Clone Technique, Do You Want a Gift?

Mikami Yuya did not think much of it. He picked up the fruit and headed next door to the Nohara residence.

Nohara Rin answered the door.

"Ah, Yu, you're here... Are these fruits for our family? This is far too kind of you. They must have been expensive, right?"

"It's fine. You and Uncle Hiroshi, as well as Aunt Misa, have taken care of my family a lot lately. A little fruit is nothing. When Dad gets back, let's all go eat at Barbecue Q."

Mikami Yu smiled and casually offered the polite remark.

At that moment, Nohara Hiroshi inside the house heard the voices as well and poked his head over for a look. "Yu... You came over, so why did you bring anything? Come in and sit for a while."

"No, I still need to go back and help Mom with work."

"Look at that, Little Yu is so sensible. Rin, look at him."

Nohara Hiroshi walked over, exchanged a few polite words with Mikami Yu, and accepted the two bags of fruit.

Then, as though he had remembered something, he suddenly asked, "By the way, Yu, do you know your chakra nature?"

"I don't. Why?"

Mikami Yu answered.

Chakra test paper was rather expensive—one sheet cost a thousand ryo at a ninja tool shop. The Ninja Academy could not possibly test students for free, and Mikami Yu had never taken the initiative to try it either. After all, he had had no chance to learn Ninjutsu before. Still, since he could master Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, he should have a fire nature.

"I see... I happen to have an unused sheet of test paper here. Let's test you."

As Nohara Hiroshi spoke, he invited Mikami Yu inside and took out the test paper.

As Mikami Yu infused chakra into it,

the test paper first caught fire, then went out and became damp.

"Water and fire..."

Seeing the result, Mikami Yu sighed.

How should he put it...

If he could choose, he would actually have preferred wind. Wind Style was practically the most offensively powerful of the five basic natures, and it could also combine with fire to form Scorch Release, just like Teacher Pakura next door.

Water, on the other hand, leaned toward support and was heavily dependent on chakra strength. It was the kind with an extremely high ceiling and an extremely low floor. It was not suited to civilian ninja.

Nohara Hiroshi, however, seemed relieved.

"Yu, your chakra nature is the same as Rin's. You both have water and fire."

"Perfect. I have two scrolls here, both related to Water Style. I've already mastered the techniques on them, and Rin can't learn them yet, so I'll lend them to you first. Take a look and see whether you can learn them. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come ask me anytime."

"Huh?"

New Ninjutsu?

Mikami Yu's eyes lit up. Like a pervert who had spotted a beauty, he turned his gaze toward Nohara Hiroshi. "Th-this... is this really okay?"

"Of course it is. Once Tajima comes back, he'll teach you anyway. Learn a couple of moves first—maybe they'll help with next year's graduation exam. If you really feel bad about it, just have your father teach Rin the Ninjutsu he knows when the time comes."

Nohara Hiroshi laughed heartily and patted Mikami Yu on the shoulder.

With things put that way, Mikami Yu stopped being polite and sincerely thanked him. "Then thank you very much, Uncle Hiroshi!"

Come to think of it, Ninjutsu scrolls were quite valuable. They were somewhat like books from the age of bamboo slips.

Most ninja tool shops did not sell them. Even when they did, they only sold basic D-rank and E-Rank Ninjutsu. Any Ninjutsu above C-rank was basically controlled by the various Ninja Clans and the Jonin. If ordinary civilians wanted to learn them, there were usually only two ways—

The first was to find a good teacher, a good wife, or a good godfather and learn new Ninjutsu from them.

The second was to accumulate merit and exchange it through the village.

Once they had learned Ninjutsu through this method, it was entirely up to them whom they wanted to teach it to. Still, unless they were related, few people would pass precious Ninjutsu on to outsiders. From that perspective, Nohara Hiroshi's actions were basically those of a godfather.

And when the other man took the scrolls from the bedroom and solemnly placed them in Mikami Yu's hands,

Mikami Yu saw several lines of text flash before his eyes—

[Ding!]

[Potential target detected: "Water Release: Water Shockwave." Time-limited Encounter mission triggered!]

[Giftable item detected: Limited Skin - Clone Technique: Water Release: Water Clone Technique!]

"?!"

Wait a second...

A gift?!

A Limited Skin?!

Mikami Yu's eyelid twitched, and even his breathing quickened.

So... the [Gift] function gave away Ninjutsu scrolls?!

That was right.

Ninjutsu scrolls were the medium used to record Ninjutsu. They were like clothes, used to cover one's body and preserve one's modesty, so... scrolls being equivalent to Limited Skins actually sounded rather reasonable?

Then...

By that logic, wasn't Nohara Hiroshi giving him Ninjutsu scrolls equivalent to giving him women?

And the Three Techniques and Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu from before... weren't they running naked in front of him every day?

W-was it really this lewd?

So this was the kind of Galageki you were! It was actually an R18 eroge!

Mikami Yu silently looked down on the Gala System, but an even more sincere smile appeared on his face. After thanking Nohara Hiroshi once more, he finally left the Nohara residence with light steps.

After returning home,

and closing his bedroom door,

Mikami Yu immediately placed the Ninjutsu scrolls on the bedroom table. He first washed his hands and face, then sat at the desk and opened the Galageki interface.

[Transformation Technique: Good evening, Little Mikami. You're still practicing this late? You're really diligent!]

[Clone Technique: Hmph, diligent my ass. He's probably going to tell us things like "good night" again. Honestly, he's like a broken record—just the same few words every day, with no originality at all.]

[Transformation Technique: Don't say that. Techniques like us, who aren't valued, can only experience what it feels like to be treated equally with Little Mikami. We need to become even better so we can keep up with Little Mikami's pace.]

[Clone Technique: ...You just spoil him.]

"..."

The corner of Mikami Yu's mouth twitched slightly. Somewhat speechless, he watched the Three Techniques sisters—or, more accurately, the "Two-Body Technique"—argue before lightly clearing his throat. "Um, Clone Technique... do you want a gift?"

[Clone Technique: ?]

Right then,

Mikami Yu slowly opened the Water Clone scroll on the desk in his bedroom and gradually spread it out.

As the scroll's full contents were exposed to the sunlight,

the expression on Clone Technique's portrait changed slightly.

[Transformation Technique: Wow, such beautiful new clothes! And they're water-blue too—they're really pretty. Clone Technique, it seems Little Mikami really cares about you. He actually prepared such a wonderful gift for you!]

[Clone Technique: ...Hmph, it'll do. Is this just for me, or does everyone get one?]

"?"