In short, the four of them had become acquainted.
Not quite friends, but at least they could be considered like-minded companions.
However, they weren't very familiar with one another, and it didn't take long for the atmosphere to cool down as they struggled to find common topics.
Ichiraku, being a simple and honest person, didn't enjoy starting conversations and mostly just went along with whatever was said.
Mizuki Tamako had begun drifting off into her world, absent-minded and lost in thought.
As for Satsuki, he was still rubbing his treasured short sword, unwilling to take his eyes off it even for a moment.
Mo Yu frowned. This wouldn't do. Without communication, how could they build any connection?
His mind raced, and he suddenly came up with an idea, saying:
"Why don't we each share why we want to become ninjas? I'll go first."
The other three looked over at him.
Mo Yu continued, "My reason is simple: I want to live a spectacular life, full of thrills and resolve.
That way, when I'm old and look back on my life, I won't regret wasting it or feel ashamed of living an unremarkable life. I want to live freely, and when the time comes, I'll face death with peace of mind."
As he spoke, a special light flashed in his eyes.
Were these his true inner thoughts?
Yes!
In his past life, he lived an ordinary, insignificant existence, but in this life, he vowed to live a brilliant and extraordinary one. After all, it would be a betrayal of himself if he didn't, especially since he had a powerful Kekkin system! He couldn't let this precious system go to waste.
Both Tamako, lost in her world, and Satsuki, who had been polishing his short sword, as well as Ichiraku, who was laughing foolishly, all looked at him with admiration.
They didn't entirely understand what Mo Yu meant, but they found his words impressive, profound even.
"Your turn, Satsuki." Mo Yu said, his expression softening with a smile.
Satsuki's face became serious. He looked down at his short sword with a complex expression and said with firm determination:
"I want to continue the family legacy. I'll risk my life to make sure it doesn't end with me."
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow.
"So you come from a ninja family?" he asked.
Satsuki nodded, a flash of sadness and confusion crossing his face.
"Yes… But now, I'm the only one left."
Mo Yu patted his shoulder and said, "Hang in there, I believe you can do it."
He wasn't just comforting Satsuki; according to the original story, Satsuki did succeed in making the "Kikoko'' name known throughout the ninja world.
"Thank you."
Satsuki said, then buried his head back in polishing the short sword.
Mo Yu turned to Tamako.
"And you, Tamako?"
Tamako looked confused and replied absentmindedly,
"Me? I don't really know why I want to become a ninja. Do you need a reason?"
Mo Yu was speechless.
"You're serious? Being a ninja isn't just child's play; the mortality rate is high. If you don't have a strong reason or obsession, you'd be better off learning a craft somewhere else. At least you could live a stable life."
Tamako, still in a daze, replied,
"Is that so? I was just thinking about what I'll eat for dinner tonight… Was I supposed to be thinking about something else? Is it too late to change my mind now?"
Mo Yu: "..."
Satsuki: "..."
Ichiraku: "..."
This girl! How could she space out at a time like this?
If she becomes a ninja, will she also be thinking about what she'll eat when fighting the enemy?
"What's with those weird looks you're giving me? Did I say something wrong? If you keep staring at me like that, I'll get angry!"
Tamako huffed, puffing out her cheeks like an angry pufferfish.
Satsuki glanced at her with a hint of pity in his eyes, then continued to polish his short sword.
Mo Yu couldn't help but worry now. While he had been happy to find such a skilled teammate in Satsuki, Tamako's "clumsy teammate" nature was starting to give him a headache.
Sigh, let's see if I can gradually help her change this absent-minded nature of hers.
It was late at night, and all the other children had already gone to bed.
Mo Yu's group also returned to their respective beds.
There was no more conversation that night.
The next morning, two ninjas came to the orphanage.
One of them was to take Mo Yu, Satsuki, and Tamako to register at the ninja academy.
The other would take Ichiraku and the other children for training.
Standing at the gates of the ninja academy, Mo Yu watched as many children, about his age, came and went, feeling his fists tighten with excitement:
"My ninja career is about to begin!"
Six years later.
Konohagakure Year 22.
At the ninja academy, as soon as the school bell rang, a figure rushed out of the classroom and headed towards the school gate.
It was a skinny, frail boy, about eleven or twelve years old.
His hair was messy, and his face was gaunt with deep-set eyes and prominent cheeks—clear signs of malnutrition, with no strength in his hands.
But it was his eyes that stood out—dark as night, sparkling with a fire no one could ignore.
This boy was Mo Yu.
As soon as he stepped out of the classroom, a few boys with cold smirks walked out behind him.
"That useless brat runs faster than anyone else. Every time, he's the first to leave after school."
"Yeah, I don't know why the school keeps him around. They should just expel him. He'll never graduate, let alone become a ninja. He's just wasting resources."
"Haha, tomorrow's the graduation exam. This is his last chance. Do you think he'll pass? He'll probably be kicked out in the end."
"Tsk, six whole years and he hasn't even gathered a single drop of chakra. I don't even know how he still has the face to stay in school."
"You can't say that. Maybe he's training the ninja technique 'Thick-skinned Jutsu'?"
"Hahaha!"
The rest of the class just listened to their mocking remarks, no one stopping them.
Some felt pity, others looked on with disdain, and some were indifferent.
Even the teacher just shook his head, not intervening, since he too agreed with the students' words.
One of the students, watching Mo Yu's retreating figure, narrowed his eyes and quietly left the classroom.
Mo Yu didn't even need to look back to know that there were many mocking gazes aimed at him.
Thinking back on the past six years, his heart was filled with mixed emotions—anger, bitter smiles, and a sense of despair.
There was nothing he could do. After all, he had earned the title of "useless" for being unable to cultivate chakra.
No matter how hard he tried, Mo Yu couldn't channel a single drop of chakra. Not even one!
At first, Mo Yu had been furious, cursing the system that had brought him into the world of Naruto but didn't give him any ninja talent.
Wasn't this a huge scam? This was worse than Naruto's situation in the original story!
Ninjutsu, genjutsu, kekkei genkai, none of these could be used without chakra.
Even taijutsu...
For example, characters like Might Guy and Rock Lee in the original story, who practiced taijutsu, still needed chakra to perform their techniques; they just couldn't form ninjutsu outside their bodies.
Eight Gates, Leaf Hurricane, Front Lotus, Rear Lotus...
All these techniques require chakra as a foundation to unleash their true power. Without the chakra, it was just an empty form.
If it had been someone else, they probably would have given up on becoming a ninja and just lived a quiet, ordinary life.
But not Mo Yu.
Because he still had his Kekkin system!
No chakra? No problem. I can still use my system to level up!
As long as he saved up enough, one thousand liang for ten gold coins, he could directly become a low-level ninja.
So Mo Yu began to live frugally, spending every moment not in class working to earn money.
Six years—six whole years!
To save money, he didn't buy himself a single new set of clothes, only wearing the worn-out ones given by the orphanage.
To save money, he didn't eat a full meal, and had become so skinny that his bones stuck out.
To save money, he worked late into the night every day, barely getting enough sleep and developing deep, dark circles under his eyes.
The biggest change in Mo Yu over these six years was that he had become a complete miser.
Words like "penny-pinching," "tight-fisted," or "stingy" weren't enough to describe him.
If you asked Mo Yu, What is money?
He would answer: Money is life. Money is everything!