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The sun had barely risen over the horizon, casting a pale orange glow across the village of Konoha, but Kuro was already at the training grounds...running.
His feet kicked up dust along the dirt path as he sprinted across the field. His black fishnet shirt clung to his chest with sweat, outlining the lean muscle he'd built from weeks of completely daily quests. The loose black shorts he wore fluttered with every step, and the dark blue open-toed sandals slapped against the ground picking up dirt.
By the time he finished his tenth lap, he dropped to one knee, catching his breath. His chest rose and fell as his fingers clawed at the dirt. "Still too slow..." he muttered to himself.
Slowly pushing himself up from the ground, Kuro wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. His gaze drifted across the empty field, catching sight of a wooden bench sitting beneath the shade of a tree just ahead. Without thinking much of it, he made his way over.
As soon as he reached it, he dropped onto the bench with a heavy thud, leaning back with a long exhale. The wood creaked under his weight, and for a moment, he just sat there, soaking in the silence.
_______________________
QUEST INFO-
Type: Daily Quest
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-GOALS COMPLETED-
Pushups [100/100]
Sit-ups [100/100]
Squats [100/100]
Run [10/10km]
. . . .
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'Now that I've gotten stronger, the daily quests have been getting easier... so I've been doing more training than is required...but even so, shouldn't it be showing up that I did more? Guess it doesn't.' He stretched, letting out a quiet grunt as he leaned forward over the bench.
It had been five days now. Five long, sore, heavy days since the dungeon incident. Since he'd almost died. And ever since that moment, he'd realized something, his stats weren't nearly as strong as he thought they were.
So, every day since, he'd pushed himself harder than before. Grinding through the same routines, burning through his stamina until his legs felt like they were going to give out and his arms refused to lift anymore. He trained until his muscles throbbed and his body screamed at him to stop. And even then, he kept going.
Because today wasn't just another day.
Today was the evaluation test...
Maybe it was just nerves. Maybe it was anxiety hitting him harder than usual. But something inside told him that if he didn't give it everything, he'd be stuck at the bottom forever.
He didn't know what to expect from the evaluation test, so he trained in practically everything he could think of. If there was a slim chance it might help him pass, he did it.
"Status screen," he muttered.
━─━─━─≪◈ STATS ◈≫─━─━─━
[NAME] ➤ Kuroshin Kagemura
[AGE] ➤ 13
[LEVEL] ➤ 17
◇───INFO───◇
[JOB] ➤ NONE
[TITLES] ➤ Courage Of The Weak...
[HP] ➤ 520/520
[CP] ➤ 1330/1330 (GENIN)
[FATIGUE] ➤ 10
[AVAILABLE ABILITY POINTS: 19 ]...
◇───STATS───◇
[STRENGTH] ➤ 42.5
[AGILITY] ➤ 29.5
[SENSE] ➤ 26.5
[HEALTH] ➤ 32.5
[INTELLIGENCE] ➤ 33
◇───SKILLS───◇
[BASIC TAIJUTSU TECHNIQUES] ➤Lv.8 (PASSIVE.) [ Basic Melee attacks inflicted on an opponent is increased by 22%. ]
[BASIC SHURIKENJUTSU TECHNIQUES]Lv.5 (Passive) [ When throwing small concealed weapons, damage inflicted is increased by 16%.]
[WIND AFFINITY] ➤ Lv.4 (PASSIVE.) [ Whenever a Wind Style jutsu is used, its power is increased by 40%.]
[BASIC KUNAI TECHNIQUES]Lv.10 (PASSIVE) [ Basic kunai attacks inflicted on an opponent are increased by 27%.]
◇───JUTSU'S───◇
[TRANSFORMATION JUTSU] ➤ Lv.11
[BASIC CLONE JUTSU] ➤ Lv.11
[SUBSTITUTION JUTSU] ➤ Lv.11
[VACUUM BLADE JUTSU] ➤Lv.4
[GALE PALM JUTSU] ➤Lv.3
━─━─━─━─≪◆≫─━─━─━─━
'I've got 19 stat points saved up… just in case I need to use them during the evaluation. Or in case of an emergency…' he thought, his eyes flicking between his strength and agility stats. 'I wasn't sure what to pour them into at first, but I figured strength and speed would carry me the most in a real fight, so I dumped most of them there. But...' his expression flattened, 'during the dungeon, I realized how little chakra I really had to work with. I barely managed to hold on, just because I was trying to save every drop.'
