Chapter 4: The Price of Progress
The sun was dipping low as Jiraiya dragged himself back to his room in the orphanage, his body aching from the day's events. Despite the exhaustion, a triumphant grin spread across his face. He had leveled up, and the system was proving to be more than just a fluke. But there was still so much to learn.
Collapsing onto his lumpy mattress, he opened the system interface with a thought.
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Status
Name: Jiraiya
Level: 2
HP: 110
CP: 100
SP: 80
Strength: 4
Agility: 6
Vitality: 7
Intelligence: 3
Charisma: 7
Luck: 10
Points to distribute: 5
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The sight of his stats and skills sent a thrill through him. "I'm finally getting somewhere," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But this isn't enough. If Orochimaru's already pulling off advanced Fire Jutsu, I can't let him outshine me."
He allocated two points to Strength, two to Agility, and the last one to Vitality, hoping to improve both his power and speed. He leaned back and scrolled through his Skill Suggestions.
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Skill Suggestions:
1. Basic Taijutsu (Lv. 1): Improves unarmed combat skills. Cost: 50 XP.
2. Chakra Dash (Lv. 1): Enhances movement speed temporarily by channeling chakra to your legs. Cost: 100 XP.
3. Fireball Jutsu (Lv. 1): A basic fire-natured technique. Cost: 150 XP.
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He rubbed his chin. "Fireball Jutsu would help me compete with Orochimaru, but I don't have enough XP yet. Chakra Dash, though... that could level the playing field."
Without hesitation, he selected Chakra Dash, and the familiar rush of new knowledge filled his mind.
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Skill Unlocked: Chakra Dash (Lv. 1):
Temporarily increases speed by 20%.
Cost: 10 CP per use.
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Jiraiya grinned. "This is gonna change everything."
Summoning a clone, he immediately set it to work practicing the new skill. He watched as the clone sped around the room, its movements blurring with the enhanced speed.
An hour later, he dispelled the clone, and a flood of memories hit him all at once. His head throbbed, but the rush of progress was worth it.
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Skill Level Up: Chakra Dash (Lv. 2):
Speed boost increased to 25%.
Cost: 9 CP per use.
Skill Level Up: Stealth (Lv. 3):
Movements are 15% quieter. Detection radius reduced by 7%.
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"Ha! I knew this system would make me unstoppable!" Jiraiya whispered, ignoring the dull ache in his skull. "If I can use clones to train, I'll be twice as strong in no time."
A knock at the door startled him. Before he could respond, it creaked open to reveal Orochimaru, his pale face impassive as ever.
"What do you want, snake breath?" Jiraiya asked, sitting up.
"You've been awfully noisy," Orochimaru said, leaning against the doorframe. His piercing yellow eyes swept the room, narrowing slightly as if searching for something. "What are you up to?"
"None of your business," Jiraiya shot back, crossing his arms.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smirk. "You're hiding something. Don't worry—I'll find out eventually."
"Yeah, good luck with that," Jiraiya muttered as Orochimaru left, his presence lingering like a bad aftertaste.
Once the door closed, Jiraiya let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Gotta be more careful," he muttered. "If he finds out about the system, I'm screwed."
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The next morning, Jiraiya arrived at the training grounds early. The sun was barely up, and the air was crisp. He stretched, loosening his muscles, before summoning two clones.
"Alright," he told them. "One of you works on physical training, the other practices ninjutsu. Let's see if we can hit Level 3 today."
The clones nodded and got to work, one running laps around the training field while the other practiced the hand seals for a Fireball Jutsu. Jiraiya sat cross-legged, focusing on his chakra control.
Half an hour later, Hiruzen arrived with Tsunade and Orochimaru in tow. "Impressive, Jiraiya," the Hokage said, his eyes glinting with approval. "You're finally taking your training seriously."
"Of course, Sensei!" Jiraiya replied, grinning. "I've decided to aim for the top. You're looking at the future Hokage!"
Tsunade snorted. "Hokage? You? Don't make me laugh."
"We'll see," Jiraiya said, unfazed. "Let's start training, shall we?"
Hiruzen nodded, and the day's lesson began—a grueling session of taijutsu sparring, shuriken practice, and chakra control drills. Despite the fatigue creeping in, Jiraiya pushed himself harder than ever, his determination fueled by the system's potential.
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Quest Alert: A Day's Training
Objective: Complete the day's exercises without giving up.
Reward: +50 XP, +2 Vitality.
Failure: Decreased reputation with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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By the end of the session, Jiraiya was drenched in sweat but still standing. When the system chimed, he couldn't help but grin.
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Quest Complete!
Reward: +50 XP, +2 Vitality.
Level Up!
You are now Level 3.
+5 Attribute Points to distribute.
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"Another level," Jiraiya murmured as he walked home, his body aching but his spirit soaring. "At this rate, I'll catch up to Orochimaru in no time."
But deep down, he knew the path ahead wouldn't be easy. The system might give him an edge, but it couldn't replace hard work—or the growing shadows in his team. For now, though, he let himself savor the victory.
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