Author Note:
Hey everyone, sorry for the late chapter. Last week has been a bit busy.
I'm on the fence on whether I should keep these chapters long but post less frequent, or shorter but more frequent uploads.
Anyway thanks for reading, if you have any ideas, notice anything I could improve, or any suggestions in general, feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy!
-------A/N END-------
That night, after everyone had eaten and the orphanage settled into sleep, Eiji slipped outside alone beneath the familiar tree.
His shoulder throbbed with a deep, pulsing ache that radiated into his neck. His hand burned beneath layers of bandage, the skin tight and swollen, every heartbeat echoing through his palm. His calf felt stiff and sore, muscles protesting the strain they had endured.
He exhaled slowly.
Without the adrenaline keeping check, the pain all day had been nothing like he has ever felt before.
And yet, when he closed his eyes and breathed, the warmth inside him responded.
Stronger than before.
It didn't flare up like some sort of power boost, It was steady like something qualitative had changed.
Words surfaced at the edge of his awareness.
[Strength Increased]
[Willpower Increased]
[Perception Increased]
[Chakra Increased]
[Ascension Path: Locked]
His eyebrow rose.
"Wait," he muttered under his breath. "Wasn't there something about my growth being insufficient before?"
He remembered it clearly. It was some sort of condition.
Insufficient Growth.
"It must mean I've reached a certain point" he said softly.
His chakra flowed again as he guided it through his body, slower this time, deliberately tracing its movement. It felt different. Not just stronger.
Smoother.
It passed through his chest and limbs without resistance, slipping past injured areas instead of stalling at them. When it reached his shoulder, it moved naturally, distributing itself elsewhere instead of aggravating the damage.
Eiji's breathing slowed.
"Weird," he murmured. "My chakra circulation feels way too efficient."
Like a pipe that had widened overnight. Not by a small amount either.
He opened his eyes, staring up at the dark leaves overhead.
'I nearly died today huh.'
That fact settled heavily in his chest once he truly understood.
His body had been pushed past what it should have endured. Torn muscles. Twisted joints. A hand that should have been useless for weeks at least.
And yet, it didn't collapse.
More than that, he could feel it recovering. Slowly, yes, but undeniably faster than it should.
A memory surfaced without warning.
The mother boar lowering her head, placing herself between him and her cub.
Protecting.
Its instincts had been simple and absolute. Everything it had was poured into that one purpose. Thick hide. Powerful legs. Relentless endurance.
Sacrificing itself without hesitation.
Eiji's chest tightened.
For a brief instant during the fight, he had felt something similar. A narrowing of thought. A brutal clarity that pushed aside fear, pain, even reason.
"What if that had been me," he thought. "What if I was the one laying on the ground"
His jaws clenched slightly as the images he remembered during the fight came back.
'Never'
The system responded faintly.
[Ascension Path: Locked]
"Locked," he whispered. "How am I supposed to unlock it?"
He went back through everything he knew about the system.
"It doesn't act like a game," he said quietly. "No levels. No quests. No instructions."
It only reacted after something had changed.
After progress.
After his survival.
"It doesn't tell me what to do,"
Ascension.
"To go up," he muttered. "To rise."
That did not help much on its own.
He closed his eyes again, letting the warmth circulate naturally as he meditated.
Time passed without him noticing.
The pain dulled slightly.
Not gone, more like getting used to it.
His brow furrowed.
"Hmm..?"
He shifted his injured hand slightly, testing the sensation. It still hurt, but the swelling felt lighter. When he flexed his fingers slowly, the pain spiked, then eased.
"Why do I feel better already?"
He stayed beneath the tree until the chill of night seeped into his bones and exhaustion finally pulled him back inside.
That night, he dreamed of running. Not from something, but through something heavy, like moving water.
And when he woke, the pain was still there.
'Ugh… I should have known last night was all in my head'
He sat up slowly, half expecting his shoulder to scream in protest.
He froze.
It did not. It was more of a deep ache instead of the stabbing he was prepared to feel.
Eiji stared at his hand and checked his own body.
"So it wasn't just in my head."
The swelling had gone down slightly.
"This is too fast," he whispered.
Even with good care and his already faster than average healing, this level of improvement overnight should not be possible.
'Unless.'
His thoughts slowed.
Unless the system was not just tracking him.
Maybe it was supporting him somehow.
He helped with morning chores carefully, moving slower than usual. The matron watched him the entire time, her gaze sharp.
"You are not training today, young man," she reminded firmly.
"I wasn't planning to, matron," he replied.
That earned him a long look.
