After seeing Shisui Uchiha off, Ruichi prepared to head back to the kitchen and start planning tonight's menu.
A large, pitch-black hand mercilessly blocked his path.
Katsu stood there, grinning like a three-hundred-pound child, a freshly issued personnel transfer list clutched in his hand.
"Ruichi, considering your outstanding performance recently—"
Ruichi's heart skipped a beat. He turned and bolted.
"Uh—the water's boiling in the kitchen! I need to—"
"Come back!"
Katsu grabbed him by the back of the collar and hauled him back like a chick.
"You'll be officially assigned to a patrol unit in the next team reorganization."
Boom!
Ruichi felt as if the sky had collapsed.
"Brother Katsu, no! I'm still just a kid!" Ruichi wailed.
"Listen to me—this is experience!" Katsu slapped the document into his arms. "With great power comes great responsibility. I believe you'll become the next White Fang of Konoha."
"I don't want to be a white-fanged hero. I want to be a salted fish…"
Ruichi slumped into a chair, lifeless, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.
"The better you perform, the more work you get—and there's no raise."
"…Sigh."
---
Late Night, Deep in the Forest
Since resistance was futile, the only option was to make patrol duty safer.
Ruichi held several shuriken in his hand, recalling Shisui's demonstration earlier that day.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Flames wrapped around each shuriken. Some flames fizzled out midair, others missed the target entirely.
"Multitasking really is difficult… Still, not bad for a first try."
He reduced the number of shuriken and tried again—this time, it worked perfectly.
"Come to think of it, Wind Release: Vacuum Blade coats a sword with wind chakra, while Phoenix Sage Fire coats shuriken with fire chakra. What if I did the opposite?"
He tested it immediately.
The Fire Release version of Vacuum Blade turned into a Flame Sword—flashy and intimidating, with clear strengths and weaknesses compared to the Wind Release version.
Lightning, Water, and Earth Release variants were also possible under Ruichi's absurd chakra control, each with its own traits.
The real problem appeared when he tried a Wind Release version of Phoenix Sage Fire. One shuriken was fine—but multiple at once was impossible.
"That figures. Phoenix Sage Fire is derived from Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Technique, which is inherently multi-directional. To add Wind Release, I'd need a wind technique that also attacks in multiple directions…"
"So I'd need Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere first?"
Remembering that Danzo Shimura also used Wind Release techniques one at a time, never stacking them, Ruichi felt reassured.
"Forget it. This is good enough. I'll try one last thing, then sleep."
He attempted to apply both Fire and Wind Release to the same shuriken.
He'd tried this before and only managed hot water or hot air. This was his first time attempting it with combat-level ninjutsu.
After nearly setting himself on fire, he finally achieved a result—primarily Fire Release, with Wind Release layered in to enhance speed, power, and trajectory changes.
An upgraded Phoenix Sage Fire.
"I'll call this Wind and Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Flying Swallow. The true fusion of fire and wind would be Scorch Release, but that requires a bloodline limit."
"That's enough. I could probably hold my own against a Kirigakure Jonin now. Sleep time."
That night, in order to slack off more efficiently in the future, Ruichi once again spent hours tearfully rolling his eyes—becoming just a bit stronger.
At this point, he still hadn't realized how absurd this composite technique was—or what it meant that he could use it at all.
---
The Next Day
With the personnel rotation complete, a new Chunin captain arrived to lead Ruichi's squad.
Aside from the new leader, the rest were familiar faces—a Chunin and a Genin already stationed at the base.
Their assigned area was difficult terrain, nearly impossible to conceal movement in—an area avoided for attacks, reconnaissance, or smuggling alike.
"I am Kazan."
When Ruichi heard the name, he almost lost control of his expression.
Isn't that the future mad scientist from the Boruto era—the one who created Nue and became Sumire's biological father?
The current Kazan looked about twenty years old—tall, thin, with an unsettling gleam in his eyes. The type who'd scheme against himself and drag his subordinates to their deaths.
"Everyone!" Kazan shouted, standing at the front. "Although the border is temporarily peaceful, we must not lower our guard! Youth is for struggle! If we don't push ourselves now, what will we have to remember when we're old?"
On the very first day, he spoke with saliva flying everywhere.
"From today onward, we double patrol frequency! Expand our patrol range by five kilometers! Even in non-priority zones, we must show the might of key defense forces!"
Ruichi yawned. He'd slept late and woken early.
Is this guy insane? I didn't wake up early to hear corporate slogans.
He'd heard this garbage countless times in his previous life. This guy's "vision" didn't even come with a pie chart.
Has he already joined Root? If something goes wrong, does that mean Sumire Kakei won't even exist in the future?
A sharp gaze locked onto him.
"Hey you—Ruichi!"
"Yes." Ruichi lazily raised his hand.
Akane had already heard of this newcomer. Rumors said Ruichi was highly valued by multiple Jonin, including Katsu—praised as a hidden genius.
"I've reviewed your file. Fresh from the Ninja Academy, right? Still a Genin, but you know Medical Ninjutsu and cooking? That's fine, but don't neglect your duties just because you're in logistics!"
She stepped forward, patting his shoulder with forced enthusiasm.
"Jonin Katsu has high expectations for you and wants me to push your training. I do too—keep working hard, and you'll be a Chunin in no time!"
Whether I become Chunin or not isn't up to you, Ruichi thought. You're just a Chunin yourself.
He smiled politely.
"Understood."
---
The First Patrol
Kazan led the squad on a mad dash through the forest at extreme speed—what he called "intensive training."
"Faster! Faster! At this pace, how will we catch the enemy?!"
Ruichi deliberately lagged behind, calculating distances.
"A fresh graduate would collapse after ten kilometers. If I make it eleven, I've done my best, right?"
He adjusted his breathing, pretending to struggle. He looked exhausted—but barely broke a sweat.
Joke's on you. Even while suppressing Shikotsumyaku, the Kaguya Clan specialized in physical conditioning. He could do this much before enrolling in the Academy.
After more than ten kilometers, Ruichi suddenly collapsed.
The team halted.
"Ruichi?!" Akane rushed over, trying to pull him up, her face dark. "You can't keep going? Get up! We haven't even reached enemy territory!"
Ruichi staggered upright, face pale, gasping.
"Captain… I can't… there are stars spinning in front of my eyes…"
Akane clenched her teeth, staring at him in frustration.
"Useless! You can't even handle ten kilometers? Rest for ten minutes—then we will continue!"