That was a lie—or, at the very least, it was nowhere near the whole truth.
Ren had claimed that his recent improvement came from ordinary training, but effort alone would never have allowed him to keep pace with Might Duy and his son. The pair were monsters disguised as human beings, capable of treating exercises that would hospitalize an average Academy student as a casual morning warm-up.
The only reason Ren had managed to complete nine laps around Konoha without collapsing halfway was the Physique attribute provided by his mysterious system. Every increase in the favorability of his personified ninjutsu could grant him additional attribute points, strengthening his body far faster than normal training ever could.
Even with that advantage, his current eight points in Physique were barely sufficient.
Ren sat beneath a tree beside the road, drenched in sweat. His lungs burned with every breath, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and the muscles around his ankles felt as though someone had poured molten iron into them.
A few metres away, Duy and Guy looked considerably less exhausted despite having completed the same distance while walking on their hands.
Might Duy sprang upright and gave Ren an enthusiastic thumbs-up. His bowl-cut hair gleamed beneath the morning sunlight, while his smile displayed a row of impossibly bright teeth.
"Excellent, Ren! Your determination burns even brighter than before!" Duy declared, his voice powerful enough to startle several birds from a nearby branch. "Your physical foundation has improved tremendously. Every drop of sweat you shed today has become fuel for the blazing fire of your youth!"
Ren had no idea how sweat could become fuel, but correcting Duy would accomplish nothing. Instead, he forced his breathing under control and pushed himself away from the tree.
"Uncle Duy," he began, his expression growing serious, "does this mean I'm finally qualified to ask you about that secret technique?"
The smile on Duy's face faded slightly.
Guy, who had been stretching his shoulders nearby, stopped moving and looked between them.
Ren had approached the subject once before. During one of their earlier encounters, he had "accidentally" witnessed Duy practising a strange method of releasing the restrictions within his body. Ren had not directly named the technique at the time, but his questions had made it clear that he understood its extraordinary nature.
Now there was no reason to pretend ignorance.
"I know it is the highest form of taijutsu," Ren continued. "A forbidden technique that removes the body's natural limits in exchange for terrible consequences. The more power someone releases, the greater the damage they suffer."
Duy stared at him without speaking. For once, there was no exaggerated grin or passionate declaration about youth. The genial genin's entire presence had changed.
Ren met his gaze without flinching.
"I also know why a technique like that exists. Sometimes, ordinary strength isn't enough to protect the people who matter. If that moment ever comes, I don't want to stand helplessly and watch someone I care about die."
He curled his trembling fingers into fists.
"I'm prepared to endure the pain. I want the strength to protect what is precious to me."
Silence descended over the road.
The wind whispered through the leaves above them, carrying the distant sounds of Konoha beginning another peaceful morning. Guy watched his father nervously, sensing the importance of the moment even if he did not fully understand everything being discussed.
Several long seconds passed before Duy finally stepped forward.
"You are correct," he said, his voice unusually restrained. "The Eight Gates can grant a shinobi power far beyond his normal limits. But that power is never free."
Duy tapped two fingers against Ren's chest.
"The human body possesses limiters that prevent its muscles and chakra network from destroying themselves. The Eight Gates Release Formation forcibly opens those limiters. Each gate provides greater strength, but each one also pushes the user closer to death."
His expression hardened.
"A weak body cannot contain that power. Trying to open the Gates before your body is ready will not make you stronger. It will cripple you—or kill you before you can protect anyone."
Ren felt the weight behind those words. Duy might appear eccentric, but no one understood the price of the Eight Gates better than him. This was not a legendary technique copied from a scroll and mastered after a few days of experimentation. Its foundation had been built through years of blood, sweat, and relentless physical conditioning.
Duy studied Ren's eyes, searching for hesitation. When he found none, his familiar grin slowly returned.
"Excellent! I can feel the sincerity of your resolve!"
He raised his thumb, and his teeth flashed beneath the sunlight once more.
"But determination alone is not enough. Cultivating the Eight Gates is an unimaginably difficult path. You must temper your body day after day and year after year until it becomes a vessel capable of withstanding that violent power. Pain, exhaustion, monotony, sweat, and even blood will become your constant companions."
Duy stepped closer, his voice rising with every word.
"You will train while others rest! You will stand when your body begs you to remain down! You will repeat the same movements thousands of times, even when no one is watching and no one is there to praise you! Do you understand, Ren?"
"I understand!" Ren answered without hesitation.
Duy thrust one hand toward the road ahead.
"Then prove it to me! Complete ten full laps around Konoha every day for ten consecutive days. If you fail even once, the count will begin again. But if you succeed, I will teach you the cultivation method of the Eight Gates!"
