The last rays of the setting sun washed over the forest just outside the Hidden Leaf Village, casting long, swaying shadows in the evening breeze.
Byakuya focused, channeling his energy before snapping his wrist forward. A single kunai sliced through the air, embedding itself perfectly into the center of a distant target.
Ten points. Bullseye.
His already meager chakra reserves were scraping the bottom of the barrel. The lactic acid build-up in his arm muscles was screaming in protest.
"Three whole days... finally done."
He mentally pulled up his status interface.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (3 Days): Hit 100 Bullseyes with Kunai (100/100)
> Status: Complete.
> Reward: Minor increase in Chakra Capacity.
A subtle but distinct warmth began to spread through his body. His nearly exhausted chakra reserves slowly regenerated, and he could feel his total capacity stretching out, growing just a little bit larger.
Byakuya wiped the sweat from his forehead, his mood lifting instantly. Three days of grinding hadn't been in vain. In these chaotic times, the sensation of getting stronger—even incrementally—was the only thing that gave him any peace of mind.
It was the early days of the Third Great Ninja War. The tension of the conflict hung over the Hidden Leaf like a heavy fog.
Although he hadn't graduated from the Academy yet, nobody knew when they might be dragged out and thrown onto the battlefield as cannon fodder. Every ounce of strength gained was a percentage point added to his survival rate.
Byakuya had drawn the short straw when it came to the reincarnation lottery. He wasn't born into a prestigious clan; he was the son of two average, civilian-born Chunin.
His natural talent was comically bad. His chakra levels were less than half of what his peers possessed, and his Ninjutsu skills? Let's just say they were hard to watch.
The only reason he was even eligible to attend the Academy was thanks to the "legacy" status earned by his parents' years of blood and sweat running missions for the village.
But that safety net didn't last long. Just before the war fully erupted, both his parents were killed in action during a classified mission.
From that moment on, Byakuya set a strict rule for himself: Lay low.
If he could stay under the radar, he would. If he couldn't, he'd find a way to do it anyway. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. The taller the tree, the more wind it catches. His only goal? Survive the Third Great Ninja War.
As for the Nine-Tails attack, the crushing of the Leaf, or Pain's invasion? Those were problems for the distant future. If he couldn't survive now, worrying about then was pointless.
Feeling recovered, he tucked his training kunai into his holster and headed back to the village.
The Hard Work Pays Off system refreshed its daily tasks promptly at midnight.
He had awakened this ability early on, but for the longest time, it had been dormant, never issuing a single quest. It wasn't until the Cloud Village declared war on the Leaf that the cheat suddenly sprang to life—like a zombie clawing its way out of a grave.
So far, he'd completed three training missions. The rewards had been basic stat bumps: a minor boost to speed, a minor boost to sensory perception, and a minor boost to stamina.
Dragging his exhausted body back to the empty house his parents had left him, he heated up some leftovers, ate, washed up, and face-planted onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep.
---
The next morning, his alarm clock rang for a long time before Byakuya finally jolted awake.
Yesterday, he'd practiced the Clone Jutsu at school, then ran straight to the forest to grind kunai throwing until sunset. With his current weak physique, the intensity was a bit much, leading to him oversleeping.
He slapped the alarm off and immediately checked the refreshed mission.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (2 Days): Practice Substitution Jutsu (0/20)
> Reward: Minor increase in Chakra Control.
The Substitution Jutsu. It was Academy 101—a support technique and one of the classic "Three Basic Jutsu." It allowed a ninja to instantly swap their body with a log or object the moment they were attacked, creating an optical illusion to fool the enemy. It was incredibly practical.
As luck would have it, today's class was specifically about the Substitution Jutsu. Due to the war, the Academy had brought in a Jonin—an elite ninja—to give a practical combat demonstration.
Byakuya quickly prepared breakfast: rice, a fixed number of eggs, a measured portion of vegetables, and a glass of milk. To survive, he needed to grow. To grow, he needed optimized nutrition.
He washed his dishes and sprinted toward the Ninja Academy.
Yesterday, the village had announced a new policy. Because of the war, the standard six-year curriculum was being slashed to four years. Furthermore, students were being "encouraged" to take their graduation exams early.
Byakuya was ten years old. He had entered the Academy at five. Under normal circumstances, he would graduate next year. But under the new wartime decree, he had to graduate now.
---
The instructor for the Substitution Jutsu class was a Leaf Jonin named Mimura. He wore the standard green tactical flak jacket, sported a beard, and had eyes like steel.
He stood at the podium, staring at the late arrival with undeniable severity.
