Academy Training Grounds
The sun was beating down on the empty dirt field.
[BONUS QUEST: LIMIT BREAKER]:Double The Standard.
400 reps, goddamn that's a lot. But I need to see what that bonus is looking like.
"Let's see what this newly enhanced body can really do."
I hit the dirt.
400 Push-ups: My arms moved like pistons. At 200, I barely felt it. At 350, a dull burn started in my triceps. By 400, I was sweating, but I wasn't shaking.
400 Sit-ups & 400 Squats: I moved immediately into core work. My [Uzumaki Vitality] was working overtime, flushing the lactic acid away almost as fast as I produced it.
400 Punches & 400 Kicks: The air cracked with each strike, the sound echoing off the academy walls.
"Time to run," I panted, sweat dripping off me.
40 Km Run: I took off. I didn't jog; I sprinted. I ran laps around the academy perimeter, my pace eating up the ground. 10km. 20km. 30km.
My lungs burned. My legs felt heavy. This was the first time in weeks I had truly pushed my physical limits.
I rounded the final corner, skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust. Without missing a beat, I dropped into a lotus position immediately.
2 Hours Leaf Concentration: I slapped leaves all over my body, forcing my racing heart to slow down. I channeled my turbulent chakra into a singular point.
Time passed. The sweat on my skin dried and cooled.
[BONUS QUEST: LIMIT BREAKER]: COMPLETE
[REWARDS GRANTED]:
Key to the Tower of Trials
High-Grade Loot Box
Explosive Tags (x3) (Bonus Loot)
New Standard Daily Quest Rewards:
+5 SP
5,000 Ryo
Full Recovery
A Tower of Trials? What's that about? I questioned mentally.
[NOTICE]: A tower filled with different types of monsters and floor bosses that the player must defeat in order to advance and challenge the Boss of the tower.
I see, so it's like a test of endurance, I thought. I wonder what that looks—
[WARNING]: PLAYER'S CURRENT LEVEL IS TOO LOW TO ATTEMPT TRIAL. DEATH IS INEVITABLE.
Inevitable?! Oof, so I gotta raise my level, huh? I mused. That also means that it must be very difficult then.
I sighed.
Oh well, guess I'll attempt that later, I thought as I looked through my other notifications that I might have missed.
[NOTICE: LEVEL 40 INT THRESHOLD ACHIEVED]: Player's Chakra Affinity Is now Unlocked.
Oh shit, for real? I know it's wind, but is it just that? Can I unlock more?
[ANSWER]:
Basic Knowledge Of All 5 Affinities Unlocks At Every 10 INT Level Achieved Going Forward.
Affinity Unlocks Are As Followed: Wind →Water→Earth→Lightning→Fire.
Jutsu For Affinities Can Be Purchased In System Store When Unlocked.
Notice: Mastery Level Of Justu Are Based On Player's Level & Stats.
That means I can get a wind jutsu right now, but it probably won't be as strong as it should be based on my current level, I mused. Interesting. I'll look through the jutsu later, as for now, it's looting time.
I rubbed my hands together and tapped the Loot Box in my inventory. It spun gold and burst open.
[ITEM OBTAINED: Chakra Metal Mesh Vest]
Rank: C
Type: Armor (Undergarment)
Effect: Lightweight. High durability against bladed weapons. +10 CON.
Jackpot.
I didn't bother pulling it out. I just tapped the [Equip] button on the screen.
A faint blue digital grid shimmered over my torso for a split second. Then, the weight of the metal mesh settled against my skin beneath my jacket. It fit perfectly, like a second skin.
"Yo." a voice said.
I looked up.
A silver-haired Jonin with a mask covering the lower half of his face and a headband covering his left eye was standing on the fence. He was reading a bright orange book.
He didn't see that, did he?
"You're late," I said, standing up and dusting off my pants.
Kakashi Hatake eyed me. He saw the steam rising off my shoulders. He saw the disturbed earth where I had been running laps for hours. His visible eye narrowed slightly—calculating the stamina required for what he was seeing.
"And you're sweaty," he replied, turning a page. "Meet me on the roof."
The Academy Rooftop
The wind blew gently across the roof. We sat on the steps—Sasuke looking annoyed, Sakura looking eager, and me just looking relaxed now that my workout was done.