He sighed and leaned back against the bench, fingers drumming against the wood.
The only real progress outside of training had been a few leveled-up skills and a couple D-rank missions. But maybe that was fine. Maybe a slow progress was better than nothing at all.
Catching his breath, Kuro pushed himself off the bench, shoulders rising and falling with each exhale. He reached into his inventory, fingers swiping through the screen until a neatly folded pair of fresh clothes materialized in his hands. Nothing fancy, just a clean black shirt, matching shinobi pants, and a pair of fingerless gloves.
'Since I probably won't have time to go home and make it in time for the evaluation… it's safer to just keep a pair of fresh clothes on hand,' he thought, moving behind a tall bush nearby.
With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, he changed out of his sweat-soaked training clothes. Adjusting the strap on his sandals and brushing off his pants, he took one final breath to center himself. Then, he turned on his heel and started down the path back to the village.
The Genin Corp headquarters wasn't that far and he reached there in a couple of minutes.
- - - -
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- - - -
The Genin Corp wasn't exactly massive compared to some of the buildings scattered throughout the village, but it held its own in size and structure. The layout was simple with four wide, multi-floor buildings. Three sat at the front, lined beside each other, while the last one stood behind them, looming a little taller, a bit more tucked away.
Each building served a different purpose.
The one in the middle was the mission hall, where genin would line up to receive missions or check in after completing them. It was the building Kuro was most familiar with, he'd lost count of how many times he stood in that cramped line, waiting for another boring D-rank assignment.
Next to it was the training hall. It was a proper facility with reinforced walls, sparring dummies, and chakra-absorbing mats. Kuro had never actually used it. Not for lack of trying, but the reservation list was always packed. You had to book it weeks in advance or find someone willing to give up their spot...which was very unlikely.
The third building was simpler in design and gave off a chill vibe. It was a lounging area where genin would often gather there to hang out, trade info, or just kill time before their next mission. Kuro had only been inside once or twice; he wasn't the social type, and small talk with strangers didn't really appeal to him.
And then there was the fourth building, the one at the back. Taller. Kuro had never been inside it since it was off limits, and no one really talked about what went on there. Rumors floated around, but no one really knew for sure.
Walking into the middle building, the check-in hall, Kuro was immediately hit by the low roar of voices bouncing off the high ceilings. It was packed. Way more crowded than usual. Genin were gathered in groups, some standing, others sitting on the floor or leaning against walls. Conversations overlapped with excitement, nervousness, and casual chatter filled the space.
Kuro slowed his steps for a moment, his eyes scanning the chaos around him. 'Damn... I've never seen this many people here before. Must all be here for the evaluation too.'
Making his way toward the mission desk, he weaved through the crowd until he reached the lines at the front. Each desk had a person seated behind it, checking people in, flipping through scrolls, or typing away on old terminals. There were lines in front of each desk, some shorter than others, but none particularly quick-moving.
Then, his eyes landed on a familiar face...the lady from before.
She was seated behind one of the desks, flipping through a clipboard with her usual bored expression. Her dark brown hair was tied back, and her finger tapped rhythmically against the desk surface as she dealt with the line in front of her. Kuro made his way over and quietly stepped into the back of her line.
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Working the front desk at the Genin Corp was, more often than not, a painfully boring job.
All there was to do was to sit behind a desk, hand out missions, smile politely, stamp a few scrolls, and try not to die of boredom before lunch. On a normal day, only a handful of Genin trickled in and out, either looking for missions to do or checking in to report a completed mission.
But today wasn't one of those days.
Today was the evaluation test, and it had the entire Genin Corp packed to the brim. The main lobby, which was usually quiet, was loud with chatter, shuffling feet, and the occasional nervous laugh. Genin crowded the front area, forming long lines in front of each desk. Some stood in silence, others chatted with friends or glanced around nervously. Everyone was here for one reason...an opportunity.
