Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
“Dialogue”
‘Thoughts’
-Author notes-
Chapter 04: The First Step
Sho stared at the words displayed before him with an expression of shock.
“Wait… what?!”
He blinked.
The words remained.
He blinked again, and the words were still there.
‘It can’t be that simple.
I’ve been trying to learn this jutsu for months.
Struggling, failing, barely able to produce a single clone that lasts more than a second.’
His heart pounded in his chest.
The scroll trembled in his hands.
‘Can the system really do this?…’
He took a deep breath, and then he spoke.
“Yes,” he said firmly.
“I want to learn it.”
[Skill Acquisition in Progress…
Analyzing technique requirements…
Analyzing chakra pathways…]
Sho stared at the letters appearing before him, but suddenly…a different type of message appeared.
This one had red letters.
[Warning: This technique requires Chakra Control (Level 5) and Chakra Capacity (Level 3).
Your current stats are:
– Chakra Control: 6
– Chakra Capacity: 1
Your Chakra Capacity is below the recommended threshold.
Learning this technique may result in chakra exhaustion and potential injury.
Do you still wish to proceed?
[YES] / [NO]
Sho’s excitement crashed into a wall of cold reality.
Chakra Capacity: 1.
“Ah…as I thought.” He stared at the number.
He knew his reserves were small, the healers had told him so for years, but seeing it quantified, seeing just how far below the threshold he was, made it painfully real.
“Chakra Capacity: 1,” he murmured.
“No wonder I can’t do anything.”
He thought back to all the failed attempts.
The headaches.
The dizziness.
The way he’d collapse after just a few seconds of chakra exertion.
It all made sense now.
‘The system can help me learn techniques, but it can’t give me what I don’t have.
I need chakra reserves to use chakra techniques.’
He looked at the scroll in his hands, then back at the warning prompt.
‘I could try anyway.
Maybe I’ll get lucky.
Maybe the system will compensate somehow.’
But even as he thought it, he knew it was a bad idea.
The system had warned him.
If he ignored the warning and hurt himself, he’d be right back where he started…bedridden, weak, a burden.
‘No.
I have to be smart about this.
I cannot rush into things.
I have to build a foundation first.’
With a heavy sigh, Sho made his choice.
“No,” he said quietly.
“I’ll wait.
I’ll get stronger first.”
[Skill Acquisition Cancelled]
System Suggestion: Improve Chakra Capacity through training.
“Training…right.
I could try the leaf exercise.” Sho muttered to himself.
It was the most basic chakra training for academy students, and he knew it well.
Every academy student learned it.
It was the simple technique of pushing chakra onto a leaf and making it stick to your skin.
But he’d never been able to do it properly.
Every time he tried, the headache would come.
His chakra would sputter and die, and the leaf would fall.
He’d get maybe three seconds of adhesion before his reserves gave out.
‘But that was before.’ He thought.
‘ Now my chakra pathways are clearer.
My control is better.
Maybe…
maybe this time will be different.’
He looked at the clock on his wall.
It was late, well past midnight.
His body still ached from the five laps around the compound.
‘Tomorrow.
I’ll start tomorrow.’
He rolled up the scroll and placed it carefully back on the shelf.
Then he collapsed onto his futon, exhaustion finally claiming him.
But even as sleep pulled him under, a single thought echoed in his mind:
I have a chance.
A real chance.
<><><><>
Morning came too quickly.
Sho woke to the first rays of sunlight streaming through his window, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt…
rested.
Not just “not exhausted,” but genuinely rested.
His body didn’t ache.
His head didn’t throb.
‘The Vitality points.
They’re already helping.’
He sat up, stretching his arms over his head.
No dizziness.
No weakness.
He smiled.
‘ So this is what it feels like to be normal.
This is what I’ve been missing my entire life.’
A knock at his door.
“Sho-kun?
Are you awake?”
Hinata’s voice.
His sister always woke up early.
“I’m awake,” he called out.
The door slid open, and Hinata stepped in.
She was dressed in her academy uniform, her hair neatly brushed, a small lunch bag in her hands.
“You’re already dressed,” she said, surprise evident in her voice.
“I thought I’d have to drag you out of bed.”
“I feel good today,” he said simply.
