🕯️ Night – Orphan Dormitory, Room 3B
Masaki sat cross-legged on his floor, sweat rolling down his forehead.
His hands formed a half-seal. The room was silent—save for the low hum rising in his chest, a ripple beneath the skin like a static charge building behind his heart.
> Chakra Gate Recognition: Initialized.
Focus: Lower Dantian → Solar Plexus → Central Channel.
Breathe in. Tighten. Visualize the flow.
Then—snap.
It felt like a band had broken in his chest, then another in his spine. A rush of warm energy flooded his body, from the soles of his feet to the tip of his fingers. He gasped.
> Chakra Network Activated.
You are now a registered chakra wielder (civilian-grade).
Stats unlocked.
---
📊 Masaki – Stat Profile (Lv. 1: Civilian Instructor)
Attribute Value
Chakra Reserves D– (Low)
Chakra Control C
Taijutsu C+
Ninjutsu N/A (Locked)
Intelligence B
Teaching Skill A–
Stealth B–
Unique Trait Disciple Resonance (passive gain from disciples)
> Active Perk: Mirror Mastery
You gain scaled-down versions of disciple-acquired skills.
---
Masaki grinned as he opened his palm. A soft swirl of blue chakra flickered into existence.
"No more teaching from the sidelines," he whispered. "Now I can lead from the front."
---
🔧 SYSTEM INTERFACE – TECHNIQUE CRAFTING MODULE
> [Custom Jutsu: Prototype]
Cost: 1 Teaching Fragment
Base Skills: Stick Style (Improvised Weaponry), Chakra Control, Evasion Patterns
Name: "Phantom Branch Style: Displacement Strike"
Type: Taijutsu / Chakra Weapon
Effect: A fluid movement style using chakra-enhanced wooden weapons; creates afterimages during motion to confuse the enemy.
> Skill Created. You have gained: [Phantom Branch Style – Lv. 1]
Faint afterimage appears at high speeds. Boosts feints, disarms, and counters.
Masaki smirked. "Now I'm really a sensei."
---
🕶️ Three Days Later – Abandoned Storage Cellar, Training Ground 6 (Hidden Zone)
Masaki pushed open the trapdoor. The smell of mildew and old scrolls filled the room. Obito followed nervously, looking over his shoulder.
"No one followed?"
"I told Kakashi I had explosive diarrhea," Obito said proudly.
Masaki paused. "...You're getting good at lying."
"I learned from the best!" Obito beamed.
> +5 Bond Points
+System Trait Discovered: "Devoted Idiot" – Obito learns faster for teachers he admires.
Masaki unrolled a faded mission scroll and pinned it to the wall.
🔍 Unofficial Mission: "Ghost of the Forest"
> Reports of disappearing cats, smoke trails, and eerie chakra signatures in the Nara Forest. Classified as C-Rank Threat. Denied official funding.
"Why're we doing this?" Obito asked.
"Because no one else will. It's small enough that no jōnin will get involved, and if it's real, it's perfect for testing your skills—without Konoha breathing down our necks."
Obito gulped. "So... what if we get caught?"
"We won't. We're not just sneaking around. We're hunting shadows."
---
🌲 That Night – Nara Forest Outskirts
Masaki and Obito moved between trees like ghosts, one with a dull gray cloak, the other with soot-darkened goggles.
Obito's chakra control wasn't perfect, but he was improving. He could land on branches without snapping them now. Masaki noticed it every time.
Then, they spotted it.
A small trail of burnt leaves. A flicker of blue fire disappearing into the mist.
Obito froze. "Is that a… summon? Or a jutsu?"
Masaki held a hand up. "Eyes open. Weapons ready."
They moved closer.
In a clearing, they saw a hunched figure wrapped in black cloth, chanting to a cage surrounded by paper seals. Inside: a terrified summon cat with chakra restraints. The figure turned slightly—and Masaki felt a chill.
The chakra wasn't just foreign. It was corrupted.
> System Ping: Unknown user tampering with forbidden sealing arts.
Warning: You are out-leveled. Retreat advised.
Optional Sub-Objective: Record the technique for future counter-strategy.
Masaki grabbed Obito's arm. "You're going to do something stupid."
Obito growled, "They're torturing summons. We can't just watch!"
Masaki smiled. "Good answer. Let's make some noise."
---
⚔️ Mini-Battle: Phantom Branch Debut
Masaki struck first, leaping down with his wooden staff swirling in chakra. His movement blurred into an afterimage—his Phantom Branch Style caused the enemy to strike at air. He swept low, smashing one of the seal rods.
Obito followed up with a perfectly-aimed fireball—small, but controlled. It singed the figure's shoulder, forcing a retreat.
The cage shattered. The summon cat darted free, hissing and vanishing in a poof.
The masked enemy hissed, leapt away, and vanished in smoke. But not before turning a glowing eye toward Masaki's direction.
> System Notice: Fate Echo Detected. A dark thread has been tugged. "He has eyes. Watching from the roots."
Masaki grimaced. "We just made a new enemy."
---
📓 Mission Debrief – Secret Cellar
Masaki jotted notes by candlelight as Obito lay sprawled on the floor, snoring.
> Mission Outcome:
✅ Summon rescued
✅ Forbidden technique recorded
❌ Enemy escaped
⚠️ Now on the radar of an unknown party
> Obito Progress:
Fireball Proficiency 78%
Taijutsu Improved to D+
New Trait: Courage Under Pressure
Bond Level: B–
> Masaki Gains:
"Chakra Strike" passive unlocked (C-tier)
+2 Teaching Fragments
+1 System Upgrade Token
Custom Technique Level Up: [Phantom Branch Style – Lv. 2]
Masaki leaned back, exhausted, but smiling.
"We're doing this," he whispered. "No stage, no praise, no rank. Just shadow teaching. Just legacy."
Then the interface pulsed one last time.
> New Feature Unlocked: "Legacy Imprint" – Your teachings will echo into the future.
Masaki's heart beat faster. For the first time in two lifetimes… he felt like a real ninja.