After training for a bit more in the forest, I decided to head home. I had started to hear weird noises coming from the deeper parts of the woods, and I wasn't exactly eager to find out if it was a wild animal, a genjutsu trap, or the angry ghosts of the trees I'd destroyed while learning how to tree-walk.
If I had a smartphone in this world, I'd probably be wasting time watching chakra prank videos or playing Shinobi Clash 2.0. But alas, no phones, no TVs, no computers. Just scrolls, pain, and training. My only source of fun was turning myself into a human taser, so I guess that made me a very dedicated entertainment connoisseur. And really, who needs chance games when you can accidentally electrocute your fingers?
When I got home, I treated myself to some rations and the usual smuggled Academy food, followed by a sweet cup of sugar water. because dessert matters and you should reward yourself after a day of hard work and training. I sprawled out in bed afterward, satisfied with the progress I made for the day, and slipped into unconsciousness the moment my head touched the pillow.
I woke up to the familiar sight of the Milky Way galaxy I'd drawn on my ceiling. A chakra control exercise turned stargazing mural. From time to time, I'd add more to it. Maybe by the time I'm done, my ceiling will have more than one galaxy or a full star formation.
I grinned, got out of bed, and started my morning routine with the usual physical workout, all while increasing the intensity of my chakra circulation process. Once done, I took a quick shower and then made my favorite trip through the streets of Konoha toward the Academy.
As always, we were greeted by the sculpted boulder of a man that was our instructor, Daiken. He didn't waste time and ushered us to one of the larger training grounds on Academy grounds. His voice was full of conviction, like he was preparing us for the next war.
"A shinobi should have an abundance of stamina. During missions, you may need to run for miles, carry an injured comrade, or chase an enemy long after your chakra is depleted. From now on, we begin every morning with one hour of physical training before class."
I heard a long, soul-drained groan behind me. The shrimp, of course. She was already anticipating the pain and suffering that would come with this new addition to our day.
Daiken looked over the group with that signature granite glare. "No chakra allowed. If any of you try to cheat, I'll know. And if I catch you, your workout gets doubled."
That was enough to make me, and most of the class, gulp audibly. No one wanted to see what a doubled Daiken-special workout looked like.
We started with stretching. Thankfully, he walked us through the proper form and technique. It was surprisingly useful. Up to this point, I'd been relying on vague memories from a workout video I saw once in my past life. This was way more structured and practical. My inner perfectionist bowed politely. "Thank you, Daiken-sensei," I said internally as I followed the routine.
After stretching, we moved on to a thirty-minute run around the training track. I had to forcibly shut down my chakra circulation, which was a bit tricky since it had become so instinctual. I also had to make sure I didn't unconsciously enhance my body when I started to tire. That actually turned into an unexpected chakra control exercise, so bonus points for that.
By the time we finished, Shizuru was wheezing behind me like she'd fought off three bears and a fever. She was barely staying upright, and I intentionally slowed my pace to stay next to her, trying to block her suffering from Daiken's line of sight. A noble cause, if I do say so myself, though I was certain Daiken already knew and was simply letting it slide.
A few clan kids, including the Uchiha boy, tried to be clever and sneak in some chakra augmentation toward the end of the run. Daiken noticed immediately and handed them the kind of punishment that would be passed down as a cautionary tale for generations. They were crying before the second set even started.
I looked at the collapsed mess of a girl beside me. "Shrimp, you really need to work on your stamina."
Her face was turned away, but she was thinking. Probably about her situation. Her mother was a civilian with no notable abilities, basically a normal human surrounded by chakra monsters. Her father, on the other hand, was ANBU. Always out on missions, rarely home, and when he was, he was too tired or too lazy to train her. Combine that with the Nara clan's notorious dislike of effort, and you had Shizuru's current state.
I scratched my head, then offered, "How about I help you train the physical side of being a shinobi?"
She finally raised her head and looked me dead in the eye. Her expression was skeptical, bordering on suspicious. "What do you want in return? My soul?"
I chuckled. "Nothing that serious. I help train you physically, and you tutor me on the academic stuff. Seems fair, right?"
She narrowed her eyes, weighing it. "One hour of tutoring per day, and one hour of physical training. Equal trade."
A crooked smile crept onto my face. The kind of smile that belonged to a shady car salesman in a suit two sizes too large. I extended my hand toward her to seal the deal. She stared at my hand like it might bite her. After a long pause, she lifted hers halfway but then stopped.
"I have one last condition," she said, voice sharp and serious.
I raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"No more calling me shrimp. Just call me by my name."
I blinked, then snorted. That had clearly been bugging her more than I thought. I looked at her and gave a small nod.
"Alright. You've got yourself a deal, Shizuru. I look forward to our new study sessions."
She nodded back, cautious as ever, then finally took my hand and shook it.
Deal sealed.
A fair agreement between a broke orphan who 'liberates' food from the Academy on a daily basis and a clan brat raised on golden spoons. If this isn't the foundation of world peace, I don't know what is.