Two identical Might Guys stood on opposite sides of the academy training ground.
Both wore the same tight green jumpsuit. Both possessed the same bowl-cut hairstyle, thick eyebrows, and dazzling white teeth. Even the sweat staining their clothes appeared almost identical beneath the fading sunlight.
The real Guy slowly tilted his head.
Ren, still transformed, mirrored the movement without thinking.
Guy tilted his head in the opposite direction.
Ren did the same.
For several awkward seconds, they stared at one another in absolute silence. Then Guy's eyes began to shine with such overwhelming enthusiasm that Ren immediately sensed trouble.
"Amazing!" Guy shouted. "Ren, you have finally understood the burning desire hidden within my youthful soul!"
The shout echoed across the empty training ground.
Ren's concentration shattered.
With a soft pop, white smoke engulfed his body. When it dispersed, he had returned to his original appearance, silver-white hair falling over his forehead and his exhausted face frozen in disbelief.
"No," Ren said firmly. "I only used the Transformation Technique."
"But you captured my spirit!"
"I copied your face."
"And my passionate smile!"
"That was part of your face."
Guy placed both hands on his hips and threw his head back, laughing proudly. "There's no need to be embarrassed! To think that my eternal training partner admired me enough to take on my appearance—this is the power of friendship!"
Ren felt a headache forming.
Fortunately, Guy still had several hundred laps remaining. After offering Ren another shining thumbs-up, he turned around and sprinted away, shouting something about carrying both of their youthful spirits to the finish line.
Ren waited until Guy disappeared behind the academy building before releasing a long breath.
The translucent system interface remained suspended before him. The chibi girl representing the Transformation Technique was covering her mouth, clearly trying not to laugh.
Then the dialogue box from his earlier choice changed.
[Ren: "I'm sorry. My control was poor last time, but I'll work harder and do better today."]
[Transformation Technique: "Hmph! At least you're willing to admit it. Since you sound sincere, I suppose I can cooperate with you a little during today's practice."]
Her cheeks were slightly red, although the smug curve of her lips suggested that she was enjoying his confusion far too much.
The dialogue disappeared, returning Ren to the main interface.
[Selected Target: Transformation Technique]
[Talk]
[Practice]
[Give Gift — Locked due to insufficient favorability]
[Leave]
Ren selected [Practice].
Nothing happened.
He pressed it again.
The interface remained unchanged.
Ren frowned and tapped the option several more times, but there was no flash of enlightenment, no sudden mastery, and certainly no miraculous flood of chakra.
"So the system won't practice for me."
That made sense when he thought about it. If pressing a button were enough to master ninjutsu, the system would be absurdly powerful. Apparently, the interface merely represented his relationship with each technique; he still had to perform the actual work.
Ren had recovered enough from Guy's merciless running session to stand again. He walked toward a secluded corner of the training ground, where several wooden targets and practice posts cast long shadows across the earth.
He planted his feet, steadied his breathing, and formed the hand seal for the Transformation Technique.
The Three Basic Techniques were taught to every academy student, but calling them basic did not mean that they were simple.
A poor Transformation Technique produced obvious flaws: incorrect height, distorted features, mismatched clothing, or a voice that sounded nothing like the intended target. Maintaining the transformation also required continuous chakra control. The more complicated the target, the harder the disguise was to preserve.
A truly skilled shinobi could reproduce not only another person's appearance but also their posture, mannerisms, and presence.
Naruto Uzumaki would eventually demonstrate just how dangerous creativity could make even an academy technique. His transformations might have appeared ridiculous, but some of them were effective enough to confuse powerful enemies—and even momentarily stun Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
There were no useless techniques, only shinobi who failed to uncover their potential.
Ren closed his eyes and focused.
Chakra flowed through his network, gathering more smoothly than before. It no longer felt like water being forced through a narrow, twisted pipe. Instead, it responded naturally, following the route he intended with surprising precision.
"Transformation!"
White smoke burst around him.
When it cleared, Kakashi Hatake stood in Ren's place.
Silver hair rose from his head in its familiar uneven spikes. A black mask concealed the lower half of his face, and his clothing matched the outfit Kakashi had worn during his academy days. Even the detached, almost bored look in his eyes had been reproduced.
Ren raised one hand and examined it.
The proportions were correct. His balance felt natural. There was no uncomfortable pressure from unstable chakra, and the transformation showed no sign of collapsing.
"Huh?"
It had never felt this easy before.
Ren walked toward a rain puddle left near the wall and studied his reflection. He turned his head from side to side, tugged at the mask, and deliberately altered his expression.
No matter how closely he looked, he could not find a visible flaw.
His Transformation Technique had improved dramatically after gaining only a single point of favorability.
Ren released the technique, replaying the sensation in his mind. He formed the seal again and transformed into Guy.
