Oath

After the exhibition match ended, my parents were finally freed from their long-term missions. For quite a while afterward, 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, and because of that, I got to know plenty of other friends.

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

Sometimes Rin came to watch me train, preparing towels and water beside me. She even helped me with some of my stretches.

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

Since I had learned Shadow Clone, Hill began guiding me through blindfolded endurance training. 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 with a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and Battle Aura, I didn't really need that ability. As for Conqueror's Haki Infusion...

First, I needed to have Conqueror's Haki. Could someone like me, with no grand ambitions, even possess it?

[Say, Teacher Hill, hasn't the training intensity been a little too high lately?]

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 myself growing stronger. A year had passed, and I could 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 an ordinary kunai thrown by a Chunin. If I got hit by a ninjutsu technique or a chakra-infused kunai, I would still go down.

But judging from raw strength alone, I should have already reached Chunin level.

Hill had never let me train in ninjutsu, though. Other than the most basic chakra refinement my mother had taught me, perhaps ninjutsu simply wasn't particularly useful at this stage.

It seemed I could only wait until enrollment this year to find an opportunity to learn. Who got reincarnated into Naruto without wanting to desperately learn a couple of badass ninjutsu and show off at school?

Whenever he had time, Dad guided me in swordsmanship, 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 Battle Aura techniques of Sword God Style.]

Over the past year, aside from basic Battle Aura and Haki training, Hill had also taught me the cultivation methods of Sword God Style swordsmanship.

Well... it wasn't exactly some advanced swordsmanship. Put simply, it was about finding the right opportunity and swiftly defeating your opponent with faster, more precise sword trajectories.

Even the Ultimate Secret Art: Blade of Light, and Light Reversal, the technique used to counter it, were merely a full-speed sword swing and interrupting the opponent with an even faster strike just before their attack landed.

After entering Fenrir Werewolf Form, I took out the old ninja blade I had borrowed from my father. I condensed chakra into Battle Aura and wrapped it around my body and the blade.

In this form, I could fight even the early-series Kakashi. Once I developed the powers of Wind and Snow, Lightning, and Flame, my strength would definitely match Kakashi during the war.

If I developed both Battle Aura and Haki by then, trading a few blows with Madara for fun would definitely not be a problem.

My target was a boulder twice a person's height. I placed the ninja blade behind my left hip, lowered my center of gravity, and assumed an iai slash stance.

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

After concentrating all my Battle Aura into my feet, I expelled the breath I had drawn in all at once.

My feet slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater. As I approached the massive rock, all my Battle Aura wrapped around the right side of my body and the ninja blade. Then, borrowing the strength enhancement granted by the Mythical Zoan, I swung with all my might.

"Clang—"

The ninja blade swept across the rock, carving a fairly deep crack into it. Once the strike ended, my left and right feet landed one after the other, and I finally steadied myself.

"Whew... That seemed quite a bit better than last time."

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

What?

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

After training several more times in the same way, my body finally gave out, and Hill at last agreed to end today's training.

It was already evening. My parents were still not home today, so as usual, I took some money and went to Ichiraku Ramen.

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

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

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

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

"A birthday the day before school starts... It feels especially meaningful somehow. I'll have to prepare a proper birthday gift, too. It'll be my way of repaying you for helping me back then, and for taking care of me lately."

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

Because of my involvement, Kakashi did not have a particularly good relationship with Obito and the others at this point. Faintly, he even seemed to harbor a kind of competitive hostility toward me.

Come to think of it, Hatake Sakumo's suicide seemed to be happening around this time. The candidate for Hokage who had been condemned by countless people over a trolley problem and ultimately killed himself... it was truly a pity.

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

"We'll be entering the Ninja Academy soon. One day, we'll end up on the battlefield too, right?"

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

During a tense period of war, becoming a ninja was not simply getting a job. It meant becoming a reserve soldier for the battlefield.

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

At this point, I could no longer turn back just because I was afraid of such childish things. I had finally begun a second life and even gained 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 reddened slightly.

