"Sorry, there is no task today. You're free to move around as you like."
At the team's gathering point, Jōnin Yae spoke calmly to the three in front of him.
Fengtai and Jidou's faces fell with disappointment.
'No mission? Yuichi didn't buy that for a second.
Are missions in Konoha ever scarce? Impossible! Apart from the simplest D-rank jobs, there should always be plenty. For a rookie team like ours, a daily D-rank mission should be the norm.
And yet, today…'
"Okay, let's go! You've got plenty of missions today, so come on!"
A voice rang out in the distance.
Yuichi turned his head. In the distance stood a ninja with a mask covering half his face, three small figures behind him.
Even from afar, the distinctive trio was unmistakable—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
'We don't have a mission, but Kakashi's team has a full schedule? Different treatment, huh.
How can a civilian team compare with the protagonist team?'
This, Yuichi knew, was only natural.
[Daily Selection Activated]
[Please choose:]
Go to the Hokage building, request a mission from the Third Hokage. Reward: Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet.
Skip missions and spend the day freely. Reward: Wind Style: Suppression.
Earth Style and Wind Style…
Neither was exactly what Yuichi wanted. Their offensive power wasn't overwhelming either.
What he needed was a one-hit-kill technique.
Just as Yuichi was weighing his options, Fengtai and Jidou noticed his hesitation.
"Since we don't have a mission today, Yuichi, want to practice together?" Jidou asked.
"Yeah," Fengtai chimed in, "We'll improve faster if we train as a group."
Yuichi blinked, realizing he hadn't heard a word they said while lost in thought.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"We asked if you want to practice with us," Fengtai repeated.
"To practice together?" Yuichi paused, then nodded. "Of course."
Fengtai and Jidou exchanged an excited look. Even Yae raised a brow in surprise.
At that moment, the system prompt rang again:
[Selection Ended]
[Host did not choose. Daily Selection will refresh in six hours.]
Yuichi's expression stiffened. He quickly forced himself to stay calm in front of the others.
'So the daily selection refreshes every six hours, not just once a day? Interesting.
If the first one appeared in the afternoon yesterday, then… could the rewards differ between morning and afternoon?'
It seemed he had just uncovered a hidden system mechanic.
"Let's go, Yuichi."
Fengtai's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Yuichi nodded. "Yeah."
Together, the three left to practice.
They arrived at a large open field near a hill outside Konoha. It was an ideal place for training.
But they weren't alone—seven or eight other young ninja were already there, sparring.
Yuichi stood at the edge and observed. "Are all of them our batchmates?"
"Not just that," Fengtai explained. "Even older Genin come here. We usually gather to practice taijutsu, kunai throwing, and light sparring matches."
Yuichi's eyes drifted toward two Genin locked in a sloppy taijutsu exchange. He shook his head. By the system's grading, that was barely entry-level.
"Yuichi, how about a spar? Let's test our taijutsu." Fengtai's eyes burned with eagerness.
Yuichi smirked. "Sure. Please go easy on me."
Ten minutes later…
Genin were sprawled all across the clearing, gasping for breath. Even the older ones, fifteen or sixteen, lay flat on the ground.
At the center stood Yuichi, barely winded.
"Damn… how can someone this strong just have graduated?"
"His level is unreal…"
One of them turned to Fengtai. "This is the genius teammate you mentioned, right? Nagano Yuichi—the one with three chakra attributes?"
Fengtai, still rubbing his sore chest from earlier, jumped up excitedly. "That's him! He's amazing, right?"
He ran to Yuichi's side and slung an arm over his shoulder with pride.
Another Genin groaned, "Three attributes… insane. Add taijutsu this strong, and you'll be a Jōnin for sure."
"Yeah… I'm so jealous. Why don't I have that kind of talent…"
These were ordinary Genin. No inherited jutsu, no clan techniques. Even with a Jōnin instructor, they'd never be handed powerful techniques. For most of them, life as a Genin was a cage they'd never escape.
'The world belongs to the clans. Power lies in controlling knowledge.
In Konoha, Hokage maintains control by controlling the spread of ninjutsu.
The ones at the bottom, no matter how talented, are cut off from real power. Stuck as Genin for life.'
Yuichi looked around at their frustrated faces.
"If you'd like, I can teach you some of my taijutsu."
The clearing erupted.
"Seriously?!"
Fengtai grabbed Yuichi's arm like a lifeline. "You mean it?"
"Of course. We're comrades. Even if we're not on the same team, we're still Konoha ninja. Let's help each other grow."
The Genin's faces lit up.
"Thank you, Yuichi!"
"Yeah, thank you so much!"
Yuichi only shook his head. To him, it was nothing. But to them, it was everything.
Nobody wanted to remain a Genin forever.
Up on the hill, a loud crash echoed.
Boom!
A massive tree collapsed with a thundering crack.
Someone's voice cut through the air.
"What's with all that noise down there?!"