The three ninjas stepped out of the orphanage, their boots crunching softly against the gravel path. The faint aroma of grilled meat from a nearby restaurant reminded them of their hunger, but before they could move further, a shadow flickered into existence before them.
A figure stood cloaked in darkness. His form was mostly obscured, but his presence alone choked the air with tension.
A Root ninja.
None of them met his gaze. None of them dared to.
The cloaked figure finally spoke.
"Well?"
Just one word. Soft, Smooth.
The question cut through the silence, pulling the trio back to reality. Right. That was their real reason for coming here—'not for nostalgia, not for kindness, but to scout for overlooked talent'.
Danzo had ordered regular inspections of every orphanage in Konoha, ensuring that no potential asset slipped through Root's grasp.
This was the final check for this orphanage.
For a moment, no one spoke. The weight of their answer settled between them like an unspoken truth.
The first shinobi, the one Kazeo had startled, felt his breath hitch. His fingers twitched, as if suppressing the instinct to reach for his kunai—an instinct that would be suicidal in this moment.
He swallowed. "W-We scanned the orphans, sir. Most were… average."
The second shinobi, his voice quieter, added, "No notable bloodlines. No awakened chakra. Most won't make it past the Academy's first year."
Silence.
The cloaked man neither moved nor spoke, yet the weight of his gaze bore down on them like an unspoken command.
The first shinobi hesitated. A lump formed in his throat as he chose his next words carefully.
And then—
His lips parted, and his voice came out softer than he intended.
"...There was one boy ."
His voice carried uncertainty, as if he wasn't sure whether he had imagined it or if what he experienced was real.
He recounted the incident—how a boy, just four years old, had managed to sneak up behind him without him noticing. How his chakra was locked, yet his presence was like a whisper in the wind.
"His name is Tanaka Kazeo," he said finally. "Four years old."
The Root ninja remained still, absorbing the information without a single visible reaction.
The others confirmed the story, adding their own observations. The boy was unusual, but was he truly exceptional? That remained to be seen.
A small pouch of ryo exchanged hands, and just as quickly as he had appeared, the Root ninja flickered away into the darkness, leaving behind only the faint disturbance of air in his wake.
Yet, as he vanished, a thought lingered in his mind:
'If the boy really has this ability… how did we miss him?'
His fingers curled into a fist. He couldn't afford to take chances. Before reporting to Danzo-sama, he would have to confirm it himself.
And just like that, Tanaka Kazeo had unknowingly stepped into Root's radar.
------
Present time - (One Month after rebirth)
( Kazeo's POV)
I think I finally understand what my ability is.
It's presence concealment. And my chakra suppression? That's just a minor effect of it.
'I could move behind people without them noticing. '
Not everyone, though. Only those one rank above me, at most. If I had to guess, it was a passive ability—one that let me avoid detection just enough to slip past low-ranked shinobi.
Ever since those ninjas came, Root has been keeping an eye on this orphanage. They took two kids already—one of them was my roommate, Kazuma. That was my first real wake-up call.
Friendship is dangerous in this world.
The weak die. The strong betray.
I don't plan on being either.
Still, I can't help it—I'm getting attached to the kids. Maybe it's because, in my last life, I was an only child. I always wanted a younger sibling, someone to look after, to be a big brother to.
But this world doesn't give you what you want.
So, I keep my distance. I play along sometimes, games of hide-and-seek and harmless pranks. Enough to blend in, to not stand out.
'The rest of my time is spent training and sleeping for 12 hours daily to replenish my strength.
Ialso increased my food intake along with training, butrecently,
I found out that Japanese food has almost no good source of protein except meat. Sometimes, I get soy-based food, which I eat in large quantities to make up for my protein intake and meat ,that is expensive, so it is not served in the orphanage meals. They only provide meat on special occasions.'
And even training has to be done carefully.
Because I know I'm being watched.
That bastard ninja must have reported what happened. Root agents have been lurking around more than usual. I've felt their eyes on me, studying, waiting.
They haven't confronted me. Not yet.
But I know what they're doing.
Every so often, they test me. Subtle things—setting up fake blind spots, dropping objects to see if I react before I should, passing by a little too closely. They want to know if what happened that day was a fluke.
I make sure they think it was.
Every time, I let them sense me. I let them catch me looking. I pretend to be just another clueless kid. Nothing special.
But behind that act, I push myself harder.
My chakra has grown by 10% in a single month. That might not seem like much, but when I compare it to the Root Genin who watches over us, I realize something terrifying—my chakra reserves are already a fourth of his.
And he's sloppy. He doesn't suppress his chakra near me. I don't know if it's arrogance or just habit, but it gives me something crucial—perspective.
I'm growing.
I've also noticed something strange about training in this world.
In my past life, muscle growth needed time. You tore fibers, they healed, they grew stronger. But here? Chakra changes everything. It seeps into the body, reinforcing it, accelerating recovery, making it stronger than what should be possible.
That's whypeoplelike Might Guy exist. It's not just raw effort—it's how chakra interacts with muscle regeneration.
It was not possible in my previous world .It's not that this world is special , it's just the nature of raw chakra .
I have a theory, but I won't know for sure until I get access to the Academy's library.
For now, I'm keeping a low profile.
My stamina has improved considerably. A month ago, I could barely run 500 meters without feeling like my lungs would explode. Now, I can manage a kilometer. The fatigue is still there, but it's not as overwhelming as before.
But the biggest problem… is my body itself.
"I still need to sleep 12 hours a day; Otherwise,I feel even more exhausted and fatigued.
