The following days passed without Ren being able to point to a precise moment of change.
Nothing happened suddenly. There was no specific training session that could be remembered as a turning point. What existed was repetition — silent, cumulative, almost invisible, blended into the ordinary routine of the Academy and the small situations that constantly reminded him that he was still surrounded by children.
On one of the mornings, even before the sun had fully broken the horizon, Ren was already at the most secluded training field near the village. The short grass still held the sheen of dew, and the cold air carried that damp, living-earth scent that only appeared in the earliest hours of the day. The sky was still pale, with bluish tones and thin clouds that allowed the light to pass through diffusely.
He was running.
There was no rush. The pace was steady, calculated to be sustained for long periods without exhausting the body. His breathing remained controlled, flowing in cadence with his steps. His arms moved without excessive rigidity, and his feet touched the ground carefully, avoiding unnecessary impact.
— You're spending more than you can replenish.
The voice appeared without warning.
Ren slowed until he stopped, feeling his heart steady in his chest. Might Guy stood at the edge of the field, wearing simple training clothes, already worn from constant use. His crossed arms contrasted with the open smile on his face — far too bright for that early hour.
— It's not fatigue — Guy continued. — It's lack of energy.
Ren took a deep breath, assessing his own body. The sensation was there, subtle and constant.
— I don't eat much — he admitted.
Guy frowned for a moment, then shook his head.
— Willpower doesn't replace food. Eat more rice. More fish. And don't skip meals just because you want to train early.
He adjusted Ren's posture during the run, explained how to distribute weight better, when to accelerate and when to accept slowing down. Nothing sophisticated. Nothing impressive. Just fundamentals.
— Training without energy isn't discipline — he concluded. — It's waste.
Ren listened without arguing. He stored the advice the same way he stored everything he considered useful.
Later that same day, already on the way to the Academy, he passed a small group of students gathered near the side gate. Atsuo Kanzaki spoke with exaggerated seriousness, gesturing as if he were addressing a formal council.
— That's not how you make a hand seal — he said, correcting a smaller boy.
Mid-explanation, Atsuo lost focus, tripped over his own foot, and fell sitting down, scattering the scrolls he carried across the ground.
There was a brief silence.
Then, laughter.
Atsuo turned red up to his ears, hastily gathered the papers, and walked away as if nothing had happened. Ren looked away before being noticed, but the corner of his mouth moved almost imperceptibly.
During the Academy break, another scene drew attention.
Kohari Aoyama stood in front of Gaku Inuzuka, her hands clenched in front of her body, her face clearly flushed.
— I… I like you — she said all at once, barely breathing.
The courtyard seemed to freeze for a second.
Gaku blinked, confused, tilted his head, and answered with disarming honesty:
— Uh… do you run fast?
Silence broke into laughter.
Kohari froze for a moment, then turned her back and walked away far too quickly for someone who claimed not to be running away. Gaku remained standing, still trying to understand what he had said wrong.
— I think I said something strange — he muttered.
Ren passed by without intervening. That wasn't cruelty. It was just childhood — awkward, sincere, and fleeting.
On another day, already in the middle of the afternoon, training took a different direction.
Ren stood alone in front of a log fixed into the ground, holding a wooden sword. The wind blew lightly through the trees, causing the high leaves to move slowly and cast irregular shadows on the packed earth.
The movements repeated.
Vertical cut.
Horizontal.
Diagonal.
Thrust.
No hurry. No excessive force.
Sweat ran down his temples, his arms began to feel heavy, but the strikes remained clean. Each mistake was corrected in the next repetition.
— You initiate the strike from the shoulder.
The voice came from behind.
Ren didn't turn immediately.
Sakumo Hatake stood there, a few meters away, watching with the calm of someone who didn't need to announce his presence.
— If you start from the hips, the cut flows. If you start from the arm, you tire yourself before it's necessary.
Ren adjusted the movement. The next strike came out more stable.
— Better — Sakumo commented. — Continuity is still lacking. But that comes with time.
He corrected simple details: foot placement, torso alignment, the origin of force. He didn't take the sword, didn't demonstrate advanced techniques.
— Keep training alone — he said before walking away. — That's how real foundations are built.
The weeks followed that pattern.
Physical training interspersed with real rest. Diet gradually adjusted. Chakra control maintained even during simple tasks. The sword present every day, even if only for a few minutes.
Between that, small scenes repeated themselves: classmates arguing over who had made a mistake in a calculation, someone being sent out of the classroom for laughing at the wrong time, childish bets over who would fall first during a run.
Life went on.
It was only much later, after finishing yet another solitary training session, that Ren felt the change clearly.
His body responded better. Recovery came faster. Chakra control no longer fluctuated as it once had under moderate strain.
He stopped for a moment on the dirt path leading back to the village.
His perception adjusted.
The system interface formed before him, clear and direct, organizing into data what his body had already been showing for days.
---
System — Progress Evaluation
User: Ren Kurosawa
Age: 4 years
Status: Academy Student
Evaluated Period: Continuous training cycle
Physical Condition:
Endurance improved
Coordination above average for age
Stable recovery
Note: caloric intake adjusted, physical efficiency increased
Chakra:
Total capacity low–medium
Initial control → stable
Note: persistent failures under high speed
Techniques:
Transformation Jutsu — standard proficiency
Clone Jutsu — standard proficiency
Substitution Jutsu — initial proficiency
Body Flicker Technique — initial proficiency (unstable)
Wind Palm — initial proficiency (irregular power)
Combat:
Basic taijutsu structured
Beginner kenjutsu, foundation assimilated
Nano Machine Module:
Partially active state
Functions: enhanced bodily perception, slight reflex boost
Warning: use under fatigue increases physical risk
New Mission:
Achieve first place overall in the class by the end of the academic year
Reward: progressive unlock (restrictions apply)
---
The interface dissolved without sound.
Ren remained still for a few seconds. Nothing there was exaggerated. Nothing promised immediate power. But everything confirmed that the chosen path was working — even if slowly.
Being first in the class wasn't a desire.
It was a checkpoint.
He resumed the path home as the sky began to darken above the village. The next day would be similar. And the one after that as well.
Between childish laughter, embarrassing mistakes, and silent training, something solid was being built.
And in that world, only that survived time.
---