Sasuke
He returned to the Uchiha compound alone.
The silence wasn't new.
It never was.
Empty halls.
Cold floors.
Dust in the corners no one swept anymore.
He stood in the training yard, staring at the old family shrine, the one with the names.
His brother's name was there.
So was everyone else's.
He remembered Haku's eyes.
The loyalty. The love. The devotion.
He clenched his fists.
That kind of bond…
He didn't understand it.
But he wanted to.
Not for power.
Not just to kill Itachi.
For something more.
Something he didn't have a name for yet.
---
Naruto
He lay on his bed, arms and legs spread out like a starfish.
There were empty instant ramen cups stacked on the windowsill.
A frog wallet peeked out from a drawer.
And a crumpled drawing of Team 7—crude but colorful—was pinned to the wall.
He stared up at the ceiling.
"Zabuza cried."
The words left his mouth before he realized.
He hugged his pillow tighter.
"Being strong means hurting sometimes, huh?"
Outside, the village laughed and lived.
Inside, Naruto stayed still.
For just a little longer.
---
Michio
I sat on the roof of my apartment.
Legs crossed.
Breathing slow.
The system had quieted for now—no flashy menus or chimes, just the cool wind and the hum of chakra under my skin.
I thought about Haku.
About how he smiled when he was fighting for someone else.
About the way Zabuza broke the moment he lost him.
This world wasn't just about jutsu or strength.
It was about people.
And if I wanted to survive—and stay human—I needed to remember that.
The cheat I got?
The absurd, OP exercise system?
It was just a tool.
Just like Haku had been called.
I wouldn't let it define me.
---
I opened the menu.
Scrolled past the grind routines.
Focused instead on the one I unlocked recently:
> Focus Flow: Breath-Timed Chakra Weaving
Train both body and inner flow through silent, meditative motion.
Gain small boosts to chakra control. Increases mental clarity. Can trigger passive growth traits.
"Strength built in peace endures through war."
I started the routine.
The air around me grew still.
---
Journal Entry 7:
> The silence feels heavier after battle.
But it's here that we grow.
Naruto laughed less today.
Sasuke was more focused.
I felt clearer.
The exams are coming.
And I think we'll be ready.
Or we'll break trying.