Naruto: A Shinobi’s Burden

The Ninja Academy, is an institution where you enter as a citizen and leave as a trained assassin.

This is the school I aspire to join.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. After all, I might meet key figures from the story.

Characters like the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, and the Bloody Habanero, Kushina Uzumaki, among others, were crucial to the beginning of Naruto's tale.

I don't aspire to be omnipotent, but I at least need to reach Kage level if I want to live a peaceful life in the future.

I still don't have a clear path to reaching that level. Maybe I'll steal a couple of Sharingan in the future or become a mad scientist obsessed like Orochimaru.

Orochimaru...

The one obsessed with the Sharingan. Now that I'm in this world, I completely understand how terrifying the Sharingan's abilities are, and even more so, the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Behind a screen, you can only exclaim in surprise and complain about the enemy's power.

But now I'm here, in the flesh.

Not only do I have the chance to see these abilities, but also to experience them.

The sooner I find a way to counter them, the safer I'll feel in the future.

Kotoamatsukami and Tsukuyomi are particularly fearsome abilities.

I can't help but think Kishimoto showed clear favoritism towards the Uchiha.

Once the Mangekyō is unlocked, you even get two extra lives with Izanagi.

Although this comes at a cost, like losing the sight in one eye and, therefore, its abilities, the price seems minimal compared to the chance to come back to life.

Snapping out of my daydream about the Mangekyō, I quickly freshened up, made something to eat, and stepped out into my home's courtyard.

Once outside, I stretched a bit before starting squats.

"1"

"2"

"3"

...

"45"

"60"

"70"

Sweat ran down my forehead, and my knees burned as if they were on fire. "75," I finished, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for air.

After a moment, I forced myself into a plank position and started doing push-ups.

"1"

"2"

"3"

...

"34"

"50"

"57"

Again, I fell to the ground, staring at the sky as I reflected on my efforts. All for survival, right?

After a while, I moved on to sit-ups.

"1"

"2"

"3"

...

Once I finished, I wiped off with a towel and ran around the village.

"Haa"

"Haa"

I couldn't help but admire the Hokage Rock as I ran. It looked imposing.

Even though the village's architecture might seem outdated, it blends well with its harmonious aura—the laughter of children, the chatting of elderly women, and the merchants calling out their products.

"Akuma!" a merchant shouted, greeting me with a big smile. I returned the gesture with a nod.

After running the same route for several days, the merchants had gotten used to my presence.

I still couldn't understand how these seemingly kind people could change so quickly when looking at Naruto in the future.

Setting those thoughts aside, I continued running through the greetings.

...

"Haa"

"Haa"

I leaned against a tree, taking deep breaths and wiping away my sweat.

I took a long sip of water from my bottle while steadying my breathing.

Haruto had left on a mission a few days ago. Apparently, he trusted that I was mature enough to keep training without supervision.

He only told me to keep preparing for the Academy.

There were 15 days left until the entrance exams. Fortunately, Haruto had signed me up before leaving.

Excited at the thought of joining the Academy, I stretched a bit before continuing my run with determination.

If I want to survive in a world full of monsters, there's only one way to do it:

By becoming one!

A wide grin spread across my face at the thought, just before I crashed head-on into someone in the middle of my daydream.

"Oww!" x2

I grabbed my head in pain and opened my eyes to see my "obstacle."

It was a young boy with yellow hair spiked at the ends like a pineapple and adorable blue eyes who stared at me with a hint of fierceness.

I was stunned before my mouth spoke on instinct.

"Naruto?"

The boy looked at me, confused, before smiling awkwardly.

"You're mistaken. I'm Minato, not Naruto," he said with exasperation.

Snapping out of my daze, I quickly stood up and extended my hand. "Sorry for bumping into you. I was distracted and didn't see you."

Accepting my hand, he stood up with a cheerful smile. "Don't worry. I'm partly at fault too for not seeing you."

I scratched my head, embarrassed. "No, no, it was entirely my fault."

Minato shook his head, maintaining his smile. "It was just a small accident." Then he patted me on the shoulder and started running in the opposite direction.

"I'm in a hurry. See ya!" he said, waving his hand.

I returned the gesture as I watched him disappear into the distance, impressed by his warm and bright aura.

If I had been a girl with toast in my mouth, I might have fallen for him instantly.

With one last glance at where he had gone, I composed myself and continued running.

As I ran, I couldn't help but think about the boy's future—the Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage, the Nine-Tails...

I sighed mentally, recalling his seemingly inevitable fate, paving the way for his son, the Child of Prophecy.

With that in mind, I finished my run and headed home.