"Good," she nodded. "Because if I catch you doing something stupid, I will personally tie you to a chair and lock you inside."
Kota snorted. Mizu giggled.
Eiji smiled faintly.
"I'll keep that in mind"
After breakfast, Eiji went to the matron.
"Matron, I'm going to the library"
"No, I remember I just told you not to train today"
"I'm not going to train, matron. I just want to read some books."
"Is that all you're going to do? Because I remember that you've been helping people at the market doing chores"
"Yes Matron, I'm only going to read books"
"Fine, but take Kota and Mizu with you, maybe they can start reading more."
"Awhhh, but books are boring, matron," Kota whined nearby.
"Can I come, Eiji-nii?" Mizu asked.
"Sure, you guys can come with me"
"Good, and make sure Eiji doesn't do anything stupid alright kids," The matron said jokingly.
"Okayy~" Kota replied snickering, while Mizu covered her mouth, smiling a little.
"Ha- ha- very funny Matron, see you later"
""Bye Matron,""
Everyone made their way towards the library.
Morning sunlight filtered through the trees lining the street, soft and warm. Kota walked a little ahead, kicking at pebbles and complaining under his breath, while Mizu stayed close to Eiji's side, occasionally glancing up at him as if checking that he was still standing.
Mizu tugged lightly at his sleeve. "Does it still hurt, Eiji-nii?"
"A little," he said honestly. "But it's getting better."
" Okay" Mizu nodded solemnly
When they reached the library, the familiar scent of old paper and wood greeted them. Miko-san looked up from her desk as they entered, her gaze flicking first to the children, then immediately to Eiji's bandages.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Good morning, I brought my friends to read too," Eiji replied, bowing slightly.
She studied him for a long moment
"So this is why you didn't come around yesterday. Did you get into a fight?"
"Something like that," He replied.
The librarian sighed, standing from her chair. "Sit," she said, gesturing toward his usual table. "All three of you."
Kota groaned but obeyed. Mizu climbed up beside Eiji, legs swinging slightly.
"Well," she said, "Anything else you kids want to read?"
"I want a book about cool ninjas," Kota said.
"Umm.. I want a book like Eiji-nii's."
"I want books about shinobi who survived things they shouldn't have," he said carefully. "People who… changed too suddenly."
The librarian paused.
Slowly, she turned to face him fully.
"That is awfully specific," she said, looking him over once again.
The librarian disappeared briefly between the shelves, returning with several books stacked in her arms. She placed them down one by one, the sound heavy in the quiet room.
"These are not children's books," she said, looking pointedly at Kota.
"Then why are you giving them to us," Kota complained.
"Because that's what your friend usually reads." She pointed to Eiji.
"These are biographies," she said. "Field journals. War records. Some philosophy, though most people skip those."
She tapped one thin volume. "This one is about a Chunin who defeated multiple Jonin in a heads on confrontation."
Another. "This one survived poison exposure that killed everyone else in the squad."
A third. "This one recorded a shinobi being almost crippled but healed back to full health miraculously."
Kota squinted at one of the covers. "These look boring."
Mizu picked up one of the thinner books, turning it over in her hands. "This one has pictures."
"Those are anatomical diagrams," the librarian said. "Muscles and bones."
Mizu nodded seriously and opened it anyway.
Eiji opened the first book.
It was written like an official report. Battle conditions, terrain, enemy count. The shinobi's own testimony was included alongside witness statements and medical assessments.
"Engaged multiple enemy shinobi while protecting squad members. Subject continued combat for several days on minimal rest."
Eiji read slower.
"Successfully escaped encirclement by multiple Jonin. Severe bodily trauma sustained."
The medical section followed.
"Multiple compound fractures throughout the body. Internal organ damage. Extensive muscle tearing. Injuries stabilized after emergency treatment."
He skimmed down.
"Prognosis: survival likely. Return to active shinobi service: impossible."
Eiji stopped there.
The next section detailed the shinobi's background.
Orphan born. Graduated late. Average chakra capacity. No notable bloodline or inherited technique.
After the injury, he never returned to the battlefield. He worked as a courier for several years, then transferred into administrative duty.
The final entry was written much later, most likely by the ninja himself.
"The human body is stronger than we realize, but limited by itself."
He reached for the second book.
Poison exposure.
The book described a reconnaissance mission that failed catastrophically. A mist-based toxin flooded the area. Everyone else died within minutes.
The shinobi barely survived as he was farther away from the center of the mist, getting away fast enough before collapsing and assumed dead by enemy ninjas.
