The next morning, a gentle breeze blew along the Naka River. The morning mist had yet to fully disperse, and a faint scorched smell from yesterday's blazing flames still lingered in the air.
Shinichi sat on a rock beside the river, gazing broodingly at the clear water with a rather complicated expression—
Yesterday's "flaming nude incident" was easily the most embarrassing moment of his life!
—If he could, he would have used Izanagi to rewrite reality and erase everything that had happened yesterday from the history of the Shinobi World!
Unfortunately, that wasn't realistic.
Remembering how Tsunade had nearly laughed herself breathless yesterday, Orochimaru's composed assessment, and his own frantic scramble to put on Orochimaru's coat... Shinichi's lips twitched involuntarily.
"...Damn it."
He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, then furiously questioned the System in his mind:
"System, explain this! Why didn't Old Man Yamamoto's clothes burn, while mine turned straight to ash?!"
—How did that make any sense?!
—Uchiha Shinichi, the greatest slacker in the entire Naruto world, had been stripped naked by his own fire technique?!
—How did that make any sense?!
The System's reply arrived quickly, its tone as composed as ever, with a hint that this should have been obvious.
[Host, please calm down.] [The Shihakusho is a special garment formed from the wearer's own spiritual power. It is part of their spiritual body and therefore is unaffected by their own attacks.] [Your ninja outfit, however... was ordinary cloth. How could it possibly withstand Ryujin Jakka's heat?]
Shinichi: "..."
The System's explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, so why did it still feel so wrong?!
He took a deep breath, trying not to explode with anger. "Then tell me what I'm supposed to do! I can't become a nudist every time I use Ryujin Jakka!"
The System fell silent for a moment, then provided new guidance—
[Your current task is to improve the Spirit Transformation Technique and strengthen your Soul Power, allowing you to create spiritual clothing suited to your flames.] [Only when your soul becomes strong enough will you truly master Ryujin Jakka and even unlock its higher stage—Bankai.]
Shinichi paused, an unusual gleam flashing in his eyes.
—The Spirit Transformation Technique... could be used like that, too?!
He had chosen that technique simply because it was discreet and practical. He hadn't expected it to work in conjunction with Ryujin Jakka and become the key to mastering a higher level of power.
More importantly—the System had actually mentioned "Bankai"!
Shinichi's lips curved slightly, excitement flickering in his eyes. "So, System, you mean... as long as I strengthen my Soul Power, I can fully master Ryujin Jakka and even achieve Bankai?"
The System answered calmly:
[In theory, yes.] [However, whether your current Soul Power could withstand the might of Bankai... is another matter.]
Shinichi: "..."
From the sound of it, if he forced himself to use Bankai now, he probably wouldn't burn his enemy to ash—he would explode into ash first!
—What exciting news. And what a headache.
He lowered his gaze to his palm, still faintly sensing the terrifying heat that had seemed capable of burning everything away when he wielded Ryujin Jakka yesterday.
That power was undeniably formidable, but just as dangerous.
If he couldn't fully control it, it wouldn't merely be a weapon for killing enemies. It would become a nightmare he himself couldn't withstand.
Shinichi took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile tugging at his lips.
"Looks like I've settled on my next goal."
—Improve the Spirit Transformation Technique, strengthen my Soul Power, and finally master Ryujin Jakka's true strength!
This time, he would fully master the "blade closest to the sun" without burning his clothes off!
Just as Shinichi sank into thoughts of his future training plans, familiar footsteps approached from the distance.
Soon, a slender figure appeared in the morning light—Orochimaru.
He carried three boxed breakfasts in one hand and casually brushed aside the black hair by his ear with the other. His golden, slit-pupiled eyes swept calmly over Shinichi as he said evenly:
"Shinichi, it's time for breakfast."
Right behind him, a golden-haired figure came rushing over.
"Heh heh~ Shinichi—"
—Tsunade had arrived.
But the moment her gaze landed on Shinichi, her expression turned decidedly peculiar—
She stared at Shinichi for several seconds, the corners of her mouth rising uncontrollably. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she desperately tried to suppress her laughter, but the teasing gleam in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Alarm bells immediately rang in Shinichi's head. His brow twitched, and his expression darkened.
"Little Tsunade, what's that look supposed to mean?" he asked through gritted teeth, his voice heavy with warning.
Tsunade held it in for a while, but finally lost the battle. Clutching her stomach, she burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha! Shinichi! Every time I look at you, I remember what happened yesterday!"
Shinichi: "..."
Sure enough, there was no escaping this day!
He should have known that Tsunade wouldn't let yesterday's "flaming nude festival" go so easily!
—The most humiliating moment in the Shinobi World, witnessed by his closest friends. How was anyone supposed to survive that?!
Tsunade laughed until tears nearly spilled from her eyes, speaking between breathless bursts:
"Hahahaha... Shinichi, you... the way you looked yesterday was just too funny! You know that? You standing in the steam with a flaming sword in your hand and that utterly baffled look on your face was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life!"
She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she nearly dropped to her knees and could barely breathe.
"Seriously! The great Uchiha Shinichi couldn't even save his own clothes? Hahahahaha!"
Shinichi's face couldn't have grown any darker.
He gritted his teeth hard, veins throbbing at his temples as he stared at Tsunade, who was practically laughing herself into a stitch. He wanted nothing more than to use genjutsu to make her forget everything that had happened yesterday!
"...Little Tsunade, laugh one more time. I dare you."
Still laughing, Tsunade shot him a defiant look, her eyes brimming with smug confidence that said, What are you going to do about it? Then she laughed even more brazenly. "Hahahahaha! I really can't help it! Uchiha Shinichi! Are people going to start calling you 'the Shinobi World's most unfortunate flame ninja'?!"
Shinichi: "..."
What could I do? I was desperate, too!!!
At that moment, Orochimaru quietly set down the boxed meals beside them. His golden, slit-pupiled eyes narrowed slightly, his voice as calm and composed as ever:
"Shinichi, it seems yesterday's experiment really was quite challenging."
Shinichi: "..."
—He wasn't offering comfort at all. He was just twisting the knife in a different way!
Tsunade laughed for quite a while before finally stopping just as Shinichi was about to snap. She rubbed her cheeks, sore from laughing, though she still couldn't resist the occasional breathy snicker.
Still clutching her stomach and catching her breath, she said, "But seriously, Shinichi... your flames yesterday really were terrifying. Even the leaves nearby were scorched. I could feel that searing heat despite standing so far away..."
At that, her expression finally grew a little more serious, a thoughtful look entering her eyes. "Your Fire Release is already way beyond the scope of ordinary ninjutsu, isn't it?"
Hearing that, Shinichi's expression finally softened a little, though he still simmered with resentment. He opened his meal box and gave a cold snort as he ate. "Of course. You think I'm some ordinary guy? This is a technique I developed myself. It's incredibly powerful!"
Tsunade pursed her lips, a smile still lingering at their corners. "Yeah, it's definitely powerful, but... maybe you should first develop a way to keep it from burning all your clothes off? Hahaha!"
The chopsticks in Shinichi's hand froze, and the veins on his forehead throbbed again.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and told himself—
Hold it in. I couldn't hit Tsunade. If I did, Tobirama would definitely kill me.
—I had to hold it in!
But that smug smile on Tsunade's face really made him want to punch her!
Orochimaru ate quietly, seemingly without any intention of getting involved in their squabble, though a faint smile glimmered in his eyes.
Scenes like this seemed to have become part of their everyday lives.
In this world of ninja, their bond gradually deepened through all their laughter, teasing, and bickering.
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