"It's time to begin!"
In the cold early morning, Izuna put on a long-sleeved shirt and running pants, preparing to start his training.
The sky was still dark when he left the apartment. The streets of Konoha were quiet, lit only by the faint glow of the moon. There was no rush, but he knew he needed to start as early as possible. The sooner, the better.
He reached the park before the first rays of sunlight appeared. The air was cold and damp, but he didn't mind. He stretched his arms, then his legs, feeling his muscles slowly wake up. He breathed deeply, keeping a steady rhythm. He had done this before—in another life. The body was new, but the memory was old.
And if, as a nerd who used to watch anime, he could run ten laps without a problem, in this world—with chakra—he should be able to run at least a hundred. Of course, that depended on each person.
Finally, he began running around the park.
The dirt path made little noise beneath his feet. He wasn't alone for long—soon, other boys started to appear. Some were genin, others still academy students like him. The difference was that he had already been running for a long time by the time they arrived.
After the run, slightly breathless, he moved on to sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, and squats.
He alternated between modern exercises and those he had seen in anime, especially in training montages from old episodes.
If he had to compare, his current routine resembled Saitama's: one hundred of each exercise. Unfortunately, it was nothing like Rock Lee's, who had trained intensely since he was a child.
With his young body adapting quickly to the exercises, he missed having some weights. If only he had ankle or wrist weights, the effort would be more complete. But for now, he had to rely solely on his own body.
"It's useless to follow with your eyes if your body can't react fast enough."
Izuna recalled Rock Lee's words to Sasuke at the beginning of the Chuunin Exams. And he knew they were true.
That's why he decided: he would train day after day until his body could respond automatically to the reflexes of his eyes.
Izuna trained from five in the morning until seven, slowly building his physique. At first, the intensity was uncomfortable, but soon his body began to warm up and adjust. Tomorrow he would probably feel even better. The Uchiha genetics were truly impressive.
Thinking about how Sasuke managed to copy Rock Lee's speed and style in just a few days—going from barely being able to see him to keeping up with Gaara—showed just how much potential lay in their bloodline.
Izuna didn't expect to have the same talent as Sasuke, who was the damn reincarnation of Indra, but he would make up for the difference with effort and knowledge.
---
By the time the sun started to rise, Izuna arrived at a small training forest inside the Uchiha district. The place was empty as usual—only the wind rustling through the trees and the sound of birds. His predecessor hadn't been here in weeks—but today, he needed the space.
"Let's see if it works like I remember..." Izuna muttered, pulling three kunai from his pouch and feeling the familiar weight of the metal in his hands.
Swosh!
Without hesitation, he threw all three in a single motion, aiming at the trunks with red-painted targets.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
All hit the center.
Izuna nodded but knew it wasn't anything impressive—any decent genin could do that at this distance.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, then stepped back more than twenty paces. When he opened them again, the world seemed slower. His vision captured everything in sharp detail—the Sharingan was active.
This time, he picked six different targets.
With his right hand, he threw three kunai, each toward a specific trunk. A second later, he launched three shuriken with his left hand, each following a calculated trajectory.
The result:
1. The first shuriken hit the side of a kunai, redirecting it to a target on the left.
2. The second collided with a kunai at a perfect angle, sending it toward a higher target.
3. The third caused the final kunai to ricochet off a trunk and embed itself in the last target.
Meanwhile, the shuriken continued on their paths and struck three other targets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six weapons. Six targets. All in less than two seconds.
Izuna deactivated the Sharingan and took a deep breath, a faint smile on his face.
This was true Uchiha shurikenjutsu—not just hitting targets, but completely controlling the battlefield with thrown weapons.
He knew Uchiha shurikenjutsu was the best, and with the Sharingan, it became even deadlier. Even knowing this was the minimum expected of him, he still felt excited.
As he moved to collect his gear, all the targets had been hit dead center—no mistakes.
"Hm?"
As he picked up his weapons, something felt... off. Was he being watched?
The small forest remained quiet.
"Imagination?" he muttered, starting to head back, though the feeling of being observed lingered.
He didn't see anyone. And even if he wanted to activate the Sharingan to check, he feared that whoever was in the dark would notice. That is, if anyone was really there.
