Chapter 18 | In Naruto With An Achievement System

Chapter 18

Three days later, Tsunade cleared me for active training.

We gathered at a remote section atop the Hokage Mountain where we typically trained Nature Release in secret. The Hokage was informed on the ability expanding, but had more urgent matters to attend to. 

Orochimaru stood about thirty feet away from me, his expression neutral but watchful. Tsunade was positioned at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, her face set in a serious frown.

"Remember," Orochimaru said, his voice carrying across the distance. "The moment you feel you're losing control completely, you disengage. Understood?"

"Understood," I said. My heart was pounding. I'd been thinking about this for days, wondering what it would feel like, what I'd become.

"And if he doesn't disengage," Tsunade added, her tone hard, "I'm stopping it. I'm not letting you tear yourself apart because you're too stubborn to quit."

I nodded. My hands were shaking slightly. Not from fear. From anticipation.

I closed my eyes and reached for that new sensation in my mind. The stages that [Form, Change Up] had given me. The first one felt like a door I could push open, a threshold waiting to be crossed.

I pushed.

The pressure hit immediately. It built up inside my chest, spreading outward like fire through my veins. My bones began to shift, to elongate. The sensation was painful and wrong, like my body was being stretched on a rack. I gritted my teeth as I grew, two feet in seconds, my perspective on the world suddenly higher.

My skin prickled. I looked down at my hands and saw them tinted red, like I'd been flushed with heat. My fingernails had darkened, sharpened slightly. I touched my teeth with my tongue and felt fangs where my canines should be.

But worse than the physical changes was the rage.

It crashed over me like a tsunami, drowning out everything else. Why? WHY? Why did I have to be born in this world? This shitty death world where children became soldiers and wars never ended? Why did I have to fight and struggle and nearly die just to survive?

The anger was overwhelming. It pressed against my mind, demanding release, demanding violence.

But [(Wo)man on Mission] pushed back. The determination, the willpower boost from the perk, gave me something to hold onto. A lifeline in the storm. I could keep this in check. I had to. I was determined to not let the transformation take over me. 

Still, as I shifted into Swift, redistributing my attributes for maximum speed, I knew I was going to let some of this anger out. I needed to.

I charged.

— Orochimaru —

Orochimaru watched as his student transformed.

The change was dramatic and immediate. Yuuki grew, his frame expanding as his bones lengthened. His skin took on a reddish tint, and when he opened his mouth in a snarl, Orochimaru caught the glint of fangs.

Demonic. That was the word that came to mind. The transformation looked demonic.

Was this because of the Nine-Tails' chakra? The Beast's influence was known to corrupt, to twist those who came into contact with its power. Perhaps his student had absorbed more than just chakra during that encounter. Perhaps some fragment of the Fox's rage had taken root inside him, turning him into a pseudo-Jinchuriki of sorts.

It was only a theory, but it fit the pattern. The Beast's chakra was toxic, corrosive. It wouldn't be surprising if it had left a mark.

Yuuki's chakra signature spiked. It was four times what it had been moments before. Four times stronger, denser, more potent.

And then he moved.

"SWIFT!" Yuuki roared, his voice distorted by rage.

He was a blur. Even to Orochimaru's trained eyes, the speed was almost too much to track. Almost.

Orochimaru shifted his body at the last possible moment, using his Soft Physique Modification technique to bend in a way no normal human could. Yuuki's fist passed through the space where his head had been, close enough that Orochimaru felt the displaced air.

Too close.

They engaged in close combat. Yuuki threw a combination of strikes, each one backed by immense power and delivered with near-perfect form. Orochimaru dodged and deflected, his body flowing like water around the attacks. His student's durability had increased significantly as well. The chakra-enhanced blows Orochimaru landed seemed to have only minor impact, barely making Yuuki flinch.

But what surprised him most was the technique.

Even in this state of wild anger, Yuuki's movements were perfect. His footwork was flawless. His strikes came from optimal angles. The Striking Serpent Style and Unbreakable Fist techniques he'd been drilling into the boy were on full display, executed with precision that shouldn't be possible for someone consumed by rage.

