The wounds were healing, slowly but surely.
Henri sat on the windowsill of his shared apartment, one leg dangling off the edge, watching the sunset cast warm colors over the Hidden Leaf Village. Bandages were wrapped around his ribs, a reminder of the kunai he'd taken for Jeneya.
The pain was dull now. Manageable. But what stayed sharp in his mind was something else—
Her expression after the fight. The way her voice trembled when she whispered, "You scared me."
He'd never seen her like that before.
His system flickered to life.
---
🟢 [SYSTEM STATUS]
Level: 5
HP: 76%
Agility: 31 (+3)
Stamina: 27 (+4)
Strength: 24 (+2)
Chakra Control: 18 (+3)
Unlocked Skills:
Leaf Dash (Lvl 2)
Aerial Step (Lvl 1)
Skyfall Strike (Combined Skill - 1 Use Left)
Bond Level – Jeneya: 57%
→ Stage: Trusting
→ New Action Unlocked: "Ask Her Out"
→ Success Rate: 71%
---
Henri exhaled. "Well, guess it's now or never."
---
🍜 Ichiraku Ramen Shop – Evening
Jeneya was already waiting at the counter, sipping tea and ignoring the older shinobi chatting at the next table. She was dressed differently today—no armor, no blade—just a light lavender dress with black leggings. Her violet hair was tied loosely over one shoulder.
She noticed him approaching and smiled.
"You're late."
Henri slid into the seat beside her. "Had to walk slower. System says I'm still at 76%."
She rolled her eyes, but her smile deepened.
They ordered two bowls of miso ramen with extra eggs. Teuchi gave Henri a respectful nod. Word of the bandit takedown had clearly gotten around.
"So," Jeneya began between bites, "why did you really want to meet today?"
Henri blinked. "Can't a guy share ramen with his partner?"
"You always share ramen with your partner. But today you asked me to wear something nice."
Busted.
He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, fine. I had something in mind."
She leaned closer, chin on her hand. "I'm listening."
He opened his mouth—but a voice cut through the moment like a thrown kunai.
"Well, well. The Jumping Freak and his sword girl."
Henri turned slowly.
A boy stood at the entrance, arms crossed, smug smirk in place. His brown hair was spiked in the back, and he wore a dark green jonin-style vest—though he clearly wasn't one. A fang-shaped scar was etched across his cheek.
"Who's that?" Jeneya asked.
Henri groaned. "Raiku."
---
⚠️ [SYSTEM ALERT]
Rival Detected: Raiku
→ Rank: Genin (Top 3%)
→ Personality: Arrogant / Competitive / Likes Jeneya
→ Threat Level: Medium
→ Passive Skill Unlocked: Rivalry Pressure (+10% to all stats during direct challenge)
---
"Still pretending you're special because you can jump really high?" Raiku sneered, stepping closer.
Henri stood. "Still pretending you're not jealous?"
"Please," Raiku scoffed. "I could beat you in any challenge, any day. Especially now that I've been selected for the Chuunin Pre-Trials."
Jeneya's eyes narrowed. "That's not for three months."
"Exactly," Raiku said, flashing a smile. "Plenty of time to prove who's worth more to the village… and maybe to certain kunoichi."
Henri clenched his fists.
"Let's settle it," Raiku said. "Tomorrow. Training Grounds 7. One-on-one spar."
Henri stepped forward. "You're on."
---
🔥 [SYSTEM QUEST UNLOCKED]
Quest: "Prove Your Path"
→ Objective: Defeat Rival Raiku in Public Spar
→ Bonus: Win Without Using Skyfall Strike
→ Hidden Objective: Impress Jeneya
→ Rewards: +500 XP, New Passive Skill, +Bond Progress
---
Later that night, Jeneya walked him back home.
"You didn't have to accept," she said quietly. "Raiku's not weak."
"I know," Henri said. "But I can't back down. He thinks I'm a joke. And worse—he thinks you're a prize."
She didn't say anything for a moment.
Then softly: "You know I wouldn't choose him."
Henri turned, surprised.
"I mean," she quickly added, blushing, "if I had to choose between a shinobi who fights with honor... or a guy who throws insults and flirts during combat…"
Henri laughed. "I'll try not to flirt during combat."
"I'll hold you to it," she smiled.
---
🌌 That Night – Rooftop Training
The moon hung high as Henri stood on a rooftop, practicing alone.
Jump. Land. Dash. Kick.
Jump again.
He used Aerial Step in a spiral, mimicking a whirlwind attack. He threw kunai mid-air, practiced chakra compression in his legs, and finally, timed a double-jump leap with a mid-air twist.
---
🟢 [SYSTEM UPDATE]
Skill Upgraded: Aerial Step → Sky Weave
→ Mid-air direction shift possible
→ Grants +15% dodge in flight
→ Cooldown: 8 seconds
---
He collapsed onto the tiles, chest heaving.
"Tomorrow's the real test," he muttered. "Let's see how high I can jump… when someone's trying to knock me down."
---
[To Be Continued…]