"I'm certain," Ren repeated.
Rin continued staring at him beneath the moonlight, as if trying to decide whether he was merely comforting her. When she found no hesitation in his expression, the uncertainty in her chestnut-colored eyes gradually softened.
"Kakashi and Obito both come from shinobi clans," Ren continued as they resumed walking. "Kakashi possesses extraordinary talent, and Obito has access to the Uchiha clan's techniques. Even when clan heirs struggle, they still have resources, instructors, and generations of knowledge supporting them."
Rin listened in silence.
"Children from ordinary families don't have those advantages. If we follow the same path as everyone else, we'll always begin several steps behind. The best way to stand out is to develop a specialty that other shinobi can't easily replace."
"A specialty…" Rin murmured.
"The injury rate among shinobi is terrifyingly high. Every mission can end with someone poisoned, stabbed, burned, or caught in an explosion. And with relations between the hidden villages getting worse, no one knows when another Great Ninja War might begin."
The moment Ren mentioned war, Rin's expression became more serious.
The adults tried not to discuss politics around academy students, but children still heard rumors. Merchants whispered about interrupted trade routes. Shinobi returned from border missions with new scars. Certain missions were being assigned higher threat classifications than before.
Something was changing beyond Konoha's walls.
Ren looked ahead at the lantern-lit street.
"If you learned medical ninjutsu, you could save lives on missions. You might even work at Konoha Hospital one day. That would give you a stable career and make you valuable to almost any team."
Rin lowered her gaze to the medical pouch in her hands.
"That does sound worthwhile."
Her voice was quiet, but Ren could hear the interest taking root.
His feelings toward Rin had always been complicated.
They had grown up next door to each other. Their families exchanged food, medicine, and favors, while Ren and Rin had spent much of their childhood playing and studying together. Treating her as a stranger would have been impossible.
However, Ren knew where her future path was supposed to lead.
He knew what her death would do to Obito.
The cheerful, awkward boy who had performed the Great Fireball Technique for them tonight would eventually become ruthless enough to attack his own teacher, threaten a newborn Naruto with explosive tags, and unleash the Nine-Tails upon Konoha.
For years, Ren had deliberately kept a small distance from Rin, Obito, Kakashi, and the others. Becoming too entangled with central figures from the original story seemed like an excellent way for an ordinary civilian to die before adulthood.
He had possessed no strength to change their futures, so avoiding unnecessary attention had been the safest choice.
But things were different now.
The system might have been ridiculous, but even a ridiculous advantage was still an advantage. If Ren could continue strengthening himself, he would no longer be forced to stand aside while history followed its bloodstained course.
And if one conversation encouraged Rin to begin studying medical ninjutsu earlier, perhaps her entire future could change.
She might spend the Third Great Ninja War treating wounded soldiers at Konoha Hospital instead of being sent into the field.
She might never be captured by Kirigakure.
She might never become the Three-Tails' jinchūriki.
Kakashi might never be forced to drive a Chidori through her heart.
And Obito might never fall into Madara's hands.
Saving Rin could alter the fate of the entire ninja world.
Beside him, Rin finally raised her head.
"I'll speak to Instructor Oki," she said. "He might know whether the academy has introductory medical courses—or someone willing to teach me."
"That's a good start. If you learn anything, tell me."
Rin smiled. "Are you interested in medical ninjutsu too?"
"Very."
That was an understatement.
Medical ninjutsu was one of the most practical abilities in the world. It could stop bleeding, close wounds, repair damaged muscles, and treat internal injuries. At its highest levels, medical-nin could perform feats that would have been considered miraculous in Ren's previous life.
In this world, even eye transplants seemed alarmingly straightforward.
Ren had no illusion that he could reach Tsunade's level simply by working hard, but even the most basic healing technique could become an additional lifeline on the battlefield.
"I'll ask," Rin promised. "If Instructor Oki knows anything, we can study it together."
The system message about shifting destiny remained suspended at the edge of Ren's vision.
He looked at Rin's hopeful expression and nodded.
"It's a deal."
They reached their neighboring homes soon afterward. Rin handed him the ointment and bandages she had promised, reminded him to treat the scrapes on his palms, and disappeared through her gate.
Ren remained outside for a moment, watching the light appear in her bedroom window.
He did not know whether one conversation was enough to rewrite fate.
