NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: New Jutsu!
Iruka continued his math lesson, but Indra barely paid attention.
He effortlessly thought of the answers in his head, already knowing most of the material. Eventually, he rested his head on the desk, tuning out the lesson.
Iruka, unaware, kept teaching as the subjects changed from math to history, then to shinobi tactics. But as the topics became more complex, Indra found himself struggling to keep up.
Before long, Iruka clapped his hands together.
"Alright! Let's go outside and practice shuriken throwing!"
Iruka continued his math lesson, but Indra barely paid attention.
He effortlessly thought of the answers in his head, already knowing most of the material. Eventually, he rested his head on the desk, tuning out the lesson.
Iruka, unaware, kept teaching as the subjects changed from math to history, then to shinobi tactics. But as the topics became more complex, Indra found himself struggling to keep up.
Before long, Iruka clapped his hands together.
"Alright! Let's go outside and practice shuriken throwing!"
---
(Training Grounds)
The students gathered at the academy's training grounds, chatting among themselves. Alongside Iruka was another instructor—Mizuki.
Naruto approached with a grin. "Hey! Indra!"
Indra glanced at him. Unlike before, Naruto didn't use any honorifics.
"Yeah?"
The rest of the class murmured among themselves as they watched the interaction.
"Why is he hanging out with Naruto?"
"Isn't he friends with that demon?"
Indra ignored the whispers. Being friends with a future Kage-level shinobi was far better than caring about what some kids thought.
They continued chatting until the students were split into two lines.
To Indra's surprise, Naruto ended up in Iruka's line instead of Mizuki's.
"At least no rusted kunai for him this time," Indra thought.
His gaze shifted to Mizuki, who maintained a gentle and friendly demeanor.
But Indra could feel it—a faint trace of hatred beneath the surface.
"Looks like your chakra is working a bit," he thought.
Saiken just snorted in response.
Iruka began calling names.
"Sasuke Uchiha!"
The moment the name was spoken, an uproar erupted.
"Sasuke-kun~~!"
A pink-haired girl squealed, standing beside a blonde one who had an equally eager expression.
Indra sighed but kept his attention forward.
Sasuke stepped up, grabbing five shuriken and five kunai. With precise movements, he launched them at the targets.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
"Sasuke Uchiha! 8/10! Not bad, Sasuke!"
Sasuke snorted, walking away as if it was nothing.
Indra watched him for a moment before thinking to himself.
"In a few days, the Uchiha will be in the Pure Lands..."
A thought crossed Indra's mind.
"Should I secure a girl? If I did, my bloodline might end up even stronger than Sasuke's in the future…"
His mind wandered, entertaining ridiculous possibilities until Iruka's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto stepped forward, grabbing the kunai and shuriken. With clumsy movements, he threw them at the target.
Miss. Miss. Miss.
Iruka sighed. "Naruto Uzumaki, 0/10."
Naruto's face fell as he shuffled back to his spot.
"Indra…? Indra, come forward."
Indra noticed a hint of skepticism in Iruka's tone.
"He's doubting something…?"
Iruka silently studied him. 'Is he an Uchiha?' The thought surfaced, but he quickly dismissed it.
The reason was simple—Indra's chakra reserves were too low.
Indra stepped up, grabbing the kunai. He tightened his grip and threw the shuriken first, immediately following with the kunai.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Clang!
"Indra, 4/10."
One kunai had been deflected mid-air by his own shuriken.
Indra sighed, stepping aside and sitting next to Naruto.
The murmurs of the class followed him, but he ignored them.
Naruto fidgeted beside him before speaking, "Well… I'm kinda surprised, Indra. You know, people call me a… you know, a demon… but you're still friends with me?"
Indra raised an eyebrow. "Demon or not, a friend is better than a foe."
Naruto nodded, but the slight tilt of his head made it clear—he didn't fully understand
The rest of the students continued their turn, but Indra barely paid attention. His mind wandered back to his earlier thought.
