Ren was almost certain that the current Obito had already entered Uchiha Madara's field of vision.
The boy had not only survived the battlefield longer than expected, he had even awakened the Sharingan earlier than the original course of events. That single change was enough to make the old ghost hiding in the darkness adjust his plans.
Madara was not the type to sit quietly and watch fate drift out of his control, especially when the pawn he wanted had begun growing in a direction he had not predicted.
While Minato Namikaze remained close to them, Madara probably would not act too openly. He still had no intention of exposing his existence to the ninja world, and provoking the Yellow Flash directly would be far too risky. But once Ren, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi began acting independently, the situation would become very different. Ren had gathered several life-saving methods by now, and against an ordinary Kage-level enemy, he might have a decent chance of escaping. But if the opponent was Uchiha Madara, even running away could become nothing more than a fantasy.
"Well, there's no need to worry too much," Minato said, clearly not thinking in the same direction as Ren. He gently patted Rin's shoulder, then looked at Ren and the others with his usual warm confidence. "I've seen your progress with my own eyes. You already have impressive ability, enough to face ordinary storms without being overwhelmed. There is no doubt about that."
His expression softened slightly, though a trace of guilt appeared in his eyes. "However, as your squad leader, my guidance has still been lacking. Once we return to the village, I'll find time to teach each of you a few new jutsu. That should help you pass the Chūnin Exams more smoothly."
"Awesome!" Obito's eyes lit up immediately, and his earlier worry vanished as if it had never existed. For him, hearing that Minato would personally teach them new techniques was much more exciting than any distant threat he could not see.
Since it was the New Year celebration, Minato did not continue discussing training for too long. He said a few lighter words to keep the atmosphere cheerful, then stood and left the children to enjoy the feast.
The bonfire gathering continued until around eight or nine in the evening before gradually winding down. Laughter softened, the music slowed, and ninjas began returning to their posts or tents with satisfied expressions.
Before leaving, Ren found several clean food containers and carefully packed some freshly grilled meat that was still warm, several untouched loaves of bread, and a few pieces of fresh fruit. He arranged everything neatly, making sure the food would not spill, then picked up the container.
Rin noticed and asked softly, "Are you bringing that to Pakura?"
"Yeah," Ren replied without hiding it. "She helped with the experiment before, and no matter what, Konoha is a righteous force. We still have to maintain basic humanitarian care for prisoners. Rin, do you want to come with me?"
Rin shook her head with a small smile. "No, you go. Come back soon, and don't stay out too late."
Ren nodded, said goodbye to Kakashi and Obito, and carried the food container toward the underground holding area. After getting the key from the guard, he opened the door to Pakura's cell and stepped inside. "Good evening, Prisoner Pakura."
The cell was dim and cold, with only a weak lamp casting shadows over the stone walls. Pakura raised her head immediately, her amber eyes sharp with alertness. But when she saw the food container in Ren's hands, and smelled the warm aroma of roasted meat and bread drifting through the air, she froze for a moment.
"You probably heard the noise outside," Ren said, lifting the container slightly. "Today is Konoha's New Year. The outpost prepared a lot of good food, so I brought some for you to try. Eat while it's still warm."
Pakura had indeed heard the celebration. The bonfire feast had been lively, with music, laughter, and singing echoing faintly even through the walls. With her strength and senses, it would have been impossible not to notice. Still, she had not expected the white-haired Konoha kid who captured her to bring food to her cell at a time like this.
Her eyes narrowed. "Whitey, what are you trying to do now?"
"Nothing," Ren said calmly. "War is war, but people still need to eat. Don't worry, I'm not petty enough to poison you. If you don't mind a little spit, I can even taste a few bites first."
"Hmph. Put it down."
Pakura's gaze moved between the food container and Ren's face several times. In the end, hunger and curiosity won. She reached out and took the container, though her expression remained guarded. "What about the data analysis you promised?"
"Look at you, always impatient." Ren waved his hand lazily. "Don't worry. Rin and I are already working on it. We should have a rough draft in a few days. Enjoy your meal. I'm leaving."
After saying that, he turned and walked out without lingering, closing the cell door behind him. Pakura remained leaning against the cold wall, staring at the food for a while before finally picking up a piece of grilled meat. She took a small bite. The meat was still warm, rich with spices and smoke, and as it slid into her stomach, a long-forgotten feeling quietly spread through her chest.
It was not joy, exactly.
It was the simple reassurance of being alive.
Pakura looked away and muttered under her breath, "Hmph. As expected, a naturally evil Konoha kid." A pause followed, and then her voice dropped even lower. "But… it actually tastes pretty good."
In the blink of an eye, morning arrived. Around nine o'clock, the four members of Team Minato gathered at the training ground behind Wildfire Outpost. The air was cooler than usual, and the ground still carried traces of last night's celebration, though the ninjas on duty had already cleaned most of it away. After a short wait, Jiraiya arrived late, walking with his hands behind his back, his red coat swaying in the breeze.
