The Meaning of Hard Work

The Meaning of Hard Work

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Having just finished another lap running around Konoha, Lin Ke slowed to a walk. His chest heaved as he gulped down air.

His lungs desperately squeezed out oxygen for his heart, which pumped blood swiftly throughout his body. Beads of sweat forced their way out through his pores.

"Rest for ten minutes, then another lap." Once he had caught his breath, he quickly made his decision.

Before extracting chakra and discovering his cheat, he had never trained this hard.

He had not expected much from himself. He knew that with nothing to his name, even if he became a ninja, he would not be able to change anything.

But now that he had a cheat, he had ambition and motivation.

Lin Ke did not stop. His exhausted, aching muscles made him feel that if he stopped now, he would lack the strength to move again for quite a while. He continued walking along the street.

The human body in the Naruto World was remarkable. Compared to the forty to sixty trillion cells in a human body on Earth in his previous life, people here had more than one hundred and thirty trillion cells. Both their endurance and physical constitution far surpassed those of humans on Earth.

Knowing how slowly training had paid off in his previous life, and comparing it to the efficiency of training in this life, he understood better than anyone else in the Naruto World just how quickly he was improving.

From being sickly and frail at the age of three to being able to extract chakra and sprint continuously for hours now.

Seeing results from hard work was something that could very easily create a positive cycle.

Inside Lin Ke's small body was the soul of an adult. Even when he slacked off or felt negative emotions, he still did the right things.

For example, cultivating the good habit of training diligently.

Hard work could not beat talent, bloodlines, or fate. But if he did not work hard, he would accomplish nothing.

His cheat of mutated ninjutsu was powerful, but for now, it did not seem capable of improving his physical condition. In fact, his physical condition determined just how far he could apply his cheat.

So what reason did he have not to work hard?

Ten minutes passed. His body still felt exhausted, as though he were wearing a suit of heavy armor, but he straightened up anyway and took a step forward.

Then he started running.

"In... out..." Lin Ke felt tired sooner than he had on his previous laps. He deliberately inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, maintaining a steady rhythm.

Even though people in the Naruto World were each comparable to superhumans, they did not actually have any special training methods. They simply exhausted themselves desperately and squeezed out their cells' potential.

The rest was left entirely to talent and bloodlines.

He did not think he was someone who could surpass an entire world and invent training techniques. So he would begin with the simplest thing: hard work.

No matter what, in something as simple as hard work, I can't lose to a child, can I?

Thinking of the equally hardworking genius Rock Lee, Lin Ke kept his pace steady and his breathing as even as possible, even though he was so tired he wanted nothing more than to collapse and sleep.

Hard work! What use is hard work?

Mizuki scoffed at the glaring words "hard work."

If hard work were useful, he would not still be an ordinary, unsuccessful chunin.

What a ridiculous effort! He watched Lin Ke, who was still persevering with his training in the distance, and mocked him inwardly.

Yet for some reason, there was a hint of jealousy on his face.

Was he jealous because he knew he had not worked this hard as a child, or because this brat possessed a secret technique?

Mizuki could not quite tell, but it did not matter. His goal was merely to follow the brat and investigate the secret technique he might possess.

As an examiner, he knew full well about the brat's parents and origins. Now, he was merely an ordinary orphan with no backing and none of those messy bloodlines.

If the brat really could remove his own head without any trickery, then a secret technique of that level was worth following him for a while.

He just had not expected Lin Ke to spend several consecutive days doing nothing but training, training, and more training.

He had gained nothing.

It was not as though Mizuki had never considered capturing the brat, forcing him to talk, and interrogating him. But Lin Ke had remained in the city district the entire time, leaving him no opportunity to act.

Konoha's city district was filled with sharp-sensed ninja, and Anbu occasionally moved through the shadows. The odds of succeeding were practically zero. Even if someone could abduct a person from the city district without anyone noticing, that was not something he could accomplish.

Damn it. If he has mastered a secret technique like that, why is he still doing such basic training?

Mizuki thought irritably. He had followed him for five full days already. Tomorrow was the first day of the Ninja Academy, and once the other party enrolled, it would become difficult to obtain the secret technique through force. The Ninja Academy's students were important to the village. If one disappeared for no reason, the Anbu would certainly investigate to the end.

As a chunin, no matter how agitated he felt inside, he remained outwardly calm. He watched Lin Ke train diligently once more, then watched him finish the day's cultivation and enter Ichiraku Ramen.

Obtaining the secret technique by force has failed.

Standing across the street from Ichiraku Ramen, he made an objective and calm judgment. Anger would do him no good, so it was time to change his plan.

Mizuki's face once again wore the gentle smile of a nice guy. After slightly straightening the shirt beneath his green vest, he stepped into Ichiraku Ramen.

To be honest, he rarely came here for ramen.

Tch, that Demon Fox is here too... He caught sight of an orange figure in the corner wolfing down food. His gaze did not linger any longer. Perhaps certain plans had long been brewing in his heart, but not now, and certainly not today.

Pretending they had run into each other by chance, Mizuki sat beside the brat who had just ordered and smiled. "What a coincidence, Lin Ke."

"?"

Starving after all that training, Lin Ke was initially puzzled when someone struck up a conversation with him. He looked up, saw the green vest, then recognized the familiar face. Memories surfaced in his mind, and he recalled having met the man before. "Hello, Examiner."

"You can call me Mizuki," Mizuki introduced himself, then saw the brat's expression turn slightly strange.

Why?

Thoughts raced through his mind as all kinds of guesses arose one after another, yet his expression remained flawless. He naturally ordered a bowl of ramen.

Lin Ke's expression quickly returned to normal as well. "Mizuki-sensei," he said politely. When the ramen arrived, he simply began eating.

After finishing, he stood and took out his flattened wallet, preparing to pay. Mizuki proactively paid for both bowls of ramen and said generously, "Since you called me sensei, let me treat you."

"Thank you." Lin Ke did not refuse. He bowed obediently, thanked him, and did not waste any more words. "Excuse me."

He turned and left, leaving behind Mizuki, who had not even finished his ramen, pondering what exactly had happened.