Hayashi rubbed the soreness in his legs, his young face showing clear surprise.
The moment he unleashed the strength hidden within his muscles, the sudden surge of power had been overwhelming. He had lost control, staggering in a rather pitiful state.
"This strength and speed… they're far beyond anything I had before," he muttered in disbelief. Compared to his old self, it felt as though he could crush his past self ten times over. How naïve he had been, thinking he was already decent.
Until now, his taijutsu could only be considered average among his peers at the Academy. But this—this was different. When he had just pushed chakra into his calves, the explosive speed was several times faster than his usual movements.
The technique came from a scroll left behind by Uchiha Kagami, and although Hayashi had practiced it many times, the results had always been disappointing. Normally, he could barely move two or three meters before exhausting all his strength. Yet now, the distance had doubled, and his speed had grown incomparable. Even more astonishing, although fatigue weighed on him, he wasn't completely drained. For once, he hadn't burned through everything.
"Just one improvement, and my taijutsu has already taken such a leap forward?" Hayashi whispered, excitement flashing in his dark eyes.
The pain in his muscles slowly faded. He stood, brushed the dust from his clothes, and a spark of joy lingered in his gaze.
"Let's try again," he said with determination.
This time, however, he refrained from practicing inside the house. He couldn't afford to destroy what little belongings he had left. With quick steps, he went outside into the courtyard.
Focusing carefully, Hayashi once again channeled chakra into his legs, controlling the flow so he wouldn't lose control like earlier. The attempt was weaker—he had already burned much of his stamina—resulting in a dash of less than three meters.
"Still not enough stamina…" he sighed. His progress was real, but it was far from what the scroll described. More training was needed. As a ninja, failing to control one's strength and chakra in battle was a path straight to death.
He tried once more, and the result improved slightly, though his chakra reserves were nearly depleted.
[Host trained diligently. Ninja Points +1.
Remaining Ninja Points: 890.]
Hearing the familiar mechanical voice echo in his mind, Hayashi couldn't help but smile faintly.
"Indeed… points are everything," he murmured.
After resting a while, he returned to his room. Tomorrow, he had to report to the Academy. He couldn't spend the entire night experimenting. Conserving stamina was just as important as training.
Not long after lying down, his stomach growled.
"…So hungry."
The consumption from training was far greater than he expected. Luckily, he had instant ramen left in the kitchen. As he slurped the noodles, he chuckled to himself.
"At this rate, I'll turn into Naruto one day."
But before he could finish, the system's voice rang out again.
[Congratulations, Host, on completing your first single attribute upgrade today. You are one step closer to becoming the strongest shinobi on Earth.
A new mission has been issued.]
[Mission: Raise at least one of the thirteen unlocked attributes to Level 8 before graduating from the Ninja Academy.
Reward: Generous system benefits.
Failure: All attribute levels reset to zero, remaining Ninja Points cleared. Additional penalty—Host will be forced into feminized state and wear women's clothing for six months. Good luck.]
Hayashi nearly spat out his ramen.
"What the hell?! Level 8? That's Chunin-level! You want me to reach Chunin standards before graduation?!"
He slammed the chopsticks on the table.
"And that punishment… cruel doesn't even begin to describe it. Cross-dressing for half a year?! Are you serious?!"
Still fuming, he thought back on the requirements. To raise an attribute from Level 0 to Level 1 needed 100 points. From 1 to 2 required 500 points, and it kept increasing in absurd amounts: 1000, 2000, 4000… and finally 12,000 points for Level 7 to 8.
Hayashi's strongest attribute was Taijutsu, currently at Level 3. To reach Level 8, he needed over 33,000 Ninja Points. In one year of hard work, he had only managed about 2000. The Academy would end in five years, leaving him with an impossible task.
"I'll become the first shinobi with the title 'Eternal Genin' at this rate," he muttered bitterly. That would be the most humiliating record in history.
[Mission cannot be changed,] the system responded coldly. [Host is advised to continue upgrading the highest attribute and progress step by step.]
Hayashi groaned and dropped onto his futon.
"…I've fallen into a pit."
Still, Taijutsu at Level 3 was already impressive compared to his peers. For now, it was enough.
He opened his system panel, checking his stats:
Host: Uchiha Hayashi
Village: Konohagakure, Land of Fire
Age: 5
Overall Strength: Top student level
Chakra: Level 2 (0/1000)
Taijutsu: Level 3 (0/2000)
Shurikenjutsu: Level 2 (0/1000)
Hand Seals: Level 2 (0/1000)
Ninjutsu: Level 0 (0/100)
Genjutsu: Level 0 (0/100)
Wind Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Fire Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Lightning Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Water Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Earth Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Yin Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Yang Release: Level 0 (0/100)
Remaining Points: 890
He decided not to spend them yet. In a dangerous situation, those points could save his life.
After tidying up, Hayashi finally lay back down, his eyelids heavy. In his dreams, he saw himself defeating the Five Kage, surpassing Madara and even Kaguya, standing proudly as the strongest shinobi in the world.
And then… he was dressed in women's clothing.
____
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