Ryuji stretched out his arms, feeling the familiar strain in his muscles. It had been 24 days since he'd woken up in this bizarre new world—a world he once knew only from watching anime, now somehow his reality. Every day since, he'd been on this exhausting grind: sticking leaves to his forehead, climbing trees without his hands, and walking on water. It was monotonous, repetitive, and painfully slow. His patience was wearing thin.
"Fucking leaf sticking again…" he muttered under his breath, tossing the leaf to the side. He wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling the soreness of his body. His arms and legs ached from the push-ups, sit-ups, and squats he'd been forcing his small, five-year-old frame through.
"24 days of the same shit. Chakra control training this, chakra control training that," he grumbled, flopping down onto the ground. His clothes clung to his skin, damp with sweat. The tree climbing and water walking had shown some progress, but damn, it was still slow going. Ryuji had always been a grind-it-out type of person, but this body was just so damn weak. Every little exercise felt like an ordeal. His childlike muscles couldn't take much, and his chakra reserves were pathetic in comparison to any trained ninja he'd seen in the anime.
"And to think I'm supposed to be in *Naruto*, of all places…" He groaned, staring up at the sky. "This place is dangerous as hell. People can murder you with a glance, and here I am—barely able to stick a leaf to my head without straining."
Sighing, Ryuji let his hand drop to the dirt. He could feel the ache in his feet from hours of balancing chakra just to walk up trees, and the mental exhaustion from the focus it took to walk on water. It was a lot harder than the show ever made it seem.
"I need a break," he decided, pushing himself up. "I've been cooped up doing this lame training for almost a month. Fuck it. I need some air."
Without wasting any more time, Ryuji stood up, dusted himself off, and set his sights on Konoha. For 24 days, he'd been too focused on surviving and training, barely leaving the vicinity of the training grounds or his house. But Konoha was right there, a vibrant village full of life, and he hadn't explored it yet. The thought of wandering around, seeing what this world had to offer beyond his grueling training, gave him a weird sense of excitement.
Ryuji made his way towards the village, his small legs carrying him down the dirt paths that led into the heart of Konoha. As he walked, he let his eyes wander, soaking in the sights. The village was bustling, filled with people going about their daily lives. It was strange seeing it in person—seeing it alive, vibrant, and real. The buildings were simple but had a certain charm, with curved rooftops and wooden frames. The hustle and bustle of the villagers reminded him of a busy marketplace back home.
"I can't believe I'm actually here," he whispered to himself, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. For a moment, the grind of training faded, replaced by a sense of awe.
Vendors lined the streets, selling everything from freshly cooked ramen to odd trinkets. The smell of grilled food wafted through the air, making his stomach rumble. He realized that he hadn't eaten much since morning, but he didn't have any money. "Damn it, I should've brought something with me. I didn't think I'd be out this long."
Ryuji wandered further into the village, passing by shops, houses, and what he recognized as the Hokage's Tower looming in the distance. Seeing it in real life gave him a strange sense of nostalgia. The carved faces of past Hokages were just as intimidating in person as they were on the screen.
"One day, huh?" Ryuji mumbled, thinking of how Naruto once stood in this very village, wanting to be Hokage. "Good for him. But I just want to survive, man."
He continued his walk, taking in the sights and sounds. Kids ran past him, playing ninja games, throwing sticks and pretending they were kunai. He even saw a group of Academy students practicing simple jutsu in a small park. It was hard to believe that some of these kids would one day become powerful shinobi. Hell, any one of them could be more skilled than him at this point. The thought was both humbling and a little annoying.
"Man, I really am at the bottom of the food chain here," he muttered, shaking his head.
As he kept walking, Ryuji found himself by a small stream that cut through the village. He sat down on the edge, watching the water flow by, reflecting on everything that had happened. The surreal nature of it all started to sink in again. *Naruto*. He was in the fucking Naruto world. And not just as some spectator, but as a potential ninja.
"Twenty-four days of training, and I still feel like I'm barely scratching the surface," he said, tossing a pebble into the stream. The ripples it caused spread out in waves, just like the thoughts swirling in his mind. "If this system's supposed to give me a leg up, it sure as hell isn't doing much right now."
Despite his frustrations, though, he couldn't help but feel a small spark of hope. He'd been through worse, and if this world was anything like the one he knew from the show, there had to be a way to get stronger. It was just going to take time—and patience.
"Alright, Ryuji," he muttered to himself, standing up and stretching his arms overhead. "You're not gonna get anywhere sitting around bitching. You'll figure this out. Just gotta keep at it."
Feeling a little more at ease after his walk, Ryuji turned and made his way back towards the training grounds. The village was exciting, sure, but the truth was that he needed to keep grinding if he was going to survive in this world. The break was nice, but the real work still lay ahead.
And as boring and exhausting as it was, he knew there was no shortcut to becoming strong. Not here. Not in Konoha.