Naruto had long since noticed that the ANBU assigned to monitor him would vanish whenever he was at the Ninja Academy.
They probably saw no need to keep watch in such a heavily protected space—especially when his class was filled with heirs from the most prominent clans in the village. Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble there wouldn't even realize how they died.
But the moment Naruto stepped beyond the school gates, that familiar sense of being watched returned.
Activating his Kagura's Mind Eye, Naruto scanned the area.
Sure enough, the number of ANBU observers had been reduced from four to two. More importantly, the one who previously emitted clear hostility was gone—likely reassigned after concerns that they might act rashly toward him.
Naruto made his way to his usual training spot—a secluded clearing few people ever visited. It was an ideal place to train without interruption.
A small, crystal-clear stream trickled nearby, its bed visible through the transparent water, even revealing the fish hiding beneath the smooth pebbles.
Towering trees with dense foliage surrounded the area. On one side stood a massive rock wall, steep and imposing. While it might look treacherous to an ordinary person, for a shinobi, a cliff of several dozen meters was just another obstacle. Naruto often used it to practice climbing and to test the limits of his physical endurance.
Nearby, beside the largest tree trunks, several training posts stood—wooden stakes Naruto had set up himself. To an experienced shinobi, this setup might seem primitive. But for Naruto, these were the only resources available to him, and under the effect of his unique ability, they were more than enough.
Thanks to Heaven Rewards Diligence, Naruto's training efficiency far exceeded that of normal shinobi.
Even under ANBU surveillance, Naruto wasn't afraid to train openly. On the surface, he progressed like a gifted academy student—but in truth, his growth was far more monstrous than anyone suspected.
He walked over to the stakes and began his daily routine, delivering a flurry of kicks.
As his body moved, a familiar string of notifications echoed in his mind:
"Strength +2… Physical Power +1…"
"Body Conditioning +3… Strength +2…"
Naruto could feel it—his body growing stronger with each strike. The more he exerted himself, the more fatigue built in his muscles, and the more rewards he reaped through the Heaven Rewards Diligence system.
After finishing his Taijutsu drills, Naruto turned toward the cliff wall.
Scaling it without using chakra to cling to the surface was no small feat—especially for a six-year-old child.
But after countless repetitions, Naruto had reached a master-level proficiency in climbing techniques. What once took all his effort was now a warm-up.
As he ascended, the system chimed again:
"Climbing Skill +1… Strength +2… Constitution +1… Spirit +0.1…"
That's right—climbing not only improved his physical stats but also honed his spiritual energy. Perhaps it was the mental fortitude required to push through exhaustion, the singular focus needed to overcome the wall. Whatever the case, Naruto didn't question it.
Although the spiritual gains had lessened over time—as his mind became more accustomed to the training—it still accumulated steadily.
Every little bit matters, he thought.
Right now, just with Taijutsu alone, Naruto had already reached the level of an Elite Genin.
While he might not seem as dazzling as Kakashi Hatake had been at six years old, Naruto's overall growth outpaced Kakashi's at that age. After all, Kakashi had been personally trained by Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha, a man once considered stronger than the Sannin and even comparable to a Kage.
Naruto, on the other hand, had no teacher. Everything he had, he earned on his own.
Still, he was aware of his greatest weakness—Ninjutsu.
If he could wield proper Ninjutsu right now, with his chakra reserves and physical capabilities, he would easily rival a Chūnin, maybe even an Elite Chūnin in combat ability.
But strength in the shinobi world wasn't measured by brute force alone. It included combat experience, intelligence gathering, trap setting, stealth, team coordination, and more.
Even so, Naruto had no doubt in his mind—his ability, Heaven Rewards Diligence, would one day make him a powerhouse on par with the greatest shinobi.
For now, he was holding back. He didn't over-refine his chakra or reveal his full potential.
Foundations come first. No need to rush.
He had six years before the main storyline began. There was plenty of time to grow. Revealing too much now would only bring trouble.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura barely paid attention to his Taijutsu training, considering it an inferior path. In their eyes, Taijutsu was limited in what it could accomplish.
