On March 15th, in the 38th year of Konoha, a crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board outside the Ninja Academy.
Among them were students who had participated in the assessment and their parents.
Hoshita Shūichi's eyes quickly scanned the list of names, and he finally let out a sigh of relief when he found his own.
Though he had been confident about getting into the Konoha Ninja Academy, it wasn't until now, with the results confirmed, that he could truly relax.
Passing the assessment meant that the only thing left between him and the academy was the submission of his enrollment documents after the entrance ceremony.
Once those were submitted, he could officially start school on April 1st.
As he mentally reviewed the process, Shūichi's attention shifted to a tree in his mind. He called it the Tag Tree. At the moment, this tree was bare except for two leaves, which represented his tags.
One leaf was 90% bathed in white light, with the remaining 10% still gray.
Tag: Student
Condition to Obtain: Become a student at the Ninja Academy
Effect: Increases focus by 100% during the study/learning.
He then looked at the other leaf, which had already been fully activated, enveloped in bright white light.
Tag: Self-Discipline
Condition to Obtain: Stick to a daily exercise regimen (at least 30 minutes) for one year.
Effect: Hard work can make up for lack of talent. Every effort will yield results, even if small. Each step contributes to a greater journey.
To obtain this tag, Shūichi, who had awakened his consciousness at the age of four, had spent an entire year exercising every day, rain or shine. He started with half an hour of exercise daily, and now it had increased to at least an hour each day.
Although he had earned the tag long ago, he had grown addicted to this routine. Of course, it was also because this tag was incredibly useful. Hard work pays off. This effect was practically game-breaking!
What people fear most is putting in effort without any return, without results. If it weren't for his status as an orphan, he would have trained even harder.
The reason he could maintain such a rigorous training routine at such a young age was because of the excellent head of the orphanage: Yakushi Nono.
The orphanage's funds were limited, unable to support the purchase of various secret medicines to aid his training, but Yakushi Nono, who mastered medical ninjutsu, could somewhat make up for the lack of these supplements.
Thinking of that gentle and kind woman, Shūichi felt a warmth in his heart. But then, the thought of the loathsome Danzo sent a chill through him.
"I need to become stronger as soon as possible!"
"And I need to make money..."
Shūichi clenched his fists.
He wasn't just any orphan without roots—his father had been a Chūnin in Konoha, and his mother a Genin. They had left him an inheritance.
Now that he had passed the assessment and was about to start at the Ninja Academy, he could finally claim his parents' inheritance and move out of the orphanage.
However, the inheritance his parents left behind might not be much. Even with the village's stipend, living expenses wouldn't be an issue, but supporting his intense training might be difficult.
But how could he make money?
He was still so young!
As Shūichi pondered this, he suddenly heard crying beside him.
"My name's not there! It's not on the list at all, Dad!"
"Keep looking, Guy. You gave it your all!"
"Your hard work won't go unrewarded. On the path drenched in your tears, you'll eventually find your name!"
...
Hoshita Shūichi turned his head and saw two figures dressed in an eye-popping shade of green.
It was Might Duy and Might Guy!
The sight was almost comical, but listening to the father and son's conversation made Shūichi unable to laugh.
He then turned to observe the others around him, those who might be his future classmates.
Rin Nohara?
Kurenai Yūhi.
They all looked so young!
He quickly withdrew his gaze to avoid any unwanted thoughts.
Wait a second?
Shūichi noticed a white-haired boy with his hands in his pockets walking through the crowd.
That guy's already acting cool at such a young age. How annoying!
As the crowd gradually dispersed and Shūichi was about to leave, he felt a sudden coolness in his mind. He then noticed that a new gray leaf had appeared on the Tag Tree.
Shūichi paused, surprised and delighted—he had triggered a new tag.
Tag: Strong and Sturdy
Condition to Obtain: Train alongside Might Guy for 100 consecutive days.
Effect: Strong and sturdy, brimming with energy. Recovery rate +100%, resistance to injury and illness +100%, Taijutsu talent +100%.
Oh my!
The three 100% boosts made Shūichi's breath catch. He had to get this tag!
