Chapter 3 — Fire Release Chakra Nature
What Sasuke said was perfectly timed—respectful without being overly flattering.
After all, given Uchiha Fugaku's status, it was entirely reasonable for him to speak highly of Nara Shikaku's intellect.
Shikaku blinked in mild surprise.
Clearly, he hadn't expected an Uchiha child to speak with such tact.
He had met many members of the Uchiha clan—prideful, aloof, and carrying an air that kept strangers at a distance. Even the children usually had that same cold, untouchable aura.
A child like Sasuke—polite, proactive, and openly respectful—was a first.
A genuine smile curved Shikaku's lips.
"Well now, you're quite the smooth talker. Fugaku is lucky to have a son like you."
---
Ding! Nara Shikaku's affection +12. Current affection: 22 (Friendly)!
Ding! Reward obtained: Chakra Extraction Technique!
Skill detected: Basic Chakra Extraction already learned. Duplicates will automatically merge and upgrade!
Chakra Extraction Technique (Proficient): Extraction speed +30%, extraction quality +20%!
---
A cascade of system messages rang in Sasuke's mind, filling him with joy.
Just a single respectful greeting had boosted Shikaku's goodwill from 10 (Stranger) to 22 (Friendly), and on top of that, he'd earned an upgraded chakra extraction technique!
And more importantly—
Faster chakra extraction, higher purity.
For his current stage, this was a godsend.
Chakra was the foundation of being a shinobi.
The higher the efficiency, the quicker he could build up chakra reserves—and the faster he could grow stronger.
Suppressing his excitement, Sasuke turned to Shikamaru with a bright, sincere smile.
"Nice to meet you, Shikamaru! I'm Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Since we'll be classmates from now on, if you ever run into trouble—or if someone tries to bully you—you can tell me! I'll protect you! I'll be your best friend!"
He purposely made himself sound enthusiastic and extra friendly, with just a touch of childish bravado—perfectly fitting for a six-year-old without coming off as fake.
But Shikamaru merely glanced at him, looking as lazy as ever.
"Protect me? What a drag… I don't need anyone protecting me anyway."
Sasuke checked the system panel.
Shikamaru's affection remained at 10 (Stranger).
As expected—
Someone like Shikamaru, perceptive and allergic to trouble, wasn't someone whose goodwill could be raised with a few friendly lines.
But that was fine.
There would be plenty of time at the academy to work on him.
Shikaku watched Sasuke's earnest demeanor, and his impression of the boy deepened even further.
He chuckled and said to Itachi:
"Your little brother's a good kid. Much better personality than the rumors suggest—none of that typical Uchiha arrogance."
"Sasuke has always been very sensible," Itachi replied, a faint, barely noticeable smile lifting the corners of his lips. Clearly, he was pleased with the compliment.
---
Ding! Uchiha Itachi's affection +1. Current affection: 82 (Devoted)!
Ding! Reward obtained: Fire Release Chakra Nature!
Duplicate attribute detected—automatically fusing and upgrading!
Current Fire Release jutsu power +10%!
---
Another affection increase!
Sasuke was overjoyed.
This system… was simply too amazing.
It seemed increasing affection didn't just grant direct rewards—
it also indirectly raised the goodwill of those close to the target.
A true two-for-one effect.
However… the rewards themselves appeared to be random.
Another system mechanic he'd have to study carefully later.
The wait in line wasn't long. Soon, it was their turn.
When the registration teacher saw Uchiha Itachi, a flash of respect crossed his eyes. He immediately greeted them with enthusiasm:
"Itachi-sama, welcome! And this must be young master Sasuke?"
"Thank you," Itachi replied politely, handing over the documents he had prepared.
The teacher checked the papers swiftly, then passed a form to Sasuke.
"Please fill in your basic information."
Sasuke picked up the pen and, following the habits ingrained in his past life, wrote the characters "Uchiha Sasuke" in neat, elegant strokes—far too mature for a six-year-old child.
The teacher glanced at it and couldn't help praising him:
"Such beautiful handwriting! Better than many upper-year students!"
Sasuke smiled faintly without responding.
This was the result of more than a decade of practice in his previous life—now unexpectedly coming in handy.
The registration was completed quickly. The teacher handed Sasuke a school uniform and a backpack.
"Sasuke, please arrive at the academy at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Don't be late."
"I understand. Thank you, teacher," Sasuke replied politely.
---
Ding! Registration Teacher's affection +5. Current affection: 15 (Stranger)!
---
It wasn't much, but even a mosquito was still meat.
This teacher was obviously not an important figure—so no direct reward popped out.
But according to the system's rules, even small goodwill values would contribute to the weekly reward pool.
Sasuke made a mental note:
Stay polite to everyone. Even NPCs can give affection points.
Important characters must be farmed.
Unimportant characters should also be farmed.
All goodwill equals future power.
When they stepped out of the registration office, Itachi looked at the uniform in Sasuke's hands, his expression softening slightly.
"I have a mission tomorrow, so I won't be able to walk you to school. Will you be able to get there on your own?"
"Of course, Brother! I can do it." Sasuke nodded confidently.
With the affection system at his side, he felt completely empowered.
Leaving the academy, the sun still shone bright, though slightly tilted westward.
Itachi held Sasuke's hand as they walked back toward the Uchiha compound. The villagers continued giving them wary or distant looks, but Sasuke didn't care anymore.
His mind was focused entirely on his newly-upgraded chakra extraction technique.
He could even feel faint chakra movement at his fingertips—a sensitivity born from higher extraction efficiency.
"Brother," Sasuke suddenly said, looking up at him, "I want to get stronger—fast.
I want to be amazing like you."
This wasn't an attempt to farm affection.
It was his genuine desire.
With this system—this shortcut—Sasuke wanted power.
Power to change the fate of his clan.
Power to survive in this dangerous world.
Power to one day smash through the entire ninja world.
Itachi's steps faltered. He lowered his head and stared at Sasuke.
A flicker of surprise glimmered in his cool eyes—quickly melting into warm gentleness.
In his memory, Sasuke had always been competitive, but rarely did he express such earnest desire to become strong.
"To grow stronger, you must put in the proper effort," Itachi said softly but firmly.
"There are no shortcuts on the ninja path. Chakra accumulation, ninjutsu practice, taijutsu training… Everything requires daily commitment."
"I know!" Sasuke nodded vigorously, eyes burning with determination.
"I'm not afraid of hard work. I'll train seriously every single day!"