Upon hearing the system's pleasant, melodic—yet slightly aloof—notification sound…
Yoruha blinked in surprise.
"Huh? So the system doesn't completely hate me after all!"
Flat-slashing was a fundamental skill.
When Yoruha first acquired it, he started at the [Mastery] level.
And now, after three relentless months of nonstop training, cutting through the air day after day, that skill had finally undergone a qualitative transformation.
His control over flat slashes had reached a terrifyingly refined level.
Otherwise, there was no way he'd have pulled off that trick—redirecting hidden weapons mid-flight and planting them perfectly into the bullseye.
But what really caught him off guard…
Was the system's bonus reward.
After leveling up [Flat Slash Mastery], he didn't just gain improvements—he unlocked a brand new skill:
[Chakra Blade].
Even though Yoruha hadn't yet learned how to alter chakra nature, the potential of this ability was clear.
If he could channel chakra into a ninja blade the way samurai did, he could massively increase his overall combat strength.
And once he did unlock chakra nature transformation…
He could directly infuse elemental chakra into the blade.
Creating elemental chakra-infused sword techniques—like a Lightning-Style Chakra Blade, or a Fire-Edge Katana.
That kind of power…
Wouldn't just be "enhanced." It would be next level.
"System," Yoruha muttered with a grin, "you're starting to feel less like a parasite and more like a sentient battle companion."
At the Ninja Academy.
Today was no ordinary school day.
Early that morning, Iruka gathered the entire elite class and led them to the academy's largest outdoor training ground.
Since their enrollment, most students had only studied theory.
Stuff like wilderness survival, trap-setting basics, mission planning, support and counter-support tactics, reconnaissance and anti-recon…
Yes, it was important.
But wow, was it dry.
So, according to academy tradition, after three months of foundational learning, the students were scheduled for their first real practical training session.
Which was—today.
And the moment the announcement dropped, the kids couldn't contain their excitement. Everyone was fired up, buzzing with anticipation.
The first match-up of the day:
Yoruha vs. Sasuke.
Sasuke walked into the center of the field, confidence oozing from every step. He glanced over at Yoruha with that signature Uchiha disdain, his mouth twitching into a smug smirk.
"Teacher Iruka," he said loudly, "are we allowed to use ninjutsu in this match? I just recently mastered a Fire Release technique."
The second he said it—
Chaos.
The class exploded.
"WHOA! He already mastered a Fire Release?! That's amazing!"
"That means he's already awakened his chakra nature?! So fast!"
"Wow, Sasuke-kun's chakra must be super strong. Most kids can't handle fire-style this early!"
"Ugh, so this is the Uchiha bloodline… freakin' terrifying."
"Yoruha's gonna be in trouble. No way he can stay top of the class after this."
"What did you just say?!" Ino snapped. "My brother's not going to lose!"
"But Ino… it's ninjutsu. How can any of us fight against ninjutsu?"
As the noise escalated, Sasuke's smirk grew wider.
This was it.
Today, Uchiha Sasuke would own the spotlight.
The most dazzling, most unstoppable, most adored boy on the field—
Was him.
—
Meanwhile, poor Iruka stood there sweating awkwardly, trying to calm everyone down.
"Alright, alright—quiet down!"
"Sasuke," Iruka said, voice firm, "I'm glad to see your progress, but Fire Release ninjutsu is far too dangerous for this kind of exercise. Today's test is strictly physical combat. No ninjutsu allowed."
This wasn't a joke.
Fire-style techniques could be extremely destructive.
These were still children—even Iruka, a fully qualified Chuunin instructor, wouldn't dare take a Fireball Jutsu head-on, let alone let two kids go at it unsupervised.