Naruto: Red Lightning

After the "tournament" had ended, the announcer said, "For the next seven and a half months, we are going to continue doing the same thing as today. The basic taijutsu style has fifteen different techniques, so one per two weeks. You are expected to learn, understand, and be able to utilize the taijutsu style by the end of this period.

"When we are done with the taijutsu training, your regimen is going to change. If you want to learn a different taijutsu style, you can do it after the program is over. On the final day of the taijutsu period, we are going to hold a tournament, same as today."

"For now, in the morning, we are going to do physical training, and in the afternoon, taijutsu training mixed with sparring. Now, return to the barracks, eat dinner, and rest for the remainder of the day."

At the cafeteria, I got my dinner

(some chicken, rice, sliced apples, and a glass of water) a pretty average, nutritious meal in my opinion. Easy to mass-produce, something essential for the war period. After eating dinner, I returned to my room. My roommates were very quiet; they minded their own business, and so did I.

The next few months were very similar to that day. My birthday passed—no party, just a "Happy birthday" from my roommates. As for training, all the instructors focused on was taijutsu and physical training.

Speed was my top priority. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't touch me. I was by far the fastest kid in the program, surpassing some of the chunin instructors, and with chakra, I could outrun even some of the jonin. My speed had increased dramatically. My max speed was 250 km/h without the use of chakra. With chakra, I could reach up to 500 km/h.

In addition, my endurance was incredible. After unlocking my chakra, I could outlast every chunin and most jonin. So, for my morning run, I had to use weights, which the head instructor had given me, on my legs so I could benefit from it. At first, it was 5 kg on each leg, and whenever I got used to them, he would increase the weight. Now, the weight was 25 kg on each leg, a lot for a child who weighed about 30 kg. I was made to wear them 24/7 so I'd adapt faster.

Moreover, having to run, do pull-ups, and practice taijutsu had increased my strength significantly, to the point that I could punch and kick with more power than anyone else. I could easily overwhelm a genin of the war era, and I was a huge danger to most chunin who didn't use ninjutsu. I could take out any who didn't take me seriously.

As for taijutsu, the techniques were moves we were supposed to use in a fight. We learned how to counter, leg sweep, dodge, roll with a punch, duck, and stuff like that.

On the war front, the situation was improving every day. Kumo, Konoha, and Iwa had agreed on a ceasefire, and the rest of the nations were too afraid of the Third Raikage to do anything. Everything seemed like we were headed for a truce. But beneath the festivities, everyone knew that the war had hit us hard. Most nations had stopped trading with Kumo, so the price of food and other essential resources had risen dramatically. Nobody except me knew it at the time, but the economic recession and inflation that Kumo and most of the world was experiencing would lead to the Third Shinobi World War.

(There are no villains in the shinobi world, just people who don't share a goal with the protagonist.)

Today was the last day of taijutsu training. In the morning, we did our training routine, and after eating lunch, it was time for the 'tournament.' We each took our spots and waited for the instructors. I took a look around and realized that the kids I had fought before had now turned into soldiers.