After bidding farewell to Guy, Mikami Yuu left the Ninja Academy and walked west along the street in front of the gate. After a few twists and turns, he crossed a small bridge and returned to the commoner district where he lived.
As the heart of the Naruto World, Konoha was a sprawling city.
Within its dozens of square kilometers, there were independent residential areas for over a dozen major Ninja Clans, administrative districts, commercial districts, training grounds, and no fewer than several dozen commoner residential areas.
The overall pattern was one of large-scale cohabitation with smaller, clustered communities.
Mikami Yuu's home was about a twenty-minute walk from the Ninja Academy, not too far.
Just as he was pulling out his key to unlock the door, a clear, cheerful voice suddenly called out from the neighboring yard:
"Yuu-kun, you're back!"
Mikami Yuu turned his head and saw a brown-haired girl leaning over the fence.
She had a round, youthful face, shoulder-length hair, light blue floral patterns painted on her cheeks, and a pair of light chestnut-colored eyes that brimmed with smiles, instantly drawing people in with her warmth.
The girl was holding a water bucket, something inside it splashing and thrashing, sending sprays of water flying.
"Oh, it's Rin. Is there something you need?" Mikami Yuu asked.
As a commoner living in Konoha Village, Mikami Yuu's neighbors were naturally all commoners as well.
By sheer coincidence, Mikami Yuu's neighbor was none other than Nohara Rin—the first dream girl of the Ninja World, the woman for whom a certain Uchiha, whose name we won't disclose, had pined his entire life.
As neighbors, their families shared a friendly rapport, often helping each other out from time to time.
Just like now...
"Father caught a lot of fish in the Nanka River yesterday. He said there are only a few of us at home and we couldn't possibly eat them all, so he thought he'd bring some over for you and Auntie Mikami. Here, Yuu-kun, please take them quickly—this bucket's really heavy!"
Nohara Rin lifted the water bucket over the wooden fence.
Mikami Yuu hesitated for a moment before taking the bucket. "Thank you. Please tell Mom and me to thank the nuclear bomb... 'ahem', I mean Uncle Hiroshi."
"Hehe, no need to be so formal," Nohara Rin said with a smile, waving her hand.
Looking at Mikami Yuu's finely sculpted, handsome face, her voice softened slightly. "Yuu-kun, did you go running with Guy again after school? You've been training so hard lately."
"The early bird catches the worm, right? We graduate next year, and if I can't become a ninja, I'll have to go back home and farm. So I need to push myself while I still can."
Mikami Yuu said half-jokingly, glancing sideways. "By the way, Rin, has Obito come looking for you today?"
"Obito..." Nohara Rin said, her tone a mix of exasperation and fondness. "Obito-kun mentioned he's been practicing a new ninjutsu lately. He said he'll show it to me once he masters it. Yuu-kun, would you like to join us then? I'm sure Obito-kun wouldn't mind."
'A new ninjutsu?'
'Could it be...?'
Just as Mikami Yuu was about to reply, a notification popped up:
[ You've heard about a mysterious girl from a neighbor and feel an overwhelming curiosity about her. Do you want to seize this opportunity for a fateful encounter with her? Yes/No ]
"Huh?"
'Seriously, buddy... are you out of your mind?'
'Nohara Rin, a living, breathing girl, is standing right here, and you're not triggering a capture mission? Instead, you're reacting to a ninjutsu I haven't even seen yet?!'
'Does that even make sense?!'
Forcing down his urge to retort, Mikami Yuu nodded and smiled under Nohara Rin's watchful gaze. "Sure, I'd love to see what Obito-kun has been working on. Please let me know when you're going."
"Mm-hmm, I will! Yuu-kun, you should go rest now. I have some medicine and bandages at home; I'll bring them over later."
"Thank you so much."
After a few more polite exchanges, Mikami Yuu turned and went inside.
He first carried the water bucket to the kitchen and set it down, then greeted the woman busily working at the stove.
Yes, that's right.
As a transmigrator, Mikami Yuu had a very special characteristic: he had a mother.
This woman, named Mikami Aoi, was the librarian of Konoha and Mikami Yuu's current mother.
Thanks to her, his physical appearance in this life was quite remarkable.
Even at a young age, he was already developing into a handsome young man with clear, refined features.
Just going out to buy groceries would often earn him a bonus bunch of green onions from the shopkeeper.
Moreover, benefiting from Mikami Aoi's profession, Mikami Yuu had been reading extensively since the age of three or four.
He devoured books on mathematics, medicine, Ninja World geography, Chakra principles, and other general knowledge topics, gaining a solid understanding of various aspects of this world beyond merely recalling the plot of the manga.
