The moment the familiar system text appeared, Ren's eyelid twitched violently.
He immediately focused on the notification window floating in front of him. This time, the icon displayed a chibi red-haired girl, framed by flickering flames.
[Potential Romance Target: Great Fireball Technique]
[Dialogue]
A: Hello, my name is Ren. It's nice to meet you.
B: Your flames are truly a beautiful form of art.
C: You play with fire, and you've caught my attention. Be my ninjutsu, and I'll make you the strongest Fire Release in the world.
Ren stared at the three choices in silence.
"...What is this?"
"Why does the third one sound like some ridiculous overbearing lord confession?"
The secondhand embarrassment hit him so hard that his scalp tingled.
Still, after a brief internal struggle, Ren suppressed his shame and picked the safest answer.
A.
A second later, the system reacted.
A fiery red dialogue box appeared before him, its edges shimmering like living flames.
[Great Fireball Technique: Hmph. Where did this brat come from? I've never heard of you.]
[Great Fireball Technique: To think you dare strike up a conversation with this young lady... how laughable. Step aside. Don't block my path.]
The dialogue box vanished.
At the same time, the flame icon in the target list instantly turned gray.
Ren blinked.
"...What?"
"Did I pick the wrong answer?"
He barely had time to think before reality pulled him back.
Nearby, Obito was standing proudly with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out so far he looked like he might topple over.
"Well, Rin?" Obito said, trying to sound cool. "That was amazing, right?"
Rin's eyes sparkled as she clapped.
"That was incredible, Obito! I didn't know you'd already started learning Fire Release!"
Ren also clapped along, then casually added, "Yeah, that really was amazing. It happened a little too fast, though. I didn't get a good look."
He tilted his head innocently.
"Can you do it again?"
Obito immediately turned toward him.
"Why shou—"
Before he could refuse, Ren smoothly turned to Rin.
"I'm sure Rin wants to see it one more time too, right?"
Rin blinked, then nodded without hesitation.
"Yes! I'd love to!"
The effect was immediate.
Obito straightened like he'd just been injected with pure adrenaline.
"Fine!" he declared heroically. "Then I'll perform it again! Watch carefully this time!"
He took a deep breath, formed the signs, and shouted:
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A huge ball of flames burst from his mouth once again, illuminating the dim forest with a fierce orange glow.
Then another.
And another.
"Great Fireball Technique!"
"Great Fireball Technique!"
"Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito kept going, clearly determined to show off until the last possible second. By the time he stopped, his chakra was nearly exhausted, and he was secretly panting, though he still forced himself to stand tall and act calm.
Meanwhile, Ren's attention was fixed entirely on the system.
Sure enough, when Obito cast the technique for the third time, the text box reappeared.
[You remained in the forest for a long time and encountered the Great Fireball Technique again.]
[She seems somewhat surprised to see you still here, but after a moment, she pauses and looks at you with an arrogant expression.]
[Great Fireball Technique: Why is it you again? Hmph. Do you really think waiting here gives you a chance to know me? Dream on.]
[Great Fireball Technique: Still... since you're fairly good-looking and at least patient enough, I suppose I can spare a few moments to hear what you have to say.]
The same three dialogue options appeared.
This time, Ren chose B.
"Your flames are truly a beautiful form of art."
The response came instantly.
[Great Fireball Technique: Art? What a shallow compliment. Don't try to flatter me with empty words.]
[Great Fireball Technique: Beauty means nothing. Only absolute power and heat that burns everything to ash deserve to be called truth. Come back when you can at least spit out a spark.]
Ren stared.
"...Wrong again?"
He was just about to wonder if the system really expected him to pick the painfully embarrassing third option when another message popped up.
[Great Fireball Technique Favorability +1]
[Added to Current Target List]
[Great Fireball Technique — Favorability: 1/100 (Stranger)]
[Available Actions: Dialogue / Practice]
Ren paused.
Then he slowly understood.
"...So she's a tsundere."
That explained a lot.
The more he used this strange system, the more Ren felt like he was playing an absurd dating game built entirely around ninjutsu.
The Three Basic Jutsu had already been learned and basically mastered at the academy, so when the system activated, they had been bound to him automatically.
And based on their personalities…
The Transformation Technique was clearly the gentle, approachable older sister type. She started with decent favorability, spoke warmly, and even took the initiative to encourage him.
The Clone Technique was the sharp-tongued younger sister who acted hostile for no reason and clearly carried a lot of bitterness about her own place in the world.
The Substitution Technique was the quiet, distant one who observed everything from the shadows, said very little, and only showed approval indirectly.
And now—
The Great Fireball Technique had appeared like a proud young lady from a noble family, fiery and arrogant from the very first meeting.
Honestly, the more Ren thought about it, the more ridiculous it became.
And yet…
It was also kind of fun.
He could almost imagine her appearance now—a proud red-haired girl standing with folded arms, chin raised, clearly looking down on everyone while secretly caring about what they thought.