Shūichi immediately changed his plan. Instead of leaving, he walked over to a nearby swing, sat down, and started swinging as he watched Might Duy and Might Guy walk away.
Before long, the father and son left, but Shūichi remained, quietly waiting.
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Might Guy reappeared.
With a long banner hanging from his shoulders, Might Guy began running laps around the Ninja Academy's courtyard.
This scene drew the attention of many people nearby, and Shūichi could hear some mocking voices in the background.
With a smile, Shūichi got off the swing and approached Might Guy.
...
"Huh?"
Might Guy, who was running, suddenly noticed someone beside him. Startled, he slowed down and asked, "Um... did you not pass the exam either?"
"No, I passed," Shūichi replied. "But passing doesn't mean I don't need to keep working hard."
"I think Uncle Duy is absolutely right about one thing."
Might Guy's eyes lit up, and he asked instinctively, "What?"
Shūichi smiled and overtook Guy. "Hard work never goes unrewarded!"
"I believe that effort always pays off; it's just a matter of time."
"Guy, my name is Hoshita Shūichi. I believe you can get into the Ninja Academy."
This motivational speech brought Guy to a halt. He watched Shūichi's back, feeling a surge of boundless energy within him. Smiling, he declared, "My goal is 500 laps! If I can't do it, I'll walk 500 laps on my hands!"
Shouting loudly, Might Guy caught up with Shūichi, and the two began running laps around the school courtyard side by side.
From that day on, the Ninja Academy courtyard saw two figures training tirelessly, rain or shine.
Sometimes, Might Duy would cheer loudly for Shūichi and Guy from the sidelines. Sometimes, it was just the two of them, with occasional sneers and mocking voices from other kids.
Every now and then, a white-haired boy with his hands in his pockets would walk by coolly, his gaze lingering for a moment.
Ten days later, on March 25th.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, visited the Ninja Academy to inspect it in preparation for the new term in April. He noticed the sweat-drenched Shūichi and Guy training hard.
He was pleased to see such hardworking youngsters. With youth like this, Konoha has a bright future!
The next day, Might Guy's name appeared on the Ninja Academy's bulletin board.
"Congratulations, Guy!" Shūichi said with a genuine smile.
Though he knew the story, if Guy hadn't shown such hard work, would Hiruzen have enrolled him?
Certainly not. Hiruzen couldn't see the future, and Might Duy wasn't anything special at the time.
Guy, now overwhelmed with emotion, was crying tears of joy. "Thank you, Shūichi!"
Shūichi shrugged. "See? Hard work never goes unrewarded."
"Come on, we still haven't finished our training today!"
Wiping his tears and snot away, Guy shouted, "Today, I must challenge 1,000 laps! If I can't do it, then 1,000 push-ups!"
"And I have to outlast you, Shūichi!"
Click!
With the sound of a camera shutter, the entrance ceremony for Hoshita Shūichi's class officially came to an end.
The previously quiet crowd instantly became lively as everyone started to leave the school grounds.
Hoshita Shūichi walked side by side with Might Guy, heading home, when they spotted a panting and late-arriving Uchiha Obito.
Seeing his classmates leaving in small groups, Uchiha Obito sighed in disappointment—he was late again.
Kakashi stopped walking, turned slightly, and with a mocking tone said, "Late even to the entrance ceremony, huh…"
Uchiha Obito gritted his teeth and turned back, irritated by Kakashi's sarcastic remark.
Shūichi also stopped in his tracks, turning to watch the unfolding drama.
Once upon a time, Uchiha Obito was the brightest among his friends, until Kakashi came along.
Indeed, Uchiha Obito, Rin Nohara, and Kakashi had been familiar playmates even before starting school. Unlike Shūichi, who had lived in an orphanage and whose playmates were other orphans.
...
"Hey, this is for you!"
Rin Nohara handed Obito a folder with a cheerful smile. "I picked up your enrollment documents for you."
"Huh?"
Obito was momentarily stunned, then his face turned red with embarrassment. His irritation with Kakashi vanished instantly, replaced by a big smile. "Thank you, Rin!"
...
What a memorable scene!
Shūichi thought to himself, then patted Might Guy on the shoulder. "Let's go!"
Guy fell into step with Shūichi, realizing only then what had just happened. "Shūichi, do you know them?"