Kakashi leaned against the railing. "Why don't you introduce yourselves?" he said lazily. "Likes, dislikes, dreams... hobbies."
"Why don't you go first, Sensei?" Sakura asked. "After all, you're a complete stranger to us."
"Oh me?" Kakashi pointed at himself. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. Likes and dislikes... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for hobbies... I have many."
Heh. What an annoying bastard.
"He said a lot, but all we got was his name," Sakura whispered to us.
"Now, it's your turn, Let's start with you Pinky," Kakashi pointed.
Sakura cleared her throat. "I'm Sakura Haruno! What I like... I mean, who I like is..." She glanced at Sasuke and squealed. "My hobby is..." Another squeal. "My dream for the future is..."
She buried her face in her hands, shrieking.
A real lively one, huh?
"And what do you dislike?" Kakashi asked dryly.
"Naruto!" she snapped instantly.
I had no outward reaction. I didn't yell or flinch. I just blinked slowly.
Sakura paused, peeking through her fingers. She seemed confused that I hadn't jumped up to defend myself.
"Next," Kakashi said.
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha." The temperature on the roof seemed to drop ten degrees. "I have many dislikes, and I don't like anything in particular. My dream... is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I will restore my clan, and kill a certain man."
That shit has nothing to do with me.
Sakura looked worried. Kakashi didn't visibly react.
He turned his single visible eye to me. "And you? The blonde one."
I leaned back on my hands, looking up at the clouds.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," I said. "Likes? Ramen and uh other things. Dislikes? Wasting time and many other things."
I paused, letting the silence hang for a second.
"My dream? Hmmm," I placed a hand on my chin in thought. "I want to live a good life; one worth living. And I want to have fun seeing exactly how far I can go, ya know?"
Sasuke glanced at me, seemingly surprised by the lack of Hokage shouting.
Kakashi stared at me for a beat longer than the others. His visible eye crinkled slightly, but the look underneath was calculating.
"Interesting," Kakashi murmured. "Good. You're all pretty unique. Formal training begins tomorrow."
"What kind of training?" I asked, although I already knew.
"Survival training," Kakashi said. "Against me."
He stood up from the railing. "It won't be the typical practice you learned while at the academy. Out of the twenty-seven members of your graduating class, only nine of you will pass."
Sasuke and Sakura straightened up, while I had no visible reaction. "The test we're about to perform has a 66% rate of failure," he said. "Hahaha, no pressure though, meet me at Training Ground 3 at 5:00 AM."
He turned to leave, then paused.
"And I wouldn't recommend eating breakfast," he added ominously. "Unless you enjoy throwing up."
He vanished in a swirl of leaves.
Sasuke scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets, and walked away. Sakura immediately chased after him, yelling his name.
I just stood there and stretched my arms over my head, feeling the deep, lingering ache of the 400 reps from earlier finally settling into my bones.
I could use my [Full Recovery] to patch myself up, but that survival test against him tomorrow is probably gonna get really annoying. So, I think I'm just gonna take it easy for the remainder of the day.
I walked back to my apartment, and housed two bowls of instant ramen to replenish my calories. I crashed face-first into my bed before the sun even fully set. Letting the [Uzumaki Vitality] passive do its job and heal the muscle tissue.
The Next Morning - 4:30 AM
The alarm in my head went off.
I rolled out of bed, stretching. Through my window, I could see the darkened streets of Konoha. Somewhere out there, Sakura and Sasuke were probably waking up, miserable and hungry, heading to the training ground to wait in the cold of the morning.
"5:00 AM?" I scoffed, grabbing an apple from my counter. "Yeah, right. That bastard's gonna be late again today."
I took a bite of the apple.
"I'm not gonna sit in a field for three hours doing nothing."
System, check Gates I can do for the next 3 hours, from the Keys I have, please.
[SCANNING...]
[E-RANK INSTANT DUNGEON DETECTED: THE VERDANT TRAP]
"E-Rank? Perfect," I grinned. "I'll see them at 8."
I paused.
"But first, let me get a wind jutsu to start things off, before I forget."
I looked through the Wind Justu section. It was organized from E to S, with the B to S ranked jutsu being locked.
