Crack! Crack!
Crack! Crack!
Kaito's mind moved, and the lightning-attribute chakra stored in his cells slowly spread outward.
He didn't release all the lightning chakra at once—just a tenth of it.
A light blue arc sparked across his skin, forming a thin, electric film. It was fragile-looking, like it might fall apart at any moment.
With this layer coating his body, Kaito's thoughts became sharper, and his movements lighter.
If I trained in this state earlier, I could've finished half an hour sooner, he thought.
"It's much simpler than I thought," he muttered, adjusting to the sensation of Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Time flew by. A month passed quietly inside the system's training space.
In a dense forest, a young boy dashed between the trees, his body wrapped in crackling lightning.
He was fast—blindingly fast. Like lightning itself, or a thunder god racing through the woods.
Each time he appeared near a tree, it was only for a fraction of a second before he vanished again. In the blink of an eye, he had paused hundreds of times all throughout the forest.
Whoosh!
Kaito suddenly appeared in a clearing.
The moment he landed—
Crack!
A tree the width of a grown man's waist toppled over with a groan.
That was only the beginning.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Tree after tree crashed to the ground, dozens falling within seconds.
Had anyone been watching closely, they would've noticed: every tree that fell was one Kaito had touched or paused near during his high-speed movements.
"Hah... finally." A boy's voice echoed through the still air, slightly breathless but triumphant. "I've mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
The crackling lightning around him began to fade, revealing a young child—Kaito.
He looked very different from a month ago.
He had grown noticeably taller, and his once-thin frame had filled out with lean muscle. His body was ripped—toned abs, solid limbs, a clear contrast to his youthful face.
(My boy gotta look hot, right?)
Despite being only five years old, he had the physique and physical strength of a trained fighter. In terms of raw physical ability, Kaito was already above every Genin in Konoha.
And if he activated Lightning Release to reinforce his body further, he believed he could fight evenly with an elite Chunin.
[Ding! The host's time is up. Would you like to return to your main body?]
"Already? Perfect timing. I was planning to head back anyway."
The world spun, but Kaito remained calm. He was used to the system's strange transitions.
When he opened his eyes, familiar sights greeted him.
Kaito stepped off the tatami mat in his room, face unreadable, and walked into the kitchen with practiced ease.
He lifted the lid of a large iron pot. Instantly, the aroma of cooked meat filled the room.
Using a nearby wooden basin, he scooped out meat from the pot and filled it to the brim.
Soon after, he walked out into the small living room, placing the basin of meat on the low table.
Now he understood what the system meant by "After returning to the main body, the question is answered."
The training inside the system's space consumed energy—and that energy drain was reflected in the real world the moment he returned.
At first, it wasn't noticeable. But as the intensity of the training increased, so did his body's energy demands.
Now? He needed nearly 30 pounds of meat per night. That kind of consumption cost nearly 1,000 ryo a day!
If not for the money his father left behind, there was no way Kaito could afford to feed himself like this.
Even then, his father's savings would only last three or four more years—assuming he didn't increase the intensity of his training. Otherwise, the time would be even shorter.
No point worrying now. I'll deal with it when it comes, Kaito thought as he sat down to eat.
Suddenly, something crossed his mind. He stood, walked back to the kitchen, and returned with a second bowl full of meat and a pair of chopsticks, which he placed across the table from himself.
"That girl should be here soon," he said softly.
Just as he began eating, a voice rang out from the front door.
"Kaito! I'm here to see you!"
A blonde girl skipped into the room, cheerful and bright.
Kaito's face lit up with a rare smile. "You're here, Ino!"
He pointed to the bowl. "Go ahead! I already made something for you. It's still warm."
"Hehe! Don't mind if I do!" Ino beamed and dug in without hesitation.
"Mmm, it's so good!" she said with puffed cheeks, eyes squinting into happy crescents.
Kaito watched her fondly.
In his previous life, he was an orphan who had done every odd job just to survive. He spent several years as an apprentice at a small restaurant—not enough to master fine cuisine, but he had learned how to make decent home-cooked meals.
His friendship with Ino had started simply.
The day after he saved Hinata from a beating, Ino had somehow found out what happened to him afterward.
As the self-proclaimed "big sister" of the neighborhood kids, Ino rallied her friends and tracked down the ones who had hurt Kaito. She dragged them to his door and forced them to apologize.
That was the beginning of their bond.
In the original world, Kaito always liked Ino—her personality, her strength, and the confident way she carried herself. And he still did.
---
My boy ain't a Pedo....
6 Chapters upfront, I'd be dropping 2 chapters daily henceforth.
Bonus Chapters would be sent after a certain amount of powerstones are received.
So send Powerstones.