The Elbow of Karl Malone

After returning home to burn incense and bathe, Uchiha Mai tapped on the dog system's gacha interface.

One should pursue the fleeing enemy with the remaining courage, not seek fame like a hegemon. Tonight's harvest was substantial, so I might as well strike while the iron is hot and enjoy a round of draws.

100 Style Points were deducted, the half-star prize pool spun slowly, and a few seconds later, a card flashed out.

[Karl Malone's Basketball Skills

Karl Malone, a famous basketball player, played as a power forward. He was one of the superstars of the same era as Jordan, was selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

After use, you can learn all of Karl Malone's basketball skills.]

Uchiha Mai: "..."

It is time to behead this dog system as a sacrifice to the heavens!

As expected, the half-star skill was a knowledge-based reward, which was fine. But what the hell is this basketball skill?

If I had transmigrated into a modern urban world, or hadn't transmigrated at all, this would have been a game-changer.

Uchiha Mai didn't know much about basketball. Before transmigrating, he was indeed a sports fan, but a football fan. As for basketball, apart from a few people like Jordan, LeBron James, and the dunk king Curry, he couldn't recognize anyone.

The salaries of basketball players, especially superstars, are generally more generous than those of combat athletes, and it's not nearly as dangerous.

If he had drawn this skill before transmigrating, it would have been more practical than boxing or jiu-jitsu techniques.

If his height and wingspan were sufficient, he could go to America to participate in the draft and play in the NBA. If anyone asked how a football fan could play basketball, he'd just say he was born for it.

Making money isn't shameful.

If his height and wingspan weren't enough, he could still play basketball in college to show off, trick young girls, and see if he could become a campus version of the Canadian Cannon King.

Skills produced by the system are guaranteed to be learned perfectly; one cannot deny that.

Unfortunately, what a pity, this is the Naruto world.

What is the use of basketball skills?

Basketball and Street Dance both sound like unproductive hobbies, but the latter can help Uchiha Mai harvest Style Points from young girls.

The ninja world has had various dances since ancient times; Mai just "invented" a new genre based on that foundation. The visual impact of Street Dance can bring people great shock.

Basketball, a sport that emphasizes confrontation and teamwork, overlaps heavily with the daily training of ninjas and is destined to have no future.

The direct competitor to Street Dance is other forms of dance, while the competitor to basketball is the ninja system itself; it is impossible to promote it, at least not in an era of war.

Uchiha Mai shook his head. Debut as a duo with Killer B? How could I have such a crazy idea? Even if I were to debut, it would be self-taught singing and rap, a solo debut.

Since things have come to this, I'll just treat these 100 Style Points as having been fed to a dog. A mere 100 points, no need to feel the pinch.

Uchiha Mai chose to accept the reward.

Every time he accepted a reward previously, some images would appear in his mind to teach the host how to learn and imitate.

Watching Karl Malone play ball is fine; after all, he is a system-certified basketball superstar from the same era as Jordan. I'll just treat it as looking at objects to remember the past and missing my previous life.

After accepting the reward, Uchiha Mai opened a video clip and glanced at it casually, then suddenly froze on the spot.

What the hell! Is this supposed to be basketball?

In the video, Karl Malone, tall and sturdy with muscles all over and forearms as thick as an ordinary person's waist, jumped up to shoot.

As he landed, he swung his elbow very naturally, "smack," hitting the opposing player next to him on the head, knocking the latter to the ground on the spot and leaving him in shock for several minutes.

In the next clip, Karl Malone was protecting the ball, and with another very natural backward elbow swing, he hit the opposing player in the face again, leaving the latter covered in blood and requiring forty stitches after being carried off.

Shooting, protecting the ball, dribbling, confrontation—in video after video, Karl Malone swung his elbows time and time again, using those big iron elbows to beat his way through the entire NBA.

Elbowing with such vigor!

Elbowing as if in a different lifetime!

Where is this playing basketball? This is clearly fighting with a ball on the side.

Uchiha Mai watched, mesmerized. From his professional perspective, Karl Malone's elbow techniques were also outstanding.

So outstanding that even the action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme, who had studied Muay Thai, was more than a notch inferior in terms of pure technique.

Dog system, I wronged you again.

Basketball skills? Bah, what Karl Malone was playing was clearly mixed martial arts; the brilliance of those elbow techniques is breathtaking.

From great sorrow to great joy, it all happens in a single thought.

Uchiha Mai, feeling excited, rushed into the courtyard on the spot to practice his self-created Mai Style Ancient Martial Arts, attempting to integrate Karl Malone's elbow techniques into them.

Boxing (Mayweather), Jiu-Jitsu (Peng Yuyan), Fantasy Martial Arts (Master Ma), Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Superior Elbow Techniques (Karl Malone)...

Coupled with the Konoha Strong Fist style learned from Might Duy, his taijutsu system was becoming more and more perfect, and his offensive capabilities were becoming stronger and stronger.

Every part of his body was becoming the most lethal weapon!

After a few repetitions, Uchiha Mai had integrated Karl Malone's elbow techniques into his Mai Style Ancient Martial Arts.

Mai Style Ancient Martial Arts is currently just in its infancy, with plenty of room for improvement and modification. Unlike other taijutsu schools, Karl Malone's elbow techniques didn't require him to sift through a multitude of complex skills to find the essence.

Mai Style Ancient Martial Arts, one step further! It would only take a few more days to develop a new, badass move based on elbow techniques.

This time, Uchiha Mai wanted to go even further.

Simple taijutsu techniques were no longer enough to satisfy him.

Phoenix Kirin Asura, Iron Mace, Boom Axe, and several moves he hadn't even used yet—he already had enough ordinary taijutsu.

Uchiha Mai wanted to take a leap forward and attempt to develop Nintaijutsu, fusing taijutsu with Fire Release.

After setting his goal, Uchiha Mai bathed once more and rolled back into his bedroom to sleep.

No motivation today either, I'll start working hard tomorrow.jpg

The next day, Uchiha Mai finished breakfast early and arrived at the location agreed upon with Master Minato.

There were still over ten minutes until the nine o'clock meeting time with Master Minato, yet Might Guy and Kakashi had already arrived.

Might Guy was as energetic as ever, wearing his green spandex suit, frog-jumping around the small lake while shouting slogans; it seemed he had been training for a long time.

Kakashi was also drenched in sweat, holding his short blade and practicing Hatake Style Kenjutsu; he didn't pause his movements in the slightest upon hearing footsteps.

Not bad, I didn't expect to be the last one to arrive; even Kakashi, who was often late in the original plot, was here before me.

After a brief moment of surprise, Uchiha Mai began his daily routine: he leaped onto an ancient tree and sat sprawled out on a branch with his legs wide apart.

Resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together under his chin, he put on a stoic face and acted profound.

His cloak fluttered in the morning breeze, and for a fleeting moment, he gave off the vibe of a lonely master, perfectly cosplaying the classic pose of Bu Jingyun from Wind and Cloud.

Working hard in private and acting cool in public—this was Uchiha Mai's code of conduct. If he didn't act cool every day, how would he gain style points?

Asking for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets.