The change Naruto!

The sky over Konoha was painted with the first hues of dawn, the village still wrapped in the quiet embrace of early morning. The streets, usually bustling with activity, were now empty save for the occasional patrol of shinobi.

Naruto Uzumaki stepped outside his small apartment, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders. The morning air was crisp, the cool breeze brushing against his skin, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine.

"Alright… Let's do this!"

After yesterday's failure, he realized something—he wasn't strong enough.

That strange black mark on his hand—the one those mysterious figures spoke about—it wouldn't just activate on its own. If he wanted to use that power again, he had to earn it.

And that meant one thing—training.

---

Pushing Past Limits

Naruto decided to start with running.

He didn't have a structured plan, but he figured getting his body used to movement was a good first step.

He started at a light pace, jogging through the quiet streets of Konoha.

At first, it felt easy.

But as the minutes passed, his breath grew heavier, his legs started burning, and sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Damn... I thought I was in better shape than this!"

By the time he reached Training Ground Three, his body was already screaming at him to stop.

But he gritted his teeth and kept moving.

He remembered the words of the second man in his dream—"You need to train your body to handle it."

If that was the case, then stopping wasn't an option.

---

Strength and Endurance Training

After catching his breath, Naruto moved on to the next phase of his training—body conditioning.

He had seen other shinobi do exercises before, and he had occasionally trained under Iruka-sensei's guidance. But this time, it was different.

This time, he had to push beyond his limits.

Push-ups

He got down on the ground and started doing push-ups.

One... Two... Ten…

At first, it wasn't so bad.

But by the twentieth push-up, his arms began to shake. His muscles, unused to prolonged strain, protested with a dull, aching pain.

"Just a little more..."

He forced himself to continue.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

His arms gave out at twenty-five, and he collapsed onto the ground, panting.

"Damn... that was harder than I thought."

But he wasn't done yet.

Sit-ups

Rolling onto his back, he clasped his hands behind his head and started sit-ups.

Each movement burned his core, but he clenched his teeth and forced himself to keep going.

One... Five... Ten...

The pain became sharper, but he didn't stop.

This wasn't about comfort—this was about getting stronger.

Squats

Once he finished sit-ups, he moved onto squats.

His legs, already tired from running, protested immediately.

By the thirtieth squat, his knees wobbled, and he almost collapsed.

But he forced himself through it.

Every drop of sweat, every second of burning pain—it was all proof that he was improving.

---

The Moment of Collapse

After what felt like hours, Naruto finally collapsed onto the grass, his entire body aching.

His vision blurred from exhaustion, his breath came out in sharp gasps, and his heart pounded wildly against his chest.

"Damn... This is tough."

But as he lay there, staring at the sky, a strange sense of satisfaction filled him.

For the first time, he felt like he was truly pushing himself.

His eyelids grew heavy, and before he realized it…

He slipped into unconsciousness.

When Naruto opened his eyes, he found himself in the same strange space as before—a world filled with swirling darkness and streaks of golden light.

A shiver ran down his spine as two towering figures emerged from the void.

The first man—the one with long flowing hair and a sharp, smirking expression—stepped forward.

"You're finally starting to take this seriously, brat."

The second man, his piercing golden eyes glowing like molten fire, nodded approvingly.

"Good. This is the first step. But you are still far from worthy of wielding Karma."

Naruto sat up, blinking.

"Tch. You guys again?"

The first man chuckled. "What, disappointed? You should be honored that we even bother speaking to you."

The second man crossed his arms. "You sought power, and now you are walking the correct path. But simply training your body is not enough. You must also learn how to control what is inside you."

Naruto furrowed his brows.

"Inside me?"

The second man gestured toward the black mark on Naruto's hand.

"The Karma is part of you, but you have no idea how to use it. That is why we are here—to guide you."

The first man's smirk widened. "But don't think we'll just hand you everything on a silver platter. Power isn't free."

Naruto clenched his fists. "Fine. Then tell me—what do I need to do?"

The second man's golden eyes flashed. "You need to start small. Channeling the energy of Karma is not like using chakra. It requires focus, control, and most importantly—discipline."

Naruto scowled. "Tch. I'm not exactly the most disciplined guy, y'know."

The first man snorted. "Yeah, no kidding. That's why you're weak."

Naruto twitched. "Oi, you bastard—"

The second man cut him off. "Enough. Listen carefully. Your first task is to feel the flow of Karma within you. Right now, you don't even realize it exists."

He stepped closer, pressing a finger to Naruto's forehead.

Suddenly—Naruto felt something.

A faint, almost invisible energy coursing through him.

It wasn't chakra.

It was something else.

The sensation was brief, but it sent a chill down his spine.

The first man smirked. "There. That's your starting point. Until you can sense Karma on your own, don't even think about trying to use it."

Naruto exhaled, gripping his fist.

"Alright… then I'll figure it out. Just watch!"

The two figures exchanged a glance before the first man chuckled.

"We'll see, brat. We'll see."

And just like that—

Naruto woke up.

---

Naruto's eyes snapped open, his heart still pounding.

He sat up, gripping his right hand.

He could still feel it.

That faint, barely noticeable sensation of something inside him.

"So… I have to figure out how to sense it first, huh?"

A determined grin spread across his face.

"Alright then. I guess I'll just have to train harder!"

Without wasting a second, Naruto stood up—his body still aching, but his resolve stronger than ever.

Pain and Progress

The morning sun climbed higher, its warmth washing over Naruto's worn-out form as he struggled to his feet. His muscles screamed in protest, stiff from the relentless strain of training. Every movement sent jolts of discomfort through his limbs, yet his body, though aching, had already begun to adapt.

Each push-up, squat, and sprint had pushed his limits, forcing his muscles to break and rebuild. The fatigue clung to him, but beneath it, the foundation of strength was forming. His endurance, once inconsistent, was improving, his movements growing more efficient, more controlled.

As he staggered through the village streets, he drew little attention. To the villagers, he was still just the troublesome orphan, but physically, he was already beginning to change. His steps, though weary, held more stability than before.

---

The Silent Observer

High above, perched atop the tiled rooftops of Konoha, a lone figure watched the boy's slow, determined strides. The masked shinobi, clad in dark ANBU gear, remained unseen by the villagers below. His gaze, however, never wavered from Naruto.

From the first moment of sunrise, he had observed the boy's movements—his struggle, his perseverance, his reckless training regimen. It was unrefined, lacking proper structure, but the effort was unmistakable.

A faint breeze rustled through the village as the ANBU operative tilted his head slightly. His masked face betrayed no emotion, yet within his mind, a single thought took root.

"He's growing."

Without another sound, the figure vanished into the wind.