His expression today was much more serious than the drunken, laughing face from the night before. He strode to the center of the clearing, glanced over Ren, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, then cleared his throat. "Ahem. You kids are quite punctual. Yesterday, I said I would teach you something, and now this great sage will keep his promise."
Jiraiya raised one hand, and his voice grew heavier. "Watch closely. This jutsu is called the Wild Lion's Mane Technique."
The moment he finished speaking, Jiraiya formed several hand signs. His long, wild white hair suddenly surged outward, hardening and stretching like living silver pythons. The strands shot toward a training boulder more than ten meters away with a sharp whistle, wrapping around it in an instant.
Whoosh!
The boulder was torn from the ground by force. Then the hair tightened like a crushing fist. Cracks spread across the stone, and a heartbeat later, the entire boulder shattered into fragments. Dust burst outward, scattering across the training field.
"Wow!" Obito cried out, his eyes shining with excitement.
Compared to the defensive Needle Jizō, the offensive Wild Lion's Mane Technique was far more visually striking. The image of Jiraiya's hair becoming a living weapon was powerful, direct, and easy to understand. Ren and Rin also widened their eyes, observing carefully, while Kakashi's gaze sharpened as he silently analyzed the hand signs and chakra flow.
Jiraiya withdrew the technique, and his hair returned to normal. His face carried no small amount of pride. "Did you see that? This move shares the same principle as the Needle Jizō scroll I gave you before. Both use chakra to instantly stimulate the hair, making it harden, extend, and move freely. One leans toward defense, the other toward offense. Used properly, it can restrain, crush, and attack from unexpected angles."
He looked at the four of them and continued, "Now I'll briefly explain the hand signs and the chakra circulation path. Remember carefully."
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya," the four answered.
According to the ninja world's classification, techniques like Wild Lion's Mane and Needle Jizō leaned toward Yang Release. They were somewhat similar in principle to the Akimichi Clan's Multi-Size Technique, both involving the activation of physical vitality through chakra. Because of that, not everyone could learn them easily. The user needed not only strong chakra control, but also a body capable of responding to that kind of stimulation.
For Ren, however, the difficulty was not too high. He already had a foundation from Needle Jizō, and more importantly, the system treated Wild Lion's Mane as a new form connected to the Transformation Technique. Even if he ignored that advantage and learned it like an ordinary ninja, it would still not be impossible for him.
After trying several times, Ren successfully extended a lock of white hair. The strand moved like a nimble snake, wrapping around a small stone at his feet before crushing it into powder.
Ren learned the basic use of Wild Lion's Mane almost immediately.
"As expected of you, Ren!" Obito shouted, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You actually learned it that quickly! Teach me! How exactly do you use this jutsu?"
"Don't you have the Sharingan?" Ren asked casually. "Why don't you activate it and copy the movement?"
"Huh?" Obito froze. "The Sharingan can do that?"
Ren stared at him.
For a moment, he was speechless.
Good grief. Obito had awakened his Sharingan nearly a week ago and had been training with Kakashi in the woods every day, yet he still did not know how to use genjutsu, and he did not even know about the Sharingan's copying ability. What exactly had he been practicing? Had he gone with Kakashi every day just to secretly peek at Icha Icha Paradise?
But then Ren's heart stirred.
That was right. The Sharingan could copy ninjutsu. Although bloodline limits and advanced forbidden techniques could not be easily copied, in theory, most elemental ninjutsu and taijutsu were within the Sharingan's range. That raised an important question. Could Obito copy Ren's system-enhanced techniques, the ones that had awakened special traits?
The probability was low. Ren had already tried teaching Rin the system-enhanced version of the Three Basic Jutsu, and it had failed. Still, the Sharingan was different from normal learning. He would need to test it eventually, just to be safe. He did not want Obito accidentally stealing his thunder without even understanding what he had done.
On the other side, Kakashi and Rin also tried the technique. After several attempts, both of them succeeded in moving their hair slightly, though neither could extend and retract it as freely as Ren, let alone crush rocks like Jiraiya. Kakashi tested it a few more times and quickly judged that the technique did not fit his combat style very well, so he stopped putting much effort into it.
Rin, however, seemed more interested. She raised her hand and asked Jiraiya several questions about chakra stimulation and bodily strain. Jiraiya answered gladly, and the atmosphere of the lesson became unexpectedly good.
Seeing the exchange going smoothly, Ren turned his gaze toward Jiraiya and put on a sincere, knowledge-hungry expression. "Lord Jiraiya, could you also show us the Transparent Escape Technique you mentioned yesterday? It sounds like a very practical ninjutsu."
"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"
Jiraiya had just taken a sip of water to clear his throat. The moment he heard Ren's request, he nearly choked, coughing violently as his face flushed. "That jutsu is still too early for you. You're still young. Your minds should be focused on the righteous path. If it affects your development, that wouldn't be good. Let's talk about it in a few years."
