Shigeru Uchiha was eight years old. After three years of chakra training, his strength was already on par with a Genin.
Although this race didn't allow the use of chakra, a body nurtured by three years of it still carried a huge advantage.
It was 8:30 a.m.
Shigeru ran with a confident grin, leaving the other two far behind.
"In my world, no one can stand before me."
"Let's put that to the test." Hikaru Kinoshita's eyes sparkled as he pushed forward, keeping close behind.
The three of them refused to yield, giving everything they had. Dust rose around them with every step.
One lap, two laps, ten laps, a hundred laps.
By now, Shigeru was drenched in sweat. Hikaru and Minato were on the verge of collapse, bodies trembling with exhaustion.
They were not weak compared to Shigeru, but having already run fifty laps before the match, their stamina had been heavily drained.
Still, no one gave up. Their eyes were like stone focused on a single thought: never be the first to fall.
Ding ding ding…
The lunch bell rang. Students spilled out of the building, all staring at the three running on the field.
Kazuya Kinoshita stood atop the roof, watching calmly with a faint smile.
Friendship between men was forged in collision.
"Keep going, brothers."
"Whoosh!"
Tokuyoshi Kato appeared instantly and whispered, "Teacher Kazuya, aren't you going to stop this pointless race?"
"This isn't pointless. Don't underestimate their determination."
Tokuyoshi scowled, clearly dissatisfied with the juniors. Were it not for Kazuya being a special Jonin, he would have made them feel the full weight of a senior's authority.
Still, that arrogance…
Tokuyoshi was certain and said, "That's an Uchiha. Already at Genin level. How could two kids hope to win?"
"Who can say?" Kazuya replied calmly.
Tokuyoshi froze, speechless. His anger roared silently. This attitude… no respect for seniors at all.
He forced a stiff smile.
"In that case, let's bet on it. Let's see who collapses first. How about that, Teacher Kazuya?"
He was confident Shigeru would win without issue. In his view, the Uchiha had many flaws, but one thing was indisputable: their strength.
"What are we betting?"
"On a barbecue meal. You're still young mistakes happen."
As a Chunin, Tokuyoshi smiled but restrained himself. These were all members of the same village. No need to overdo it. Certainly not because Kazuya was a special Jonin.
"Three meals. And the two kids can come too. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
The bet was set.
Kazuya looked at the field, lips curling into a smile. Last time, his brothers had run all day. Their endurance was more than enough and they had won three meals. Delight filled him.
Ding ding ding…
The class bell rang. The three were still running.
Ding ding ding…
The dismissal bell rang. Still running.
"Keep going. Must keep going." Minato felt every step weigh a thousand pounds, but he refused to lose.
This wasn't just practice. This was a battle.
His eyes squinted, sweat streaming into them. Failure was not an option. A ninja who failed was as good as dead.
Just like Mom and Dad!
Every breath felt like fire in his throat, like running through flames.
But without fire, how could one taste the burn of survival?
Ahead of him, Shigeru ran pale-faced, leading them both. "Damn it, how are they still going… so tired… I just want to sleep."
No. He had to endure. As an Uchiha, he could not lose to two kids.
Clenching his teeth, he forced his body forward with sheer willpower.
Many witnessed this: Hiruzen Sarutobi in the Hokage office, Orochimaru in a tree, and Souichi Uchiha in the corner.
Winning wasn't important. This grit was.
"Never give up until the very end. You've grasped the essence of a ninja."
"Go for it, Shigeru!" Uchiha Mikoto raised her fist, cheering.
The voice of a goddess snapped Shigeru back to awareness. A wide smile spread across his exhausted face.
But the smile disrupted his balance. Fatigue hit like a tidal wave, his vision darkened, and he collapsed instantly.
"No!"
Mikoto gasped. "Oh no! Σ(っ°Д °;)っ"
Realizing she had distracted her friend, she rushed to his side. Shigeru had already fainted.
Anxiously, she scooped him up and ran toward the infirmary.
Seeing Shigeru collapse, Minato thought, Forget treating Hikaru to dinner! and stumbled to the ground.
Hikaru rushed to help Minato and also headed to the infirmary.
Hikaru had pushed past two limits, but hadn't fainted. He even had a moment to check his stats panel:
[Multiverse Proficiency Panel]
Name: Hikaru Kinoshita
Age: 6
Ability: Rubber Fruit, Beginner (7/100)
Technique: Chakra Extraction, Beginner (19/100)
Skills: Kunai Throwing, Beginner (5/10); Taijutsu, Beginner (2/10); Hand Seals, Intermediate (60/1000)
Ninjutsu: None
On the roof:
"I won, Teacher Kato." Kazuya's eyes held amusement as he looked at Tokuyoshi.
"Hmph. I'll honor the bet. Let me know when you want the meal… I'm heading off."
"Wait. The kids haven't eaten all day. Let's do it today at least once."
"Fine then."
Meanwhile, the tiny infirmary had four kids crammed inside. Seeing Hikaru, they exclaimed, "You're back already?"
"Uh… (︶︿︶)=凸" Hikaru didn't know how to respond. Should he leave?
Minato was in rough shape: pulled muscles, blisters on his feet, some already popped. His pain was unimaginable.
Pot彩静's face reflected shock and awe. What kind of training could cause this?
She gathered green chakra in her hands and used medical ninjutsu. This "Divine Hand Technique" accelerated healing, repairing wounds and soothing Minato's aching calves.
"Thank you, sister." Minato said.
"Don't train like this again. You're too young," Pot彩静 smiled, beautiful and gentle, cautioning them not to push themselves too hard. Overusing medical ninjutsu can shorten lifespan.
"Everyone worked hard today. To reward the three of you, Teacher Kazuya and Teacher Kato have decided to treat you to barbecue." Kazuya approached with a smile.
"Meat? Awesome! (✪▽✪)"
"Thank you, teachers!" Minato, pale but starving, exclaimed.
The small infirmary rang with cheers.
Shigeru, barely conscious, watched the celebration with a dark glare. Have some manners there's a patient here!
He shot Mikoto a resentful look. "Mikoto-chan."
"You distracted him. That's why you lost."
"No… it's fine. (ಡωಡ)" Shigeru scratched his head, grinning foolishly, then glared at the two. Brats, don't get cocky.
"Pot-chan can come too." Kazuya generously invited the goddess saving himself the expense.
Then he looked at Tokuyoshi. "What do you think, senior?"
"Fine!" Tokuyoshi gritted his teeth, hand instinctively reaching for his wallet. Today would cost him. Oh well how much can a girl eat?
"Shigeru, Mikoto-chan, let's all go for barbecue together."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Tokuyoshi: "…."
Everyone agreed and left the infirmary.
But Shigeru didn't move.
He wasn't upset with Mikoto, but with himself. As an Uchiha, he had lost to two kids.
It was a humiliation he could not accept.
Kazuya returned, calling out, "Come on, barbecue awaits."
"I'm not going," Shigeru said stubbornly.
"Hmm, ashamed to lose to commoners?"
Shigeru didn't respond, admitting it silently.
"Loss is loss. What does it mean, kid? You need more training."
"Eat quickly, or your opponents will finish it all!" Kazuya said, walking away.
"Fine! Since I lost this time, let's see who can eat the most!" Shigeru jumped up and sprinted after them.