With my chakra natures revealed, I already have a rough idea of what I plan to learn. For fire, I'm confident the Uchiha clan can support me. But what about lightning and wind? Learning jutsus for those elements will be harder, and I still need to find out if I have a yin or yang affinity—or none at all.
"This'll be tough, but I should start with the three basic techniques first. Overthinking will only make things worse later," I murmur to myself as I study a few scrolls spread out on the floor.
Pursuing knowledge has always been something I enjoyed, even in my past life. I remember spending hours researching a single topic just out of pure curiosity. For example, if there was a game I liked, I would study it to the point I could explain its entire lore and trivia. Once I exhausted all possible info, I'd get bored and move on. The same thing is happening now—I became obsessed with ninja knowledge and grabbed every scroll I could find to study them thoroughly.
"That kid's a genius, already studying this hard even though he just started the academy," exclaimed Fugaku, who had come to visit his cousin Hinako—my adoptive mother.
Since I first saw her smile, I began to see her as my real mother, even if she didn't give birth to me. I decided to give it my all to make her proud.
"The downside is he skips meals or sleeps at the wrong hours. I scold him, but he won't listen," she said with a slight tone of frustration and concern while sipping her tea.
"Hahaha!" Fugaku laughed heartily. "Let him be. You never know, one day he might really surprise you."
Uncle Fugaku has been visiting us lately to check on his cousin, since she hasn't taken many missions since adopting me. She even enlisted in the Konoha Military Police. According to her, she failed a few recent missions, so she chose a safer position. She also wants to avoid going to war herself.
I also heard that Uncle Fugaku would be heading to the front lines soon, so this would be his last visit before leaving for the battlefield.
"By the way, how's he doing at school?" Fugaku asked with a soft smile, still sipping his tea.
"He's doing well. Good grades, no trouble," she replied calmly with her usual cold expression.
"That's not what I meant," Fugaku said with a sly grin. "I meant, has he made any friends? Maybe showing interest in a girl?"
My mother looked upward, searching her thoughts, then closed her eyes and answered, "Not that I know of. From what the teachers tell me, he's so obsessed with studying that he ignores everyone else."
Fugaku gave a worried look but then sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, if it works and he's happy, I suppose that's fine."
The two of them continued talking while I kept studying the scrolls and jotting down mathematical formulas in a notebook. Even in a world full of ninjas and people shooting lightning from their mouths, understanding math and physics is essential. So I work through formulas on force, distance, initial and final velocity, and even basic arithmetic to avoid being scammed during transactions.
Some problems couldn't be solved with basic arithmetic, so I started using variables, applying the quadratic formula, the Pythagorean theorem, and other algebraic methods. From what I understand, gravity in this world should be roughly the same as on Earth, so I set G accordingly to calculate falls, force, and more.
I even applied differential and integral calculus, probability and statistics, trigonometry, etc. I wasn't a math fan in my past life, but I never found it difficult. And since I have to train my body to sync with the calculations, it became necessary.
For instance, when calculating a shuriken's trajectory using the Pythagorean theorem: if it doesn't hit the training dummy's neck on the first try, it will on the second. Then I apply the theory through practice so my body can match the calculations.
Seeing my progress, my mother complemented my studies with chakra refinement techniques—for recovery during battle or to train longer.
I don't think of myself as a genius, just someone who gets obsessively absorbed in one topic and ignores everything else until that obsession is satisfied. Plus, there's no internet, so it's not like I have many other ways to spend my time.
At the Ninja Academy:
"Kakashi, I challenge you to a duel of youth!" shouted a boy with a bowl-cut, thick eyebrows, and a round nose.
"There he goes again," sighed a kid watching the scene like it was already tiresome. "Doesn't he get tired of this?"
Might Guy pointed at Kakashi, grinning ear to ear and puffing out his chest proudly.
Kakashi just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Not again. I've got stuff to do," he said in a clearly annoyed tone.
"Then next time, accept my duel of youth!" But Guy wasn't discouraged; his radiant smile practically shined, literally. Speaking of which, how the hell is dental hygiene here so good that his teeth sparkle like that?
Anyway, this scene repeats almost daily while I read my book. Honestly, it's pretty entertaining.
