"This isn't an area you should be at this hour. What were you trying to do by coming to my office this late?" Hiruzen asked, calmly, and I just paused.

I figured I would ask him bluntly about the technique since my game was already ruined. Unless Hiruzen gifted me the jutsu, he would grow suspicious of me in the future. I could wait for Kakashi to become a jonin at an early age and ask him about the Shadow Clone Technique, or just become a jonin myself. But I could also be wasting time if the old monkey took measures to stunt my growth and advancement. The rewards weren't equal to the disadvantages.

I wouldn't mind having a "ruined" playthrough If I already had my hands on the technique, I needed most. However, leaving the village to join some other force wouldn't guarantee me to get my hands on the skill.

Among the basic, non-elemental clone techniques, there were three categories:

-The Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone technique) made a clone of the user that went up in smoke one receiving damage like the two others. The difference with this one was that it was only a distraction that couldn't attack people or give memories.

-The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow clone technique) was the same as the last one, but could attack, perform jutsu, and give memories. The chakra cost was half the user's for the first clone.

-And the Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multi Shadow Clone technique). It was mostly the same as the shadow clone technique, but that created more clones. There was also a theory that other clones could clone themselves as well, but it was never confirmed as far as I remembered in the canon.

The technique most people below jonin were authorized to learn and use was the simple Bunshin and not the Shadow/Multi Clone counterparts. Kakashi had the Sharingan, but like many other jonin, he was authorized to learn the two others. It was only forbidden for people below the jonin level and not wholly banned because of the high chakra requirements.

Kakashi had become a jonin at age ten, so he probably already knew the advanced clone techniques before he got his dojutsu.

"I want to learn the shadow clone technique," I replied.

"..." Hiruzen smoked his pipe silently, and his eyes narrowed when he asked:

"Who told you about that technique?"

"Welp, here I fucked up. I had forgotten I wasn't supposed to know about that. I'm only eight."

The next instant, and without warning, I clicked on PAUSE. I wasn't going to waste any more time here.

"NEW GAME." I checked out watching Hiruzen stopped in time.

******************

The next minutes, I designed my character from scratch again and launched. The world turned before I was once again taken in the classroom where I had started earlier.

The teacher and the students were the same, even up to the seating arrangement.

"I feel reluctant, but I'll just train before I have the power to become a jonin or get my hands on the skill." I lamented bitterly and went through the lecture once more. I wasn't reprimanded because I didn't scream and panic this time still.

******************

After I finished dinner with my parents, I went through the same process of waiting for them to sleep to leave through the window.

When I resumed my exercises and felt the strain, I realized that the little progress I had made had been lost. I didn't gain any skills or perks in the previous game, so it was reasonable given the rules set by Lightning.

But I was still sad. Going to sleep had become something I was looking for because it marked the progress I made. When the first ray of the sun shone, I stopped with the sessions.

The last time, before I could practice until the end, I went from being able to do 50 pushups in one go to perform 62. And this in four hours.

This time, however, I practiced after stocking on a few snacks and drinks from home. I trained from 10PM to 5AM, and the results were staggering.

Training, Pausing, Sleeping, eating, *******. In that specific order. I was now able to do 65 to 68 pushups in one sitting. Even if the evaluation of my strength had yet to change for now:

[----------STATUS---------

-VITALITY: Chunin/F+

-RECOVERY: Chunin/F+

-STRENGTH: Genin/SS+

-DEFENSE: Academy/SS+

-SMARTS: Academy/D

-CREATIVITY: Academy/C-

-CHAKRA: Chunin/F+

-CHAKRA CONTROL: Academy/C

-BODY CONTROL: Genin/B-

--------------------------]

The threshold between Genin and chunin couldn't be that simple after all. Even if I went through thousands of pushups. I could try to train with weights or vary the exercises as well.

Also though I had already confirmed that this was a game, nothing guaranteed that the rest of my body increased in strength when I did one peculiar exercise. I wouldn't want to get disproportionate power between my hands and legs.

**********************

It had already been a month since I changed games when I decided to head for some early practice to brush on my skill. The instructors had given us most of the material and books we needed to master before the end of the program—four years of content that was required to learn slowly. At the end of each semester, we would be given grades, not to determine whether we passed to the next year, but to judge and compare our levels.

