Of course, that was only the bare minimum of safety. If he failed to make the jump and got slammed into the pool below from a hundred-meter waterfall, the impact alone wouldn't be something he could brush off—at best, broken bones; at worst, internal organ damage. Just as the Sacred Fist scroll repeatedly warned: this was training that could absolutely kill you.
"I won't give up…"
Staring at the soldier pill in his hand, a flicker of determination crossed Naruto's still-youthful face. As if psyching himself up, the blond boy threw back his head and swallowed the pill, then shouted and sprinted toward the riverbank.
"Because… I'm gonna be Hokage!!"
Even with his chakra temporarily doubled from the soldier pill, a 20-meter leap was still out of reach for Naruto. He barely made it halfway before his body dropped, sucked into the raging current and slammed downward by the waterfall's force.
"Aaaaargh!!"
His scream was half instinct, half pain. The water—bolstered by gravity—felt like a series of battering fists, smashing his body over and over. His thin frame couldn't put up any real resistance, and the sheer force tore at his muscles and bones.
As he was flung into the pool at the base of the waterfall, his limbs went limp, and he began to sink. The dim, fractured light from above looked like the gaze of the Grim Reaper, staring into his eyes.
It hurt—badly.
But there were things that hurt even more…
Blood trickled from the corner of Naruto's mouth, yet what flashed through his mind weren't thoughts of his current situation—but all the memories that had followed him since childhood.
Loneliness. Hatred. Disgust. Rejection. Mockery…
These things had shadowed him like a curse from the moment he could remember. Compared to the pain of having absolutely nothing—this physical pain…
———
Sasuke wore the same rare grim expression. Coincidentally, he had also prepared a soldier pill for himself.
But in front of him wasn't a waterfall—it was a crude setup of batteries, wiring, and a leather chair rigged with electrodes. In short: a makeshift electric chair.
According to Sasuke's calculations, this setup could deliver 500 volts. Each of the five battery packs provided 120 volts. That meant, at the very least, one pack equaled 120 volts of output. His plan was to start with one, then gradually increase until all five were activated.
Still, even with this staged approach, there was no guarantee someone who survived one battery could survive the next. The switch mechanism would release electricity for five full minutes with no way to shut it off once it began.
Which meant: once someone sat in the chair and flipped the switch, they would be electrocuted for five minutes straight—no matter how painful it became. And if they couldn't endure it in time…
Death.
That single word clamped around Sasuke's throat like a hand made of ice. He could hardly breathe. It wasn't until he heard the sound of his sweat dripping onto the floor that he realized how terrified he was.
Sweat. Trembling. His body was screaming at him to stop.
Because it knew—this was training that brushed up against death itself.
But… compared to dying, there were still things he feared more.
Sasuke slowly raised his hand and swallowed the pill, then sat on the chair. With a calmness that was almost eerie, he attached the electrodes to his head and arms.
"I won't forget… I won't forget…"
That warmth he once had. The hatred left behind. The loss, the grief. Living on, alone… those emotions were etched into him.
Like a chant, he whispered to himself before slamming the switch.
The dial jumped.
Electricity surged through his body.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!"
His scream burst out uncontrollably. He could feel the electricity tearing into his organs, piercing through muscle, scorching bone. The very definition of pain was being written into every fiber of his being.
Wisps of smoke curled from his hair and clothing. Five minutes felt like an eternity. Every second stretched and magnified the agony, shredding his body and nerves.
Eventually, Sasuke stopped screaming—not because it didn't hurt, but because he knew that yelling only drained him faster. His eyes bulged, his jaw clamped shut, and he bit his lips so hard they bled. He held the pain inside, silent but vivid—his blood the only proof of his suffering.
And yet… perhaps due to the electricity scrambling his brain, what he saw wasn't his current pain, but flashes of memory—black-and-white, fading like old photographs.
His strict father. His gentle mother. And… that older brother he once admired so deeply.
All of them, wiped away on one blood-soaked night. Reduced to ashes in his past.
This pain, compared to the pain of knowing he'd lost everything…
———
What does it even matter anymore!!
———
Clatter—
Hinata's pen dropped from her hand.
Her pale eyes froze, filled with indescribable shock and disbelief.
"Sasuke and Naruto both skipped class?! I mean, Naruto I get—but Sasuke too?!"
Iruka stared at the student roster, confused. As the kind, responsible teacher of the class—and the only one willing to teach Naruto—he was thoroughly puzzled.
"No choice. Let's begin without them. If they show up, I'll catch them up later…"
Iruka sighed, looking at the two empty seats.
But then he fell silent in surprise.
Hinata had suddenly stood up—and without a word, rushed out of the classroom. Iruka tried to call after her, but she was already gone.
The rest of the class was stunned. The normally shy, gentle Hyuga Hinata had just… bolted from class, in front of the teacher and everyone else.
For Hinata, this was the first time she'd done something so outrageous since "becoming" Hyuga Hinata. She had worked hard to maintain her image as the well-behaved girl—but now, she couldn't bring herself to care.
Could it be… those two idiots really tried that suicidal training?!
Even though… they knew full well it was brushing up against death?!
The moment that terrifying possibility popped into Hinata's head, she found she could no longer think straight. Panic gripped her heart—something she had never felt before.
No… this wasn't how it was supposed to go… Why…
On instinct, she activated her Byakugan at full power. Her eyes stung from the strain, but she widened her search range as much as possible. She didn't even know what she was hoping to find—two corpses? Two critically wounded brats?
But one feeling came through clearer than ever.
That feeling when a lie is exposed, and you realize you have no way to take responsibility for it—shame, and… fury.
"…I really do hate this feeling."
Hinata still couldn't accept this ninja world.
Even though she was a transmigrator who had watched the entire anime, who knew every character by heart—she still couldn't fit into it.
Everything about this world—the trees, the people, the culture—made her want to push it away.
She acted like the old Hinata on the surface. But in front of Naruto and Sasuke—who had already seen her true nature—it was hard to keep the mask on. Deep down, she was angry at having to fake it at all.