"What the hell kind of 'Matchmaking Agency' is this…?"
Ren stood at the entrance of Konoha's Mission Hall, staring blankly at the counter in front of him. His lips twitched uncontrollably, his mind struggling to process what he had just experienced.
At first glance, it was just an ordinary exchange system—hand over contribution points, receive a ninjutsu scroll. Simple.
But through the lens of his system…
It had somehow turned into a full-blown dating service.
Ren rubbed his forehead, sighing.
If he thought about it carefully, though, the logic—however absurd—was oddly consistent.
Back when Hiruzen Sarutobi had offered him a selection of ninjutsu, the system had interpreted it as a "date selection event." Now, a place specifically designed for exchanging ninjutsu naturally became a "Matchmaking Agency."
Contribution points?
Membership fees.
Scrolls?
Potential partners.
"…So by that logic…"
Ren's gaze drifted into the distance as his imagination ran wild.
Wouldn't Minato Namikaze—with his legendary mission record—be a top-tier VIP member here?
And the Sannin?
And adult Kakashi Hatake?
All of them must have sky-high "membership levels."
"…No wonder so many of them are single," Ren muttered under his breath. "They're too busy dating ninjutsu."
For a moment, he seriously questioned whether this world had gone completely insane—or if it was just his system.
---
Shaking his head, Ren pushed those ridiculous thoughts aside and stepped up to the counter.
"Give me the list of ninjutsu I can exchange."
The attendant nodded and handed him a neatly organized catalog.
Ren flipped it open.
---
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique — C-rank
Hand Seals: Snake → Dragon → Rabbit → Tiger
A linear flame attack, especially effective when combined with steel wire restraints.
Fire Release: Flame Bullet — C-rank
Converts chakra into flammable oil before igniting it.
Fire Release: Great Flame Technique — C-rank
Fire Release: Blazing Meteor — C-rank
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique — B-rank
---
Ren skimmed through the list, his eyes narrowing slightly.
As expected, Konoha—being located in the Land of Fire—had a rich reserve of Fire Release techniques.
But something was off.
There were many techniques…
Yet truly powerful ones were scarce.
Forget legendary techniques like "Dragon Flame Singing"—even advanced forms like Fire Dragon Flame Bullet were missing.
"…Makes sense," Ren muttered.
This exchange system was clearly designed for civilian Genin.
The real high-level techniques?
Those were guarded secrets, passed down through clans or taught personally by masters.
Not something you could just buy with contribution points.
---
After a brief moment of thought, Ren made his decision.
"I'll take these two."
Moments later, two fresh scrolls were placed in his hands.
And just as expected—
The system chimed.
---
[Ding! Detected high-quality potential conquest target: "Dragon Fire Technique." Limited-time Encounter mission triggered!]
[Ding! Detected giftable item — Limited Skin: Great Fireball Technique / Dragon Fire Technique → Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!]
---
Ren blinked.
"…Here we go again."
The Dragon Fire Technique was familiar. He had encountered her before when Hiruzen offered him choices, but at the time, he had chosen Phoenix Sage Fire instead.
As for Great Dragon Fire Technique…
Ren had already suspected something when its name didn't appear as a separate entity in the system.
But this?
A shared skin?
"…So it's like a combo outfit?" he muttered.
After thinking it through, the logic became clearer.
Great Dragon Fire was essentially a fusion of Great Fireball Technique and Dragon Fire Technique.
So naturally, both could "wear" it.
"…But if it's a combination," Ren frowned, "shouldn't it be a new character instead? Like a daughter? Or some kind of chimera?"
The system's logic was… questionable, to say the least.
Still, there was a more pressing matter.
---
Who should receive the skin?
---
If he waited until Dragon Fire Technique reached 50 favorability, he could gift it to her directly.
But that would take time.
On the other hand—
If he gave it to Great Fireball Technique now, he could unlock the ninjutsu immediately.
Ren didn't hesitate for long.
"Practicality first."
---
He chose to unlock it immediately.
