As Long As I Keep Working Hard, There Will Be Rewards

The setting sun's afterglow spilled over the forest outside Konoha, the shadows of the trees swaying gently in the evening breeze.

Senkaku Byakuya focused his energy and threw a kunai with a sharp flick; it sliced through the air and embedded itself precisely into the center of the distant target.

A bullseye!

His already meager chakra was now pushed to the brink of exhaustion, and the soreness in his arm muscles grew increasingly intense.

"Three full days, it's finally over."

He pulled up his Fate Panel.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence, Perseverance Yields Success Time Limit: 3 days: Hit the bullseye with kunai throws (100/100) Reward: Minor increase in chakra volume]

A subtle yet distinct warm current spread through his body, slowly replenishing his near-depleted chakra while his total capacity grew by a noticeable margin.

Byakuya wiped the sweat from his forehead, his mood excellent; the grueling training of the past three days had not been in vain, and the feeling of constantly growing stronger was truly the most reassuring sensation in this chaotic era.

The Third Shinobi World War was in its early stages, and the tense atmosphere of war had long since shrouded all of Konoha.

Although he hadn't yet graduated from the Ninja Academy, who knew when he might be forcibly dragged onto the battlefield as cannon fodder? Therefore, every bit of strength he gained was one more chance to survive by keeping a low profile.

Reborn in the ninja world, Byakuya's "birth lottery" had been abysmal; he wasn't born into a prestigious clan, but rather as the son of two civilian chunin.

His talent was ridiculously poor; his chakra levels were less than half of his peers, and his ninjutsu was even worse—it was too painful to look at.

The only reason he was qualified to attend the Konoha Ninja Academy was thanks to the "legacy" his parents had earned with their blood and sweat, gained through years of rushing to complete missions.

Yet, this stability didn't last long; on the eve of the Third Shinobi World War, both his parents sacrificed themselves during a classified mission.

From that moment on, he set a strict rule for himself: keep a low profile whenever possible, and if you can't, rack your brains until you can. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, tall trees catch the wind, and people fear fame just as pigs fear getting fat. His small goal: survive the Third Shinobi World War!

As for the Nine-Tails' Attack, the Konoha Crush, the Pain Assault, and so on, those were matters for the future; if he couldn't live to see those days, there was no point in worrying about them.

After resting enough, he tucked his training kunai away and headed back to Konoha.

The Heaven Rewards Diligence Fate task refreshed promptly at midnight.

His Fate had awakened early, but for a long time, it had been as dead as a doornail, never issuing a single task.

It wasn't until Kumogakure declared war on Konoha that his golden finger suddenly came to life, as if it had risen from the dead.

So far, there had been three training tasks, with rewards consisting of basic stat boosts like minor increases in speed, sensory perception, and physical stamina.

Dragging his exhausted body back to the home his parents had left behind, he heated up some leftovers, ate, washed up, and collapsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the alarm clock rang for a long time before Byakuya was finally startled awake.

Yesterday, he had practiced the Clone Technique at the Ninja Academy and then spent his time after school training kunai throws in the forest outside the village; for his current weak body, the intensity had been far too high, making it inevitable that he would oversleep.

He reached out to turn off the alarm and immediately checked the refreshed Fate task.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence, Perseverance Yields Success Time Limit: 2 days: Practice the Substitution Technique (0/20) Reward: Minor increase in chakra control]

The Substitution Technique was a foundational subject at the Ninja Academy, belonging to the auxiliary ninjutsu category and serving as one of the classic Three Body Techniques.

It allowed a ninja to instantly swap their body with an object like a wooden plank to deceive an attacker when faced with an assault; it was an exceptionally practical ninjutsu.

Today just happened to be the day for the Substitution Technique lesson, and with the war ongoing, the Academy had specifically invited a jonin to provide practical combat instruction.

He cooked some rice, a fixed number of eggs, a set portion of vegetables, and a glass of milk.

To grow strong and better maintain his low profile, he needed to consume sufficient nutrition.

He washed his dishes.

Then, he headed straight for the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Konoha had announced a new policy yesterday: the standard six-year curriculum at the Ninja Academy was being shortened to four years due to the war, and students were being encouraged to take their graduation exams early.

Byakuya was ten years old this year; he had entered the Academy at five. If things had gone by the book, he wouldn't have graduated until next year, but under the new policy, he had to graduate this year.

The Konoha jonin instructing the Substitution Technique, Mimura Hamaki, wore a green tactical vest, sported a beard, and had a resolute gaze. He stood on the podium, watching the late-arriving Byakuya, his tone carrying an unquestionable sternness: "Senkaku Byakuya? You are late. Stand outside and listen to the lecture."