This kid had really been practicing.

If it wasn't for Orochimaru's ability to bend his body unnaturally, avoiding attacks that would hit any normal opponent, he might actually be on the back foot.

But as they continued to exchange blows, he noticed something else. Yuuki was adapting. Learning. His attacks started to anticipate the body bends, to predict where Orochimaru would shift to avoid damage.

Had he been underestimating his student's talent?

Time to change tactics.

Orochimaru used Body Flicker, vanishing in a blur of speed and reappearing twenty feet away. He immediately created four mud clones that scattered in different directions before Yuuki could notice them.

Yuuki let out a frustrated roar, his head whipping around as he tried to track them all.

But then his eyes locked onto Orochimaru. 

 He channeled chakra to his feet and jumped high into the air as Yuuki charged again. Mid-jump, he aimed his sleeves downward.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Thirty snakes erupted from his sleeves, shooting toward Yuuki like missiles.

Yuuki raised a single hand sign. A root burst from the ground, thicker than any Orochimaru had seen his student create before. It smacked the snakes out of the air with brutal efficiency, dispersing them in puffs of smoke.

But Orochimaru had already moved. He used Body Flicker again, repositioning to Yuuki's flank, and began forming hand seals at speed.

The root withdrew back into the earth. Yuuki's head turned, searching.

Orochimaru finished the last seal just as his student spotted him.

"Wind Style: Hurricane Slash." He announced.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled a massive gust of wind. The technique was chakra-intensive, but devastating. It created a sustained barrage of wind blades that could be directed at will, shredding anything caught in their path.

Yuuki formed a wooden shield in front of him, the construct rising from the ground in an instant. The wind blades hammered against it, carving deep gouges but not breaking through.

As expected.

Orochimaru formed another set of seals. "Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique."

He sank into the ground like it was water, moving through the earth toward his student's position. The Hurricane Slash continued above, keeping Yuuki pinned behind the shield.

He emerged from the ground directly above Yuuki, already drawing his katana from its back sheath. Wind chakra flowed along the blade, making it hum with cutting power.

He swung for a disabling strike, aiming for the shoulder.

Yuuki moved.

The speed was incredible. Even with his enhanced state, Orochimaru barely avoided the counterattack. His student had shifted into a Strong Fist stance, his body coiled with power.

"MIGHT!" Yuuki roared, his face becoming strained with effort.

Fuck.

Orochimaru remembered that punch from their test day. The one that had sent him sliding back several feet and made him bleed. He was not taking a direct hit from that.

At the last possible moment, he substituted with a mud clone he'd left behind earlier. The clone took the impact.

The result was devastating. The clone's body caved inward for a split second before exploding in a shower of heavy mud that splattered across Yuuki and the surrounding area. The mud was designed to stick, to slow down opponents and track their movements.

Orochimaru landed in a crouch thirty feet away, observing.

His student wasn't really in control. Even in just the first form, the rage was consuming him. That punch would have shattered bones if it had connected. His cool-headed, passive student wouldn't have thrown an attack like that in a friendly spar.

He'd seen what he needed to see. The power boost was substantial, but the cost to mental stability was significant.

Time to end this.

He moved back toward the main clearing where Tsunade waited and used a minor wind technique, Whispering Winds, to transmit his voice directly to her.

"I've determined the overall power boost. Even this first stage lowers his inhibition for violence significantly. He was ready to shatter my bones." He said, his voice low.

Tsunade's expression darkened.

Orochimaru grunted as he bent his body almost ninety degrees to avoid hundreds of thin, sharp roots that Yuuki launched at him. The attacks were relentless, covering a wide area. His student's chakra reserves had grown as well, a feat that shouldn't be possible with just Attribute Distribution.

"Get in the middle and stop the match," he transmitted to Tsunade. "I need to see if he'll continue to fight or not."

She nodded once and moved.

— Yuuki Kagurazaka (A Few Minutes Earlier) —

My mind was filled with a single, burning goal.

Prove I wasn't weak.

The Fox had nearly killed me. I'd been shaken, terrified, pathetic. Was this how I'd face the Otsutsuki? Trembling and broken?

