Naruto : Infinite Buff!

The rain poured endlessly over Amegakure, a rhythmic drumming that filled the silence of the crumbling shelter. Inside, the damp air clung to every surface, carrying the faint scent of mold. In the far corner of the room, Amatsu sat motionless, his back against the wall. His dark eyes scanned the room, taking in the whispers of his companions. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan huddled together, their voices low but their desperation evident.

"We can't keep waiting," Yahiko muttered, his frustration barely contained. His pacing sent ripples through the puddles that had pooled on the cracked floor. "It's been three days. If we don't do something now, we're going to starve."

Nagato hesitated, his frail fingers gripping the edges of the blanket draped over his shoulders. "If we're caught stealing… they'll kill us."

"What's the alternative?" Yahiko shot back, his voice sharp. "Starve to death? Sit here waiting for someone to toss us scraps? No one's coming to save us, Nagato. We either fight for survival, or we die."

Konan, leaning against the wall, nodded quietly. Her face was pale, her amber eyes dull from hunger. "Yahiko's right. We can't stay here like this. The market… it's risky, but it's our only option."

In the dim light of the room, Amatsu studied the scene before him. The three of them, huddled together, looked like shadows of their former selves. Their bodies were gaunt, their faces hollowed by hunger. But Amatsu was different. His skin, once just as pale and lifeless as theirs, now carried a faint glow of vitality. The frailty in his limbs had been replaced by subtle strength. Even his long black hair, though still damp from the rain, seemed to shine with health.

Konan's gaze drifted toward him, her brow furrowing. "Amatsu… you seem different. You're not as… tired as the rest of us. Have you been eating without telling us?"

Amatsu's expression didn't change. He met her questioning eyes with calm indifference. "I'm just used to it," he said quietly, his tone devoid of emotion. "The hunger doesn't bother me anymore."

Konan frowned but said nothing further. Yahiko, too consumed by his own frustrations, dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we act. Tonight, we raid the market. No more waiting."

Amatsu remained silent, his gaze shifting to the broken window where the rain continued its endless assault. Internally, he was far removed from their conversation. Hunger no longer plagued him, not since the system had granted him the Energy Recovery Buff, the first step in his transformation. Their desperation, their fear, their weakness,it was irrelevant to him now. His only focus was survival and growing stronger.

---

The last three days had been a revelation. While the others slept fitfully, their bodies worn down by hunger and exhaustion, Amatsu had risen before dawn each day. The rain had become his companion as he slipped out of the shelter to train. His frail body, once on the verge of collapse, now moved with a newfound purpose.

He had begun with simple exercises:push-ups, squats, anything to push his muscles to their limits. The cold rain soaked his clothes and chilled him to the bone, but he endured. Pain was no longer something to be avoided; it was a tool, a means to grow stronger. And the system rewarded him for it.

---

[Buff Detected: Stamina Recovery Buff]

- Effect: +5% Stamina Recovery (Temporary)

- Duration: 5 Minutes

---

Amatsu had felt the warmth of the buff coursing through him, a subtle but undeniable improvement in his endurance. He hadn't stopped there. Day after day, he pushed himself harder, enduring the burning in his muscles and the ache in his bones. Each time, the system responded.

---

[Buff Detected: Endurance Buff]

- Effect: +2% Pain Resistance (Temporary)

---

He locked the buffs one by one, his body adapting to the changes. With each locked buff, the faint exhaustion that followed only fueled his resolve. The pain, the effort-it was all worth it. While the others grew weaker, Amatsu grew stronger. But he kept it to himself. There was no need to share his secret.

---

Night fell, and the group moved through the rain-soaked streets of Amegakure. The marketplace loomed ahead, a cluster of makeshift stalls and flickering lanterns. Despite the hour, it was bustling with activity. Vendors shouted over the sound of the rain, their voices filled with desperation as they tried to sell what little they had. Children darted between the stalls, their eyes scanning for unguarded scraps.

Yahiko led the way, his jaw set with determination. Nagato followed hesitantly, his eyes darting nervously to the guards patrolling the area. Konan walked close behind, her small frame shivering beneath her tattered cloak. Amatsu brought up the rear, his dark eyes scanning the crowd. He wasn't here to eat. He was here to observe, to test himself, and to see what dangers the world had to offer.

Yahiko motioned for them to stop, pointing toward a stall laden with bread and dried fish. The vendor was a burly man with sharp eyes, standing with his arms crossed as he watched the crowd. "Konan, you take the food. Nagato and I will distract him. Amatsu… just stay out of the way."

Amatsu said nothing, his expression unreadable. Yahiko turned back to the others. "On my signal."

The plan unfolded quickly. Yahiko and Nagato approached the vendor, feigning interest in his wares. As Yahiko began arguing over prices, Konan slipped behind the stall, her small hands darting toward the food. Amatsu stood back, watching. His focus wasn't on the vendor or his companions, it was on the guards patrolling nearby, their sharp eyes scanning the crowd.

