The next morning, under a clear sky, Minato Namikaze gathered his team and officially announced a new training plan.
This time, however, things were different.
This wasn't ordinary training.
It was something far more intense—something carefully designed.
A special training program.
At first glance, the content looked familiar.
It closely resembled the "balance training method" Minato had casually mentioned to Ren before. But now, it had been fully structured, refined, and expanded into a comprehensive system.
Clearly, Minato intended to maximize efficiency and develop multiple skills at once.
The plan was divided into several stages.
First came basic physical conditioning—the foundation of all shinobi strength.
Obstacle courses.
Rock climbing.
Moving target drills.
Precision shuriken training.
Each exercise demanded both stamina and control.
After that came more advanced training.
River walking.
Suspension bridge combat.
Waterfall climbing.
These weren't just physical challenges—they required perfect chakra control, balance, and focus.
Minato didn't stop there.
Based on each student's abilities, he carefully adjusted their training load.
Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha were given lighter workloads at the beginning.
Meanwhile, Ren and Kakashi Hatake received significantly heavier training.
On top of that, the two of them were assigned an additional category:
Sensory perception training.
Minato didn't explain why.
But Ren understood immediately.
This is for the Flying Thunder God…
Flying Thunder God Technique was not something just anyone could learn.
Without exceptional perception—without the ability to sense, react, and process space in an instant—it was impossible.
Even with talent, mastering it was rare.
Without it, there was no chance at all.
Strong perception doesn't guarantee success… but weak perception guarantees failure.
And unfortunately, this wasn't something that could easily be improved through effort alone.
It relied heavily on natural talent.
Still…
Ren narrowed his eyes slightly.
You never know until you try.
---
"Minato-sensei!"
Obito suddenly raised his hand, clearly dissatisfied.
"Why is my training load lower than Ren's and Kakashi's? Are you saying I'm worse than them?"
Silence fell for a moment.
Minato paused.
The honest answer hovered at the edge of his lips.
Yes.
That was exactly the reason.
Aside from having a slightly larger chakra reserve, Obito lagged behind both Ren and Kakashi in nearly every category.
Even his strongest point—Fire Release—was nowhere near Ren's level.
But saying that out loud…
That would crush him.
Minato smiled gently instead.
"It's not that simple," he said carefully. "This training program is progressive. Once you adapt to your current level, you'll move to the next."
He placed a hand on Obito's shoulder.
"At this stage, your load is lighter… but that won't always be the case."
Obito blinked.
Then his expression lit up.
"Oh! I get it!"
He clenched his fists dramatically.
"I'll finish this level quickly—and then I'll surpass both of them!"
Ren didn't say anything.
Kakashi didn't even look up.
But both of them knew.
That enthusiasm wouldn't last long.
---
And sure enough—
It didn't.
---
"…I'm dying…"
Barely an hour and a half later, Obito collapsed onto a rock by the river like a lifeless fish.
His chest heaved violently as he struggled to breathe.
"I… can't… move…"
Rin sat nearby on the grass, panting softly as she sipped water, her face flushed with exhaustion.
Ren and Kakashi were in better condition—but only slightly.
Both leaned against a tree, sweat soaking through their clothes as they focused on regulating their breathing and restoring their chakra.
The obstacle course Minato had chosen was far from ordinary.
It stretched across three separate training grounds on the outskirts of Konoha.
Dense forests.
Mud-filled swamps.
Uneven hills.
The distance itself wasn't extreme—but the terrain made every step heavier, every movement more taxing.
This wasn't running.
This was survival.
Even Kakashi, already a Chunin with years of experience, was beginning to feel the strain.
Meanwhile—
Minato stood nearby, barely sweating.
"If you're tired, take a break," he said calmly.
"But don't waste the time."
He glanced at them.
"Use it to refine your chakra."
Then his tone grew slightly more serious.
"And don't rely on soldier pills. They come with side effects. They're meant for emergencies—not training."
Ren nodded slightly.
That made sense.
Artificial recovery would only weaken long-term endurance.
Minato continued casually,
"This route is one I used when I was still a Genin."
Obito lifted his head weakly.
"...There's worse?"
Minato smiled faintly.
"There's another route that passes through the Forest of Death."
Everyone froze for a second.
"That one," Minato added, "is more dangerous."
Ren's eyes flickered.
