Although he was no longer truly a child, Yuichi couldn't help but feel excited.
The system had glitched and remained inactive for three days, but now that it had restarted, everything was different.
The "Chakra: null" message earlier might have been because the system was junk…
Or maybe—just maybe—his chakra reserves were so vast that even the system couldn't measure them?
"Let's test it out!" Yuichi's eyes lit up.
"Clone Technique!"
Bang!
"Clone Technique!"
Bang!
"Clone Technique!"
Bang!
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency +1]
…
[Congratulations! Host has increased Clone Technique proficiency by 10.]
[Elementary Clone Technique (25/100)]
[Reward unlocked: C-Rank Water Style Ninjutsu – Water Clone Technique]
[Newly Mastered: Water Clone Technique (0/1000), Clone Technique (25/100), Body Replacement Technique…]
Yuichi checked his character panel.
"Water Clone, huh? Not bad. At least it's more useful than the regular Clone Technique."
Of course, he knew the drawbacks: the water clone required an actual water source, had only one-tenth of his strength, and couldn't move too far from the user. Still, in water, it became far stronger.
"It's fine," Yuichi muttered. "That's not the point."
The real discovery was something else.
He clenched his fist, feeling the chakra flowing inside him.
Normally, he should have been drained after casting a few Clone Techniques. But now…
It hadn't diminished. Not even a little.
Yuichi's heartbeat quickened. He formed more seals.
"Clone Technique!"
"Clone Technique!!"
"Clone Technique!!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Minutes passed. Dozens of clones appeared, disappeared, then appeared again.
Yet his chakra reserves remained untouched.
Until finally—
[Congratulations! Host has upgraded Clone Technique to Intermediate level.]
[Intermediate Clone Technique (0/200)]
Yuichi stared blankly. He hadn't even noticed when he hit full proficiency.
And still—his chakra hadn't decreased.
"If my chakra really doesn't run out… then I have to see what happens when a jutsu reaches its peak."
So he kept going.
Hours passed. Outside, the sky grew red as the sun sank.
By the time night arrived, Yuichi was lying near the window, smiling faintly at the sunset.
The system interface flickered in his vision:
[Clone Technique – Perfect]
[Transformation Technique – Perfect]
[Body Replacement Technique – Perfect]
Three hours. That was all it had taken for him to perfect the entire "Three Basic Jutsu."
And more importantly, he had confirmed it—his chakra was truly endless.
He couldn't even remember how many times he had cast ninjutsu.
Tens of thousands, at least.
By his old chakra limits, he should have burned out after just a handful.
But now? His reserves were as full as when he'd started.
"With the system and an infinite blue buff… I'm basically invincible!"
He had once thought that even after reincarnating into this world, he would remain nothing more than an ordinary background character.
But the system, even three days late, had gifted him not just power—
It had given him unlimited MP.
Even waiting a hundred days would have been worth it!
Night fell.
Yuichi wasn't tired. Sleep didn't even cross his mind.
Tomorrow was the graduation exam, but that no longer mattered. Passing was already guaranteed.
Right now, he wanted to grind proficiency on his new Water Clone Technique.
Unlimited chakra meant unlimited training.
Ninjutsu weren't useless to level up. In fact, the system defined each jutsu by tier: Elementary → Intermediate → Advanced → Perfect.
With each upgrade, not only did the jutsu's power rise, but the casting speed increased, and even the number of required hand seals decreased.
At "Perfect" mastery, a Genin-level jutsu could be cast instantly—no seals required.
Anywhere, anytime.
Hand seals? Those were for trash-tier ninjas.
The First Hokage, Hashirama himself, could just clap his hands and unleash whatever ninjutsu he wanted. That was what true mastery meant.
Excited beyond belief, Yuichi threw open his door and ran straight out of his tiny apartment.
He sprinted toward the small lake nearby.
Practicing Water Clone required water, and Yuichi wasn't about to waste tap water. Conserving resources was everyone's responsibility!
Even hunger couldn't stop him. Food could wait. Proficiency couldn't.
Standing at the edge of the lake, he formed the seals.
"Water Clone Technique!"
Whoosh!!
The lake churned, water surging upward before shaping itself into a human form—
An identical copy of Yuichi stood beside him.
Thanks to the system, Yuichi didn't need to study or practice the fundamentals. The ninjutsu data had been directly engraved into his mind. He could use it immediately.
But his casting speed was still slow. For actual combat, it was far from enough.
Yuichi smirked.
"One hour. I'll max out Water Clone in one hour."