"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Naruto glared at the villager walking away with a carrying pole, fury bubbling over inside him. He was clearly the one being bullied, yet not a single person spoke up for him. Instead, every one of them praised Kanzaki Shin for being kind!
That bastard… it was all his fault!
Get stronger!
He had to get stronger!
He had to tear off that hypocrite's mask!
Never before had Naruto felt such urgency to grow stronger. He wished he could gain overwhelming power right now and crush Shin outright.
Shin, however, paid him no mind. With a gentle, polite smile, he greeted every passing villager, and each of them responded with praise for his dedication and responsibility. To the villagers, if Shin could treat a "problem student" like Naruto with such care, there was no way he would discriminate against anyone else.
Ten laps. Twenty laps…
By the later stages, Naruto's consciousness grew hazy. He could barely remember how long he had been running.
Shin glanced at him from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Thirty laps.
For his first time undergoing such high-intensity training, Naruto was already nearing his limit. Pushing further might become dangerous.
Shin wanted more screen time, but if Naruto got injured, the Third Hokage would never allow this kind of "special training" again.
He came to a stop.
"Take a break, dead last."
"I…"
Naruto had been relying purely on willpower to keep going. Now, his body swayed, his vision dimming as he nearly collapsed backward.
After barely steadying himself, his breathing came out ragged and harsh, like a broken bellows.
Shin let out a small scoff. "I'll take you to class now. Remember, you still have fifty laps at noon."
"Fifty laps…"
Naruto's mind went blank. "I finished…?"
He staggered along behind, dazed, unable to process anything for a long while.
…
Ninja Academy.
The bell rang.
Inside the classroom, Iruka's gaze swept across the room, quickly landing on a familiar empty seat.
His brow twitched, but he said nothing, placing his book down and preparing to start the lesson.
Just then, the door opened.
Naruto stood there, panting heavily. "Sorry, Iruka-sensei, I…"
"Naruto! Late again!"
Iruka roared, then added in frustration, "Why are you always like this?"
Naruto lowered his head in silence, grievance swelling in his chest.
At that moment, a voice came from behind.
"Ah, sorry about that, Iruka-sensei. I had Naruto do some extra training this morning, so he ended up late."
As he spoke, a handsome face appeared above Naruto's head.
Kanzaki Shin ruffled Naruto's blond hair and smiled gently. "Go on in."
Naruto didn't feel grateful at all. Instead, he glared furiously.
Because… Shin was telling the truth!
Dragged out at six in the morning, forced to run until past seven, then barely given any rest before rushing to school—of course he was late. His plan to go around with a paint bucket and cause trouble had been completely ruined.
But clearly, no one believed him.
"Shin-sensei is so handsome and gentle! Even someone like Naruto, and he's still willing to help him selflessly—ahhh, I love him so much!"
Ino clasped her hands to her face, eyes sparkling.
Choji stuffed chips into his mouth and muttered, "No way. Naruto definitely went off to graffiti again."
Shikamaru rested his head on his hand, watching Naruto's trembling legs, saying nothing.
Iruka, however, grew even more annoyed. His expression darkened, though he forced a smile. "Shin-sensei, you don't need to make excuses for him…"
"No, Naruto really did run dozens of laps around Konoha this morning."
Shin scratched his head awkwardly. "He's still young. I might need to reduce the training next time."
Iruka froze for a moment, then looked at Naruto. Noticing his unsteady stance, he finally believed it, silently regretting his earlier judgment.
But then he caught Naruto's fierce glare, and his dissatisfaction returned.
"Did you thank Shin-sensei?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "I have to thank him?!"
"No need. I won't disturb your class. I'll go prepare for this afternoon's taijutsu lesson."
Shin waved it off casually, then waved goodbye to Iruka and the class.
Naruto was furious, but powerless against him. He could only glare daggers at Shin's retreating figure, wishing he could beat him up a hundred times over.
Unlike usual, Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on Naruto until he sat down, only then shifting his gaze back to the front.
Back in the office, Shin stretched lazily.
He sat down, took out pen and paper, and began recording the techniques and insights he had gained from last night.
Though the time spent in "Basic Training" hadn't been long, judging from his performance this morning, the effects were immediate.
Moreover, injuries and fatigue from the training space didn't carry over into reality, while the skills themselves improved tangibly.
Unfortunately, only the taijutsu section of Basic Training had been unlocked so far.
"Taijutsu in ninja combat focuses on killing or injuring. Movements should be concise and direct, avoiding flashy, unnecessary actions."
"Speed must increase, but the body's reaction must keep up…"
He wrote down each point one by one.
As he finished another line, his peripheral vision caught someone standing nearby. He immediately rose, turning in alert.
The next second, he froze, then quickly bowed. "Lord Hokage, I didn't expect you to be here!"
"Hahaha, I seem to have disturbed you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand with a smile.
"Please, have a seat!"
Shin stepped aside.
He shared the office with Iruka, who was currently teaching, leaving only the two of them inside.
Hiruzen didn't refuse. He sat down with a smile, glancing over the notes on the table, his smile widening.
"Not bad. Did you come up with this yourself?"
"Yes. I'm not particularly talented, and I don't know other ninjutsu, so I can only focus on refining taijutsu."
Shin answered honestly.
Hiruzen let out a soft sigh. "You're diligent and willing to work hard."
"You're now a Chunin and a teacher, so you can receive two jutsu."
As he spoke, Hiruzen took out a scroll.
Shin accepted it and opened it.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Simple, yet powerful—a highly practical jutsu.
But what he truly wanted… was another technique.
Unfortunately, the Shadow Clone Technique was a B-rank jutsu, typically only learned by Jonin.
Just as he was about to thank him, Hiruzen continued, "I checked your records. Your chakra paper test showed an affinity for fire, so I chose this technique for you."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Shin replied gratefully.
Hiruzen waved it off with a smile. "You're an important talent for the village. It's only right to nurture you. As for the second jutsu, tell me your thoughts."
"Lord Hokage…"
Shin hesitated briefly before speaking. "Can I learn the Shadow Clone Technique at my current level?"
"Shadow Clone?"
Hiruzen was momentarily surprised, then fell into thought. "Learning the Shadow Clone Technique requires a large amount of chakra. Otherwise, its practicality is limited, and there are certain risks."
"I understand."
Shin naturally knew how the technique worked.
It could create a solid clone indistinguishable even to the Byakugan or Sharingan.
Most importantly, when the clone was dispelled, all its memories and combat experience would return to the original.
Shin didn't have much chakra, but creating a single shadow clone to assist with training and work was feasible.
"Very well, but you must know your limits. At most, create one shadow clone at a time."
Hiruzen nodded, though he added a firm warning.
Shin nodded repeatedly.
Then, with a slightly hesitant expression, he seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
"Lord Hokage, about Naruto…"
"Haha, I've heard. Though your methods aren't the best, I think you can give it a try."
Hiruzen replied.
He then sighed softly. "It's a pity. Naruto may not understand your intentions right now. You've been put in a difficult position."
"It's not a problem. I hope he can grow into something great, and exhausting his energy will keep him from causing trouble every day."
Shin responded, visibly relieved.
Hiruzen patted his shoulder. "Work hard. I have high hopes for you."
"Yes!"