Naruto, What's the Point of Being Hokage Without You!

Naruto Uzumaki continued practicing the Chakra Refinement Technique, pushing through until midnight before finally hearing the system's notification chime...

[Eight hours of Chakra Refinement Technique practice completed for today.]

[Chakra increased by 9 points today; current total chakra: 23 points.]

Hoo—

Naruto collapsed onto his bed, lacking even the strength to complain.

"Only 23 points?"

Hearing the system's prompt, Naruto muttered, feeling utterly listless.

[The host is merely a student at the Ninja Academy; a chakra level of 23 points is already quite exceptional.]

[An average Ninja Academy student only has around 10 points of chakra.]

[Genin have at most 100 points.]

[Chunin possess several hundred to a thousand points.]

[Only Jonin can break through the thousand-point threshold.]

[Of course, this is only the general standard; those with exceptional talent are not included in this range.]

A thought stirred in Naruto's mind.

So that's how it is...

Then his 23 points of chakra already surpassed most students at the Ninja Academy!

Could this be considered his own talent?!

[The host's training for today has concluded successfully.]

[Current attributes are as follows...]

Host: Naruto Uzumaki

Age: 10 years old

Identity: Konoha Ninja Academy student

Chakra: 23 points

Ninjutsu:

Clone Technique (16/100)

Transformation Technique (59/100)

Substitution Technique (31/100)

Chakra Refinement Technique (61/100)

Taijutsu:

Basic Taijutsu (43/100)

Shurikenjutsu (41/100)

Academic Subjects:

Physics (28/100)

Chemistry (19/100)

Mathematics (20/100)

Language Arts (42/100)

History (36/100)

English (49/100)

Biology (44/100)

Ethics (26/100)

Ninja Theory (45/100)

Looking at these stats, even a dog would shake its head.

"Hmm..."

"Aside from my chakra level being a bit higher than others, only the Chakra Refinement Technique is barely passing..."

"And that's only because the system forced me to improve it today."

"It seems I really am a dead last!"

Just then.

[A good night's sleep is the foundation of everything; please enter a sleep state immediately, or you will be baptized by Lightning Release!]

Naruto: "..."

"Argh! How am I supposed to sleep when I keep thinking about getting shocked!"

"At least be reasonable for once!"

[Please enter a state of preparation for sleep, stop overthinking, and cast aside all distracting thoughts...]

Well, at least this is more reasonable than being forced to sleep directly...

Naruto immediately closed his eyes, forcing himself to think of nothing at all.

To be fair, exhausted from the day, he drifted off into dreamland quite quickly.

He slept more soundly than he ever had before.

Though, he would occasionally twitch violently, as if he were dreaming of a baptism by Lightning Release...

The next morning.

Six o'clock sharp.

The voice of System Bro rang out in Naruto's mind, as punctual as an alarm clock.

[Six hours of sleep have been achieved. Please get up immediately and prepare to begin today's training!]

Naruto: "...Ah, it's only six?"

"I'm begging you, let me sleep a little longer..."

[Warning! Countdown to the baptism of Lightning Release...]

"...I'm up, I'm up!"

Naruto had no choice but to rub his sleepy eyes, stretch his arms wide, throw off the covers, and get out of bed.

[Please finish washing up immediately, prepare a nutritious and balanced breakfast, and finish eating it. Time limit: thirty minutes!]

Naruto: "..."

Having learned his lesson, he didn't dare talk back to System Bro again and immediately complied obediently.

Fortunately, he had prepared everything the night before and had a bit of experience, so he wasn't nearly as flustered this time.

After wolfing down his food, he finally managed to finish everything within the half-hour limit.

Naruto prepared to head to the Ninja Academy to begin another day of study.

[A new day, a new beginning.]

[Today is also a day full of hope.]

[Please keep working hard and persist. Following the first day of assessment, a small goal has been specially formulated for the host...]

[Please achieve a ranking in the top ten out of fifty students in the class assessment one month from now.]

[Failure to do so will result in a tiny little punishment!]

Naruto nearly choked to death.

"Top... top ten?!"

"You might as well just electrocute me to death!"

"How is that even possible, dattebayo!"

Chapter 8: A Girl's Blush Surpasses Everything

It was no wonder Naruto exploded.

Trying to leap from the class dead-last to the top ten in just one month...

It was simply a fantasy!

But the system remained as cold as ever.

[Detected that it is time for school. Please head to the Ninja Academy immediately by walking on your hands!]

Naruto: "..."

"Weighted frog jumps after school, handstand walking to school, is that it?"

"You're actually quite gentle, aren't you? Afraid my legs couldn't take it, so you switched to torturing my arms instead?!"

Though he was ranting wildly in his heart, he had no choice but to obey.

With a sudden plunge, he went into a handstand, gritted his teeth, and headed toward the Ninja Academy.

"Hmph, it's just a handstand."

"What's the big deal!"

"This level of difficulty is nothing to someone like me who wants to become Hokage!"

[The host's handstand walking method is incorrect. Please switch to one-handed handstand walking immediately!]

Naruto: "...Huh?!"

[Warning! Countdown to the baptism of Lightning Release...]

"...I'll switch, I'll switch right now!"

Naruto gritted his teeth, struggling to shift his center of gravity to one side before carefully lifting a hand, wobbling and trembling...

Although he could barely maintain his balance, walking all the way to the Ninja Academy on one hand was an entirely different matter...

Thud--

Thud!

Such bizarre behavior naturally sparked a flurry of discussion among everyone, and passersby couldn't help but point and whisper while giving him a wide berth.

"That brat really has gone mad..."

"What is he doing? Is he trying to grab attention this way?"

"Hmph, what a strange and eccentric fellow!"

Naruto had no mind to pay attention to the gossip of others at this moment.

His face was flushed beet-red, his teeth bared, as he focused every ounce of his spirit and strength into his right arm, exerting all his might just to keep from collapsing.

Sweat poured down incessantly.

It dripped onto the soil of Konoha.

Whew--

He finally arrived at the Ninja Academy.

Naruto no longer cared about the strange, judgmental looks from the crowd.

He stood back up, feeling as though his entire right arm no longer belonged to him.

[Host has completed the training of walking to the Ninja Academy on one hand for the first time, Stamina +1.]