The first page of the Bond Album opened, and Ren's curious smile disappeared.
Ten names appeared across the page.
He stared at them for several seconds before realizing what the system was showing him.
Of course it involved bonds.
Even without his absurd affection system, bonds possessed almost supernatural importance in the shinobi world. In Konoha especially, any random group of three people was practically guaranteed to develop at least two complicated bonds, one tragic rivalry, and enough emotional baggage to last several generations.
It would have been stranger if the system did not include such a function.
What surprised Ren was the unlock condition.
He had needed to add ten separate targets to the Strategy List before the Bond Album became available.
"Have I really reached ten already?"
Ren counted them again.
The Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, and Substitution Technique made up the Three Basic Academy Techniques. After those came Great Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Wild Water Wave, the Eight Gates, Healing Technique, Hatake Swordsmanship, and the newly acquired Water Formation Wall.
Exactly ten.
Ren leaned back slightly, suddenly impressed with himself.
It was normal for the protagonist of a romance game to pursue several heroines simultaneously, but Ren had somehow reached the point of maintaining relationships with ten personified techniques without consciously noticing.
He was practically cheating on an entire classroom.
Unfortunately, reality had also demonstrated the truth behind the saying that greed led to indigestion.
Ninjutsu required time to practise. Improving favorability through dialogue, gifts, or special encounters also consumed a considerable amount of energy.
Of his ten targets, Ren had made serious progress with only five or six. Several of the others had not even unlocked their first-stage traits.
The Eight Gates was the most obvious example.
Its personification—a red-haired, tanned, relentlessly athletic girl—had been almost completely ignored for an entire week. Ren had been occupied with the mission, and maintaining her preferred training routine outside the village was far more difficult.
He could hardly wake up every morning and run ten kilometres around a military outpost before breakfast. The guards would either think he was insane or suspect that he was secretly mapping their defences.
Adding techniques to the Strategy List and developing them gradually was not necessarily wrong. Still, Ren could not allow himself to obsess over increasing their number.
The most important priority was building a complete combat system.
He needed techniques that complemented one another, covered his weaknesses, and could be transformed into immediate fighting power. Collecting dozens of unrelated ninjutsu merely to watch their names gather dust inside the system would accomplish nothing.
Ren focused his attention on the open Bond Album.
A new explanation appeared across the first page.
[Bond Album: A special function that identifies compatible relationships between Strategy Targets. A Bond becomes available after all techniques connected to it fulfil the required conditions.]
[Each completed Bond grants the host a unique enhancement or combined ability.]
[Number of Available Bonds: 1]
[Currently Activated Bond: Trinity—Phantom Stage]
Ren's expression sharpened.
Only one bond had been activated, but that was understandable. The Transformation, Clone, and Substitution Techniques had all reached maximum favorability.
They had also been trained to an extraordinary level.
Ren selected the glowing entry.
Three feminine silhouettes appeared on the page, standing in a triangle around a darkened stage. One constantly changed her face and clothing. Another was surrounded by countless identical figures, while the third flickered from one position to another like an unstable shadow.
The full description emerged beneath them.
[Trinity—Phantom Stage]
[Bonded Techniques: Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, Substitution Technique]
[Your mastery of the Three Basic Academy Techniques has reached its current limit. Their activation speed is greatly increased, and they can now be performed with almost no hand seals.]
[Bond Ability: By consuming additional chakra, the host may construct an 80 × 80 metre Phantom Stage.]
[Within the Phantom Stage, the Transformation, Clone, and Substitution Techniques may be linked seamlessly without hand seals or intervals between activation.]
[Activation Limit: Once per day]
Ren read the description twice.
Then his eyes lit up.
"An eighty-metre battlefield where the Three Basic Techniques can be chained without seals or delays?"
The ability appeared simple at first glance. None of the three techniques possessed much offensive power, and most shinobi stopped taking them seriously after graduating from the Academy.
In Ren's hands, however, they were no longer ordinary Academy techniques.
His Transformation Technique could reconstruct his body, imitate physical traits, and alter his form far beyond a normal illusion.
His Clone Technique possessed One-Man Army. Every destroyed clone could return experience to him while temporarily strengthening his body and reaction speed.
His Substitution Technique had evolved into Simulated Realm Instantaneous Transfer, allowing him to exchange positions with marked people and objects across a considerable distance.
Individually, each ability was useful.
Inside the Phantom Stage, they would become terrifying.
Ren had previously imagined a combat system built around the special characteristics of those three techniques. At the time, it had been only an incomplete concept because the necessary hand seals and pauses created unavoidable openings.
Trinity—Phantom Stage removed those restrictions.