The evaluation test was a chance for every Genin to prove themselves. A chance to get re-evaluated for higher-ranking missions or, in rare cases, even catch the eye of a clan looking for talent. On this day, clans and village officials were invited to observe the evaluations, watching carefully for any signs of potential. It was an important event, especially for those who felt overlooked or discarded.
Still, the reality wasn't nearly as good as the idea.
The Genin in the Corp were mostly those who couldn't make it onto proper jonin-led teams. Failures in the eyes of most. Discarded, forgotten. And because of that, the major clans rarely showed up. It was always the minor clans who attended, those still trying to build influence within the village. They came in hopes of finding unseen talent, someone they could mold and support.
And yet, despite the low odds, the building was packed with hopeful genin's.
Each one hoping they'd be the exception.
"Next..." Rina called out, her voice flat with boredom, eyes still glued to the dim screen of the outdated computer in front of her. Her fingers hovered lazily over the keyboard as she sighed. "Name?"
"Kuroshin Kagemura."
The name registered somewhere in the back of her mind, tugging faintly at a memory, but it blurred into the haze of thousands of others. Between the nonstop stream of Genin checking in every day and the ridiculous number of names she had to process, it was hard to remember anyone specific.
She gave a short nod, fingers clicking against the keys as she pulled up his file. Without a word, she tapped the mouse and waited as a slip of paper printed out from the small machine beside her. The number (3570) was stamped across the top in bold ink.
She tore the paper from the printer and finally shifted her eyes away from the screen, extending the slip forward...only to pause.
Her hand froze mid-motion.
Rina wouldn't call herself shy. After working at the Genin Corp for this long, dealing with people day in and day out, she'd gotten used to all kinds. Loudmouths, assholes, weirdos, and the occasional overly confident clan brat. None of them fazed her anymore.
But the boy standing in front of her caught her off guard.
He was tall, lean, and had that quiet presence that made people do a double take. He had black hair that fell slightly over his forehead, framing his deep eyes and long dark lashes. His jawline was sharp with an unreadable expression on his face, and despite his laid-back posture, she could see the outline of muscle through his shirt, especially around his arms where his veins ran subtly along his biceps.
Rina wasn't usually into younger guys. She preferred her men older, more experienced, someone who could show her a good time without fumbling through it. But every now and then... well, bending the rules a little didn't hurt.
'He's cute...' she caught herself thinking, eyes lingering a second longer than they should've before she snapped herself out of it.
Clearing her throat quietly, she extended the slip of paper with the number on it, trying not to seem as distracted as she felt. "Please wait until your number is called and come to the front when it is," she said, her voice as steady as she could manage. Still, her eyes betrayed her as they flicked from his face, down to his arms, then quickly back up.
"Thank you..." he said, as he turned to leave.
"Wait," Rina called out, her tone still calm but laced with a hint of something else.
Kuro paused and glanced over his shoulder. She quickly reached for a small notepad beside her desk and scribbled something down in neat, looping handwriting. Without saying another word, she tore the note free and extended it to him.
He took it, blinking once as he looked down at the slip. "What's this for?" he asked, brow slightly furrowed. "Do I need this for something?"
She didn't answer at first.
Instead, she brought her hand to the side of her face, forming the shape of a phone with her thumb and pinky, mouthing the words 'call me' with a slight tilt of her head and a faint, knowing smile.
Kuro stood there for a moment, eyes flicking between her and the paper, a strange look crossing his face, somewhere between confused and amused.
But he said nothing.
Just nodded once and turned away, folding the note between his fingers as he walked back into the crowd.
- - - -
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- - - -
Finding a spot tucked away in the corner of the lobby, Kuro leaned back against the wall, letting the noise of the room fade into the background as he stared down at the slip of paper in his hand, he got from the lady. 'I don't think she remembers who I am… did I really change that much in a week?' he thought, glancing down at himself. He didn't feel different...but he did feel stronger.
He gave a small shrug, pushing the thought aside as he folded the note and slipped it into his pocket. His eyes scanned the lobby. It was packed with dozens of genin's with a few that definitely looked stronger than him.
But looks weren't everything..
Lowering his gaze to the paper again, his expression sank. (3570).
He sighed. "I have to wait for 3,569 people to be called before me? Fuck…" he muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Is that you, Kuro…?"