---
Even if it wasn't perfect, he could always recreate the technique later and gift it properly.
With that decision made, the system interface lit up again.
---
[Great Fireball Technique: (tilting her head curiously) Eh? New clothes… for me? They're so beautiful! Much prettier than the last set!]
---
Ren smiled faintly.
"It's nothing—just—"
Before he could finish—
Another voice cut in.
---
[Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: Wow! Look at those dragon patterns…]
[Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: The dragon is a symbol of the emperor!]
[Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: Congratulations, sister! You can declare yourself emperor now!]
---
Silence.
Then—
---
[Great Fireball Technique: Hahaha! So I am Ren's favorite! I understand your intentions now!]
[Great Fireball Technique: From now on, whenever you fight, Your Majesty will personally lend you her power!]
---
Ren: "…"
He slowly covered his face.
This… was getting out of hand.
Phoenix Sage Fire being mischievous was expected.
But Great Fireball Technique?
She used to be elegant. Noble. Refined.
Now?
She was calling herself "Your Majesty."
What happened in just a few days?!
---
And right on cue—
A familiar voice appeared.
---
[Great Fireball Technique: Clone Technique, did you see? Ren bought me new clothes again! I have two outfits now! I can wear a different one every day~]
[Clone Technique: Hmph. As if you're the only one who gets attention… I wasn't talking about you, by the way.]
[Transformation Technique: …]
---
The argument began instantly.
Ren sighed.
This was becoming routine.
Clearing his throat, he spoke gently—
"You're all important to me."
A classic line.
A dangerous line.
But effective.
The chaos settled—slightly.
---
Taking advantage of the brief peace, Ren quietly slipped away to a secluded training area.
It was time.
---
The Encounter with Dragon Fire Technique.
---
Unlike his expectations, she wasn't anything like Great Fireball or Phoenix Sage Fire.
No flamboyance.
No playful arrogance.
Instead—
She was calm.
Steady.
Reliable.
Like a disciplined soldier.
Ren smiled.
This one would be easy.
A few carefully chosen words, a bit of sincerity—
And just like that—
---
His "harem" expanded to eleven members.
---
"…I really need to stop thinking of it like that," Ren muttered.
---
With that done, there was only one thing left.
Testing his new power.
---
Training Ground
The air was still.
The forest silent.
Ren stood at the center of the clearing, the scroll open in his mind.
His hands moved swiftly.
"Snake… Dragon… Rabbit… Tiger…"
---
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
---
ROAR—!!
---
A massive surge of chakra erupted.
But instead of forming a fireball—
It transformed.
Condensing. Twisting. Shaping.
---
A blazing dragon burst from his mouth.
---
It was magnificent.
Five to six meters long, its body coiled with power.
Flames formed sharp horns, jagged scales, and extended claws.
Its tail whipped through the air, leaving streaks of fire in its wake.
In an instant—
It shot forward.
---
BOOM!!!
---
The dragon slammed into the cliff face across the training ground.
The explosion was deafening.
Rocks shattered.
Flames scattered.
The ground trembled violently.
Within a radius of dozens of meters, vegetation blackened instantly, curling under the intense heat.
---
A true B-rank ninjutsu.
---
Ren lowered his hands, exhaling slowly.
Then he closed his eyes.
Analyzing.
---
"The power is solid…"
"The Blazing Heart enhancement definitely helped… and it seems to share proficiency with Great Fireball."
"That saved me a lot of training time."
He opened his eyes again, gaze sharpening.
"But…"
---
"It's not perfect."
---
"The dragon wasn't condensed enough. Too loose."
"Speed and accuracy still need work."
---
Ren cracked his knuckles.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
---
"Good."
Because that meant—
There was still room to grow.
He raised his hands once more.
Flames flickered at his fingertips.
"Since I'm already here…"
"…I might as well train everything properly."
The forest soon lit up again—
As waves of fire roared across the training ground.
And at the center of it all—
Ren stood firm.
Sharpening his power.
Preparing for what lay ahead.
--------------------------------
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