"Yes! I finally did it!" Yuto shouted, practically bouncing as he stared at the leaf stuck to his forehead in the mirror. A month of steady training had paid off — his chakra control had improved massively. He had managed to keep the leaf in place for forty-five minutes straight.
'Forty-five minutes… Not bad,' he thought, chest swelling with a mix of pride and impatience. 'Still short of the genin mark, but way better than I was.'
He knew the benchmark. From one of the older orphans who was already a genin, he had learned that to pass the genin exams, you had to hold the leaf to your forehead for at least one hour. That sounded simple enough on paper, but reality was crueler than the novels and fanfics he had devoured.
'How did Naruto pass this test in the anime?' he wondered, sipping water to quench his thirst. 'Only God knows. Without that, how would he pull off the substitution and transformation jutsu?'
He swilled the last of the water and set the cup down, while thinking about the quests given by the system. The system reacted to his repeated actions and generated quests for him.
'The system can give quests based on my actions,' he thought to himself, opening the quest list. 'When I hit the seven-minute mark during that first week, it popped a quest to hold the leaf for three hours. Guess it likes drama.'
[Quest: When the host turns 8 years old, take the Academy Entrance Exam. Rank first in every test. Show everyone that a new genius is born and gain the attention of your clan head.
Reward: Mystery Box, +2 points to all stats except Luck, and +2 free E-Points.]
[Quest: the host wants to become the strongest in the world to survive against madara and the otsusuki clan.So the host should become an elite of every rank.The normal Genins can only hold the leaf for 1 hour.But the elite can stick it to their forehead for 2 hours and more.Show them that you are an elite by sticking it to your forehead for 3 hours.
Reward:Mystery Box, +2 points to all stats except Luck, and +2 free E-Points]
[Quest:Host is to train their body to harsh exercises and keep increasing them when the host feels that the host is getting a hang of it.To be recognised as a genius,the hosts physical strength and speed should be able to match their chakra control. Keep doing these exercises till the academy exams and Ace the test.
Reward:Mystery Box, +2 points to all stats except Luck, and +2 free E-Points.]
'Quests aside,' he thought, propping himself on an elbow, 'it's almost October. Naruko's birthday is the 10th. What should I give her?'
He tapped his chin, trying to picture what Naruko would like. 'If she were a boy like canon, this would be easy. But she's different — a tomboy. What do tomboys like?' He scrolled through the stores in his head, imagining various little trinkets, toys, practical gifts — and then gave up for the night. "I'll figure it out tomorrow," he said aloud, deciding he could browse later. Sleep and chakra restoration were more urgent right now.
Days slipped by in steady routine. Yuto stuck to his schedule: early breakfast, running, leaf exercises, strength training, meditation. He also made time for the important things — that included visiting Ichiraku Ramen with Naruko, where he finally met the legendary Sage of Six Bowls. The ramen was everything the stories promised.
'No wonder she's addicted,' he admitted to himself, smiling at the memory. 'The broth really is that good. But I don't have a giant fox or Uzumaki stamina — so one bowl a day is my limit.'
Now, on another bright morning, Yuto ran alongside Naruko, both of them scanning the forest edge close to the training grounds. Naruko puffed, trying to keep pace. "Yuto, are you sure someone will help us train for the academy?" she asked with a nervous tilt to her voice.
Yuto glanced at her, confidence steady in his features. "Yes. I've heard a lot about this man. From what I gathered, he was the dead-last in his group, but he never quit. He trained so hard that he left everyone behind, except his rival. Both of them are now considered some of the strongest ninja in the village."
Naruko's eyes lit up, impressed. "Sugoi!" she breathed, stamping her foot with renewed hope. They neared the patch of trees that bordered the training fields.
"But will he even train us?" Naruko's voice dropped. "Everyone hates me… what if he refuses when he sees me? I don't want you to be rejected because of me." Her shoulders shrank as the worry spread across her face.
Yuto's expression hardened with fierce protectiveness. He grabbed her hand before she could step back. "I know what you're thinking," he said gently, eyes locked on hers. "He's not like the others. If you show determination and never give up, he'll accept you. And even if he's like the villagers — which I say is impossible — then I won't train with him. You're my friend, Naruko. You're family."
Naruko's breath hitched. 'Family…' The word landed warm and heavy in her chest. 'No one has ever said that to me like that.'
Yuto continued, voice low and serious. "I'm going to be your right-hand man, Naruko. It's my duty to protect you and not let anyone disrespect you." He smiled with his eyes closed for a second, then opened them to find her face crumpling. She was crying.
"H-Hey! Why are you crying!? Did I say something wrong!?" he blurted, panicked.
He hadn't expected that reaction. Naruko bolted forward and hugged him tightly, her sobs quiet but urgent. "Thank you… thank you," she repeated, burying her face in his shirt.
Yuto froze in shock. He sweated bullets as he put an awkward hand on her back, unsure of how to comfort properly.
When she pulled back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, her voice was small but steady. "Thank you for considering me your family."
Yuto managed a grin, trying to act nonchalant. "Now, now, stop crying. Let's go and search for our future sensei." He took her hand again, this time firmer, and they set off side by side. Naruko's determination returned like a flame rekindled. "Let's go find him!" she declared, and they dashed into the trees together.