Trouble came faster than expected. The vendor's sharp eyes caught Konan's movement, and his voice boomed over the rain. "Thief!"

The market erupted into chaos. Villagers turned to see the commotion as the vendor lunged toward Konan. Yahiko grabbed the man's arm, shouting for Konan to run. Nagato froze, his fear paralyzing him. The guards began moving toward the stall, their expressions grim.

Amatsu moved without hesitation. His body, strengthened by days of training and the buffs he had locked, moved faster and with more precision than it ever had before. As one of the guards closed in on Konan, Amatsu darted forward, his foot sweeping out to trip the man. The guard fell face-first into the mud, water splashing around him.

Another guard turned toward Amatsu, his hand reaching for the small boy. Amatsu twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the grasp, before stepping into the man's path to block him. The delay was enough. Yahiko grabbed Konan's arm, pulling her away as they fled into the narrow alleys.

Amatsu followed, his breath steady despite the exertion. His body felt alive, the effects of the system amplifying his movements. As they ran, the system activated again.

---

[Buff Detected : Reaction Buff]

- Effect: +3% Reaction Speed (Temporary)

---

Amatsu smiled faintly. Another step forward.

---

Back at the shelter, the group collapsed onto the floor, their breaths ragged. Konan clutched the stolen food, her hands trembling. Yahiko laughed, the sound filled with relief. "We did it! I told you we could do it!"

Nagato leaned back against the wall, his face pale but his lips curling into a weak smile. Konan handed out the food, her amber eyes softening as she saw the joy on Yahiko's face. Amatsu sat apart from them, silent as always. When Konan offered him a piece of bread, he took it but didn't eat. Instead, he set it aside, feigning exhaustion.

While the others ate, their laughter filling the small shelter, Amatsu's mind was elsewhere. He replayed the events of the raid in his head, analyzing every movement, every decision. The system's rewards were clear, but he knew he couldn't stop here. There were more buffs to unlock, more strength to gain.

Later that night, as the others slept, Amatsu slipped out into the rain. His body moved with a quiet confidence as he climbed the ruins of a nearby building. The rain slicked the surface, making it treacherous, but Amatsu didn't hesitate. He pushed himself further, his muscles straining as he reached the top.

The system responded.

---

[Buff Detected : Balance Buff]

- Effect: +5% Stability on Narrow or Dangerous Surfaces (Temporary)

---

Amatsu locked the buff, his body adapting once again. Standing atop the ruin, the rain soaking his skin, he clenched his fists. The faint glow of the buffs within him was a constant reminder of his progress. Below him, Amegakure stretched out in darkness, a city consumed by despair.

Standing atop the ruin, the rain soaking his skin, Amatsu clenched his fists tightly, his dark eyes scanning the desolate city below. Amegakure was nothing but a graveyard of broken dreams, a place where the strong preyed on the weak, and survival was the only law. He could hear the faint echoes of the bustling market in the distance, the shouts of vendors and the cries of desperate children. It was a constant reminder of the harsh reality they all faced. But unlike the others, Amatsu no longer felt fear or despair-only purpose.

The faint glow of the locked buffs within him pulsed like a heartbeat, a steady rhythm that reminded him of how far he'd come in just a few days. His body, once frail and weak, now felt alive with power, even if it was still minuscule compared to what he desired. The system's rewards were incremental, but they were undeniable. Each buff brought him closer to the strength he craved, the strength he needed to rise above the suffering and chaos of this world.

Amatsu tilted his head back, letting the cold rain wash over his face. The sensation was sharp, almost biting, but he welcomed it. Pain, discomfort, hunger-these were the forces that had once ruled him, but now they were tools, stepping stones to something greater. He thought of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, huddled together in the shelter below, their laughter and relief from the stolen food still fresh in his mind. To them, the small victory at the market was a triumph, a glimmer of hope in their bleak lives.

But to Amatsu, it was nothing more than a reminder of how fragile they were.

Their joy was temporary, their survival dependent on scraps and chance. They relied on each other, clinging to the bonds of friendship as if they could shield them from the cruelty of reality. Amatsu had once believed in those bonds too, but the system had shown him the truth: survival wasn't about trust or reliance. It was about strength.

"Yahiko doesn't understand," Amatsu whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the rain. "Konan doesn't understand. None of them do. They think survival is about sticking together, about hope, but hope won't save them."

He clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into his palms. "Only strength will."

As he stared out at the darkened skyline, a new resolve settled over him. The system was the key. It demanded effort, pain, and sacrifice, but it gave him something no one else had: the ability to rise above weakness. Every hardship, every risk, every wound-it all fed the system, and in return, it made him stronger.

Amatsu took a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill his lungs. The others were sleeping now, unaware of the path he was walking. They still saw him as one of them, another lost child trying to survive. But one day, they would see the truth.

"One day," he murmured, his voice cutting through the rain, "I'll leave them behind. This world doesn't have room for the weak. And I won't let their weakness drag me down."

With that, he turned and began his descent back to the shelter.