Ren's heart pounded.
Ten laps around Konoha was an absurd requirement for an Academy student. Even trained genin would struggle to complete that distance every day without giving their bodies time to recover.
Ren, however, had already completed nine.
With eight points in Physique, he could barely endure that much. If he obtained one or two additional points, the final lap should become possible. Once his body adjusted to the increased load, maintaining the routine for ten days would still be brutal, but no longer impossible.
"Ten laps for ten consecutive days," Ren repeated, committing every word to memory. "All right, Uncle Duy. It's a promise."
Duy's laughter thundered along the road.
"Ha! That is exactly what youth should look like! I have high expectations for you, Ren!"
Without another word, he planted both hands on the ground and kicked his legs into the air. Guy immediately mirrored the movement, his exhaustion vanishing beneath a fresh wave of enthusiasm.
"Guy!" Duy roared. "Our tenth lap is waiting! Let us charge toward the setting sun of victory—even though the sun has only just risen!"
"Yes, Dad!"
Guy began moving after him on his hands. Before leaving, he twisted his upper body around with impressive balance and gave Ren a brilliant smile.
"Ren, once you become stronger, I'll challenge you again! Next time, our battle will burn even hotter!"
Ren raised a tired hand. "I'll look forward to it."
The two green-clad figures raced away upside down, transforming into rapidly shrinking streaks of what Duy would undoubtedly describe as "youth."
Ren waited until they disappeared around the bend before allowing his back to strike the tree trunk.
A crushing wave of exhaustion swept through him. His arms felt heavy, his legs had gone numb, and he suspected that standing again would require more determination than the previous nine laps combined.
Still, his eyes shone with excitement.
The path to learning the Eight Gates had finally opened.
Ten laps. Ten consecutive days.
All he needed was a slightly stronger body.
Ren opened the system interface and examined the favorability values of his techniques. Between the Three Basic Techniques, the Great Fireball Technique, and the Water Release techniques he had recently acquired, six different training schedules were now competing for his attention.
Maintaining maximum daily favorability with every technique was becoming increasingly difficult. Unless he abandoned eating, sleeping, attending the Academy, and every other part of his life, he could not practise and converse with all six of them equally.
Until now, Ren had tried to avoid showing favoritism. Every technique had its own personality, and neglecting one for too long inevitably caused trouble. The Clone Technique would become cold and sarcastic, the Great Fireball Technique would loudly demand attention, and the Transformation Technique would attempt to mediate until she became exhausted herself.
But he no longer had the luxury of treating them equally.
Each time a technique's favorability reached the next major level, Ren could obtain another Physique point. Rather than dividing his attention among all six, it would be more efficient to prioritize the techniques already closest to advancing.
If everything went smoothly, he could gain the necessary points within several days. After that, he would only need to endure Duy's trial.
"At the earliest, half a month," Ren murmured as he calculated his schedule. "At worst, around a month."
That meant he could begin learning the Eight Gates by January, before the Academy's graduation examination.
There was still enough time.
Ren closed the interface and slowly forced himself back onto his feet. His legs protested, but thoughts of the power waiting at the end of this path pushed him forward.
The weekend passed in a blur of physical conditioning, chakra-control exercises, and increasingly complicated conversations with temperamental ninjutsu.
When Monday morning arrived, the area before the Ninja Academy was already overflowing with students.
The final examination results had been posted on a large bulletin board near the entrance. Academy students crowded around it from every direction, standing on their toes and pushing against one another for a better view.
"I passed! I actually passed!"
"Move your head! I can't see my ranking!"
"Who came first?"
"It's Ren!"
"What? Let me see!"
The noise intensified as more students found the name written at the top of the list.
"Ren received a perfect score in the written examination!"
"His practical score is high too. It's the same as Asuma Sarutobi's!"
"How did that happen? Wasn't practical combat his weakest subject?"
"Didn't you hear? He defeated Homon Hyūga during training!"
"That explains why Homon's rank dropped so much…"
Amid the excited discussions, Ren's name occupied first place on the Academy rankings.
His academic score was flawless, while his practical score had risen enough to match Asuma's. Combined, the two results had created a considerable gap between Ren and the students beneath him.
Uchiha Obito was trapped near the back of the crowd, bouncing on his toes as he searched for his name. After several unsuccessful attempts, he squeezed between two taller students and finally located it near the bottom of the list.
His shoulders immediately slumped.
"Not again…"
Obito stared at the disappointing result, silently hoping that some exhausted instructor had written his score incorrectly. When the numbers stubbornly refused to change, he sighed and glanced toward Rin.