No.

I wasn't looking at my sensei anymore. Instead of Orochimaru's face, I saw pale skin, white hair, two Byakugan and a third eye in the center of the forehead. A mocking smirk. Kaguya. The final enemy. The god who would kill me if I wasn't strong enough.

"MIGHT!" I roared, throwing everything into the punch.

But Orochimaru switched with a clone at the last moment. The impact destroyed it, covering me in heavy mud that tried to slow me down.

I ignored it. Turned around. Shot hundreds of short, sharp roots to capture him, to pin him down so I could—

Tsunade appeared in the middle of the clearing.

She backhanded my roots.

The wooden constructs were violently ripped from the ground and shattered. I stopped supplying chakra and they vanished.

Why was she interfering?

"That's enough, kid," she said. Her voice was firm, commanding.

This damn woman. I remembered our first meeting. Her condescension. Her dismissive attitude.

I took a step forward.

She tensed, her body shifting into a combat stance.

But I also remembered the hospital. The care she'd taken with my injuries. The genuine concern in her voice when she'd cleared me for discharge.

I stilled.

This anger was real. But it wasn't directed at them. Not really.

I took a breath. [(Wo)man on Mission] surged, the determination perk giving me the strength to push back against the rage.

I let go of the transformation.

The changes reversed immediately. My body shrank back to its normal size, the red tint fading from my skin, the fangs receding. The rage didn't disappear entirely, but it became manageable again, a distant echo rather than a consuming fire.

And then I collapsed.

Not from physical exhaustion. From mental strain. The effort of maintaining control, of fighting against the berserker state while still engaging in combat, had drained something deeper than chakra.

I hit the ground hard, my vision swimming.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Tsunade and Orochimaru rushing toward me.

I felt like shit.

That was my first coherent thought as consciousness crept back in. Not physical pain, but a bone-deep exhaustion that made my head feel like it was stuffed with cotton. My thoughts moved slowly, sluggishly, like wading through mud.

I opened my eyes and squinted against the afternoon light filtering through the trees. I was still in the clearing, leaning against a tree trunk. Someone had moved me here, positioned me so I wouldn't fall over.

Tsunade and Orochimaru stood about fifteen feet away, speaking in low voices. I couldn't make out the words, but their body language was tense. Tsunade's arms were crossed, and Orochimaru had that thoughtful expression he wore when analyzing a problem.

"Thoughts?" I called out, my voice coming out rougher than expected.

They both stopped mid-conversation and turned toward me. Orochimaru approached first, Tsunade a step behind. They looked concerned, which was somehow worse than if they'd just looked disappointed.

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked, crouching down to my level. Her eyes were already scanning me, probably doing some kind of medical assessment.

"Like my brain got put through a blender," I said honestly. "But I'm okay. Just tired."

Orochimaru nodded slowly. "That's to be expected. The mental strain from maintaining that state while fighting your own instincts would be significant."

I looked between them. "So... thoughts? On the technique?"

Orochimaru frowned, his expression darkening slightly. "Well... we're shinobi. A tool like this is valuable, especially given the power boost it provides. But the toll it takes on your mental state is significant. More than I'd hoped."

I winced. It really was. The rage had been overwhelming, a constant pressure trying to consume everything else. If it hadn't been for [(Wo)man on Mission] giving me something to hold onto, I would have completely lost control.

"In my defense," I said, trying for a light tone, "the original rage wanted me to kill you. I controlled it down to just breaking a few bones."

Tsunade let out an amused huff. "Well, aren't we lucky."

"I'm serious though," I continued. "That first stage... it wasn't easy to manage. The anger felt real. Like it was mine, but amplified a hundred times over."

"That tracks with what I observed," Orochimaru said. "Your technique was still precise, which suggests your combat training and muscle memory remained intact. But your decision-making became more aggressive, more violent. You threw attacks that would have seriously injured me in a training spar."

"Surprisingly enough," Tsunade spoke up, "beyond some minor muscle tears from the rapid growth, the ability didn't have a negative effect on your body. Your chakra pathways are fine. Your physical structure adapted to the transformation without issue."