“Really good.”
She studied him for a moment, her white eyes searching his face.
Then she smiled.
“I’m glad to see you better.
I was so worried about you.” She paused.
“Are you sure you want to come to the academy today?
You could take another day to rest.
I’m sure Iruka-sensei would understand.”
‘She’s still worried.
She’s always worried about me.’
Sho shook his head.
“I’m fine, Hinata.
Better than fine, actually.
I need to go back.
I can’t afford to fall further behind.”
“But-”
“Hinata.” He took her hand, squeezing it gently.
“I promise you, I’m okay.
And I’m not going to push myself too hard.
But I have to try.
I have to at least try to graduate this year.”
Hinata’s eyes widened.
“Graduate?
But Sho-kun, you-” She stopped herself, clearly not wanting to hurt his feelings.
“I mean, the graduation exam is in a few months.
The instructors said-”
“I know what the instructors said.” His voice was calm but firm.
“They said I wouldn’t be able to learn the basic jutsu.
They said I’d never hit the target with a kunai.
They said I’d be lucky to graduate at all.”
He looked down at his hands.
“I’m going to prove them wrong.”
Hinata stared at him with a mixture of hope and concern in her eyes.
She clearly wanted to believe him, but she’d seen him fail too many times.
“Sho-kun…
even if you don’t graduate this year, it’s okay.
You can try again next year.
Now that you’re healthier, you’ll have more time to…”
“Next year isn’t good enough.” He met her gaze.
“I’ve been waiting my whole life to be something more than just ‘Hinata’s sick brother.’ I’m done waiting.”
He let go of her hand and walked toward the door.
“Let’s go.
We don’t want to be late.”
<><><><>
They arrived at the academy after a short walk through Konoha.
Sho walked through the gates, his sister by his side, and felt the familiar stares of his classmates.
The pity, the contempt, the dismissal.
Nothing had changed.
‘But I have.’ He reminded himself.
No one would notice it yet; he was no longer the same person as before…he was sure of it.
“Sho!”
A familiar voice called out from across the courtyard.
Naruto was running toward them, his orange jacket flapping behind him like a banner.
“Sho!
You’re back!” The blonde boy skidded to a halt in front of him, his face split in a wide grin.
“I heard you were super sick!
Like, dying sick!”
“I was,” Sho admitted.
“But I’m better now.”
“Better?
You look better!” Naruto squinted at him.
“You actually look…
I dunno.
Stronger?…”
Sho laughed quietly.
“Maybe I am.”
Hinata stood beside them, her cheeks slightly pink.
She always got flustered around Naruto, though Sho was fairly certain the blonde boy had no idea.
“Naruto-kun, it’s good to see you,” she said softly.
“Hey, Hinata!” Naruto grinned at her.
“You guys ready for class?
I heard we’re doing two hours of target practice today!”
“Target practice…” Sho felt a flutter of nervousness in his chest.
His accuracy was terrible.
Always had been.
Of all the subjects, that was probably his worst…though it was hard to say since he failed at everything that required physical strength, accuracy, or stamina.
‘But the system might help.
I just need to figure out how to use it properly to my advantage.’
“Let’s go,” he said, forcing confidence into his voice.
“We don’t want to keep Iruka-sensei waiting.”
<><><>
Class was…
well, class.
Iruka-sensei stood at the front of the room, droning on about the history of the Hidden Leaf Village and the importance of the Will of Fire.
Sho tried to pay attention, but his mind kept drifting somewhere else.
Naruto was, predictably, not paying attention at all.
He was doodling in his notebook, probably drawing pictures of himself as Hokage.
Hinata sat nearby, taking careful notes, her handwriting neat and precise.
Sho glanced around the room.
Sasuke sat near the window, his expression bored and distant.
Sakura was two rows ahead, stealing glances at Sasuke when she thought no one was looking.
Kiba was whispering something to Akamaru, who was hidden beneath his desk.
All of them were stronger than him.
Better than him in almost every way and much more capable.
‘But now…now I have something they don’t.’ Sho thought.
He turned his attention back to the front of the room, determined to absorb as much as possible.
<><><><>
The last two hours of class were spent outside.
It was time for some target practice.
