By the time Kirito arrived at Uchiha Izumi's house, night had fully settled in.
"Kirito, you're too slow," Uchiha Izumi greeted him as soon as he walked through the door, brushing off the snow from his clothes like a concerned housewife before taking his scarf and coat.
"Sorry, sorry, I got held up by something," Kirito apologized as he removed his ninja boots, feeling slightly awkward. He had to admit, these ninja shoes, though comfortable, exposed his toes to the cold. Without his God's breath Jutsu for protection, they would've been unbearable.
"Never mind, I'm just glad you're here," Izumi smiled, handing him a pair of slippers. "Sit for a while; I'll go warm up the food."
As she spoke, Uchiha Izumi took the dishes from the table into the kitchen, one by one.
Kirito sat by the kotatsu, feeling a bit bored, so he began to activate his abilities, sending out waves of perception to scan the surroundings. Only after confirming that no one was spying on him did he turn his attention to the system.
"System, open my personal panel."
[Ding, the Lolita Control Panel is opening.]
[Host: Fujiwara Kirito
Gender: Male
Age: 11 years old
Chakra Attributes: Fire, Thunder, Earth, Yin, Yang
Chakra Amount: 30 cards
Secret Techniques: God's breath Jutsu (reached the fourth level, with built-in protective qi and flash skills)
Ninjutsu: Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu, Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu, Shadow Clone Jutsu, Three Body Jutsu, Instant Body Jutsu, Summoning Jutsu (no summon beast yet)
Illusion: Kyoka Suigetsu (the enemy only needs to see the Shikai once for it to act directly on the soul, controlling the five senses, spiritual power sensing, etc., and can also control chakra sensing in the Naruto world)
Taijutsu: Basic Konoha Taijutsu, God's breath Jutsu's own moves, Uchiha style shuriken throwing, kunai throwing
Chakra Attribute Changes: Fire, Thunder, Earth
Inventory: Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu, Kunai × 15, Shuriken × 11, some clothes, space storage scroll, substitute wooden stake × 9]
Looking at the system panel, Kirito was slightly surprised and muttered to himself, "When did I gain Yin and Yang chakra attributes? And this enormous chakra amount—is it because of the God's breath Jutsu?"
He stopped practicing his skills and exited Sage Mode, noticing that his chakra attributes reverted to Fire, Lightning, and Earth. His chakra amount reduced to 3 cards, meaning the fourth level of God's breath Jutsu not only increased his base chakra but also multiplied his chakra by nearly ten times.
"It seems like, soon enough, I might be able to reach Jonin-level chakra reserves." Kirito thought, casting a thoughtful glance at Uchiha Izumi who was busy in the kitchen, a serious expression flashing in his eyes.
There were less than two years left before the Uchiha clan's demise, and Uchiha Shisui would soon return from the Hidden Mist Village's borders. When that happened, Shisui would naively reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan abilities to the Konoha higher-ups, only to be targeted by Danzo.
By that time, it would be Kirito's turn to act.
Winter passed, and spring arrived, bringing warmer weather and blooming flowers. Kirito was now in his sixth year at the Ninja Academy, where a new batch of students had just been welcomed.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn. The flames will illuminate the village and let new trees sprout. The Will of Fire will never die."
On the podium, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, delivered his traditional first-day speech, instilling the Will of Fire into the fresh students.
In the sixth-grade classroom, Kirito stood by the window, looking down at the scene below, secretly scoffing.
"Illuminate the village and allow new trees to sprout, huh?"
"Sure, burn down all of Konoha to illuminate you, Third Hokage, and let the Sarutobi clan flourish," Kirito thought Ironically. If he hadn't witnessed the Fourth Ninja War, where the Sarutobi clan assembled an army, he might have actually believed this old man's words.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you've become corrupt, just a parasite draining Konoha's life."
"What are you looking at, Kirito-kun?" Uchiha Izumi approached Kirito, noticing his deep black eyes and realizing it wasn't a shadow clone. "Hey, you actually came here by yourself today."
"Nothing, just thought I'd check on you," Kirito replied with a smile, his eyes briefly scanning the playground outside, where Naruto Uzumaki, Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame stood, before returning to his seat.
With Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee already enrolled last year, all the Twelve Guardian Ninja were now here.
"Kirito-kun, have you been worried about something lately? You've seemed unhappy since the New Year," Uchiha Izumi asked with concern, sitting next to him.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just thinking about how time flies. Six years have passed in the blink of an eye. Even the brat in Uchiha Itachi's arms has started school," Kirito chuckled.
"Kirito-kun, it's not polite to give others nicknames. I've told you many times, his name is Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke, not some brat," Uchiha Izumi corrected him.
"Alright, Uchiha 'Brat,'" Kirito teased with a grin.
"Fine, call him whatever you want, but don't let our clan leader hear it," Izumi sighed helplessly, then whispered in Kirito's ear.
She returned to the earlier topic, "But Kirito-kun, if something is bothering you, please tell me."
As she spoke, she held his hand gently.
"I will," Kirito said, his gaze drifting out the window again as he thought, *I'm sorry, Izumi. It's better if you don't know what's coming.*
At five o'clock in the evening, the Ninja Academy ended for the day.
Kirito chose not to train but instead decided to walk Uchiha Izumi home.
"Kirito-kun, it's been a while since we walked home together after school," Uchiha Izumi said, hurrying to Kirito's side, placing her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly, and smiling as she walked backward.
"Yes, it has," Kirito replied, walking alongside her. "From now until graduation, I'll walk you home every day."
"Really?" Uchiha Izumi's face lit up, though she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Kirito had been acting strange lately, and she couldn't help but feel that something bad was about to happen. "But don't you need to train? Is this really okay?" she asked, worried.
"It's fine. I can afford to take a little extra time," Kirito reassured her with a smile.
Just then, a young, arrogant voice rang out behind them, "Hmph, you finally realize you can't keep up with my brother! No matter how much you train, you'll never catch up to him."
(End of Chapter)