That was good news, at least.

"The strain on your mind was likely from holding back the anger," she continued. "That's what made you pass out. The mental effort of fighting against the berserker state while still engaging in combat."

Huh. That was interesting. If I didn't hold back the rage, would I not pass out? Would I just keep fighting until the form deactivated on its own, consumed by mindless fury?

The thought was disturbing.

"Still," Orochimaru said, his voice taking on a harder edge, "I'm sure you've already guessed, but you're forbidden to use this technique on your own, or even in the field without my express permission."

I sighed. "Yeah. I figured."

I'd seen it coming. If the first stage alone made me that angry, I couldn't imagine what the final stage would be like. Tsunade had said that if I ever entered the third or even fourth form, not even a miracle could snap me out of the blind rage. That wasn't hyperbole. It was probably a guarantee.

"However," Orochimaru continued, and something in his tone made me look up. "I do trust your judgment. If we're in the field, and you need to use it as a last trump card, then do so. I'd rather you survive by losing control than die trying to follow orders."

The words caught me off guard. Trust. He was giving me trust, even after seeing what that first form had done to me.

I appreciated it. Though honestly, if I was about to die, I'd use the technique whether he gave permission or not. Survival trumped orders every time.

"You should rest," Tsunade said firmly. "Your mind needs it. Go home and sleep. Don't train, don't practice jutsu, just sleep. Doctor's orders."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, too tired to argue.

She helped me to my feet. My legs were shaky but functional. The mental exhaustion made everything feel distant and muted, but I could walk.

"We'll need to report this to sensei," Orochimaru said, and his expression darkened into a frown.

"Go home, Yuuki," Orochimaru continued. "Rest. We'll handle the report."

I nodded and started walking toward the edge of the training ground. Each step felt heavier than the last, the exhaustion pulling at me like a physical weight.

"Yuuki," Orochimaru called out.

I stopped and turned back.

"You did well," he said quietly. "Maintaining that much control while in that state... it's impressive. Don't forget that."

Something warm unfurled in my chest. Pride, maybe. Or just relief that I hadn't completely failed.

"Thanks, sensei," I said.

Then I left, heading home to collapse into bed and hopefully sleep off the worst of this mental fog.

Behind me, I heard Tsunade say something to Orochimaru in a low voice. I didn't catch the words, but the tone was clear.

They were worried.

And honestly, so was I.

The next day, I was given a day off to recover. I spent the morning doing light stretches and a minor workout in my apartment, nothing strenuous. Just enough to keep my muscles from getting stiff.

Around eleven, there was a knock at the door. Two polite raps, not the sharp three-count that meant shinobi business.

I blinked in confusion. Who could that be? I didn't get visitors often. 

I opened the door to find Minato standing there, looking relaxed in his standard jonin uniform. He smiled when he saw me.

"Oh, hello Minato," I said, genuinely surprised. "I wasn't expecting you. How'd you know where I live?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He looked a bit sheepish, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, I asked Lady Tsunade for your address. I hope that's alright. As for why I'm here, I wanted to invite you to lunch with me, Kushina, and my team. My students were curious to meet you."

My guard went up immediately. "You told them?"

His hands shot up in a placating gesture. "No, no, not at all! They overheard me and Kushina discussing you. Nothing specific, just that we'd met an impressive genin. When they asked questions, we only said you were one of Orochimaru's students and that we'd run into you at the hospital. That's all they know."

I relaxed slightly. "Ah, I see."

Team 7. Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, if I remembered correctly. The team that would eventually be torn apart by tragedy. I'd have to meet them at some point anyway, I supposed.

Minato had a hopeful expression on his face, waiting for my answer.

"Sure," I said. "Let me grab my gear." As I went inside 

"Great!" His smile widened. "We'll meet at Training Ground 7. Kushina should be there with lunch by the time we arrive."

I grabbed my kunai pouch, then followed him out. We moved across the rooftops, taking the shinobi routes through the village. I noticed people pausing to wave or call out greetings to Minato with clear respect in their voices.

