Konoha was peaceful, at least on the surface. The wars had not yet reached the village, though whispers carried from the borders.
At the edge of the Nara compound, a young boy sat cross-legged on a worn tatami mat. Nara Renjiro, six years old, stared intently at a single leaf balanced on his forehead. His small hands trembled as he tried to push chakra through it.
The leaf quivered… then fell.
"…Hopeless," Renjiro muttered under his breath.
From outside, laughter echoed. His brother Shikaku had returned from a mission, already recognized as a skilled chūnin despite his age. Elders praised his sharp mind and lazy drawl as the mark of a true Nara genius.
Renjiro lowered his gaze.Compared to Shikaku, he was invisible.
Then—
Ding!Daily Quest Available:– Do 100 Push-ups [0/100]– Run 5 Kilometers [0/5]– Chakra Leaf Concentration 30 Minutes [0/30]– Practice Shadow Imitation Hand Signs 100 Times [0/100]
Rewards:– 10 Stat Points– 1 Random Reward Box– +1 Chakra Capacity (Scaled to Kakashi Hatake's Current Reserves)
Failure Penalty:– Stat Reduction
Renjiro blinked at the glowing blue text only he could see.
"…Kakashi's scale?"
Even among Academy whispers, Kakashi Hatake's name was already legendary. A boy younger than most, yet his chakra reserves and control put him above his classmates.
If Renjiro's chakra grew proportionally to Kakashi's reserves each day… then he would never fall behind.
His lips trembled into a smile. For the first time, the future didn't feel like an inevitable shadow.
"…Fine then. If the System wants me to sweat, I'll sweat blood if I have to."
He dropped flat to the tatami, planting his palms firmly.
"1… 2… 3…"
Each push-up burned. Each kilometer run through the clan forest clawed at his lungs. His fingers cramped forming the shadow hand seals over and over. His forehead ached as he tried to keep the leaf steady.
The sun sank beyond the trees by the time he collapsed. His chest heaved, muscles screaming, body trembling from exhaustion.
And then—
Ding! Daily Quest Completed.Rewards Granted.– 10 Stat Points– Random Reward Box (Opened)– Gained Skill: [Status Recovery]– Chakra Capacity Increased to match Kakashi Hatake's reserves.
Renjiro gasped as warmth surged through his body. His chakra coils stretched, widened, expanded. It was as if a dam had burst within him, filling every channel with new strength.
His eyes widened. His chakra now… it felt alive.
"…So this is what it means to stand where geniuses stand," he whispered, hands shaking.
For the first time, Renjiro wasn't just Shikaku's shadow. He was something else. Something new.
And in that quiet room, drenched in sweat, Nara Renjiro smiled through the pain.
The story of the Shadow Monarch of Konoha had begun.