"If that's really the case, then becoming stronger will be incredibly easy for me."
Pinching his chin, Yagyu lay on the bed and murmured to himself.
"It feels like I could just lie down and grow stronger."
But in the next moment, Yagyu suppressed that thought.
Such thinking was unacceptable.
No matter what, a training plan was still necessary. The stronger he could become, even by a little, the better.
Before obtaining absolute power, thoughts of slacking off were a great enemy.
"Get up. Follow the training plan made last night and begin today's training."
Patting his face, which was already beginning to show the appearance of a handsome boy, Yagyu spoke.
"I'll think about relaxing only after I have power that is invincible in the Shinobi World."
He got up and washed.
After preparing breakfast and lunch for his mother, he left a note explaining where he had gone and took one lunch box with him as he left the house and headed toward the training ground.
…
"991, 992, 993…"
Beside a small river where the morning sun had just risen, Yagyu's clothes were already soaked with sweat.
"997, 998, 999, 1000!"
Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and other basic physical training exercises.
Not only did they not make Yagyu feel bored,
they made him feel extremely fulfilled.
The feeling of becoming stronger little by little
was truly wonderful.
Of course, that feeling would not last long.
It was only an illusion brought about by the rapid growth in strength at the very beginning.
Time passed little by little.
Soon it was noon. After finishing his morning physical training, Yagyu was eating his lunch box.
Tap, tap, tap.
A series of light footsteps sounded, attracting Yagyu's attention.
Turning his head toward the direction of the footsteps, curiosity appeared on Yagyu's face.
Although this was a public training ground, the spot he had chosen was quite remote. Few people should come here.
"Huh, someone's already here?"
A crisp voice sounded.
Yamanaka Ino, with shoulder-length golden hair, walked out from the forest.
Her bright eyes looked at Yagyu, who was eating, filled with curiosity.
"Huh, it's you. The arrogant and show-off kid from Aunt Yagyu's bookstore next door."
What the hell… say that again?
Yagyu had been somewhat surprised when he saw Ino appear.
But after hearing her evaluation of him, his entire mood turned bad.
Calling him arrogant was one thing, but what kind of evaluation was "show-off kid"?
Although he could not get along with other children because of his mature soul, Yagyu still considered himself a well-behaved and outstanding child.
How did he end up with the reputation of being a show-off?
Clack.
Putting down the empty lunch box in his hand, Yagyu glanced at Ino.
"You're the kid from Aunt Yamanaka's flower shop next door. Instead of playing your little boss games, why are you here alone? Be careful, you might run into danger."
Crack.
Hearing Yagyu's words, Ino's eyebrow twitched, and a twisted smile appeared on her face.
"Little boss games? You show-off guy…"
Ino glared at Yagyu as if she wanted to rush forward and bite him.
Seeing Ino's expression, Yagyu revealed a mocking smile.
Tch.
Just a little girl who had not even grown up yet.
Ignoring the angry Ino, Yagyu, who had his own training plan, had no interest in playing with a child like her.
He walked straight toward several wooden posts and stood in front of them.
"Next is ninja tool training. Begin."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Kunai and shuriken flew from Yagyu's hands, shooting toward the targets on the wooden posts.
Every single one struck the red center.
Perfect precision.
This was also a helpless choice.
If Yagyu had been like Tenten, one of the Konoha Twelve, whose family was rich enough to support endless weapon usage, he would not have needed to painstakingly practice kunai and shuriken throwing.
After all, the best tactic was
when poor, use precision strikes.
When rich, use overwhelming firepower.
"This guy…"
Watching Yagyu's movements, Ino froze.
"So amazing."
Such precise kunai and shuriken throwing was something Ino had never seen among children her age.
And so, Ino stood nearby watching blankly while Yagyu entered a completely focused state of training.
…
Evening.
After finishing his Taijutsu practice against the wooden posts, Yagyu stopped today's training while panting heavily.
"This is exhausting."
Feeling as if every muscle in his body was crying out, Yagyu spoke.
"But once I fully adapt to this training rhythm, my strength will definitely experience a huge improvement."
His training plan had no problems.
The fact that his body had already been pushed to its limits proved that.
"Hey, you show-off."
Ino, who had been sitting and watching Yagyu train for the entire afternoon, walked over to him.
"You're pretty amazing. You trained for so long. If it were Shikamaru and Choji, those two wouldn't even last an hour."
Hearing Ino's words, Yagyu felt somewhat speechless.
Comparing him with a lazy guy and a glutton.
Just how small was this little girl's circle of friends?
No wonder she would later be completely captivated after seeing Uchiha Sasuke.
One word described it perfectly.
Hopeless.
"I'm going back."
After glancing at the curious Ino, Yagyu rested for a moment and stood up.
After speaking,
he ignored Ino and directly walked toward the village.
Seeing Yagyu leave, Ino quickly followed him, her face full of curiosity.
"Hey, why are you so strong? I've never heard Aunt Yagyu say you were doing ninja training before. Didn't you wander around every day? But your Taijutsu and ninja tool skills are really strong. Why?"
Facing Ino's repeated questioning as she walked around him,
Yagyu's face showed deep helplessness.
This was exactly why he did not want to play with children.
He had the soul of an adult who had transmigrated.
Playing childish games like house or string tricks with these kids every day was unbearable.
Finally, after enduring Ino's constant questioning all the way, they arrived at the entrance of his bookstore.
Yagyu looked at Ino, who was still extremely curious about him.
"I've never done ninja training. As for why I'm so strong, it's probably because I'm a genius."
After saying that and leaving only his back to Ino,
Yagyu immediately slipped into his house.
He truly could not stand this kid's endless questions anymore.
"A genius?"
After hearing Yagyu's answer, Ino was stunned for a moment.
Then she muttered as if she somewhat believed it.
"Maybe he really is a genius. I'll observe him carefully for a few more days and find out whether he really is one."
Spending every day playing with her friends was a bit boring anyway.
For the lively Ino, the appearance of something new like this was quite interesting.