"Byakuya Senkaku? You're late. Stand outside and listen."
He turned back to the class. "Quiet! We're starting. No theory today, only combat application. We will focus on how to use the Substitution Jutsu to evade and counter-attack in the split second between enemy strikes."
Because it was wartime, the Academy was prioritizing efficiency, cramming different grades together for these lectures.
Mimura motioned to Byakuya, who was standing by the door. "Get over here."
"Yes, sir!" Byakuya walked obediently to the front.
"I'm going to throw a shuriken at you. You will use the Substitution Jutsu to evade, circle behind me, and simulate a kill strike."
Hardly had the words left his mouth when Mimura flicked his wrist, sending a shuriken flying straight at Byakuya.
It was fast.
Byakuya's pupils constricted. He froze, standing there like a deer in headlights, completely unable to weave the signs for the jutsu in time.
Thud.
The shuriken hit him square in the chest.
He felt the impact and a dull pain, but no blood.
Mimura plucked the weapon from Byakuya's shirt and sighed, looking disappointed. "This shuriken is made of wood. It's just painted to look real."
He glared at the boy. "Late to class. Poor reaction time. Failing grade in Ninjutsu application. This is your current reality. I don't want to waste my breath. Go sit down and watch how the other students do it."
"Yes, sir."
Byakuya tried to keep his face neutral as he walked toward an empty seat in the front row.
"Not there," Mimura barked, pointing to the very back of the room. "Don't block the view of the other students. Sit back there."
Byakuya lowered his head, took a deep breath, and walked to the lonely back row of the large lecture hall.
Mimura scanned the room. "Sou Hyuga, you're up."
Sou Hyuga, a scion of the elite Hyuga clan and possessor of the Byakugan bloodline, stepped up. He executed the technique perfectly, swapping places with a log and appearing instantly behind Mimura with a knife-hand strike aimed at the neck.
"Excellent!" Mimura praised. "Your timing and concealment were better than some Chunin I know."
"Shoon Akimichi, your turn."
"Yes, sir!"
---
When the bell rang, Mimura gathered his teaching materials. He cast one last glance at the underachieving Byakuya in the back row, shook his head, and stormed out toward the Vice Principal's office.
The official Principal was the Third Hokage, but since the Hokage was busy running the war, the Vice Principal handled the day-to-day operations.
"Rough day, Jonin Mimura?"
"Vice Principal Hiroya," Mimura vented. "I have never seen a student like... like that Byakuya kid! He can't even execute a basic Substitution Jutsu! Sending him to the battlefield with that skill level is just sending him to die."
"Byakuya Senkaku, is it?"
"Yes. Look, I know the new policy requires everyone to graduate this year, even if their Ninjutsu scores are failing. We can't have anyone held back."
"I know," the Vice Principal sighed. "The front lines are desperate for bodies. We have to push the students out early. Let them get some experience; hopefully, they adapt. Byakuya is a civilian; he's not getting special treatment."
"So, what are you suggesting?"
"Arrange a private graduation exam for him tomorrow."
"A private exam?" Mimura frowned. "Is that appropriate?"
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. It's wartime; rules are flexible," Hiroya explained. "I'm worried that if he takes the exam with the other students, he'll fail so badly we can't justify passing him. We can't let the Hokage's new policy look like a failure. The best solution is to test him alone so we can... manage the result."
Vice Principal Hiroya had served on missions with Byakuya's parents in the past. "Byakuya comes from a common background. His bloodline is weak, his talent is poor. Honestly, he'd just get in the way on the front lines. I'm inclined to assign him to a logistics role in the rear. What about the others? Any new orders from the Hokage?"
"For the top students, especially those from the major clans, the exams are set for next week," Mimura replied. "The Hokage has hand-picked several Jonin who have distinguished themselves in the war to lead their squads."
"Those kids are going to improve by leaps and bounds under that kind of leadership."
---
Near the end of the school day, Mimura tracked Byakuya down.
"Byakuya, you can come in a bit later tomorrow. I've arranged a solo graduation exam for you."
"A... solo exam?"
"Correct."
"Understood. I'll go home and prepare. Goodbye, teacher."
Mimura watched the boy walk away, his gaze heavy. He felt like he was looking at a dead man walking.
A civilian ninja could rarely compare to those from the noble clans. The gap in education, resources, and connections was simply too massive.
If a kid had no talent, their best bet was usually to find a safe desk job in the village, get married, and spend their life serving the Leaf and its elite families.
But that was a luxury for peacetime. In war, their fate was no longer in their own hands.