Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Student life is always carefree, and because of this, time slips away unnoticed.

In the blink of an eye, July arrived. With the release of exam results, summer vacation began.

In the final exams, Shūichi Hoshita ranked tenth in his class.

He scored perfect marks in the written tests, but his scores in ninja tool throwing and combat dragged him down.

Those who ranked higher than him were students like Kakashi and Asuma Sarutobi, who were both highly talented and from ninja clans.

Don't be fooled by how inattentive they seem during class—there's a good chance they get private tutoring outside of school!

As for Obito Uchiha, he naturally ended up at the bottom of the class.

There was nothing to be done; he was hopeless in the theoretical exams.

Rin Nohara had tried her best to give him opportunities, but unfortunately, Obito was just too useless—he couldn't even cheat properly.

...

After leaving the school, Shūichi Hoshita was stopped by Shizune.

Shizune asked, "Shūichi, do you have any plans for the summer?"

Shūichi smiled and said, "I've already made plans to train with Guy and Kakashi."

Guy, standing nearby, flashed his white teeth in a confident and proud smile. "We've already set up a training schedule—we're calling it the 'Summer Operation!'"

"Shizune, why don't you join us?" he suggested.

Shizune looked at Shūichi, her clear eyes showing a hint of anticipation. "Is that okay? I hope I'm not too much trouble?"

Shūichi immediately smiled and nodded. "Of course, you're more than welcome!"

"Starting tomorrow, we'll meet outside the school at 9 a.m. And… it'd be best to bring lunch with you."

Shizune quickly nodded. "Got it! I'll be there on time… see you tomorrow then."

"See you tomorrow!" Shūichi and Guy said in unison.

Waving goodbye, Shizune walked away with a cheerful bounce in her step.

Shūichi thought to himself that having a pretty girl join their training might not be so bad—it could help avoid getting too tired of the same scenery.

Should I invite Kurenai Yūhi, Rin Nohara, and the others as well? Shūichi pondered, rubbing his chin. But then he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. "Forget it, women will only distract me from my training."

"Let's go, Guy. Today's training officially begins!"

Shūichi called out.

Might Guy grinned widely. "Shūichi, let's have a race and see who gets there first!"

Just then, Kakashi appeared. "I'll give the signal!"

Shūichi immediately dropped into a starting stance. "No problem."

Guy also got ready.

Behind them, Kakashi took on the role of referee. "1, 2… 3, go!"

As soon as the words left Kakashi's mouth, Shūichi burst into motion. His legs powered forward, kicking up a burst of air as he shot ahead.

Guy was a split second slower to react, but he quickly caught up, his explosive power surpassing Shūichi's. In an instant, he was neck and neck with Shūichi.

The two of them leaped and dashed through the streets and across rooftops, racing at top speed toward the training ground.

Kakashi followed behind, his eyes locked on the two in front as he silently analyzed the situation. "Their reaction speed is incredible, and they're both still improving. But Shūichi's explosive power doesn't match Guy's…"

At this point, Guy had overtaken Shūichi. But just as they were about to reach the destination, Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

Guy's speed had started to drop, and Shūichi overtook him.

"Was he holding back?"

Kakashi quickened his pace. "No, Guy's speed is decreasing because he's running out of stamina. Shūichi may have been overtaken earlier, but his speed hasn't changed. His stamina shouldn't be better than Guy's, so… is it his recovery ability?"

Studying and analyzing others—this was something Kakashi had learned from Shūichi Hoshita.

---

Soon, the three of them arrived at the training ground one after another.

Might Guy bent over, panting heavily, but still gave Shūichi Hoshita a thumbs up. "As expected of you, Shūichi!"

Shūichi, also slightly out of breath, smiled. "I just managed my stamina better."

If it weren't for the buff from the [Strong and Sturdy] tag, he would have lost just now.

Guy's training regimen was more intense than his own.

After all, Shūichi still had to spend time studying other subjects, while Guy focused solely on taijutsu.

In this situation, Guy's progress was clearly greater than his.

With faster recovery and better stamina management, Shūichi was able to secure a slight advantage over Guy.

Talent and hard work—what can compare?