Well, it made sense. He'd already earned the nickname "The Yellow Flash." His reputation was growing fast. 

We landed at Training Ground 7, and I immediately spotted three figures waiting in the clearing.

No Kushina yet. But there they were.

The first person I noticed had gravity-defying silver hair and wore a mask covering the lower half of his face. Kakashi Hatake. Even as a kid, his hair was ridiculous. He was smaller than me, younger, maybe seven or eight. And he was wearing a chunin vest.

A chunin vest. At seven or eight years old.

I knew he'd joined the Academy early and graduated even earlier, but seeing it in person was different. He must have either gotten a field promotion or participated in the last chunin exams before the war fully kicked off.

The second person was a girl with a round, friendly face and shoulder length brown hair. Rin Nohara. She looked older than Kakashi, closer to my age, maybe a year older? The girl who would eventually be captured by Kiri, turned into a weapon, and sacrificed herself on Kakashi's lightning blade.

My eyes moved to the third person.

Short, spiky black hair. Orange goggles pushed up on his forehead. An eager, competitive expression. Practically radiating a, “look-at-me!” vibration.

Obito Uchiha.

I swallowed hard. He wasn't Tobi yet. Wasn't the broken, twisted thing he'd become after watching Rin die. Right now, he was just a kid. An enthusiastic, loud kid with big dreams.

I'd been ignoring the plot of this world, if I was honest with myself. Or at least, I hadn't wanted to actively think about it. The future tragedies, the deaths, the wars. It was easier to focus on my own survival, my own training.

But now they were right in front of me, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Yuuki?"

I jolted out of my thoughts. Minato was looking at me with concern.

"Nothing," I murmured. "Just thinking." I shook my head, this wasn't the place or moment to think of such a thing.

We approached the group. Obito's eyes locked onto me immediately, assessing. There was challenge in his gaze, the kind of competitive fire I'd seen in Anko before.

"So you're the one sensei was praising, huh?" Obito said, crossing his arms. "You don't look like much."

I raised an eyebrow. That was a fast assessment. 

"Fight me!" Obito declared, pointing at me with entirely too much enthusiasm.

I just stared at him, confused. The fuck? I glanced at Minato, who gave me an apologetic shrug.

"I'm on medical rest," I said calmly. "I'd rather not have the medic-nin get mad at me."

"Hah! So you're a coward!" Obito taunted, his voice taking on an obvious, almost childish tone.

I sighed. Really?

"Obito!" Rin stepped forward, her voice scolding. "Stop that."

"Hey, I'm just saying!" Obito raised his hands defensively. "I'm underwhelmed with what sensei said about this guy."

Rin turned to me and bowed slightly. "I apologize for my teammate. I'm Rin Nohara. The loudmouth there is Obito Uchiha." She gestured toward the silver-haired boy who had been silently observing the entire exchange. "And that's Kakashi Hatake."

Kakashi nodded once, his eyes assessing me with the kind of calculation you'd expect from someone much older.

"It's alright," I said, offering Rin a kind smile. The taunts really didn't affect me. I'd dealt with worse from Anko. But still, what exactly had Minato said to make Obito this eager?

I formed the Wind Whispering Technique, using my high affinity to cast it without hand seals. I pretended to yawn, covering my mouth, as the chakra carried my voice directly to Minato.

"Mind if I humble the kid a bit?"

Minato's eyes widened slightly, impressed, probably because of the sealless jutsu but nonetheless with a barely audible sigh, he nodded. I noticed Kakashi's gaze sharpen, his eyes darting between me and his sensei. Sharp kid.

I let the technique drop and smirked. "Fine. Let's do it."

Obito grinned, pumping his fist. "You're on! Get ready to get your ass kicked!" 

Rin sighed. "Obito, you're impossible." She said, an expression of fond yet annoyed exasperation.

"What? He agreed!" Obito protested.

Kakashi finally spoke, his voice calm and measured. "This should be educational."

The way he said it made it clear he wasn't talking about me getting beaten.

I walked to the center of the clearing, and Obito followed, already bouncing on his feet with excitement. Minato moved to the side, crossing his arms with an amused expression. Rin looked worried for her childhood friend, even Kakashi looked interested.

