[Under the sunlight on the training field, a red-clad girl—lively and bouncing like a balsam flower—sizes you up with curiosity. A few nimble little flames dance at her fingertips.]
[Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu: Yo! You're the guy big sis mentioned, huh? You're kinda handsome! Wanna play with me? I fly really fast!]
A pink options box popped up—
A: Sure, sure. It's my honor to meet someone as beautiful as a balsam flower.
B: I'm here to learn—what are you trying to do?!
C: Bal? Balsam what? Is that some super exciting new Game?!
Hm… looks like this target is the mischievous, quirky-girl type.
Mikami Yuu thought for a moment and decided to do something different.
"C."
[Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu: (She grins, eyes curved into crescents) Hehe, I didn't expect you to be pretty fun. Then let's try it! If you can spit out a fireball that satisfies me, I'll take you to play something really fun~]
Mikami Yuu immediately pulled his attention back to reality. Under Hiruzen's encouraging gaze, he clasped his hands, recalled the explanation from a moment ago, and began forming seals at speed, attempting the technique.
"Fire Style… Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Fwoosh!
Several basketball-sized orange-red fireballs shot from Mikami Yuu's mouth, flying steadily forward six or seven meters before puff puff striking other targets, leaving blackened scorch marks. The power wasn't as great as Hiruzen's, but it was still quite good.
—In theory, Mikami Yuu was now half a Fire Style genius. The "Fire-nature chakra affinity boost" from the Spirit of Fire trait was universal. Even if he was casting Phoenix Sage Fire instead of Great Fireball, it still applied.
[Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu: (Spins lightly in midair, flame-hair fluttering) Yay! Success! It's a bit wobbly, but it's your first time~ Pass!]
[Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu Affection +3. Added to romance list! Current affection: 3/100 (Stranger)]
Beside him,
Hiruzen nodded slightly and encouraged him. "For a first attempt, successfully drawing out chakra to form the fireball's initial shape is already very good. The key is stability of chakra output. Try again—focus."
"Alright."
Mikami Yuu nodded, took a deep breath, and tried again.
This time, the number of fireballs increased by more than ten, and each was larger—but at the instant he cast, Mikami Yuu sensed something wasn't quite right—
"Hm?"
Hiruzen blinked, surprised.
The fireballs Mikami Yuu spat out seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, lining up neatly into a huge '人' shape in midair. Two seconds later, the "人" broke apart, and the fireballs snapped into a straight line—an '一'.
Then the "一" turned into an 'O',
and finally, like heavenly maidens scattering flowers, seven or eight fireballs spun and danced in all directions—up, down, left, right—colliding and bursting into tiny sparks that fell like golden raindrops.
It was… ridiculously pretty.
"Hey—what are you doing…"
Mikami Yuu was struggling not to lose it.
[Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu: (Giggling, chasing the flying fireballs) So fun, so fun! Flying freely is the best! Look, Mikami-chan—how pretty!]
Hiruzen stared for a full two or three seconds before looking at Mikami Yuu with amazement.
"How did you do that?"
"I-I just wanted to try something…"
Mikami Yuu cleared his throat.
Those fireballs really were his. And aside from "I felt like adding some flair," there wasn't a reasonable explanation. At least Phoenix Sage Fire had the decency not to arrange the fireballs into "SB" or a heart shape—otherwise the scene would've been impossible to explain.
Hiruzen didn't doubt him. He looked genuinely impressed.
"Excellent. You've only just learned Phoenix Sage Fire, yet your chakra control is already refined to this degree—altering the fireballs' trajectories and… freely like that. It seems your talent in Fire Style is far beyond what I estimated."
"Hokage-sama, you flatter me…"
"And since you're so gifted in Fire Style—"
Hiruzen paused, then drew two scrolls from the wide sleeve of his Hokage robe. They were made of slightly old yellow-brown parchment, tied with thin dark-green cord.
"These two scrolls are Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu and Fire Style: Fire Formation Wall."
"Fireproof Wall is a C-rank defensive technique. It creates a wall of scorching flames that can block physical attacks and burn enemies who try to pass through. I've written the key points on the scroll. Take it back and study it. If you don't understand something, ask your squad jōnin.
"But remember—training can't be rushed. It's best to master Phoenix Sage Fire and truly make it your own before you start working on Fire Formation Wall."
"!"
A bonus reward?!
Mikami Yuu froze—then was hit by a wave of unexpected joy: new skin acquired!
He quickly raised both hands and accepted the scrolls respectfully.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama! I'll remember your advice—steady progress. I'll master Phoenix Sage Fire first!"
"Good."
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction and patted Mikami Yuu's shoulder, his tone carrying a bit more expectation.
"Go. Your squad jōnin should already be here. Go meet your teammates and welcome a new beginning. Konoha's future will rest on you 'new buds.'"
With that, his figure flickered. With a faint puff of smoke, he used Body Flicker and left the field.
After watching the Third Hokage depart,
Mikami Yuu carefully put away the two scrolls and let out a long breath.
Gifting could wait. No need to rush this second.
The most important thing right now was to confirm one thing—
Who exactly was his squad jōnin?!
Soon,
Mikami Yuu returned to the Academy's main hall. It was already empty. Only rows of desks and chairs stood there, lonely, dust motes drifting in the air and glowing in the sunlight through the windows.
"Yuu-kun, you're back?"
Rin was still here, reviewing her medical notes. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and smiled gently.
"Did Hokage-sama's teaching go smoothly?"
"Yeah, it went okay. I learned two new jutsu…"
Mikami Yuu looked around. "Where is everyone else? Squads already assigned and they left?"
"Yeah."
Rin closed her scroll and thought. "Guy is in a squad with Genma and Ebisu. Asuma is in a squad with Kurenai and Aoba… and then Mayumi and Kamon… Ooki-sensei told me to wait here for you. I thought you already knew something."
"…?"
~~~
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