The next morning, sunlight streamed gently into the room.
"Ugh… that hurts…"
Ruofeng pressed a hand to his forehead and slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings.
Nothing in the bedroom had changed. The only difference was the strange crimson color of the pajamas he was wearing.
He shook his head, memories of last night surfacing.
"What happened…? Why did signing the Beast King Mountain summoning contract cause something like this?"
The events of the previous night left him deeply puzzled.
Unable to resist his curiosity, he had chosen to sign the summoning contract of the supposedly extinct Beast King Mountain clan. To his surprise, the blood-colored contract text showed no sign of fading, clearly proving that the clan still existed.
At first, Ruofeng had found it strange. Then, a mysterious energy surged through the contract and poured into his body, violently strengthening his physique.
Recalling that sensation, he examined himself closely.
"What kind of energy was that…? My body feels at least three times stronger than yesterday."
He was genuinely shocked.
Glancing at his blood-stained pajamas, he tossed them aside and called out, "Prepare a bath. I need to wash up."
"Yes, young master," the maids replied immediately from outside.
As they went to prepare the water, Ruofeng continued sensing the changes in his body.
"That energy was terrifying. Even though the pain knocked me unconscious, the results are incredible."
After the medicinal baths and monster meat he had taken before, his physical strength already rivaled that of a ten-year-old. With this new boost, his body now felt comparable to that of a genin.
He stretched lightly, recalling the voice that had echoed in his mind the night before—especially the words Dog Sage.
"Dog Sage… anyone who can call themselves a sage must know how to cultivate natural chakra. Looks like the Beast King Mountain clan is far more extraordinary than I imagined."
Murmuring to himself, he stepped out to wash away the impurities left behind by the transformation.
Not long after, Ruofeng arrived at the Ninja Academy.
As soon as he entered the classroom, he noticed many of his classmates were already there.
The moment they saw him, the room fell into silence. Yesterday's intimidation had left a deep impression.
"Ruofeng! Over here!"
Kushina's cheerful voice rang out.
He looked over and saw her already seated, waving energetically. He walked straight over.
"You're early today," he said as he sat down beside her.
Kushina handed him a cup of juice. "Grandma woke up early and trained me, so I came ahead of time. And I even made a new friend!"
As she spoke, she pointed to the girl sitting next to her.
Ruofeng turned, slightly surprised.
The seat beside Kushina was no longer occupied by Reiko, but by a black-haired girl. Reiko was now sitting to the left of that girl.
Curious, Ruofeng asked, "A new classmate? Aren't you worried about being isolated like before? Or is there another reason?"
The black-haired girl lowered her head shyly.
Kushina immediately said, "Mikoto isn't like that at all! She's from the Uchiha clan, and those people already don't like her. But that's their problem! Mikoto is really gentle. They just hold grudges against the Uchiha clan."
Ruofeng's eyes sharpened slightly as he looked at the girl.
"You're from the Uchiha clan… Your name is Mikoto Uchiha?"
She nodded softly. "Y-Yes… I'm Mikoto Uchiha. Um… do you also dislike the Uchiha clan?"
Ruofeng shook his head with a light laugh. "You're overthinking it. So what if you're from the Uchiha clan? You're still just a normal person. Those people only avoid you because of their own inferiority and jealousy.
"The Uchiha are born with exceptional talent. Compared to that, even students with good aptitude feel lacking. Most of this class is made up of civilians, so it's natural for them to feel uncomfortable around members of major clans.
"But most clan children attend private schools or receive private instruction. Why are you here?"
This puzzled him.
Many large clans maintained their own private education systems, rarely letting outsiders in. Although Jiraiya once mentioned that the Third Hokage strongly opposed such practices, he had limited power to stop them. Instead, he required some clan children to attend the academy to gradually change the situation.
Nawaki was here for that reason.
As for the Uchiha, the one expected to attend the academy should've been Fugaku Uchiha, who was in Nawaki's grade—the future father of Sasuke.
So why was Mikoto here?
Mikoto's face flushed as she answered softly, "I volunteered to come. The clan's school said my talent wasn't good enough to become a ninja, so I chose to study here instead."
Ruofeng understood.
In the original history, Mikoto had never shown remarkable combat talent.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he said gently, "Talent isn't everything. Sometimes, effort matters far more."
At his encouragement, Mikoto's cheeks turned red, and determination shone faintly in her eyes.
Kushina clenched her fist excitedly. "Mikoto, you can do it! My dream is to become the Hokage, and when that happens, you'll be my first female jōnin!"
Her bold declaration made Ruofeng feel strangely amused.
In the original story, Kushina and Mikoto were close friends. He hadn't expected them to become so close by just the second day.
Fate really was unpredictable.
As the teacher approached, Ruofeng's thoughts drifted.
"My physical upgrade yesterday should've triggered new items in the junkyard. I wonder what they are. I'll check after school—hopefully something from a powerful world."
His eyes glinted with quiet anticipation.