"...Kazuki, I know that as shinobi we're supposed to train hard, but honestly, you might be taking things a bit too far," said Nara Suzaku, his expression a tangled mix of admiration and concern as he looked at his nephew.
He had seen plenty of diligent ninja over the years, but someone like Nara Kazuki? Rare, terrifyingly rare.
Who wakes up in the middle of the night, half-asleep, just to conjure a Shadow Clone and throw out jutsu?
Lately, Suzaku had been dreaming of fire dragons rampaging through his house and setting everything ablaze.
"Uncle, I wasn't born a genius. I only have hard work," Kazuki replied solemnly, punctuating his words by flinging out another Great Fire Dragon Technique.
Suzaku covered his face.
What could he even say to that? That working hard was bad?
Still, Kazuki's progress in recent times had been nothing short of astonishing.
At first, Suzaku had thought his nephew's ceiling would be as a mediocre genin—maybe chūnin if he coasted on experience.
But now? Kazuki had not only entered ANBU, he was thriving in it.
"Don't worry, Uncle. I won't set the clan compound on fire." Kazuki knew exactly what Suzaku feared.
The Nara clan, prestigious as it was, couldn't withstand too many disasters. Every time Suzaku saw those blazing fire dragons flying overhead, he imagined them roasting the sacred deer of the clan's forest alive.
Suzaku left muttering darkly, while Kazuki eagerly lobbed another flaming dragon skyward.
Lately, his training had been all-consuming. While he kept stacking Great Fireball Technique as part of his daily grind, the rest of his time was focused almost entirely on Great Fire Dragon Technique and Thunderball.
So far, the results were promising. Though the fire dragon used more chakra and had only reached 423 uses, Thunderball had progressed faster.
At that moment, Kazuki received a memory flash—one of his Shadow Clones had just dispelled.
Thunderball: 500/500.
[Raijin Favors You]: When used during a thunderstorm, Thunderball has a chance to call down a lightning strike on your enemies.
[Thundercloud]: After charging six hundred Thunderballs, launch them into the sky to summon a thundercloud that periodically strikes enemies. The more Thunderballs used, the wider the area. Lightning damage is constant.
[Thunder & Fire]: When casting Great Fireball Technique, it now includes four Thunderballs as secondary projectiles. This unlocks the future upgrade path for Great Thunderfire Ball.
Classic "choose one" scenario.
"Can I preview the Thunderfire Ball stats first?" Kazuki asked the system.
No luck. He rubbed his temples.
The first option? Raijin Favors You? He immediately ruled it out. Too conditional. Weather-dependent. Probability-based. Nope.
The second one, Thundercloud, was more impressive. Definitely a high-tier, large-scale skill. But requiring 600 Thunderballs for a single use? And still only a chance of lightning strikes?
That word again—probability.
He remembered how, back in his previous life, League of Legends had a keystone rune called Kleptomancy that gave you random items when hitting an enemy. Fun? Sure. But in one pro match, a player didn't get a single drop for ages. They complained to the refs, thinking it was bugged. It wasn't. Just bad luck.
Handing control of a battle over to a dice roll? Not his thing.
So Kazuki picked the third option: Thunder & Fire.
He launched a Great Fireball Technique—and four crackling Thunderballs spiraled around it like satellites as it roared through the air.
"A bit... flashy," he muttered, scratching his head. But he tried manipulating it—and found the Thunderballs could be hidden within the fireball.
Now it was stealthy. A hidden, combo-type technique. Exactly his style.
With Thunderball upgraded, Kazuki wanted to push for Great Fire Dragon next. But before he could resume training, Kakashi came looking for him.
"Kakashi-senpai? What's up?" Kazuki asked, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Let's grab a bite."
Kazuki shrugged and followed him. They arrived at Ichiraku Ramen—but as soon as Kazuki stepped inside, a burst of confetti hit him in the face.
He blinked, stunned. "It's not my birthday..."
"And there he is!" said a voice Kazuki knew all too well.
The Sannin was beaming, holding a very familiar-looking book.
Kazuki blinked again. He knew Jiraiya wrote that series, but he hadn't expected it to be published this soon. Had he given Jiraiya too many ideas too quickly?
In the original timeline, Icha Icha Paradise definitely wasn't published at this point.
"I've been in the village lately, just writing," Jiraiya said cheerfully. "And now it's done! I need you to give it a proper test-read!"
Kakashi's eyes practically sparkled behind his mask. He looked like he was standing outside a bathhouse.
Kazuki almost matched the expression—but held it back, accepting the manuscript like it was a sacred relic.
Then he noticed Kakashi's ears were red.
"Jiraiya-sama," he said solemnly, "I think we need a second opinion on this book. We should hear a reader's feedback."
Jiraiya nodded seriously. "Good idea."
And so Kakashi, poor soul, was conscripted to be the "test reader."
Ichiraku had been booked out by Jiraiya, so no one else was around to witness the horror.
Kakashi and Kazuki sat side-by-side, flipping through the first Chapters of Make-Out Paradise together.
After a few pages, Kazuki felt his composure slipping. He seriously regretted not having Ice Release right now—he needed something to cool his brain.
Beside him, Kakashi was practically steaming. His masked face turned bright red as he clearly debated whether to read or flee.