"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
During the holiday break, Ryūsei, as usual, was diligently training at home.
With a series of poof sounds, white mist filled the living room.
When the fog dissipated, two identical copies of himself stood beside Ryūsei.
Immediately, the two shadow clones got to work.
One sat cross-legged on the tatami, practicing hand seals.
The other flipped through a book, absorbing knowledge.
Meanwhile, the original Ryūsei stretched, preparing for a physical workout.
"Ryūsei, are you home?"
"Ryūsei, we came to play with you!"
Just then, voices called out from the balcony.
Hearing the familiar voices, Ryūsei couldn't help but smile wryly.
Ignoring them wasn't an option when they already here, so he slid open the balcony door and looked toward the entrance of his house.
There stood two petite figures bundled up in winter clothing, their small hands clad in cotton gloves waving at him.
Both were girls around Ryūsei's age.
One had golden hair, the other pink, both with varying shades of green eyes.
That's right—they were none other than Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno, two of the Konoha 12 and part of Ryūsei's current social circle.
As the saying goes, cast a wide net to catch more fish.
Before awakening his "golden finger", Ryūsei's goal had been to play a minor supporting role, leave a strong impression on Naruto before graduation, survive the events of Shippuden, and then secure a decent position in Boruto, settling down with a pretty and kind side character.
But survival wasn't just about knowing the plot—it required both luck and strength.
Thus, the "golden flowers" of this generation became Ryūsei's targets.
Ino and Sakura were just two among them.
At the age of three, Ryūsei had even waited in the snow for several nights just to "coincidentally" meet a certain lost princess and leave a good first impression.
These young ladies—whether clan heiresses or future disciples of the Sannin—could provide Ryūsei with significant benefits later on, even with the slightest favor.
And if he could latch onto one of them and enjoy a cushy life? Even better.
Now that he had turned his fortunes around and no longer needed to curry their favor just to survive, Ryūsei had no intention of cutting ties.
He'd worked hard to build up their goodwill—why abandon it now?
Authors who wrote stories where the protagonist foolishly gave up such opportunities deserved to be burned at the stake.
With his newfound strength and confidence, Ryūsei's ambitions had grown bolder.
Gazing down at the two girls with their flushed cheeks and bright smiles, a certain "Santa Claus" meme suddenly flashed through his mind.
Raising a hand, he called back, "Wait a sec, I'll be right down!"
After saying this, Ryūsei returned inside, threw on his winter coat, ignored the disdainful looks from his shadow clones, and hurried out.
---
"Ryūsei, let's go find people to have a snowball fight with!"
"Eh, but wet clothes are a pain to wash."
"It's fine! I'll help you wash them!"
"That's even scarier. I'm afraid your dad would kill me."
"Huh? Why would Dad kill you if I'm washing your clothes?"
"..."
Walking down the snow-covered streets, the lively Ino chatted away with Ryūsei.
Meanwhile, Sakura—who likely hadn't yet awakened her second personality—quietly watched the two with a shy smile.
After rejecting Ino's various childish game suggestions, Ryūsei's eyes suddenly lit up as he watched villagers shoveling snow.
"Got it! I just thought of a fun game—wanna try?"
"Sure, sure!" Ino immediately agreed, raising her hand.
She didn't even care what the game was—as long as Ryūsei and Sakura were playing, she was in.
"Mm-hmm!" Sakura nodded eagerly.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Ryūsei led them away from the main street and into a nearby forest.
Finding a large tree with thick snow piled beneath it, Ryūsei grinned at Ino and Sakura.
"Let's climb the tree."
"Eh… How is climbing a tree fun?"
Ino's excited expression instantly deflated.
Sakura felt the same.
Ryūsei chuckled. "This isn't just ordinary tree-climbing."
Under the girls' puzzled gazes, Ryūsei suddenly formed the Ram seal with his hands.
Then, he stepped toward the tree.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before Ino and Sakura's eyes.
Ryūsei's body seemed to defy gravity as he walked freely up the trunk, his form now parallel to the ground.
This was their first time witnessing a technique not even taught at the Ninja Academy. Both girls stared, mouths agape.
When Ryūsei descended, Ino and Sakura snapped out of their daze, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Ryūsei! How did you do that just now?" Ino asked eagerly. "Is it a jutsu?"
"Nope. Just a chakra control method."
Ryūsei lied without blinking. "A while ago, while cleaning the house, I accidentally found my father's old ninja journal. It mentioned how shinobi walk on walls and water by focusing chakra on their feet. I practiced for a long time before finally getting it right."
"Oooh…"
Ino and Sakura nodded in understanding.
"Focus chakra on the feet, huh? Let me try!"
Ino enthusiastically formed the Ram seal, gathered chakra to her soles, and stepped toward the tree.
But the moment she lifted her second foot, she lost balance and tipped backward.
Before she could yelp, a hand pressed against her back, steadying her.
"Stay focused. Use your chakra to stick to the tree."
After the reminder, Ryūsei added reassuringly, "Don't worry about falling. I'll catch you."
"Mm!"
Ino's initial fear instantly transformed into excitement.
She tried again and again, each time either supported by Ryūsei's hand or falling straight into his arms.
By the time her chakra was nearly depleted, Ino finally managed to take a few steps up the tree before slipping down.
"I did it! Ryūsei, I did it!"
She cheered as she tumbled into Ryūsei's arms.
"Impressive! It took me until the second day to even get that far. You're way faster than I was."
Ryūsei praised her generously before adding a reality check. "But this is just the beginning. True mastery is when you can walk freely on trees, walls, and even water."
Ino's excitement dimmed slightly, but her eyes still gleamed with determination.
"Ryūsei… This game is so much fun!"