A Childhood Vow

After the exhibition match ended, my parents were also freed from their long-term mission. For quite a while, I stopped going to Ichiraku Ramen.

But I wasn't just alternating between staying home and training. Obito often came to my house on his own to drag me out to play, so I got to know many other friends as well.

Most importantly, Rin came almost every time. Whenever we played make-believe, she and I were basically always on the same team, and we gradually started talking more and more.

Sometimes, Rin would come watch me train, preparing towels and water beside me. She even helped me with some stretching exercises.

She really was such a gentle girl. Even when I was running, she would rest her chin on her hands and watch me. Sometimes, when she could manage it, she would run alongside me.

Since I had learned the Shadow Clone, I began blindfolded endurance training under Hill's guidance. It reminded me of Monkey D. Luffy's Haki training.

But wouldn't battle aura and Haki overlap in function?

Observation Haki was certainly powerful, but after gaining a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and battle aura, I didn't really need that ability. As for Conqueror's Haki Infusion...

First, I had to possess Conqueror's Haki in the first place. Could someone like me, with no grand ambitions, even have Conqueror's Haki?

[Teacher Hill, don't you think the recent training intensity has been a little too high?]

At that moment, I had just endured inhuman torture. I was drenched in sweat, and my limbs felt as though they had fallen apart, completely devoid of strength.

Still, I could clearly feel my strength growing. A year had passed, and I could now vaguely sense my chakra forming battle aura around my body.

Unfortunately, it was still rather weak. At most, my current battle aura could defend against ordinary kunai thrown by a Chunin. If I took a ninjutsu attack or a chakra-infused kunai, I would still be knocked flat.

But judging from raw strength alone, I should already be at Chunin level.

Hill had never allowed me to train in ninjutsu, though. Aside from the most basic chakra refinement my mother taught me, perhaps ninjutsu simply wasn't useful at this stage.

Looks like I could only find a chance to learn it after enrolling this year. Who got reincarnated into Naruto without wanting to desperately learn a couple of badass ninjutsu and show off at school?

As for swordsmanship, Dad would guide me whenever he had time, and I seemed to have a bit of talent for it.

[Lord Qingyue, if you have rested enough, it is about time for the next training exercise. Please use the power of your Devil Fruit and combine it with the Sword God Style's method of using battle aura.]

Over the past year, aside from basic battle aura and Haki training, Hill had also taught me the Sword God Style's swordsmanship methods.

Well... it wasn't some especially advanced swordsmanship. Simply put, it involved using faster, more precise sword trajectories to seize the right opportunity and swiftly defeat the opponent.

Even the Ultimate Secret Art: Blade of Light and the countermeasure against it, Light Reversal, were merely a full-speed slash and interrupting the opponent with an even faster strike just before their attack landed.

After entering Fenrir Werewolf Form, I drew the old ninja sword I had borrowed from my father. I gathered chakra, transformed it into battle aura, and wrapped it around my body and blade.

In this form, I could fight even the early-story Kakashi. Once I developed the powers of Wind and Snow, Lightning, and Flame, my strength would definitely rival Kakashi during the Ninja War.

If I developed battle aura and Haki by then as well, sparring with Madara for fun definitely wouldn't be a problem.

My target was a boulder twice a person's height. I placed the ninja sword behind my left waist, lowered my center of gravity, and assumed an iaijutsu stance.

I took a deep breath, exhaled, then inhaled again... Every muscle in my body swelled to the limit, as though my blood vessels were about to burst at any moment.

After concentrating all my battle aura into my feet, I released all the air I had inhaled in one breath.

My feet slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater. Once I closed in on the massive rock, all my battle aura wrapped around the right side of my body and the ninja sword. Then, borrowing the strength enhancement granted by the Mythical Zoan, I swung with all my might.

"Clang—"

The ninja sword swept across the boulder, carving a fairly deep crack into it. Once the slash ended, my left and right feet hit the ground one after the other, finally stabilizing my body.

"Whew... That seemed much better than last time."

[As expected of Lord Qingyue. With such speed, combined with your harmless, handsome, adorable, and perfect appearance, you can absolutely kill an enemy with a single strike upon first meeting them.]

What?

[Teacher Hill, I mean... forget it. I feel like no matter how I explain it, you'll only lead me further off track.]

After training several more times using the same method, my body finally could no longer bear the strain, and Hill finally relented, ending today's training.

It was already evening. My parents still weren't home today, so as usual, I took some money and headed to Ichiraku Ramen.

I pulled aside the curtain. The only person inside waiting for ramen was the adorable Rin Nohara.

"Eh? Qingyue, you came for ramen today too? What a coincidence."

"It is. My parents are still out on a mission today. They'll be back the day after tomorrow, which also happens to be my fifth birthday."

At the same time, school would start the day after my birthday.

"Your birthday is the day before school starts. It somehow feels especially meaningful. I'll have to prepare a proper birthday gift, both to repay you for helping me back then and for taking care of me lately."

"Then I'll look forward to it. Come eat at my house then. Tomorrow, I'll invite Obito, Kakashi, and the others too."

Because of my involvement, Kakashi wasn't particularly close with Obito and the others at this point. Faintly, he also seemed to hold some hostility toward me, like he viewed me as a rival.

Come to think of it, Sakumo Hatake's suicide seemed to happen around this time. The Hokage candidate who had been condemned by everyone over the trolley problem and ultimately took his own life—it was truly a pity.

If I got the chance, I should think of a way to talk him through it.

"We're about to enter the Ninja Academy and begin studying. One day, we'll probably go to the battlefield too, right?"

There seemed to be a trace of fear for the future in Rin's voice. Everyone in this era was extremely sensitive inside.

