A familiar screen flashed with a burst of white light. Ren frowned, clearly annoyed.
He was back in his consciousness space, but something was off—the screen felt… different.
When the ninjutsu scroll that had burst from Uchiha Fugaku earlier had been absorbed into his forehead, everything within this strange screen had changed. More menus. More icons. More options.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu (Blue) (Unbound) (Upgradeable) (Sell for 10 Ingots)"
"Clone Jutsu (White) (Bound)"
"Transformation Jutsu (White) (Bound)"
"Substitution Jutsu (White) (Bound)"
"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere (White) (Bound) (Upgradeable)"
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter (White) (Bound) (Upgradeable)"
That scroll from Uchiha Fugaku—it had been the Dragon Fire Jutsu, and not only that, it was blue tier! In this strange "system," skills were color-ranked:
White → Blue → Purple → Orange → Gold.
The higher the color, the more powerful the ninjutsu.
Skills could be sold in exchange for "Ingots," though oddly, there was no "shop" option available. Ren speculated that this so-called "system" might be connected to his Devil Fruit-like ability: the Face Fruit.
After all, he'd only obtained that skill scroll by using the second ability of the Face Fruit. Yet when he absorbed the scroll, the entire UI of the screen changed. That implied the system governed the Face Fruit, and the Face Fruit in turn was powered up by the system's progression.
It clicked in his mind.
"I get it now!"
He finally understood. Devil Fruits in the One Piece world require the user to develop their abilities actively. But in Ren's case, his Face Fruit hadn't evolved at all in years. Why? Because the 'system' was the real key to progression.
Well then—why not test it?
With no hesitation, Ren selected the Dragon Fire Jutsu and sold it, gaining 10 ingots. Then he tapped on Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere. The upgrade cost? Exactly 10 ingots.
"Let's go!"
He clicked upgrade.
The number in the upper corner dropped from 10 to 0, and the skill transformed instantly:
"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere (Blue) (Bound) (Max Level)"
"…Huh?!"
Ren blinked, stunned.
"Max level already?!"
He rubbed his temples in frustration. "Did I just get scammed?"
Once he calmed down, he noticed something else. The Dragon Fire Jutsu had been a B-rank ninjutsu and was labeled as Upgradeable, while Vacuum Sphere, a C-rank, reached its max at blue tier.
This meant:
C-rank ninjutsu caps at blue.
D-rank techniques like the basic Three Jutsu (Clone, Transformation, Substitution) were all white and couldn't be upgraded.
Ren grinned, eyes lighting up. "So… B-rank can go up to purple, A-rank to orange, and S-rank to gold?"
His heart thudded with excitement.
He'd seen plenty of Root ninjas practicing ninjutsu under Danzo's command in the underground facility. Their Dragon Fire Jutsus were pathetic compared to the one Fugaku cast—barely half as strong.
That said one thing:
Those chūnin-level flunkies had white tier Dragon Fire Jutsu. But Fugaku? His version was blue!
Now imagine if someone upgraded Dragon Fire Jutsu to purple... its power would be on par with A-rank ninjutsu!
Sure, someone might argue it's better to just learn an A-rank jutsu directly rather than upgrade a B-rank one.
But they'd be forgetting something important: difficulty.
High-ranking techniques were notoriously hard to master. Take Flying Thunder God Technique, for example. Sure, Tobirama Senju invented it, Minato Namikaze perfected it, but most shinobi can't even get past the basics.
Even Konoha's special jōnin like Shiranui Genma barely managed to use Flying Thunder God as glorified teleport beacons, likely stuck at white tier proficiency.
Meanwhile, Tobirama and Minato? Probably had that technique up to orange tier.
As for gold tier S-rank mastery… perhaps that's when you can phase through space without even forming hand seals.
That's the dream. But for now?
Ren chuckled.
"I'm just a Genin."
Still, the road ahead now felt more tangible. He snapped back to reality—and to the scorched battlefield.
Uchiha Fugaku lay slumped on the ground, surrounded by smoldering embers.
Ren glanced down at his own body, battered and bloodstained.
"This idiot..." he muttered, shaking his head, clearly referring to the defeated clan head. But then he paused, a sly smirk forming on his lips.
He had an idea.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage Tower – Council Room
The room was filled with tension.
More than a dozen elite shinobi sat silently at the long table, the air heavy with suspicion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe, his face lined with concern.
"Recently, the Land of Wind has been unusually active," he said, voice raspy. "More than half our embedded operatives have been killed or gone silent. While espionage is common, this level of purging is… unsettling."
It had been a decade since he resumed his duties as Hokage. He felt the weight of it now more than ever. Smoking had become his crutch, a rare escape from the crushing responsibility.
"The Land of Wind has always lacked resources," Danzo Shimura chimed in, seated next to Koharu and Homura. "This smells of preparation for war. I recommend dispatching an elite unit immediately. Give them full authority—kill on sight."
As always, Danzo's suggestion leaned toward bloodshed.
"Don't be so hasty," Hiruzen countered, tone calm but firm. "It could also be internal strife. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."
War was a dangerous prospect. Konoha was thriving, rich in land and resources, while the other nations burned with envy. Any misstep could ignite another World War.
Utatane Koharu folded her hands and spoke next. "I'm with Danzo on this one. It's been 18 years since the First Great Ninja War. If I lived in a desert like the Land of Wind, I'd be sharpening my kunai too."
Sarutobi's frown deepened. He turned to Homura Mitokado, who gave a slow nod in agreement.
He shifted his gaze to the clan representatives—Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, and of course, the Uchiha. Most stayed silent, unwilling to commit.
Typical. Always neutral when things got hot.
Suddenly, one of the Sannin—Jiraiya, Tsunade, or Orochimaru—stepped forward from behind Sarutobi. The figure had spiky blond hair and a confident aura.
"Sensei. Lord Danzo. Advisors. Clan heads… I believe—"
BOOM!
The council room doors slammed open with a deafening bang.
Everyone turned.
A battered, burned, and bloodied teen stepped through the smoke, his steps heavy, his expression unreadable.
It was Ren.
He said nothing. Just stood there, dripping blood onto the tatami, eyes locked on Danzo like a predator stalking prey.
His gaze spoke volumes—rage, betrayal, and something far more terrifying.
Pressure exploded from his body like a shockwave.
Everyone except Sarutobi staggered backward.
Even Danzo stood up abruptly, his face a cold mask of fury.
"You little bastard…"
Sarutobi raised a hand to calm the room.
Danzo's voice cut through like a blade.
"Boy… tell me. Who did this to you?"