"Yeah."
"That white... white-haired guy is the son of the famous White Fang!"
"I see. Looks like I've got another rival to deal with!"
"He's really strong—we'll have to work extra hard!"
"Of course! How about we double our training today?"
"(⊙o⊙)..."
…
When Hoshita Shūichi returned home with Might Guy, he found that his previously unoccupied house had been thoroughly cleaned by Yakushi Nono, who had brought a few older orphans to help.
In addition, Might Duy had also lent a hand, taking on most of the dirty and tiring tasks.
Afterward, everyone pitched in to prepare a hearty lunch, with the ingredients that Shūichi had already bought earlier that morning after his training. Originally planning to leave, Might Duy decided to stay, as there was too much food prepared to let it go to waste.
...
At 1:00 PM, after a satisfying meal and tidying up, Might Duy and Might Guy bid their farewells and left. Shūichi then escorted Yakushi Nono and the others to the door.
"Don't worry, Director, I'll take good care of myself," Shūichi assured, smiling at the ever-concerned Yakushi Nono.
Nono nodded, "I believe in you, but please, if you encounter any difficulties, don't hesitate to come back to the orphanage."
Shūichi nodded earnestly. "I will!"
Nono handed him a notebook she had prepared earlier. "These are some notes from my medical ninjutsu studies—consider it a gift."
"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to me."
Overjoyed, Shūichi quickly took the notebook and then hugged Nono's soft waist. "Thank you!"
Nono gently patted his head. "From today on, Shūichi, you're standing on your own now. Keep up the hard work!"
"Mmm..."
Shūichi released her and watched as she walked away with a group of his former playmates.
The "Wandering Miko/Nun" was still in her early twenties—young and yet to fully separate from Danzo's Root organization.
While at the orphanage, Shūichi had noticed that Nono would often be absent for extended periods, indicating her continued involvement with Root.
"Although I don't know the exact timeline, I do know that Kabuto Yakushi entered Konoha after the Third Ninja War, and certainly not until the later stages. Kabuto's assignments as a spy in various countries must have happened afterward—there's at least ten years before that occurs."
Ten years!
Shūichi withdrew his gaze and turned to close the door behind him. "In ten years, I need to become a Jonin, or even achieve fame on par with the Three Sannin or the White Fang..."
And of course, there was another option—eliminate Danzo.
That wasn't entirely out of the question.
Over the next ten years, Danzo, as the leader of Root, would frequently go on missions outside the village.
The key was having enough strength to take him down when the time came.
Despite Danzo later being wounded by a mere kunai in a battle with Susanoo, the fact that he rose to become the second most powerful figure in Konoha meant his abilities were not to be underestimated.
His Wind Release ninjutsu alone was rare not only in Konoha but across the entire ninja world.
Putting these thoughts aside, Shūichi carried the notebook into his study.
The house left by his parents was a two-bedroom, one-living room layout. Aside from the bedroom, the other room served as his study.
On the desk in the study, two scrolls were laid out—his parents' ninja technique scrolls, containing their notes.
There weren't many jutsu because his parents were only a Chunin and a Genin.
Aside from the basic Three Basic Techniques (Henge, Kawarimi, Bunshin), his father had left him two Fire Release jutsu: Flame Bullet and Dragon Fire Technique, both of which were C-rank in terms of difficulty.
His mother had left him a Wind Release jutsu, Gale Palm, in addition to the Three Basic Techniques.
Yes, a rare Wind Release chakra nature.
Of course, chakra nature and innate talent are two entirely different things.
Placing Yakushi Nono's notebook on the desk as well, Shūichi didn't immediately start reading it. Instead, his attention shifted to the 'Tag Tree' in his mind.
There was a pleasant surprise!
After today's entrance ceremony, the "Student" Tag had been fully activated.
But the surprise was that the Tag Tree displayed a prompt.
The "Student" Tag could be combined with the "Self-Discipline" Tag to create the "Scholar" tag.
Tag: Scholar
Condition to Obtain: Possess both the Student and Self-Discipline tags and maintain 100% focus for at least 100 hours of study.
Effect: The ultimate learning machine—10x focus, with thought processing speed increased by 100%. The effects of the original tags will remain.
