The hand he touched was just as soft and tender as he'd imagined—plump, a little cold, like a melting ice cube in the summer heat. Cool to the touch, but quickly warming up under the heat of his palm. The pale skin was so delicate that the faint trace of veins could be seen beneath the surface, making it look as if a gentle stroke might leave a mark.
Minato Namikaze gave it a light squeeze.
[Affection from Minato Namikaze +2]
"!!!"
Uchiha Kaien had been thinking about how to avoid attracting too much attention from the higher-ups when the unexpected sensation jolted him. He instinctively shivered and turned his gaze toward Minato's innocent-looking face.
"What are you doing?"
His tone was both accusatory and startled, which made Minato release his hand on reflex. Realizing what he'd just done, his face turned bright red.
He scolded himself for acting so impulsively. It was like some kind of strange magic had compelled him to grab that small, soft hand.
The [Affinity] trait had been in effect the whole time—especially strong whenever Kaien looked at his system panel. It was designed to minimize the risk of exposure by passively influencing others.
The young Minato, inexperienced and unfamiliar with genjutsu, was completely defenseless against this blue trait. That's what had led to the awkward little scene just now.
"I'm sorry!"
Minato quickly apologized. After all, what he'd done was pretty rude.
But if he was being honest with himself... he didn't really regret it. That soft, cloud-like sensation was actually kind of nice.
"It's fine. No big deal. I just spaced out a little. You startled me, that's all."
Kaien let out a deep breath. It really wasn't that serious—he'd just been startled, and overreacted. Besides, considering Minato was contributing affection points, it was easy enough to let this one slide.
...
"Clone Jutsu!"
Minato shouted as he formed hand seals and circulated chakra through his body, following the established paths of the chakra network.
Poof!
A puff of smoke, and two identical clones appeared at his side.
"I did it, Kaien! I've learned the Clone Jutsu!"
"Oh, congrats. That's one of the Three Basic Jutsu. You've got Clone Jutsu down, now you just need the Transformation Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu to graduate from the Academy."
Kaien sounded a little disinterested.
His mind was preoccupied with the lottery he'd get to roll once he got home. What if he got lucky and drew a purple-ranked item this time?
[Current Affection: 23]
Besides Minato, who was practically an affection farm, Kaien had gained a few points from the other ninja clan kids. As for the rest of the class? Nothing.
According to the system, the amount of affection someone could generate was tied directly to their strength and potential.
Minato, future Fourth Hokage, had an incredible aptitude for space-time techniques and learning in general—definitely a high-potential individual.
The other clan heirs had their own legacies and had already learned chakra extraction techniques passed down through their families. Their potential, at minimum, reached the level of elite jonin, so they could contribute affection as well.
But the civilian kids? They were all over the place. For them, even making it to jonin level would mark them as a once-in-a-generation genius.
Some would spend their entire lives only reaching chunin—or if they were lucky, special jonin. Without a powerful bloodline or unique traits, it was nearly impossible to rise above the crowd in the ninja world.
Some could master the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu after just one look. Others didn't even have the chakra reserves to attempt that jutsu—let alone learn it.
Without enough chakra-enhancing bloodline traits, you weren't even qualified to study forbidden techniques, much less use them to power up.
Ironically, today's lesson was all about chakra extraction techniques.
Even though Kaien was in the elite class, the majority of the students were still civilians. Only about ten of them came from actual ninja clans. The rest were from civilian families that happened to have a shinobi or two in their bloodline.
The first day of school focused mainly on chakra extraction, followed by a crash course in theoretical knowledge.
After a long and boring theory class, they were finally dismissed. But before Kaien could go home, Minato pulled him into a nearby grove to practice ninjutsu.
"What's the point of learning theory anyway? At the end of the day, it's all about strength," Kaien muttered with a bored expression.
In a future battlefield filled with godlike beings, who would care how good your theory was? Everyone would be tossing out forbidden jutsu or wielding powerful dōjutsu that couldn't be countered even if you knew how they worked.
Raw strength was the only thing that guaranteed survival.
"Well... yeah, theory is boring," Minato admitted, "but we still have to take it seriously, Kaien. It's how we survive while we're still weak."
Even Minato found it dull, but learning was about repetition and discipline. Especially in the ninja world, developing good habits meant you might catch small details in life-or-death situations—details that could save your life.
"Nope. Theory's too much of a hassle. I'd rather learn a couple more jutsu."
Kaien was completely uncooperative.
"And do you want to learn the Three Basic Jutsu early or not, Minato? If you keep nagging like an old lady, I'm going home."
"I do! Of course I do!" Minato said quickly.
He was starting to realize he actually had a knack for learning ninjutsu.
...
Back in class, most students needed ages just to sense their chakra for the first time. But Minato had already been practicing at home, and he'd successfully extracted chakra on his very first try.
Not to mention the Great Fireball Technique.
He'd thought the Academy would start teaching that right away. But after chatting with a quiet but talkative classmate, he learned that the Great Fireball was usually a jonin-level finishing move—way out of reach for Academy students.
Instead, the school mainly focused on the Three Basic Jutsu, some taijutsu, and lots of theory.
That made Minato even more aware of how incredible it was that Kaien had casually taught him the Great Fireball Technique. His gratitude grew even deeper.
[Affection from Minato Namikaze +1]
Seeing the affection points increase, Kaien's casual attitude softened just a little. He sat on a rock, kicking his small feet as the setting sun made his pale skin glow even more beautifully.
"Well, it's not like I need to learn theory. I've got you, Minato. Once you study everything, you can just remind me."
To Minato's ears, that sounded like trust.
"Okay! I'll take notes and organize everything for you, Kaien."
"Huh? That works!"
Kaien's eyes lit up.
After all, he already had a two-tomoe Sharingan. Copying notes with his dōjutsu? Easy.
He could just use the Sharingan to memorize everything, then play it back for himself in a genjutsu while he was sleeping.
That would free up so much time to study more useful things!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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