The training grounds behind the academy were a wide open space, filled with wooden targets and training dummies.
The students spread out, each taking a position in front of their assigned target.
Sho was handed a bundle of kunai…ten in total.
His usual accuracy was around ten percent.
One hit out of ten.
If he was lucky.
He looked at the targets, then at the kunai in his hands.
They felt heavier than they should.
‘Let’s see…’ He was trying to focus, but then heard a noise on his left.
It was the sound of the target being struck.
When he looked over, he found Sasuke, who had already gotten started.
His movements were smooth and precise.
Each kunai hit its mark dead center.
Perfect accuracy, perfect form.
‘He doesn’t even have to try.
It just comes naturally to him.’ Sho thought with a hint of envy.
Everyone knew already that Sasuke Uchiha was going to graduate first of the class and be placed in the best possible team.
Sho watched Sasuke’s technique carefully…the way he held the kunai, the angle of his arm, the follow-through.
It was a small thing, but maybe…
‘Imitate.
That’s what I need to do.
Watch and learn.’
He took a breath, raised his arm, and threw.
The kunai sailed through the air in a wide arc, and…missed the target completely, flying into the forest behind it.
“Ugh.” He groaned, shaking his head.
“Pathetic.” He could only hope that no one was paying attention to him right now.
But then, a familiar glow appeared in his vision.
[New Passive Skill Unlocked!
Shuriken Throw: Novice (Level 1)
Description: The user’s accuracy when throwing shuriken and kunai is increased by 10%.
Note: This skill will improve with practice.
Each level provides an additional 5% accuracy bonus.]
Sho blinked.
‘A skill!.
I gained a skill just by trying to throw the kunai.’ He immediately became excited.
He looked at his hands, then back at the target.
Another kunai was still in his grip.
‘Let’s see if this works.’
He threw again.
This time, the kunai flew straighter, more controlled.
It struck the target…not the center, not even close, but it struck.
“I hit it!
I actually hit it!”
He couldn’t contain his excitement.
A wide grin spread across his face.
He grabbed another kunai and threw.
Miss.
But the skill notification appeared again, showing progress toward the next level.
He threw again.
Hit.
Not the vital point, but close.
‘This is incredible.
Every throw gives me experience.
Every throw makes me better.’
The training session continued, and Sho threw kunai after kunai.
Most missed.
Some hit.
But every throw brought him closer to the next level.
By the time the session ended, he’d gone through all his allocated weapons five times over.
His arms ached, and his shoulders were sore, but he didn’t care.
[Skill Update
Shuriken Throw: Novice (Level 3)
Accuracy Bonus: 20%]
His final throws had been…
decent.
He’d managed to hit the target five times in his last round.
Still not center mass, but at least they didn’t fly into the forest.
And that was a great achievement for him.
“Sho-kun?”
Hinata approached him, her eyes wide with surprise.
“I saw you!
You hit the target!
Multiple times!”
He smiled, genuinely proud of himself.
“I got lucky.”
“Lucky?
Sho-kun, that was more than luck.
You were actually aiming!” She paused, something dawning on her face.
“You’ve been practicing, haven’t you?
While you were recovering?”
It’s easier to let her think that.
“Yes,” he said carefully.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about my technique.
Trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.”
“Shokuhi-kun.”
A new voice cut in.
Sho turned to see Iruka-sensei approaching, his expression a mixture of surprise and approval.
“Iruka-sensei,” Sho said, bowing slightly.
“I saw your performance today.” Iruka’s eyes were sharp, assessing.
“You improved dramatically over the course of the session.
What changed?”
Sho hesitated.
He couldn’t tell the truth, of course.
“I’ve been watching the others,” he said slowly.
“Sasuke, mostly.
I tried to copy his form.”
Iruka nodded, apparently accepting the explanation.
“That’s good.
Watching and learning from others is an important skill.” He paused.
“You’re still far behind your peers, Shokuhi.
But…
you’re improving.
That’s all that matters.”
He placed a hand on Sho’s shoulder.
“Keep practicing.
You might surprise yourself.”
Sho nodded, a warmth spreading through his chest.
It was the first time an instructor had said anything positive about his performance.
“I will, Iruka-sensei.
Thank you.”
