I woke up at exactly six.
Not because someone called me, and not because my body jolted awake—but because my internal sense of time had already begun to settle into rhythm. I lay still for a few seconds, listening.
The house was quieter than usual.
I washed up quickly and stepped into the main room just as my mother was setting breakfast on the table. Only one place setting was prepared.
"Where's Dad?" I asked.
She didn't look surprised by the question. "Briefing. Early one. His squad was called in before dawn."
I nodded and sat down without complaint.
This was normal. Shinobi schedules rarely respected family routines. If anything, this was something I needed to internalize early—attachments in this world were conditional, built around absence.
Breakfast passed quietly. My mother watched me more closely than she probably realized, noticing how I ate, how I held my chopsticks, how my posture stayed straighter than a three-year-old's should.
"You're training again today?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Don't push yourself."
"I won't."
Another truth that wasn't quite complete.
The yard felt different without my father present.
There was no correction. No watchful eye. No pressure to perform.
Just me.
I placed the leaf on my forehead and closed my eyes. Chakra responded immediately—smoother than yesterday, less turbulent. It didn't surge or scatter. It flowed.
So this is the difference.
I held the concentration longer this time. When the leaf slipped, I didn't grow frustrated. I adjusted. Refined. Repeated.
Hand seals came next.
Tiger. Boar. Ram.
My fingers no longer hesitated between transitions. The gaps were shrinking. Muscle memory layered itself atop intention.
Time passed unnoticed.
Then—
[Skill Level Up!]
Leaf Concentration → Level 2
A few drills later—
[Skill Level Up!]
Hand Seal Drill → Level 2
I exhaled slowly.
It wasn't just the numbers. I could feel the difference—how chakra responded faster, how my hands obeyed without conscious micromanagement.
Skill Status (After Morning Training)
Leaf Concentration — Level 2 (Active)
Experience Until Next Level: 49.89% / 100%
Description: Allows the user to increase chakra control.
Chakra Usage: 1 Chakra per second
Passive Effect: +3% Chakra Control
Hand Seal Drill — Level 2 (Passive)
Experience Until Next Level: 37.67% / 100%
Description: Increases speed and efficiency of hand sealing.
Passive Effect: +3% Hand Seal Speed
I smiled.
Not openly—but enough that it lingered.
Lunch was inside the house. My mother set the bowls down and sat across from me.
"You trained alone today," she said.
"Yes."
She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Your father would've said the same thing—consistency matters more than intensity."
I remembered that.
The river welcomed me again in the afternoon.
Two small nests. Active. Manageable.
I worked efficiently, crushing ants without hesitation. The system adjusted the returns automatically.
+4 EXP
+4 EXP
Again. And again.
By the time both nests were cleared, I crouched back on my heels and checked the system.
[Experience Gained]
Ants Killed: 230
Total EXP Gained: 920
I paused when I noticed the third nest.
Larger. Denser. Ants swarming in steady lines.
I didn't approach it.
Instead, I stared at it—and planned.
Fire would work.
Not chakra. Not brute force.
Tools.
A flint fire starter. A controlled burn. Efficient. Clean.
Tomorrow.
I returned home before sunset, scuffed my sandals, washed my hands, and sat down just as my father returned.
He looked tired—but alert.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"Training," I replied.
My mother smiled faintly. "As usual."
Dinner passed without incident.
That night, I lay on my futon and brought up the system one last time.
[Status]
Level: 2
Experience Points: 925 / 1,486
Health Regeneration: 1.20 HP/s
Chakra Capacity: 500 / 500
Skills:
Leaf Concentration — Level 2 (49.89%)
Hand Seal Drill — Level 2 (37.67%)
I closed my eyes.
Tomorrow, I will burn a nest.
Not out of cruelty.
But because progress demanded efficiency, and this world rewarded those who planned.