"Maybe I should capture a girl… if I do, my bloodline might end up even stronger than Sasuke's in the future."
He shook his head.
"No, what the hell am I even thinking?"
His attention snapped back when he noticed Naruto sulking.
Indra sighed. "You can always improve, Naruto. Just train harder."
Naruto turned to him, his eyes wide with surprise. "You really think so?"
"Yeah. If an idiot like you can't get better, what's the point of training at all?" Indra smirked.
Naruto laughed. "Heh, you kinda sound like the old man."
"Old man?" Indra frowned as the picture of Hiruzen appeared in his mind, but before he could ask something, Iruka clapped his hands.
"Alright, that's it for today! You're dismissed!"
Iruka dismissed the class, and Indra bid farewell to Shikamaru and Naruto before heading home.
As he entered his apartment, a familiar sound rang out.
Ding!
The system's mechanical chime surprised him.
[New Quest: Score at least 9/10 in the next shuriken throwing exercise.]
[Reward: Yin Release – Phantom Veil (A jutsu that makes the user's entire body invisible for 30 seconds)]
Seeing the reward, Indra's lips curled into a smirk.
"Of course, I'm an Uchiha, so I have Yin Release. And with this technique... I could 'borrow'—cough, cough—make good use of a few things."
His eyes drifted toward the kitchen knife on the counter, and an idea sparked in his mind.
That day, he trained relentlessly, throwing knives at a wooden plank, honing his accuracy and precision.
Just as he was about to take a break—
Ding!
[New Quest: Train until exhaustion.]
[Reward: Beginner Mastery of the skill being trained.]
[This mission is repeatable.]
Indra blinked at the panel, momentarily bewildered. But one thing was clear—the system wanted to push his limits.
"Fine, if that's the game you want to play... then let's go all in."
—
Three Days Later, at the Academy
In just a short time, Indra's bond with Naruto and Shikamaru had grown significantly.
So much so that Naruto willingly swapped seats with the person next to Shikamaru just to sit with them.
They spent most of their time chatting and slacking off—until today.
Because today was special.
"Alright, everyone!" Iruka clapped his hands, looking around with a knowing grin. "I know all these lessons must have exhausted you, but...!"
He paused dramatically, letting anticipation build.
"Let's do shuriken throwing!"
The class erupted into cheers.
—
Today's lineup had changed slightly.
Naruto stood in Mizuki's row—alongside Sasuke and Shikamaru.
Indra, however, was alone in Iruka's row.
As the students began their throws, Indra keenly observed Sasuke's movements, analyzing his technique. Then, he added his own adjustments to improve upon it.
Shikamaru did surprisingly well. But Naruto, with Mizuki handing him rusted kunai, had no chance.
"Tch. That bastard's trying to sabotage him."
—
"Indra! Come forward!"
Iruka called his name, and Indra stepped up, grabbing his shuriken and kunai.
With calm precision, he launched the shuriken—
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Iruka nodded in approval. "Not bad, good improvement. 8/10!"
Indra's expression didn't change, but internally, he felt the pressure mounting.
—
For a few seconds, the air felt thick.
Indra reached for another shuriken, gripping it tightly.
Iruka raised a brow. "He's still going?"
Indra inhaled deeply, steadying his nerves. He aimed carefully and threw the final shuriken—
Thunk!
One had fallen.
The classroom murmured, confused.
Then, Indra took the kunai.
For a brief moment, tension surged through his muscles.
Then—
He threw it.
Whizz!
The kunai flew in a straight line—hitting the bullseye!
A stunned silence fell over the class.
Even Iruka was momentarily speechless.
Then—
"A bullseye… Very good, Indra! 9/10!"
Indra's mood lifted instantly.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have acquired a B-rank jutsu: Yin Release – Phantom Veil.]
Indra stepped aside, a bold grin creeping onto his lips as he eagerly opened the jutsu's description.