Uzumaki Jun walked slowly through the academy, observing. Back in the day, he had received nine years of compulsory education plus three years of high school and four years of university.
He was an intellectual with advanced knowledge.
But just as he was starting to look for a job, he inexplicably ended up here. Now, even though he was still a child, he didn't have to study anymore.
This feeling of watching children attend classes while he had already graduated with a Ph.D. was truly satisfying.
Suddenly, Uzumaki Jun noticed some movement on the nearby training field. He felt puzzled. Right now, all the children should be in the classroom attending theory lessons. So where was the movement on the field coming from?
"There's a child," the clan leader said, noticing Uzumaki Jun's confusion. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "He has no talent for being a ninja. We suggested he study science instead, but he refused."
"So..." Uzumaki Jun nodded in understanding. This child wasn't a student of the academy? But how did he get inside? If he remembered correctly, outsiders weren't allowed to enter the academy.
"Keita pleaded with me to let this child become an auditing student," the clan leader explained.
"Keita?" Uzumaki Jun was quite familiar with this name. He was one of the several jonin who had accompanied him to Konoha to recruit refugees. According to Kai, he was very talented.
Uzumaki Jun grew even more curious. "Is he related to Keita?"
"No, he's one of the refugees we brought back last time," the clan leader said, shaking his head. "An orphan from the orphanage. But Keita seems to care a lot about him."
"Is that so?" Uzumaki Jun rubbed his chin. He wanted to see for himself what kind of child could make Keita care so much. Maybe there was something special about him.
...
"Achoo! Achoo!" Uzumaki Keita sneezed a few times, rubbed his nose, and muttered, "Is Yuzu thinking about me?" Thinking of this, a smile appeared on his face. "If only Yuzu could..."
However...
"Slap!"
Keita angrily turned his head to see who had interrupted him. He had just been imagining his future with Yuzu, even naming their future children.
"K-Kai... Kai-sama!" Seeing the person standing behind him staring coldly, Keita immediately wilted and said awkwardly.
Getting caught daydreaming during training by a superior was a sure way to get into trouble.
"What's with that creepy smile?" Uzumaki Kai said sternly, looking at Keita. "Focus on training."
"Yes!" Keita quickly responded, then turned back to the team he was leading and shouted, "Everyone, attention..."
Otherwise, he would definitely face punishment later.
Keita sighed helplessly in his heart. Why was Shijō so obsessed with becoming a ninja? Being a ninja was dangerous. And he couldn't even use ninjutsu. Why train so hard? What a troublesome kid, coming back covered in injuries every day after training.
Recently, because he kept hiring medical ninjas to treat Shijō, his savings had dwindled significantly. He even had to be careful about where he went on dates now. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to afford the bill.
...
Uzumaki Jun was stunned by the seven-year-old child in front of him. He never expected someone to undergo such intense training.
The kid had such strong willpower. Despite his severe injuries, he was still doing one-handed push-ups.
"We've already tried to persuade him," the clan leader said helplessly. "This kind of training could lead to hidden injuries, but he still won't listen."
"Hmm..." Uzumaki Jun sighed. There were a few stubborn kids in the Naruto world, and it seemed this was one of them.
"After training, send him to the hospital for a check-up," Uzumaki Jun said. "As for the cost..."
"The academy will cover it."
Since the kid had such determination, he might as well sponsor him. Who knows, maybe he'd become the Might Dai of Uzushiogakure.
Thinking of this, Uzumaki Jun smiled wryly. It seemed he was too desperate for a taijutsu prodigy. How could there be so many Might Dais in the ninja world?
Even if there were, they'd be part of Konoha's green scenery. They wouldn't appear in Uzushiogakure.
"Alright," the clan leader sighed. "Keita has complained before. He's spent a lot of money treating this kid's injuries. He asked me not to assign him too much training, but..."
"This kid just won't listen."
Though his tone was helpless, the clan leader secretly admired the child's spirit. Even among the Uzumaki clan, known for their strong vitality, few children dared to train this hard at such a young age.
"..."
So someone was already paying the medical bills.
Uzumaki Jun glanced again at the child still training and smiled. "Maybe miracles do happen."
However...
"Miracles?" The clan leader chuckled but said nothing more. Miracles weren't that easy to come by.
"Thud!" Shijō suddenly flipped up and stood, looking at the two people in front of him with a smile. "Vice-principal-sama!"
"Hmm." The clan leader kept a straight face and nodded. "Don't overdo your training."
"Understood." Shijō scratched his head with a silly grin. "It's fine. I'll be careful." Then, he glanced at the child beside the clan leader and immediately got excited. "Jun-sama!"
Uzumaki Jun was pleased with this reaction. It seemed his reputation was still quite good. He smiled at Shijō. "Hello!"
"Jun-sama!" Shijō suppressed his excitement and put on a serious expression. "How can I become a ninja? How can I get stronger?"
After all, Jun-sama was the strongest in Uzushiogakure. He must know the answer.
However...
"..."
He got stronger because of cheats. How would he know how to get stronger? But he couldn't say that.
"Persistence!" Uzumaki Jun coughed twice and said, "Persistence leads to results."
He didn't want to crush a child's dreams, and he wasn't wrong. Why did Saitama become so strong? Wasn't it because he did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every single day without fail? Of course, you could also pay for skins.
Why was Minato the star of the Fourth Shinobi War, outshining even the First and Second Hokage? Because he bought a skin.
"Is that so?" Shijō lowered his head and looked at his scar-covered hands, murmuring, "Can I really succeed like this?"
For so many days, everyone who saw him said the same thing.
"It's impossible."
"You can't do it."
"Just give up. You'll never be a ninja."
"..."
He was almost ready to quit.
But now, Jun-sama said...
Keep going.
"If you doubt yourself, then success is even more impossible." Uzumaki Jun seemed to sense his hesitation and quickly poured him a bowl of motivational soup.
Even if this kid couldn't unlock his own exclusive skin, Uzumaki Jun could always exchange reputation points for the Eight Gates and give it to him. Then wouldn't he... get a new skin—no, wouldn't he become stronger?
But...
Without incredible willpower and endurance, giving him the Eight Gates would be a waste. So...
Keep going.
Hearing Jun-sama's words, the confusion in Shijō's eyes vanished, replaced by determination. He shouted loudly, "I will never give up! Perseverance, never giving up—that is my ninja way!"
Seeing Shijō's pumped-up expression, Uzumaki Jun nodded in satisfaction. Perhaps the future taijutsu pillar of Uzushiogakure was right here.
And...
The feeling of feeding others motivational soup...
It felt amazing.