"Isn't this practically designed for the Death Mark?"
Ren closed his eyes and reconstructed the idea in his mind.
Before a battle, he would scatter weapons, stones, and clones carrying his chakra throughout the area. Every marked object would become a possible destination for Simulated Realm Instantaneous Transfer.
The moment Phantom Stage activated, Ren could create clones without hand seals, transform himself or those clones into any person or object, and exchange places with them without warning.
An enemy might see Ren standing in front of him, only for that body to dissolve into a clone. A stone behind the enemy could become another Ren, while the original transformed into a discarded kunai.
The instant the enemy discovered the deception, Ren could switch positions again.
Front, rear, above, below—every marked point within the eighty-metre stage would become a potential attack angle.
Destroying his clones would only activate One-Man Army and make his real body stronger.
Trying to identify him through appearance would fail because of the Transformation Technique.
Attempting to trap him would be useless because the Substitution Technique could move him across the entire stage.
The enemy would be surrounded by countless versions of Ren without knowing which one was real or where the next attack would originate.
Once someone entered that eighty-metre space, the outcome of the battle would already be decided.
Their presence inside the Phantom Stage would become their Death Mark.
A smile slowly appeared on Ren's face.
There were still uncertainties. The system had not specified how much additional chakra the Phantom Stage consumed or how long it could remain active.
If the cost emptied his reserves in seconds, the ability would be little more than a desperate trump card. If he could maintain it for several minutes, however, it might become the foundation of his future combat style.
Ren also wondered whether other combinations existed.
"If the Three Basic Techniques formed a bond, Great Fireball and Phoenix Sage Fire should have one as well."
Both were Fire Release techniques, and their personalities seemed related. One emphasized overwhelming power, while the other specialized in controlling numerous smaller flames.
Wild Water Wave and Water Formation Wall might eventually create another bond—one focused on switching seamlessly between offense and defence.
As for the Eight Gates…
Ren struggled to think of a suitable partner.
Perhaps the Strength of a Hundred Technique could create a physical-combat bond by combining overwhelming force, healing, and chakra reserves.
Or perhaps the Eight Gates would somehow bond with the One Thousand Years of Death.
Ren immediately pushed that horrifying thought from his mind. Some combinations should never exist.
Regardless, the rewards from this mission had already exceeded his expectations.
He had obtained Water Formation Wall, unlocked the Bond Album, and gained a trump card with enormous potential. Once he returned to Konoha, he could begin developing the Death Mark properly.
Wildfire Outpost was not the place to experiment with it.
Constructing an eighty-metre field without understanding the chakra consumption could leave him unconscious in hostile territory. More importantly, the ability involved too many secrets to test beneath the eyes of dozens of unfamiliar shinobi.
Ren closed the Bond Album.
He practised Hatake Swordsmanship in the courtyard for a while before deciding to give himself the rest of the afternoon off. Instead of physical training, he opened the dialogue interface and spent time speaking with his ninjutsu.
The favorability of the Three Basic Techniques had already reached its maximum, so ordinary conversations could no longer increase their progress.
Even so, Ren enjoyed talking to them.
Each technique possessed a different personality, and their arguments were surprisingly entertaining. Speaking with them felt similar to chatting with online friends from his previous life—strange, occasionally ridiculous, but excellent for relieving stress.
If a certain future masked man had possessed a system like this, perhaps he would not have become so obsessed with creating a dream world.
Then again, knowing Obito's personality, he might still have launched the Eye of the Moon Plan just to create a reality where fictional girls became real.
Some destinies were difficult to change.
The following morning passed without Minato's return.
Wildfire Outpost remained on high alert. Fujiwara was still being interrogated, patrols moved in larger formations, and the guards repeatedly searched the surrounding forests for any sign of Wind Eye.
No attack came.
The unease continued through the second day.
Then, early on the third morning, the space inside the camp courtyard distorted.
A golden flash illuminated the mist.
Minato appeared beside the medical ward carrying a sealed case marked with Konoha's medical insignia. Dust covered his clothes, and faint exhaustion showed around his eyes, but he had returned far sooner than any ordinary shinobi could have managed.
Hebiji hurried out to meet him. "Did Lady Tsunade identify the toxin?"
"She did." Minato opened the case, revealing several rows of prepared injections and sealed vials. "Lady Tsunade worked with the medical division to create a specialized antidote."
He handed the case to Hebiji and continued explaining the treatment.
"If administered within eight hours of exposure, it can neutralize approximately ninety percent of the poison. Too much time has passed for the wounded shinobi here, but Tsunade estimates it should still remove sixty to seventy percent."
