“So does that mean orphans like us either have to find a way to obtain ninjutsu ourselves, or give up on becoming ninja altogether?”
A faint chill crept into Tanya’s voice.
Might Guy fell silent for a moment before scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
“The village’s resources are limited,” he said helplessly.
“There are simply too many war orphans.
It’s impossible to take care of everyone.
Most people either find their own opportunities or, if they’re lucky, receive guidance from kind-hearted individuals.”
Seeing the disappointment flash across Tanya’s face, Guy hurriedly tried to encourage her.
“Don’t be discouraged!”
His eyes blazed with determination.
“Youth is about overcoming challenges head-on!
As long as you continue training and never give up, you’ll definitely learn ninjutsu and enter the Academy one day!”
He clenched a fist dramatically.
“We can practice together!
I’ll teach you everything I know!”
Tanya looked at the sincerity in his eyes.
The frustration in her heart eased slightly.
She understood that Guy genuinely meant every word.
He wasn’t mocking her.
Nor was he looking down on her.
He was simply an impossibly earnest child who believed effort could overcome anything.
In some ways, that made him surprisingly difficult to dislike.
“Thank you.”
Tanya lowered her gaze.
“But I already have my own plans.”
The moment she said those words, her thoughts began moving rapidly.
Concealing her true abilities was one thing.
Appearing genuinely weak was another.
Ninjutsu scrolls were expensive?
Then she would find a way to acquire them.
No one would teach her chakra refinement?
Then she would learn it herself.
In her previous life, she had clawed her way out of countless desperate situations.
Compared to the battlefields of the Empire, this obstacle was hardly insurmountable.
As for the safe bureaucratic path she had once envisioned…
That dream was becoming increasingly unrealistic.
Power was concentrated in the hands of the few.
Those with authority had no reason to share it.
If the peaceful route was blocked, then she would simply return to the path she knew best.
A dangerous path.
A ruthless path.
A path where strength determined survival.
This time, she would once again prove to Existence X how ridiculous its so-called despair truly was.
A fleeting glimmer of resolve flashed through Tanya’s eyes.
Might Dai noticed it immediately.
A broad smile spread across his face.
“Excellent!”
He gave her a powerful thumbs-up.
“That’s the spirit of youth!”
“That’s right!” Guy agreed enthusiastically.
“Let’s work hard together!
Once we’ve learned ninjutsu, we’ll enter the Ninja Academy and carve out our own paths in the ninja world!”
Tanya looked at the passionate father-and-son duo.
For once, she didn’t immediately dismiss their enthusiasm.
Instead, she simply shook her head helplessly and returned to eating her grilled meat.
At the same time, another thought surfaced.
Perhaps she could learn something from them.
Judging by their personalities, they probably wouldn’t mind her observing Guy’s training.
Of course, directly requesting ninjutsu scrolls was out of the question.
Tanya wasn’t naive.
In the shinobi world, knowledge itself was a resource.
Ninjutsu was treated as a valuable military asset.
Even within clans, techniques were carefully guarded and passed down through trusted family members.
No one would casually hand over a scroll to someone they had only met that day.
Observation, however, was different.
If she could watch and learn, she might save herself a great deal of trouble.
And if that failed…
She would simply seek help elsewhere.
The orphanage director.
Part-time work.
Saving money.
Whatever it took.
She would find a solution.
After dinner, training resumed.
As expected, Might Dai brought Guy to a section of the training field and began teaching him a basic escape technique.
Several ropes were wrapped tightly around Guy’s arms and torso.
Dai stood before him and demonstrated the proper method.
Unlike elemental ninjutsu, the Rope Escape Technique relied primarily on body control and leverage.
It was a fundamental skill taught to many shinobi and could often be performed without significant chakra usage.
Because Tanya was watching nearby, Dai explained every movement in extraordinary detail.
“The key is timing.”
He demonstrated slowly.
“Rotate your shoulders first, create slack in the bindings, then shift your center of gravity and use the loosened tension to slip free.”
Every movement was clear.
Every principle was explained.
Tanya watched silently.
After a single demonstration, she had already memorized the entire process.
Her analytical mind immediately broke the technique down into individual components.
Force generation.
Joint flexibility.
Body positioning.
Escape angles.
The method was surprisingly straightforward.
