"Huff! Huff! Huff!!"
In the forest, Yuichi's figure flickered forward.
Yes—flickered.
Like a ghost, each appearance lasted only for a brief instant… before vanishing again. Every time he reappeared, Yuichi had already moved nearly thirty meters ahead.
This was not normal movement.
Only by continuously using the Body Flicker Technique could one achieve such a result.
If someone with the Byakugan observed Yuichi at this moment, they would see the chakra in his legs constantly erupting—like a propulsion engine driving him forward at terrifying speed.
But this kind of long-distance travel through repeated Body Flicker was no joke. The chakra consumption was so high that even a Jōnin wouldn't dare to do it casually.
After all, Body Flicker wasn't meant for travel. It was an emergency technique, used to dodge danger or launch sudden attacks. Using it for road travel was an extravagant waste.
Yet Yuichi had no problem at all.
Well… except for a little fatigue.
After five straight minutes of high-speed flickers, Yuichi finally felt his stamina drop.
The technique itself was chakra-heavy, but when moving this fast, he also had to maintain total concentration to land precisely where he intended. That kind of mental and physical strain built up quickly.
Perched on a branch, Yuichi panted heavily.
"Ugh… my stamina's too poor. Looks like I'll have to add more physical training from now on."
Thankfully, his Wood Style body allowed him to recover faster than most. Though tired, his energy quickly returned.
Still, he decided not to rely on Body Flicker anymore for the rest of the journey.
In just five minutes, he had already covered four-fifths of the distance from the Valley of the End back to Konoha. Even Yuichi was surprised by his own speed.
At this point, he was already close to the village. With Konoha patrols likely nearby, it was safer not to show off any flashy techniques.
Taking a quick glance at his status panel, Yuichi saw:
[Ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique – Advanced (613/4000)]
"In just five minutes, I gained more than six hundred proficiency points…"
He couldn't believe it himself.
When he first traveled to the Valley of the End, it took him more than an hour. Now, with Body Flicker, he could return in under ten minutes.
"I wonder… what will a perfect Body Flicker look like?"
At perfection, the speed and distance would surely be far greater. More importantly, hand seals would no longer be required.
At that point, wouldn't it be like a weaker—but more flexible—version of the Flying Thunder God Technique?
With his limitless chakra, the perfected Body Flicker might even rival it. Unlike Flying Thunder God, it wouldn't require placing marks in advance.
Free, instant, and without preparation… Yuichi couldn't help but look forward to it.
By the time he finished his thoughts, the familiar gates of Konoha came into view.
The sun had already dipped low, its remaining half casting the sky in red-gold hues.
"Earlier than I expected… If I knew it would be this fast, I could've trained another half-hour."
Still, Yuichi wasn't disappointed. He hadn't eaten proper food in days.
Tonight, he planned to pay a visit to Naruto.
After two days of surviving on roasted game, his stomach was full but his tongue was miserable.
So—Ichiraku Ramen it was.
…Though, one look at his nearly empty wallet reminded Yuichi of reality.
As an orphan, the meager living stipend he received from the village barely covered expenses.
All he could afford was the cheapest bowl on the menu.
Determined to "accidentally encounter" Naruto, Yuichi ate painfully slowly. One bowl of plain ramen… stretched out for three hours.
All while enduring the increasingly strange looks from Teuchi and Ayame.
Finally—Naruto arrived.
"Uncle Teuchi! A bowl of ramen, please!"
The blonde boy looked as energetic as ever, practically glowing with happiness.
"Looks like you had a good day, Naruto," Teuchi said warmly.
"Of course! I passed the test and became a Genin today. Starting tomorrow, I'll be going on missions!" Naruto declared proudly.
Ayame quickly set down a steaming, generous bowl of ramen in front of him.
Naruto was just about to dig in when he felt someone staring.
Turning his head, he spotted Yuichi at a nearby table—his empty bowl suspiciously clean.
"Oi! Why are you staring at me? This is my ramen!"
At that moment, Yuichi's system activated:
[Character Uzumaki Naruto encountered. Open character development line?]
Like fate itself had lined everything up.
Yuichi silently confirmed: Open.
[Second character development line unlocked. Forming relationship path with Uzumaki Naruto…]
[First contact. Please choose attitude:]
Humbly ask Naruto for ramen. (Reward: Increased Chakra capacity)
Domineeringly steal Naruto's ramen. (Reward: Sexy Technique)
Ignore Naruto's question. (Reward: Wind-nature Chakra)
"…What kind of choices are these?" Yuichi muttered under his breath.
He glanced at Naruto.
[Congratulations. Reward acquired: Wind-nature Chakra.]
Yuichi let out a quiet sigh.
To Naruto, it sounded more like a pitiful expression.
"…Tch. Fine, maybe I'll share half. I didn't eat dinner either, so I can't give you all of it."
[Character: Uzumaki Naruto]
[Relationship: Stranger]
Then, another prompt appeared:
[New selection triggered. Please choose:]
Accept Naruto's kind sharing. (Reward: Konoha Technique – Thousand Years of Death)
Reject Naruto's kindness. (Reward: Earth Style – Substitution Jutsu)
Yuichi's lips twitched.
Without hesitation, he turned around and walked out of Ichiraku.
[Congratulations. Reward acquired: Earth Style – Substitution Jutsu.]