Romance and Ninjas: In Naruto With Infinite Skill Points!

A few months had passed since the incident where Yuuki had protected Kushina. In that short time, so much had happened that he sometimes felt overwhelmed. But rather than dwell on it, he chose to ignore the noise and continue focusing on what mattered—his training.

The morning air was crisp and refreshing, carrying the gentle melody of birdsong as sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of the trees. Yuuki took a deep breath, feeling invigorated.

At the very least, on weekends, he didn't have to see Kushina, which made it easier to concentrate solely on his training without distractions.

The thought made him pause, a slight heat creeping up his face.

With an annoyed shake of his head, he pushed the thought away.

Recently, he had run into a frustrating wall—his body's limitations. No matter how much he trained, there was only so much progress he could make. At the end of the day, he was still just five years old. His muscles could only develop so much at this stage, no matter how rigorous his training was.

It had been bothering him for a while now.

His chakra reserves weren't helping either. Though above average for his age, they were still too small to dedicate his free time to learning any serious Ninjutsu.

Still, the fact that his chakra was already stronger than his peers wasn't entirely surprising.

Aside from the natural benefits of being born into the Hyuga Clan, he had a suspicion—his reincarnation had something to do with it.

Perhaps his spiritual power from his previous life had carried over, resulting in a 1+1 effect, giving him a stronger chakra foundation than most kids his age.

However, this wasn't as powerful as he wished it to be.

Maybe in the future, as his body matured, his enhanced spiritual foundation would prove more useful. But right now, it didn't change the fact that people like Kushina had several times his amount of chakra without even trying.

This was the ceiling of talent—the kind that couldn't be crossed with sheer hard work alone.

As that thought settled in his mind, a memory surfaced—a certain snake and the cursed seal he developed.

Technically, if "hard work" included extremely advanced bioengineering, then maybe talent could be surpassed.

The idea took hold of his brain and refused to let go.

For a brief moment, an unusual anxiety crept in—a sense of urgency he hadn't felt before.

Maybe he should start learning medical ninjutsu?

No—he definitely should start learning medical ninjutsu!

If he could one day become Orochimaru's apprentice, imagine the possibilities.

Not to mention the so-called Hashirama cells, which had basically become a meme in his previous life. If people in this world could transplant Kekkei Genkai, then… what stopped him from doing the same?

Would it be possible to pull off a Ryoumen Sukuna cosplay and get himself a second pair of Mangekyō Sharingan eyes?

Honestly, he wasn't too sure about what made those two things so special, but he had seen their names pop up enough times on Reddit and YouTube to know they were broken as hell.

The mere thought of it sent a shiver of excitement down his spine.

For a second, he wished he could skip forward a few years and see if he actually succeeded.

In his distracted state, completely absorbed in his thoughts while running through the forest, Yuuki barely noticed the presence ahead of him.

By the time he did—it was too late.

With a solid thud, he collided head-on with someone, the impact knocking him backward.

Landing hard on his buttocks, Yuuki let out a sharp exclamation of pain and embarrassment.

Damn!

How the hell had he—a Hyuga, of all people—failed to notice someone on the road?

If anyone saw this, he'd be ridiculed for life!

Irritated, he quickly looked up, ready to snap at whoever he ran into—but the words died in his throat.

His eyes froze.

For a brief, surreal moment, he wasn't even sure where—or when—he was anymore.

Because standing before him, clear as day, was a figure with a bowl-cut hairstyle, thick eyebrows, and an absurdly determined expression.

…Is that Rock Lee?!

Did he—somehow travel to the future?!

"Oof!"

The man stumbled back, letting out a boisterous exclamation as Yuuki crashed into him. For a brief second, his face twisted in surprise, but then—it changed entirely.

His eyes blazed with intensity, his thick eyebrows furrowed in righteous determination, and in the next moment, he clenched his fist and struck a dramatic pose.

"Ah! So this was a challenge of YOUTH!" he declared loudly, his voice echoing through the trees.

"A true Shinobi must overcome all obstacles, whether it be enemy ambushes, raging storms, or even unexpected collisions on the road! Yes! This is but another trial sent by fate to test the strength of our blazing spirits!"

With tears of passion glistening in his eyes, he swiftly grabbed Yuuki's hands, lifting him up with almost unnecessary enthusiasm.

