Konoha, Training Ground 3. The sun hung high in the sky.
Clang.
The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out continuously. The ninja sword in Night's hand thrust forward at a bizarre angle, the tip stopping precisely in front of Nawaki's throat.
Cold sweat beaded on Nawaki's forehead. He hadn't seen how that strike broke through his defense at all.
"Lost again."
Nawaki put away his kunai dejectedly. "Night-nii, your progress in the last six months has been insane."
Night sheathed his sword with a fluid motion.
Over the past half-year, under Orochimaru's rigorous guidance, the abilities he had gained from the System finally found a solid foundation.
The branding of the Flying Raijin formula had become instinctive, though he still needed to work on his neural reaction speed for continuous teleportation.
The first four gates of the Eight Gates felt as natural as breathing to him. Aside from consuming stamina, they had virtually no side effects.
His shape transformation of chakra, previously reliant on the System's direct infusion, was now thoroughly mastered. He had planned to give Jiraiya the inspiration for the Rasengan and then pick up the finished product, but now, he was close to completing the jutsu on his own.
"It's not that I'm progressing fast; it's that your combat thinking is still superficial."
Night casually tossed a kunai toward Nawaki. "Every move you make telegraphs your intent. In a real battle, those are fatal flaws."
Nawaki caught the kunai, looking thoughtful.
" simply put: you're trash, so practice more (git gud)," Night added, twisting the knife.
"..."
"..."
Over the past six months, Nawaki had witnessed Night's rapid growth firsthand. What was more terrifying was that this transformation didn't seem to have reached its limit yet.
In the shadows at the edge of the training ground, Orochimaru watched everything silently. A flash of satisfaction appeared in his snake-like pupils. Teaching a genius was indeed a delightful experience for both body and mind.
Night's growth rate exceeded his expectations. His exquisite tactical thinking and unique understanding of chakra were completely beyond what someone his age should possess.
"Teacher Orochimaru." Night keenly sensed the gaze.
Orochimaru walked slowly out of the shadows, his eyes lingering on Night for a moment. "Have you finished reading the medical ninjutsu scrolls?"
"I finished taking notes last night."
Night pulled a scroll from his vest. "I have some ideas regarding the section on chakra stimulating cell regeneration."
For the next half hour, only Night's calm narration and Orochimaru's occasional questions echoed in the training ground.
When Night mentioned concepts like "chakra saturation coverage" and "spontaneous immune response to foreign cell invasion," a sharp light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
"Interesting theories."
Orochimaru's tongue inadvertently licked his lips. "Starting tomorrow, I will give you some data. You can try analyzing it."
Watching Orochimaru's retreating figure, Night sneered internally.
For the past six months, he had carefully used knowledge from his past life as bait—showing enough value without revealing too many of his cards—waiting for Orochimaru to extend an olive branch.
---
Another half-month later, at dusk.
Night had just finished sparring with Nawaki.
"I can't... I can't do it anymore!"
Nawaki collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. "Night-nii, your Adamantine Sealing Chains are getting more and more perverted. Attacking from those tricky angles is just dirty!"
Night retracted the faint golden chains floating around him and shook his head slightly. "Still far from enough. If facing a true powerhouse, this level of concealment won't cut it."
Just then, light footsteps approached from the edge of the training ground.
"Nawaki, you go back first," Orochimaru's raspy voice rang out.
Nawaki tactfully packed up his gear and left, leaving the master and disciple alone.
"Is there an experiment..."
"An outside mission."
Orochimaru tossed a scroll to him. "Target: Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water. Confirm the current status of the Chinoike clan and bring back bloodline samples."
Night unfurled the scroll, his gaze lingering on the words "Ketsuryūgan" (Blood Dragon Eye).
The Chinoike clan, famous for their dojutsu Ketsuryūgan, was once a bloodline clan capable of rivaling the Uchiha.
It was ridiculous to think such a powerful clan was exiled entirely for offending the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning. Now imprisoned in Hell Valley, with the Uchiha clan of Konoha involved in their supervision.
"The environment in Hell Valley is special, and..." Night looked up at Orochimaru. "That's a supervision zone under the Uchiha clan."
"That's exactly why I chose you." Orochimaru smiled meaningfully. "Yashiro Uchiha happens to be on rotation duty there recently. If necessary, you can seek his help."
Night instantly understood the deeper meaning of this mission. It was both for experimental needs and a test of his relationship with the Uchiha.
Perhaps both Hiruzen and Danzo wanted to see how far he could go. It wasn't necessarily a trap.
"Mission time limit?"
"No limit." Orochimaru turned and melted into the shadows. "But remember, the value of a living specimen is far higher than a corpse."
Night put away the scroll, a look of anticipation in his eyes. After more than half a year of training, it was time to stretch his muscles.
He turned and walked toward the Ninja Academy. With the return date for this mission uncertain, he needed to make some arrangements beforehand.
---
The setting sun dyed the academy playground gold. The dismissal bell had just rung.
Night stood under the shade of a tree, watching the students file out. Soon, he spotted that familiar flash of blond hair, along with the red-haired Kushina beside him.
"Minato, Kushina," Night called out.
Minato turned at the sound, surprise in his eyes. "Night-nii? What are you doing here?"
"I have to leave for a mission. I'm afraid I'll miss your graduation ceremony," Night said with a helpless shrug.
"The mission is important," Minato smiled understandingly, not seemingly minding.
Night beckoned for them to follow him.
They went to a quiet spot. Night took out a custom kunai and a scroll that still smelled faintly of ink from his pocket.
"This is for you. No need to rush into training with this jutsu; focus on understanding the theory first." He pressed the scroll into Minato's hand. Night wasn't worried; Minato wasn't the type to rush things for quick success.
"A special graduation gift. Remember, this is a secret between us," Night smiled meaningfully.
Minato solemnly put the scroll away, unaware of its immense value, and whispered, "I understand."
After instructing Minato, Night looked at Kushina. "Your constitution is special. Don't force yourself with ordinary ninjutsu; focus on discovering your own potential. Spend more time with your clansmen when you can; it won't hurt. I'll make up for your graduation gift when I get back."
By the time he left the academy, night had fallen. Night looked back at the brightly lit school building, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Returning the Flying Raijin to its rightful owner should help Minato grow even faster. As for Kushina's Uzumaki constitution, he had his own plans.
It was a pity Tsunade was out on a mission; he couldn't see her before leaving.
"Next time we meet, I hope you'll all have made great strides."
Night turned and vanished into the darkness, heading out of the village. The mission in Hell Valley might be more interesting than he imagined.