The moment Naruto activated five times gravity, an overwhelming force crashed down on him from every direction. His straight posture buckled instantly. It felt as though a colossal hand pressed against his spine, forcing him forward. His knees wobbled and nearly hit the floor.
A weight unlike anything he had ever experienced sank into his body. Every muscle fiber screamed. Even his organs felt as if an icy, crushing hand was dragging them downward.
His lungs strained just to pull in a sliver of air. Breath came in ragged, painful bursts. Even lifting his head felt like lifting a boulder, and all he could do was brace his hands on his knees, his waist folded nearly ninety degrees. Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the cold metal floor.
"This... this is five times gravity?" Naruto forced the words through gritted teeth, voice hoarse from the pressure compressing his chest.
His confidence shattered instantly.
This was nothing like the weighted training he knew.
This wasn't weight tied to the body.
This was space itself turning against him, crushing every cell.
He pushed chakra through his body, trying to withstand the pressure. Golden chakra flickered faintly across his skin, but even chakra circulation felt thick and sluggish, as though he was struggling inside a swamp.
Minutes crawled by. Sweat soaked his clothes.
But Naruto was Naruto.
Stubbornness burned through his fatigue.
He refused to yield.
"Like hell... I'll lose to five times gravity!"
Blue veins bulged on his forehead. His focus sharpened like a blade.
His potential began to awaken.
Slowly, painfully, he adjusted his breathing, trying to straighten inch by inch. Each movement tore like ripped muscle, bones creaking under strain. Time stretched endlessly.
Eventually, he managed to stand without his hands supporting him. Not fully upright, but enough to hold himself.
He tried taking a step.
Nothing.
His legs felt like stone.
Then he remembered the training weights strapped to him.
He shut off the gravity, removed all the weights, then reactivated the chamber.
He tried again.
His foot barely rose a few centimeters before slamming down heavily with a dull thunk.
One step.
Two.
Three...
Every step dragged agony up his calves. His muscles trembled, threatening to cramp. Sweat poured down his face, leaving a faint trail behind him.
His breathing remained rough, chest rising and falling sharply, but he was no longer suffocating.
"I... can move!"
Naruto let out a breathless laugh, exhausted yet burning with determination.
Being able to walk under five times gravity was already a victory.
He lifted his foot again, trying to move faster. Instead, his left leg gave way.
He fell forward and crashed onto the metal floor, splashing through his own sweat.
"Ugh..." Pain shot through him, but instead of frustration, a fierce fire blazed in his eyes.
He planted his palms down.
"Again. I'm not done!"
Inside the gravity chamber, the sound of heavy breathing and stubborn struggle echoed like a rhythm of steel and spirit.
The sun eventually dipped beneath the horizon.
The door slid open slowly. Heat and the thick smell of sweat washed out into the hallway, carried away by the cool evening breeze.
Naruto dragged himself out. Each step left a damp footprint behind him. He leaned against the doorframe, chest heaving painfully, but his expression brimmed with joy. It reminded him of the early days training under Guy. That feeling of breaking past limits, of feeling his growth in real time, was addicting.
Leaving the research division, he walked through the village streets.
Golden-orange sunlight washed over Konoha.
The Hokage Rock glowed warmly, statues of past Hokage gazing down like silent guardians.
Smoke rose from homes as families cooked dinner. Warm light brushed against his sweat-soaked skin, soothing the chill of the metal chamber.
A breeze swept by, carrying the scent of earth and grass, cooling his overheated body.
His stomach growled loudly.
His stomach seemed to complain,
Training is great, but I exist too, you know?
Naruto patted his belly.
Don't worry. I'll fix that.
Soon he was at Ichiraku Ramen, devouring bowl after bowl.
Nearby customers stared wide-eyed. Naruto's speed made their dinner look like child portions.
One man glanced between Naruto and his own bowl as if comparing two entirely different species.
Stacked bowls soon formed a tower.
Naruto smacked his stomach with satisfaction.
"Alright, I'm about eighty percent full. Perfect."
"Thanks, Teuchi! Ayame! See ya!"
He paid, waved, and left the shop with renewed energy.
He headed straight to Guy's home.
"Gravity chamber?" Guy sat in the living room, youthful flames practically bursting from his eyes.
"Yeah. It doesn't just increase weight on the surface. It strengthens the entire body from the inside out. Even organs feel the strain." Naruto nodded earnestly.
Guy clenched his fist.
"A sacred ground for taijutsu training! Naruto, your genius burns like youth itself!"
Naruto grinned.
"I'll ask Granny Tsunade to build more. This could raise the whole village's strength."
Guy sparkled with enthusiasm.