*Chapter 2: Walking on Water**
The morning sun was already climbing over the Hokage Rock when I snuck back into the garden behind the Sarutobi compound. My butt still hurt from that first failed tree-climbing attempt, but the sting only fueled me. Five years old or not, I had twenty years of accumulated anime rage and meta-knowledge screaming in my head: *Grind now, or die later.*
I planted my feet at the base of the same tall oak. Deep breath. Focus chakra to the soles—make it sticky, not explosive. I remembered the exact explanation from Kakashi in the manga: too much and you blast off; too little and you slide down like a cartoon character.
First step. Solid. Second step—wobble, but holding. Third… fourth… I made it five meters up before my concentration cracked and gravity yanked me back. Thud. Again.
**[Progress: Tree Climbing 2/5 attempts. Chakra Control +0.1 (hidden growth)]**
The system's little notification popped up like a pat on the back. No big reward yet, but it was tracking micro-improvements. Nice. That meant consistent effort would stack.
I lost count of the falls after the tenth. My kid legs were burning, sweat plastered my scarf to my neck, but each climb got higher. By attempt fifteen, I reached the first major branch—about ten meters up—and managed to hang there for a full ten seconds before sliding back down (controlled this time, no face-plant).
**[Ding! Mission Complete: Tree Climbing Exercise]**
**Reward: 5 XP**
**Chakra Control +1**
**Level Progress: 5/100 XP to Level 2**
Sweet. The warm buzz of improvement spread through my body like a shot of espresso. My steps felt lighter, chakra easier to direct. Chakra Control jumping from 4 to 5 already? At five years old? Canon Konohamaru wouldn't hit decent control until way later. Cheat code activated.
But one mission down, one to go. Water walking. Problem: the compound didn't have a convenient pond or river in the backyard. The nearest was the small training stream behind the academy grounds—about a fifteen-minute walk if I didn't get distracted.
I grabbed a small pouch of kunai (kid-sized, of course) and a towel, then slipped out the side gate before anyone noticed. Grandpa was probably in a meeting, and the household staff knew better than to question "the young master going for a walk."
The streets of Konoha at this hour were peaceful. Vendors setting up stalls, a few early shinobi heading to missions, kids my age (physically, at least) running around with wooden swords. I kept my head down, scarf up, trying not to look like a weirdo staring at everything like it was the first time.
And then I heard it.
"Dattebayo! Believe it!"
A flash of orange darted across the street, followed by angry shouts from an old lady whose laundry line had just been clotheslined by a small blond missile.
Naruto Uzumaki. Five years old, already the village pariah, already pulling pranks to get attention.
My heart did a weird flip. This was *the* Naruto—before the loneliness hardened into bravado, before the Kyuubi hate really sank in, before everything went to hell. If I played this right…
I jogged after him without thinking. "Oi! Naruto!"
He skidded to a stop, whipping around with wide blue eyes and paint still smeared on his cheek (fox whiskers, classic). "Huh? Who're you callin' Naruto like we're buddies, scarf guy?"
Up close, he looked even smaller than I remembered from the anime. But that grin—pure sunshine mixed with mischief—was already there.
"I'm Konohamaru," I said, keeping my voice casual. "Grandson of the old man Hokage. Saw you running like your butt was on fire. Nice prank, by the way."
His grin faltered for a second—probably expecting an insult—then came back twice as big. "Heh! You think that was nice? That old hag's gonna chase me for weeks! You're not gonna tattle, are ya?"
"Nah. I hate boring adults too." I shrugged. "Actually… I was heading to the stream to train. Wanna come? Bet I can walk on water before you."
His eyes lit up like fireworks. "Walk on *water*? No way! I'm totally gonna beat you, dattebayo!"
Hook, line, sinker. Befriending Naruto phase one: complete.
We raced to the stream—him yelling the whole way, me pretending to struggle to keep up (kid legs were no joke). When we reached the shallow, slow-moving water, Naruto immediately kicked off his sandals and charged in.
Splash. Face-first.
I laughed—couldn't help it. "Technique first, idiot. Chakra to your feet. Make it flow steady, like glue but not too thick."
He popped up sputtering, glaring but curious. "How do *you* know that stuff? You're just a kid like me!"
"Secret training," I lied smoothly. "Grandpa's library has all kinds of scrolls. Come on, try again. Focus."
For the next hour, we both failed spectacularly. Naruto sank like a rock every time, cursing creatively for a five-year-old. I managed a few shaky steps—three, four, five—before wobbling and dropping in.
**[Progress: Water Walking 3/10 successful steps. Chakra Control +0.2]**
**[Hidden Bonus: Teaching assistance detected. +1 XP (Social Training)]**
The system was already rewarding social stuff? Interesting. Maybe there were hidden perks for changing canon relationships.
Naruto finally got one solid step—then immediately celebrated by jumping, which sent him underwater again. When he surfaced, laughing like a maniac, something in my chest loosened. This was real. I was here. And maybe—just maybe—I could make sure this kid never had to eat cup ramen alone on a swing set ever again.
"Alright, one more try," I said, climbing out to dry off. "Then we'll call it. Loser buys ramen."
"You're on!"