The second attempt was even faster.
This time, Ren did not merely copy Guy's appearance. He adjusted his stance, pushed out his chest, raised a thumb, and recreated the passionate energy Guy seemed to radiate at every waking moment.
"Feel the flames of youth!"
The voice was perfect.
Ren immediately canceled the transformation and shuddered. "That was far too convincing."
The system interface flickered.
[Your practice made the Transformation Technique's eyes light up. She noticed that you had genuinely improved and could not resist praising you.]
The chibi girl appeared again, leaning forward with visible interest.
[Transformation Technique: "That was much better! You didn't just copy their appearances—you even reproduced their presence. Not bad, Ren. It seems you aren't completely hopeless."]
Three responses appeared beneath her message.
[A: "I only improved because you helped me. Thank you."]
[B: "Of course I improved! I'm a genius, so don't underestimate me."]
[C: Remain silent and gaze intently into her eyes.]
Ren dismissed Option C immediately. He still did not understand why the system kept encouraging him to stare at people—or techniques—without speaking. Perhaps it was supposed to appear mysterious. In reality, it sounded like a reliable method of making everyone uncomfortable.
Option B was even worse. He had spent eight years proving that he was not a genius.
"Choose A."
The selected response glowed.
[Ren: "I only improved because you helped me. Thank you."]
The Transformation Technique blinked. Her confident expression faltered, and she quickly turned her face away.
[Transformation Technique: "Y-You don't have to thank me! I barely did anything. Don't misunderstand and assume I've acknowledged you already."]
[Transformation Technique favorability +1]
[Transformation Technique — Favorability: 12/100 — Stranger]
Ren's lips curved upward.
It worked.
The increase was small, but the change in his technique was undeniable. If one or two points had already improved his control this much, what would happen when the favorability reached twenty? Fifty? One hundred?
Before he could continue, another dialogue box abruptly forced itself onto the interface.
A second chibi figure appeared. She resembled the Transformation Technique, but her coloring was paler, and two faint copies of her silhouette hovered at her sides. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was cold enough to freeze the entire training ground.
[Clone Technique: "Sister, why are you wasting your time praising him?"]
Ren's smile disappeared.
[Clone Technique: "He's an unremarkable failure who could die during his first week on the battlefield. Shinobi always act attentive when they first learn techniques like us, but they eventually abandon us for stronger and flashier ninjutsu."]
[Clone Technique: "His gratitude is nothing but empty flattery."]
The message vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
Ren stared at the empty space where the Clone Technique's avatar had been.
"What did I do to her?"
He had not even selected her. She had entered the conversation on her own, insulted his talent, predicted his death, questioned his sincerity, and then disappeared before he could respond.
The Transformation Technique offered no explanation. Her avatar was gone as well, leaving Ren alone with his increasingly complicated thoughts.
Apparently, each technique possessed a distinct personality.
The Transformation Technique was playful and mischievous but responded well to honesty and effort. The Clone Technique, on the other hand, seemed distrustful, sharp-tongued, and openly hostile toward shinobi.
Ren could understand part of her resentment. Academy students obsessed over elemental ninjutsu, clan techniques, and powerful offensive abilities. Once they graduated, few paid serious attention to the ordinary Clone Technique.
Still, understanding her bitterness did not make being called battlefield trash any less irritating.
"Empty flattery, was it?"
Ren turned toward the practice posts.
He formed the Transformation seal again.
Smoke erupted, and Instructor Oki appeared in his place. Ren held the transformation for thirty seconds before releasing it, taking several measured breaths, and beginning again.
Kakashi.
Guy.
Obito.
Rin.
Instructor Oki.
Each transformation demanded chakra. Each attempt strained his concentration, and maintaining the disguises caused pressure to build behind his eyes. Nevertheless, he continued to observe every detail, searching for instability or wasted chakra.
On his eighth attempt, the technique collapsed before he intended to release it.
Ren staggered, catching himself against a wooden post. Sweat slid down his face, and his breathing became uneven.
His chakra reserves had always been average. As a civilian without a special bloodline, he could not compare with monsters such as Kakashi or Obito. He probably possessed less chakra now than Kurenai would have as an adult—and Kurenai's reserves would later be considered modest among Konoha's elite jōnin.
Guy was an entirely different case.
Many people assumed Guy relied on taijutsu because he lacked chakra. In truth, his chakra reserves and physical vitality were extraordinary. His weakness lay in using ninjutsu and genjutsu effectively, not in the amount of energy within his body.
Ren wiped his forehead and glanced across the training ground.
In the distance, Guy continued running.
His pace had barely slowed.
Ren had pushed himself through two hundred laps and several transformations, yet Guy treated one thousand laps as the opening act of his daily training. Once he finished, he would probably head toward the forest to perform push-ups, straight punches, and kicks until long after sunset.
