fueled a desperate, relentless drive – a need to grow strong enough to control his own fate in this dangerously familiar new world.
Every stolen moment became a training ground. Behind the dusty woodpile, where the smell of damp earth mingled with decaying logs, he practiced. The Leaf Concentration exercise was his first and most constant companion. He'd press the rough leaf to his forehead, close his eyes, and reach for that elusive inner warmth, coaxing it, pleading with it, to obey.
Feel it… a tiny ember… guide it… gently… don't force it… hold…
For weeks, nothing. The leaf would flutter uselessly to the ground the moment he lost focus. His CP pool, initially just 15 points, felt insultingly small, draining after only a few minutes of intense concentration. Frustration would have crippled anyone else, but Gamer's Mind merely cataloged the failures as data points. Attempt #147: Failed due to external distraction (Shouting match nearby). Attempt #148: Failed due to CP depletion.
Then, one quiet afternoon, leaning against the splintered fence bordering the pathetic orphanage garden, it happened. A tiny thread of warmth, finer than spun silk, extended from within, touched the leaf… and held. Just for a second. But the blue screen flashed a reward.
[[Leaf Concentration Practice] Proficiency Increased: 0.53%]
A genuine, fierce grin split Ren's face then, startlingly out of place on his usually impassive features. It wasn't just possible; it was quantifiable. The grind intensified. He held the leaf while walking slowly through the corridors, during tedious laundry folding, even tracing its outline mentally during the matron's repetitive moral lessons.
Progress was agonizingly slow, measured in fractions of a percentage. But it was progress. Weeks turned into months. He managed to make a small pebble hover for a heart-stopping instant, a crude application of raw chakra – no actual Jutsu, just sheer will and focused energy.
[Minor Feat Achieved: Rudimentary Telekinesis (Pebble)! +10 EXP!]
The notification was another surge of vindication. Meanwhile, Observe became his second focus. The 1 CP cost was a harsh limiter, forcing him to be selective. He observed passing Chunin, noting their casual speed and the alert way they scanned their surroundings. He observed merchants in the nearby market streets, learning to pick up subtle tells, assessing the quality of wares displayed (Observe: [Storage Scroll (Low Quality, Faded Ink)]), gathering mundane data that might one day be useful. Every use nudged the skill's proficiency upward, a tiny investment towards future intelligence gathering.
Two years forged Ren into something… contained. A quiet, watchful eight-year-old boy with eyes that seemed too old, too analytical. The orphanage matron, Emi, sometimes looked at him with a mixture of concern and confusion, but his outward behavior was never disruptive, merely solitary and focused.
Finally, after countless hours of meditation and leaf-sticking that would have driven any normal child mad, the System chimed with the sound of true success.
[[Leaf Concentration Practice] Proficiency Reached: 100%!]
[Skill Seed Merged!]
[New Skill Acquired: [Basic Chakra Control] Lv. 1 (0.0%)]
- Effect: Allows rudimentary manipulation of internal Chakra.
- Current Abilities: Leaf Adhesion, Basic Chakra Channeling (internal).
- Cost: Passive upkeep negligible, active use varies.
[[Basic Chakra Control] automatically unlocked due to mastery of prerequisites!]
[Base CP Increased by 10!]
[New CP: 25/25]
He felt it instantly – not just a flicker anymore, but a small, distinct pool of controllable energy within him. Warm, responsive. It felt right. This was the foundation upon which everything else would be built. The System promptly presented the next steps.
[New Skill Seeds Detected:]
[Tree Walking Preparation]: Requires [Basic Chakra Control] Lv. 5. Focus chakra to soles of feet for adhesion.
[Water Walking Preparation]: Requires [Basic Chakra Control] Lv. 10. Emit constant stream of chakra from soles.
[Observe Enhancement Training]: Use [Observe] on diverse targets to gain proficiency.
He spent the remaining time leading up to the Academy entrance exams diligently grinding Basic Chakra Control and Observe. By the time the exam day arrived, his status reflected the fruits of his silent labor.
[Name: Ren]
[Title: Orphan]
[Level: 3]
[HP: 70/70]
[CP: 65/65 (Regen: 1.5/min)]
[Skills:]
- Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX
- Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv. MAX
- Observe (Active) Lv. 3 (Reveals basic stats, names, titles, occasionally 1 general thought/emotion)
- Basic Language Comprehension (Konoha Dialect) (Passive) Lv. MAX
- Basic Chakra Control (Active/Passive) Lv. 6 (Unlocked Tree Walking prep, slightly improved channeling efficiency)
[Skill Seeds:] (Tree Walking available, Water Walking needs Lv. 10)
[EXP: 150 / 300 (To Lv. 4)]
[Skill Points (SP): 0]
Exam day dawned bright and clear. A nervous energy permeated the air around the Academy grounds. Children Ren's age buzzed with excitement and anxiety, their parents fussing over meticulously tied headbands or offering last-minute words of encouragement. Ren stood slightly apart, a small, quiet figure in his plain orphanage clothes. Gamer's Mind kept him steady, but he couldn't entirely suppress the echo of his past life – the memory of exams, the pressure, the parental support he lacked here. He saw a proud father adjust his son's collar nearby, whispering encouragement. Observe: Father - Emotion: Overwhelming Pride. Son - Emotion: Nervous Determination. A pang resonated, quickly smoothed over by the System's passive effect.