One day, I tried to push my limits and trained
until my body could barely move to reach my
room.
Result: Islept for one and a half days due to exhaustion."
This weakness—this constant exhaustion—I don't know when it'll fade. It's like something is holding me back.
Until that changes, I have to be careful from root's eyes.
Which means no chakra training for another month.
It's frustrating.
But necessary.
For now, I'll focus on my body. I'll train in silence, keep my head down, and wait for Root to lose interest.
I don't think my life will have any progress till --Six months.
So, I will just have to train without expecting much .
That's how long I'll give myself before making my next move in training.
Until then, I'll grow.
--------
( Kazeo's P.O.V. )
Three months
I've survived three months in this world, and every day has been a struggle.
The exhaustion from training, the constant paranoia of being watched by Root, the never-ending fatigue weighing down my body like a lead blanket— it's all been pushing me to the edge. No matter how much I rest, this heaviness lingers, an invisible burden that refuses to go away.
Fifteen days have passed since that Root ninja vanished. I haven't seen him lurking around the orphanage, but that doesn't mean he's gone.
Maybe he's watching from the shadows, waiting for me to slip up.
I won't give him that chance.
For two months, I played it safe. I ran a kilometer and a half each day, did a single set of eight push-ups—just enough to appear weak but disciplined.
Not that it was much of an act. That was my limit. Every session left my muscles screaming in protest, my breath ragged as if my lungs were being squeezed.
Why?
Why was this body so weak?
I racked my brain, trying to remember anything from the anime, fanfics—anything that could explain this. But nothing. My body wasn't malnourished, I was eating well enough, and yet, every movement felt sluggish, like I was wading through knee-deep water.
Still, I endured. Because of a quote I still always follow from my previous life.
It is from America's former Basketball player
Shaquille O'Neal.
He said "Excellence is not a singular act. but a habit. you are what you repeatedly do" .
-----
During this time, I also started talking more with Kaori, the caretaker.
It was a calculated move, a way to build trust and gain more freedom within the orphanage.
And finally, after making sure Root had lost interest, I began my chakra training.
It was a slow start. I didn't have a mentor or scrolls to guide me, just memories from anime and fanfics. But I knew where to begin—leaf concentration training.
Tree walking ,water walking and leaf cutting training for wind element would come later, once I had a solid foundation.
I also had another idea in mind. Something I remembered from a fanfic back in my old life—chakra thread training.
I wasn't aiming to be a puppeteer, but controlling chakra at such a precise level could open up endless possibilities. If I could master it, I might even develop my own techniques.
Still, before diving into any advanced training, I needed to understand chakra better.
From what I could recall, There were different chakra types shown in Naruto :
Fire Release (Katon) – Creates and manipulates fire, often for offensive attacks.
Wind Release (Fūton) – Enhances speed and cutting power, ideal for sharp strikes.
Lightning Release (Raiton) – Generates high-speed, piercing electricity-based attacks.
Earth Release (Doton) – Manipulates the ground for defense, offense, and terrain control.
Water Release (Suiton) – Controls water for fluid, versatile techniques.
Then there were the rare Kekkei Genkai that combined these elements—
Ice Release (Hyōton) – Freezes water into solid ice formations.
Wood Release (Mokuton) – Creates trees and vegetation, often used for restraining foes.
Lava Release (Yōton) – Manipulates molten rock or rubberized lava for destruction.
Boil Release (Futton) – Produces corrosive steam capable of melting defenses.
Storm Release (Ranton) – Combines water and lightning to form laser-like energy beams.
Explosion Release (Bakuton) – Infuses chakra into objects for controlled explosions.
Magnet Release (Jiton) – Grants control over magnetic forces and metal objects.
Beyond that, there was Sage Chakra, something far beyond my current reach.
Then there were these type of chakras -
Six Paths Chakra – A divine power that grants godlike abilities.
Tailed Beast Chakra – Immense chakra from Bijū, boosting power and endurance.
Cursed Chakra – Corrupted energy used for forbidden techniques.
Ōtsutsuki Chakra – An otherworldly energy exclusive to the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
But what intrigued me most were
Yin and Yang Release— foundation of illusions, healing, and enhancement techniques.
If I wanted to survive, I needed to master those. They have way too many benefits and can also increase my power beyond jounin level.
Ten days of chakra training, and I could keep a leaf stuck to my forehead for two minutes. Not impressive, but it was progress. I planned to push it to atleast two hours before I joined the Academy. The better my control, the stronger my future techniques would be.
------
( Six Months After Rebirth )
My body had changed. The difference wasn't drastic, but it was noticeable. My frame had filled out slightly, and faint muscle definition was beginning to show. Even my abs were starting to take shape, something that did not go unnoticed.
The day my roommates saw me shirtless, everything changed.
Now, I was something of a celebrity among the orphanage kids. Every time I stepped outside, whispers followed me. Some just stared in awe, others bombarded me with questions. The more mischievous ones took it a step further—lifting my shirt without warning, laughing at my reaction.
At first, it was annoying.
But then I noticed something interesting, some of them had started training too. Not as intensely as me but still, they were trying. Seeing them push themselves, even in small ways, felt… different.
Maybe this was what it meant to inspire people.
Physically, I had improved. I could now run two kilometers, do two sets of eight push-ups, ten squats, and four lunges per leg before reaching my limit. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
For six days a week, I trained. On the seventh, I rested. My body demanded it. Pushing beyond my limits only led to longer recovery times.
But now, I was ready.
It was time to start the real training.