Turning his head, he saw a boy probably the same age or just a bit older than him standing beside him. He had short brunette hair slicked to the side, covering one of his eyes. A brown jacket hung loosely over a black undershirt, with a black scarf wrapped neatly around his neck. His leaf headband was tied around his upper arm, and long black pants stretched down to his shins, where thick bandages wrapped around his legs down into a pair of dark open-toed sandals.
Strapped across his back was a large scroll, and around his waist were several smaller, multi-colored scrolls tightly secured.
Kuro raised a brow. He didn't recognize the boy at first, but something about his face looked familiar. He sifted through his memory, trying to piece it together. The outfit, the scrolls… it all felt vaguely familiar. Then suddenly, it clicked.
A light went off in his head.
"Sugari...?" he called out, making the boy smile.
From what Kuro could remember, Sugari had been part of the same genin training group, which was one of the standard courses the Genin Corp offered for those who didn't make it into a squad. It was meant to simulate the kind of mentorship you'd get under a Jonin, though naturally, it didn't come close. Most of the instructors were just Chuunin filling the role.
Even back then, when most of the others looked down on him or kept their distance, Sugari was different. He actually talked to Kuro, and treated him like a person instead of an outcast. One of the few who didn't act like Kuro was a burden just for being weak.
But Kuro hadn't seen him since the day he got kicked out of the course for not showing enough progress in the course and was labelled a liability.
"Hehe... I wasn't sure if it was you. But it is," Sugari said with a grin, stepping closer. "You look so… so different. What did you do?" He tilted his head slightly, tapping his chin in thought.
Kuro gave a short laugh. 'I got transported from another world and now I've got a system that lets me grind stats like I'm in a game.' Yeah, that'd go over great. So he went with the easier answer. "I just took steroids," he said with a smirk.
Sugari's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? Isn't that, like, super illegal?"
Kuro blinked. 'Wait, they have steroids in this world?' The thought caught him off guard. He always figured the world of ninja was too chakra-focused for something like that. Then again, Naruto was loosely based on real-world logic...emphasis on loosely.
He waved it off with a grin. "Nah, I'm kidding. I guess puberty's just still hitting me late or something."
Sugari let out a relieved breath. "Man, you had me for a second." Then he laughed. "Still though, whatever you did, it's working. You actually look like a real shinobi now."
Kuro chuckled softly but didn't say anything. 'Yeah… something like that.'
Sugari released a breath of relief. "I was scared for you, for a second there," he said, before stepping in and placing a hand on Kuro's shoulder. His fingers pressed in for a second before his eyes widened.
"Woah," he muttered. "Even your shoulders are rock solid… you've been working out, my man." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I remember back in training you could barely lift your own body weight."
Kuro gave a small smirk, brushing a hand through his hair as he looked off to the side. "Yeah, well... a lot's changed since then."
Sugari nodded, his expression softening a bit. "Yeah. I can tell." He gave Kuro's shoulder one more pat before stepping back. "So, you here for the evaluation too?"
Kuro glanced down at the paper in his hand. "Yeah...I pretty much have no other choice."
Sugari's smile faltered slightly, but he nodded. "Same..but- "
"NUMBER 2982."
The speaker on the wall crackled, and a voice rang out.
Sugari's eyebrows lifted a bit. "Oh, that's me," he said, his voice tinged with surprise. He gave Kuro a quick bow before turning toward the front of the lobby. "Sorry, I'll see you later." With a wave, he hurried off.
"Yeah, bye," Kuro mumbled, offering a small wave in return as Sugari disappeared into the crowd.
Now, it was just Kuro, standing there with his thoughts swirling. Time seemed to stretch on as people were called one after another. He leaned against the wall, occasionally checking the number on his paper, letting the wait settle around him.
And then, finally...
The static voice rang out through the lobby speakers again.
"NUMBER 3570."
The voice echoed through the lobby, dull but clear through the old speakers mounted on the wall.
Kuro's ears perked at the number. He blinked, pulling the crumpled slip from his pocket to double-check. Sure enough, it was his number.
Finally.
Pushing off the wall, he stretched out his arms and let out a light sigh. His legs felt stiff from standing for so long, but now it was time.
. . . . .
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