"Makes sense. I'll have to unlock them by ranking up."
The part that stuck out to me most was the section where the System recommended the justu that I would need.
[RECOMMENDED]: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough (C-Rank): 50,000 Ryo.
"That's a good one," I muttered. "But that price is crazy. I can only imagine the higher ranked ones."
I bought the jutsu.
[PURCHASE SUCCESSFUL: -50,000 ryo]
[499,350 ryo → 449,350 ryo]
[SKILL SCROLL OBTAINED: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough]:
Rank: C
Effect: Create a powerful gust of wind by expelling chakra from mouth
Cost: 100 CP per activation.
[LEARN NOW?]: Y/N
"Well I didn't buy it to just look at it," I said. "Yes."
The knowledge flooded in immediately. "Alright, time to give it a test run."
Inside the Gate:
The world shifted from the cold Konoha morning to a humid, dense jungle. Vines hung from massive trees, and the air smelled of wet earth.
SCREECH!
[ENEMY DETECTED: RAZOR CLAWED BRIGA]
A blur of dark green fur shot out from the canopy. It looked like a monkey, but with gray, leathery skin and bright red eyes that glowed with malice. Its hands ended in claws that were longer than butcher knives.
It swiped at my head, screeching.
"Too slow," I muttered.
I didn't even draw my weapons. I sidestepped the claw swipe, watching the creature sail past me.
Growl.
The Briga didn't turn around. It screeched again—a signal.
Suddenly, the shadows under the trees seemed to detach themselves.
[ENEMY DETECTED: BLACK-SHADOW RAZAN]
Three sleek, panther-like beasts emerged from the gloom. They had obsidian fur that seemed to absorb the dim jungle light, and their eyes were burning red coals. Their muscles rippled as they circled me, moving in perfect sync with the monkey in the trees.
"Ambush tactics?" I smirked. "That's cute, but I got something for ya'll."
The Briga shrieked and dove from above, aiming to distract me. At the exact same moment, the three Razan lunged from the ground—one at my throat, two at my legs.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The gust of wind wasn't massive. In fact it felt more like a really strong breeze on a windy day, however, it did just enough to scatter them and push them a bit backwards.
Then, I activated [DASH].
To them, I must have looked like a ghost. I grabbed a Razan by its tail and swung it like a flail.
CRACK.
I smashed the panther into its two pack-mates. The impact sounded like a gunshot.
The Briga tried to flee back into the canopy, but I was already moving. I leaped, kicked off the tree trunk, and drove my foot into its spine.
SPLAT.
I rolled my shoulders as more red eyes appeared in the trees. "Come on! Help me warm up!"
For the next couple hours, I tore through the jungle. It was pretty much an extermination.
[DUNGEON CLEARED.]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW LEVEL: 59]
[QUOTA: 265/490 Beast-Type Enemies Defeated]
I exited the gate, feeling loose and energized. The sweat on my skin felt good.
"Alright," I checked the time. "7:45 AM. Just enough time to grab another snack."
Training Ground 3 - 8:00 AM
The sun was high in the sky, now. The birds were singing. And Sasuke and Sakura looked like they were about to commit murder.
They were waiting by training posts, stomachs growling loud enough to be heard from the village entrance. Sakura's hair was frizzy from the humidity. Sasuke looked ready to burn the entire forest down.
I strolled into the clearing, feeling fresh and munching on a rice ball.
Sasuke's head snapped up. His eyes narrowed when he saw the food.
"You're late," he hissed. "And why are you eating?"
"Naruto!" Sakura shrieked, standing up on shaky legs. "Where have you been?! We've been starving out here since 5 AM! And Kakashi-sensei said no breakfast!"
I swallowed the last bite of the rice ball and wiped my hands.
"He said don't eat if you don't want to throw up," I corrected calmly. "I have a strong stomach. Besides..."
POOF.
A cloud of smoke erupted next to the memorial stone. Kakashi appeared, reading his orange book, looking entirely unbothered.
"Yo," Kakashi waved. "Good morning everyone. Sorry I'm late, a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way."
Sasuke and Sakura turned their death glares from me to him.
"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura screamed.
I said nothing.
