Yukawa was watching Kurenai Yuhi practice genjutsu, but his attention was focused on the system interface before him.
Now that he had collected three genjutsu-related entries, he could synthesize a new one.
[D-Rank Talent Entry: Genjutsu Genin]Activation Condition: Possess three genjutsu-related entries.Effect: Increases the power of all genjutsu by 30%.Note: Learning more genjutsu can evolve this into the C-Rank Talent Entry: Genjutsu Chūnin.
According to the standards of the ninja world, mastering the Three Basic Jutsu (Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Techniques) qualifies one to become a genin.
Now that Yukawa had mastered three genjutsu, earning the title Genjutsu Genin was well-deserved.
A 30% increase in genjutsu potency was more than enough to give him a significant edge in combat.
He might even be able to go head-to-head with a standard Sharingan.
The only thing that caught Yukawa off guard was how lackluster this entry felt. It was as if he could already see the end of its potential—similar to the path Kurenai Yuhi herself had walked.
But thinking about it more carefully, it made sense.
In the ninja world, no matter how strong a genjutsu is, could it really surpass the Mangekyō Sharingan?
The genjutsu path was ultimately a transitional one.
Ninjutsu and taijutsu were more worthy of long-term investment—at least, they had a much higher ceiling.
Unless the system suddenly granted him a pair of Sharingan.
After regaining his stamina, Yukawa greeted Kurenai and headed to the small grove outside.
His current chakra reserves weren't enough to support learning higher-tier ninjutsu, so he planned to wait until his fundamentals caught up.
Stopping in front of a training post, Yukawa casually took out a senbon he'd prepared earlier.
Senbon were slender, needle-like ninja tools.
Aside from kunai and shuriken, they were the third most commonly used ninja weapon.
With a flick of his wrist, Yukawa perfectly hit the bullseye.
Senbon and shuriken were both thrown weapons, so the techniques overlapped quite a bit.
A pleasant Sunday passed quickly.
Looking at the rapidly increasing progress bar of his "Seven Ninja Tools" talent entry, Yukawa smiled in satisfaction.
A New Week Begins
Early Monday morning, Class 1-A was already buzzing with activity.
Since class hadn't started yet, students were chatting in pairs or small groups.
Kurenai rested her chin in her hands, feeling irritated.
Sarutobi Asuma was chattering nonstop beside her about what he did over the weekend.
She had absolutely no interest in listening.
Subconsciously, Kurenai looked toward Yukawa.
He was fully absorbed in a book, looking so focused that she didn't dare disturb him.
In her memory, ever since Yukawa enrolled, he had always been this diligent.
She couldn't do the same even if she wanted to.
Reading for more than half an hour made her lose focus. Every little noise or breeze would pull her attention away.
She found herself lost in thought.
This little brother of hers was actually pretty good-looking.
Even though she had already given up on beating him, her dream of being the "big boss girl" was still alive.
After all, without dreams, what separates a person from a salted fish?
Asuma eventually noticed something was off.
He followed Kurenai's gaze—and instantly felt his composure slip.
Him again! That damned Yukawa brat!
Sarutobi Asuma's face twitched in frustration.
No way he was letting Yukawa steal the spotlight again!
"Kurenai,"Asuma lifted his chin proudly."Yesterday, I learned a Wind Release ninjutsu."
At the Ninja Academy, learning anything beyond the basic Three Techniques was a mark of true talent—especially considering they had only enrolled two months ago.
In the entire class, only Hatake Kakashi could rival him.
He could already imagine how Kurenai would react. His smile widened in anticipation, practically bursting with a villainous "kekeke" laugh.
"So what?"Kurenai replied casually.
Asuma's triumphant expression froze.
Wait—wasn't that impressive?You won't even give me a little praise?
"Yukawa learned three genjutsu yesterday."Kurenai added with pride, as if she were the one who had learned them.
"No way! That's impossible!"Asuma reeled back in disbelief.
This wasn't just an exaggeration—that was plain nonsense!
Who could learn three genjutsu in one day?
"You don't believe me?"Kurenai huffed.
"Of course not."Asuma replied matter-of-factly.
Lying meant swallowing 3,000 silver needles!
He was the Hokage's son and had a special jōnin tutor at home. His knowledge easily surpassed that of his peers.
Clearly, Kurenai had been deceived by that scheming brat Yukawa.
Learning three genjutsu in a day? Not a chance.
"Just wait."Kurenai smirked with a mix of smugness and mockery before walking over to Yukawa.
But now that she was actually in front of him, she suddenly hesitated.
Would this cause him trouble?
"What's up?"Yukawa looked up from his book.
Kurenai pursed her lips and explained the situation.
"No big deal."Yukawa replied calmly.
He had been so focused on training that he nearly forgot about Sarutobi Asuma.
Now he remembered their agreement to duel in three months.
But why wait that long?
He would beat Asuma today!
He had just unlocked the Thrown Ninja Tools and Genjutsu Genin entries. His hands were itching for action.
Even without Kurenai saying anything, he had been planning to push things forward.
"Asuma."Yukawa took Kurenai's seat.
"What do you want?"Asuma frowned, eyes sparking with tension.
Nearby, Mizuki instinctively perked up his ears, eyes glinting with gossip.
"Let's move our duel up."Yukawa said directly."How about after school today?"
"Move it up?"Asuma blinked, then scowled.
This was clearly an insult!
Just one week had passed and this guy thought he could beat him already?
What a joke!
"Fine! After class, meet me outside!"Asuma crossed his arms."Don't go crying when you lose!"
Yukawa gave a small nod.
He exchanged a glance with Kurenai and returned to his seat.
To him, the duel with Asuma was just a side quest.
His main goal was still taking first place on the upcoming theory exam to earn more entries.
Luckily, having lived two lives, his adult memory far outclassed that of a normal child—studying was relatively easy.
"Damn it!"Asuma was annoyed by how calm Yukawa was.
Couldn't he at least act like he took this seriously?
Didn't he even consider him a worthy opponent?
Asuma clenched his teeth. After school, he would defeat Yukawa soundly.
Maybe then he could win Kurenai back?
"What's up, Kakashi?"Rin Nohara noticed Kakashi Hatake's gaze drifting toward Yukawa.
"They're dueling after school."Kakashi said coolly.
Man… you've caught my interest.
Just one week after enrollment, Yukawa dared to challenge Sarutobi Asuma.
That was unexpected.
And Asuma wasn't weak—even he would have to put in effort to beat him.
Kakashi sensed a fellow prodigy.
"How do you know they're dueling?"Uchiha Obito asked, puzzled.
"I heard it."Kakashi shot him a glance."Isn't having sharp senses normal for a ninja?"
"You jerk!"Obito, thoroughly mocked, snapped."Let's go fight outside!"
"Not interested."Kakashi replied with his usual indifference.
"Obito."Rin stepped in to calm him."Don't fight—class is about to start."
"Hmph! I'll let you off just because Rin asked!"Obito said with a snort.