This is amazing! Shūichi became excited.
He had only tested the 100% focus effect a bit and found that he could instantly enter a highly focused state even in extremely noisy environments.
Obviously, this is an effect that calms the mind and blocks out external distractions.
And if 1x focus is already this powerful, then 10x…
"I might end up studying obsessively, unable to stop!"
Shūichi marveled. "And an increase in thought processing speed by 100% means my brain will work faster, leading to quicker reactions."
"Both focus and thought processing speed would be incredibly useful not just in studying, but also in combat."
"Thought processing speed is essentially the speed at which the brain processes information, which could also be considered as the speed of neural reactions, right?"
The "Scholar" Tag must be synthesized!
A hundred hours of studying with 100% focus—thanks to the Student Tag, focus isn't an issue. Even if you study just one hour a day, at most, it would take 100 days.
"If it really takes 100 days, then there's no hope…"
Shifting his gaze back to the desk, Shūichi Hoshita picked up the clock beside him and set the timer, then opened the scroll left behind by his father.
He had only skimmed through it before, but now he intended to study it thoroughly.
Under the enhancement of the Student Tag, Shūichi Hoshita quickly immersed himself in his studies, undisturbed by anything else.
The scroll contained a lot of information, and it was clear that much of it had been added later, not completed in one sitting.
It covered everything from chakra refinement, shuriken throwing, and the Three Basic Jutsu, to various matters a ninja must be mindful of during missions, and detailed explanations of two Fire Release jutsu.
It was very thorough.
However, when it came to chakra refinement, Shuichi quickly realized that his father was far less skilled than Yakushi Nono.
But that wasn't surprising—after all, Yakushi Nono was a medical ninja and currently at the jonin level, far beyond a chunin's expertise.
Even so, Shūichi Hoshita still gained some valuable insights on chakra refinement from the scroll.
Time ticked away, and when the alarm went off, it was already 4 PM.
Shuichi raised his head, slowly pulling his mind away from the scroll.
1st word: Amazing!
2nd word: Exhausted!
Not only was his mind mentally fatigued, but his body also felt weak, as if he had been completely drained.
Barely able to press the alarm off, Shuichi crawled to get some food.
Luckily, there was plenty of food left from lunch, so he had no shortage of nourishment.
After eating his fill, Shuichi felt revived and couldn't help but reflect, "High-intensity focus can't be sustained for long. Just over two hours and I'm already worn out. My body is still too weak."
Packing up two lunch boxes and two bottles of saltwater, Shuichi finally left the house, strolling to digest his meal as he headed to meet up with Might Guy.
In a small forest in Konoha, after reuniting with Guy, the two began their afternoon training.
Running laps around the forest, running laps on their hands, push-ups, lateral jumps, straight punches, kicks, and finally sparring.
After exhausting their stamina, the two lay on the grass, staring at the starry sky above, panting heavily.
"You truly are my eternal rival, Shuichi!" Guy suddenly grinned.
Despite all the training and sparring, Shuichi had never fallen behind.
Listening to Guy, Shuichi wanted to retort, "Kakashi is your eternal rival…"
But instead, he said, "Effort never goes unrewarded, Guy. When it comes to hard work, I'm not lagging behind you!"
He was a master of motivational speeches.
Of course, Shuichi knew that while 99% effort was crucial, it was the remaining 1% of talent that truly determined one's height.
That's why he was determined to obtain both the "Scholar" Tag and the "Strong and Sturdy" Tag.
And not just those—he needed to trigger more Tags as well.
How else could someone as ordinary as him ever hope to compare with a genius like Kakashi, challenge someone like Danzo, or stand against the Uchiha and Ōtsutsuki who seem to cheat their way through life?
After a brief rest, the two got up, pulled out their lunch boxes, and began devouring their food.
All three lunch boxes were emptied in no time, and Might Guy even licked his clean.
Teenage boys can eat a ton.
The inheritance left by his parents, combined with the village's subsidy, was more than enough to cover Shuichi's basic needs.
But anything beyond that was out of reach.
How could he make some money?
He was just too young!