"Quiet! Class begins. Today, we won't be discussing theory, only practical combat. How to use the Substitution Technique to dodge and counter-kill during the gaps in an enemy's attack."

With the war currently underway, the Academy was handling things specially for the sake of efficiency, pulling students from different grades together for the lecture.

Mimura Hamaki beckoned to Byakuya, who was standing at the door: "Come here."

"Yes!"

Byakuya walked obediently to the front of Mimura Hamaki.

"I will attack with a shuriken; you must use the Substitution Technique to dodge, circle behind me, and perform a killing strike."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Mimura Hamaki flicked a shuriken toward him.

It was very fast.

Byakuya's pupils constricted, and he stood rooted to the spot, as if he were too slow to use the Substitution Technique to react.

The shuriken struck his chest.

He felt the impact and a dull ache, but he was not injured.

Mimura Hamaki plucked the shuriken from his chest and said with disappointment, "This shuriken is made of wood and painted to look like the real thing."

"Late for class, poor reflexes, and failing grades in ninjutsu training—this is the extent of your current ability. I don't want to say anything more; go back to your seat and watch how the other students perform the Substitution Technique."

"Yes."

Byakuya struggled to regain his composure as he walked toward an empty seat in the front row.

However, before he could sit down.

Mimura Hamaki pointed toward the very back of the room: "Don't block the view of the other students. Go there."

Byakuya lowered his head, took a deep breath, and sat in the last row of the large classroom, where he was the only one.

Mimura Hamaki scanned the students in the classroom: "Hyuga So, you go first."

Hyuga So, from the Hyuga Clan—a prestigious family in Konoha known for their Kekkei Genkai—successfully used the Substitution Technique to swap his body, appearing swiftly behind Mimura Hamaki and executing a hand-blade strike.

"Very good! The timing and concealment of your Substitution Technique are better than some Chunin."

"Akimichi Shoin, your turn."

"Yes!"

The bell rang to end the class. Mimura Hamaki gathered his teaching materials, glanced at the good-for-nothing Byakuya in the back row, and shook his head.

He then hurried toward the vice-principal's office.

The principal of the Konoha Ninja Academy was the Third Hokage, but as the Hokage was busy with official duties, the specific management of the academy was left to the vice-principal.

"You've worked hard, Jonin Mimura Hamaki."

Mimura Hamaki said, "Vice-Principal Hiroya, I have never seen a student like Senkaku Byakuya! He can't even perform a simple Substitution Technique! At this level, he's just walking to his death on the battlefield."

"Senkaku Byakuya?"

"Jonin Hamaki, according to Konoha's latest policy for the academy, Senkaku Byakuya must graduate this year even if he fails his ninjutsu exams. The academy cannot have any students delaying their graduation for the time being."

"I understand. The war on the front lines is intense, and manpower is stretched thin; we have no choice but to let the academy students graduate early."

"After gaining some experience and war training, they will be sent to the front. Byakuya is a commoner, so he is not an exception."

"What does the Jonin mean by that?"

"I will arrange a private graduation exam for him tomorrow."

"A private graduation exam? Is that appropriate?"

"There is nothing inappropriate about it. We are in wartime, and policies can be applied flexibly."

"I am worried that if he takes the exam with the other students, he won't pass, and it would be difficult for the academy to show favoritism openly. To ensure the new policy set by the higher-ups isn't tarnished, the optimal solution is to have him test alone."

Vice-Principal Hiroya had once served on a mission with Byakuya's parents: "Byakuya comes from a commoner background; his bloodline is weak and his talent is poor. He would only be a hindrance on the front lines. Personally, I would prefer to place him in the rear. What about the other students? Does the Hokage have any new instructions?"

"We will start by testing those with good past records, especially those from prestigious families. The date is set for one week from now. The Hokage has personally named several Jonin who have performed well on the battlefield to serve as team leaders."

"With those children in the squads of renowned Jonin, their strength will surely improve by leaps and bounds."

As school was letting out in the afternoon, Mimura Hamaki found Byakuya.

"Senkaku Byakuya, you can come to school a bit later tomorrow. I have arranged a private graduation exam for you."

"A private... graduation exam?"

"Correct!"

"Understood. I'll go home to prepare for the exam. Goodbye, teacher."

Mimura Hamaki stared at his retreating figure with a heavy gaze, as if he could already see Byakuya's fate.

Ninjas from commoner backgrounds simply could not compare to those from prestigious families; they lagged far behind in education, resources, and connections.

If one's talent was poor, the best future was to find a stable job in the village, get married, and spend one's life serving Konoha and the prestigious clans.

But that was in times of peace. In wartime, their fates were no longer in their own hands...