Environmental Survival Training - Make it to the center of the Forest of Death
Objective Complete: You've successfully reached the middle of the Forest of Death, in 2 days no less!
Reward:
Vision of upcoming battle
+3 Strength
+3 Agility
+5 Endurance
+80 System Points
Hidden Sub-mission Completed: Make it to the center of the Forest of Death in under 3 days!
Rewards:
+130 System Points
Moderate reputation increase with ???
Naruto stood at doors leading into the building at the center of the forest
Breathing steady.
Body worn.
Clothes… questionable at best.
"…I'm not going in there right now. That's probably what ??? would want me to do."
Inside the building, a chair swung from the ceiling, a table lay in the corner of the room. Restraints and chains littered its frame. The sole occupant of the building stood there, riding crop in hand clad in tight fishnet stockings. Waiting, her predator-like eyes watched the door with baited anticipation.
Interrupted by a system notification-
*Ping*
Vision of future battle reward triggered from previous mission!
Darkness swallowed everything.
Sound came first.
Screams.
Then—
Fire.
Naruto stood—
But not in his room.
Above him—
The sky burned.
Below—
Konohagakure.
Destroyed.
"…What… is this…"
Explosions rocked the village.
Shinobi clashed across rooftops.
Strangers.
Enemies.
Headbands with musical notes and sandbags Naruto didn't recognize.
"…No way…"
Then—
He saw them.
His classmates and countless other Konoha ninja.
Fighting.
Surviving.
Barely.
Sakura—
Covered in dirt—
Hands shaking—
Standing over Sasukes limp bodie as black marks ravaged his skin.
"…I won't let you touch them…!"
Her voice cracked—
But she didn't move.
A red headed boy circled her.
Smiling.
Cruel.
Sasuke—
Breathing heavily—
Body covered in marks, engaged the red headed ninja in a relentless assault
His movements—
Sharper.
Faster.
But reckless, unstable.
"…What is that…?"
Naruto tried to move.
Couldn't.
Forced to watch.
Kiba—
On one knee—
Akamaru whimpering beside him.
"…Get up…"
"…We're not done…"
But he was bleeding.
Badly.
Shino, quiet as ever, tinges of purple spreading along his fingertips, encroaching to more central areas of his body—
Insects scattered wildly.
Out of control.
"…No…"
Hinata—
Standing alone.
Shaking.
But stepping forward anyway.
"…I won't run…"
Facing someone—
Far stronger.
Naruto's chest tightened.
"…Hinata…"
Choji—
Collapsed.
"…I… can't…"
Shikamaru—
Dragging him.
"…You don't get to quit…"
"…What a drag…"
But his voice was strained.
Desperate.
Ino—
Crying—
Still forming hand signs.
"…Get up… please…"
A bowl headed Ninja he hadn't met before—
Broken.
Still trying to stand.
"…I can still fight…"
His body refused.
Naruto's fists clenched.
"…Why… are they all…"
Alone.
Then—
A presence.
Heavy.
Malicious.
Above the village—
A massive barrier formed.
Purple.
Restricting.
Trapping something inside.
"…What the hell is THAT…?"
Explosions intensified.
The Sound.
They were everywhere.
Prepared.
Organized.
This wasn't random.
"…It's an invasion…"
End of vision! Quest triggered as a result!
National Crisis Quest Initiated!
Objective: Figure out the cause of the situations you've witnessed in your vision
Prevent your former classmates from having to endure the above situations.
Rewards will vary based on which classmates' fate is altered
Time limit: 1 month, better start doing some digging!
In a daze he glanced back the way he came.
Distant trees.
Faint jingle jingle echoes.
"…I can't stay here any longer."
Ping
New Thought Registered:
"Retreat is also a viable strategy."
+1 Intelligence
"…Wow."
"…Took me long enough."
Naruto turned.
And started walking.
The forest didn't stop him.
No beasts.
No ambushes.
No monkeys.
"…That's somehow more suspicious…"
Still—
He moved carefully.
Out.
Step by step.
Time passed.
Light grew stronger.
Air felt lighter.
And then—
The fence.
Naruto stepped over it.
"…I made it…"
A pause.
"…I actually made it."
He looked back once.
"…Never again."
In another reality Naruto would be tied up crying for his unknown mommy, still in the center of the forest
He took two steps forward before he heard a shy greeting from behind—
"…Naruto-kun?"
He froze.
Slowly turning.
There she was.
Hinata Hyuga
Standing a few feet away.
Hands pressed together.
Face slightly red.
"…H-Hello…"
Naruto blinked.
"…Hinata?"
He looked down at himself.
Dirt.
Scratches.
Dried blood.
Mystery stains.
The vision he had just witnessed rang throughout his mind. What would his first step toward altering it be?
He scratched the back of his head.
"…This isn't what it looks like."
Ping
System Analysis:
Target: Hinata HyugaStatus: FlusteredHeart Rate: ElevatedAffection Indicators: High
Hint:
• She likes you, idiot.
Naruto blinked.
"…Huh?"
Hinata fidgeted.
"…Y-You were gone for a while…"
"…I-I saw you come out of the forest…"
Naruto rubbed his nose.
"…Yeah, uh…"
"…Training."
A beat.
"…Rough training."
Hinata nodded quickly.
"…I-I can see that…"
Silence.
Awkward.
Naruto stared at her.
System pinged again.
Ping
Recommended Action:
• Say something reassuring• Do NOT mention poop• Do NOT mention almost dying• Try not to be stupid
Naruto inhaled.
"…Hey."
