With a soft click, I finished adjusting the crude but functional chakra system Hashirama had helped me sketch out. It wasn't elegant, but it worked.
"That's it," Hashirama said warmly, nodding with a mentor's approval. "Practice this every day. After a few more days, I'll start teaching you some basic ninjutsu."
He clapped me on the shoulder with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever in human form. "Don't worry, Ishiki. You definitely have the talent to become a good ninja!"
Objectively, I knew he was exaggerating. Encouraging. Being kind.But the words still warmed my chest more than I expected.
I never had someone tell me I had talent before,Not in my past life.Not in this one.
For the first time since waking in this world, I felt a faint sprout of something unfamiliar:
Belonging.
Friendship.Hope.Possibility.
Just as the feeling settled, a loud, guttural groan shattered the moment.
Both Hashirama and I snapped our gazes toward Madara.
His face was the same colour as a sunset, red with embarrassment. He clutched his stomach like he'd been stabbed.
I couldn't hold back my laughter. "I know a spot with plenty of fish," I said, grinning. "Come on."
We packed up and headed toward the river bend I frequented to survive after losing my parents. The hidden nook was peaceful, shielded from prying eyes, with water clear enough to see the riverbed.
I grabbed my hand-carved spear and stepped into the shallows with practised ease, but apparently, the fish were already holding a meeting on how to embarrass me.
Because not a single one came close.
Madara snorted. "Looks like we're not eating today," he teased, though his stomach growled again in protest.
Before I could argue, he snatched the spear from my hand. In a blur of movement I barely tracked, the water splashed thrice,
And within a minute, Madara held up several large fish like trophies.
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.
Hashirama soon joined in, laughing brightly as he caught his own haul with the casual grace of someone born gifted.
I surrendered to their superiority in fishing and walked back to start preparing a fire.
By the time they returned, the small flame I had coaxed from wood was crackling steadily. Hashirama crouched beside it, eyes wide.
"Ishiki, how did you do this?" he asked, genuinely baffled. "You don't know any Fire Style jutsu."
A small swell of pride bloomed in my chest.
"I don't need ninjutsu for small tasks like this," I said, puffing out my chest slightly.Then I demonstrated how to create fire using friction, wood, tinder, and patience.
To my surprise, both boys watched with open fascination, leaning in like students at a rare lecture.
Hashirama's eyes glowed with admiration. "Ishiki, you really are smart."
I may or may not have smirked. "It's all too easy for me."
Which, of course, was Madara's cue to ruin the moment.
"That's way too much work," he scoffed. He grabbed a dry branch, formed a quick seal, and ignited the tip with a tiny burst of flame. "I just do this."
I glared at him. "Show-off pine-haired brat."
Madara's eyebrow twitched. "Brat? Look at your hair! You look like an old man!"
"You know nothing! I'm far more handsome than you!"
Our childish squabble escalated instantly, sparks flying worse than the fire we had built. Insults bounced between us like kunai ricocheting off stone.
Hashirama stepped between us, laughing helplessly. "Alright, alright, that's enough. The fish looks ready."
We froze, shot each other one last poisonous glare, then turned away at perfect synchronisation.
Food first. War later.
The aroma of roasting fish filled the clearing, rich and mouthwatering. We devoured them with the ferocity of starving wolves.
Madara burned his tongue twice.Hashirama laughed every time.I pretended not to smirk.
We ate almost everything.
As the last traces of twilight faded, the air grew cooler. The fire dimmed, casting dancing shadows across Hashirama and Madara's faces.
"We'll meet tomorrow morning again, right here," Hashirama said, his tone warm and certain.
I nodded, a secretive smile curling on my lips.
"I'll show you my own magic tomorrow."
Their eyes flashed with excitement, Madara's more competitive, Hashirama's more curious.
We exchanged nods, subtle and comfortable.
Then we split in three directions, heading home.
When I reached my tiny house, exhaustion slammed into me like a kunai to the chest. I barely managed to collapse onto my bed.
As I stared up at the creaking ceiling, my mind drifted over the day:
The system panel is awakening.Hashirama's steady encouragement.Madara's fierce rivalry.Our shared meal.The laughter.The warmth.
The… friendship.
My heart felt full in a way it never had before, neither in my old life nor this one.
This world wasn't kind.It wasn't safe.It wasn't stable.
But for the first time…
It felt like home.
My second life wasn't some punishment or cosmic joke.It was real.Vivid.Messy.Chaotic.Warm.
Tomorrow, I will show them the Reverse Cloak.Tomorrow, I will grow stronger.Tomorrow, the story would move.
And with a soft breath, wrapped in the glow of a day worth living,
I drifted into deep, dreamless sleep