Right now, I'm focusing heavily on academic topics and chakra manipulation training. All that's left is to master the three basic techniques and keep training my body.
I spend time doing physical exercises while reading scrolls—running while reading, push-ups with books laid out in front of me. Maybe it's genetics, maybe luck, or just sheer effort, but I've managed to do one-handed push-ups with extra weight on my back while reading a book.
Sometimes, while I run, I encounter the two Green Beasts of Konoha in their signature tracksuits. They've tried talking to me, but I'm so immersed in my training that I don't even register their presence. For some reason, they hug each other and cry, shouting, "This effort is youth!"
Eventually, the training felt too light, so I added extra weight to my body—wristbands, ankle weights, a backpack, and even a vest filled with gravel and sand. I started running and exercising with that setup. Later, I saw Might Guy copying me and joining my routines.
Why do I work so hard on training and learning? Like I said before—there's nothing else to do. There's NO INTERNET.
Without the internet, life is dull. I can't read interesting novels, see memes, roast progressives on Twitter, watch anime, or read manga. Most importantly, I CAN'T LOOK AT BIG-TITTIED GIRLS IN BIKINIS.
Life without the internet is depressing, so this is all I can do to stay occupied.
I once tried reading novels from this world, but damn—they're boring. It's like reading someone's diary, not a story. As for erotic novels, even in my past life, I never liked them. I died a virgin, so that stuff just made me feel awkward.
I finish my workout and jog home while reading. Once there, I jot down everything I've learned and my impressions.
Seeing my effort, my mom reluctantly gave me the scrolls for the three basic jutsus.
"Thanks, Mom," I say with a bright smile. I'd finished all the academic content—this gives me something new to study.
"It's nothing. Just don't overdo it. You're still a child," she replied with her usual cold gaze.
I'm not sure if she's really cold or not, but I can tell she expresses her love in a unique way. I've grown to love her as my mom. Even with her cold exterior, I feel her affection when she gives me study materials or helps with my training gear.
To a stranger, she might seem cold and heartless. But I appreciate her just the way she is. I'm not used to overly expressive people, so this quiet family environment suits me. Though, sometimes, I can't resist hugging her and rubbing my cheek against her stomach.
She hugs me back, and a small smile touches the corners of her mouth.
After that, I rush to my room and begin practicing from the scrolls, memorizing the hand signs and repeating them while sensing how chakra flows through each one. Each sign feels different, but to perform a jutsu, I need to follow the instructions.
After a few days, I finally manage the Transformation Jutsu. I transform into my former self, complete with all the flaws—crooked leg, damaged left eye.
Yeah, that's what I used to look like. Pathetic. Look at me now.
I undo the transformation. With the principle understood, I try the Clone and Substitution Jutsus. For Substitution, I have to prepare an object beforehand.
Within an hour, I manage to perform both remaining jutsus. I've learned them—but to master them, I'll need to practice daily.
Back at the academy:
"Hey, that kid's weird," muttered a girl.
"Yeah, he never puts down his books and hangs out with those weirdos in green tracksuits," another kid replied from a distance.
Rumors spread—people saying I'm some freak, maybe even a monster in disguise. But I ignore them. Why? Because the one attending class is just my clone.
While I push my body to the limit training Kenjutsu and Taijutsu with my weights on, I send a clone to class. Its job: hold a book, take notes, listen to homework. That's it.
I don't bother socializing. That's how I was in my past life. I'm used to bullying and isolation, so I guess I've grown numb to it.
From my clone's memories, I noticed a girl—probably Rin Nohara—trying to talk to me. But the clone, following strict orders, ignores her completely. This annoys Obito, who sometimes lashes out.
But my clone barely moves, and Obito ends up on the floor or pinned down without much effort.
Once Obito signals surrender, the clone releases him and goes back to its book.
Rin gives a concerned look and walks away with Obito and Kakashi. During the scuffle, Kakashi realizes the one in class is a clone—it behaves differently from the real me.
So Kakashi tells Obito not to bother since it's just a clone. Both Rin and Obito are stunned and give up immediately.
As my clone writes down the free-fall formula in the dirt with a stick, a couple of classmates pass by and give it strange looks. Their whispers are as trivial as their grades.
But everything changed when suddenly, a girl around sixteen approached my clone and spoke:
"Hi. Can I know your name?"