When Hayate arrived in the exam room, Mizuki and Iruka were already seated at the table in front. A row of gleaming forehead protectors lay neatly before them, reflecting the light streaming through the window.
(So once I get one of those, I'll officially become a Genin... and that means Almighty Points.)
Just the thought of it made Hayate swallow hard. He quickly opened the system's exchange interface in his mind, and after seeing all the incredible things he could exchange for, his heart ached painfully.
(So many powerful options... but I don't have a single point yet!)
Iruka glanced up and smiled. "All right, Kazehaya Hayate. It's time to begin."
Hayate nodded, taking a deep breath. His fingers flashed through the hand signs with practiced precision."Clone Technique!"
Puff! Puff! Puff!
In an instant, five identical afterimages of Hayate appeared at his sides, each as clear and solid as the original.
Iruka blinked. "Huh?"
Even Mizuki froze in shock.
Iruka rubbed her eyes in disbelief before bursting into a bright smile. "You actually did it! Congratulations, Hayate—you've passed! You're officially a Genin!"
Overjoyed, Iruka stood up, patted him proudly on the head, and handed him one of the forehead protectors.
Hayate tied it around his forehead with trembling hands. Just then, the familiar grand voice echoed in his mind:
Mission complete.Reward: 100 Almighty Points.New mission generated — Kill Konoha missing-nin Ryoji Takeda to obtain 300 Almighty Points. Failure, or if the target dies by any means other than the host, will result in a penalty of 100 Almighty Points.
Hayate froze.(Huh? What kind of mission is this?! And what if my Almighty Points drop below zero?)
If Almighty Points fall below -1000, the host will be permanently erased.
A cold chill shot through his spine.
When he returned to the classroom, the room erupted into murmurs.Everyone had already heard—Kazehaya Hayate, the sixteen-year-old who'd failed more times than anyone could count, had finally passed the Genin exam.
Faces turned toward him, some stunned, some skeptical.
Hayate felt his lips twitch.(Seriously, System? You had to give me a backstory where I'm the Academy's oldest failure? No wonder everyone's so shocked. This is humiliating...)
"B-Brother Hayate... congratulations."Hinata, her cheeks faintly pink, spoke softly from beside him.
Hayate smiled back gently. "Thanks, Hinata."
As he looked toward Naruto's seat, though, he noticed it was empty.(Right... around this time, Mizuki's about to trick Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals. Then Naruto learns the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique and graduates.)
He exhaled softly. (Still, that's got nothing to do with me. I've got a bigger problem now—how the hell am I supposed to find Ryoji Takeda?)
His thoughts shifted again.(And in a few days, they'll assign us into teams. If I don't end up in the same group as Hinata... I'll never forgive myself.)
Glancing sideways, he caught Hinata sneaking a look toward Naruto's empty desk, a faint sigh escaping her lips.
Hayate felt a pang of helplessness.(Guess the 'Hinata Development Project' has a long way to go...)
He shook his head, clearing the thought, and focused instead on the glowing sphere of light pulsing in his mind—the system interface.
There were seven main categories inside:Weapons, Magic, Techniques, Pupil Arts, Genetics, Augmentation, and Skills.
Of these, Pupil Arts and Genetics had special subcategories.
(Since I've got the World Eye, which enhances ocular abilities, let's focus on Pupil Arts first.)
Open: Pupil Arts category.
Hum...
The sphere trembled, and a glowing list of techniques unfolded before his mind's eye:
Primary Pupil Arts:
Sharingan — 100 Almighty Points
Momentary Eye — 200 Points
Instant Eye — 100 Points
Illusion-Breaking Eye — 200 Points
Byakugan — 100 Points
Red Eye — 50 Points
Evil Eye — 100 Points
Cyclops Eye — 150 Points
Hypnotic Eye — 50 Points
Hayate's eyes widened. (That's a lot of options... and surprisingly cheap, too. Even the Sharingan is only 100 points!)
He frowned slightly. (If these are the basic ones, then there must be advanced versions too, right?)
Yes.
The deep voice confirmed.
"Then list them for me."
Host authority too low. Unable to display advanced options.
Hayate sighed. (Figures.)
After a moment of thought, he finally selected a technique called the Eye of Shunshi. The instant he confirmed the exchange, a streak of light burst from the list and shot into his eyes.
His Almighty Points dropped to zero.
As the name suggested, the Eye of Shunshi was an ocular art resembling short-distance teleportation.
It consumed very little divine power, making it perfect for his current level. With it, Hayate could instantly move from one spot to another—simple but effective. At least now, he wouldn't have to worry about being randomly skewered by a stray kunai or shuriken.
As for the Sharingan and Byakugan, he decided to leave them for later. Activating those too early could easily draw the attention of ANBU, and the risk wasn't worth it.
To test his new ability, Hayate made his way into the forest. His gaze fell upon a massive boulder in the distance.
"Let's try this out."
A faint light flickered in his eyes—then his figure vanished.
The next instant, he was standing on top of the boulder.
(Whoa… so that's how it feels.)
He closed his eyes, focusing. A subtle wave of pupil energy radiated from his body, expanding outward like ripples in water. Within seconds, the surrounding terrain imprinted itself perfectly in his mind.
With a thought, Hayate teleported again—appearing exactly where he had envisioned.
(A great ability... but the range is too short. This is nowhere near the teleportation I imagined.)
Unwilling to settle, Hayate pushed his power further. He concentrated the World Eye's energy into his new ability, fusing the two sources of power together. A silver-white glow filled his vision.
Instantly, the range of his teleportation doubled.
(Not bad... I didn't expect the World Eye to enhance the Eye of Shunshi this much. Now my coverage radius is about five hundred meters. That should be plenty for self-defense.)
Still, he frowned. (But my offensive power is lacking...)
He pulled a kunai from his pouch and hurled it forward.
Clink!
It struck a tree and fell harmlessly to the ground.
Hayate sighed. (No, relying on the system alone won't be enough. I'll need to train my own combat instincts and weapon handling too.)
He began practicing throws, dashes, and teleportation bursts—over and over again.
By the time the sun had dipped below the horizon, the forest had grown dim and quiet. Hayate paused, checking the time.
(If the timeline matches, Naruto should be stealing the Scroll of Seals right about now...)
He considered joining in for a moment, but quickly dismissed the idea.
(Better not. If I run into the Third Hokage while he's using his crystal ball to "monitor" the village, things could get messy.)
Teleporting several times in a row, Hayate exited the woods. As he walked through the village streets, the newly tied forehead protector gleamed on his forehead.
The looks people gave him were completely different now—eyes filled with respect instead of ridicule.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
(Sure enough... no matter what world you're in, strength is the one thing everyone respects.)