“Director, I want to learn how to cook.”
After returning to the Konoha Orphanage, Natsuki immediately went to find Director Mayu.
He wanted to see whether he could trigger a new template.
“I want to learn too.”
Seeing this, Yakushi Nono quickly chimed in.
“Then let’s start with the simplest dish: sunny-side-up eggs.”
Mayu did not refuse.
In fact, once the children at the Konoha Orphanage got a little older, she would teach them how to cook anyway.
Children without parents had to learn to fend for themselves early.
Besides, the orphanage was not going to support them for life.
Once they turned twelve, they had to leave.
In his previous life, eighteen was considered adulthood, but in the ninja world, twelve was enough.
This world was simply too cruel—so cruel that even four-year-old children could be sent onto the battlefield to kill.
Mayu explained as she cooked the eggs.
When she finished, it was Natsuki’s turn.
He copied her steps and quickly made his own serving of sunny-side-up eggs.
[You have awakened the Shirou Emiya Template.]
Natsuki’s eyes widened.
What kind of luck was this?
Don’t worry—the hero is here!
Natsuki hurriedly looked over the Shirou Emiya template.
[Name: Shirou Emiya.]
[Stage: First Year of High School.]
[World: Fate/stay night.]
[Rank: C-rank.]
[Ability 1: Cooking — Unlocked.]
[Effect: Exceptional culinary skill, especially proficient in Japanese cuisine.]
[Ability 2: Reinforcement Magecraft — Locked.]
[Effect: Grasp the materials and structure of an object, then infuse it with chakra for temporary enhancement.]
[Unlock Condition: Place first once in a ninja tool throwing test.]
[Ability 3: Projection Magecraft — Locked.]
[Effect: Use chakra to project and replicate objects that exist in reality.]
[Unlock Condition: Master the use of five ninja tools to beginner level.]
After reading it, Natsuki could not help feeling a little disappointed.
Because Unlimited Blade Works was not included.
Still, that made sense.
The difficulty of triggering a template and the strength of the template were obviously directly proportional.
He had triggered a new template just by cooking, which was practically effortless.
Natsuki took a closer look and understood why it was only C-rank.
Because this was high-school first-year Shirou Emiya.
In the original story, Shirou did not participate in the Holy Grail War or master Unlimited Blade Works until his second year.
Natsuki was not disappointed.
If anything, he was pleasantly surprised.
Even if he had Unlimited Blade Works right now, he would not have enough chakra to use it anyway.
Simply put, Unlimited Blade Works created a Reality Marble filled with countless replicated swords.
If you localized it into Naruto terms, you could describe it as a sword version of Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Natsuki fell into thought.
Overall, Shirou Emiya’s template was very solid.
Especially Reinforcement Magecraft and Projection Magecraft.
Reinforcement Magecraft could enhance not only ninja tools, but his own body as well.
That would give Natsuki an edge in ninja battles.
Of course, Reinforcement Magecraft was still only C-rank, so the boost would not be absurdly overpowered.
What Natsuki cared about more was Projection Magecraft.
First, because it was connected to Unlimited Blade Works.
Second, because it could save him money.
Being a ninja was an expensive profession.
A huge portion of that expense came from using up ninja tools.
And beyond that, there were plenty of powerful ninja famous specifically for their weapons.
For example, Konoha’s White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
With Projection Magecraft, it would be much easier for Natsuki to learn ninja tool throwing, swordsmanship, or blade techniques.
If his potential had previously topped out at chunin, then now he could probably reach the level of a special jonin.
The unlock conditions for the two abilities were not especially troublesome.
Mastering five kinds of ninja tools was something he could grind out with time.
As for taking first place in a ninja tool throwing test, that would depend on Ability Two from the Conan template: Anesthetic Needle.
When the time came, he could coat the ninja tool with anesthetic, and he would basically never miss.
And getting first place in ninja tool throwing was not that big a deal.
It would not attract too much attention from Shimura Danzo.
The next day, before dawn—
Natsuki woke up two hours earlier than usual.
He was preparing for the physical fitness test, trying to break into the top ten as soon as possible.
Fortunately, the system had not specified which physical fitness test it had to be, so he still had plenty of time.
“I may not have seen Konoha at four in the morning, but I’ve at least seen it at five.”
Natsuki loosened his elbows and warmed up.
Once he finished stretching, he started running around Konoha.
Compared to his previous life, the physical condition of his new body was practically superhuman.
And in truth, it was.
People in the ninja world had an extra hundred trillion cells, bringing their total to an astonishing one hundred and thirty trillion.
Only with that many cells could they generate physical energy, combine it with spiritual energy, and turn it into chakra.
The official novels once mentioned that Rock Lee had run around Konoha 864 laps in a single night.
Part-time poet, too!
But Natsuki was clearly nowhere near that monstrous.
He did not even come close to Rock Lee’s numbers—he did not surpass sixty-four laps.
After finishing his run, Natsuki went back, took a shower, and then headed to the Ninja Academy with Yakushi Nono.
In the afternoon came the class he was interested in most: ninja tool throwing.
As a ninja, ninja tools were indispensable.
Every ninja wore a tool pouch at their waist for storing kunai, shuriken, and other tools.
Although the late stages of the story basically turned into eye powers and giant mecha duels, ninja tools were still extremely useful to the overwhelming majority of shinobi.
Because aside from a few exceptions, most ninja had high attack but low defense—they were glass cannons.
More importantly, Natsuki had just awakened Shirou Emiya’s template, so he needed to master five kinds of ninja tools.
There were many kinds of ninja tools, but the three most common were kunai, shuriken, and senbon.
Shuriken were hollow throwing stars, purely ranged throwing weapons.
Kunai looked like daggers or short swords.
They could be thrown, but could also be used in close combat.
Senbon were needle-like tools—more concealed than either shuriken or kunai.
Natsuki thought it over.
Besides those three, he still needed two more.
Swords and blades could count as one category of ninja tool; in the ninja world, swords and blades were not really distinguished from each other.
For the final type, he chose makibishi—diamond-shaped caltrops scattered on the ground.
Today’s lesson was on kunai.
After Ishida Yuu finished explaining, Natsuki took a kunai and looked at the stationary target in the distance.
At that moment, a number of girls suddenly squealed nearby.
Natsuki turned his head and saw that Minato had casually thrown his kunai straight into the bullseye.
Combined with that warm smile on his face, bright as a little sun, it was only natural that he drew the girls’ attention.
Natsuki was no worse-looking than him, but aside from his own specialties, he just did not stand out in the same way.
He withdrew his gaze and hurled the kunai in his hand with force.
Thunk.
The kunai hit the stationary target, but landed four or five centimeters away from the bullseye.
“For a first try, just hitting the target is already pretty good.”
Ishida Yuu offered him a word of encouragement, but in the end his gaze settled on Minato.
He nodded with satisfaction, thinking to himself that a true genius had appeared among them.
~~~
Same Author as “Part Time Emploee in Konoha” and “Part Time Teacher in Konoha”