That only made matters worse.
Rin stood beside Ren near the edge of the crowd. She was smiling brightly as she congratulated him, and Ren appeared completely at ease while speaking with her.
Obito's face grew warm.
Ren had taken first place, defeated a member of the Hyūga clan, and somehow become even closer to Rin—all within a matter of days. Meanwhile, Obito had nearly arrived late again and remained trapped near the bottom of the rankings.
A painful sense of distance opened in his chest.
First place was supposed to be his someday. Rin was supposed to look at him with that same admiration. He was an Uchiha, and he intended to become Hokage, so how could he continue losing like this?
Obito clenched his fists.
"Just wait," he muttered. "The next time we fight, I'm definitely winning."
Ren noticed Obito staring but chose not to provoke him. He was not surprised by his own result. Achieving a perfect academic score had already become routine, and while his official practical examination had been his match against Mizuki, the instructors had undoubtedly considered his earlier victory over Homon.
What interested him was not the ranking itself but the attention it would bring.
Ren had spent years being viewed as an intelligent student with limited practical talent. That image had protected him from unnecessary scrutiny, but it had also prevented stronger students and experienced shinobi from taking him seriously.
Now that perception was beginning to change.
He was about to say something to Rin when a gentle voice reached him from the side.
"Ren, congratulations. Your improvement this time was incredible."
Ren turned and found himself looking into a pair of ruby-red eyes.
Kurenai Yuhi stood a short distance away, holding her school bag in both hands. Even at her age, her appearance was distinctive. Her dark hair framed her fair face, while her red shirt and pale outer garment already hinted at the style she would adopt as an adult.
"Thank you, Kurenai," Ren replied. "You ranked fairly high too."
"My written score was fine, but my practical results are still…" Kurenai glanced toward the bulletin board and sighed. "They aren't terrible, but they're not improving either."
Her talent leaned toward genjutsu, yet the Academy's current practical examinations focused primarily on basic taijutsu, throwing weapons, and the Three Basic Techniques. Those categories did not allow her greatest strengths to shine.
Kurenai hesitated before looking at him again.
"This might be rude to ask so suddenly, but could you give me some advice? Your practical score improved much faster than anyone else's. Do you have some special method for mastering ninjutsu?"
Ren blinked. "A special method?"
"Yes." Kurenai's fingers tightened slightly around her bag. "I practise every day, but sometimes it feels as if I'm repeating the same thing without making progress. Since you overcame your weakness so quickly, I thought you might know something I don't."
Ren could hear the sincerity in her voice. She had not approached him because he ranked first or because the other students were talking about him. She genuinely wanted to improve.
Unfortunately, the actual reason behind Ren's progress was impossible to explain.
"Well…" He considered several possible answers before settling on the safest one. "There isn't any simple trick. You need to study the technique carefully and practise consistently."
Disappointment flickered across Kurenai's face. It was the sort of generic advice every Academy instructor gave.
"Is there anything more specific?" she asked.
Ren fell silent.
He could invent a believable training method, but giving Kurenai false advice when she had approached him sincerely did not feel right. After several seconds, he decided to tell her the truth—or at least a version of it.
"You should treat ninjutsu like people," Ren said solemnly. "Don't practise only because you want to become stronger. Try to understand what each technique needs from you."
Kurenai blinked.
Encouraged by her silence, Ren continued.
"Talk to your techniques more often. Learn their personalities, raise their favorability, and occasionally give them gifts. When a special event appears, make sure you choose the right interaction. If you treat a technique sincerely, it will eventually respond to your feelings and reward you."
Kurenai's lips slowly parted.
Ren nodded as though he had just delivered the most profound teaching in the history of the shinobi world.
"Ninjutsu can tell whether your heart is sincere. That is the secret."
Several seconds passed.
Kurenai stared at him. Ren stared back.
"…Huh?"
Only after hearing the utter confusion in her voice did Ren realize how insane his explanation sounded to someone who could not see talking ninjutsu avatars.
He opened his mouth to correct himself, but Kurenai's bewilderment gradually transformed into determination.
"If that's truly how you train, then show me," she said. "After class today, teach me how to speak with my ninjutsu."
Ren froze.
Kurenai leaned closer, her ruby-red eyes filled with expectation.
"You won't refuse, will you?"
At that moment, Ren understood that achieving first place had brought him attention far sooner than expected.
Unfortunately, it had also trapped him in a situation no amount of academic knowledge could solve.
How was he supposed to teach Kurenai to do something that should have been impossible for anyone except him?