You Could Always Count on the Silly System

Bzzzt,

Jiang Naruto pushed open the courtyard gate.

In the Sealing Space, Bibi Dong leaned against the Soul Power couch and coughed a few times, trying to forget the earlier awkwardness while grumbling indignantly.

"Little fairy. What a lovely phrase. How could it be an insult?"

"Wasn't it an insult? Was I praising you just now?" Seeing that Bibi Dong was still hung up on it, Jiang Naruto tossed back a casual taunt.

"Hmph!" Bibi Dong shot Naruto a sidelong glance and snorted. "I've never heard anyone use that phrase to insult someone. What, did it turn into a dirty insult just because it passed through your mouth? Is your tongue coated in poison?"

Jiang Naruto rolled his eyes.

"That's right, it's a compliment. You're so confident, old lady. You're practically ancient, and you still call yourself a little fairy. Aren't you embarrassed?"

"You little brat! If you've got the guts, get back here! I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!"

"Can't hear you, can't hear you..."

Jiang Naruto covered his ears and shook his head like a rattle drum, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.

Bibi Dong's forehead veins bulged as she gritted her teeth.

What an infuriating brat!

In this Sealing Space, unless Bibi Dong wanted to take Jiang Naruto down with her, she truly had no way to deal with the brat at all.

Still, Bibi Dong had it all backward. She was the prisoner here, yet she spent every day thinking about how to deal with her jailer?

That was no ordinary criminal!

She needed a hard-hitting lesson!

That was Naruto's thought. Bibi Dong, however, had other things on her mind.

A few breaths later, seeing that Naruto was turning a deaf ear, Bibi Dong could only clutch her heaving chest, grumble, and sit back down on the Soul Power couch to calm herself.

That brat was unbelievably stupid!

Bibi Dong cursed him inwardly, ranking Naruto's intelligence below that of the great ape Tang Hao.

Even as an enemy, Bibi Dong had once been secretly astonished by how quickly the Shrek Seven Devils cultivated. Even Zhu Zhuqing, the least gifted among them, had become a Titled Douluo in her early twenties, a record-breaker on the continent.

Naruto didn't know it, but Bibi Dong did: although the brat appeared to have been born with Soul Power Level six, his cultivation speed was barely any different from someone with Innate Full Soul Power.

With his talent, slipping into the currently down-and-out Shrek Academy would be a piece of cake.

All he had to do was calmly follow the memories of his previous life, and the brat could become a Titled Douluo by the age of twenty.

As a Titled Douluo, the brat would be strong enough to withstand her god-level Soul Power. Then, ambushing Tang San from behind would be a sure thing. She would have her revenge, and the brat would become one of the continent's powerful figures!

And yet he'd refused!

What did he mean, doing things honorably?

He could talk about being honorable and a gentleman all he wanted, but who knew what sort of shady, filthy things he did behind closed doors?

With her anger rising, Bibi Dong suddenly paused. A golden figure flashed through her mind. He was smiling at her warmly and kindly, while behind him the golden radiance of an angel silently faded, replaced by sinister chains!

Bibi Dong's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and every hair on her body stood on end!

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, Bibi Dong's sleeves whipped about. Her Soul Power surged out of control like a shock wave!

Water splashed up from the ground, and the Soul Power couch beneath her was instantly crushed to dust. Her rampaging purple-black Soul Power formed a storm that swept the Sealing Space clean.

"What happened?"

Jiang Naruto sent his consciousness into the space and stared blankly at the storm within.

"Nothing."

Bibi Dong turned her head slightly and replied coldly, raising a hand to disperse the raging Soul Power.

With its source gone, the black storm vanished in an instant. The water it had swept up came pouring down like a torrential rain.

Standing in the downpour, Jiang Naruto glanced at the rain in the air, then at Bibi Dong's icy expression, and murmured,

"You think this looks like nothing happened?"

"Brat, since you insist on being some so-called gentleman and refuse to take the broad, smooth road I've laid out for you, think carefully about the consequences."

Bibi Dong's voice was chilly as she abruptly changed the subject, with no intention of explaining herself.

"Tang San's rate of growth is rare even in the history of the continent. Don't make me wait decades, only for Tang San to become a god while you're still a Spirit King or Spirit Ancestor..."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes. Jiang Naruto saw the look, reined in his expression, and nodded solemnly.

"I understand."

"Hmph. Good. Don't disappoint me, you gentleman..." Bibi Dong gave a few mocking chuckles, biting down hard on the last few words.

"How does 'gentleman' turn into an insult whenever it comes out of your mouth?"

Jiang Naruto complained with a frown,

Bibi Dong's fingertip twitched, and a chair made of Soul Power appeared beside her again.

Bibi Dong sat back in the chair and returned to her usual demeanor, but she merely propped her chin on her hand and turned away. Whatever Naruto said after that, she ignored him.

Jiang Naruto had no idea what Dong Trumpet was getting up to now. After scratching his head and thinking it over for a while, he decided that the phrase "old lady" must have been too sharp and hit a sore spot.

Naruto wasn't going to apologize for stating a fact. He'd leave Dong Trumpet to work through her feelings and accept reality on her own.

His consciousness returned.

Looking out at the ordinary courtyard, Naruto sat on the steps and let out a long breath.

What Bibi Dong had said was true. A few days ago, Naruto might have had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it, or find a way to survive amid the chaos. But now...

My sword was plenty sharp too!

In the corner of his eye, a familiar red dot waited to be claimed.