<><><>
Naruto caught up with him as they were leaving.
“Sho!
I heard Iruka-sensei saying good stuff about you!
That’s awesome!”
Sho shrugged, trying to downplay it.
“I just got lucky a few times.”
“Lucky?” Naruto snorted.
“There’s no such thing as lucky!
You just had some good throws!” He punched Sho’s shoulder playfully.
“I knew you had it in you, man!
We’re gonna be ninjas together, just like we planned!”
‘Like we planned.
I don’t remember planning anything of the sort…’
But Sho smiled anyway.
“Yeah.
Together.”
Naruto beamed, then his expression turned serious.
“Hey, Sho…
you know you can tell me stuff, right?
Like, if something’s going on?”
Sho blinked.
“What do you mean?”
“I dunno.” Naruto shrugged, suddenly looking uncomfortable.
“You just seem different.
Happier, but also…
like you’re hiding something.
I’m not good at reading people, but even I can tell something changed.”
‘He noticed?…
Of course he noticed.
Naruto is more observant than anyone gives him credit for.’ He thought.
Sho was quiet for a moment.
He did have the urge to tell someone, anyone, about this strange ability he had discovered.
To share the burden, the miracle of the impossible gift he’d been given.
He knew that no one was going to believe him without being able to see those text boxes by themselves.
And it had become evident that Sho was the only one who could.
‘They would just think I’m crazy…’ He already had a reputation for being weak and sickly…he didn’t need to add ‘insane’ to the list.
“I’m not hiding anything, Naruto,” he said finally.
“I just…
I’ve decided to try harder.
That’s all.”
Naruto studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“Okay.
I trust you.” He grinned again.
“But if you ever wanna talk, I’m here.
You know that, right?”
She was glad to count him as a friend.
“I know, Naruto.
Thank you.”
<><><><>
That evening, Sho sat in his room, a leaf balanced on his palm.
It was a simple leaf that he plucked from one of the trees in the courtyard.
It should have been easy to make it stick.
Every other student in his class could do it.
But he’d never been able to.
He closed his eyes, focusing on his chakra.
It felt a bit easier now…the pathways were clearer, the flow smoother.
He pushed a small amount of chakra into his palm, just enough to create a thin layer of energy.
Then he pressed the leaf against his skin.
‘Stick.
Please stick.’
He opened his eyes.
The leaf was still there, clinging to his palm.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
He’d never made it past three seconds before.
But the leaf held.
‘I’m doing it.
I’m actually doing it!’
Four seconds.
Five.
The leaf began to slip, and he pushed more chakra into his palm… and immediately felt the familiar ache behind his eyes.
“No.
Not yet.
I need to keep going…”
Six seconds.
Seven.
The headache was getting worse, a pounding pressure that threatened to overwhelm him.
Eight seconds.
The leaf fell.
Sho gasped, his hands shaking.
The headache was bad, but not as bad as it used to be.
He could still think clearly.
He could still function.
He looked at the leaf, lying innocently on his lap.
He lasted eight seconds.
It was a new record.
‘The Chakra Vein Constriction is mild now.
My control is better.
I just need to build up my capacity.’ He reminded himself.
He picked up the leaf and tried again.
And again.
And again.
Each attempt left him more exhausted than the last.
Each attempt gave him slightly better results.
By the time the moon was high in the sky, he’d managed to hold the leaf for nearly thirty seconds.
‘Its painful, but…I am making progress…’
He collapsed onto his futon, completely drained.
But as sleep claimed him, he was smiling.
“Status.” He spoke out loud.
[Status Update]
Name: Hyuga Shokuhi
Level: 1
Title: The Eclipsed Spare
Stats:
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Vitality: 4
Perception: 6
Chakra Capacity: 2
Chakra Control: 4
Status Effects:
Chakra Vein Constriction (Mild) – Permanent
Chronic Fatigue – Permanent
Brittle Bones – Permanent
Byakugan Inefficiency – Permanent
Skills:
Endurance: Novice (Level 1) – Passive.
Allows the user to push the body past its normal limits for a short period of time.
Shuriken Throw: Novice (Level 3) – Passive.
Increases accuracy when throwing shuriken and kunai by 20%.
Quests Active:
None