But for the first time, he possessed the courage to try.
---
Ten days later, before sunrise.
Cold mist drifted between the trees of a secluded training ground. Frost covered the grass, and the eastern sky had only just begun to brighten.
Ren stood alone in the clearing, rested and alert.
During the past ten days, he had developed a strict routine. He spoke with each available technique every morning, trained after school, recovered his chakra, and practiced again before returning home. At night, he opened the system one last time to review his progress and offer each target a farewell.
It was strange.
It was embarrassing.
It was also remarkably effective.
Ren opened the system and selected the Transformation Technique.
The familiar black-haired chibi girl appeared against a softly glowing background. Her mischievous smile had become noticeably warmer since their first encounter.
[Target Selected: Transformation Technique]
[Dialogue / Practice / Give Gift]
[Transformation Technique: "Good morning, Ren. You're here early again. Judging by your complexion, you slept properly last night, didn't you?"]
Three choices appeared.
[A: "Of course I woke up early. I wanted to see you sooner. You look even more beautiful than yesterday."]
[B: "I slept for eight full hours and woke without fatigue. My physical condition is excellent."]
[C: Remain silent and gaze deeply into her eyes.]
Ren no longer hesitated over these choices.
"Choose A."
The Transformation Technique's eyes widened. A faint blush colored her cheeks before she hid it behind one sleeve.
[Transformation Technique: "My, what a charming greeting. You've become dangerously good at saying things I enjoy hearing."]
[Transformation Technique favorability +2]
Ren nodded with satisfaction.
"A good start."
He left her interface and selected the Clone Technique.
The pale chibi girl appeared with her arms folded. She looked irritated before he even spoke.
[Target Selected: Clone Technique]
[Clone Technique: "What do you want?"]
[Clone Technique: "Was flirting with my elder sister not enough? Now you've come to bother me as well? I knew you couldn't be trusted. You're trying to maintain several relationships at once."]
[Clone Technique: "For my sister's sake, I'll overlook your shameless behavior today. Leave before I change my mind."]
The dialogue option disappeared.
Ren stared at her.
"You're a ninjutsu."
The Clone Technique lifted her chin.
"You're literally an academy-level illusion."
Her portrait began to fade.
"And I greeted you for ten consecutive days!"
The Clone Technique vanished without granting a single point of favorability.
Ren clenched his fists.
"I really want to punch you twice."
The interface remained silent, but he could have sworn he saw the corner of the Clone Technique's mouth curve upward before she disappeared.
Ren took a slow breath and forced himself to calm down. Getting angry at a personified ninjutsu before sunrise was not how a rational person should begin the day.
He closed the interface and walked toward the center of the clearing.
There were more important matters to handle.
Ren spread his feet and straightened his back. His hands moved through the six seals he had memorized from Obito's demonstration.
Snake.
Ram.
Monkey.
Boar.
Horse.
Tiger.
Chakra gathered inside his body, flowing upward through his chest. The sensation was completely different from performing the Three Basic Techniques. Heat swelled in his lungs and climbed into his throat, intense enough to trigger an instinctive moment of panic.
Ren suppressed it.
He completed the final seal, leaned forward, and expelled the gathered chakra.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Flames burst from his mouth.
The first stream was narrow, but it rapidly expanded into a sphere nearly the size of a large exercise ball. The fireball surged across the clearing and struck a patch of bare earth, scattering embers in every direction.
Heat rolled back over Ren.
The surrounding frost melted instantly, leaving the grass wet and steaming.
Ren maintained the technique for another second before cutting off the chakra supply. The fireball collapsed, leaving behind a blackened circle and a thin trail of smoke.
He exhaled the last trace of hot air from his lungs.
"…Not bad."
Compared with Obito's towering fireball, Ren's attempt was tiny. It lacked range, destructive force, and stability.
Nevertheless, it was real.
In only ten days, Ren had successfully learned his first C-rank ninjutsu.
For a civilian academy student who should not have gained access to any technique above E-rank, it was an extraordinary achievement.
Ren lowered his hands and examined the scorched ground.
He had spent those ten days doing far more than exchanging ridiculous dialogue with personified techniques. He greeted them each morning, practiced for more than three hours every day, and reviewed every failure until he understood what had gone wrong.
Even when the Clone Technique ignored or insulted him, he continued approaching her.