[Major Event Witness: You witnessed Naruto and Sasuke enroll in the Ninja Academy. Reward obtained. Claim it?]

An electronic voice rang in his ears. Jiang Naruto's gaze sharpened as he silently thought,

Yes!

There was no mysterious sensation. A light appeared in his palm, and it felt as if something had suddenly appeared in his hand. Before Jiang Naruto could make it out, the system had already explained.

[The six-year Ninja Academy textbook collection (Third Hokage's meticulously written and annotated edition) has been issued!]

Though no one had activated a time stop, the silent courtyard seemed frozen in time.

Staring at the few bold, wildly calligraphed characters on the book in his hands, Naruto's face turned ashen and his hands trembled. After a long while, he slowly rose and slammed the book onto the ground!

"You've got to be kidding me!"

The following day,

Early in the morning, Principal Fuqi sat at his desk and looked at the two people in front of him in confusion.

"Grandmaster? What brings you here?"

"Little San was born with Innate Full Soul Power. We can't delay. I'm taking him to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt for a Spirit Ring." Grandmaster's anger from the previous day hadn't entirely subsided, and his tone was rather cold.

Principal Fuqi gave an awkward chuckle and bent down to rummage through the cabinet for a Soul Hunting Permit.

"Is that so? Which Soul Hunting team are you planning to hire, Grandmaster? Reliable teams don't come cheap these days. How about I take you after I finish the entrance ceremony? I may only be a level-forty Soul Ancestor, but..."

"No need!"

Whatever Grandmaster had been told, it had clearly struck a nerve. Yu Xiaogang raised his voice and cut him off sharply.

"It's only a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring. I can handle it myself! I'm a Spirit Master too!"

"...I understand..."

Principal Fuqi wore a rueful smile as he handed over the Soul Hunting Permit he'd found.

The carriage carrying the teacher and student creaked as it headed toward the academy gate.

Yu Xiaogang sat at the front of the carriage in silence, not yet recovered from the previous day's dejection. Beside him, Tang San turned to look at his teacher and unconsciously clenched his fists.

"Little San? Where are you going?"

A lively voice suddenly rang in his ears. Tang San turned around and saw the energetic Xiao Wu bounding after the carriage.

She bent her legs, pushed off, and sprang onto the carriage like a coiled spring.

The front of the carriage was narrow to begin with, and now there were three people crammed together.

Xiao Wu pressed close to Tang San, nearly bringing her face right up to his. Tang San's face turned red. He wanted to ask his teacher for help, but Grandmaster only smiled and said nothing. Tang San could only stammer out an answer himself.

"We're... going Soul Hunting. We were born with Innate Full Soul Power, and our Soul Power Level is already ten. We need to get a Spirit Ring to keep cultivating. Xiao Wu, when are you going Soul Hunting? Maybe I could ask my teacher to take you along too?"

Xiao Wu paused, as if she'd suddenly remembered something, then hurriedly waved her hands in refusal.

"No, no! An uncle from my family is taking me Soul Hunting tomorrow!"

"Is that so..."

Tang San looked disappointed.

Xiao Wu answered with a few nods, then leaped off the carriage as if escaping. She patted her chest to calm herself, then stood by the roadside and waved to Tang San in the carriage, watching the two of them leave through the academy gate.

From inside the classroom, Jiang Naruto glanced through the window at them in the distance, then looked back down at the book in front of him. Jiang Naruto could keep his composure, but someone else couldn't.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Tang San's first Spirit Ring should be around four hundred years old. After absorbing it, his Soul Power Level might reach twelve. That'll be twice your current level."

Bibi Dong analyzed how quickly Tang San's strength was improving, then looked back at Jiang Naruto, who remained unmoved.

"How about you go capture that hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit now? Tang Hao is definitely following Tang San, but there's no Titled Douluo following that rabbit."

"Then keep her locked in a basement for a few years, until my Soul Power Level is high enough to absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and then kill her for it?" Jiang Naruto looked at Bibi Dong with disdain. "You're into captivity play? She's underage, too. Careful, or I'll report you."

"Fine, fine. You're an honorable man..."

Bibi Dong rolled her pretty eyes. Seeing that Jiang Naruto ignored her and only lowered his head to read, she taunted him a few more times.

"Don't fall too far behind Tang San. I really don't know how you still have the free time to read this lousy Heavenly Book."

"No, no."

Jiang Naruto didn't even turn his head, completely absorbed in the thick Heavenly Book in front of him.

"This isn't some lousy book. It's the steps that'll take me to the Sky Throne!"

Jiang Naruto opened the Ninja Academy textbook in front of him and slowly, awkwardly formed the Hand Seals. Soul Power flowed along fixed meridians as he adjusted its output. Then he silently thought,

Clone Technique!

Poof!

Smoke burst from Naruto's palm!

The sound wasn't loud, and the rowdy little kids nearby didn't notice.

There wasn't really anything to notice, either. Apart from the smoke slowly dissipating from Jiang Naruto's palm, he sat in his seat as usual. Nothing had happened.

That was because of the angle. Bibi Dong in the Sealing Space, however, could clearly feel the Soul Power being drained from Jiang Naruto's body.

He must have just done something!

"Brat! What are you doing?"

"Look at this!"

Jiang Naruto didn't explain. Instead, he excitedly opened his clasped hands a crack.

Watching through Jiang Naruto's eyes, the curious Bibi Dong froze, her pupils shrinking. There, in Jiang Naruto's palm, a little thing less than ten centimeters tall had appeared at some point—a Little Naruto!