As the sun climbed higher, I felt the system hum quietly in the back of my mind. Level 2 was close. And with Naruto already at my side, the timeline was shifting faster than I'd planned.
But that was the point, right?
Change everything.
---
The stream glittered under the midday sun, shallow enough that even a failed step only soaked you to the knees instead of drowning you in embarrassment. Naruto was already back in the water for the umpteenth time, arms windmilling as he tried to keep his balance.
"Almost… got it… dattebayo—!" Splash.
He surfaced with a face full of river weed and a grin that refused to quit. "Your turn, scarf guy! You talked big—let's see you do better!"
I smirked, wiping sweat from my forehead. My Chakra Control had crept up another 0.3 from all the micro-adjustments during the tree climbs earlier. The system was sneaky like that—small gains stacking quietly until they snowballed.
"Watch and learn, future Hokage."
I stepped into the cool current, bare feet sinking into the pebbly bottom. Closed my eyes for a second. Remembered every panel from the manga: Naruto struggling for days under Kakashi, Sakura nailing it first try, Sasuke acting like it was nothing. But I wasn't them. I had twenty years of hindsight and a literal game system whispering in my ear.
Chakra to the soles. Steady flow. Not explosive like a Rasengan seed—smooth, constant, like pouring honey without spilling. I visualized the surface tension holding me up, my weight distributed perfectly.
First step.
The water rippled but held. Second step—deeper now, current tugging at my ankles. Third… fourth… I made it six steps before the concentration wavered and my left foot dipped. I caught myself, shifted weight, and pushed more chakra down.
The system chimed softly.
**[Progress: Water Walking 6/10 successful steps. Chakra Control +0.3]**
Naruto's jaw dropped mid-splash. "No fair! How're you doing that already?!"
"Practice," I lied again. "And focus. Stop flailing like a fish out of water. Feel the chakra—make it even. Too much and you launch; too little and you sink."
He grumbled but copied my stance, brows furrowed in rare concentration. For a five-year-old hyperactive ball of orange, he actually listened when it came to getting stronger. That was the Naruto I knew—the one who'd outwork anyone once he decided something mattered.
I took another breath and started again from the bank.
Step one. Two. Three… The water felt less like a trap and more like a partner now. Chakra flowed smoother with each attempt, my kid body adapting faster than I expected thanks to the Sarutobi bloodline and whatever baseline the system gave me.
Seven steps. Eight. Nine—
The tenth step landed clean in the middle of the stream. I stood there, perfectly still, water swirling gently around my ankles but not pulling me under. A breeze ruffled my scarf. For the first time since waking up in this body, I felt *in control*.
**[Ding! Mission Complete: Water Walking Exercise]**
**Reward: 10 XP**
**Chakra Control +2**
**Chakra Reserves +1**
**Total XP: 15/100 → Level Up!**
**Congratulations! You have reached Level 2.**
A rush hit me like caffeine straight to the veins. My stats panel updated in a flash:
**Host Profile (Updated):**
- **Level:** 2
- **Strength:** 5 → 6
- **Agility:** 7 → 8
- **Endurance:** 6 → 7
- **Intelligence:** 15 (unchanged)
- **Chakra Control:** 4 → 7
- **Chakra Reserves:** 10 → 12
- **New Feature Unlocked: Daily Login Bonus (Claim for minor XP / random low-tier item)**
Level 2 already. And the tree mission had given me the first 5 XP—water walking pushed me over. At this rate, I could be chunin-level in basics before the academy even started.
Naruto finally managed four shaky steps before sinking again. He popped up laughing, not even mad. "Okay, you win this round! But next time I'm gonna smoke you!"
I walked back to the bank—on water the whole way—and offered him a hand up. "Deal. Loser buys ramen, remember?"
He grabbed my hand and hauled himself out, dripping and grinning. "Yeah, yeah. But only 'cause I'm gonna be the one eating the most bowls when I win next time!"
We sat on the grass to dry off, sharing a stolen onigiri from my pocket (household staff always packed extras for "the young master's adventures"). Naruto talked nonstop—about pranks, about wanting to be Hokage, about how everyone hated him but he'd show them.
I listened. Really listened. In my old life, I'd cheered for him through a screen. Now he was right here, small and loud and lonely under all that bravado.
"Hey," I said casually, "you pull pranks to get noticed, right? What if… we pulled bigger ones? Together? Ones that actually make people see how strong you are instead of just mad?"
His eyes went wide. "Together? Like… a team?"
"Yeah. Like a team." I bumped his shoulder with mine. "You, me, maybe some others later. We train, we prank, we get strong. And one day, when I'm Hokage's grandson and you're Hokage… we'll look back and laugh."
Naruto stared at me for a long second, like he wasn't sure if I was joking. Then his grin split his face. "You're weird, Konohamaru. But… I like it. Deal! Team… uh… Team Awesome!"
I laughed. "Team Awesome it is."
As we headed back toward the village, the system pinged one more time—quiet, almost smug.
**[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Early Ally – Naruto Uzumaki]**
**Reward: +5 XP (20/100 to Level 3)**
**Bonus: Slight affinity boost when training together.**
The timeline was shifting. And for the first time, it felt like I wasn't just surviving it—I was steering it.
**To be continued...**