Naruto discovered that once he entered the Ninja Academy, the Anbu who had been monitoring him disappeared.
They probably weren't concerned about any danger happening at the academy.
After all, his class consisted of heirs from all the major clans in Konoha.
Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble here would disappear without even knowing how.
After leaving the school gates, that familiar sensation of being watched returned. Naruto activated Kagura's Mind Eye and discovered that the number of Anbu had dropped from four to two.
The one who used to emit hatred toward him had disappeared. Perhaps they were afraid that particular Anbu might harm him.
Naruto walked to his usual training ground—a secluded open area where few people came. It was an ideal place to practice.
A stream flowed through the space. Its water was so clear that the pebbles at the bottom were visible, and even small fish occasionally poked their heads above the surface.
Tall trees surrounded the clearing, some reaching dozens of meters in height, their leaves thick and lush.
Beside the stream was a steep rock wall. It looked dangerous to the untrained eye.
But a few dozen meters of elevation meant little to a ninja.
Naruto often used this cliff face to train. He'd scale it repeatedly to strengthen his body and practice chakra-less climbing.
Several wooden stakes stood near the largest tree. Naruto had fashioned them himself for basic striking drills. To a professional, they were simple and crude—but to Naruto, these were his only tools.
Thanks to the God's Reward for Hard Work, his training efficiency far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Even if Anbu watched from the shadows, Naruto didn't care. He only revealed the progress of a gifted child—not his true strength. The improvements he made were much greater than they appeared.
Naruto walked over to a stake and began his routine, striking it repeatedly with his legs.
A familiar voice echoed in his mind: "Stamina +2, Strength +1… Stamina +3, Strength +2…"
He could feel his body growing stronger. As sweat poured and his muscles ached, the rewards became even more substantial. Hard work indeed paid off.
After finishing with the wooden stakes, Naruto turned to the cliff.
Climbing without using chakra and relying entirely on physical strength was undoubtedly difficult for a six-year-old.
But for Naruto, it was no longer a challenge. Through daily practice, he had already achieved a master-level in rock climbing.
As he scaled the cliff, the voice rang out again: "Climbing Skill +1! Strength +2! Constitution +1! Spirit +0.1!"
That's right—rock climbing not only increased his strength and stamina but also his spiritual energy. Training the body was, in a way, training the spirit.
Although it was less difficult now than it had been, Naruto still gained slight boosts to his mental power. Little by little, it would add up.
With taijutsu alone, Naruto was already at the level of an elite Genin.
He might not appear as impressive as the six-year-old Kakashi in the original story, but Naruto's overall level was higher.
Mainly because Naruto had no teacher. He couldn't even train freely and openly.
Kakashi had been trained by none other than Konoha's White Fang. At the time, White Fang was even more respected than the Legendary Sannin—truly among the Kage-level elite.
Naruto was aware of his own shortcomings. His biggest one was ninjutsu. If he had more jutsu, then with his chakra reserves, he could easily reach Chūnin level, maybe even elite Chūnin in combat power.
Of course, ninja ability wasn't just raw power—it also included experience, reconnaissance, trap setting, assassination skills, and more.
Still, Naruto was confident that with God's Reward for Hard Work, he would become strong. He didn't over-refine his chakra either—he understood the importance of a solid foundation.
There were still six years before the plot truly began. There was no need to rush. Showing too much strength too early would only invite trouble.
Even the Third Hokage and Danzo didn't seem concerned about his taijutsu training. In their view, taijutsu was a minor path.
Its limitations were widely believed.
If Might Dai hadn't once used the Eight Gates to defeat the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist during the Third Great Ninja War, taijutsu might've been ignored entirely.
Even if Might Guy managed to shine for a moment, it was still seen as sacrificing life for power.
And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were nothing compared to true Kage-level shinobi.
As for Might Guy now, he was just another Jōnin.
No one but Kakashi understood his potential.
Naruto climbed up and down the cliff several more times before collapsing onto the ground. Sweat poured down his face, but he still had a third of his stamina left.
My current strength should be enough to develop the Six Styles. I didn't consider the chakra aspect before—but maybe by combining chakra and the Six Styles, I can train more efficiently. I might even develop my own style of ninja taijutsu!
Right now, all I have is taijutsu. As for ninjutsu, I only know the Continuous Great Fireball Technique. It's good among middle-level Genin, but against Special Jōnin or higher, it's just average.
My mental power is strong due to having lived two lives.
In the original, I wasn't afraid of genjutsu because of the Nine-Tails' interference—but that only worked for basic illusions.
Now that I have God's Reward for Hard Work, my mental power will become terrifying.
I may not even be afraid of Mangekyō-level illusions in the future!
Genjutsu is definitely a path I should pursue. I barely knew any techniques back then aside from the Rasengan and the Multi Shadow Clone Technique. That was such a waste of chakra!
I should also consider medical ninjutsu. Not only to heal myself, but to support teammates. If I can reach Tsunade's level, it's practically half-immortality!
I have chakra reserves comparable to Tsunade. Maybe I should try to meet her in the future…
Naruto quietly contemplated his development roadmap.
Oh, and there was sealing technique too.
To Naruto, sealing jutsu was incredibly mysterious.
Its usefulness was proven countless times in the original series.
Barriers, storage seals, restraining seals—they were all tied to sealing arts.
The item storage scroll alone was like a storage ring in cultivation novels.
Other people might choose one path. But I… I can master them all!
Naruto thought proudly. With God's Reward for Hard Work, effort wasn't just doubled—it brought tenfold, even hundredfold results. Even in completely unfamiliar fields, he could slowly grind proficiency.
For example, just thinking about sealing techniques triggered a mental message: "Sealing Technique Comprehension +0.0001"
Naruto knew absolutely nothing about seals. Though Diligence helped him touch the concept, the progress was tiny. It was probably because his foundation was nonexistent.
So he didn't plan to rush into sealing techniques until he built some basic understanding.
His focus for now would be taijutsu and ninjutsu, supported by genjutsu and medical ninjutsu.
End of the Chapter
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