The Great Ice Spike Master

Back home, Uzumaki Hayashi rushed inside without even bothering to take his shoes off properly.

A prize draw!

Those words had been burning in his mind the whole way home.

But-

Before pressing that button, he stopped himself.

With the luck he'd had in his previous life, jumping straight into the draw would be a little disrespectful to superstition.

So he took a meticulous shower, shampooing his hair twice more for good measure and scrubbing a layer of bad luck off himself from head to toe. Then he dug out a T-shirt and shorts he'd never worn before and changed into them. Fresh and clean, he finally sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

He even bowed three times to thin air, muttering, "Bless me with god-tier luck. Bless me with god-tier luck."

He'd really gone all out on the ritual.

"System, draw!"

[Ding-]

[Kekkei genkai prize draw ×1 activated.]

Here we go!

Uzumaki Hayashi rubbed his hands together, eyes shining as he waited for the grand spectacle of a spinning wheel flashing with golden light-

He'd even pictured it already: a row of gleaming golden names on the wheel-Scorch Release, Wood Release, Lava Release-lighting up in turn before it stopped with a snap-

[Detected host's current chakra natures: wind, water.]

[Matching kekkei genkai... match complete.]

[Congratulations, host. Acquired kekkei genkai: Ice Release.]

Uzumaki Hayashi: "..."

That's it?

What happened to the prize draw? The big spinning wheel? The randomness?

"Hold on-" He exploded on the spot. "Isn't this supposed to be a kekkei genkai draw?! I haven't even drawn anything! What do you mean, handing me a predetermined Ice Release?! Is your prize pool just for show?!"

[The host currently possesses only wind and water chakra natures.] The system's voice remained unhurried. [Even if the host acquired another kekkei genkai, he would be unable to use it.]

"Then can't you give me some other natures?!" Uzumaki Hayashi roared. "Add fire! Add lightning! Then I could draw something else!"

[Please explore proactively.]

"Can't we negotiate?" He still refused to give up. "If nothing else, just give me a wheel! I only want the thrill of drawing!"

The system ignored him.

"..."

Playing dead.

This lousy system was playing dead again.

Uzumaki Hayashi finally understood. This system was stingy to its very core-there was no chance of squeezing even a tiny perk out of it. It called this a "prize draw," and a "prize draw" it was. Whatever he got was what he got, and it reserved the right to explain everything however it pleased. He didn't even get a chance to argue.

With nowhere to vent his resentment, he glared at [Ice Release: awaiting claim] for a long while. In the end, he could only reach out in resignation.

"Claim."

[Integrating Ice Release-]

The next second, a chill burst from his chest without warning.

"Hiss-"

Uzumaki Hayashi sucked in a sharp breath.

This chill seeped out little by little from inside his body, from the very source of his chakra.

It flowed along his meridians, down his arms, through his fingertips, down his legs, and into the soles of his feet. Wherever it passed, his chakra cooled with it. It was like a river in the height of summer: the sun-warmed surface had suddenly been stirred aside, bringing all the cool water beneath rushing up.

He raised a hand and studied his fingertips.

Something new had unmistakably appeared in his blood.

It felt completely different from when he'd molded chakra before. A brand-new path had opened between his wind chakra and water chakra.

He didn't even need to learn or experiment. The path was simply there, as though he'd known how to follow it from the moment he was born.

He opened his palm and willed it.

The moisture in the room visibly chilled, forming a layer of white frost that swirled against his palm.

He exhaled, and the breath turned into a small puff of white mist the moment it left his lips, drifting slowly away.

Even the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

"...Well, damn."

Uzumaki Hayashi stared at his palm for a long while, then broke into a chuckle.

Fine, so it was predetermined.

Now that he actually had it, he realized it was pretty sweet.

He'd finally gotten his new toy. He had to give it a try.

Uzumaki Hayashi headed out, thinking he should find somewhere with water. Ice Release was bound to work better somewhere with water.

Yet after wandering around the village for ages, he hadn't found a single river. Several twists and turns later, he looked up and found himself back at the training ground from before.

Fair enough. It was late at night, and he'd only been here a few days. Where was he supposed to find a river?

He was about to turn and try another direction when a dull thud suddenly came from the training ground.

Thud, thud, thud.

One after another came the sounds of kunai sinking into a wooden post.

Someone was still training at this hour?

Uzumaki Hayashi poked his head around to look-

Under the moonlight, a small figure stood facing a wooden post, throwing kunai one after another. Once he'd thrown them all, he ran over and pulled them out. Sweat had soaked the back of his shirt, but he showed no intention of stopping.

The wooden post was riddled with kunai holes, fresh wounds layered over old ones.

Who else could it be but Sasuke Uchiha?

Uzumaki Hayashi: "..."

What time was it already?

This guy was out of his mind. School during the day, extra training at night-was that little body made of iron?

As he watched, a mischievous idea suddenly rose in his mind.

Come to think of it, on their first day, this guy had charged straight at him without so much as a warning.

One good turn deserved another.

It was only fair for him to launch a surprise attack in return, right?

Uzumaki Hayashi opened his hand and willed it-

The moisture around him chilled, and several Ice Spikes formed beside his hand, their sharp points catching the moonlight as they floated in midair.

He hefted his hand, then flicked it toward where Sasuke was training.

Whoosh-

Sasuke Uchiha had been training without a hitch.

He could clearly feel that he was in good form today. Most of the kunai he threw struck the very center of the target.

He'd just drawn another kunai when cold sweat suddenly prickled the back of his neck.

Something was coming!

Without a thought, his body moved faster than his mind, and he rolled forward-

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

With several soft impacts, a few unidentified objects skimmed past his back and embedded themselves in the wooden post behind him.

Under the moonlight, several Ice Spikes jutted from the post, each surrounded by a thin ring of white frost.

Sasuke Uchiha braced one hand on the ground and looked back warily.

At the edge of the training ground was that same head of red hair.

The moonlight seemed to favor him, pouring all its silvery radiance over him as his red hair stirred gently in the night breeze.

It was the same person. Of course Sasuke recognized him.

Only this time, several Ice Spikes floated beside his hand.

They hung at his side, turning slowly, their facets shimmering with an icy blue-green light that cast his face alternately into brightness and shadow.

He was looking at Sasuke with a radiant smile.

That smile was like the first slender stream thawing beneath spring ice, carrying moonlight, frost, and the night breeze. All of it gathered around him alone, coming together into a picture that stole the breath.