"Five-sixty-seven... five-sixty-eight... five-sixty-nine... five-seventy... five-seventy-one!"
Naruto's fists pounded into the wooden post over and over until his knuckles burned. Sweat dripped down his cheek as he threw one last punch, the dull thud echoing through the empty training field.
Even with the Rikudō Shingon inside him, his body still needed to keep up. Holy power or not, no one ever became Hokage by skipping morning drills.
[Rikudō Shingon]: How diligent... for someone who oversleeps every other day. Such divine irony, Host.
"Shut up," Naruto muttered, panting. "You're supposed to guide me, not roast me."
[Rikudō Shingon]: I guide you through ridicule. Enlightenment through humiliation—my sacred method.
It had been over a month since Naruto first awakened the strange voice inside him, and since then, his training had been relentless. Mornings were for taijutsu, afternoons for chakra control, and classes... well, mostly for catching up on sleep.
Thankfully, the Academy's curriculum didn't focus only on ninjutsu. They also taught how to build focus and develop spiritual energy—though for Naruto, that "spiritual training" mostly looked like daydreaming.
Still, he could feel himself changing. His strength and chakra had grown, and Rikudō Shingon even gave him something that looked like a stat readout once:
[Rikudō Shingon – Current Evaluation]Strength: 120Speed: 140Mental Focus: 118Chakra Capacity: 3,000 / 5,000,000Classification: Chūnin-Level Body, Genin-Level Patience
Naruto grinned. "Not bad, huh?"
[Rikudō Shingon]: For a hyperactive loudmouth, yes. Truly, the world trembles.
He ignored the jab and kept punching until his arms went numb. When he finally slumped to the ground, he gasped for air, chest heaving. "Man… I'm beat."
Even so, he could feel the Nine-Tails' influence helping his body recover faster than normal. His training wasn't exactly refined, but it was brutally effective.
"Alright, time for a bath, then food... then, uh... maybe school."
[Rikudō Shingon]: Your priorities shine like the sun, Host. Truly worthy of the title 'Future Hokage of Laziness.'
Naruto stood, brushed off the dirt, and wandered toward the river. After a quick dive into the cold water, he surfaced with a shout.
"Ahhh! That's the stuff!"
A few minutes later, four fat fish were roasting over a fire. Naruto grinned, chewing happily. "Protein, baby. Sakura's not gonna keep calling me short forever."
Once his stomach was full, he packed up and bolted toward the village.
At that same moment, a lone figure watched from the treeline, hands in his pockets and a certain orange book tucked under one arm. The silver hair caught the sunlight.
"Kakashi-sensei... watching me again, huh?" Naruto whispered, his Ten'on subtly catching the faint sound of pages flipping.
[Rikudō Shingon]: Observation from the shadows. Classic Konoha parenting method. You humans are adorably paranoid.
Naruto smirked. "Still better than that creepy ANBU squad."
He'd noticed them vanish a month ago, but one new chakra signature kept appearing in their place. At first, he thought it was coincidence—until his Ten'gan confirmed the truth. Kakashi was watching over him. His father's student.
And honestly? Naruto didn't mind.
Later that morning, the classroom door slammed open.
"Iruka-sensei! Sorry I'm late! I, uh, got lost at the crossroads of life again!"
A pencil snapped in Iruka's hand.
"Naruto! You used that excuse two days ago!"
[Rikudō Shingon]: Recycling lies—environmentally conscious, if nothing else.
"Ha-ha… my bad," Naruto said, sliding into his seat beside Hinata. "I'll think of something new next time."
Hinata's fingers fidgeted nervously as she whispered, "N-Naruto-kun…"
"Morning, Hinata! You're looking cute today."
A puff of steam rose from Hinata's head before she fainted forward with a quiet thump.
Naruto blinked. "Guess I overdid it again."
He yawned, folded his arms, and let his head fall to the desk.
[Rikudō Shingon]: Sleeping in class—truly, the mark of a future Sage.
"Shut up... I'm meditating," Naruto murmured as he slipped into his mental realm, feeling the slow pulse of chakra gathering in his gut.