Ren hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should even respond.
Wait… isn't that question a little strange?
If he didn't already understand Rin Nohara's personality, he might have assumed she was teasing him on purpose. But knowing her, that wasn't the case at all. Rin was straightforward—sometimes too straightforward.
Still, the question lingered in his mind.
Ren had, in fact, experimented with using "Snake Limb Hardening" on his torso before. However, from his understanding, Orochimaru originally developed this technique to transform limbs into weapons—essentially turning arms into blades or spears in critical moments.
A backup weapon.
Not a defensive technique.
Trying to apply it to other parts of the body—like the torso—wasn't impossible, but it demanded far more precise chakra control. The complexity increased exponentially.
Ren let out a quiet breath.
I still need more practice.
After mentally reviewing the earlier sparring session, he and Rin began cleaning up the training ground together. Scattered kunai, shuriken, and even the tangled steel wires were carefully gathered and rolled back into neat bundles.
Ren glanced at the coiled wire in his hands and gave a faint, self-deprecating smile.
"Without the Sharingan… these flashy wire techniques are really not easy to pull off," he muttered. "Let's just take it slow. It's not like they're our main attack method anyway."
Rin nodded in agreement, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
The night had grown deep.
Once everything was packed, the two of them left the training ground side by side. When they reached their respective homes, they paused.
"Goodnight, Yuu-kun," Rin said softly.
"Goodnight, Rin."
With that, they parted ways.
---
After washing up, Ren lay quietly on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Fragments of the day replayed in his mind—the structure of seal runes, the rhythm of combat, and Rin's voice echoing faintly in his ears. Slowly, his thoughts drifted, and before long, he closed his eyes.
Along with the peaceful silence of Konohagakure, he fell into sleep.
---
In the days that followed, Ren's schedule became increasingly intense—almost suffocatingly so.
Every morning, he rushed to Konoha Hospital.
Under the guidance of Medical Jonin, he conducted ward rounds, treated patients, and attended one or two theory lectures. Sometimes, he assisted in surgeries—both internal and external—gaining invaluable hands-on experience.
Afternoons were no easier.
He either trained near the Naka River, pushing his body and chakra control to the limit…
Or he went to Orochimaru's laboratory.
There, mountains of experimental data awaited him.
Endless notes. Biological samples. Blood analysis. Unknown tissue slices that required meticulous handling.
The air in that place always carried a faint, unsettling chill.
And yet, Ren endured it.
---
At night, his routine continued.
He would spend two full hours studying sealing techniques, carefully memorizing rune structures and theoretical frameworks.
After that, he entered the system interface—what he casually referred to as the "gala system."
Inside, he interacted with the various "Ninjutsu girls."
Even on days when he didn't have time for Practice, he made sure to complete all available Dialogue interactions, steadily increasing favorability whenever possible.
On top of all that…
There were still team missions.
Once or twice a week, on average, he would be sent out for patrols, bandit suppression, escort missions, or intelligence delivery.
Each task demanded time.
Each task drained energy.
And now, all of them were stacked together.
Ren felt like a spinning top—constantly in motion, never stopping.
It reminded him of something from his past life.
This feels just like preparing for final exams… or the Gaokao…
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Busy… but not meaningless.
---
And naturally, the rewards were just as significant.
The first major gain was the expansion of his "collection."
During his third session of "Kushina's Little Classroom," Ren successfully established a connection with the "Binding Seal Technique."
That brought his total number of conquerable targets to thirteen.
However…
He quickly ran into a problem.
This particular "girl" was… difficult.
Gloomy. Silent. Emotionally distant.
No matter what Ren said during Dialogue, she barely responded.
Even during Practice sessions involving seal drawing, her reactions were minimal.
Her favorability remained stuck in the single digits.
Ren scratched his head helplessly.
I'm really not good with this type…
---
But compared to that minor frustration, what happened next was far more shocking.
It came from Orochimaru.
When Ren received his second month's salary, Orochimaru handed him something unexpected—
A research report.
"The Nerve Activation Technique," Orochimaru said calmly, his golden eyes gleaming faintly. "This is the latest version."
Ren wasn't sure whether to believe him.
But regardless of its authenticity, the value of the report was undeniable.
