The experiment period was short-lived and ended quickly—because the school semester began.
Unlike the academic calendar in Yagyu's previous life, the start and end of the school year in the Naruto world closely resembled that of Japan.
The academic year started in April and ended in March of the following year, divided into two semesters with several holidays in between.
Although the gap between the end of one academic year and the start of the next was less than a month, it was enough for Yagyu to draw some conclusions from his experiments.
He discovered that he could use a "defeat-and-loot" mechanic to extract his opponents' talents and abilities. Whether these were innate or acquired, they would materialize as light orbs.
Importantly, the process of looting did not actually strip the defeated person of their abilities or affect them in any way.
Among the items Yagyu looted during this period, the most valuable was a blue orb dropped by Sakura.
The blue orb contained Sakura's most outstanding talent—chakra control.
Despite losing this talent as loot, Sakura didn't lose her proficiency. She could still walk up trees and, after learning the Body Flicker Technique, quickly mastered walking on water.
This confirmed that the loot system didn't harm the source.
Yagyu also managed to extract a white orb from Hinata during a taijutsu training session.
When Yagyu inspected the white orb, he was surprised to discover its contents.
Hinata, much like her future figure, was full of hidden depths—she had already mastered the Transformation Technique, one of the three basic ninjutsu techniques.
Curious, Yagyu asked Sakura and Ino if they had learned the three basic techniques. Both shook their heads.
Not only were they unfamiliar with the techniques, but they didn't even know how to train for them.
Although they came from ninja families, their parents emphasized building a strong foundation and didn't teach them advanced techniques prematurely.
Ino's family, for example, wouldn't teach her clan's secret ninjutsu until she mastered the fundamentals of yin-release chakra.
Hinata, however, nodded earnestly and demonstrated the Transformation Technique.
This not only confirmed Yagyu's theory but also highlighted Hinata's superior natural talents.
With her Byakugan granting her exceptional mental energy, her voracious appetite, and her daily Gentle Fist training, Hinata's physical and spiritual energy far surpassed that of her peers.
While her abilities didn't surprise Yagyu, her display deeply motivated both Ino and Sakura.
They hadn't expected the usually shy and quiet Hinata to excel so much.
Determined not to be surpassed by their "little sister," Ino began pestering her parents for extra training.
To reassure them, she showcased her Body Flicker Technique and explained that she had been training with Yagyu.
As a result, Yagyu's name made its way to Inoichi Yamanaka.
Amazed that another civilian genius had appeared in this generation, Inoichi took notice of Yagyu.
Unaware of this, Yagyu continued his training.
Over the past year, since awakening his game system, Yagyu had looted four orbs: one gold, two blue, and one white.
The gold orb contained Ashura's chakra, the blue ones chakra control and yin-release affinity, and the white orb contained the Transformation Technique.
From this, Yagyu deduced that the rarity of the orbs was ranked: gold was the rarest, followed by blue, and then white.
He wondered if other colors existed, but for now, the color of the light surrounding a person could tell him whether his luck was good or bad.
April 5, Year 55 of the Hidden Leaf Village
The first day of the new school year and the promotion ceremony.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, personally attended the ceremony, delivering an inspiring speech about the Will of Fire to the new first-year students.
Though Yagyu had heard similar speeches before, Hiruzen's slight modifications made it compelling enough to stir the hearts of all the students.
With the ceremony complete, Yagyu and his classmates officially became second-years. At the same time, the results of the final exams were announced, and the top students of each grade were recognized.
Yagyu was one of them.
"Yagyu, have you seen the bulletin board? You're the top student! That's amazing, man!"
"Look outside the window—there are so many upperclassmen and first-years here just to see you!"
"This is what it's like to be a top student, huh? Damn, I'm so jealous!"
"Yagyu-kun is so handsome! I'm joining his fan club!"
In Classroom 1 of the second-year building, Yagyu barely entered before his classmates surrounded him.
Even outside the classroom, a crowd of female students gathered to catch a glimpse of him.
Some were senior students; others were first-years.
Yagyu wasn't the only one receiving such attention. Hyuga Neji, now a third-year, was also swarmed by admirers.
Neji had already been a school idol, and now Yagyu was joining him in fame, gaining recognition throughout the academy for his skills and good looks.
After enduring the crowd's enthusiasm, Yagyu finally managed to sit down.
Moments later, a small hand patted his shoulder.
Turning, he saw Ino grinning at him.
"How does it feel to be the top student?"
"Not bad," Yagyu shrugged. "Everyone's a lot more enthusiastic than usual."
Glancing at Hinata, seated beside Sakura, he teased, "Hinata, did you swap seats with Yumiko on purpose?"
Before Hinata could answer, Ino rolled her eyes and said, "Do you think Hinata's personality would let her do that? Of course, I asked Yumiko to switch with her."
Sure enough, Hinata smiled shyly.
In their classroom, desks were arranged in groups of three. Beside Yagyu sat Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Behind them were Ino, Sakura, and Hinata.
As Yagyu chatted with the trio behind him, Shikamaru observed silently.
He couldn't help but marvel at how Yagyu had managed to become acquainted with the reserved and high-status Hinata.
"What happened during the break?" he wondered.
Watching Yagyu effortlessly balance conversations with all three girls, Shikamaru smirked to himself.
"Trying to juggle three at once, huh? This ship is going to sink someday. I can't wait to see how he handles it then."
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