Lost in thought, Shuichi casually chatted with Guy as they walked home, their occasional laughter startling a few birds from the trees.
By the time they got home, it was nearly 8 PM. After washing the lunch boxes, Shuichi took a refreshing bath, tossing his clothes in to wash as well.
The time was now 8:30 PM.
After preparing a late-night snack, Shuichi sat down at his desk, set the alarm, and once again focused intensely on his studies.
At 11 PM, the alarm went off.
Feeling drained, Shuichi turned off the alarm and quickly downed his prepared snack.
With a full stomach, he paced around the house, reviewing the contents of the scroll in his mind to reinforce his memory.
"My memory is much better than it was in my previous life; maybe I should try the memory palace technique I trained in back then."
Whether it was due to the fact that he had crossed over into this world, or because people in the Naruto world naturally had better memory, Shuichi felt it was worth trying out the memory palace technique.
Especially since in the Naruto world, there were genjutsu, brain-sealing jutsu, and various sealing techniques.
By the time he had finished digesting his food, it was exactly midnight.
He turned off the lights and got into bed.
Within a minute, Shuichi was fast asleep.
...
April 2nd, 5 AM, Shuichi woke up right on time.
After washing up, he went for a run, picked up some groceries, and grabbed breakfast.
After preparing lunch for the day, he ate his breakfast and arrived at the academy by 8 AM, carrying his lunch box as he entered the classroom for Class 1-A.
There was still half an hour before classes began, and the classroom was empty. Unbothered, Shuichi chose a seat and closed his eyes, starting to build his memory palace.
As time passed, the classroom gradually filled with activity.
Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi clinging to Kurenai, Aoba Yamashiro, Ebisu, and several members from various ninja clans like the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Shimura clan, the Uchiha clan, and the Hyuga clan all arrived.
It was clear that Class 1-A was an "elite class."
When Might Guy arrived in the classroom, Shuichi opened his eyes and saw Shizune sitting beside him.
"Hi, I'm Shizune!" she greeted him with a bit of baby fat still on her cheeks.
Shuichi smiled warmly, "Hello, I'm Shūichi Hoshita!"
It seems Tsunade hasn't left the village yet!
After chatting for a bit with Guy and Shizune, the bell rang, and a young man in a green vest walked into the classroom.
The classroom quickly quieted down as the young man scanned the room full of kids, smiling. "Hello everyone, I'm Kimura Kazuya, and from today on, I'll be your homeroom teacher."
"Now, let's all go together to pick up your textbooks!"
A group of students followed Kimura Kazuya out of the classroom to collect their textbooks, just as Obito Uchiha rushed in.
Kakashi couldn't resist a jab, "Almost missed out on getting textbooks!"
Obito, frustrated, didn't have time to argue as Rin quickly urged him, "Obito, hurry and catch up!"
Hmph!
With a grunt, Obito caught up with Rin.
...
After picking up the textbooks, Shuichi realized that the ninja academy had quite a few courses.
Chakra Analysis, Hand Seals and Chakra, Secrecy and Codes, Traps and Tracking, Introduction to Genjutsu, Three Basic Jutsu, Will of Fire, Nindo, Konoha Chronicles, Ninja World, Introduction to Sealing, Mathematics, Mechanics, Biology and Poisons...
There were as many as 20 courses in total, and although this was spread out over the six years of the academy, it was still a lot.
Will of Fire and Nindo were basically ideology courses, while Konoha Chronicles and Ninja World were history classes.
The rest were all specialized courses.
Including subjects like Mathematics and Mechanics, which Shuichi had never imagined would be part of the curriculum.
Are these really useful?
After thinking it over, Shuichi realized that courses like mathematics and mechanics would indeed be useful for ninjas who needed to be versatile, like mercenaries.
Whether in combat, assassination, or espionage.
Carrying a large stack of textbooks, Shuichi realized he needed to reassess his understanding of what it meant to be a ninja.
Ninja Academy, First-Year Class 1.
Kimura Kazuya was droning on about the key points of chakra refinement, but more than half of the students in the classroom were occupied with their own activities.
Kimura Kazuya didn't mind this. He was well aware that many of the students who came from ninja clans or had ninja parents likely already knew how to refine chakra before even entering the academy.
