By the time the second day of Academy rolled around, the MC's body felt like it had been run over by the same truck that sent him to this world in the first place.
His muscles ached in places he forgot existed, and the soreness? Brutal.
> Ultra Gainz System Notification:
Soreness Detected. Muscle fibers rebuilding.
+0.5 Endurance
Congratulations! You are now officially "Slightly Less Weak."
He rolled his eyes, pulling himself out of bed. "Gee, thanks. I'm honored."
But despite the soreness, he felt something new—a spark of power. His body moved easier, a little faster. His chakra? It didn't feel like static anymore—it felt alive.
Still, he had a long way to go. The daily grind wasn't going to wait.
> Daily Goal:
Push-ups: 0/100
Sit-ups: 0/100
Squats: 0/100
Run: 0/10km
Bonus Quest: Do 100 Squats during class without getting caught
Reward: +1 Stealth, +1 Leg Strength, +5 Confidence
Penalty: Desk duty cleanup for a week
He stared at that last part.
"Squats… during class?"
---
Back at the Academy, Iruka-sensei was in the middle of a long, boring lecture about chakra theory. Half the class was zoned out. Naruto was drawing something incredibly inappropriate on his desk. Shino was silently judging everyone.
The MC sat at the back, pretending to take notes while slipping into position.
Squat 1.
He dipped low behind his desk, holding a pen up like he was deep in thought.
Squat 2.
No one noticed.
Squat 3.
Naruto glanced back. "Are you... dancing?"
"Shh."
Squat 10.
By Squat 34, a bead of sweat was rolling down his forehead. His thighs were on fire.
By Squat 57, he felt like his legs were made of pudding.
Then, disaster.
"YOU!"
Iruka's voice cut like a kunai. "Are you doing squats in the middle of class?!"
The entire room turned.
The MC froze, mid-squat.
A beat of silence passed.
Then Naruto burst out laughing. "He's training! In class! That's kinda awesome!"
Iruka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're either the most motivated or the most insane student I've ever had."
> System Update:
Squats: 100/100
Bonus Quest Complete!
+1 Stealth (barely)
+1 Leg Strength
+5 Confidence
New Passive Unlocked: "Never Skip Leg Day" – Movement Speed +2%
He limped out at lunch with a grin, legs jelly but soul satisfied.
---
Outside, Naruto cornered him with a wild grin.
"Alright, training nut, it's your lucky day! I found this scroll in my dad's attic full of chakra exercises!"
The MC raised an eyebrow. "You mean you stole it."
Naruto waved that off. "Details! You help me with push-ups, I help you with this."
He unrolled it, revealing sketches of chakra control drills—and at the bottom, something interesting.
> Advanced Shadow Clone Conditioning
Split reps between multiple clones. Experience merges after dispel.
The MC's eyes widened. "Yo… if I can learn Shadow Clones…"
Naruto scratched his head. "I was gonna try it later. Maybe in the woods so Iruka doesn't yell again."
The MC grinned. "Let's train together. I've got a new exercise plan, and trust me—it's killer."
As the sun dipped below the rooftops of Konoha, the two of them snuck off to the woods. One chasing dreams of acknowledgment, the other chasing reps—and slowly, unknowingly—rewriting fate.