As for Mikami Yuu's father, he was an ordinary Chūnin who had volunteered for a two-and-a-half-year rotation on the border patrol, starting the year before last, in order to earn extra compensation.
Early on, Mikami Yuu had suspected that the reason he lacked a "cheat" ability was because both his parents were alive and well.
But now...
'Heh heh, I've finally unlocked my potential!'
Wait, come to think of it, how's my new father doing these days...?
"Yu, why are you so cheerful after coming home today? Did the teacher praise you at school?"
Mikami Aoi, who had just finished cleaning the fish, turned to look at Mikami Yuu and asked in a gentle voice.
"I guess so. The teacher said I've improved in the Three Body Technique."
Mikami Yuu casually made up a lie.
"Really? Our little Yuu is the best! Alright, dinner's almost ready. Go wash your hands."
"Okay, Mom."
Although Mikami Yuu's mental age far exceeded that of his parents (the average marriage age in the Ninja World was around 20, and they were only in their late twenties now) since he'd been reincarnated, there was no need to dwell on such trivialities.
Sometimes, playing the part of a child could save him a lot of trouble.
Soon,
a golden-brown grilled salmon, a plate of stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers, and a steaming bowl of mushroom miso soup were neatly arranged on the dining table.
The mother and son sat down and began to eat.
During the meal, Mikami Aoi asked a few questions about school.
Mikami Yuu answered them one by one.
When the meal was finished, Mikami Aoi took the dishes back to the kitchen to wash.
Mikami Yuu got up and returned to his room.
Just as he was about to figure out how to use the "idiot system," he heard a voice from outside the window calling his name:
"Yuu-kun, are you there?"
"Rin?"
Mikami Yuu pushed open the window and saw two children standing in the courtyard outside.
The girl was naturally Nohara Rin, while the boy had a messy, spiky hedgehog hairstyle, wore goggles, and looked rather dim-witted.
'Well, well, well...'
'Speak of the devil...'
Just moments ago, Yuu had been wondering why Obito hadn't come to fawn over Rin yet, and here he was.
Judging by his demeanor, he seemed rather displeased that Rin had come to call for Yuu, his nose and eyes practically scowling.
"Yuu-kun, Obito-kun is going to demonstrate a ninjutsu! Want to come watch?" Nohara Rin called out.
"Rin, I'd never perform for anyone but you..."
"Sure!"
Before Obito could finish his refusal, Mikami Yuu eagerly accepted and leaped out the window. "Where do we go?"
'No way I'm missing this!' he thought. After all, he still had the "Encounter a New Ninjutsu" quest hanging over his head.
This was too good an opportunity to pass up.
"...Hmph!"
At this age, Obito was still a bit thin-skinned.
Though thoroughly annoyed by Yuu's uninvited appearance, seeing that Yuu had already come out, he grudgingly changed his tune.
"Yuu, you're lucky this time. I'll let you witness the might of the Uchiha Obito!"
"But if you dare breathe a word about me learning a new ninjutsu—especially to that Kakashi guy—I'll never forgive you! This is my secret weapon to finally beat him!"
"A-ah, yes, yes, yes."
Mikami Yuu nodded, suppressing a smile.
'How should I put this...?'
Although Obito hadn't revealed what his new ninjutsu was, at his current age, what else could it be?
'How hard to guess!'
'It's probably some benevolent technique he'll never land on anyone.'
To be fair, even that kind of technique would be rare for ordinary civilian families to access.
Theoretically, Mikami Yuu shouldn't have been able to learn any ninjutsu above E-Rank before graduating from the Academy.
But now...
He had a cheat!
Mikami Yuu was eager to see exactly how the "Encounter New Ninjutsu" quest would trigger and whether it would allow him to directly learn the Great Fireball Technique.
If that were the case... he could essentially use this system as his skill thief!
Performing ninjutsu definitely couldn't be done in the yard.
So,
After saying goodbye to Mikami Aoi, Mikami Yuu followed Obito and Rin out of the house, making their way to a nearby forest training ground.
To ensure secrecy, Obito led them deep into the training ground before stopping. "Right here should do... Rin! Look at me! Watch closely!"
With that, Obito assumed a stance, took a deep breath, and slowly formed hand seals: "Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger..."
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!!"
With a thunderous roar, Obito opened his mouth and unleashed a massive fireball!
Though Mikami Yuu had mentally prepared himself for this spectacle, the sight of the human-sized fireball erupting mere feet away, its searing heat distorting the air into shimmering waves, still made his heart pound.
Then...
[ Ding! High-quality potential conquest target detected: Great Fireball Technique. Limited-time encounter quest triggered! ]
[ In the forests of Konoha Village, you've encountered a mysterious girl. Her stunning appearance and bold aura have captivated you at first sight. Summon your courage and approach her. ]
[ ! ]