Hinata looked up.
"…You were watching me train right?"
She froze.
"…I—"
Naruto smiled slightly.
Not loud.
Not dumb.
Just… real.
"…Thanks."
"…That means a lot."
Hinata's face turned bright red.
"…I-I—"
"…Y-You're welcome…"
Naruto stretched.
"…Sometime in the next two weeks, we should train together. Bring your whole team along too, could be fun! I'll reach out."
A small pause.
Hinata nodded rapidly.
"…Y-Yes!"
Ping
Charisma Increased +2
"…Oh, Hey, I'm getting good at this." His inner nerves remained shot. He would have to do a lot more than just train with his classmates to make any meaningful change.
Hinata smiled softly.
And for once—
Naruto didn't fumble it.
"…See you around, Hinata."
"…Y-Yes! Naruto-kun!"
He turned.
Walking off.
A little taller.
A little stronger.
But a lot remained on his mind.
— — —
Naruto's Apartment
The door creaked open.
Naruto stepped inside.
"…Home…"
He dropped onto his bed.
"I can't save anyone if I can't save myself first..."
Ping
System Summary:
+210 System PointsStat Gains AppliedSkills ImprovedNew Encounters Logged
Total System Points: 435
Naruto grinned.
"…Oh yeah…"
"…Now we're talking."
He sat up.
Shinobi Shop open.
Mind racing.
"…Time to get stronger."
The grind—
Wasn't over.
It was just getting started.
Total System Points: 435
"…We spend smart."
"…Not lucky."
A rare sentence.
He exhaled.
"…First things first…How to scale properly"
Confirm Purchase
Small Stat Boost x10 (+10 Intelligence)
-100 System Points
Naruto froze.
Then—
"…OH—"
Everything sharpened.
Connections.
Patterns.
Understanding.
That scroll.
Vacuum Bullet.
"…Oh you've gotta be kidding me…"
Ping
Intelligence Requirement Met
Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet — Learnable
Naruto laughed.
"…I'm a genius."
A lie.
But closer than before.
He pulled out the scroll.
"…Consume."
Knowledge flooded in.
Compression.
Precision.
Release.
A focused wind projectile—
Fast.
Piercing.
Efficient.
Ping
New Skill Learned:
Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet LVL 1 (1/10)
Naruto exhaled.
"…Mid-range option…"
"…Perfect."
Remaining Points: 335
He paused.
Thinking.
Actually thinking.
"…Cyclone is strong…"
"…But predictable…"
"…Clones are good…"
"…But I need more impact…"
His eyes dropped to one option.
Skill Evolution Stones.
'System, use my last skill evolution stone on vacuum bullet thought the significantly smarter blonde.
Skill Evolution Stone → Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet
The world—Paused.
Wind gathered.
Not outside—
Inside him.
Compressed.
Violently.
Naruto's mind tensed—
Then—
KNOWLEDGE.
Not just how to fire it a bullet from his mouth—
How to refine it.
Shape it.
Condense it further.
Turn wind—
Into something that cuts.
Not blasts.
Pierces.
Naruto's eyes snapped open.
Air trembled around him.
His fingers lifted instinctively—
Three hand seals.
"…This is new…"
Ping
Skill Evolution Successful
Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet → Wind Release: Gale Pierce
LVL 1 (1/10)
Naruto blinked.
"…Gale… Pierce…?"
Understanding settled instantly.
Not a bullet anymore.
A compressed lance of wind.
Invisible at first—
Then distorting the air as it travels—
High-speed.
Armor-piercing.
Minimal spread.
Maximum lethality.
Naruto stepped toward his window.
"…Let's test it…"
He raised his hands. Seals were formed
Chakra gathered—
But not wildly like before.
Controlled.
Focused.
Condensed to a point.
"…Gale Pierce." Naruto's right palm was directed toward his reflection in the glass.
FWIP—
No explosion.
No roar.
Just a sharp distortion—
The window across the room—
tinged - a clean reverberation sounded from the glass
A clean, baseball sized hole punched straight through it, glass pieces nowhere to be found.
Naruto froze.
"…Oh."
He walked over slowly.
Touched the edge.
Smooth, sharp.
Sliced through.
Perfect penetration.
"…That would've gone through someone…"
A slow grin spread across his face.
"…Yeah…"
"…This is the one."
Ping
Gale Pierce Effects:
• High-speed linear projectile• Armor penetration bonus• Moderate chakra cost• Minimal sound signature• Increased lethality with precision hits
Naruto flexed his fingers.
"…Cyclone controls space…"
"…Clones control chaos…"
"…And this…"
He looked at the hole again.
"…This kills."
The air around him stilled.
Sharper now.
Deadlier.
Naruto leaned back slightly.
"…Next time…"
The vision flickered again.
But this time—
He wasn't watching.
He was aiming.
"…They're not walking away."
"What's next?" 'Purchase 5 Skill experience Packs (Small)'
-75 System Points
+5 Skill experience Packs (Small)
I'll save these for after my two-week grind sesh. Using them while my skills can be grinded seems like a waste of resources.
Already Naruto was applying his intelligence in unique ways.
*Ping*
+1 Intelligence for logical decision making
260 System Points Remaining
"Purchase 1 Skill evolution Stone..."
As much as it pained him to spend 200 points in one go, it was a necessary evil. He'd save it for later in case he was rewarded a lifesaving skill before his month was up.
60 System Points remaining
He'd save the rest of his points for a rainy day. Tomorrow he'd set out to make contact with the rest of his classmates. His heritage and lineage could wait if only for a little while.