Yoru didn't stop in the middle of the lake.
Instead, he continued walking toward the base of the waterfall.
He wanted to test his limits.
The moment Dōichi saw him heading toward the crashing torrent, his expression changed.
"Yoru, that's enough! Don't go any further—it's dangerous!"
But Yoru didn't stop.
The closer he drew to the waterfall, the louder the thunderous roar became. The crashing water pounded against the lake surface, sending violent sprays into the air.
His heartbeat quickened.
Still, he pressed on.
Dōichi hurried toward him, ready to intervene—
But when he came within a few meters, he stopped.
He saw the look in Yoru's eyes.
Focused. Calm. Determined.
He understood.
Though worried, he chose to respect his student's will.
"Rumble—! Rumble—!"
The waterfall slammed into the lake with explosive force. Water spray lashed against Yoru's body, soaking his clothes.
Yet his face remained expressionless as he advanced.
The lake beneath him surged violently.
His body rose and fell with the waves—
But his feet remained firmly planted.
Chakra clung tightly to the water beneath his soles.
When he reached within five or six meters of the falling torrent, he finally stopped.
Not because he had lost balance—
But because the spray had grown overwhelming.
The constant impact made it difficult to move forward.
Yoru silently assessed the result.
If I step into the center, I won't sink…
But the waterfall itself would crush me into the water.
The force was simply too great.
His body wasn't strong enough yet to withstand that direct impact.
He was testing limits—
Not courting death.
Taking a few steps back, Yoru turned.
Dōichi stood on guard, ready to rush in at any moment.
In that instant, Yoru truly acknowledged him.
Cold personality aside—
The man had been genuinely worried.
Yoru smiled.
"Sensei, looks like I've mastered it."
Dōichi finally exhaled in relief.
He walked over and patted Yoru's soaked shoulder.
"You're too reckless."
"Testing your limits is one thing, but that was dangerous."
"You're still a rookie. The waterfall's force isn't something you can endure yet."
Yoru merely smiled.
They returned to shore.
Shumu and Tada were stunned into silence.
The image of Yoru walking toward the roaring torrent lingered in their minds.
At that moment—
He had looked almost divine.
They hadn't realized the gap between them was this vast.
Mother was wrong, Tada thought silently.
Yoru is not someone unworthy of trust.
Shumu, meanwhile, stared at him with open admiration.
"Yoru, how did you even do that? You scared me to death!"
"I can't believe you stood steady in that current!"
Yoru only smiled faintly.
With water-walking mastered, cleaning the lake became far easier.
Even the debris near the waterfall was manageable.
Yoru tied steel wire to kunai and hooked the trash from a distance.
At the Academy, aside from the Three Basic Techniques, he had trained his tool-throwing diligently.
After unlocking his chakra limitations and gaining exceptional learning ability—
His skill with ninja tools had become almost artistic.
Even Dōichi might not surpass him in that regard.
By late afternoon, the lake was clean.
The three students sat beneath a tree to rest.
Shumu and Tada were drenched in sweat.
Yoru, aside from his soaked clothes, felt barely fatigued.
He could have finished the task alone far faster.
But the mission wasn't about efficiency.
It was about growth.
"Tired?" Dōichi asked calmly.
"This was a simple mission. No real danger."
"When you start receiving combat assignments, you'll understand what being a ninja truly means."
He glanced at the darkening sky.
"It's getting late. Let's report in."
"After that, I'll treat you to barbecue."
Shumu sprang up instantly.
"Sensei, you're the best! Barbecue!"
Even for ninja, barbecue was expensive.
Eat too much, and you could empty a jōnin's wallet.
Thankfully, none of them ate like Chōji.
Yoru stood as well, smiling.
"Sensei's unusually generous today."
Tada followed with a soft laugh.
"I used to think sensei was hard to approach."
Dōichi said nothing.
He had been difficult in the past.
Strict. Severe.
But these were his first students.
And Yoru—
Yoru was someone he hoped to personally cultivate.
Naturally, he treated them differently.
After reporting the mission and finishing dinner, Yoru returned home.
He lay down and let his consciousness sink into the inner space.
A mechanical voice echoed.
"Your chakra control has doubled."
"You have acquired all five basic chakra natures."
Yoru nearly jumped off the bed.
"All five?!"
"This reward is insane!"
"That means I have full elemental affinity now?"
"Only Yin and Yang remain… but even without them, having all five basic natures is already extraordinary."
Across the ninja world, possessing all five elemental natures was rare.
There was a reason Kakuzu had hunted so many ninja—
He wanted five-element mastery.
And now—
Yoru had obtained it in a single reward.
How could he not be thrilled?
Previously, he hadn't even known his natural affinity.
Now it didn't matter.
He had them all.
Which meant—
Aside from Yin–Yang-based techniques—
He could learn virtually any ninjutsu.
In this moment, he felt even more excited than when he had unlocked his chakra limitations.
Five-element chakra was practically protagonist-level talent in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Naruto had begun with Wind nature—
Yet in the end, both he and Sasuke wielded all elements.
"If it continues like this… even Yin and Yang might be possible someday."
"This so-called 'Idle System'…"
"It's terrifying."
It was supposed to help him idle and grow passively.
Instead—
It was shaping him into something far beyond ordinary limits.
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