Chapter 4: A bit of a change...
~ A few week later... Omniscient Pov ~
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Yuka Riki considered herself a simple woman. She had no grand ambitions, no thirst for adventure—just a desire to live peacefully with her family.
She had been born and raised in Konoha, the daughter of civilians who had always kept their heads down and worked hard to provide for their small household. They had taught her to appreciate the simple things in life—the warmth of home, the value of kindness, and the quiet comfort of a routine.
But life had not been kind to her.
She had fallen in love with a shinobi, a brave and kind man who had promised her a future filled with love and happiness. They had dreamed of raising a family together, of watching their child grow strong and healthy.
But fate had been cruel.
Her husband had perished before he could even see the face of his unborn child, taken by the very life he had chosen—the life of a ninja. Yuka had been devastated, left alone to navigate the hardships of motherhood without the man she loved.
And now, the very child she had raised with such care, the only piece of her husband she had left, wanted to follow the same dangerous path.
The path that had taken him away from her.
She sighed softly, shaking off the creeping sadness. No matter how she felt about it, she knew she could never stop Hayatou from chasing his dreams. He had his father's determination, his stubbornness.
And just like before, she could only watch and pray that she wouldn't lose someone she loved all over again.
For now, though, there was breakfast to be made.
With a gentle smile, she turned toward the small kitchen and called out, her voice carrying the warmth and love of a caring mother...
"Hayatou~ Breakfast is ready!"
She waited, listening for the familiar sound of footsteps. But lately, something had changed. Her son had been coming home covered in dirt, his clothes damp with sweat, his body weighed down by exhaustion.
She wasn't blind—she could see the signs. He was training. Hard.
It worried her.
She had always known that Hayatou had a stubborn streak, much like his father, but this was different. There was a newfound intensity in the way he moved, a quiet determination that hadn't been there before. He wasn't just playing at being a ninja—he was throwing himself into it fully.
Before she could dwell on it too much, she heard hurried footsteps, and in a blur, her boy finally appeared.
As soon as she laid eyes on him, her breath hitched for just a second.
Those silver eyes—the very same ones that had once belonged to the man she loved. The ones that had captivated her all those years ago. But Hayatou's were sharper, more focused. Where her husband's gaze had always held a quiet gentleness, her son's had an edge to them.
And yet… it didn't matter. He was still her Hayatou.
No matter how much he changed, she would love him all the same.
"Morning, Ma'," he mumbled, yawning as he walked toward her.
She chuckled, shaking her head fondly. "Good morning, my little Hayatou. Come sit."
As he plopped down at the table, she quietly observed him, her heart torn between pride and concern.
Her little boy was growing up too fast…
And eating way too much.
Ever since the week had begun, she had noticed a drastic change in his appetite. He was finishing meals almost twice the size of what he used to eat, barely pausing between bites. If this kept up, she'd have to start buying groceries every other day just to keep up with him.
She sighed inwardly, rubbing her temple. It's tough being a mother…
Still, she said nothing. If he was training, then he needed the energy. As much as it worried her, she couldn't bring herself to scold him for something so natural.
Before she could even finish her thoughts, she looked up—only to find his plate completely empty.
She blinked.
He was already wiping his mouth, standing up, and preparing to head out again.
"Hayatou…" she called, a hint of exasperation in her tone.
He turned, tilting his head slightly. "Yeah, Ma'?"
She pursed her lips, debating whether to question him about his sudden increase in training. But in the end, she simply sighed and gave him a small smile.
"…Be safe, alright?"
He grinned. "Of course."
And with that, he was out the door.
Yuka shook her head, watching his retreating figure.
Her son was changing. She just hoped he wasn't pushing himself too hard.
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~ Hayatou's Pov ~
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It's been an entire week of training like there was no tomorrow. And everyday, the training had gotten more ridiculous with each passing day...
'Alright N.E.O, show me my progress.'
[Affirmative...]
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Name: Hayatou Riki
Age: 8 / 94.2 Years Old
Height: 141.2 cm / 174.3 cm
STR: 1 ➡ 8
PHYS: 1 ➡ 8
AGI: 1 ➡ 8
C-C: 35.4 / 35.4 ➡ 321.4 / 321.4
C-D: 1
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I stared at the numbers, blinking in disbelief.
'…No way.'
[Your progress is within expected parameters, host. Given the intensive training regimen and optimized recovery process, this level of growth was anticipated.]
I exhaled, still processing the sheer insanity of these results. In just one week, I had gone from a barely-average civilian to something far beyond human limits. My stats had skyrocketed, and my chakra capacity had increased nearly tenfold.
Still it wasn't just due to my strength increasing, it was also because of N.E.O helping me to mold it so much more efficiently compared to before. He's straight up a cheat code; Now I was probably in the middle of my class in terms of sheer capacity...
Regardless of all that, this was still absurd.
This was insane.
This was… incredible.
I clenched my fists, feeling the difference in my body. My muscles were denser, my movements sharper, my endurance far beyond anything I had ever known...
'If I can improve this much in just a week…' In another week? A month? Hell, a year?
The future I feared suddenly seemed limitless.
A grin stretched across my face. 'N.E.O., what's next?'
[Further training is required to stabilize your growth. Rapid increases in strength, endurance, and agility may cause temporary coordination issues. Your next step should be combat application—learning how to properly utilize your new physical capabilities.]
That definitely made sense. Power meant nothing if I couldn't control it properly... Nor have I even touched any taijutsu training as yet...
'Alright... I think it's time I Let's take this to the next level.'
I turned toward the training field, my body itching to move.
[Correction. Before proceeding, host, I am now capable of conducting Phase II: Physiological Reconstruction. Enhanced synchronization with your neural pathways permits cognitive augmentation. I can now initiate neural expansion, accelerating synaptic plasticity, optimizing sensory-motor coordination, and increasing real-time data processing efficiency. This will drastically improve combat perception, reaction times, and higher-order strategic analysis.]
I froze.
'Wait… You're saying you can make me smarter?'
[Affirmative. I can facilitate the accelerated development of neural networks, reinforcing cognitive speed, spatial awareness, and memory retention. This will allow for advanced tactical computations and near-instantaneous adaptation to combat stimuli.]
My breath hitched. This… this was huge. Physical growth was one thing, but mental enhancements? Faster thinking? Sharper reflexes?
Okay... I need to slow down.
'Alright, when can I start all this?'
[In approximately 4 hours, 34 minutes and 55 seconds... By that time, I can also stimulate your mind in creating more neurons. For now it's best you train for the next attribute point.]
'Awesome, now... What's my schedule like?'
[150 laps, 265 push-ups, sit-ups and squats with 30 minutes of chakra molding. chop, chop host.]
'Yeah~ Yeah~ I'll get to it.'
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END