Within the village of Konoha, under the watchful gaze of three ancient and massive stone statues, the village which has been through over forty years and three generations, slowly awakens from its slumber.
On the outskirts of the village, within a forest by the banks of a gorge called Naka River, a figure is running freely through the woods, stepping on the early morning dew.
This person, who had begun training himself before the break of dawn, is the protagonist of this story, Uchiha Toshirou!
At this moment, due to his extraordinary physical burden, along with high-speed turns, sudden stops, dodging, and accelerating-decelerating maneuvers in the forest, he is drenched in sweat.
It's important to note that his current weight burden has reached an astonishing 200 kilograms. In his previous life, this achievement would have been nearly impossible for an adult. An average person would find it extremely difficult to even walk normally with a burden of 100 kilograms, let alone run through a forest at high speed!
Moreover, to achieve a better training effect, Toshirou forced himself not to use chakra, completing all these actions solely with his physical abilities!
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
With heavy breathing, Toshirou finally stopped his daily morning training session. He glanced at the stopwatch in his hand~
59 minutes and 48 seconds!
"Not a bad result! Three seconds faster than yesterday! Improving a little every day may seem small, but persistence is victory! You will become the most dazzling shinobi in the entire ninja world! Keep it up~"
After psyching himself up, Toshirou, who was so exhausted he didn't want to move, forced himself to start moving his legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, towards his self-prepared Sage Mode training ground.
Nearly half a year had passed since his last C-rank mission. His strength had improved significantly with Uchiha Juzoun's careful guidance and his relentless efforts. Additionally, he had undertaken several practical missions, greatly enhancing his combat experience. He would no longer fumble and make frequent mistakes like during his mission six months ago.
Of course, Toshirou felt that he had made significant progress toward becoming a "perverted killer." However, he comforted himself with a somewhat rational reason. After all, if he didn't get stronger, one day, he would end up like the people he killed, being killed by someone else!
Sitting on a stone slab he had specially prepared, feeling the morning breeze against his face, Toshirou's pounding heart from the intense activity slowly began to calm down. He entered a state as if he were one with nature.
Although he easily entered this state he named "meditation," it was strange that even after almost five years, he had not sensed any natural energy.
"Could it be that I really have no talent for Sage Mode?"
It had been nearly five years! If he didn't see any results soon, he didn't know how long he could continue this type of training.
Having experienced too many disappointments, Toshirou began to doubt the necessity of continuing this training. Although it improved his sensory abilities, chakra control, and spiritual energy to some extent, these were not his primary reasons for such training! He wanted Sage Mode! A mere improvement in overall qualities was somewhat useful to him, but it didn't solve the fundamental issue!
"Sigh!"
After about an hour, Toshirou ended his morning training session. Unable to sense any natural energy, he let out a sigh! "I can't rush it! Haste makes waste! Patience is key! There's a big difference between reality and my imagination!"
"Maybe I should seek advice from the Cat Granny. She is one of the humans closest to summoning beasts. Perhaps there might be some information I'm unaware of."
After some careful consideration, Toshirou decided to visit the Empty District when he had the chance, to meet this Uchiha partner and also commission a task from her.
After breakfast, Toshirou went to the usual gathering spot of his team. Last night, teacher Juzoun sent a message saying there was important news to announce today. The mysterious nature of the message made him suspect that a war might have broken out. This made him exceptionally sensitive and impatient this morning.
"Good morning, Flame! Zhe!"
Upon arriving, he found that he was the last to arrive among the three. He greeted his two teammates and casually asked, "Hasn't teacher Juzoun arrived yet?"
"Good morning, Toshirou!" x2
"Teacher Juzoun hasn't arrived yet!"
"Hey Flame, do you have any inside information on what's happening? Why all the mystery?"
He couldn't help but be tense. Usually, when teacher Juzoun asked them to gather, he would briefly mention the type of task, whether it required them to leave the village, or how long it would take. But this time, not a single detail was revealed. Coupled with the current tense situation, it made his imagination run wild!
And asking Uchiha Flame was because her father held a relatively high position within the clan. If there were any war-related news, Toshirou believed this young lady would certainly have the information.
"As a loving father of his daughter, especially being an Uchiha, he would definitely prepare some life-saving means for his daughter and instruct her on how to survive better on the battlefield."
"I don't know either! Who knows what teacher Juzoun is up to! He asked us to gather, but he's still dragging his feet, not here yet!"
Though the young girl was somewhat playful, from her reply, Toshirou sensed her genuine confusion. Seeing Flame's expression, indicating that nothing major was happening, Toshirou couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.