Kakashi blinked, looking at me. He noticed I wasn't angry. He noticed I wasn't hungry. And he definitely noticed that despite arriving "late," I looked more warmed up and ready to fight than the two who had been sitting here for three hours.
"Well," Kakashi said, snapping his book shut. "Let's get started. Here's the deal."
He pulled out two silver bells. They chimed softly in the wind.
"Get these from me before noon. If you don't, you get tied to the logs and I eat your lunch."
He dropped his hand. "Begin!"
Everyone moved. Sasuke vanished into the trees to the left. Sakura dove into the bushes to the right.
I jumped onto a thick brush in the center, leaning my back against a tree trunk. I wasn't trying to hide. I was staring at the glowing blue screen hovering in front of my face.
[ULTIMATE DECISION TRIGGERED!]
[OPTION A: PATH OF THE HERO]:Work with the team to get the bells.
New Passive Skill: [Squad Commander]
Effect: When fighting In A Party, All Allies Gain +10% to All Stats.
[OPTION B: PATH OF THE LEGEND]:Solo the test. Get the bells yourself.
Unique Title: [Lone Wolf]
Effect: +25% Buff to All Stats When Fighting Alone.
Hmm. The [Lone Wolf] title was insane. A raw 25% stat boost was incredible for grinding solo. But [Squad Commander] fit for future situations, regarding this team and my future shadow army. Plus, I don't want anything major to be revealed about my power so soon. There are too many eyes from too many directions, just waiting on me to get overconfident.
"Hero it is," I muttered, tapping the selection.
"Ninja Rule Number One," a relaxed voice whispered right next to my ear. "Don't daydream in the field."
I didn't jump or panic. I just closed the menu and sighed.
Tch, of course I'm the first one found.
Kakashi was crouching on the branch right next to me, reading his orange book. He thought he had the drop on me.
"You found us," I said dryly.
Kakashi tilted his head. "Us?"
"Yea, that's right, us," I said walking towards the bush to my right. "Sakura, he found us, get out here."
She was stunned by my action for a moment, then she roared out the bush in fury. "Why'd you do that?! I was hidden!"
Then I walked to the tree on the left. "Sasuke, get out here, he found us."
"What are you doing?!" he yelled, coming out of his cover.
"He found us, we are caught, we must fight him. It's that simple," I said calmly.
"You idiot!" Sasuke snapped, his hand drifting to his kunai pouch, eyes darting between me and Kakashi. "You gave away our position!"
"You traitor!" Sakura shrieked, stomping over to me, her face red with embarrassment and anger. "I was perfectly hidden! Why would you drag me into your mess?!"
If I go down, everyone's coming with me.
"Two bells. Three people," I said, cutting them both off. My voice was sharp, commanding. "It's designed to make us fight each other for a spot. But a squad is made of three people. The answer is simple isn't it?"
They both realized what I meant.
"So we have to work together to get the bells," Sakura said, then she paused, looking between the bells and Sasuke. "But what if you're wrong? What if one of us still fails! Who gets left out?"
"If we don't work together, we all fail regardless," I countered, then I glanced at Sasuke. "Unless you think you can take a Jonin solo? And if you won't help me, I have my clones to rely on. I'll just grab them both and leave you two tied to the posts."
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his pride warring with his logic. He looked at Kakashi, who was watching us with amusement, his book still open. He did the math: Kakashi hadn't even broken a sweat, and if I followed through on my threat to solo it, he'd fail without throwing a punch.
The odds were not in his favor.
"And why should I follow anything you say?" Sasuke spat, glaring at me.
"Because, I'll be the distraction," I said, calmly. "I have the stamina to keep his attention. You have the firepower to hurt him. And Sakura has knowledge on how to trap him."
Sasuke scoffed, turning his body toward the clearing. "Fine. Just this once. What's your plan?"
"Overwhelm him," I said, pulling three slips of paper from my inventory. "I'll create the opening. You light him up. Sakura, cut off his escape."
I handed Sakura an [Explosive Tag] that I earned from the limit breaker quest.
"Set the perimeter, don't let him dodge left."
I didn't wait for a countdown. I made a hand sign. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF. POOF. POOF.
Twenty clones exploded into existence.
"Now! Sasuke, Fireball! Sakura, flank right!"
