The night in Konoha ended in silence.
Iruka was alive—barely.
Mizuki was bound within Ethan's Taming Space.
Naruto had stopped crying only because Ethan forced his chakra pathways into stability.
The Academy Arc was complete.
Ethan felt the shift before the Panel even appeared.
A low hum moved through the air.
His vision flickered.
His chakra twisted into a spiral—tight, controlled, inevitable.
Then the Panel opened.
---
PANEL ALERT — NODE ARC COMPLETE
Node: Naruto
Arc: Academy Arc (Foundational Training)
Status: COMPLETE
Timeline Deviation: Acceptable
Target Stabilization: Achieved (Naruto, Sasuke, Iruka)
A final line appeared, pulsing with quiet power.
Return to Settlement Space?
Ethan whispered, "Yes."
The world folded around him like a closing book.
---
SETTLEMENT SPACE
He arrived with both feet touching smooth stone, though no actual stone existed here. The Settlement Space was constructed of silence—solid silence—shaped by the system's will.
Soft light drifted across the void, illuminating floating platforms and drifting symbols.
The Panel expanded larger than normal.
This was reward mode.
A gold-lined message appeared.
---
MISSION REWARDS — PROCESSING
Base Reward: 1,000 PP
Difficulty Modifier: x1.8
Stabilization Bonus: +400
Iruka Rescue Bonus: +300
Dual Prodigy Training Bonus (Naruto & Sasuke): +500
Low-Deviation Bonus: +200
Subtotal: 3,200 PP
A pause.
Then—
[TALENT: ETERNAL MULTIPLIER — ACTIVATED]
Cool energy rolled down Ethan's spine.
The numbers blurred, merged, expanded.
Total Reward → ×10
Final Reward: 3,200 → 32,000 PP
A shockwave rippled outward, shaking the Settlement Space like a heartbeat.
Ethan's breath caught in his throat.
"…that's excessive."
The Panel disagreed.
---
PP Updated:
Current Total: 5,130 → 37,130 PP
A soft glow circled around him—his Talent's residue.
But the Panel wasn't done.
---
TALENT-SPECIFIC BONUS — ETERNAL MULTIPLIER (Tier Update Event)
The words hit with force.
Talent Growth Triggered by >10,000 PP Single Conversion
A new glyph appeared: a ring of endless arrows looping into one another.
**Talent Upgrade (Minor):
Eternal Multiplier — Calibration Boost**
Effects:
• Multiplier threshold reduced for future boosts
• Reward scaling improved during early arcs
• Internal stability increased (prevents overload)
Ethan rolled his shoulders.
His Talent felt… denser.
More responsive.
More predatory.
This was good.
Very good.
---
ADDITIONAL REWARDS
1. Chakra Integration Imprint (System-Level)
A glowing emblem settled into his chest.
Effect:
Ethan's body now passively generates Chakra (Low-Level)
Chakra Control growth speed increased
Naruto-training synergy improved (+40%)
Sasuke-training resistance reduced (Uchiha pride filter softened)
2. Mentor Tag — "Shinobi Foundation Instructor"
A holographic badge rotated before fading into him.
Effect:
Teaching boosts apply to all chakra-based disciplines
Students trained by Ethan gain +8% growth rate
Emotional bonding improved (Naruto affected most)
3. Taming Space Upgrade — Human-Type Stability Module
This one mattered.
Effect:
Human targets remain stable after taming
Willpower conflicts reduced
Death-body replacement becomes smoother and safer
Memory stability guaranteed
Naruto and Sasuke compatibility increased
Ethan felt the Taming Space respond—a ripple through the invisible dimension tethered to him.
Suzu stirred within it.
Aoi vibrated in greeting.
Everything felt aligned.
---
Ending Settlement Phase
The lights faded.
The platforms lowered.
The space returned to its calm, infinite state.
Only one line floated before him.