NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Jounin chakra
After leaving home, Chen Tian jogged straight to the training ground.
It had been two months since the war ended. While Konoha was still somewhat quiet, the village had started to recover. The streets were noticeably livelier, with more people around.
Chen Tian, however, paid little attention to the surroundings and soon arrived at his destination.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
As he reached the training ground, he spotted his target: a man in green tights with a distinctive bowl haircut.
What surprised Chen Tian even more was that this "Watermelon Peel" figure was sparring with none other than Hatake Kakashi!
Beside the training ground, a girl stood watching the fight between Kakashi and Might Guy.
Although his memory was a bit hazy, Chen Tian recognized the girl almost immediately.
"I didn't expect Rin Nohara to still be alive," he thought to himself.
In an instant, countless conspiracies and theories swirled through his mind.
"That's it!"
Originally uncertain about how to influence the future, Chen Tian suddenly had an idea. If he could secretly sway Obito and prevent key tragedies, perhaps the timeline could still follow its intended course while sparing those he cared about.
Imagining the immense strength of later-stage characters and thinking about the potential cards he could collect along the way, Chen Tian could barely contain his excitement.
But first, he needed to build a good relationship with these three.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Chen Tian walked over with small steps, stopping near Rin Nohara. He pretended to be interested in watching the sparring match between Kakashi and Might Guy, though his eyes frequently darted toward the ground, where numerous cards lay scattered.
"Little brother, are you here to train too?" Rin Nohara noticed his arrival and asked with a gentle smile.
Looking at her kind expression, Chen Tian couldn't help but feel conflicted. A part of him wanted to let her ruffle his hair as if he were a mischievous child.
But after considering her beauty and kindness, Chen Tian decided it wouldn't be so bad to let her do as she pleased.
"Yes! My brother said Might Guy is a very strong taijutsu ninja, so he told me to come here and learn from him!"
Chen Tian shamelessly placed the blame on Minato without a second thought, showing no guilt whatsoever.
"Child, who is your brother?"
The battle between Kakashi and Might Guy had already ended, and the two approached, having overheard Chen Tian's conversation.
Hearing Kakashi's cold, emotionless tone, Chen Tian was reminded of how dark Kakashi's heart must have been during this period.
"Eh? My brother is Minato Namikaze—your mentor!"
Chen Tian spread his hands, sauntered over to the area where Kakashi and Might Guy had been sparring, and plopped himself on the ground.
As if he were casually playing, his hands moved quickly, collecting the scattered cards one by one into his bag.
After gathering them, he was about to stand up when he noticed a faint purple glow emanating from the sole of his right foot.
Looking down, he saw the source—a purple card beneath his shoe. His face lit up with joy.
"Hahaha!"
Chen Tian burst into laughter, sitting on the ground like an overjoyed fool.
The three onlookers exchanged puzzled glances, their eyes tinged with pity.
"Is this kid... okay?" Rin Nohara whispered, tugging on Kakashi's sleeve.
"Who knows?" Kakashi replied indifferently, leaving the training ground without further comment. He had plans to verify Chen Tian's claims with Minato.
System Alerts:
Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a white card. Strength +1!
Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a blue card. Skill unlocked: Fire Style - Great Fireball Jutsu!
Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a blue card. Speed +10!
Chen Tian's stats underwent a significant transformation:
Current Attributes:
Strength: 23
Speed: 25
Physique: 19
Spirit: 25
Chakra: 5
Talent: Space Talent
LV3 Skills: Basic Shuriken LV2, Basic Taijutsu LV3, Chakra Control Technique LV1, Great Fireball Jutsu LV5, Konoha Whirlwind LV4
"The next one is the most important!" Chen Tian thought, eagerly rubbing his hands together as he opened the purple card.
System Alert:
Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a purple card. Chakra +1000!
"I can't believe it!" Chen Tian exclaimed, jumping to his feet in excitement.
With 1,000 chakra points, he had reached the level of a jounin!
Chen Tian was thrilled—this stroke of luck solved one of his biggest worries. Glancing at his updated attributes, he felt unstoppable.
Revised Attributes:
Strength: 23 Speed: 25 Physique: 19 Spirit: 25 Chakra: 1005
"Hey! Are you okay, Chen Tian?" Might Guy's booming voice brought him back to reality. His hand landed firmly on Chen Tian's shoulder, interrupting the boy's fantasy of taking down Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"I'm fine. I came here to train with you," Chen Tian replied earnestly, recomposing himself.
Might Guy's reaction was as expected: He broke into tears, emotionally embracing Chen Tian as if they had known each other forever.
Kakashi, having confirmed Chen Tian's identity with Minato, no longer doubted him.
Over the following days, Chen Tian stayed close to Might Guy, observing him train and occasionally picking up the cards he dropped during his intense workouts. Watching his attributes grow little by little filled Chen Tian with joy.
The only downside was that ninja school would start soon.
Chen Tian dreaded the idea of attending. Why waste time in school when he could stay with Minato and Might Guy, collecting high-level cards?
During this time, Chen Tian also figured out how cards were dropped:
High-Intensity Training: Rarely resulted in card drops.
Battles: Fighting significantly increased the likelihood of card drops.
Random Drops: There was a slim chance of cards appearing during daily activities like eating or sleeping.
Knowing this, Chen Tian devised a strategy: He would need others to fight while he observed or participated minimally. Unfortunately, convincing Minato or Kushina to spar was unlikely.
Reluctantly, and under the strong insistence of Minato and Kushina, Chen Tian prepared to enter ninja school.
"Ha-ha-ha! I can't take it anymore, Guy! You can train by yourself!"
Chen Tian collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
The warm-up alone—5,000 push-ups—had drained him completely. His earlier confidence, bolstered by his impressive attributes, now felt like a distant memory.
Looking at Might Guy, who continued training effortlessly, Chen Tian couldn't hold back:
"You're a complete maniac!"
"Hahaha! Hard work is the key to success!" Might Guy replied cheerfully, flashing a thumbs-up.
Watching Might Guy's relentless determination, Chen Tian sighed. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't deny his respect for the taijutsu master.