"Don't order me around!" Sakura yelled, though she moved instantly, her body obeying the logic of the plan even if her mouth didn't. She pulled a handful of shuriken. "Sasuke, I've got your back!"
Sasuke reacted on pure instinct. He leaped back, inhaling deeply, his chakra flaring hot. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive ball of flame roared toward Kakashi.
"Take this!" Sakura screamed, launching her shuriken in a wide arc to cut off Kakashi's escape route to the right.
Not enough, I thought. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
I pushed the wind to feed Sasuke's fireball; it instantly doubled in size, roaring like a furnace.
Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. "Oh? Actual coordination?"
He flickered away from the fireball, landing in the center of the clearing, only to be met by my clone army.
"Get him!" the clones roared, swarming him.
Kakashi engaged them effortlessly. His taijutsu was fluid, efficient. He popped three clones in two seconds.
But he didn't see the kunai three of my clones were holding.
"Now!" I shouted.
The clones threw the kunai at Kakashi's feet. Wrapped around the handles were the other two [Explosive Tags].
Kakashi saw the tags and flickered away.
BOOM!
The explosion wasn't huge, but it kicked up a massive cloud of dust and debris, forcing Kakashi to cross his arms and brace himself, momentarily blinding him and forcing him near Sakura's traps.
While he was busy bracing against the blast, the real me saw the opening. His hip was exposed. I masked my chakra, then launched forward.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: DASH]
ZOOM.
The sudden burst of speed was explosive. I wasn't moving like a Genin; I moved like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the smoke of my own explosion.
Kakashi sensed the spike in speed through the dust. He spun, his hand coming up to block, but he unknowingly stepped near the explosive tag that Sakura set up.
BOOM!
The explosion caught him off guard for a fraction of a second. Enough time for me to swipe my hand across his waist. I skidded to a halt ten feet away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The clearing went silent. The remaining clones poofed away. The smoke cleared, revealing a slightly singed Kakashi.
"Did... did he get him?" Sakura whispered, lowering her kunai, her eyes wide. She looked from the explosion mark on the ground to me.
Sasuke stared at me, sweat beading on his forehead.
Kakashi patted his hip. It was empty.
I stood up, spinning the two silver bells on my finger.
Kakashi stared at us for a long moment. He looked down at the blackened scorch mark on his flak jacket where my hand had swiped the bells, then slowly put away his book.
"Two Genin with high-level nature transformations combining for a synergistic attack, explosives used to force my guard, followed by a high-speed blindside to capture the objective," Kakashi murmured, his voice losing its lazy drawl.
The relaxed look in his eye vanished, replaced by genuine shock mixed with deep approval. If he had been a second slower, that explosive tag would have taken his leg off. "Well. You certainly don't experience that every day."
He eye-smiled, the heavy tension vanishing in an instant. "It seems that you all pass."
[QUEST: THE BELL TEST]: COMPLETE.
[CHOSEN PATH: THE HERO]:COMPLETE
[REWARD]: Squad Commander (Passive Skill).
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW LEVEL: 62]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: You have crossed a threshold. You are now capable enough to combat a Chunin level threat with ease.
[REWARDS GAINED]:
+4 SP
40,000 Ryo
Decent haul. Not bad, not bad at all, I mused. And this threshold reward must be from the Omnipotence thing, that's cool.
As Kakashi launched into a speech about teamwork, team dynamics, and our missions, I tuned him out to check my stats.
[PLAYER STATUS]:
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Level: 62
Age: 12
Class: Genin of Konoha, Beast Slayer, Shadow Monarch (In Progress), etc
HP: 2,140 / 2,140
CP: 1,920 / 1,920
[STATS]:
STR: 78 (Base 78)
CON: 107 (Base 77 + 20 Passive + 10 Gear)
DEX: 91 (Base 76 + 15 from [Alpha's Twin Fangs])
INT: 96 (Base 76 + 20 Passive)
WIS: 86 (Base 76 + 10 Passive)
CHA: 96 (Base 76 + 20 Passive)
Stat Points Available: 14
Total Ryo: 489,350
I flexed my fist, feeling the raw power humming beneath my skin.
On to the next, I thought, trying to hold in a grin.