"Rules?" I asked. I definitely wouldn't use Attribute Distribution here, as rude as it might sound, I didn't need it.

"First to yield or get knocked out of the ring," Minato said, gesturing to the roughly circular clearing we stood in. "No lethal techniques obviously. Obito, no fire jutsu. Yuuki, keep it proportional." 

"Got it," I said.

"Yeah, yeah," Obito said, waving dismissively. "Let's just get started!"

I settled into a neutral stance, not committing to offense or defense. Obito dropped into a form I hadn't quite seen before, his stance was defensive but ready to strike for a counterattack, his fists raised, feet settled in a way that would allow him to move around attacks. 

"Ready?" Minato called out. I tensed and shifted into a matching ready position.

We both nodded. Obito looked determined. I was going to feel bad about this. I'd just met him. I wouldn't humiliate him.

"Begin!"

Obito moved first. He closed the distance with a quick step forward, throwing a probing jab at my face. I shifted my head slightly to the left, letting it pass by. He followed with a low kick aimed at my lead leg. I lifted my foot just enough for it to pass underneath, then set it back down.

His movements were sharp. Controlled. This wasn't the basic Academy style I'd expected.

He threw another combination, a one-two punch followed by a hook. I weaved around the first two and blocked the hook with my forearm. The impact was solid, more force than I'd anticipated from someone his size.

As we exchanged blows, my mind started breaking down his technique. [Martial Arts Prodigy] kicked in automatically, analyzing every movement, every shift in weight, every angle of attack.

The style was designed for interception. His footwork positioned him to counter incoming strikes, turning defense into offense in a single motion. His hands stayed high and ready, waiting for openings. The stance prioritized mobility and reaction speed.

It was meant for the Sharingan. The enhanced perception would let the user see attacks coming and intercept them perfectly. Without that advantage, the style had weaknesses. It relied too heavily on reacting rather than creating opportunities.

Obito threw a straight punch. I deflected it with my left hand, redirecting the force past my shoulder. He immediately pivoted, using the momentum to throw a roundhouse kick. I stepped back, just out of range.

"Come on!" Obito taunted, breathing a bit heavier now. "I thought you were supposed to be impressive!"

I let him press forward. He threw a flurry of strikes, combinations that flowed well together. I blocked most of them, let a few glancing blows land on my arms and shoulders. Nothing that would actually hurt, but enough that he'd think he was making progress.

The footwork would work great with Swift, I thought absently, dodging another punch. The enhanced perception from speed redistribution combined with this mobility-focused approach could create something interesting. Maybe integrate it into what I was starting to think of as the Unified Style, a blend of everything I'd learned.

Obito was getting frustrated now. His strikes were coming faster but less controlled. He overextended on a hook, and I saw my opening.

Time to stop playing defense.

I caught his extended arm at the wrist, used his own momentum to pull him off balance, and drove my knee into his midsection. Not hard enough to seriously hurt him, but enough to knock the wind out. He stumbled back, gasping.

Before he could recover, I closed in. I threw a combination of my own: a jab to test his guard, a low kick to his lead leg that made him shift his weight, then a straight punch that he barely managed to deflect. I followed with a sweep, hooking his supporting leg and sending him to the ground.

He rolled away and came up in a defensive crouch, his breathing labored.

"That's more like it," Kakashi observed from the sideline, his voice carrying a note of approval.

Obito charged again, more cautious this time. He threw a feint, then a real strike from a different angle. I could see through it easily. The Interceptor style only worked if you were faster than your opponent or could see the attacks coming in advance. Obito could do neither, not against me.

I dodged the real strike by pivoting on my back foot, then countered with a palm strike to his ribs. The impact was heavy, solid. Obito winced and immediately started favoring his other side.

We exchanged a few more blows. Each time, I could see him adapting, trying to adjust his approach. He was learning, which was impressive. But the gap in our experience and physical conditioning was too wide.

I caught him with another heavy blow to the same side. This time he staggered, his guard dropping for just a moment.