If any ordinary child attempted Guy's routine, they would either collapse or permanently damage their body.
Guy, however, seemed to become stronger with every impossible challenge.
"Guess what?" Ren muttered, watching the green blur complete another lap. "I'm not the only one with a cheat."
Guy's cheat was not a system. It was a body capable of surviving his insanity—and a will powerful enough to continue when almost anyone else would have stopped.
Ren sat beside the academy wall and entered a meditative state, slowly recovering his chakra. Ten minutes later, he stood and resumed practicing.
Transform.
Maintain.
Release.
Rest.
Then repeat.
Ren completed the cycle three times.
By the end of the third round, the sun had vanished completely. The training ground was wrapped in winter darkness, illuminated only by the first pale glow of the village lamps.
Ren leaned against the wall, barely able to remain standing. His shirt clung to his back, his silver-white hair was soaked with sweat, and every breath scraped against his throat.
Even forming another hand seal felt impossible.
The system interface, silent throughout his training, finally reappeared.
[You continued practicing until your chakra and stamina were nearly exhausted. The Transformation Technique watched you for a long time before finally stepping forward to stop you.]
The chibi girl's earlier playfulness was gone. She stood with both hands on her hips, but genuine concern softened her expression.
[Transformation Technique: "That's enough, Ren. You worked very hard today, but training cannot be rushed. If you don't balance effort with proper rest, you'll only hurt yourself and waste tomorrow's practice."]
[Transformation Technique: "Go home. Eat properly, sleep, and let your body recover."]
[Transformation Technique favorability +4]
[Transformation Technique — Favorability: 16/100 — Acquaintance]
A warm current spread through Ren's chakra network.
It was subtler than before, but he could feel his understanding of the technique deepening. The correct chakra pathway, the necessary distribution, the minute adjustments required to maintain different body shapes—fragments of knowledge settled naturally into his mind.
The Transformation Technique had officially advanced from a stranger to an acquaintance.
Ren closed his eyes, quietly committing the sensation to memory.
Another notification appeared before he could celebrate.
[The Substitution Technique observed your entire training session from outside the academy grounds. She admired your determination but chose not to approach due to her reserved personality.]
[Substitution Technique favorability +2]
[Substitution Technique — Favorability: 7/100 — Stranger]
Ren blinked.
"An unexpected bonus?"
He had not practiced the Substitution Technique even once. Apparently, his actions could affect multiple targets if they happened to be watching.
That raised another question.
The Clone Technique had openly interrupted his conversation earlier, so she had also been observing him. Yet his effort had not increased her favorability at all.
Either she remained unconvinced, or she was too stubborn to admit otherwise.
Rapid footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Guy finally completed his thousandth lap and rushed toward him, his breathing heavy but his eyes still burning with energy.
"Ren, my youthful rival!" Guy stopped and looked him over. "Have you recovered? Would you like to join me for another thousand push-ups? If we cannot finish those, we can perform two thousand straight punches instead!"
Ren slowly raised one finger.
"First, just call me Ren. You don't need to add a dramatic title every time."
Guy nodded solemnly.
"Understood, Ren, my treasured companion of youth!"
Ren decided to surrender.
"Second, look at me. I've exhausted my chakra three times and can barely stand. I'm going home."
Guy finally noticed Ren's sweat-soaked clothes and trembling legs. His thick eyebrows drew together with genuine concern.
"You're right. Rest is also an important part of training." He paused, then clenched his fist with renewed determination. "In that case, I'll complete your share! If I cannot finish two thousand push-ups, I'll do four thousand straight punches!"
Ren raised a tired thumb. "Good luck. Try not to destroy your arms."
Guy immediately returned the gesture, his brilliant smile cutting through the darkness.
"Thank you for your encouragement, Ren! You worked wonderfully today as well!"
He raced toward the back gate, leaving Ren alone once more.
Despite his exhaustion, Ren could not suppress a small smile. Guy might have been insane, but his sincerity made it difficult to dislike him.
Ren pushed himself away from the wall and began walking home.
After only a few steps, the system chimed.
The Clone Technique's pale avatar appeared at the edge of his vision. She refused to look directly at him, and her crossed arms made her displeasure obvious.
[Clone Technique: "Don't misunderstand. Practicing one technique until you collapse proves nothing."]
Ren stopped.
Her next message appeared more slowly.
[Clone Technique: "If your determination is genuine, come back tomorrow and prove it again."]
The avatar vanished.
A final notification replaced her.
[Hidden Challenge Activated: Earn the Clone Technique's Recognition.]
[Completion requirement: Unknown.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Ren stared at the message as cold wind swept through the deserted training ground.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Fine," he whispered. "Tomorrow, then."
Somewhere within the system, the Clone Technique's favorability bar flickered—but its number remained hidden.