Minato Namikaze's final gift as a disciple was the Earth Style: Mud Wall, which Jiraiya had just demonstrated. Uchiha Kaien, on the other hand, received a set of notes on ninjutsu theory and practice.
After Orochimaru learned about the extensive collection housed in Kaien's family archives, he lost the desire to offer any material gift.
The Uchiha clan already had an abundance of rare techniques, and Kaien's parents had both been elite jonin with fully matured Sharingan. Their personal scrolls were vast and deeply rooted in the Uchiha's unique style of combat.
So instead, Orochimaru decided that sharing his own insights on ninjutsu would be the most valuable offering. After all, if his disciple was truly talented, those insights would be far more beneficial than a single jutsu.
...
Kaien opened his eyes and stared up at the familiar ceiling above. Then he glanced at the system panel showing his remaining affection points.
[Affection: 0]
Yesterday, he had racked up a total of 30 points. Aside from boosting a bit of Spirit, the real prize was a new blue trait.
[Vivid Performance] – You've gained emotions vivid enough to move others. You can effortlessly mimic a wide range of feelings, allowing you to navigate diverse social situations with ease. Your true emotions remain hidden deep inside, while the emotions you display are no less genuine.
With this trait, Kaien was confident even the most cunning veterans wouldn't be able to read his true intentions. It was perfect for deception.
In fact, Kaien felt he could even fool people like Jiraiya and Orochimaru now—provided he acted with sincerity.
Just like yesterday. His concern for Minato had been real. Other than Kaien himself, no one knew the truth. His reactions during the battle had all been genuine—none of it was staged. As long as he didn't actively draw chakra, it stayed dormant and unnoticeable. Without sensory jutsu, there was no way to detect anything out of the ordinary.
But now, with Vivid Performance unlocked, Kaien was ready to take it up a notch.
He could even pull off the act of a passionate, Will of Fire–burning good boy in front of the Third Hokage.
...
Sunlight filtered through the window, casting a soft glow across the room. Kaien pushed open the door, stepping out of the Uchiha compound. Beneath a lush green tree, a familiar blond-haired boy was already waiting for him.
Sunlight streamed through the dense canopy, creating dappled shadows on the ground. The blond hair practically sparkled under the light.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Minato."
Kaien approached with a bright, cheerful expression.
That new blue trait, unlocked without even hitting the pity counter, had left him in a fantastic mood—so much so that even his attitude toward Minato had softened a little.
On the walk back to the Ninja Academy, Kaien took full advantage of both [Affinity] and [Vivid Performance], milking another round of affection points from Minato like a seasoned con artist.
...
While their teacher continued the lecture on chakra refining in class, Minato found himself involuntarily replaying a moment from earlier that morning.
Kaien had leaned in close, his refined features full of curiosity as he asked how Minato's Mud Wall training was going.
Their shoulders had nearly touched, and a faint, pleasant scent had drifted into Minato's nose again, just like before.
Remembering that moment made Minato's cheeks flush.
Ugh! What the heck is wrong with me? It's just walking to school together! Just normal interaction! Why am I so flustered?
Is it because Kaien's... too enchanting?
Minato snuck a glance at Kaien, who was quietly practicing hand seals beside him, and sighed.
Looks like he really sees me as some sort of prodigy.
Learning Mud Wall in a single day? Seriously?
It's a B-rank jutsu. Is that even possible in a day?
He'd spent all last night studying it and only just begun to grasp the basics. Maybe he was just... average after all? The earlier techniques had probably only felt easy because they weren't that difficult to begin with.
...
Kaien picked up on Minato's gaze immediately.
"Hm? Why are you staring at me?"
Kaien turned to face him, his expression still focused from training, and Minato nearly jumped out of his seat.
Crap! He noticed!
"A-ah, no reason. I was just thinking how tough Mud Wall is to learn. I spent the whole night trying to get it and still didn't really figure it out. It feels like... something's blocking me."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly, trying to cover up the fact he'd been staring.
Kaien, meanwhile, looked thoughtful.
If he remembered correctly, Minato's chakra nature was Lightning, Fire, and Wind, right?
Excluding the non-elemental Yin and Yang, the five basic chakra types—Minato had three. That was already remarkable.
And then that idiot Jiraiya gave him a jutsu with a Earth affinity?
If he actually managed to train his chakra nature to Earth in a single day... "genius" wouldn't even begin to describe it.
Time for a little lecture, Kaien-style.
"If the jutsu's giving you trouble, it's probably because you don't have Earth-natured chakra."
"Earth-natured chakra?" Minato echoed.
He remembered watching Fireball Jutsu demonstrations—how you needed to refine Fire chakra in your mouth before launching the technique.
He used to think chakra natures could just be switched around, but now...
"Exactly. Everyone has their own chakra affinities. For example, most of us in the Uchiha clan naturally have Fire, and quite a few also have Lightning."
"So you're saying... I might not have Earth chakra at all?" Minato asked.
"Yeah. You can test it with chakra paper sometime," Kaien nodded seriously, then added with a huff, "Honestly, I can't believe Jiraiya didn't bother to check before giving you a technique that doesn't even match your chakra nature."
Minato watched Kaien pout ever so slightly in frustration and couldn't help but think—
Adorable.
A friend who cared about him and explained this kind of stuff? This was the best kind of companion.
[Affection from Minato Namikaze +1]
Kaien saw the new update on his system panel and smiled inwardly.
Vivid Performance really was paying off. No way he would've shown that kind of face in the past.
So, Jiraiya-senpai... please allow me to throw a little more shade your way in my free time. All for the sake of affection points.
"So, Kaien, what's your chakra nature then?" Minato asked curiously.
"Hm... I think it's Fire, Lightning, and Water?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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