Glowering in the doorway, Yamanaka Kiyoshi sent them out. Reiji stood obediently in the hall with Minato, Shikaku, and Chōza.
"Minato, why are you out here too?" Chōza asked, chewing.
"I… just turned to look at you guys," Minato admitted.
"Tragic," Chōza sighed.
"Training field?" Reiji suggested.
"Huh? We're being punished," Minato said.
"What does the teacher know? It's called balancing work and rest."
"I'll come," Shikaku yawned. "But I'm just going to… supervise."
One wanted to "train," the other to "slack." In truth, both were ditching.
"C'mon," Reiji grinned, hauling Chōza along. "I'll show you something good."
In the classroom, Kiyoshi watched them slip off and only sighed. For clan kids, this lecture was too basic anyway. Let it be.
At the small clearing Reiji and Minato had set up, Shikaku looked around, impressed.
"Not bad."
"It's mostly Reiji," Minato said, embarrassed.
"Where's the 'something good'?" Chōza asked.
Reiji's smile turned sly. "Wanna see the ability that made Inuzuka Ryo faint?"
"The one that made him think he died?" Shikaku flopped onto the grass. "I'll watch."
Reiji extended his hand—
—in an instant, the world folded. The four vanished.
They came to inside the Duel Arena. Reiji and Minato on one side; Shikaku and Chōza on the other. A pale screen shimmered between them: [Two-on-Two Duel].
"So this is your kekkei genkai?" Shikaku tested Shadow Possession—perfect. Genjutsu Release did nothing. "Carrying a personal training ground… I'm actually jealous."
"Training rules," Reiji said. "Leave by 'dying' or after six hours."
"I'll pass," Shikaku replied, lying down and crossing his legs. "You train. I'll optimize my… recovery."
"Chōza! Don't run off—there are no boundaries," Reiji called, as the big guy explored the horizon. Chōza trudged back, disappointed. "Wanted to roll across with Human Bullet Tank."
"Clan secret?" Reiji asked.
"Yeah," Chōza nodded. "Like Nara Shadow Possession and Yamanaka Mind Body Switch Technique. Together we're Ino–Shika–Chō—we've got combo jutsu too."
"No wonder you three are always together," Minato said.
"Alright," Reiji unrolled a ninjutsu scroll. "Best part? While we're in here, our bodies outside are also training. The experience carries over. If danger approaches, your subconscious takes over to protect you. Sometimes you even exceed your usual limits."
Shikaku shot upright, eyes suddenly starry. "Our bodies outside… are training too?"
"That's right."
Shikaku grabbed Reiji's shoulders and bowed. "From now on, please take me every time you train!"
Reiji: "…"
Hopeless. But harmless. The Arena was huge; one more person didn't matter. And with Battle Mode off, the system guarded his real body—optimizing every muscle and every drop of chakra. Even Reiji couldn't outfight the version of himself the system piloted. (Unlike Dan Katō's Spirit Transformation, there was no easy opening.)
On the Academy roof, a blank ANBU mask traced four chakra signatures as they drifted beyond campus—then marked one, Reiji, for continuous observation.