That wasn't just my imagination, right?

After dinner, I noticed Rin was still caught up in her anxious thoughts 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 through the streets of Konoha. It was not too late yet, and the bustling crowd painted a picture of peace.

People on the streets chatted with smiles on their faces, their expressions filled with joy. Every now and then, bashful young couples could be glimpsed in the alleys. It was a truly heartwarming sight.

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

The unease weighing on Rin's heart seemed to have faded quite a bit.

"Yeah. Peace is precious. A family sitting together at the table one moment can be torn apart by war the next. It's completely absurd."

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

War itself was like a meteor falling from the sky. In an instant, it could take everything away without reason or mercy.

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

"Yes."

"Then if war breaks out, isn't it possible that your whole family could be on different battlefields...?"

That really was possible. It wasn't as though a family would necessarily be assigned to the same war zone. Especially in a war like the Third Shinobi World War, where Konoha fought one against four, people would inevitably be deployed to different battlefields against the four nations.

"If that happens, there's nothing we can do about it. But my parents are both exceptional ninja. They'll definitely be fine."

Dad was a close-combat ninja. Though he was not as strong as Hatake Sakumo, he was still one of Konoha's finest. Mom was a support type and would not be on the front lines. Unlike medical ninja, she would not be a priority target for the enemy either, so there should not be too much danger.

"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 her sincere, gentle smile, I had to admit that my heart really skipped a beat.

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

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

Cute.

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

The moonlight bore witness to the oath Rin and I made. From that moment on, I truly made up my mind: I would protect Konoha, and I would protect Rin.

For the rest of the way, I finally gathered the courage to take Rin's hand. There was not that kind of feeling between us yet, but at least she did not refuse.

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

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

I suddenly felt empty, as though I had been abruptly dragged out of an amusement park.

I recalled how Rin and I had linked pinkies under the moonlight and made our promises to each other. What a pity no one had recorded that moment...

On my birthday—

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

It was the middle of the night. I had already been asleep when Hill's voice suddenly woke me.

[First: a top-tier weapon, a ninja blade that will never break and possesses excellent chakra conductivity—Zhiyu. Second: a magic staff that can enhance ninjutsu. It can not only eliminate hand seals and reduce chakra consumption, but also increase the power of ninjutsu by 10%—Pride Expert. Third: Conqueror's Haki gains a growth function. As the host becomes stronger, strengthens their will, experiences intense desires, and undergoes emotional agitation, Conqueror's Haki can grow.]

[Lord Qingyue, please choose one of the three. Of course, rewards that have appeared now may be obtained in the future as well, 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. The unbreakable ninja blade had high durability, and its excellent chakra conductivity meant it would have formidable attack power as well.

Since close combat was currently my main fighting style, I undoubtedly needed a ninja blade that suited me. But the staff's bonuses were also incredibly tempting. In the future, powerful ninjutsu would definitely be exchanged in head-on clashes, and the attributes provided by this staff would be immensely useful in the late game. Even in the early stages, skipping hand seals had enormous tactical value.

Unfortunately, the staff was too conspicuous and inconvenient to carry, and it did not suit my current combat style. I would set it aside for now.

The last option was on a conceptual level: one of the ultimate answers, Conqueror's Haki capable of limitless growth.

If I learned Conqueror's Haki Infusion, then combined it with Mythical Zoan enhancement and Battle Aura, even cleaving apart a Complete Susanoo with one strike would not be a problem in the future.

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

And... Conqueror's Haki. If it could grow to the level of Red-Haired Shanks, then whenever I approached a boss on the battlefield, some random scrub would be knocked unconscious by my Haki...

That would be insanely cool!

There would be no shortage of ninja blades in this world. At worst, I could get myself something like the Kusanagi Sword later, and future rewards might contain even stronger divine weapons. As for the staff... I actually wanted to choose it for Rin. Since she would be a medical ninja, she would not need to move at high speed so frequently, and that staff would be a great help to her.

But Conqueror's Haki was simply too tempting!

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