Of course, having a cheat!

---

Shūichi Hoshita's summer vacation started with a race.

Time quickly flew by, and before long, it was afternoon.

Today's training ended earlier than usual, wrapping up by 4 PM.

However, Shūichi didn't head home right away. Instead, he strolled around the busiest part of Konoha.

This summer, he was determined to find a way to earn some money. He wasn't aiming to get rich—just to make some extra cash.

"Write a book?"

Seeing a bookstore, Shūichi had a fleeting thought, but he quickly dismissed it.

He wasn't Jiraiya, with all the time in the world to write books.

He barely had enough time for studying and training as it was!

Making money was just a means to get stronger, so he couldn't lose sight of the main goal.

"So, it's best if it's related to being a ninja…"

Shūichi thought to himself, scanning the shops along the street one by one.

Learning medical ninjutsu to treat people and working part-time at the Konoha Hospital?

But medical ninjutsu wasn't easy to learn.

Suddenly, Shūichi's gaze locked onto a shop selling ninja tools, and he stepped inside.

"Little boy, are you here to buy a kunai?"

The one who greeted him was a well-endowed young woman. Shūichi couldn't help but take a second look before focusing on her youthful face, large, bright eyes, and rosy lips. He blinked and asked, "Sister, do you have anything other than kunai and shuriken here?"

The shop was small, with only various kunai and shuriken visible.

There were also some long, rectangular boxes on the wooden racks, likely containing swords or similar weapons.

The young woman leaned forward, her ample chest nearly pressing against Shūichi's face. She pointed toward the wooden rack. "Of course."

"Are you looking for a short sword?" she asked.

The scent of milk filled his nostrils, and Shūichi took a deep breath, then shook his head.

The young woman blinked. "Explosive tags?"

"Little boy, you're still a student at the ninja academy, right? Explosive tags are very dangerous for someone like you!"

Shūichi immediately reached out and gently grasped the woman's cool, soft hand. Using his youthful age, innocent looks, and bright, dark eyes to his advantage, he pleaded, "Sister, you're so beautiful, please sell me just one?"

The young woman smiled warmly at Shūichi. "Even though you're flattering me, I still can't sell it to you."

"But what do you want it for?"

"Maybe I can help you," she offered.

Shūichi hung his head, putting on an act. "Sister, I want to learn how to make explosive tags so I can earn some money."

The young woman was stunned.

Shūichi looked up, his eyes glistening with tears. "Sister, I got into the ninja academy from the orphanage, so I want to earn some money…"

What a pitiful and sensible little guy!

The young woman pulled Shūichi into a tight hug, almost making it hard for him to breathe.

But when she released him, she still said, "Even so, I can't sell it to you. It's too dangerous for you."

"But I can help you in another way."

"How about working here during the summer? I can pay you a salary."

This isn't how the script was supposed to go!

Shūichi was speechless and quickly replied, "Thank you, sister, but I believe I can learn it. You should know I'm the top student in theory exams at the academy. If you don't believe me, you can ask Kimura Sensei."

"Impressive!"

The young woman praised him before smiling again. "I believe you, but making explosive tags isn't easy."

"First, you need to understand sealing techniques. Second, you need to have fire-release chakra!"

"Also, the materials for explosive tags are quite expensive."

Shūichi immediately changed his strategy, adopting a proud expression and tone. "Sister, I do understand sealing techniques."

"Plus, I inherited my father's fire nature and my mother's wind nature chakra."

"Sister, if I learn to make explosive tags, you could provide the materials, and I could make them. Then we could sell them in your shop, and you'd just need to pay me a fixed amount for each tag."

What a clever little guy!

Impressed by Shūichi's proposal, the young woman, Tenka, couldn't help but be amazed. She thought for a moment, then stood up and took an explosive tag from a drawer. She waved it in front of Shūichi and smiled. "This explosive tag sells for 1,000 ryō, and the material cost is usually around 300 ryō."

"Little boy, if you can figure out which seals were used to create this explosive tag, I'll teach you how to make them. Plus, for every tag you make, I'll pay you 200 ryō."

(End of Chapter)