What followed made Eiji's brow tighten.
A patrolling unit found him minutes later, barely breathing. He was brought back under emergency conditions.
The poison later was identified as a composite of multiple sources both from animals and plants.
Standard treatment failed.
Treatment was improvised. Antidotes were tested blindly. Some slowed the poison. Others nearly killed him outright.
"Complete elimination of the toxin proved impossible. Residue remains embedded in the system."
The shinobi documented recurring symptoms. Fever cycles. Muscle spasms. Periodic organ stress. Long-term nerve damage was suspected.
Recovery plateaued.
Several months later, the tone changed.
"I began introducing diluted amounts of various toxins under controlled conditions."
The margins were filled with warnings. Failed attempts scratched out. Notes written shakily, as if penned mid-fever.
Fever. Vomiting. Temporary blindness. Severe pain. Multiple incidents of cardiac failure narrowly avoided.
The final report stated that most poisons below a certain lethality threshold no longer affected the shinobi.
Another note followed, seemingly inconsequential compared to the poison resistance.
"Secondary effect observed. Endurance increased. Pain tolerance was significantly elevated."
Eiji leaned back slightly.
Around him, Kota had fallen asleep with his head on the table, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, mumbling something unclear.
Meanwhile, Mizu was quietly reading aloud from her book, stumbling over some of the harder words.
"Mus… mus-cu-lar… fib-ers?"
"Muscular fibers," Eiji corrected gently.
"Muscle Fair."
"Muscular fibers," Eiji repeated once more
"Muscle Fibres," she said, looking proud of herself.
He smiled faintly and reached for the third book.
It was thinner, but the text was dense.
It documented a shinobi crushed during a siege. Spine damaged, organs ruptured, limbs nearly useless.
"Deemed unfit for continued service. Recovery estimated at no less than three years. Probability of full return: negligible."
Eiji's eyes narrowed.
The next entry was written a year later.
"Assessment revised. Returned to active duty in eight months. Bone density increased beyond baseline. Muscle resilience abnormal. Pain tolerance significantly elevated."
The report referred to it as a miracle.
When the sun dipped lower, Eiji gently shook Kota awake.
"Wake up Kota, we're going home," he said.
Kota groaned half awake. "Five more minutes, Matron."
Mizu closed her book carefully. "Can we come back?"
"Sure," Eiji said. "We will."
That night, after dinner, Eiji returned beneath the tree.
He sat down slowly and closed his eyes.
He thought about the books.
The books replayed in his mind.
Three shinobi.
Three outcomes.
The first had pushed his body past its limits and survived.
The second had used poison to adapt and build immunity.
The third had been crushed, broken to the point of uselessness.
And yet his body rebuilt itself differently. Stronger. Denser. More resilient than before.
None of them were born special.
No bloodline.
No inherited secret techniques.
No shortcuts.
Eiji's breathing slowed.
"The human body…," he murmured quietly.
He remembered the boar.
The way he pushed himself just like the first ninja, how he struggled.
"It wasn't just a fight," he whispered. "Something must've changed."
He adjusted his posture, careful of his injuries, and settled into a meditative position.
He focused on his body.
The ache in his shoulder.
The stiffness in his calf.
The soreness deep in his bones.
He let himself feel all of it.
Then he breathed.
Slow.
Measured.
He guided his chakra gently into those damaged areas, not around them.
Pressure built up at those damage areas as he started to feel more uncomfortable.
Sweat had started to line his forehead and back, but his breathing stayed even.
Hours passed.
Then longer.
"This feels familiar," he thought.
His heartbeat slowed.
His awareness sharpened.
Something clicked.
[Condition Fulfilled]
Eiji's breath caught.
He did not open his eyes.
Another line followed.
[Ascension Path Unlocked]
His pulse quickened despite himself.
Then a final line appeared, clearer than the rest.
[Body Ascension Path: Available]
The warmth inside him changed.
It spread deeper.
Into muscle.
Into bone.
Into places he had never felt chakra touch before.
Eiji opened his eyes slowly, staring at his hands.
They looked the same.
They felt heavier.
Denser.
He swallowed.
For the first time, Eiji truly understood.
Strength was not something given easily.
It was something obtained by himself
*Thud*
'Huh… I feel so sle-' Eijo thought as he passed out on the ground.
(To Be Continued)
A/N
If you want to read ahead, you can follow my journey while supporting me at;
p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m/HASONGSKY
and I know this might be annoying, but if you could leave some POWERSTONES, it would motivate me a lot. It's free and won't cost you anything. Thanks.