The three ninjas stepped out of the orphanage, their boots crunching softly against the gravel path. The faint aroma of grilled meat from a nearby restaurant reminded them of their hunger, but before they could move further, a shadow flickered into existence before them.
A Root ninja.
His presence was suffocating, his voice cold and emotionless.
"Did you find anyone worth recruiting?"
The question cut through the silence, pulling the trio back to reality. Right. That was their real reason for coming here—'not for nostalgia, not for kindness, but to scout for overlooked talent'.
Danzo had ordered regular inspections of every orphanage in Konoha, ensuring that no potential asset slipped through Root's grasp.
This was the final check for this orphanage.
For a moment, no one spoke. The weight of their answer settled between them like an unspoken truth. Then, the ninja who had been caught off guard earlier hesitated before nodding.
"...There was one."
His voice carried uncertainty, as if he wasn't sure whether he had imagined it or if what he experienced was real.
He recounted the incident—how a boy, just four years old, had managed to sneak up behind him without him noticing. How his chakra was locked, yet his presence was like a whisper in the wind.
"His name is Tanaka Kazeo," he said finally. "Four years old."
The Root ninja remained still, absorbing the information without a single visible reaction.
The others confirmed the story, adding their own observations. The boy was unusual, but was he truly exceptional? That remained to be seen.
A small pouch of ryo exchanged hands, and just as quickly as he had appeared, the Root ninja flickered away into the darkness, leaving behind only the faint disturbance of air in his wake.
Yet, as he vanished, a thought lingered in his mind:
'If the boy really has this ability… how did we miss him?'
His fingers curled into a fist. He couldn't afford to take chances. Before reporting to Danzo-sama, he would have to confirm it himself.
And just like that, Tanaka Kazeo had unknowingly stepped into Root's radar.
---
Present time - (One Month after rebirth)
( Kazeo's POV)
I think I finally understand what my ability is.
It's presence concealment. And my chakra suppression? That's just a minor effect of it.
Ever since those ninjas came, Root has been keeping an eye on this orphanage. They took two kids already—one of them was my roommate, Kazuma. That was my first real wake-up call.
Friendship is dangerous in this world.
The weak die. The strong betray.
I don't plan on being either.
Still, I can't help it—I'm getting attached to the kids. Maybe it's because, in my last life, I was an only child. I always wanted a younger sibling, someone to look after, to be a big brother to.
But this world doesn't give you what you want.
So, I keep my distance. I play along sometimes, games of hide-and-seek and harmless pranks. Enough to blend in, to not stand out.
'The rest of my time is spent training and sleeping for 12 hours daily to replenish my strength.
I also increased my food intake along with training, but recently,
I found out that Japanese food has almost no good source of protein except meat. Sometimes, I get soy-based food, which I eat in large quantities to make up for my protein intake and meat ,that is expensive, so it is not served in the orphanage meals. They only provide meat on special occasions.'
And even training has to be done carefully.
Because I know I'm being watched.
That bastard ninja must have reported what happened. Root agents have been lurking around more than usual. I've felt their eyes on me, studying, waiting.
They haven't confronted me. Not yet.
But I know what they're doing.
Every so often, they test me. Subtle things—setting up fake blind spots, dropping objects to see if I react before I should, passing by a little too closely. They want to know if what happened that day was a fluke.
I make sure they think it was.
Every time, I let them sense me. I let them catch me looking. I pretend to be just another clueless kid. Nothing special.
But behind that act, I push myself harder.
My chakra has grown by 10% in a single month. That might not seem like much, but when I compare it to the Root Genin who watches over us, I realize something terrifying—my chakra reserves are already a fourth of his.
And he's sloppy. He doesn't suppress his chakra near me. I don't know if it's arrogance or just habit, but it gives me something crucial—perspective.
I'm growing.
I've also noticed something strange about training in this world.
In my past life, muscle growth needed time. You tore fibers, they healed, they grew stronger. But here? Chakra changes everything. It seeps into the body, reinforcing it, accelerating recovery, making it stronger than what should be possible.
That's why people like Might Guy exist. It's not just raw effort—it's how chakra interacts with muscle regeneration.
It was not possible in my previous world .It's not that this world is special , it's just the nature of raw chakra .
I have a theory, but I won't know for sure until I get access to the Academy's library.
For now, I'm keeping a low profile.
My stamina has improved considerably. A month ago, I could barely run 500 meters without feeling like my lungs would explode. Now, I can manage a kilometer. The fatigue is still there, but it's not as overwhelming as before.
But the biggest problem… is my body itself.
"I still need to sleep 12 hours a day; Otherwise,I feel even more exhausted and fatigued.
One day, I tried to push my limits and trained
until my body could barely move to reach my
room.
Result: I slept for one and a half days due to exhaustion."
This weakness—this constant exhaustion—I don't know when it'll fade. It's like something is holding me back.
Until that changes, I have to be careful from root's eyes.
Which means no chakra training for another month.
It's frustrating.
But necessary.
For now, I'll focus on my body. I'll train in silence, keep my head down, and wait for Root to lose interest.
I don't think my life will have any progress till --Six months.
So, I will just have to train without expecting much .
That's how long I'll give myself before making my next move in training.
Until then, I'll grow.
[ Author here!
Next, will be training for minor training arc. Have any new ideas for basic training except solo levelling or Saitama training.💪💪
If you have any suggestions,
Let me know .
And thank you
Khalid_etefa and Aamin_Mansuri_0312 for powerstones.☺️
Tell me your thoughts on who can be better jounin sensei for him to learn yin yang technique. Senju , Nara or Uchiha ?
]