Shūichi Hoshita was one of the students not paying attention to the lecture. His chakra refinement had been taught by Nonō Yakushi, so he had no issues with it.
At the moment, he was memorizing his textbooks, mentally storing every word into the memory palace he had constructed in his mind.
Of course, for many ninja-related subjects, memorizing alone wasn't enough.
Take hand seals, for example—remembering them was just the first step.
The second step was to practice so that both hands could skillfully and accurately form the seals.
The third step was to be able to channel chakra while forming the seals since the purpose of the seals is to guide the chakra for more effective jutsu execution.
Only when all three steps were mastered could one successfully perform a jutsu. As for the speed of forming seals, that required long hours of practice to develop muscle memory.
While Shūichi was filling his memory palace, he was also taking notes, making annotations, and leaving questions for himself.
This was his version of a study session.
Beside him, Shizune wasn't paying attention to the lesson either.
Already having a solid foundation, she found herself increasingly drawn to the focused and serious Shūichi.
Although Shūichi didn't have the cold, aloof aura of someone like Kakashi, his clean and refined appearance, paired with his warm and gentle smile, made him quite appealing. But it was his current look of intense concentration that really caught Shizune's eye.
…
At noon, the bell rang, signaling the end of the last class of the morning.
As soon as the teacher left, the classroom erupted as students scattered.
Those who lived nearby headed home, while those who lived farther away stayed at school to eat the lunches they brought with them. Shūichi Hoshita and Might Guy were among the latter group.
However, as they dug into their meals, a voice interrupted them.
"Shūichi-kun, I have some spinach here. Would you like to try some?"
Both Shūichi and Might Guy looked up.
Seeing a slightly shy Shizune, Shūichi was a bit surprised but smiled and didn't refuse, "Thank you, I won't be shy about it!"
So, what started as a meal for two became a meal for three, although Might Guy continued to eat on his own.
Shizune offered Shūichi some of her food, and in return, Shūichi reciprocated, "Shizune, this is beef I made myself. Try it!"
"Huh?"
"Amazing!"
Shizune was stunned. She hadn't expected Shūichi to be so skilled in cooking; she hadn't learned how to cook herself yet!
She picked up a slice, finding it surprisingly tasty.
As she watched Shūichi devour his food with gusto, a wave of sympathy washed over her. "Shūichi-kun must have it really tough, living on his own..."
The meal lasted only 15 minutes, with Shūichi even finishing the leftover half of Shizune's brown rice.
The time between lunch and 2 PM was designated as rest time, but Shūichi didn't rest. He continued his studying and memorization.
Might Guy was fast asleep beside him, while Shizune, watching Shūichi study so diligently, slowly drifted off to sleep herself.
At 2 PM, classes resumed, focusing on kunai throwing and combat training.
It was during these classes that the differences among the students became apparent.
Students like Kakashi, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Shizune, who either had parents teaching them or came from ninja clans, performed exceptionally well in both kunai throwing and combat training.
In contrast, there was a clear divide between them and civilian students like Shūichi Hoshita and Might Guy.
Shūichi Hoshita happened to be paired with Shizune for sparring, and the result was a complete defeat!
Kakashi was matched against Obito Uchiha, and to Shūichi's surprise, Obito managed to hold his own against Kakashi in the first half of their match. The two exchanged blows with equal skill and precision.
Is this the same "dead last" Obito I knew?
Shūichi realized he needed to reassess the characters he thought he knew so well.
Among the students in Class 1, the most dazzling and admired by the girls was undoubtedly Kakashi.
Obito Uchiha, filled with envy and jealousy, was burning with frustration so intense that even Shūichi, from across the room, could feel it.
There was a time when Obito was also popular among the girls, but now Kakashi had completely stolen the spotlight!
"Damn it!"
Watching the girls cheer for Kakashi, especially seeing Rin Nohara's eyes filled with admiration for him, Obito's fists clenched in anger.
Next time, I'll definitely beat him down!
Obito gritted his teeth in determination.
...
At 5 PM, the day's classes ended.
Shūichi and Might Guy headed to the small forest to continue their training. Only after exhausting themselves completely did they return home.
Wash up, do the laundry, cook, eat.