"That will be enough," Hebiji said. Relief entered his voice for the first time in days. "With conventional detoxification, Healing Techniques, and proper rest, we can handle the remaining damage."
He immediately summoned the medical team.
The surviving poisoned shinobi was moved into the treatment area, where Hebiji carefully administered the antidote. Several tense minutes passed without an obvious change.
Then the black web-like markings beneath the man's skin began to recede.
His breathing steadied.
Most importantly, the dark green blood seeping from his wound gradually returned to a healthy red.
Tsunade's antidote worked.
The oppressive atmosphere hanging over the medical ward finally lifted. Several exhausted medical-nin nearly collapsed from relief, while Hayabusa Akiyama immediately ordered additional antidotes distributed among the patrol teams.
With that, Minato's mission had not merely been completed—it had been exceeded.
The requested medical reinforcements had arrived. The wounded had been stabilized, the enemy's poison had been countered, an infiltrator had been captured, and Wildfire Outpost's supplies had been protected.
Even so, Minato decided that the team would remain for another two days.
Hebiji still needed assistance reorganizing the medical ward, and Tsume's patrol unit required help inspecting the routes previously used by Fujiwara. The additional time also allowed Minato to learn more about the deteriorating border situation.
During those two days, Ren gathered several important pieces of information.
Sunagakure had been sending small teams into the Land of Fire and the neighbouring countries for weeks. Their movements were unusually desperate, as if the village were searching for a missing person or object of immense importance.
Ren already suspected the truth.
One of the major catalysts behind the coming Third Great Ninja War was the disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
Sunagakure had poured enormous resources into searching for him without discovering what had happened. The truth would remain hidden for years: the Third Kazekage had been killed and transformed into a Human Puppet by Sasori of the Red Sand, who was still only a teenager.
If the Sand's abnormal movements were connected to that disappearance, then the Third Kazekage might already be dead.
War was no longer a distant possibility.
It could begin within days.
Unfortunately, Ren was only a genin. He could not approach Konoha's leadership and announce that he possessed knowledge of future events.
At most, he could share observations appropriate to his position—Sunagakure appeared to be searching for someone, its forces were becoming more aggressive, and its patrols might soon expand into a larger military operation.
Whether Minato and the village acted on those warnings was beyond Ren's control.
During their remaining time at the outpost, Tsume visited Minato several times.
The two knew each other well enough to speak casually, and Tsume repeatedly asked about recent events in Konoha, particularly news concerning the Inuzuka clan.
Eventually, their conversation drifted toward Kushina.
"So," Tsume said, grinning as she leaned against the courtyard fence, "it looks like you'll be joining the Uzumaki family soon."
Minato nearly choked on his tea.
"It's far too early to discuss that," he replied. His cheeks had reddened despite his attempt to remain composed. "The shinobi world is becoming increasingly unstable. Starting a family can wait until the situation settles."
Tsume's grin widened. "You can teleport across countries without breaking a sweat, but mentioning marriage is enough to frighten you?"
"I didn't say I was frightened."
"You didn't need to."
Ren, Rin, Obito, and Kakashi were sitting nearby. Obito listened with intense interest, clearly storing the information for future teasing.
Minato quickly changed the subject. "You've been assigned to the border for several years. Now that you've become a special jōnin, don't you plan to return to Konoha for a while?"
"We'll see." Tsume scratched Kuromaru behind one ear. "The village feels too quiet after spending so much time outside. Border missions are more interesting."
Her gaze moved toward Minato's students.
"Although watching these four makes me want to try leading a genin squad someday." Tsume smiled. "Do any of you like dogs? The Inuzuka clan should have a new litter of ninken puppies soon. If your compatibility is good, I might let you choose one."
Kakashi was the first to look up.
He did not say anything, but the sudden attention in his visible eye was impossible to miss. Kakashi was a genuine dog lover, although the Hatake family already possessed its own ninken contracts and training traditions.
Rin leaned forward with an excited smile. "Really? We could meet the puppies?"
Obito immediately raised his hand. "I want the strongest one!"
Kuromaru looked him up and down, then turned away with a dismissive snort.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Obito demanded. "I'm great with animals!"
As the others began arguing over imaginary ninken partners, Ren remained quiet.
His gaze drifted across the rain-darkened courtyard.
Eighty metres from one wall to the next.
A perfect space for a Phantom Stage.
In his mind, clones appeared across the courtyard. Their faces changed, their bodies vanished, and invisible marks transformed every stone and weapon into a doorway for sudden death.
Ren's fingers tightened around the hilt of his short sword.
Once they returned to Konoha, he would turn that vision into reality.
The Death Mark would become a battlefield from which no enemy could escape.