Naruto: Drop System

Time flows like water, the years pass swiftly. Another winter has given way to spring, and now it is officially Konoha Year 60.

March 18th, a familiar date.

It felt as though Yagyu's no-rules battle against Sasuke Uchiha from the previous year had just happened yesterday, and it was still a hot topic among their classmates.

It was especially fresh in everyone's mind how, when school started in April, the students had spread word of Yagyu and Sasuke's epic fight. It led to countless underclassmen coming to sneak peeks at them through the windows.

After all, being able to use elemental ninjutsu in the fifth grade was mind-blowing.

Many students still hadn't even mastered the basic Transformation Technique, and their chakra reserves were so low that they could only use such techniques a few times.

On the other hand, Sasuke Uchiha had demonstrated the Fireball Jutsu, a C-rank fire-style ninjutsu, while Yagyu had used the Water Wall, a B-rank water-style ninjutsu.

Everyone believed that Yagyu and Sasuke already had the ability to graduate early.

However, Iruka didn't submit a request to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, for Yagyu and Sasuke to graduate early. Instead, he let them continue attending the academy for another year.

When they were promoted to the sixth grade, both Yagyu and Sasuke became more reserved and low-key.

During pop quizzes and unannounced tests, Sasuke stopped actively requesting Iruka to spar against Yagyu. Instead, he remained quietly in the background, training diligently.

Yagyu followed suit.

After their no-rules battle, Yagyu had figured out the mechanics of the game system's drop rates.

When bound by formal rules, the hidden "scoring" system would lower his drop rate, making it much harder for him to get valuable items.

Only in all-out battles, where both sides were using their full strength, could he maximize his score and increase both the drop rate and the likelihood of getting rare items.

In the ninja academy, only no-rules battles allowed him to go all out.

Such battles didn't happen during pop quizzes or surprise tests.

And in the sixth grade, there were no more big exams—just the graduation exam.

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to farm Indra's chakra from Sasuke for another year, Yagyu stopped attending school in person and began sending a shadow clone instead.

His real body stayed at home, training in ninjutsu and increasing his strength.

Other than occasionally training with Hinata, Ino, and Sakura during school breaks, Yagyu's real body almost never left home.

But today was different. For the first time in a while, Yagyu skipped his usual morning training and didn't create a shadow clone. Instead, he dressed up carefully before heading out.

Over the past year, Yagyu had grown a lot, being in the midst of his growth spurt. His height had shot up from 163 cm to 168 cm, making him tower over most of his classmates.

With a ninja forehead protector, anyone unfamiliar with Yagyu would think he had already been a genin for several years.

After all, in Shippuden, Naruto's height was only 166 cm, which made Yagyu 2 cm taller than him now.

When Yagyu arrived at the academy, he didn't run into Hinata, Ino, or Sakura along the way.

Over the past year, the three girls had realized that it was usually a shadow clone attending school, so they stopped trying to "accidentally" bump into him on the way.

"Yagyu, good morning!"

"Yagyu, did you have breakfast?"

Once Yagyu sat down in the classroom, both Hinata and Sakura greeted him, while Ino asked a question only the four of them understood as code.

"Yeah, I did," Yagyu nodded.

Hearing this, the eyes of all three girls lit up, and they eagerly began chatting with Yagyu.

The phrase "I had breakfast" was their code for "This is my real body."

After all, shadow clones don't eat.

Seeing Hinata, Ino, and Sakura suddenly become much more enthusiastic, Nara Shikamaru, who was slumped over on his desk beside Yagyu, had a sharp glint flash in his eyes.

So, it wasn't a falling out after all!

Yagyu hadn't been attending in person this entire past year?

Shadow Clone Jutsu... This guy had already mastered two B-rank jutsu.

No, more importantly—Yagyu's chakra was strong enough to create a clone that could last an entire morning and afternoon, even completing all the exams!

Just how much chakra does he have?

Even someone as usually calm as Shikamaru felt a twinge of shock.

No wonder neither Sasuke nor anyone else had been able to challenge Yagyu's top spot as the class's No. 1 student all these years.

This guy was leagues ahead of them in terms of strength.

What had happened to that purpose-driven kid from before that turned him into the person he was now?

At that moment, Shikamaru's curiosity about Yagyu reached its peak, but he didn't ask any questions.

He knew Yagyu wouldn't answer.

But one thing was for sure—Yagyu definitely had a kekkei genkai.

And that kekkei genkai might be one that skipped generations.

After all, Shikamaru couldn't think of any other explanation for such a drastic change in someone's abilities.

Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through Shikamaru's mind.

Silver hair, red eyes, and an enormous chakra reserve…

Could Yagyu be a descendant of the Senju clan that had integrated into Konoha?

If he remembered correctly, the Second Hokage had those exact same hair and eye colors!

Could Yagyu's massive chakra reserve mean that he had awakened the Senju bloodline?

Yagyu, of course, had no idea what Shikamaru was thinking. If he did, he would've been startled.

The guess was frighteningly close to the truth.

Too bad no one could ever guess the existence of a mysterious "game system."

However, Shikamaru's theory provided a convenient cover for Yagyu's Sage Body.

If Shikamaru had thought of it, others would surely come to the same conclusion.

Once Yagyu's secret of having a massive chakra reserve was exposed, anyone who had seen the Second Hokage in person or in photographs would assume Yagyu was a descendant of the Senju clan, not that he was hiding some greater secret.

For Yagyu, this was great news.

As the minutes ticked by, it was finally time for the graduation exam.

"The graduation exam is the Clone Technique. When I call your name, come forward," Iruka announced, appearing briefly at the classroom door before leaving.

Shortly after, a Chunin wearing a green vest showed up, holding a list of names. He started calling them out: "Kiba Inuzuka..."

One by one, the students who had spent six years together with Yagyu responded and left the classroom, never to return.

Ino and Hinata were among those called as well.

"Yagyu..."

Before long, Yagyu heard his name.

Standing up, Yagyu glanced at Sakura and said, "Good luck. I'll wait for you at the front entrance."

"Mm, you too. Good luck, Yagyu," Sakura replied with a smile and a nod.

Yagyu exited the classroom and made his way to the exam room, where Iruka and Mizuki were seated at a table.

With a quick glance at Mizuki's friendly expression, Yagyu wasted no time forming hand seals: "Clone Technique!"

With a poof sound like a balloon bursting, white smoke billowed from the exam room.

When the smoke cleared, Yagyu emerged holding a ninja forehead protector.

After exiting the building, he found Hinata and Ino waiting at the front entrance.

Soon after, Sakura came out with her own forehead protector in hand.

The group didn't leave the academy immediately. They waited in silence for the graduation exam to officially end.

After all, they still had to take their official ID photos.

Only once their photos were taken and their files entered into the system would they officially become genin.

Of course, if their assigned Jonin-sensei didn't approve of them, they would still be sent back to school for another year of training.

---

Read 20+ Chapters ahead of WN:

Patréon.com/RoseWhisky