With a sigh, he headed home. He needed to clean up and change—he still had classes at the Ninja Academy. And this was the final month before graduation.
---
Meanwhile, in a hidden spot within the Uchiha district, not far away, a woman with purple hair and an ANBU mask stood still, jotting something down in a small scroll.
---
[Ninja Academy]
The morning was warm and noisy when Izuna entered the Academy. Something was different—not in the environment, but in himself.
As he walked down the hallway, he noticed the usual stares. Ino and Chouji, who were talking, paused for a moment. Even Shikamaru raised an eyebrow when he saw him.
This time, instead of ignoring them as he usually did, Izuna gave them a slight nod before continuing on his way.
No words.
Just a small gesture—but enough to cause an immediate effect.
Ino whispered to Chouji: "Did you see that, or am I stuck in a genjutsu? Izuna finally noticed that there are other students besides himself?"
Chouji shook his head, munching on his chips, unfazed.
Shikamaru muttered: "What a troublesome guy..." But his eyes followed Izuna for a moment longer.
Izuna sat in his usual seat, seemingly indifferent to the whispers. Inside, however, he was analyzing every reaction.
"It wasn't a big deal, right? Just a greeting."
---
[Time skip – Last day at the Ninja Academy]
The month passed faster than Izuna expected. Daily training had made him stronger, and even he was surprised by the results. Each day made him more agile, more precise, more prepared. His chakra control—and of course, the Uchiha fire-style ninjutsu—didn't fall behind either.
He could already walk on water, climb trees, and even steep mountains with ease. One could say that unless his chakra levels increased drastically, he would maintain perfect chakra control for a while.
On the morning of the final day of class, the classroom was full of nervous energy. All the students were already in their seats, whispering, laughing, or trying to look confident. It was the day of the final exam. The last obstacle before officially becoming ninjas.
The door slammed open.
"Good morning, class!" Iruka's firm voice echoed through the room as he entered with a clipboard in hand. "Today is the final test. If you pass, you'll receive your Konoha forehead protector. The test is simple: you'll need to perform the Clone Technique, which we've been practicing for years."
Some students swallowed hard. Others stepped forward, trying to show confidence.
Without exception, the first few passed with relative ease.
When Izuna's name was called, he stood calmly and walked to the front of the room.
"Begin when you're ready," said Iruka.
Izuna nodded and gave a brief bow before starting.
"Clone Jutsu!"
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Three identical figures materialized around him in clouds of smoke. Every detail—from the folds in their clothes to their facial expressions—was perfect. The clones stood still, as steady as statues.
Iruka examined each one closely, unable to hide a subtle glint of approval in his eyes.
"Excellent chakra control, Izuna. Three perfect clones without even using hand seals. You pass."
He picked up a forehead protector and handed it to Izuna with a smile.
As Izuna returned to his seat with the new forehead protector, he felt Sasuke's gaze on him. The other Uchiha watched with an expression of recognition—and perhaps the faintest trace of rivalry.
Other students soon followed: Shino, Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Kiba... each with their own struggles or ease. Even Sasuke took the test with a bored expression, as if it were far too easy...
When it was Naruto's turn, silence took over the classroom.
"Clone Jutsu!" he shouted with confidence.
…But the result was just a pale clone, collapsed on the floor, looking more unconscious than alive.
Some students laughed. Others sighed. Naruto looked away, embarrassed.
Iruka let out a deep sigh.
"Naruto... you failed."
The word echoed like thunder.
Naruto lowered his head, fists clenched.
Iruka looked at him and sighed again.
'Maybe I should consider his effort. Naruto has great physical resistance, and the Cloning jutsu is not really his specialty. Maybe with a bit more patience…' he thought.
But then… No!
Iruka cut off his own thoughts with a serious look. 'Rules are rules. I can't give a ninja title to someone who can't perform the most basic technique.'
Naruto said nothing. He simply walked out in silence, trying to look strong.
Izuna followed him with his eyes, thoughtful. He didn't feel sorry for him — Naruto was tougher than he seemed. And Izuna knew what was coming next. That night was still ahead… Mizuki's betrayal. The theft of the Scroll of Seals. And Naruto's awakening as a true ninja.
'This is the moment that changes everything for him…' Izuna thought.
Sakura seemed to take joy in his misfortune, while Hinata looked sad for him.