Beep beep.
The jarring sound of the alarm clock filled Hanekawa's head. He reached out from under the covers and turned it off.
The technology in the ninja world was an odd mix. They possessed advanced devices like computers, refrigerators, and air conditioners, alongside more mundane items like alarm clocks.
He checked the time; it was exactly six o'clock. Although he had considered exploring Konoha at four in the morning, he was still a child and needed adequate sleep.
Hanekawa changed his clothes and went outside. His plan was to run for half an hour to an hour, depending on his stamina.
He knew that pushing himself too hard after a period of inactivity would be detrimental.
Hanekawa started running along the street. It was early, and there were few people out, making for unobstructed running.
As time passed, Hanekawa's breathing became heavier, sweat poured down his face, and his vision started to blur.
Suddenly, a green blur flashed past him.
Hanekawa glanced over and saw Might Guy running upside down.
"Are you running too?" Might Guy asked excitedly. He seemed genuinely thrilled to encounter someone else exercising.
In the current ninja world, Taijutsu specialists were often looked down upon, as Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were generally considered more powerful and versatile.
Guy's unusual training methods often attracted ridicule. This was even reflected in his father, Might Duy, who, despite defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist single-handedly, remained a Genin.
Hanekawa nodded, too winded to speak.
"You look familiar," Might Guy blinked and then recognized him. "You're the transfer student from yesterday. Your name is… Hama something."
"Hanekawa…" Hanekawa managed to say between breaths.
"Hama what?" Might Guy didn't hear him clearly and asked again.
"Hanekawa!" Hanekawa raised his voice. He finally understood how Hoshigaki Kisame felt when dealing with Guy.
"Hello, Hanekawa-san! I'm Might Guy," Might Guy said, flashing his signature toothy grin. "Just call me Guy."
"Okay," Hanekawa said, slightly taken aback. "You can keep running; I'll rest for a bit." Besides being physically exhausted, he had also received a system notification.
"Alright." Might Guy said, not wanting to force him. Besides, Hanekawa wasn't his "eternal rival" like Kakashi.
If it had been Kakashi, he would have pushed him to his limits.
'What kind of inhuman physique is that?' Hanekawa thought, watching Guy continue his handstand run.
He sat down on some nearby steps and checked his system.
[E-level talent entry: Strong Physique (not obtained).]
[Trigger conditions: The body reaches the lowest level of Genin standards.]
[Current progress: 1%.]
'Since it's the lowest level, it shouldn't be as demanding as reaching the level of someone like Naruto,' Hanekawa thought.
He felt that the triggering condition for this entry wasn't particularly difficult; it just required consistent effort.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and closed his eyes.
"Hanekawa-san, I'm back!" Might Guy's booming voice echoed through the street.
Hanekawa opened his eyes and saw Guy doing frog jumps.
He smiled and waved.
After Might Guy left again, Hanekawa stood up and started walking back towards the Yuhi residence.
By seven o'clock, the streets were becoming more lively.
Hanekawa passed the Konoha Lore Bookstore, the designated meeting place with the Hidden Cloud ninjas, but he didn't go inside, wanting to avoid premature contact.
Passing a dango shop, he remembered Kurenai and decided to buy a box of dango for her.
Hanekawa returned home and saw Shinku opening the door.
"Did you go for a run?" Shinku asked, noticing Hanekawa's heavy breathing and flushed face. He seemed surprised by Hanekawa's dedication.
'Working this hard at such a young age…' he thought. 'Combined with his talent for Yin Release, this boy has a bright future.'
"Good morning, Shinku-san," Hanekawa said. "I'm not in the best shape, so I'm trying to exercise."
Just then, the door to the house opened, and Kurenai walked out in her pajamas, her hair still messy. She yawned and asked, "Why are you two up so early?"
"Kurenai, you should learn from Hanekawa," Shinku said with a slight frown. "Don't sleep in all day."
"Huh?" Kurenai looked around, still half-asleep.
'What was going on?'
She looked like a kitten that had just woken up.
"I bought you dango," Hanekawa said with a smile, handing her the box of mitarashi dango.
'I never thought I'd be buying someone else dango,' he thought.
"Wow! You've become such a thoughtful little brother." Kurenai said, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the dango.
Shinku's expression became subtly strained.
'It must be my imagination,' Yuhi Shinku thought, shaking his head. 'They're just children. What am I even thinking?' (TN: sigh... Who's gonna tell him?)
"It's just a thank you for letting me borrow your notes," Hanekawa explained, trying to dispel any awkwardness.
"Mmmph," Kurenai mumbled around a mouthful of dango.
Anyone else might have been annoyed by her muffled reply, but Kurenai just came off as cute.
After breakfast, Hanekawa and Kurenai headed to the Ninja Academy.
"Hanekawa, did you finish yesterday's homework?" Kurenai asked, turning to look at him.
"Are you asking to copy my answers?" Hanekawa asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.
"What? No way!" Kurenai put her hands on her hips defensively. "I just meant that if you have any questions, I can help you."
"I do have some questions," Hanekawa said, playing along.
"Since you're asking so nicely, I'll tell you," Kurenai said, a smile spreading across her face.
Hanekawa asked about some of the material he had missed. Since he started school two months late, he had to make some educated guesses on certain topics.
He used general test-taking strategies like choosing the shortest answer among three long ones and the longest among three short ones. He figured Eiichiro wouldn't blame him, given his circumstances.
"Do you understand now?" Kurenai asked, licking some dango sauce off her fingers.
"I understand, but not completely," Hanekawa replied with a smile.
"That's how it always starts," Kurenai said, adopting a more mature tone. "Come to my room after school, and I'll explain everything properly."
'Alright, Kurenai,' Hanekawa thought.
He returned to his seat and greeted Shizune before opening his system panel.
[E-level talent entry: Academic Master (not obtained).]
[Trigger condition: Achieve first place in the theory class in the first semester.]
[Current progress: 1%.]
Hanekawa pondered this. 'This entry was likely triggered by his study session with Kurenai.'
'I wonder how being a top student translates into the ninja world,' he mused.
'In the original story, Sakura Haruno was a top student academically, but before becoming Tsunade's apprentice, her practical combat skills were lacking.'
==============
Check out my other fanfic translation: Yoriichi Tsugikuni reborn in the soul society
Enjoying the story? Support my work and get early access to advanced chapters on my Patreon! Your support means the world and helps keep the translations coming.
Check it out at: patreon.com/Reborn_noob