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"...The future isn't set in stone. What happens now decides what comes next?"
Under the tree, Evan fell into deep thought."So basically, what I've been overdrawing... is the future anchored to this exact moment? Even the future of me before awakening my past-life memories?"
He frowned slightly, talking to himself as if tracing invisible lines of logic."Now that I've awakened my memories, I know so much more about the world of Naruto. My way of thinking isn't the same anymore, either..."
"But—if I don't act, then nothing really changes. Even if I've got a million ideas, without actually doing anything, the future won't shift one bit."
"Just thinking about change isn't enough to cause it."
A light flickered in Evan's eyes. He felt like he was finally starting to grasp something.
Whether his theory was right or not—he'd have to test it himself.
But first...
"Man, the talent of this body sucks," he muttered, his brow creasing deeper. "Even at my peak, I'm only gonna hit chūnin level? That's rough."
He sighed. "This is gonna be a problem…"
Evan prided himself on being a smart guy, but in the Naruto world, smarts alone don't cut it.
After all, this is a world ruled by bloodlines and monsters with god-tier eyes.
Having a good clan and genetics beats everything else.
Even someone as brilliant as Orochimaru couldn't compete with Naruto and Sasuke's cheat-level bloodlines.
"Ugh... I really thought I could coast through life," he said with a helpless sigh. "Guess not. So much for easy-mode transmigration."
He squinted at the glowing status panel before him.The option [Overdraw 10 Years of Future] was now greyed out.
He could only use it again... a year from now.
"So I've got one year to make progress and change the future from there."
"Alright, time to make a plan."
He grinned slightly. "Let's call it... The One-Year Plan."
Evan got up from bed, rolling his shoulders and focusing on himself again.
Before, all he'd cared about was ninjutsu.
This time, his overdraw didn't just give him knowledge of future jutsu—it also gave him shuriken skills, basic taijutsu, strength, and even... chakra.
No—"stamina" might be a better word.
Basically, Evan had just "loaded" all the data from his future self ten years ahead—at his peak form.
Physical ability, ninjutsu, taijutsu, combat experience—everything except memory.
It was almost like fusing with his future self.
As he took a moment to really feel it, a grin spread across his face.
Sure, he was still a Genin... but a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old weren't even close to the same league.
His body might not look any different—but the strength coiled within it absolutely was.
"Nice." He clenched his fist, bones cracking sharply.
"From today on, I'm fighting for my future!"
He rummaged through his stuff, found his piggy bank, and smashed it open. Counting out the coins, he had just over a hundred ryō.
"Not bad. Maybe enough for a short blade... doesn't have to be anything fancy. A wooden one would do for training."
Pocketing the money, Evan headed downstairs.
"Dad, Mom, I'm going out to train!" he called, waving as he passed through the shop entrance.
"Be back for lunch!" his mother called out without looking up. "And be careful—don't hurt yourself!"
"Got it!" he shouted back, already halfway out the door.
Inside the small store, Evan's father chuckled."Our boy's training so hard these days. Guess we'd better step up too."
His wife nodded with a smile and worked her hands faster, pride hidden in her quiet movements.
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Evan hit up several ninja tool shops before finally picking out a short sword for fifty ryō—cheaper than he expected, though the quality matched the price.
It felt a little too light, but it would do for now.
"Good enough to practice with," he murmured, paying the clerk.
He also picked up a sword sheath and a belt—one for carrying on his back, the other for his waist.
In the ninja world, swords and blades were basically the same thing. Swordsmanship, kenjutsu—it all meant the same thing anyway.
After gathering his gear, Evan bought a pack of balloons and made his way to a quiet riverbank. He found a large tree and set up a small training spot beneath it.
He set the balloons aside and hung the short sword at his waist.
His two current goals were clear: Swordsmanship and Rasengan.
He still remembered how to train the Rasengan. He didn't expect to master it within a year—but within ten years? Definitely doable.
As for kenjutsu, his ten-year overdraw hadn't included any sword training.
Without a teacher or proper forms, progress would be slow, and Evan knew it.
Still, that didn't matter. He wasn't expecting to become a sword saint overnight.
For now, he'd focus on the basics—slashes, swings, and most importantly... Iai (draw-sword strike).
Speed, power, reaction. All in one motion.
If he couldn't nail it in a year, then maybe ten.
Even if he failed, he'd learn where his potential truly lay.
"I'm only five," he muttered with a small grin. "I've got room to screw up. This 'Future Overdraw' thing might not make me a god, but it sure gives me options."
Gripping the hilt with his right hand, Evan sank into a low stance, eyes sharp and focused.
Shing!
The blade flashed out in one smooth motion.
"Too shaky," he muttered. "Not stable enough. Again!"
He sheathed it, exhaled, and tried again.
If he hadn't borrowed his future experience, he'd probably just be flailing around blindly.
But now—now he had ten years' worth of Genin-level battle sense backing him up. His control, his strength, his form—none of it was that of a clueless kid.
And the draw-sword strike was, at its core, simple.
Repetition. Over and over again.
Evan kept drawing and sheathing, faster each time, correcting his stance, feeling his muscles burn and adjust.
When his arms finally started to ache and his stamina dipped, he paused for a break—grabbing a few balloons and filling them with river water.
While resting, his mind started spinning again.
"According to the timeline... Minato died in Konoha Year 50, at age twenty-four. So right now, he should be fifteen."
"Jiraiya said it took him three years to develop the Rasengan..."
"And Jiraiya himself learned it not long after. I remember..."
He frowned, thinking hard.
There was that anime scene—Jiraiya proudly showing off the Rasengan to Minato, only to get totally deflated when Minato acted all calm and unimpressed.
That meant Minato had already mastered it and was probably leading Team Kakashi by then.
If Obito graduated at nine, then Minato became their sensei around Konoha Year 45.
Which meant Kakashi was about to graduate this year.
Evan recalled that Kakashi had a few different senseis before Minato, and when his father Sakumo committed suicide at age seven, Kakashi's personality drastically changed.
"So... in two years, Sakumo dies," Evan murmured. "That's Konoha Year 43."
"If Minato starts leading Kakashi's team in Year 44... he should've already finished developing the Rasengan around now."
Which meant—
"There's a good chance he's working on it right this very moment."
Evan looked at the four water balloons he'd just filled, then smirked."Well, looks like I've crashed the timeline a bit... but who finishes first, that's still up for grabs."
"Minato developed it based on the Tailed Beast Bomb."
"As for me..."
He paused, glancing upward thoughtfully. His lips curved into a grin.
"I'll just... make up a reason. Something believable."
The truth was, he wasn't just training the Rasengan because it was powerful or cool—he needed to build a persona.
A reputation.
A genius personality.
"..."
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