March 15, Year 38 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar.
A crowd had already formed outside the Konoha Ninja Academy's bulletin board.
There were hopeful students, anxious parents, and curious onlookers.
Shuuichi Hoshishita scanned the list rapidly. His eyes darted from one name to another until—there it was. His name.
He let out a long breath.
Sure, he'd been confident he'd pass the entrance test, but seeing his name in black and white made it real. Official.
Now, all that remained was the enrollment ceremony and submitting his paperwork. Come April 1st, he'd officially be a student of the Ninja Academy.
But Shuuichi's attention wasn't really on the bulletin board anymore.
It was on a tree—a tree that only existed in his mind.
He called it the Trait Tree.
Right now, the tree was bare except for two fragile leaves. Each leaf represented a trait.
One of them shimmered with 90% white light and 10% gray, still in progress.
Trait: Student
Condition: Become a Ninja Academy student
Effect: Increases concentration by 100% while studying.
The second leaf, however, glowed with pure white light—it was fully activated.
Trait: Self-Discipline
Condition: Maintain a daily training schedule (minimum 30 minutes) for one full year.
Effect: Diligence makes up for natural lack. All effort brings reward. No matter how small the step, every step counts.
It had taken him a full year of consistent training to earn that one. Rain or shine, he had never skipped a day since awakening his spiritual awareness at the age of four. What started as 30 minutes a day had grown into an hour or more.
Even after acquiring the trait, he kept going. Partly out of habit… but mostly because it worked.
Effort always led to results.
Most people give up when hard work doesn't yield visible returns. But this trait? It guaranteed reward. Even if slow. Even if small.
Had he not been an orphan, he would've trained even harder. But even at his age, he was relentless—largely thanks to one person.
Nonō Yakushi.
The head of the orphanage. A kind, gentle woman skilled in medical ninjutsu. Though they couldn't afford high-end potions or supplements, her healing techniques helped him recover quickly and train efficiently.
Just thinking about her warmed Shuuichi's heart.
Then... he thought of Danzo, and that warmth instantly turned cold.
"I need to get stronger. Fast."
"And... I need to make money."
He clenched his fists.
He wasn't some nameless orphan with no roots. His father had been a chunin, his mother a genin. They had left behind a small inheritance.
Now that he had passed the exam, he'd finally be allowed to access it—and move out of the orphanage.
Still, the inheritance likely wasn't much. It would be enough to live on with the village's subsidies, but not enough to support the kind of extreme training he planned.
So… how does a five-year-old make money?
He brooded over this until a loud sob nearby snapped him out of it.
"I'm not on the list! I failed, Dad!"
"Keep looking, Gai. You gave it everything you had!""Hard work never betrays! Your name is waiting for you at the end of the tears!"
Shuuichi turned his head.
Two blinding figures in green spandex stood out in the crowd.
Might Duy and his son, Might Guy.
The scene was almost comedic, but... something about their words hit different.
There was sincerity in that awkward intensity.
Shuuichi looked around at the other children who'd passed. Future classmates, most likely.
Rin Nohara?
Kurenai Yuhi?
So young. So innocent.
He quickly looked away—lest his thoughts take a weird turn.
Then something caught his eye.
A white-haired kid strutted past the crowd, hands in his pockets, looking way too cool for a boy his age.
What a show-off, Shuuichi thought. Who does he think he is? Jiraiya Junior?
As the crowd began to thin out, Shuuichi turned to leave—then froze.
A chill ran through his mind.
On his Trait Tree, a new leaf appeared—gray and dormant, but there.
Trait: Physically Robust
Condition: Train with Might Guy for 100 consecutive days.
Effect: Increases recovery rate by 100%, resistance to injury and illness by 100%, and taijutsu talent by 100%.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
What the hell?! This trait is insane! I need this!
Plans changed instantly.
Instead of leaving, he casually strolled over to the Academy's old swing set, sat down, and started swinging—eyes locked on the green-clad father and son.
Soon enough, the two walked off. But Shuuichi waited. Patiently.
Sure enough, not even thirty minutes later, Might Guy returned—this time running laps around the Academy courtyard with a massive banner tied to his back.
People stared. Snickered. Mocked.
Shuuichi smiled faintly and stepped off the swing.
"Eh?"
Guy blinked as he noticed someone running beside him.
Shuuichi kept pace, calm and steady.
"You didn't pass either?" Guy asked, a bit hesitant.
"Nah, I passed," Shuuichi replied coolly. "But passing doesn't mean the work stops."
"Your dad said something that stuck with me."
Guy's eyes lit up. "What did he say?"
Shuuichi surged ahead with a grin. "Hard work never betrays."
"I believe that too. Effort always pays off. It's just a matter of time."
"My name's Shuuichi Hoshishita. And Guy—I believe you'll get in."
The words hit Guy like a punch to the soul. He stopped mid-run, tears welling up.
Then, power surged through him like a tidal wave.
"500 laps!" he yelled. "If I fail, I'll do 500 handstand laps!"
He took off again. Shuuichi ran beside him.
From that day forward, two small figures were seen training daily in the Academy courtyard, no matter the weather.
Sometimes Might Duy would cheer them on from the sidelines. Other times, it was just the two of them, ignoring the jeers of passing students.
Occasionally, the white-haired kid would stroll by with his hands still in his pockets, glancing over before continuing on.
Ten days passed. March 25th.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, visited the Academy to prepare for the new school year.
What he saw surprised him—two boys, drenched in sweat, running with unwavering resolve.
It warmed his old heart.
So long as Konoha has youths like these… our future is bright.
The very next day, a new name appeared on the bulletin board.
Might Guy.
"Congratulations, Guy," Shuuichi said sincerely.
He knew the original timeline. Without Guy's insane work ethic, would the Third have made an exception for him?
Unlikely.
Guy burst into tears. "Thank you, Shuuichi!"
Shuuichi shrugged. "See? Hard work never goes unrewarded."
"Now come on. We've still got training to do."
Guy wiped his face with a shout: "Today, I'll run 1,000 laps! If I can't, then 1,000 push-ups!"
"And today… I will outlast you, Shuuichi!"