His persistence had gradually revealed the system's rules.
First, favorability gains refreshed once each day.
Ren could speak with or practice a technique multiple times, but ordinary dialogue and training would only grant favorability once per category per day. Dialogue usually provided one or two points, while serious practice offered between two and four.
Special interactions could break that pattern, but they depended on the personality and mood of the target.
The Clone Technique, naturally, seemed determined to provide as little as possible.
Second, the system only recognized abilities that required chakra.
Ordinary punches, kicks, weapon skills, and basic shuriken throwing did not qualify as targets. Techniques such as the Manipulated Shuriken Technique or Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique probably would, but the academy did not teach them, and Ren had never encountered either one.
Third, each target possessed five favorability stages.
The first three were visible:
[0 — Stranger]
[25 — Friendly]
[50 — Intimate]
The final two stages remained concealed behind question marks.
Every major increase in relationship level granted a permanent reward associated with the technique. The [Give Gift] option also unlocked once a target reached the Intimate stage.
Ren still had no idea what sort of gift one gave to a ninjutsu.
Did the Great Fireball Technique want high-quality charcoal? Rare chakra paper? A bouquet that had already been set on fire?
That problem could wait.
Ren opened the target list.
[Current Targets]
[Transformation Technique — 58/100 — Intimate]
[Clone Technique — 24/100 — Stranger]
[Substitution Technique — 35/100 — Friendly]
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique — 18/100 — Stranger]
The Transformation Technique had progressed the fastest. She responded well to honest effort, consistent practice, and flattering dialogue. In only ten days, Ren had raised her favorability from sixteen to fifty-eight.
The Clone Technique remained at twenty-four.
One point.
She was one miserable point away from becoming Friendly, yet she seemed to take personal pleasure in denying him that final increase.
The Substitution Technique rarely spoke, but she quietly appreciated his persistence. Her favorability had risen steadily to thirty-five.
The Great Fireball Technique was still distant, though Ren considered eighteen points respectable. She demanded confidence, power, and constant praise while pretending to value none of them.
More importantly, two targets had crossed major thresholds.
That meant rewards.
Ren selected the Transformation Technique's status panel.
[Stage rewards obtained: Two]
[Physical Attribute Increase: +2]
[Unique Trait: Perfect Form]
[Perfect Form: Transformations created through the Transformation Technique will contain flawless physical detail and exceptional stability. The user may rewrite aspects of their physical structure within the limits of the technique. Unless detected through chakra perception, scent, special insects, dōjutsu, or similar sensory abilities, the transformation is nearly impossible to distinguish from the original.]
Ren had tested the trait repeatedly.
He could reproduce fingerprints, scars, voice, height, weight distribution, and even minor physical habits. Ordinary visual inspection was almost useless against it.
The Byakugan and Sharingan could still detect irregularities in his chakra. The Inuzuka clan might identify him by scent, while the Aburame clan's insects could recognize the difference between chakra signatures.
Against anyone without specialized sensory abilities, however, Ren's disguise approached perfection.
It was a terrifyingly useful ability for espionage, infiltration, escape—and survival.
Then there was the Substitution Technique's reward.
Ren opened its panel.
[Stage rewards obtained: One]
[Physical Attribute Increase: +1]
[Unique Trait: Sealless Instant Release]
[Sealless Instant Release: The Substitution Technique requires no hand seals or advance preparation. Within a five-meter radius, the user may exchange positions with a valid substitution medium through a single thought. Activation time: 0.2 seconds.]
Ren read the description again.
Then he slowly looked toward a wooden training post five meters away.
The ordinary Substitution Technique required timing, preparation, and the presence of a suitable replacement object. Despite the exaggerated way it appeared in academy demonstrations, it was not genuine teleportation.
His version was different.
No seals.
No preparation.
Only a thought.
The system had taken one of the academy's simplest techniques and transformed it into something that could be activated almost instantly.
In a real battle, two-tenths of a second could decide whether a blade pierced empty wood—or Ren's heart.
His Great Fireball proved that the system could help him acquire power.
Perfect Form proved that basic ninjutsu could evolve beyond their ordinary limits.
But Sealless Instant Release revealed something far more important.
The system was not merely teaching Ren techniques.
It was turning them into abilities the ninja world had never seen before.