The ANBU operative left the Hokage's office with tears in his eyes, clutching his new assignment orders against his chest.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alone by the window, staring at the cherry tree in the courtyard below. Pink petals drifted through the air, carried on the spring breeze.
His mind wandered through memories. Minato's smile. Kushina's laughter. The Nine-Tails' roar. A tiny baby with blonde hair and whisker marks, crying in his arms.
I should have visited him sooner.
He'd planned to wait until Naruto entered the Academy. Keep his distance until then. But the boy's recent behavior raised too many questions to ignore.
Hiruzen's gaze shifted to a book on his desk: "Environmental Influence on Character Development." He'd always believed a person's surroundings shaped their personality. An orphan growing up rejected and isolated should develop accordingly. Withdrawn. Perhaps bitter. Possibly violent.
Yet Naruto was whipping himself with the fierce determination of a seasoned warrior.
What kind of child does that?
Outside, cherry blossoms continued their slow descent.
CRACK!
Another welt rose on Naruto's shoulder. He shifted his grip on the bamboo stick and struck his other arm.
CRACK!
Pain lanced through him, sharp and immediate. His jaw clenched, but his expression remained focused. Almost... cheerful.
He wasn't enjoying the pain itself. But every strike brought him closer to his goal. More pain now meant more friends later. The young man in the projection had companions across multiple worlds. Naruto would have the same.
[Naruto, mind your technique. Distribute the strikes evenly. Don't focus on one area. Uniform coverage and consistent force activate cellular response more effectively.]
Naruto adjusted his aim, spreading the impacts across his torso and limbs.
An hour passed. Three bamboo stickes lay broken on the ground. Naruto's entire body was covered in red welts and shallow cuts.
He lowered the remains of the third switch, breathing hard.
[Good. That's enough for today. Time to apply the medicine.]
"Okay." Naruto's voice came out strained.
Moving hurt. Every tiny motion pulled at damaged skin. He reached for the jar with trembling hands, and even that small movement made him hiss through his teeth.
[Not so tough now, are you? A moment ago you were whipping yourself like it was nothing.]
The system's tone was teasing, almost playful.
"It really hurts."
Naruto pried open the jar lid. The paste inside was thick and greenish-white. He scooped some into his palm and spread it across his arm.
The moment it touched his wounds, pain exploded through his nerves. His vision whited out for a second. "Ah!"
[Apply it evenly. Stay strong.]
Naruto gritted his teeth and continued spreading the medicine. Each touch sent fresh agony through his body, somehow worse than the original injuries. Sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped down his face.
[These herbs have powerful properties, Naruto. They accelerate cellular activity, drastically increasing your healing speed. But they also amplify pain signals, forcing your mind to adapt. Physical toughness and mental fortitude must develop together.]
The system's voice gentled.
[This path is filled with suffering. Do you... regret choosing it?]
Regret?
Naruto paused, paste dripping from his fingers. He thought of the mask that hadn't fooled anyone. The pharmacy owners slamming doors. The endless, crushing loneliness.
"No." His voice was firm. "If I hadn't taken this path, I'd still be drowning in despair. You gave me hope, System. I'll never regret that."
[You're welcome, young one.]
A smile seemed to color the words.
[The world isn't as cruel as it appears. It offers everyone hope, treats everyone equally. Some people seize that hope and build beautiful lives. Others let it slip away, sink into darkness, and blame the world for their suffering.]
[But don't worry. For those who choose darkness and harm others, there are always warriors who rise up to stop them.]
Naruto considered this while finishing the medicine application. His entire body was coated in green paste, making him look like some kind of swamp creature.
Before, he'd thought Konoha was a dark place full of people who hated him.
But maybe... maybe there was more to it. The village had vendors worrying about their shops. Parents protecting their children. People working hard, pursuing dreams, finding joy in small things.
Maybe the world wasn't cruel. Maybe he just needed to find his place in it.
Maybe hope was enough to break through any darkness.
Energy surged through him. His fists clenched with renewed determination.
The medicine was working. His skin tingled and itched as wounds knitted themselves back together. The pain faded to a dull ache, then to nothing.
An hour later, Naruto stood and stretched. No pain. He walked to the river and scrubbed away the dried paste.
His reflection showed faint red marks where deep welts had been. Almost healed.
[Time for lunch, Naruto. Then we continue.]
Naruto nodded and headed for his hunting traps.
A small white rabbit lay caught in the snare, its red eyes wide and frightened. It struggled weakly against the rope.
"Sorry, little guy." Naruto's voice was genuinely apologetic.
The system had taught him to hunt and trap. It was the only way to maintain his meat-heavy diet. He'd gotten good at it over the past year.
Ten minutes later, the rabbit roasted over a fire. Fat dripped into the flames, sending up savory smoke. Naruto's mouth watered despite his iron discipline.
After eating, he picked up a fresh bamboo stick.
And began again.
Summer arrived. Naruto trained under the blazing sun, sweat mixing with blood.
Autumn came. Leaves fell in golden drifts around him as he struck himself methodically.
Winter descended. Snow accumulated on his shoulders between strikes, melting from his body heat.
Spring returned. New growth pushed through the soil while Naruto continued his relentless routine.
Another year passed.
Naruto turned seven.
His body had changed. Taller. Leaner. Muscle moved beneath skin that had grown noticeably tougher. Strikes that once left deep welts now barely marked him. His pain tolerance had increased dramatically.
But more than his body, his spirit had transformed. The desperate, lonely child was gone. In his place stood someone with purpose. Direction. Hope.
On a bright spring morning, cherry blossoms drifting on the wind, Naruto made his way to his usual training spot in the back mountain.