After the feast…
The streets of Konoha were quiet under the night sky, lit only by the pale glow of the moon and dim lanterns. Two figures walked side by side—Naruto yawning with his hands behind his head, and Haruto… counting ryo like a merchant obsessed with profit.
"Two hundred and fifty thousand ryo," Haruto muttered gleefully, flipping through the bills. "All ours."
Kakashi-sensei hadn't taken his usual cut this time, citing it as a "training trip". That left the full reward to be split between the team—and Haruto could already see the savings, gear, and future missions stacking up in his mind like a treasure chest.
"If this is what B-rank missions pay, I want ten more," he whispered, eyes gleaming.
They reached their house shortly after. Naruto didn't even bother changing—he collapsed face-first into his bed, snoring within seconds.
Haruto, however, remained awake. Sitting at his desk, the light of a lone candle flickering beside him, he stared at his reflection in the window—those swirling, rippling violet eyes still unreal to him.
The Rinnegan.
A gift… or a burden?
Of course a godly gift!
Its known core abilities echoed in his mind:
Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull)
Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)
Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)
And beyond that, the Paths of Pain:
Deva Path – manipulation of gravity
Asura Path – mechanical augmentation
Preta Path – chakra absorption
Human Path – soul extraction
Animal Path – summoning
Naraka Path – interrogation and restoration through the King of Hell
Even the Outer Path, said to control life and death, rested within him. And with it, the theoretical ability to summon the Gedo Statue—though he had no intention of using that monstrous thing.
Stacked? Definitely.
But experienced?
Haruto clenched his fists.
"As a modern soul who never threw a punch back in his world… how am I supposed to match killers raised since birth to survive?" he murmured to himself.
In the shinobi world, combat awareness wasn't a luxury. It was a lifeline. Every real ninja had it—the instinct to act, react, and adapt under deadly pressure.
They didn't think. They moved.
He looked down at his palm. Smooth, unscarred. No real combat instincts. Not yet.
But that was going to change.
"But first...he had to cool himself up" he took a tissue...
---
The Next Morning…
The sun had barely risen when Haruto stepped into the quiet clearing behind their house. The grass was damp with dew, the air crisp with morning silence, broken only by chirping birds. But Haruto wasn't here for peace.
His fists were clenched. His breath steady.
This was war.
No chakra tricks.
No glowing eyes.
Just raw reflexes and instinct.
He tightened the cloth wraps around his wrists, stepped onto the training log, and began.
First—form drills. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows—his movements were sharp, rapid, slicing through the air like blades.
Next—footwork. He circled the log, sidestepping invisible strikes, switching stances on instinct. Every step carved muscle memory into his bones.
Then came reaction training. Wooden logs hung from trees swung down at unpredictable angles. Haruto ducked, pivoted, swayed. Timing was everything.
Thwack!
One caught him on the shoulder. He grunted, rubbed the forming bruise, then reset the trap.
"No pain, no instinct. And no instinct... no internet," he muttered to himself with a wry grin.
Confidence bloomed in his chest. Too soon.
"Feels like I can read their trajectory now," he said, cocky. He closed his eyes to test it.
CRACK!
A log slammed into his face, sending him flying into a tree with enough force to rattle the trunk.
He groaned, rubbing his nose. "Okay... okay, I'm not strong."
Shaking it off, he clapped his hands into a hand sign. Poof! Ten shadow clones appeared around him.
"This will be pure taijutsu," he told them. "Use whatever tactics you've got."
They nodded—and attacked without mercy.
Haruto blocked the first strike, but a kick from behind sent him stumbling. He turned that momentum into a swing, slamming a clone's head into the ground. Poof.
Another rushed in—he feinted a high roundhouse, forcing the clone to guard his face.
The real kick came low—striking his leg. Poof.
Two more clones launched into the air. Haruto rolled aside, but one used the other's back as a launch pad and drop-kicked him mid-dodge.
He staggered back, rubbing his jaw. Seven—or maybe eight—clones remained.
They closed in.
He yanked one by the collar, slammed him into the ground. Poof.
Two attacked from either side—Haruto jumped and kicked them both in a spinning motion, performing a backflip. He landed safely, just outside their reach.
'Four left.'
They charged.
The first threw a straight punch.
Haruto ducked low and countered—a jab to the jaw. Poof.
The four remaining clones charged in without hesitation. Haruto wiped the sweat from his brow, heart pounding, body aching—but his eyes were focused, his stance firm.
One clone rushed with a wide hook—Haruto leaned back just enough for the fist to scrape past his nose. In the same motion, he delivered a powerful palm strike to the clone's sternum.
Poof!
Three left.
The next two came in tandem—one low, one high. The low one swept at his legs while the other aimed a flying kick at his chest.
Haruto jumped to avoid the sweep but took the kick square in the ribs. He grunted, twisted mid-air, and caught the leg before the clone could pull away.
He spun, using the clone's weight to knock the low attacker off balance, then slammed the airborne one into the ground.
Poof! Poof!
Just one left.
Haruto landed, slightly crouched, breathing heavy. The final clone mirrored his stance across from him.
Both of them dashed forward at the same time.
Fists flew. Haruto blocked a jab, countered with a knee. The clone parried and swung with a hook. Haruto ducked and delivered a rapid combo—left, right, elbow—
The clone blocked the first two but took the elbow to the cheek.
Poof!
Haruto stood alone, panting, sweat dripping from his chin. Bruised, sore, but... smiling.
He looked at his trembling fists.
"Still got a long way to go... but I'm learning."
The sun had fully risen now, bathing the clearing in golden light.