Pain is a hell of a teacher.
By the time I finished my second morning of system training—covered in sweat, mud, and what I hoped was not squirrel poop—I couldn't lift my arms above my head. I had done two hundred push-ups, two hundred squats, two hundred sit-ups, and a 6km run because the system dared me to go over the limit.
> Daily Bonus Activated:
+1 Strength
+1 Endurance
New Unlock: Skill – Explosive Sprint Lv. 1
Description: A burst of acceleration using pure leg strength. Cost: 10 stamina.
Passive: "Pain is Progress" – Training past exhaustion boosts stat growth by 20%.
I collapsed against a tree, breathing like a man 30 seconds from death.
And for what?
So maybe I wouldn't die to a rogue kunai next month.
---
At the Academy, my gains were beginning to show. My punches hit harder. My footwork didn't suck. Even my throwing form stopped embarrassing me.
But it wasn't enough.
I'd seen this world. Zabuza was out there. Gaara. Orochimaru. Madara.
I wasn't training to win some sports festival.
I was training to not die screaming in a forest.
---
"Hey, new kid! What's your name again?" Naruto popped up beside me, grin wide.
I wiped sweat off my forehead. "Michio."
"Right! You're that transfer student from one of the outer provinces, right?"
That was the cover story I'd fed Iruka. Technically true—if "outer province" meant an entirely different reality where shinobi didn't exist and cardio was punishment, not salvation.
"Something like that," I muttered.
Naruto leaned in. "You train every morning, don't you?"
I nodded.
He blinked. "Even on weekends?"
"Especially on weekends."
He stared, then burst out laughing. "Man, you're crazy."
Then his tone shifted—just a little. "Hey… you wanna train with me sometime? I… I kinda suck at chakra control and stuff."
That threw me for a second. This was early Naruto. Still loud. Still reckless. But also still lonely.
Still… hoping someone would take him seriously.
I nodded. "Sure. But I don't do 'easy.'"
His grin widened. "Good! Neither do I!"
Sasuke snorted from nearby, arms crossed. "Tch. Idiots."
I smiled. Yup. This world's real, all right.
---
That afternoon, Iruka-sensei paired us for sparring. I ended up against Kiba. The kid was fast, aggressive, and came at me like a freight train.
He wasn't expecting a clean hip toss and a foot to the gut.
"Dude!" he wheezed. "You been eating protein pills or something?!"
"Just burpees," I said, helping him up.
Iruka gave me a long look after class. "You've improved fast, Michio. Really fast."
I shrugged. "Just training hard."
He nodded—but his eyes said he didn't buy it.
Great. I'm on radar now.
---
That night, I checked my system stats:
> Michio Kuni – Age: 11
Strength: 5 (Avg: 2.5)
Speed: 4 (Avg: 3)
Endurance: 6 (Avg: 2.7)
Skills:
– Explosive Sprint Lv. 1
– Pain is Progress (Passive)
Next Unlock: 3 Consecutive Days of Training Above Threshold
Not bad.
Not enough.
But better than nothing.
---
I stared out the window at the Hokage Monument.
A place like this shouldn't exist.
But it did.
And if I wanted to live past the first real mission, I'd need to do more than grind stats and throw punches.
I needed strategy. I needed allies. And I needed to stop thinking like a viewer—and start acting like a shinobi.