Since she had not yet learned chakra refinement, she couldn’t verify whether more advanced variants required chakra control.
However, based on observation alone, she was already confident she understood the fundamentals.
Then came Guy’s turn.
“Damn it!”
He stared at the ropes still binding his body.
“Another failure!”
His shoulders slumped.
“Father…
do I really not have the talent to become a ninja?
It took me two whole months just to refine chakra…”
The words carried genuine frustration.
For all his determination, Guy was already beginning to notice the gap between himself and the prodigies around him.
Many children from shinobi clans were learning techniques far faster than he could.
Dai’s expression hardened.
Without hesitation, he flicked Guy squarely on the forehead.
Thump.
Guy winced.
“Father?”
Dai crossed his arms.
His voice thundered across the training field.
“Someone who doesn’t believe in himself has no right to speak of failure!”
Guy froze.
Dai pointed directly at him.
“Talent is not what defines youth!”
His eyes burned with conviction.
“Effort.”
“Perseverance.”
“Hard work.”
“Those are the things that matter!”
For a moment, silence filled the training field.
Then Guy’s eyes began to tremble.
Tears formed.
Not tears of sadness.
Tears of determination.
“Father…”
His fists tightened.
Suddenly he sprang to his feet.
“This…”
His voice rose.
“…is my youth!”
Immediately, he attempted the technique again.
His body twisted into an awkward position.
The ropes creaked.
Then stopped.
Nothing happened.
The bindings remained completely intact.
Guy stared at them.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
He adjusted his stance.
Prepared himself again.
And immediately tried once more.
Failure didn’t even seem capable of slowing him down.
Watching the scene, Tanya could only curl her lips helplessly.
These two truly were something else.
“I’m leaving.”
She stood up and dusted herself off.
Neither Dai nor Guy tried to stop her.
After all, there was little reason for her to remain.
She had already learned everything she could from today’s lesson.
The next priority was obvious.
Chakra refinement.
Without chakra, true ninjutsu remained inaccessible.
With that thought in mind, she left the training ground and headed back toward the orphanage.
By the time Tanya arrived, night had fully settled over Konoha.
The orphanage courtyard was dark and silent.
No laughter.
No footsteps.
Even the insects seemed unusually quiet.
Despite possessing memories from multiple lifetimes, Tanya still felt a slight tension creeping into her chest.
She was late.
Very late.
And if the director discovered where she had been—
Well.
A lecture was almost guaranteed.
More importantly, she preferred not to reveal too much about her ambitions.
Quietly, she approached the entrance.
The wooden door creaked softly as she pushed it open.
The moment she stepped inside—
She froze.
The orphanage director was already waiting.
He sat calmly on a stone bench near the entrance.
A gentle smile rested on his face.
His eyes were fixed directly on her.
Tanya immediately straightened instinctively.
This is bad.
The familiar feeling of being caught by a superior officer resurfaced instantly.
For a brief moment, she prepared herself for a scolding.
Instead, the director calmly raised his hand.
Something rested in his palm.
Two scrolls.
Tanya blinked.
The scrolls appeared old but meticulously maintained.
Under the moonlight, several characters were visible on their surfaces.
Chakra Extraction Technique.
Three Basic Techniques.
Her breathing paused.
The director looked at her quietly.
“These contain the Chakra Extraction Technique and the Academy’s foundational techniques.”
His voice carried unusual seriousness.
“If you have questions in the future, ask me directly.”
Then his expression softened slightly.
“And don’t come back this late again.”
“Go to sleep.”
For a moment, Tanya simply stared.
Then she quickly regained her composure.
“Yes, Director.”
She accepted the scrolls with both hands.
The military instinct to snap into a formal salute nearly surfaced again.
Fortunately, she managed to suppress it.
Even so, her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.
She had expected obtaining these things to be difficult.
Perhaps extremely difficult.
Yet now they were sitting in her hands.
The director merely waved her away.
Under his watchful gaze, Tanya quickly returned to her room.
The door closed softly behind her.
Only then did she finally exhale.
Walking over to the table, she carefully placed the scrolls down.
Her fingertips brushed across the aged material.
A complicated emotion stirred inside her chest.
She had been prepared for a long struggle.
Instead, the opportunity had appeared almost immediately.
Whatever motives the director possessed—
She was determined to hold onto this resource tightly.