By 8 PM, Shūichi was back to studying.
Whether for himself or for Nonō Yakushi, he couldn't afford to slack off.
The Tag System had given him limitless potential, but filling that potential still required him to give 120% effort.
At midnight, Shūichi went to bed on time, ending another busy and fulfilling day.
From this day forward, Shūichi's life became extremely disciplined.
He attended classes during the week and helped out at the orphanage on weekends, taking the opportunity to learn from Nonō Yakushi.
But whether it was a school day or the weekend, he never skipped his training with Might Guy.
However, from this day on, during the daily combat classes, Shūichi began a routine of constantly getting beaten up.
Kakashi, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Shizune, Obito Uchiha… except for Guy and a few other civilian students, Shūichi couldn't win against anyone.
The gap was obvious.
Yet, in the eyes of their teacher, Kimura Kazuya, Shūichi's rapid progress was clearly visible.
Shūichi's eagerness to ask countless questions every day also gave Kimura a strong sense of accomplishment and fondness for the diligent student.
...
Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
May 1st, 9 PM.
"Finally, I've completed 100 hours of 100% focused study!"
Though mentally exhausted, Shūichi was excited and full of anticipation.
Focusing on the Tag System in his mind, he immediately chose to merge the "Student" and "Self-Discipline" tags.
A new tag, covered in a green glow, appeared on the tree of tags.
"Scholar!"
Tag Effect: The ultimate study machine—10 times focus, with thought processing speed increased by 100%. The original tags effects remain.
As the tag's effects activated, Shūichi immediately felt the difference.
A mosquito flew by his face, and it seemed like its movements were slowed down.
"As expected, the increased thought processing speed means my brain processes information faster, resulting in what seems like 'dynamic vision.'"
"But it's not just dynamic vision—my overall thought processing speed has improved, not just my ability to process images."
"It also affects my brain's neural response time..."
Shūichi immediately raised his hands to form seals.
His speed had noticeably increased!
But then Shūichi frowned, "Although my seal formation speed has improved, my hands aren't keeping up with my brain."
Brain: I'm fast!
Hands: I can't keep up.
Outside the Ninja Academy.
It was a rare occasion that Sakumo Hatake came to pick up his son, Kakashi. His gaze, however, was unconsciously drawn to two other people.
He asked, "Kakashi, are those two also your classmates?"
Kakashi followed his father's line of sight and saw Shūichi Hoshita and Might Guy.
After nearly three months as classmates, they had all become quite familiar with each other, especially with Shūichi and Guy.
Guy considered Kakashi his strongest rival and often dragged him into friendly competitions. Since Shūichi and Guy were close friends, it was only natural that they also became friends.
Of course, part of it was because Kakashi had already formed a strong impression of Guy even before joining the Academy.
This was because Sakumo Hatake had once told him that Guy had extraordinary talent and would become a formidable opponent.
"Yes, Father," Kakashi replied. "His name is Shūichi Hoshita, and he's also my friend."
"His learning ability is incredibly strong—he's ranked first in the written exams for two consecutive tests."
Sakumo smiled and said, "It seems he's another outstanding talent."
"Kakashi, if you don't put in the effort, your friend might surpass you!"
Kakashi instinctively wanted to argue, because over the past three months, every time he faced Shūichi in a match, the latter had always been defeated.
But remembering Shūichi's rapid progress over the past month, he hesitated.
Especially in their practical class yesterday, when he was paired with Shūichi. During their match, it felt as though Shūichi could predict every one of his moves and techniques.
Although he still won, it wasn't due to superior taijutsu techniques, but rather because of his stronger physical abilities and more extensive combat experience.
So Kakashi thought for a moment and then asked, "Father, can I go train with them?"
Sakumo smiled and nodded, "Of course, go ahead."
Kakashi quickly said goodbye to his father and caught up with Shūichi and Guy.
Naturally, Shūichi and Guy welcomed Kakashi's participation, especially Guy, who had already invited Kakashi to join them many times.
On the way, Kakashi couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind, "Shūichi, during our match yesterday, and in your matches with others, it seemed like you could see through all our movements. How did you do that?"
So he noticed after all.