"My most sincere apologies, young warrior!" he exclaimed, gripping Yuuki's shoulders. "At that moment, my youth burned so brightly that I failed to notice you! How shameful! But no! I must not dwell on failure! Instead, I shall become even stronger, so that next time, I may sense a fellow comrade even amidst the flames of my passion!"

He suddenly turned away, striking another dramatic pose, the sunlight filtering through the trees illuminating his figure like a scene straight out of a theater performance.

"Yes! I shall train harder! I shall run ten laps around Konoha on my hands! No—twenty laps! That is the only way to redeem my lack of awareness today!"

Yuuki, still trying to process what the hell was happening, simply stared.

Just as the boy in green spandex was about to leave, Yuuki snapped back to reality, shouting after him.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute, Lee!"

The boy stopped in his tracks, then turned around with a hearty laugh, his expression full of enthusiasm.

"Haha! Sorry, friend, but are you confusing me with someone else?" He flashed an exaggerated grin, his teeth almost sparkling under the sunlight. "Perhaps this Lee also has a blazing and unshakable youth, so much so that it has caused you to mistake our identities!"

Then, with a dramatic flourish, he struck a bold pose—one hand on his hip, the other giving a thumbs-up as the light shined perfectly behind him, as if the universe itself acknowledged his spirit.

"My name is Duy! Might Duy!" he declared, his voice carrying with absolute conviction. "A Shinobi who will surpass even the Hokage—using nothing but Taijutsu!"

Yuuki just stared, his mind racing.

He hadn't traveled to the future after all.

But now… he wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

A little flustered by Duy's over-the-top performance, Yuuki coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Ahem, I wanted to apologize. Actually, it wasn't your fault—I was the one who hit you by accident." He straightened his posture, clearing his throat again. "How about this, let's become friends? My name is Hyuga Yuuki, and I'm still a student at the academy."

For a brief moment, silence settled between them.

They stared at each other, and as the seconds ticked by, Yuuki started feeling uncomfortable.

Had he said something wrong?

Just as he was about to ask—

Duy suddenly dropped to his knees.

Then—

"Ahaaaaaa!"

He started crying. Loudly.

Tears—no, geysers—erupted from his eyes, shooting into the sky like a divine fountain of emotion.

His cries echoed through the forest, shaking the very foundations of youth itself.

"Did you see that, father!?" he wailed, his voice filled with overwhelming emotion. "Your son's Youth has been recognized for the first time! The inheritance of the green spandex finally has admirers!"

Yuuki blinked. What?

"Someone actually took the initiative to become friends with me?!" Duy continued, now clutching his heart. "Isn't this proof that our Youth is growing stronger by the day?!"

Then, as if the heavens themselves had blessed him, he clasped Yuuki's hands with unshakable determination.

"Oh! How blessed, how blessed! Yuuki, from now on, you are my best friend!"

Before Yuuki could even process what was happening, Duy shot up, striking another dramatic pose, his entire being radiating pure energy.

"To commemorate this legendary day, let's race to the top of Hokage Mountain—"

Yuuki exhaled in relief. That wasn't too—

"—while running just on our hands!"

Yuuki's brain short-circuited.

Wait, what?!

Before Yuuki could even react, Duy launched forward, flipping into position and taking off like a bullet, kicking up a trail of dust in his wake.

But not before grabbing Yuuki and—without warning—flipping him upside down, placing him on his hands.

"Let's go, Yuuki! Just follow my lead!" Duy's voice boomed with unwavering confidence.

"One hand after the other, let the chakra flow, and you'll run just as if you were on your legs!" His voice rang with pride and passion, as if he were passing down the greatest secret of the shinobi world. "This is the Youth passed on to me by my father!"

Yuuki barely had time to process what was happening before his instincts took over.

Without thinking, he did as Duy instructed, his hands pressing firmly against the ground as he began moving forward.

And then—

Shock.

Awe.

It felt… natural.

His balance was perfect, his body effortlessly stable. It was almost as if his hands were glued to the ground, his chakra automatically adjusting to his movements.

What… kind of training is this?!

Yuuki's eyes gleamed with excitement.

No wonder.

No wonder this guy is so popular.

The more he thought about it, the more his mind began racing with ideas.

Does he know the Eight Gates Technique by this time? If he does… could I learn it?

The thought was tempting—so tempting—but he pushed it to the back of his mind for now.

At that moment, there was only one thing he needed to do.

Win.

With a determined grin, Yuuki surged forward, throwing himself into the race without a second thought.