Year 55, Hidden Leaf Calendar. Kirigakure—the Village of the Bloody Mist.
Halfway up a jagged mountainside, a boy with short black hair and blood-red eyes swung a silver-white katana. Sweat soaked his ragged clothes, dripping into the dirt. Each swing ripped through the air, a sharp whiss that echoed off the rocks. His arms burned, his grip shaky, but he didn't stop.
"998!"
His voice was raw, throat scorched from hours of shouting.
"999!"
His legs wobbled, vision blurring. He gritted his teeth, forcing the blade up.
"1,000!"
The final swing cut the twilight like a scream. His arms gave out, katana clattering as he collapsed. Rocks bit into his knees, his chest heaving like it'd tear itself apart.
Gotta… be worth it…
A cold voice sliced through his skull.
Ding! Task Complete: 1,000 Sword Swings. Host: Ye Liangnai. God-Tier Enhancement System Unlocked!
Sprawled in the dirt, Ye Liangnai's cracked lips twisted into a grin. Fucking finally.
One month in this hellhole of a world—ninjas, chakra, and a village that chewed up the weak and spat out corpses. Kirigakure didn't tolerate failure. And Ye Liangnai? He was failure incarnate.
Chakra? A joke. Strength? Barely enough to swing his sword. Shuriken? He'd miss a damn mountain.
Among the Academy's losers, he was the king of trash. "Dead last," they sneered, and he couldn't argue.
If not for his big sister, Terumi Mei, watching his back, he'd be a bloody smear by now—beaten down by bullies or gutted in some alley.
Then yesterday hit like a kunai to the gut.
The graduation exam. No tests, no tricks. Just a slaughter. Students killing students for a headband. Survival rate? Less than fifty percent.
When the news dropped, Ye Liangnai's insides turned to ice. Me? Against those freaks?
His classmates were monsters. Some slung Water Style like it was breathing. Others had real scars, real kills. And him? A nobody who fumbled his kunai.
Fleeing wasn't an option. Kirigakure hunted deserters like dogs, and they'd drag Mei down with him. The Mist didn't just kill traitors—they erased their bloodlines.
He was trapped.
Get stronger or die.
Then, like a lifeline from some twisted god—
Ding! Mission: Swing Sword 1,000 Times to Unlock God-Tier Enhancement System. Reward: System Activation + Power Boost.
His only shot.
For twenty-four hours, he'd swung his blade. No food. No rest. Just pain and the count in his head. Muscles screaming, vision fading, he kept going.
Now, it paid off.
A glowing blue screen flickered in front of him.
[God-Tier Enhancement System]
Function: Upgrades anything you own—weapons, skills, stats, chakra, bloodlines.
Limits: Item potential sets enhancement caps. Better potential, more upgrades.
Cost: Enhancement Points. One swing = 1 Point.
Ding! Newbie Gift Pack Unlocked! Contents: Free Enhancement Attempts x2, High-Grade Talent x1, Chunin-Level Stats x1. Check Inventory.
Ye Liangnai dragged himself up, breath ragged, and pulled up his stats.
Host: Ye Liangnai
Age: 12
Skills: Basic Kenjutsu (Terumi Mei's Teachings)
Weapon: Standard White Katana (Terumi Mei's Gift)
Rank: Genin
Items: Free Enhancement Attempts x2, High-Grade Talent x1, Chunin-Level Stats x1
Two prompts flashed.
Ding! Basic Kenjutsu Detected. Enhance?
Ding! Host's Talent and Stats Too Low. Use Gift Pack for Full Rebuild?
"Hell yeah," he rasped.
Ding! Basic Kenjutsu Enhanced. Now: Chunin-Level Kenjutsu: Hawk Flash. Effect: Lightning-fast precision strikes. Cost: 0 (Free). Limit: 4.
Ding! Rebuild Complete. Host Granted: Chunin-Level Stats (Strength, Speed, Reflexes) + High-Grade Talent.
Power surged through him, raw and electric. His muscles hardened, exhaustion burned away. His senses sharpened—every rustle of leaves, every distant bird, crystal clear.
He flexed his hand. This is me now.
One enhancement left. He eyed his katana, its edge gleaming faintly.
Ding! Standard White Katana Enhanced. Now: Hundred-Refined Katana. Effect: Slices iron like cloth, unbreakable. Cost: 0 (Free). Limit: 2.
He hefted the blade. It felt alive, hungry.
Status:
Host: Ye Liangnai
Age: 12
Skills: Chunin-Level Kenjutsu: Hawk Flash (Limit: 4)
Weapon: Hundred-Refined Katana (Slices iron, unbreakable. Limit: 2)
Rank: Chunin
A smirk tugged at his lips. Dead last to this in a day? Eat that, Kirigakure.
"Survive the exam?" he muttered. "I'm gonna own it."
He stumbled through the courtyard gate, legs still shaky, and froze. A woman stood there—green eyes sharp as kunai, auburn hair curling like wildfire.
Terumi Mei.
His heart leapt. "Sis! You're back!"
Mei's lips twitched, playful. "Mission's done, little Ye. Where else would I go?"
Then her eyes narrowed, scanning him. "Graduation exam's tomorrow. You ready?"
Ye Liangnai thumped his chest, grinning. "Ready? I'm gonna tear it apart."
Mei's brow shot up. Tear it apart? She knew her brother—half a month ago, he couldn't land a hit to save his life. The other kids laughed him off the training field. Now he was talking big?
She'd raced home when she heard about the exam, gut twisting at the thought of him facing Kirigakure's meat grinder. Half the class dies. He's not strong enough.
But his confidence… it threw her.
Seeing her doubt, Ye Liangnai's grin turned cocky. "Don't buy it? Spar with me, sis. If I hold up, you teach me some ninjutsu. Bet?"
Mei's eyes glinted. He's not joking. Had he really changed?
"Fine," she said, voice sharp. "Prove you're not bluffing."
Her hands blurred through seals. "Water Style: Water Surge Wave!"
A roaring torrent exploded toward him, tearing chunks of earth. It could crush a Genin like a bug.
Ye Liangnai didn't budge.
"Hawk Flash!"
His katana flashed, a silver streak that split the wave clean in half. Water sprayed, harmless, as he stepped through the gap.
Mei's jaw tightened. That speed…
He vanished. A blur—then he was behind her, blade slashing down.
She spun, kunai meeting katana with a clang. Sparks flew, the force jarring her arms.
Chunin strength?! Her pulse spiked. This wasn't her weak little brother.
"Not done, sis!"
Ye Liangnai pressed in, blade a whirlwind. Clang! Clang! Their weapons clashed, steel screaming. He matched her blow for blow, relentless.
Mei's shock grew. He wasn't just holding up—he was fighting like he belonged here.
"Stop!"
She leaped back, hand up. Ye Liangnai halted, lowering his sword with a smug grin.
Mei stared, catching her breath. "Little Ye… when the hell did you get this strong?"
He shrugged, eyes gleaming. "Few weeks can change a guy, sis."
Her suspicion lingered. Weeks? She'd seen his power—Chunin-level, no doubt. But how?
Ye Liangnai caught her look and laughed. "Alright, alright. Slipped off a cliff a few days back. Smacked my head. When I woke up, something clicked. Training just… worked after that. Crazy, right?"
Mei frowned. A fall? It sounded like nonsense, but here he was, wielding a blade like a seasoned ninja.
She exhaled, a half-smile breaking through. "Crazy or not, you're strong now. The exam? You've got this."
Ye Liangnai's grin widened. The exam wasn't just about surviving anymore. He'd make them remember his name.
But deep down, a spark of hunger burned. This is only the beginning.