Ren blinked with perfect innocence. "What do you mean? Isn't Transparent Escape used for infiltration and gathering intelligence? What does it have to do with age? Could it be that Lord Jiraiya developed this jutsu for some other purpose?"
Jiraiya widened his eyes and stared at Ren's harmless expression. For a moment, he could not tell if this white-haired kid genuinely did not understand or was deliberately pretending not to.
Beside them, Obito scratched his head. "I don't know what you two are talking about, but Transparent Escape sounds amazing! Lord Jiraiya, please show us!"
Kakashi remained silent, but his visible eye shifted toward Jiraiya. Rin also looked curious. Faced with three innocent young faces and one suspiciously innocent Ren, Jiraiya suddenly felt an immense pressure pressing down on his shoulders.
At this point, he could not possibly admit in front of his juniors that this technique had mainly been developed for peeping at women's bathhouses. If he said that out loud, his grand image as one of the legendary Sannin would collapse on the spot.
"Ahem. You're absolutely right," Jiraiya said with forced seriousness. "This jutsu is indeed used for intelligence gathering. In ninja combat, intelligence is everything. It can determine the outcome of a duel, a mission, or even an entire campaign. That is why overly flashy ninjas often die quickly."
Ren lowered his eyes slightly and almost smiled.
Jiraiya continued with a dignified expression. "This old man will demonstrate it now. Whether you can learn it depends on your talent."
He took a deep breath, then formed a sequence of complex and dazzling hand signs. Tiger. Snake. Boar. Hare. Bird. As the final sign completed, chakra spread across his body like a layer of fine flowing water. The next moment, Jiraiya's figure began to blur.
His skin, clothes, and hair gradually became transparent, as if a thin water membrane had covered his entire body. Light passing through that membrane twisted strangely, bending around him and blending him into the background. In the end, Jiraiya did not disappear completely, but he became faint and difficult to see, leaving only a vague human silhouette in the air.
"Wow!" Obito exclaimed.
This time, even Kakashi and Rin widened their eyes in surprise. The effect was not perfect invisibility, but it was still impressive. Against an ordinary person or an unguarded ninja, it would definitely be enough to confuse the eye.
Obito, unable to control his curiosity, reached out toward the blurry figure. "Amazing! It's really almost invisible. Can my hand pass through it?"
Smack!
Jiraiya slapped Obito's hand away and snapped, "Silly boy, do you think this jutsu physically erases a person? It only makes you visually invisible. You're still standing there. As far as I know, no ninja has ever used ninjutsu to erase their own body completely."
"Is that so?" Obito muttered, though the two tomoe in his Sharingan had already begun spinning. After Ren's earlier reminder, he had activated his eyes and was now carefully observing Jiraiya's chakra flow, trying to capture the technique's structure.
Ren, meanwhile, noticed the faint ripples that appeared around Jiraiya when he moved. "Does this jutsu only work properly when the user stays still?"
"Pretty much," Jiraiya's voice echoed from the empty air. "Transparent Escape works by spreading chakra over the surface of the body and distorting the surrounding light. Like the Transformation Technique, its effect is limited to vision. If you make large movements, encounter sensory ninjutsu, or face bloodline limits like the Byakugan or Sharingan, it becomes easy to expose."
His tone became more serious. "So don't think you can do whatever you want just because you become hard to see. This is an infiltration technique, not invincibility."
Ren kept his face straight, but inwardly complained. So that was probably why Jiraiya had been caught while peeping back then. The effect of Transparent Escape was almost exactly as he had expected. It was useful, but not miraculous. If he remembered correctly, Gekkō Hayate, a Konoha ninja a few years younger than Kakashi, would also master a similar technique in the future. He once used it to follow and eavesdrop on the Sunagakure jōnin Baki, only to be discovered when leaving and killed shortly afterward.
That meant the jutsu was dangerous if used carelessly in real combat. Against alert enemies, especially strong ninjas, it was only a slightly special stealth method. Ironically, the safest place to use it really would be somewhere like a bathhouse, where most people were civilians or ordinary genin and chūnin, and no one was expecting an infiltrator.
Still, Ren was not disappointed.
The original form of a technique did not decide its final value in his hands. The Substitution Jutsu had started as a basic academy trick and ended up becoming one of his most important life-saving abilities. If the system could twist Transparent Escape in the same way, its future might be far more frightening than Jiraiya imagined.
Ren took a slow breath and focused his attention inward.
Come on, system.
Let me see the limits of your magic.
A familiar notification appeared before his eyes.
[Ding! High-quality potential target detected: Transparent Escape Technique! Trigger encounter event?]
[Yes / No]
Ren's lips curved almost imperceptibly.
Under the sunlight of the training field, while Jiraiya was still explaining the flaws of his questionable stealth technique, Ren had already made his decision.
Yes.
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