Reincarnation into the world of Naruto with the system

The following days were less dangerous (both for my life and my sanity, which still couldn't quite process the acquisition of the "Narutotherapy" skill).

In a spot in the forest I'd claimed as my own, I built a makiwara—a classic training post wrapped in rope, perfect for practicing punches and toughening my knuckles. Honestly, it was pathetic how weak I was. Not just weak by shinobi standards—I couldn't even hold my own against ordinary kids in the neighborhood. And it stung. No matter how much I tried to rationalize it, it didn't hurt any less to get beaten up by children. Children! Sure, I was stuck in a child's body—thin and frail thanks to my own neglect—but still. It was humiliating.

So, I decided to at least work on my punches. Thankfully, I knew a bit about fighting techniques and wanted to learn how to hit properly in this body. If I was going to be an unyielding, almost unkillable jinchuriki, I needed to live up to it.

By the fifteenth punch on the makiwara, my knuckles were burning, blood was seeping from the small cuts on my fingers, and my "Masochist" skill had leveled up twice. At last, the system rewarded me with a skill I'd been expecting:

Iron Fists:

In the future, you may be able to break walls with your bare hands, grind rocks into dust with your fingers, and shatter barrier techniques with a single punch. For now, your hands are just a bit tougher to injure (especially the backs), and your punches are slightly stronger and heavier than those of your peers.

+1 Strength for each skill level.

+1 Endurance for every 5 skill levels.

Not bad. But I also discovered something else interesting. Apparently, I gained experience from kills, regardless of what I killed—small animals, fish, even insects. The problem was, I didn't know how to hunt or fish properly yet.

And no, I'm not telling anyone how I reached level 3. Never. Those 98 experience points came from mosquitoes—one point per kill. Being a child has its perks, though; a teenager wouldn't have earned even a single point from such tiny creatures.

But seriously, 98 mosquitoes! What were they even after? Is my jinchuriki blood so irresistible that it's worth dying for a taste?

Another event: my Intelligence stat stopped increasing. The system informed me that the current amount was sufficient for an orphan. I guess I'll need to wait for the Academy to grow it further. Still, these restrictions were an unpleasant surprise. What if all my stats are capped by rank? Like, what if a chunin can't go beyond 300 in any parameter? Considering Naruto stayed a genin in canon and then jumped straight to Hokage, I'm worried that stat growth might get stuck before I even reach mid-canon.

For now, my stats are decent, but how long will that last? Intelligence stopped at 16, which makes sense from the system's perspective—an untrained orphan with no access to proper knowledge wouldn't be able to fully realize their potential, no matter how smart they are. And apparently, knowledge from my past life doesn't count.

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Health: 590

Chakra Pool: 160

Chakra Control: –250

Level: 3

Experience: 40/300

Class: -

Stats:

Strength: 28

Agility: 13

Endurance: 24

Chakra: 6

Intelligence: 16

Unused Points: 10

Traits: "Demon," "Jinchuriki," "Uzumaki," "Orphan"

Passive Skills: "Stealth – lvl 53," "Butler – lvl 8," "Masochist – lvl 9," "Cold Gaze – lvl 9," "Iron Fists – lvl 11," "Perception – lvl 6"

Skills: "Singing – lvl 23," "Narutotherapy – lvl 7"

The thing that worries me most about my stats is my health bar. That's a lot of HP—am I going to turn into some kind of tank? Maybe I really am destined to become a paladin.

At least the system didn't give me some random title like "Ramen Devourer," though with how much I've been eating at Teuchi's, it wouldn't have been unwarranted.

The rest of my stats were earned through blood, sweat, and tears, and I'm actually proud of myself. At last, I don't feel like someone who could be taken down by a sneeze. But lately, I've had this nagging feeling that this calm is just the quiet before the storm.

In any case, there aren't many days left until the Academy starts. Hopefully, luck will be on my side until then. As long as I stay out of trouble, I should be fine.