The next day at the Academy, whispers followed Riku like shadows.
The quiet boy who had dropped a senior with one effortless motion—most students didn't even see what happened. To them, it looked like magic.
Riku ignored it all.
He wasn't interested in praise. He was interested in patterns.
How quickly rumors spread.
Who spread them.
Who denied them.
Every reaction was data.
---
During Iruka's lecture, Riku sat by the window, half-listening, half-analyzing chakra flow in his body. Chakra was energy, yes—but beneath that, it was control. Focus. Precision.
Just like thought.
> "If chakra is the physical manifestation of intent," he mused silently,
"then perhaps the most efficient shinobi isn't the strongest—but the calmest."
He began experimenting in secret.
Late nights. Meditation. Controlled breathing.
He could already sense chakra faintly, like static electricity beneath his skin. Not much—but enough.
---
A Week Later – Training Field #3
"Everyone, pair up for sparring practice!" Iruka called.
Riku's partner was Naruto.
"Alright, Riku!" Naruto grinned, bouncing on his feet. "Don't hold back!"
Riku tilted his head. "That's the problem, Naruto. I don't know what holding back looks like."
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
The fight began.
Naruto rushed forward, throwing wild punches, every move transparent. Riku stepped aside effortlessly, one step, one twist, one dodge.
He didn't attack. He only observed.
Naruto's movements were predictable—but his spirit wasn't.
Even after a dozen failed swings, Naruto grinned. "Heh! You're fast!"
That smile—naive, reckless, unyielding—made Riku pause.
Why doesn't he give up?
In the White Room, failure meant punishment. Here, failure meant nothing.
Or maybe… it meant freedom.
Riku countered finally—a light trip, a palm strike to Naruto's chest. The blond hit the dirt, laughing.
"You're crazy strong, Riku!"
Riku looked at his open hand.
Strong? He didn't feel strong. Just efficient.
But when he saw Naruto getting back up again, dirt-smudged and grinning, he felt something strange—a faint warmth under the cold logic.
> "Maybe strength isn't just control," he thought. "Maybe it's persistence."
---
Later That Evening
The village was quiet. The smell of grilled food and laughter filled the streets. Riku watched from a rooftop as lights flickered on in homes below.
In his old world, people were tools.
Here, they were… alive.
Yet that same life made them unpredictable—and unpredictability was a threat.
Riku pulled out a small notebook and began writing observations:
> Naruto Uzumaki: Irrational optimism. Possesses natural charisma.
Sasuke Uchiha: Calculated, emotional repression. Dangerous if provoked.
Shikamaru Nara: Highly intelligent, lazy. Potential ally.
Hinata Hyuga: Observant, timid. Easy to guide.
Konoha: Stable yet fragile. Leadership depends on emotion.
He closed the notebook.
> "Power isn't just strength," he whispered.
"It's knowing how others think before they think it."
And with that, Riku made a vow under the pale moonlight—
He would master this world.
Not by force.
But by understanding.