"Ren! Good luck out there," Emi, the orphanage matron, called from the designated guardian area. Her smile was tight with worry, but her eyes held genuine hope for one of her charges. Ren offered a small, rare nod in return. "Thank you, Emi-san."
The tests began. The written portion was laughably easy. Questions about village history, basic ninja principles – knowledge his reincarnated mind held alongside the System's language comprehension made it trivial. He finished quickly, double-checking answers out of ingrained habit rather than necessity.
The physical assessment followed. Push-ups until failure, timed laps around the training field. Here, Gamer's Body shone in a subtle way. His raw strength (STR) was average, maybe slightly below some of the more robust clan children, but the System's pain negation and rapid fatigue recovery were key. While others slowed, gasping, Ren maintained a steady pace, his body registering exertion merely as data – [Stamina Depleting: Moderate], [Muscle Strain: Minor] – without the crippling burn or ache. He passed comfortably, though not spectacularly.
Finally, the most crucial part: the chakra demonstration. One by one, students were called before a panel of stern-faced Chunin and Jonin examiners. The air crackled with tension. Ren watched impassively as some children failed entirely, unable to coax even a flicker of energy. Others produced barely visible shimmers. A few clan heirs demonstrated noticeably better potential.
Then came Naruto Uzumaki, a whirlwind of orange and unfocused energy. "Alright! Believe it! I'm gonna ace this!" he declared loudly.
Observe: Naruto Uzumaki. Level: ??? HP: ??? CP: ??? (Abnormally High / Poorly Controlled). Thoughts: Gotta pass! Hokage! Yeah! Why's that grumpy Uchiha looking so smug?
He slammed his hands together, pouring raw, untamed power into the leaf. It practically vibrated before briefly sticking with sheer, messy force, then flopping off. Examiners exchanged glances. A sigh was heard. "Barely sufficient power, Uzumaki. Control… nonexistent. Next!" Naruto looked crestfallen for a second, then puffed his chest out again.
Next, Sasuke Uchiha. Calm, collected, radiating quiet confidence. Observe: Sasuke Uchiha. Level: ??? HP: ??? CP: ??? (High Potential / Refined). Skills: Basic Chakra Control (Adept - Observed Efficiency 85%). Thoughts: … (Stillness. Utter concentration on the task. Contempt for Uzumaki's clumsiness.)
He picked up the leaf, and with an elegance that spoke of innate talent and rigorous training, pressed it to his forehead. It stuck instantly, perfectly still, without a single wasted flicker of energy. Murmurs of appreciation rippled through the parents. "Effortless control. Pass," an examiner stated flatly. Sasuke gave a barely perceptible nod and walked off.
"Ren!"
His name was called. Taking a quiet breath, Ren walked forward. He felt the weight of eyes on him – examiners assessing, parents comparing, other kids watching. He focused inward, drawing on the familiar, now comforting warmth of his chakra. He didn't possess Naruto's raw power or Sasuke's refined lineage. He had only control, hard-won through two years of obsessive grinding.
He gently picked up a leaf, feeling its delicate veins beneath his fingertips. Placing it against his skin, he coaxed the energy, not forcing it, but guiding it into a fine, unwavering thread. The chakra flowed, pinning the leaf securely. Basic Chakra Control Lv. 6. No flash, no drama. Just quiet competence. He could feel the examiners' scrutiny, could almost hear their thoughts even without actively Observing. Orphan? Decent control. No wasted energy.
He held it steady for the required ten seconds, the leaf as motionless as if glued. Then, with equal control, he retracted the chakra flow smoothly, letting the leaf drift gently to the floor.
"Hmph. Control is adequate. Pass," the lead Chunin examiner announced, marking his clipboard. Another Jonin examiner beside him Observed with slightly more interest. [Examiner 2 (Jonin): Thoughts: Unexpectedly clean technique for a civilian orphan. Very efficient pathway. Keep an eye on this one.]
Relief didn't flood Ren; Gamer's Mind kept that muted. Instead, a profound sense of satisfaction settled within him as the System notification chimed, a private fanfare only he could hear.
[Objective Complete: Enter the Konoha Ninja Academy!]
[Reward: 500 EXP, 1 Skill Point, Basic Academy Starter Kit (Added to Inventory)]
[Level Up! Level 3 -> 4!]
[HP +10, CP +15. Regen +0.5/min. Status Points + 5 (Assignable)]
Status Points to allocate. A Skill Point, precious and versatile. A tangible reward for clearing the first major hurdle. He now had access to resources – tangible items in his inventory and, more importantly, the structured training of the Academy itself.
He stepped back, deliberately fading into the throng of relieved or disappointed children and their guardians. He overheard snippets – excited chatter about joining clans, crestfallen whimpers consoled by parents. He filed it all away. His path was different. Solitary. Guided by a blue screen and memories of a future he was determined to rewrite. The Academy was just the next training ground. The real game was only just beginning.