Shūichi wasn't too surprised; exceptional people always draw attention.
After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Kakashi, when you're facing someone who is slower than you and you're familiar with their moves, you can also predict their actions."
Kakashi frowned, "Your speed is..."
He quickly realized Shūichi wasn't talking about the speed of his hands or feet. "Are you referring to nerve response speed?"
Shūichi nodded, "That's part of it."
He pointed to his brain and then to his eyes. "When your eyes receive information from the outside world and pass it to your brain, which then sends feedback to your eyes and other parts of your body, it all takes time."
"These can all be categorized as neural response speed. As it happens, my brain processes information faster, allowing me to quickly handle the data received by my eyes, hearing, smell, and touch, and then relay that information back to my eyes, hands, and feet."
"At the same time, I have a decent memory. I've created mental profiles for you, Kakashi, and for the other classmates, which makes me familiar with your fighting styles and techniques."
When Shūichi mentioned these "profiles," he was actually referring to the way he had categorized and stored memories of battles with Kakashi and others in his memory palace.
Although everyone was improving, when it came to taijutsu duels, especially with someone like Kakashi who had been trained in family techniques from an early age, certain patterns had already been established.
By combining his memory with his exceptional information processing speed, Shūichi was able to read and anticipate Kakashi's and others' moves.
Shūichi also speculated that the dynamic vision of the Sharingan might not only be about seeing the opponent's chakra flow but could also involve speeding up the transmission of visual information to the brain.
After hearing this explanation, Kakashi had a moment of realization.
He recalled that the concept of neural response wasn't just covered in the Biology and Poisons textbook issued by the Ninja Academy; his father had also taught him about it.
Through long-term training, increasing the speed of hand seals and forming muscle memory were actually ways of enhancing neural response speed.
"My father was right. A brain that processes information quickly is a unique talent Shūichi possesses."
Kakashi, with his keen insight, also noticed that Shūichi seemed to have a unique technique related to memory.
However, he didn't press further because prying into someone's secrets, especially a friend's, was highly impolite.
When they reached the small forest, Might Guy immediately challenged Kakashi to a spirited battle.
Watching the two of them go at it, dust flying everywhere, Shūichi squinted and thought, "They're going at it much harder than when they fight me!"
"It seems I'm still far behind; I can't push Guy to his full potential."
When it came to taijutsu talent, Shūichi knew he was far behind Kakashi and Guy. This was something he could clearly feel after training with Guy so often.
If it weren't for the buffs provided by his tags, Guy would have left him far behind a long time ago.
"I wonder if the 'Strong and Sturdy' tag, with its one-fold enhancement to taijutsu talent, will allow me to catch up to Kakashi or even Guy."
Shūichi was full of anticipation.
Because today was June 25th.
Once today's training was over, the 'Strong and Sturdy' tag would finally be activated.
However, neither Shūichi, nor the battling Guy and Kakashi, noticed that a pair of eyes was watching them from afar.
…
Night, at the Root Base.
The Root leader, Danzo, still in his prime, looked at the report in his hand. "So, he's from an orphanage, with both parents having died in battle. His exceptional qualities are merely a superior neural response and memory?"
The Root ninja, responsible for scouting potential talents at the Ninja Academy, lowered his head and replied, "Yes, Lord Danzo."
"This Shūichi Hoshita has an exceptional learning ability, consistently ranking first in written exams, surpassing geniuses like Kakashi and many students from established ninja clans."
"His taijutsu talent is average, but his superior neural response and memory give him a Sharingan-like ability to see through an opponent's moves and anticipate their actions."
"In addition, he has an extremely valuable trait: self-discipline."
"His self-discipline surpasses that of most adults. I believe that if someone like him were to be trained by Root, he could be of great use."
At the mention of the Sharingan, Danzo's eyes narrowed, and he began to take the matter more seriously.
A Sharingan-like ability, combined with exceptional learning capabilities and terrifying self-discipline… these traits were indeed well-suited for Root.
Danzo immediately issued an order, "Keep a close eye on this Shūichi Hoshita!"
There were more talented individuals at the Ninja Academy than Shūichi, such as Kakashi.
But Kakashi was a child he couldn't recruit into Root.
(End of Chapter)