The material was composed of basics such as shuriken and kunai throwing, taijutsu, genjutsu, and a few essential ninjutsu. Genjutsu was more theoretical than anything, though. And I was glad that it was the case with my lousy chakra mastery.

I was at the top of the class in taijutsu and weapon throwing because of my high physical stats and body control, but the only ninjutsu I had learned so far was the substitution jutsu. (Kawarimi no jutsu)

Despite my dissatisfaction, Toyama-sensei was pretty happy with my BUKIJUTSU. So was the other teacher who majored in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. I was comparing myself to people like Kakashi, who managed to reach Jonin at age ten, so my thinking was a bit skewed. In fact, I was the only person in the class besides two others who knew how to use ninjutsu.

As I left the classroom, I was interrupted by someone who followed:

"Genjo! I wasn't finished talking." A black-haired kid with a red backpack darted from inside and yelled, running.

"What do you want, Taira?" I turned around asked. This guy had been bugging me for a while now.

"It's time for our rematch!" He grinned and exclaimed as he pointed with his finger, his other hand grabbing on one of the straps.

The commotion he made attracted a few gazes from the passerby, and people from our class also stopped to take a look.

"Look, it's that smug Uchiha terror again!" One of the children recognized him and hollered.

"Why is he challenging that other guy?" Someone else wondered, confused by the altercation.

"You still don't know?" That guy is called Hibari Genjo, the new sensation among 1st years." Another joined the conversation and added.

"Those two have been fighting for the position of the best student in 1-B for a while now. They're famous, mainly that commoner—another rising star for people outside of the clans."

"Wow, another Hatake, then?"

"No, that guy has already been promoted to Genin when he was five."

The children continued to discuss among themselves when Taira clenched his teeth. I didn't really care for what this group of petulant brats was thinking. I was technically fifteen years old, so I wasn't fazed. It didn't seem to hold true for the guy in front of me.

"Alright, let's get this over with." I motioned for him to follow when the kids made a pathway for us.

********************

"Where are we going?" The Uchiha asked when we left the academy.

"The training grounds," I smirked and said.

"Why go there? Let's settle this here, Genjo!"

"No." Was the reply I gave, too lazy to care what the boy was thinking.

"You either follow or you leave. I don't have time for your tantrums."

"Genjo!" The kid fumed and punched, which I easily avoided.

"Let's make a deal." I sighed and told.

"I only came for a fight." He snorted.

"I need a training partner..." The boy looked at me, weirdly and scowled.

"And you need to awaken your Sharingan. I can help you with that."

The kid looked at me like he had seen a ghost for the first time.

"What do you know about our exclusive clan technique, Genjo?" The kid asked worriedly. He appeared ready to pounce if my answer wasn't to his liking.

"Taira, I thought you were smarter than this. You think no one would know some things about the Sharingan in a village where the most substantial dojutsu users are so strong?

Think clearly. The only risk you can take by training with me is getting stronger. That or you can continue to get mercilessly crushed under my feet. Your choice."

I said and left, not looking back. After a month of playing this game, I figured this guy had potential. I wouldn't mind a friend too if I was able to stir that spirit of his in the right direction. It was either this, or he would keep pestering me for four years.

"Hmph! Don't walk so fast." The guy ran after me in a hurry, while I was trying to hide a grin.

EXERCICES DONE LAST MONTH

***********************************************

Pushup Capacity (In one go): 275

Running Capacity (Full-speed/Not tired): 18KM

**********************************************

[----------STATUS---------

-VITALITY: Chunin/B+

-RECOVERY: Chunin/B

-STRENGTH: Chunin/F+

-DEFENSE: GENIN/C+

-SMARTS: Academy/C

-CREATIVITY: Academy/B-

-CHAKRA: Chunin/B

-CHAKRA CONTROL: Academy/C+

-BODY CONTROL: Genin/S+

--------------------------]

[----------EXPERTISE---------

-SKILLS

Weapon throw: (Genin/B)

(Enhances learning speed)

Weapon Control: (Genin/B+)

(Enhances learning speed)

Taijutsu: (Genin/A+)

(Enhances learning speed)

Basic stances: (Genin/B)

Ninjutsu: (Genin/SS+)

(Enhances learning speed)

Kawarimi no Jutsu (Genin/D-)

-PERKS

Enhanced Sleep 2/5: Sleep needed-10%

Perfect pushup 2/4: Pushup fatigue -10%

Runner 1/10: Body control +5% when running

--------------------------]