If not for Might Duy, Might Guy's father, who had once used the Eight Inner Gates to defeat several of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, they might have ignored the discipline entirely.
But Naruto knew better.
With time, effort, and diligence—he would make even Taijutsu shine.
Even though Might Duy had shone brightly in that one, heroic moment, it had cost him his life. Defeating several of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was impressive—but ultimately, those swordsmen weren't truly elite when compared to the Five Kage. In the grand scheme, they were only mid-tier threats.
As for Might Guy, the current generation's Taijutsu prodigy, he was still seen as nothing more than an eccentric Jōnin by most of the village. No one except Kakashi Hatake truly understood his potential.
After climbing up and down the cliff multiple times, Naruto finally collapsed onto the grass, his body soaked in sweat and his chest heaving. Despite appearances, he still had a third of his stamina left.
"My current strength should be enough to support the development of the Six Styles," he thought.
"Before, I didn't consider the chakra aspect. Maybe combining chakra flow with the Six Styles could simplify things... and possibly lead me to develop my own Ninjutsu-Taijutsu hybrid techniques!"
Naruto had always been more inclined toward Taijutsu—currently, it was his strongest field and the foundation of all his combat ability. In terms of Ninjutsu, he had only one real offensive technique:
"Great Fireball Technique: Consecutive Release"—a chained version of the classic Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
Among Genin and even Chūnin, it was a solid technique. But against Special Jōnin or higher, it lacked impact.
Naruto reflected on his strengths and growth potential.
"My spiritual power is also unusually strong—most likely due to being reincarnated twice. That makes Genjutsu a path I can't afford to ignore."
In the original timeline, Naruto had relied on the Nine-Tails to brute-force his way through Genjutsu.
But that only worked against basic illusions. Now, with his innate talent and the Heaven Rewards Diligence system, Naruto believed his spiritual resilience would one day rival even that of those who possessed Mangekyō Sharingan.
"With time, I might even become immune to high-level Genjutsu."
He added Genjutsu to his long-term plan.
Then there was the glaring issue of Ninjutsu diversity.
"Back then, all I really had was Rasengan and Shadow Clone Jutsu. What a waste of my massive chakra reserves!"
And that wasn't the only gap in his skillset.
"I also need to learn Medical Ninjutsu. Not only can it heal me, it can also save teammates. If I reach Lady Tsunade's level, it'll be like having one foot in immortality!"
His chakra reserves were at least as vast as Tsunade's, perhaps even greater. With proper training, reaching her level of healing prowess wasn't out of the question.
"It might be worth seeking her out one day."
Another mysterious yet promising avenue was the Sealing Arts.
In the Naruto world, Fūinjutsu was a deeply esoteric discipline. Its applications were vast: from barrier creation to summoning contracts, storage scrolls, and even sealing dangerous entities.
Naruto saw it as the shinobi equivalent of storage rings and dimension-controlling techniques in cultivation worlds.
"Most people pick one path to specialize in… but with Heaven Rewards Diligence, I can do it all!"
He grinned proudly.
This unique ability didn't just multiply his training efficiency—it could even boost his understanding of things he had no experience with. Once, when he casually thought about the basic concept behind Sealing Techniques, a faint system message had flashed:
"Fūinjutsu Comprehension +0.0001"
It was tiny, almost laughable.
"So that's the limit. Without foundational knowledge, even Heaven Rewards Diligence can't help much."
Recognizing this, Naruto decided to hold off on Fūinjutsu until he had the proper learning materials.
For now, Naruto's primary focus would be on:
Taijutsu – his strongest path.
Ninjutsu – to expand his combat options.
Genjutsu – to exploit his immense spiritual power.
Medical Ninjutsu – for utility, survivability, and team support.
Fūinjutsu would come later.
One step at a time—but with Heaven Rewards Diligence at his back, Naruto knew he wasn't walking alone. He was sprinting toward greatness.
...
TN:
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