The sun was blazing at its peak by the time I finally collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. Sweat dripped from my chin, soaking the dirt beneath me. My small twelve-year-old body trembled violently, every muscle screaming in fiery agony.
But I had done it.
I had completed the brutal regimen I named the Saitama Exercise:
100 push-ups.100 sit-ups.100 squats.10-kilometer run.
It felt like my bones were dissolving, but the moment I stretched out on the earth, a fierce thrill pumped through my veins.
"Status," I whispered.
A translucent panel shimmered into existence above my vision.
STATUS
Name: Ishiki
Age: 12
Chakra: 22 / 32 (Recovering)
Strength: 16
A triumphant smile tore across my face.
"Finally…!"
I had been stuck at Strength 15 for days, no matter how much I trained, nothing changed. But today, I'd finally broken through the wall.
My body felt stronger. Denser. More alive.
But I didn't have time to bask in victory, because I was late.
Very late.
I scrambled upright and clutched my aching ribs.
"Hashirama and Madara are gonna kill me…"
I pushed my exhausted legs into a run, heading straight for the secluded bend of the Naka River.
As soon as I arrived, a warm, smoky scent wrapped around me like a hug.
Roasting fish.
My stomach let out an earth-shattering growl that echoed across the river.
Hashirama and Madara both turned sharply toward the noise.
Their gazes locked onto me, sweaty, shaking, and starving.
My face burned crimson.
Hashirama burst out laughing. "Ishiki! Come eat!"
He tossed me a perfectly cooked golden-brown fish. I snatched it out of the air without thought and devoured it instantly.
The three of us sat in a peaceful silence broken only by crackling flames and crunching bones.
Then Madara spoke, eyes narrowing.
"You're late, Ishiki."His voice was sharp, almost cutting. "Did you lose interest because you hit a bottleneck? That kind of weakness is unacceptable."
I stiffened.
But before Madara could continue his scolding, Hashirama stepped in, gentle and encouraging.
"Madara's harsh," he said, "but he's right about one thing: bottlenecks happen. If you train properly and consistently, you'll overcome them."
His warm smile eased some of the tension in my chest.
I took a deep breath.
"I didn't give up."I met both their eyes, voice steady."I overcame it. That's why I'm late."
Madara's eyebrow shot up in surprise, an expression so rare on him that Hashirama nearly choked on a fish bone laughing.
Finishing my meal, I wiped my mouth and reached into my cloak.
Time to reveal my secret weapon.
A small, sleek flask of concentrated food gleamed in the sunlight.
"This," I said, "is how I broke my bottleneck."
Both Hashirama and Madara leaned closer, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
I handed the bottle to Hashirama.
"It absorbs chakra and converts it into a hyper-nutritious liquid," I explained. "Please infuse a little of your chakra into it."
Hashirama blinked."My chakra?"
"Yes."
Hashirama shrugged and placed his palm on the bottle.
The effect was immediate.
The once-clear liquid inside turned a vibrant, glowing green, bright as spring leaves, thick with vitality. The flask filled rapidly.
Madara's eyes widened, shocked by how quickly it transformed.
I held up a hand. "That's enough."
I offered the flask to both boys.
"Drink."
They exchanged glances.
Then each took a sip.
The reaction was explosive.
Both shinobi jerked as pure, revitalising energy surged through their bodies.
Madara inhaled sharply. "What… what is this?!"
Hashirama's eyes sparkled. "I feel incredible!"
Their chakra networks buzzed. Their fatigue evaporated. Even their skin seemed to glow faintly.
Madara stared at the flask in awe.
"So this is what increased your strength! Even I felt the difference from a single sip!"
I nodded, pride swelling.
"It nourishes the body instantly. If we use it before training, our growth skyrockets. And if powered by Hashirama's chakra…"
I pointed at the vibrant green liquid.
"…the effect multiplies."
Madara's expression hardened into something rare:
Respect.
"This… is a treasure."
Hashirama, still buzzing with energy, practically vibrated with excitement.
"Let's train right now!"
And so the new cycle began.
Before training: Drink Concentrated Food.During exhaustion: Drink Concentrated Food.After injuries: Drink Concentrated Food.
Their efficiency skyrocketed.
My efficiency skyrocketed.
We trained until the sky turned purple, the first stars twinkling through the canopy.Sweat dripped.Muscles burned.Grass tore beneath our feet.
But something else grew too,
Our bond.
Strength wasn't the only thing increasing.
By the time we finished, I collapsed under a tree, panting.
Before sleep hit me, I checked my status again.
STATUS (End of Day)
Name: Ishiki
Age: 12
Chakra: 34
Strength: 17
Slow growth, but steady.Power that I could feel building inside me, thicker and stronger with every breath.
Hashirama's training.Madara's relentless sparring.The System's cheat tools.
All of it was merging into a new rhythm of life.
The weak, starving boy who once arrived in this world was disappearing.
In his place,
A shinobi was being born.