Forest of Death wasn't just a training ground.
It was a place where even experienced ninja had to stay cautious.
Minato looked at them one by one.
"When you reach Chunin level, you can try it."
Obito immediately dropped his head again.
"…I don't think I'm reaching that anytime soon…"
---
After a short rest, they resumed training.
Another two hours passed.
Obito and Rin ran out of chakra again—completely.
Ren and Kakashi, though still standing, were visibly exhausted.
Their movements had slowed.
Their breathing had grown heavier.
Even Ren could feel the strain building deep within his muscles.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the training grounds—
Minato clapped his hands.
"That's enough for today."
The words felt like salvation.
"Go back and rest well," he continued. "Once you adapt, we'll increase the intensity."
"…Okay…"
This time, no one had the energy to respond properly.
---
On the way back to the village—
Obito suddenly perked up again, as if his earlier exhaustion had never existed.
"Hey, Minato-sensei!"
Minato glanced over.
"Yes?"
"I heard something from Inuzuka-senpai last time…"
Obito grinned mischievously.
"They said you have a really beautiful girlfriend! When are you going to introduce her to us?"
Minato froze slightly.
Then, slowly, a helpless smile appeared on his face.
"You mean Kushina."
Kushina Uzumaki
Just mentioning her name seemed to soften his entire expression.
"She really is very beautiful," Minato said, his voice gentle.
"Especially her long red hair."
For a brief moment, his gaze seemed distant—as if recalling something precious.
"And her personality…" he added, smiling faintly, "is very gentle."
Ren almost stumbled.
Gentle?
He raised an eyebrow.
Since when?
The image of Kushina storming around like a fiery whirlwind flashed through his mind.
Then again…
Ren glanced at Minato.
Maybe she really is gentle…
…when she's alone with him.
Minato continued,
"Her situation is a bit special, though. She doesn't have complete freedom to move around the village."
His tone turned slightly more serious.
"But when the opportunity comes, I'll introduce you to her."
Obito's eyes lit up.
"Really?!"
Minato nodded.
"Yes."
---
That night—
The group parted ways at the entrance to the residential district.
Ren didn't head home immediately.
Instead, he made his way toward the hospital.
His father was still there.
After spending some time checking on him, he finally returned home.
---
And from that day onward—
A new routine began.
Every morning, Ren and Rin attended medical lectures at Konoha Hospital.
Then they rushed to meet Minato.
Training would continue until sunset.
By the time they returned home, ate, and cleaned up—
It was already time to sleep.
Their days became completely filled.
Exhausting.
Demanding.
But meaningful.
---
Under this level of training intensity, Ren no longer had the luxury of maximizing his ninjutsu proficiency every single day.
There simply wasn't enough time—or energy.
He could only squeeze in practice during brief moments of rest.
But he didn't mind.
Because this—
This training—
Was far more valuable.
Having someone like Minato personally guiding them…
That was an opportunity most ninja would never get.
Compared to that, slowing down his system progression temporarily didn't matter.
---
Of course—
Not everything had to stop.
Some things could be trained alongside this regimen.
Like—
The Eight Gates.
Eight Gates
Ren had an idea.
If the system counted high-intensity physical training…
Then this should qualify, right?
After all, they were pushing their bodies to the limit every single day.
Sweat.
Pain.
Endurance.
Wasn't that exactly what the Eight Gates demanded?
---
[Eight Gates: Hmm… this isn't quite the training I imagined.]
[Eight Gates: It doesn't feel intense enough!]
Ren's eye twitched slightly.
Not intense enough?
He was practically dying every day.
---
[Eight Gates: But… seeing how hard you've been working lately, Big Brother…]
[Eight Gates: I'll reluctantly acknowledge your burning youthful spirit!]
[Eight Gates favorability +1]
[Current favorability: 14/100 (Stranger)]
---
Ren let out a slow breath.
"…Still as stingy as ever."
He had been trying to "win over" the Eight Gates for quite a while now.
And yet—
Progress was painfully slow.
Meanwhile—
His progress with other techniques was much smoother.
The Hatake Sword Style had already surpassed it.
The Phoenix Sage Fire Technique was approaching the mid-20s in favorability.
At this rate—
Those two would unlock their special traits first.
Ren looked up at the darkening sky.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Good.
Let's see which one breaks through first.
The real growth… had only just begun.
--------------------------------
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