With the Great Fireball Technique now a part of my knowledge, my secret training took on a new, more intense purpose. This was no longer just about survival; it was about power, about wielding a core piece of Uchiha heritage that had been so brutally taken from me. The instructions from the Evolution System were perfect and precise, a blueprint for elemental mastery.
My nightly sessions in the orphanage backyard became a series of patient, painstaking attempts. The initial goal was simply to mold the chakra correctly. I would form the required hand signs—Tiger, Ox, Horse, Rabbit, Boar, Tiger—feeling the chakra flow from my core, up my throat, and into my mouth. The first few times, the feeling was clumsy, the chakra dissipating as a mere wisp of warm air. It was a stark reminder that innate knowledge from the System was not the same as a well-trained body.
But I persisted. Night after night, the air would fill with my soft, determined exhales. I used the Sharingan's brief flashes to analyze my chakra flow, identifying the points of leakage and inefficiency. My hands, still small, learned to execute the hand seals with greater speed and grace. The Evolution System rewarded my persistence with minor, but frequent, notifications.
Skill Progress: Great Fireball Technique (Ninjutsu - Rank E -> D)
Finally, on a moonless night, I gathered a greater amount of chakra, my lungs burning with the effort. I visualized the fire, the explosive heat, the hand signs flowing together in a single motion. I inhaled deeply, my chest expanding, and then exhaled, focusing every ounce of my will into the expulsion.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
A small, but unmistakably real orb of fire erupted from my mouth. It didn't roar like the ones Itachi or Sasuke would produce, but it was a solid, crackling sphere about the size of my head. It flew ten feet before fizzling out, a pathetic end for a technique of its caliber. But for me, it was a triumph.
Mission Objective Unlocked: Elemental Control
Objective: Successfully perform the Great Fireball Technique a total of 10 times. Reward: 10 EP, Minor Elemental Chakra Boost.
Status: Pending
The System was pushing me, guiding my evolution. My path was no longer a matter of simply reacting to danger; it was now one of deliberate, methodical growth.
At the Academy, a new exercise was announced—a group scavenger hunt in a controlled section of the surrounding woods. It was a test of teamwork, stealth, and resourcefulness. We were to form pairs. Naruto, of course, was left to fend for himself until Iruka-sensei mercifully paired him with an equally clumsy boy. Sasuke was, as usual, alone. He didn't seem to mind. He simply accepted the solitude as his due.
I found myself paired with a boy named Akio, a confident but average student. The group scattered into the woods. My focus was not on the objective, but on Sasuke. I saw him move with a swift, predatory silence, his chakra signature a calm, contained presence.
The "Peer Observation" mission had given me insight, but also a new challenge. The Evolution System was pushing me to become more than just a ghost; it wanted me to interact, to manipulate. I needed to move beyond simply observing Sasuke's solitude and begin to break through it, however slightly.
As Akio and I moved deeper into the woods, I saw it—Sasuke, standing alone, his head turned, listening intently. His target was a well-hidden scroll on a high branch. His hand went to a kunai pouch. Without thinking, I made my move. I whispered to Akio, "Look, a distraction! Over there!" and pointed in a random direction. He, gullible and eager, dashed off.
I took the brief moment of solitude to approach a nearby tree. With a subtle use of chakra, I climbed a few feet up, as if searching. I was in plain sight, but my movements were fluid and natural. I made eye contact with Sasuke. He frowned, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes at my presence. I offered a slight, almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment, not of pity, but of shared understanding. We were both alone here, doing our own work. It was a silent conversation.
Then, I deliberately stumbled, fumbling for a footing, and fell to the ground with a soft thud. It was a perfect display of clumsiness. I saw the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitch ever so slightly, a fleeting moment of what might have been amusement, before he returned his focus to the scroll. I had provided a distraction, a brief moment of normalcy in his solitude. A small act, but a significant one in my eyes.
New Mission Unlocked: Peer Relations - Uchiha Sasuke.
Objective: Forge a subtle but meaningful connection with Sasuke Uchiha through shared experiences or small acts of support. Reward: 20 EP, Relationship (Sasuke Uchiha - Neutral).
Status: Pending.
The new mission appeared just as I got to my feet. The System was a cold, objective strategist, seeing the value in social bonds as a means to an end. It was pushing me to do more than just observe. It was pushing me to become a true part of this world, not just a bystander. The serpent's nest was getting more dangerous, but with every passing day, I felt less like a ghost and more like a predator, silently waiting for the right moment to strike.
Uchiha Namekaze has successfully performed his first elemental ninjutsu and is now faced with a new, more complex mission that requires him to actively build a relationship with Sasuke.
What new strategies do you think Namekaze will employ to forge this "subtle but meaningful connection" with Sasuke, and how will he balance this mission with the need to keep his true abilities a secret from both Sasuke and the Academy staff?
End of chapter 9