During this tense period of war, becoming a ninja wasn't merely getting a job. It also meant becoming a reserve soldier for the battlefield.

"It really is unsettling. But this is the path we chose ourselves."

At this point, I couldn't turn back just because I was afraid of something so childish. I had finally begun a second life and even obtained a cheat ability. This time, I had to show what I was truly capable of.

"Don't worry, Rin. No matter what happens, I'll protect you."

"Mm, thank you, Qingyue." Rin's face flushed slightly.

That wasn't just my imagination, right?

After dinner, I saw that Rin was still somewhat lost in her confusion after getting to her feet, so I offered to walk her home.

I was a boy, after all. I couldn't let an emotionally unsettled girl go home by herself.

We walked along Konoha's streets. It wasn't too late yet, and people came and went, presenting a peaceful scene.

Everyone on the street chatted with smiles, their faces filled with happiness. Occasionally, shy affection blossomed between young couples in the alleyways. It was a truly heartwarming sight.

"I really wish Konoha Village could stay like this forever."

The unease weighing on Rin's heart seemed to have faded considerably.

"Yeah. Peace is precious. A family sitting together at the table one moment can be torn apart by war at any time. It's utterly ridiculous."

Because I knew war would break out soon, I always felt as though everything before my eyes could disappear at any moment.

War itself was like a meteor falling from the sky, instantly taking everything away without the slightest reason.

"Qingyue, your parents are both ninjas, right?"

"Yes."

"Then if war breaks out, wouldn't it be possible for your entire family to be stationed on different battlefields...?"

That did seem to be the case. It wasn't as though family members would necessarily be assigned to the same war zone. Especially in the Third Shinobi World War, with Konoha fighting one against four, people would definitely be deployed to different battlefields against the four nations.

"If that time comes, there's nothing we can do about it. But my parents are outstanding ninjas. They'll definitely be fine."

Dad was a close-combat ninja. Though he wasn't as strong as Sakumo Hatake, he was still one of Konoha's finest. Mom was a support type and wouldn't be on the front lines. Compared to medical ninjas, she also wouldn't be a priority target for the enemy, so it shouldn't be too dangerous.

"Then Qingyue's safety will be entrusted to me!"

Rin jogged in front of me and struck a pose to show off her biceps. Looking at that sincere, gentle smile, I had to admit that my heart truly raced in that instant.

"Then I'll have to rely on you to protect me. And then, I'll protect Konoha."

"Then it's settled. I'll protect Qingyue, and Qingyue will protect Konoha!" Rin held out her pinky, asking for a promise.

Cute.

"Mm. Rin will protect me, and I'll protect Konoha."

The moonlight bore witness to Rin's and my vow. From that moment onward, I truly made up my mind. I would protect Konoha and protect Rin.

On the rest of the way, I finally gathered the courage to hold Rin's hand. There was nothing romantic between us yet, but at least she didn't refuse.

I had never wanted a road to become longer before. But now, all I wanted was to keep holding Rin's hand, to keep walking, and keep walking...

After we parted, I returned to my empty home. I turned on the lights, poured myself a cup of tea, and sat on the sofa, enjoying the silence.

I suddenly felt so empty, as though I had been yanked out of an amusement park all at once.

I recalled how, beneath the moonlight just now, Rin and I had linked pinkies and made our promises to each other. What a shame no one had recorded that moment...

On my birthday—

[February 27. Congratulations, Lord Qingyue, on reaching your fifth year in this world. Please choose the birthday gift you desire.]

It was the middle of the night. I had already fallen asleep, but Hill's voice suddenly woke me.

[Option one: a top-tier weapon, the ninja sword Zhiyu, which will never break and possesses excellent chakra conductivity. Option two: a magic staff that can enhance ninjutsu, the Pride Expert. It can eliminate hand seals, reduce chakra consumption, and increase ninjutsu power by 10%. Option three: Conqueror's Haki gains a growth function. As the host becomes stronger, strengthens their will, experiences intense desires, or becomes emotionally excited, Conqueror's Haki can grow.]

[Lord Qingyue, please choose one of the three. Of course, rewards that have appeared now may also be obtained in the future, so please make your choice according to your current needs.]

All three were top-tier rewards. I really wanted to watch an ad and take them all. A ninja sword that would never break had incredible durability, and its excellent chakra conductivity meant its attack power would be formidable too.

Since my current fighting style focused on close combat, I definitely needed a handy ninja sword. But the staff's stats were also extremely tempting. In the future, powerful ninjutsu would surely be exchanged in barrages, and the attributes provided by that staff would definitely be invaluable later on. Even in the early stages, eliminating hand seals would have strong strategic value.

Unfortunately, the staff was too conspicuous and inconvenient to carry, and it didn't suit my current primary fighting style either, so I would set it aside for now.

The final option was a conceptual-level ability, one of the answers to everything that could grow without limit—Conqueror's Haki.

If I learned Conqueror's Haki Infusion, then combined it with Mythical Zoan enhancement and battle aura, even slicing apart a Complete Susanoo with one strike would be no problem in the future.

Looking even further ahead, if the Otsutsuki descended, Haki would absolutely be the best means of fighting them.

And besides... if my Conqueror's Haki could reach Red-Haired Shanks's level, then every time I approached a boss on the battlefield, some scrub would be knocked unconscious by my Haki...

That would be cool as hell!

There would be no shortage of ninja swords in this world. At worst, I could get something like the Kusanagi Sword later, and future rewards might even include stronger divine weapons. As for the staff... I actually wanted to choose it for Rin. Since she was a medical ninja, she wouldn't need to move around frequently, and that staff would be a great help to her.

But Conqueror's Haki was just too irresistible!

[Decision made. I choose the third option! Come on, Conqueror's Haki!]