The physical training session had finally ended.All across the field, the students collapsed like fallen dominoes, sitting or lying wherever they landed, too exhausted to care about appearances.
Kitazawa watched them and couldn't help recalling his past life's college fitness tests.Back then, running just a thousand meters felt like taking one of Tsunade's punches—he'd almost died on the spot.
Yet these kids, barely six or seven years old, could sprint that same distance as if it were nothing.Chakra really is something else, he thought.
[Current Mission: Place first in the endurance training.][Reward: Leaf Hurricane.][Mission completed. Reward granted.]
As the new information flowed through his mind, Kitazawa nodded slightly.
The Leaf Hurricane was one of the taijutsu techniques developed by Maito Gai, part of his Leaf Whirlwind series.This particular move was an upgraded version of the standard Leaf Whirlwind.
Kitazawa suspected that completing this chain of missions might eventually lead him to the legendary Eight Gates Formation.
Of course, the Eight Gates came with terrifying physical drawbacks… but in a life-or-death situation, who cared about side effects?
"Now, I'll announce the rankings," Kitazawa said once everyone had caught their breath."First place: Uchiha Sasuke."
"Sasuke-kun!"A chorus of girls, led by Haruno Sakura, cheered excitedly.
But Sasuke didn't look happy at all.
He'd taken first place in endurance training and earned a snack prize pack—double the reward, double the satisfaction.So why did he feel… empty?
How could a regular chūnin run that fast? he wondered bitterly.
He sighed quietly.The cheers and excitement belonged to everyone else. None of it felt like his.
"Second place, Inuzuka Kiba.Third, Aburame Shino…Ninth, Uzumaki Naruto…"
Kitazawa stopped once he reached the tenth name.As expected, the top ten were almost entirely filled by students from shinobi clans—except for Shikamaru and Chōji, who had only run half the laps before quitting.
"Damn it!"Naruto clutched his head in frustration.
He wanted to be the fastest man in the ninja world—yet he'd barely managed ninth.
Kitazawa glanced at him.Naruto's stamina wasn't the issue—it was his lack of technique. The boy just ran wildly with no rhythm or control.
[Your lifelong rival Uzumaki Naruto performed poorly in endurance training. It's a disgrace to your reputation.][New Mission: Help Uzumaki Naruto place second in endurance training.][Reward: Shadow Clone Jutsu.][Accept mission?]
Kitazawa blinked.Then a slow grin spread across his face.
Now that's a good one.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu could create tangible duplicates, each capable of independent action.They weren't illusions—they were real, functional bodies. Perfect for battle, training, or reconnaissance.
And when the clones dispersed, all their experiences and memories returned to the original.
Its advanced form, the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, was practically Naruto's personal cheat code in the original timeline—made possible only because of his massive chakra reserves.
Hundreds, even thousands of clones meant exponentially faster growth.Like grinding XP with a permanent boost.
Of course, Kitazawa didn't have anywhere near that much chakra. Not even a fifth of what was needed.Still, using a single Shadow Clone should be manageable.
But why did the system specify "help Naruto get second place" instead of first?
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.Then it clicked.
The system probably considered him the default first place.So in reality, "second" was as high as Naruto could go.
"Alright, once you've rested up," Kitazawa said aloud, "we'll move on to moving-target kunai practice. Anyone who's already mastered it is free to train independently."
At once, Sasuke stood, silent as ever, and walked toward the trees at the edge of the training grounds.
He'd fallen behind in the endurance test—he couldn't afford to lag behind in chakra control as well.
Hinata and Ino exchanged glances, then followed him quietly.
"Naruto, come with me," Kitazawa called.
"Huh? Kitazawa-sensei, what's up?" Naruto asked, hurrying after him.
"I watched your performance just now," Kitazawa said. "You shouldn't have ranked ninth."
"Really?!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "I thought so too!"
Kitazawa chuckled.Stubborn, loud, and never willing to lose—Naruto really was just like Sasuke in that sense.
They're practically brothers… born from different parents but the same level of trouble.
"In my opinion, you have the potential to place in the top three," Kitazawa continued. "But do you know why you didn't?"
Naruto scratched his head. "No idea."
"Because all you did was charge ahead blindly," Kitazawa explained. "You don't understand the technique behind running."
"Then—then can you teach me, Kitazawa-sensei?" Naruto asked eagerly.
"Of course," Kitazawa said with a faint smile. "That's exactly why I called you over."
"Thanks, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto beamed. "Next time, I'll totally take first place!"
"We'll see about that," Kitazawa replied. "Sasuke's no pushover—but you have an advantage. Your stamina's insane."
The Uzumaki clan was naturally resilient, with vast chakra reserves.And Naruto, as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, possessed a monstrous recovery rate—even if he didn't consciously realize it.
The leaking chakra from the Nine-Tails was already bolstering his endurance and healing.
The two of them arrived at a secluded training field—the same one where Sasuke, Hinata, and Ino were practicing tree climbing.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted loudly the moment he saw him.
Thud!Startled, Sasuke lost his balance and fell straight off the trunk.
"Why are you yelling like that?!" he hissed through gritted teeth, rubbing his shoulder before climbing again.
"What're they doing?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.
"That's chakra control training," Kitazawa explained. "You're not quite ready for that yet, so let's start with something simpler—running technique."
"Okay!" Naruto straightened up, ready to learn.
"The key to running," Kitazawa began, "is mastering rhythm—proper posture, breathing, and pacing. You need to flow with each step."
"Oh, I get it now!" Naruto said, nodding enthusiastically.
Kitazawa sighed inwardly.Yeah, sure you do.
Naruto's academic skills in the original timeline were a disaster. If it wasn't ninjutsu, theory went in one ear and out the other.
"Alright," Kitazawa said, patting his shoulder. "Run a few laps. I'll correct you as you go."
"Got it!" Naruto took off immediately.
Kitazawa couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
Unbelievable.They'd just finished endurance training, rested for a few minutes, and now the boy was full of energy again.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.Still, with the system's help, his own body and chakra would eventually catch up.
He glanced toward Sasuke, Hinata, and Ino—all still focused on their tree-climbing drills.
Yeah… I'm starting to look like a real teacher now, he thought, smiling faintly.
Saturday arrived.
Kitazawa raised his hand and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a sleepy, beautiful face.
"So early?"Kurenai Yūhi yawned softly, rubbing her eyes.
Kitazawa's eyes brightened.
She was wearing a loose yukata-style sleep robe.The soft fabric hugged her curves in all the right ways, accentuating her figure—especially her chest, which was… impressively full.
Not quite Tsunade-level, of course—but still, more than enough to make any man take notice.