Six to seven pages.
Dense. Complex. Cutting-edge.
---
And as expected—
The system reacted immediately.
[Ding! Detected Special Item · Body Part — Nerve Activation Technique: Sealed Left Arm!]
Ren froze.
"…What?"
He stared at the notification in disbelief.
Sealed… Left Arm?
What is this, some kind of Gundam assembly system?!
For a moment, he was completely speechless.
---
But practicality quickly took over.
After returning home, Ren immediately copied the entire research report.
Then—
He integrated the original document into the incomplete "Nerve Activation Technique" within the system.
The result appeared almost instantly.
---
[After a difficult search and fierce battle, you obtained the fragmented left arm of the "Nerve Activation Technique" from a snake nest west of Konoha and successfully attached it to the incomplete girl.]
[She remains asleep, her eyes gently closed, unaware of the change. However, a faint blush appears on her pale face—bringing her one step closer to awakening.]
[Nerve Activation Technique Favorability +5]
[Favorability Limit +11]
[Current Favorability: 14/36 (Stranger)]
---
Ren exhaled slowly.
So that was how it worked.
Because the technique was incomplete, he had never dared to actually Practice it. Instead, he relied solely on Dialogue interactions.
Even though the "girl" never responded, occasional +1 favorability notifications appeared.
Slow.
Gradual.
Steady.
And now, it had finally reached this stage.
---
From what he could tell, the technique was still missing several key components:
Sealed Right Arm
Sealed Left Leg
Sealed Right Leg
The Heart
At least four more parts.
To raise the favorability limit to 50, he would need to obtain at least one or two additional components.
---
But there was a problem.
A big one.
Ren couldn't complete this alone.
The "Nerve Activation Technique" involved advanced knowledge of neurology, cellular biology, and even electromagnetics. The chakra control requirements were incredibly precise.
At full completion, it would likely reach at least B-rank Ninjutsu.
Understanding the existing research was already difficult.
Improving it?
That was on an entirely different level.
---
He had considered seeking help from Tsunade.
But…
Given her usual habits—
Skipping work, disappearing for days, and occasionally leaving behind the unmistakable smell of alcohol in her office—
Ren quickly dismissed the idea.
Yeah… that's not reliable at all.
In the end, he could only place his hopes on Orochimaru.
---
Aside from these two special targets, his progress with other techniques remained steady.
---
[Current Conquest Targets]
Three Basic Jutsu (100)
Great Fireball Technique (100)
Healing Technique · Attachment (99/100)
Phoenix Sage Fire Technique · Intimate (71)
Water Release: Rampaging Waves · Intimate (70)
Hatake Sword Style · Friendly (37)
Dragon Fire Technique · Friendly (28)
Eight Gates · Stranger (22)
---
The "Healing Technique" was currently stuck at 99.
The reason?
A special condition:
Treat 100 Patients.
Until that was completed, its favorability remained locked.
But Ren wasn't worried.
New patients arrived at Konoha Hospital every day. Between him and Rin, reaching that milestone was only a matter of time.
And considering that the fourth stage often brought qualitative changes…
A higher difficulty made perfect sense.
---
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique had become his most frequently practiced jutsu.
It was already nearing the next stage.
And then—
There were the newly unlocked characteristics.
---
[Dragon Fire Technique]
Stage Reward: Physique +1
Piercing Flame: The flames are exceptionally stable and resistant to environmental interference. Base range increases by 15%. Charging for 1 second increases range by an additional 1%, stacking up to 5 times.
---
[Water Wall Technique]
Stage Reward: Physique +1
Merging Water: The technique adapts to your combat habits, anticipating weaknesses. Defense increases by 25%, with a 20% chance to activate automatically against sudden attacks.
---
Ren leaned back, letting out a satisfied breath.
Both abilities were solid.
One enhanced offensive reach.
The other improved defensive reliability.
Even if their boosts weren't as overwhelming as earlier techniques like Great Fireball or Rampaging Waves…
They were still far stronger than their original versions.
---
A faint glint of determination flashed in his eyes.
Once Phoenix Sage Fire and Hatake Sword Style advanced further…
He would finally have the time to focus on mastering these techniques as well.
And when that day came—
His strength would take another leap forward.
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