"That's enough," Minato called out, stepping forward. "Match over."

Obito stood there, breathing hard, disappointment written across his face. He looked down at the ground, his fists clenched.

I walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You did good, man." I said with a grin.

He looked up, surprised.

"I'm serious," I said. "You're pretty good for a genin. Your taijutsu is easily at chunin level. My specialty is hand-to-hand combat, so you were at a disadvantage from the start."

That was even true, thanks to [Martial Arts Prodigy].

"Your style is solid," I continued. "Better than the basic Academy style. But if you're going to use it without the Sharingan, you should make some adjustments to the stances. Look for more opportunities to create strikes instead of just reacting to them. Be more aggressive with your positioning." I instructed him.

He didn't cheer up entirely, but the disappointment in his expression eased. He nodded, managing a small smile. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

Rin came over and patted him on the back. "You did pretty good, Obito! You've definitely improved since our last training session."

That did it. The kid's face lit up completely. "Really? You think so?"

"Definitely," Rin said with an encouraging smile.

Minato approached, and I noticed Kushina walking beside him. She must have arrived while we were sparring. I'd been too focused on the match to notice.

"And that's why you shouldn't underestimate an opponent just because of their age or attitude, Obito," Minato said, his tone carrying a teaching moment. "Yuuki could have ended that match much faster if he'd wanted to."

"Way faster," Kakashi added dryly. "He was analyzing your style for the first half of the fight."

Obito's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

I shrugged. "It's a habit. Sorry."

Kushina chimed in, her voice suddenly serious. "Yep. Underestimating an opponent is an easy way to get injured or worse on a mission." Then her expression brightened instantly, all the seriousness vanishing. "But enough about that! Let's go get some Ichiraku!"

It was at that moment I realized something. "I've never been to that place," I said aloud.

How could I have forgotten about somewhere as iconic as Ichiraku Ramen? I'd been in this world for years and never went?

"WHAT?" Kushina's voice came out as a near-shriek. She hurried toward me, grabbing my shoulders. "You've NEVER been to Ichiraku? Oh, you're in for a treat! The best ramen in all of Konoha, maybe all of Fire Country! No, the entire Elemental Nations!"

Her expression was grinning, excited, almost manic. If this were an anime, stars would be coming out of her eyes.

"It's pretty good," Rin agreed with a smile. "Kushina takes us there a lot."

"Too much," Kakashi muttered. "I'm going to turn into a ramen noodle at this rate."

"Oh, shut up, Kakashi!" Kushina said, waving him off. "You love it and you know it!"

"It is objectively high-quality ramen," Kakashi conceded.

Minato laughed. "Come on, let's head over before Kushina explodes from excitement."

"I don't explode!" Kushina protested, then paused. "Okay, maybe sometimes, but not about ramen!"

Obito was already bouncing back to his usual energy. "Race you there, Kakashi!"

"Childish," Kakashi said, but he was already moving toward the training ground exit.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Obito shouted, chasing after him.

Rin sighed. "Those two, I swear."

I fell into step beside Minato and Kushina as we followed the other three toward the village. The exhaustion from yesterday's transformation test was still lingering at the edges of my mind, but this felt good. Normal. Like I was just a kid going to get ramen with friends instead of a reincarnated adult preparing for wars and tragedies.

I'd take these moments while I could get them.

AN: A test of the new ability and we finally get to meet Team 7, this will probably lead to the War Arc, we’ll see where my muse takes me, there is going to be an important decision that I’ll probably make a poll on, that being the Kanabi Bridge Incident.

I’ve been reading a lot of Murim, and thus the “Wind Whispering Technique” imo, makes sense enough. I don’t really think there is anything else to cover, I’ll be writing Hiruzen more like a War General. I have some ideas on how to solve Orochimaru wanting to become the Hokage. 

Oh yeah, the next update unfortunately won’t be till the 14th, I’ll try to get it out by 12th or 13th, but 14th is max because I have exams till 11th, it’s mostly written out as well, about 1k left, thank Eternal Yujin and his writing sprints for that. Hope y’all can understand!

That’s about it, cya.