Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

"Did you get a good look?"

After finishing the jutsu, Tenka turned to Shūichi.

Shūichi nodded, "I've memorized it!"

Tenka smiled, "Then give it a try. With your talent, it should be no problem."

Without saying a word, Shūichi immediately raised his hands to perform the hand signs.

Rat - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Rabbit - Tiger.

Shūichi took two seconds to complete the six signs, then exhaled, releasing three fireballs that flew out haphazardly, crashing into the ground and leaving three craters.

"Well done, Shūichi!"

Tenka praised with a smile.

Shūichi immediately asked with a grin, "Do you have any other Fire Release techniques, sister?"

Hearing this, Tenka bent down and gave Shūichi a playful tap on the forehead, then put her hands on her hips, "You little rascal, don't get too greedy!"

Even with Shūichi's thick skin, he couldn't help but blush.

But getting even one Fire Release technique was already great. Once he mastered it, he would only need one more jutsu to unlock the [Fire Release Expert] Tag.

"I definitely need to repay Tenka somehow…"

As Shūichi left the shop to meet up with Kakashi and the others, he quietly made plans.

Upon reaching their meeting spot, Shūichi immediately challenged Kakashi to a taijutsu match.

Though he ultimately lost, the gap between them was shrinking—a very promising sign.

With the boost from the [Self-Discipline], [Scholar], and [Strong and Sturdy] Tags, and his relentless training, Shūichi was confident that he could eventually surpass Kakashi in taijutsu.

After all, while Kakashi was skilled in taijutsu, much of his focus was now on kenjutsu and ninjutsu.

The next morning, Shūichi once again arrived at the Tenka's Shop early.

But today, besides a few explosive tags, he also brought a gift.

"What's this thing?"

"Is it food?"

"Or a toy?"

Tenka examined the egg-shaped, pitch-black object, turning it over in her hands.

"No, it's a ninja tool!"

Shūichi chuckled, pointing to the Ninja World version of a grenade in Tenka's hands. "The shell is made of plastic, and it's filled with tiny steel balls."

"And of course, the most important part is the explosive tag."

Tenka gasped, "A ninja tool? An explosive tag?"

"Does it cause damage by making the steel balls scatter with the explosion?"

Shūichi gave a thumbs up, "Exactly, Sis Tenka!"

"Of course."

Tenka gave a proud smile, but then her expression turned serious as she examined the object more closely and noticed the explosive tag.

It was rolled into a strip and inserted into a hollow tube in the middle.

This meant that the number of explosive tags could be adjusted to control the power of the explosion.

In Tenka's mind, scenarios of its use quickly unfolded.

After the object exploded, the steel balls inside would be scattered in all directions by the shockwave, making them far more difficult to avoid than a simple explosive tag.

The more explosive tags used, the greater the explosion's power, and the faster the steel balls would fly, increasing the range of destruction…

Suddenly, Tenka shivered. She looked at Shūichi—his face gentle, his gaze pure, his smile warm—and asked in disbelief, "Shūichi, did you… make this?"

Shūichi smiled, "Of course."

"You taught me a ninjutsu, so I'm giving this to you as a gift."

Giving such a powerful weapon as a gift to a girl… Tenka couldn't help but find it amusing yet touching at the same time.

She understood the true value of this item very well.

It had the potential to elevate her family's status within Konoha.

In a situation where the information about it remained confidential, this tool might even be a game-changer in a war.

Perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration.

But when presented to the Hokage, it would certainly be framed that way.

For now, they needed to test its power.

"Let's go to the back and try it out!" Tenka said, pulling Shūichi along. But Shūichi stopped her, "This isn't the right place for a test. We need somewhere with cover, and we should set up some targets."

"You're so smart!" Tenka pinched Shūichi's cheek, then quickly agreed.

Half an hour later.

The two found themselves in a wooded area.

In a relatively open spot, seven or eight wooden targets were set up in a circle.

Standing about twenty meters away, Shūichi and Tenka positioned themselves behind a large tree.

Shūichi raised his hand and tossed the grenade into the center of the ring of wooden targets. As soon as it landed, Shūichi made a hand sign and commanded, "Detonate!"

The moment the grenade exploded, both Shūichi and Tenka ducked behind the tree.

Immediately, they heard the rapid crackling of the air being torn and the dull thuds of impacts.

Even the tree they were hiding behind wasn't spared from the sound of impacts.

Once everything quieted down, the two quickly emerged from behind the tree to inspect the aftermath.

The wooden targets were leaning at odd angles, each one riddled with holes.

Nearby trees had steel balls embedded deep into their trunks, including the one they had just used for cover.

"At least a 20-meter lethal range," Tenka observed, both amazed and fearful. "At this distance, with an attack like that, no ninja could withstand it."

Tenka was both excited and terrified.

This was a weapon she definitely didn't want to face.

While ninjas wouldn't stay in one spot and the Body Flicker Technique could be very fast, this was far more dangerous than a simple explosive tag.

If someone was ambushed and caught off guard, they would surely meet a grim fate.

If a vital spot was hit by one of the steel balls, even a medical ninja might not be able to save them.

"Shūichi, are you really giving this to me?" Tenka asked again.

Shūichi nodded with a smile, "Of course!"

"A man's word is his bond; I won't go back on it!"

Tenka chuckled, then leaned down and gave Shūichi a quick kiss on the forehead, "Thank you, Shūichi!"

Looking at Tenka, Shūichi could only sigh inwardly, acknowledging his own limitations.

Afterward, the two of them began cleaning up the area.

The wooden targets were destroyed, and they needed to collect the scattered steel balls.

Tenka decided that this matter definitely needed to be reported to the Third Hokage, but for now, the grenade wasn't something that should be widely distributed.

Such an item wasn't difficult to make, and the information could easily be leaked.

It had only been a few years since the last Great Ninja War, and the ninja world had mostly stabilized.

However, many unresolved conflicts from the Second Ninja War remained, and Tenka felt that another war would inevitably break out.

That would be the right time to introduce the grenade.

Selling weapons—occasional retail sales weren't much, but village procurement was where the real money was!

First, produce and stockpile!

Of course, Tenka decided that for every grenade sold, Shūichi would receive a portion of the profits.

Shūichi didn't refuse this arrangement.

After finishing this task, his life returned to normal—going to school, training, and studying Fire Release techniques.

He always knew what his priorities were.

(End of Chapter)

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