Looking at the logs, Genji could not help but grin like a devil.
Sakura immediately hugged him, tears clearly apparent in her eyes. Yumi collapsed on the ground, probably injured from the intense battle she had had with a chunin 6 levels higher than herself.
Eiji was dead, and Taki a bit shaken from the events.
A couple of civilians from the clan had survived, including Kazuo who led the civilians and Riku, who were smart enough to hide when the hostilies began. The eight shinobi from the Kaonashi Clan, however, were dead.
The logs were filled with good news.
[You have survived a medium-sized battle...]
[You have gained 35 points of reputation in the shinobi world...]
[You have witnessed chunin-level taijutsu...Your proficiency in the Kinzoku Taijutsu Fist Style increases by 3 points...]
[You have used the bloodline release Kinzoku Kyomei in combat...Your proficiency increases by 8 points...]
[You have killed a [Lv. 20 Kaonashi Clan Shinobi]. You have earned 380 EXP...]
[You have used [Wind Breakthrough] jutsu successfully on three enemies...Your proficiency in the wind ninjutsu increases by 6 points...]
[...]
Logs like these went on page after page, but the most incredible window was most likely the one about the sonic Hell Labyrinth.
[Your proficiency in the the genjutsu [Sonic Hell Labyrinth - D] increases by 16 points...]
[You are the first player to have reached 100 points of proficiency in genjutsu...Your perk Iron Mind [C] evolves into Demonic Spirit [B]...]
[Demonic Spirit - B-rank perk
Genjutsu are 100% more efficient on enemies and are more likely to cause mental damage. Your Chakra affinity with Yin element is now 'High'...]
[Name - Genji Kinzoku | Age - 6 | Level 14 → 18 Shinobi (400 / 3000 EXP)
Attributes:
Strength - 18 → 22 [D] | Agility - 17 → 21 [D] | Vitality - 16 → 20 [D] | Chakra - 29 → 37 [D]
Perks: Kinzoku Bloodeline [B] (42%), Iron Mind [C] → Demonic Spirit [B] (100% increase in Genjutsu)
Skills:
Bloodline limit: Metal Resonance - Kinzoku Kyomei [B] (5 → 13)
Taijutsu: Kinzoku Taijutsu Fist Style [D] (12 → 15)
Ninjutsu (Futon): Wind Breakthrough [D] (40 → 48), Vacuum Shuriken [D] (32 → 52), Wind Clone [D] (10), Body flicker [D] (10 → 18), Windwall [D] (10 → 16)
Genjutsu: Sonic Hell Labyrinth [D] (74 → 105)]
In a single mission, he had already caught up with Taki in terms of levels. Sakura was level 20, but she was far inferior in terms of skills and techniques. Not to mention Genjutsu where his mastery of the Sonic Hell Labyrinth was on par with high-chunins or even lower jonins, he possessed a wide arsenal of D-rank ninjutsu he used as efficiently as chunins.
If not for his low physical attributes and relatively small chakra reserves, he would already qualify as a chunin. With proper time and training, he was bound to become a menace, if he survived that is.
After all, Genji was only 6 at this point.
However, the ambush also revealed how tough it was to level up. Although he had reached level 10 extremely fast with training and miscellenaous missions, he had to go through clan trials and train even harder to reach level 14. In a life and death missions, he only managed to gain 4 levels, probably 5 upon successful completion. But...Each time he leveled up, the amount of EXP required to level up once more increased very fast.
In other words, the amount of EXP he would need to accumulate upon becoming a chunin would be incredibly high.
Although having the system meant having limitless potential in theory, the EXP requirements also made it a barrier to improve after reaching a certain ceiling.
'Do the creators want to see a more horrific world?', Genji thought
After all, the quickest way to grow stronger as a player was...war.
Everything became clearer.
In order to survive, he had to gain influence from within the clan and investigate other players. Since he did not get 'achievements' for reaching chunin proficiency (50+ points) in ninjutsu, it meant that there was at least one other player in the world, and he had been faster than him at reaching this ceiling.
Similarly, he could infer that all players had entered the game at the same time as he did, or after. Otherwise, he would not have been the fastest to get the Iron Mind [C], or Demonic Spirit [B] perks.
The number of players, whether there were some in the land of Rice, or if they were all shinobi...This was classified information that he planned to learn.
But Genji was smart, and knew that having been born in Oto might be a blessing.
Unlike the land of fire, Oto only had two relevant neighbours: the Land of Hot Waters and the Land of Fire. It was no surprise Orochimaru decided to found a hidden village in those prosperous lands. It was safe and possessed a history of shinobi. As long as he could become a kage-level figure, Genji was confident in building Otogakure again.
If he had been born a Uchiha, he might have already died at a Senju's hands.
If he had been born in the land of waters, he might have died from piracy.
In front of all these variables, the Kinzoku Clan, one of the five major clans in the land of Rice, did not seem so bad after all.
With the Kaonashi Clan's ambush, a war might break out, but Genji had already reached elite genin level, maybe even low chunin level. With the clan's overall strength, they would most likely win. Even if they did not, Genji was confident in surviving.
The future seemed beautiful.
Seeing the corpse of Eiji, the fallen shinobi, Genji nodded.
Although it had been short, he did not dislike the teenager. If anything, it was sad seeing one lifeless so young. But it was also a kind reminder of how cruel this world was. If he did not manage to grow stronger, grow wiser, and found Otogakure...Then, not just Eiji, but the whole Kinzoku Clan and himself would end up casualties in the grand scheme of everything.
Genji's ambition had never been higher.
And...For one, he would never trust a fellow player.
Players would do anything to level up, including killing their own.
He needed to grow stronger, alone.
Only strong shinobi, backed by strong NPC followers, would be able to have a say in the future order of the world.