If only the system had actual illustrations, the immersion would have been even better.
Unfortunately, it was just text.
Still, the image in his head was already vivid enough.
Ren let out a breath and pulled his attention back to reality.
In front of him, Obito was still basking in praise like a flower soaking up sunlight.
So Ren joined Rin and began praising him as well.
Unlike the average eight-year-old in the ninja world, Ren had the language ability of someone who had lived two lifetimes. When it came to compliments, Obito never stood a chance.
"That was seriously impressive."
"The control was great."
"The shape was stable too."
"And the firepower was way beyond what I expected."
By the time Ren was done, Obito's grin was harder to suppress than a blade coming out of its sheath. He even forgot to keep glancing at Rin for approval.
"Hmph," Obito said, trying and failing to look humble. "I didn't expect you to have such good taste, Ren."
He crossed his arms and raised his chin.
"Now you understand how amazing I am, right?"
Then, with the seriousness of someone asking a life-or-death question, he leaned closer.
"So tell me—who do you think is stronger? Me or Kakashi?"
Ren didn't even pause.
"You, obviously."
"How could Kakashi compare to you?"
Obito froze.
"R-Really?"
He scratched the back of his head, suddenly embarrassed.
"I didn't expect you to think that highly of me…"
Then he straightened again, his confidence surging back like a flood.
"Fine! Since you understand my greatness so well, when I become Hokage in the future, I'll save a spot for you as my advisor!"
Ren nodded solemnly.
"Then I really should thank you in advance."
By the time they finished talking, the last traces of sunlight had disappeared from the sky.
The forest had grown dim, and the air was noticeably colder.
Only then did Obito reluctantly stop showing off.
The three of them walked back toward the exit of the training ground together before parting ways.
Obito headed back toward the Uchiha compound.
Ren and Rin Nohara walked side by side toward the civilian district.
The evening road was quiet.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Rin suddenly sighed softly.
"Ever since Kakashi became a Chunin… it feels like everyone has started working so much harder."
She glanced sideways at Ren.
"Obito is practicing harder."
"Guy trains every day like he's possessed."
"And you too, Ren."
"If this keeps going, I feel like I won't even be able to see your backs anymore."
Ren was silent for a moment.
He almost laughed.
His own effort had nothing to do with Kakashi's promotion. He wasn't chasing genius.
He was trying to survive.
That was all.
But Rin's concern reflected the reality of the ninja world for most civilians.
The academy didn't actually teach very much.
For children from ordinary families, graduating with the Three Basic Jutsu and some standard taijutsu was already considered normal.
Even many Chunin spent their whole lives with nothing beyond those basics.
Anyone lucky enough to learn one or two C-rank ninjutsu could already be considered a backbone among ordinary ninja.
Ren's thoughts suddenly drifted elsewhere.
When exactly did Rin learn medical ninjutsu?
He knew from the original story that she eventually became skilled in the field, but the series had never clearly explained when or how that began.
And it definitely wasn't part of the standard academy curriculum.
He thought about it for a while, but nothing came to mind.
In the end, he could only give the answer that felt most reasonable.
"Don't say that."
Ren looked at Rin seriously.
"Your talent is actually really good."
Rin blinked in surprise.
"Mine?"
"Yeah."
Ren nodded.
"Your Three Basic Jutsu are solid. Your chakra control is stable. And you're careful, patient, and observant."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"Maybe… instead of comparing yourself to the others, you should think about what kind of ninja suits you best."
Rin tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
Ren looked ahead at the road, thinking as he spoke.
"Someone like Guy is built for brute-force physical training."
"Someone like Obito has clan techniques and natural advantages."
"Kakashi is just… Kakashi."
He exhaled softly.
"But you're different."
"You're precise."
"Calm under pressure."
"And you notice things other people miss."
He turned to her.
"If you ask me, you might be better suited for medical ninjutsu."
Rin stopped walking for half a step.
"Medical ninjutsu?"
Her voice carried a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
Ren nodded.
"Yeah."
"You have the kind of chakra control it needs."
"And more importantly, you have the right personality for it."
"Careful hands, patience, and attention to detail matter just as much as talent."
Rin lowered her eyes slightly, clearly thinking hard about his words.
The cool night breeze brushed past them.
For a few seconds, only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.
Then Rin looked up again.
"Do you really think so?"
Ren smiled.
"I do."
And for the first time that evening, Rin's expression changed.
It wasn't her usual gentle smile.
It was quieter than that.
Softer.
As if Ren's words had opened a door she had never seriously considered before.
"Then…"
Rin lightly held the edge of her sleeve and smiled.
"I'll think about it."
Under the dim evening sky, the two children continued walking home through the quiet streets of Konoha.
And somewhere inside Ren's mind, the ridiculous system remained silent for the moment—
As though it, too, was waiting to see what would happen next.