Tanya gathered chakra.
A faint puff of white smoke appeared around her hand.
The next moment, her fingers transformed into sharp metallic blades.
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
Clang.
She gently tapped the blades together.
A crisp metallic sound echoed through the room.
Then she raised her hand and lightly struck the edge of her desk.
Clang.
The transformed fingers held their shape perfectly.
A moment later, however, the Transformation Technique dispersed from the impact, causing her hand to return to normal.
Tanya wasn’t disappointed.
In fact, she had expected this result.
The Transformation Technique was ultimately an Academy-level ninjutsu.
Its purpose was disguise.
Not combat.
Most shinobi would never foolishly use their own bodies to directly block enemy attacks anyway.
Once she successfully recreated the defensive barriers she had utilized during her previous life in the Empire, this weakness would become largely irrelevant.
The thought immediately improved her mood.
After an entire night of uninterrupted practice, she had already achieved remarkable results.
Thanks to her experience with magical energy control and her extraordinary talent, she had successfully mastered all three Academy Techniques.
Transformation Technique.
Clone Technique.
Substitution Technique.
Not only could she perform them individually, but she could also switch between them fluidly and combine them with remarkable precision.
The only downside was her chakra reserves.
Repeated training had nearly emptied them.
Fatigue lingered behind her eyes.
Still, the exhaustion was accompanied by satisfaction.
For Tanya, progress was always the best reward.
Morning arrived.
The orphanage slowly awakened.
Children began emerging from their rooms.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the courtyard.
As Tanya stepped outside, she immediately encountered the orphanage director, Morino Hinako.
The woman frowned slightly upon seeing the dark circles beneath Tanya’s eyes.
“Tanya.”
Her tone carried a trace of concern.
“Learning ninjutsu isn’t something that can be rushed.
You should proceed step by step.
If you encounter any difficulties, you can always come to me.”
Although she spoke calmly, anticipation flickered within her eyes.
She had spent most of the night wondering how much progress Tanya had actually made.
Had she learned the hand seals?
Managed a partial transformation?
Perhaps successfully produced a clone?
Even that would already be considered extraordinary.
Tanya immediately noticed the expectation in the woman’s gaze.
Since she had already abandoned the idea of concealing her talent, she chose to answer honestly.
“Director.”
She spoke calmly.
“I’ve already mastered the Three Academy Techniques.”
The courtyard instantly fell silent.
Morino Hinako froze.
For a brief moment, she genuinely wondered if she had misheard.
“What did you say?”
Her voice unconsciously rose.
Tanya repeated herself.
“I’ve mastered them.”
Previously, Tanya had intended to hide her abilities and pursue a relatively safe administrative future.
However, after learning how tightly knowledge and ninjutsu were monopolized within this world, she had changed her plans.
Concealing talent only limited opportunities.
Without sufficient strength, survival itself could become uncertain.
As for attracting unwanted attention—
Tanya wasn’t overly concerned.
No competent government would casually eliminate one of its own prodigies without cause.
Even political purges required stability and preparation.
The current Konoha simply wasn’t in a position to waste valuable talent.
As for foreign villages sending assassins?
Even less likely.
Konoha remained the strongest shinobi village.
No enemy would risk igniting a conflict simply to eliminate an unproven child.
At least not yet.
Morino Hinako stared at her.
Then she spoke slowly.
“You’re serious?”
Tanya nodded.
The old military instinct to stand at attention and answer with a loud “Yes, ma’am!” nearly surfaced again.
Fortunately, she restrained herself.
Instead, she demonstrated.
Her hands formed seals.
A puff of smoke erupted.
The next moment, another Morino Hinako appeared before the director. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
The resemblance was flawless.
The transformed Tanya even copied the woman’s posture and expression.
“Tanya.”
The transformed figure spoke in the director’s exact tone.
“Learning ninjutsu requires patience.”
The children nearby gasped.
Before anyone could react—
Poof!
A Clone Technique was activated.
An identical duplicate appeared beside her.
Then Tanya’s body blurred.
The substitution was executed instantly.
One moment she stood before the director.
The next, she appeared atop a nearby stone bench.
The sequence flowed together perfectly.
Transformation.
Clone.
Substitution.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
No signs that she had only begun learning ninjutsu the previous night.
The courtyard exploded into commotion.
Children rushed over from every direction.
“Look!”
A little girl with pigtails pointed excitedly.
“Tanya turned into Director Hinako!”
“There are two directors now!”
Another child stared with wide eyes.
“That’s amazing!”
“She learned ninja techniques already?”
“How did she do that?”
The courtyard instantly became noisy.
Morino Hinako barely heard them.
Her hands trembled slightly.
As a former chunin, her combat experience was long behind her.
However, her judgment remained sharp.
She could clearly see it.
The execution.
The chakra control.
The precision.
This wasn’t merely talent.
This was absurd talent.
Many Academy graduates couldn’t perform the Three Techniques this smoothly.
Some genin couldn’t either.
A trace of longing appeared in her eyes.
A true genius.
Perhaps…
Perhaps this child could one day stand alongside legendary figures.
People like the Sannin.
Or perhaps even reach heights comparable to Konoha’s White Fang.
The possibility alone made her heart race.
Suppressing her excitement, she forced herself to remain calm.
“Tanya.”
Her voice was surprisingly steady.
“You’ve done very well.”
She paused briefly.
“Go eat breakfast.”
Then she turned.
“I need to go out for a while.”
Before Tanya could respond, Hinako vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
The children immediately erupted into another wave of excited chatter.
Tanya watched the departing figure without surprise.
The Academy Techniques dispersed.
The courtyard returned to normal.
A thoughtful expression appeared on her face.
I wonder whether this orphanage is directly funded by the village or merely supported by it.
The political structure of this world was rather unusual.
The relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire’s government was delicate and complex.
Without additional information, she couldn’t draw reliable conclusions.
Still.
Regardless of the orphanage’s administrative status, one thing was certain.
The director’s report would create an opportunity.
And opportunities existed to be seized.
The moment Hinako disappeared, the children swarmed her.
“Tanya!
Tanya!
You’re incredible!”
“How did you learn ninjutsu?”
“I want to learn it too!”
“When did you start practicing?”
“You’ll be my idol!”
Questions flew at her from every direction.
Yet Tanya showed no irritation.
Instead, she answered patiently.
“Ninjutsu requires chakra refinement and repeated practice.”
Her voice remained calm.
“As long as you work hard, you’ll be able to learn it too.”
Naturally, she had no intention of revealing the true extent of her talent.
Nor did she see any benefit in alienating the other children.
Maintaining harmonious relationships would only improve her standing within the orphanage.
That meant better access to information.
Better access to resources.
And potentially more opportunities in the future.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage’s Office.
Smoke drifted lazily through the room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, pipe in hand.
The Third Hokage slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke before looking toward Morino Hinako.
“Hinako.”
His voice was calm.
“Is your report accurate?”
He tapped the document on his desk.
“The girl named Tanya mastered the Three Academy Techniques in one night?”
Hinako immediately bowed.
“Yes, Hokage-sama.”
Her tone was firm.
“I witnessed it personally.”
“Her execution was exceptionally precise.
In terms of technical proficiency, she already surpasses many Academy students.”
She paused.
“And her chakra extraction speed was even more astonishing.”
Hiruzen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Go on.”
“It took her only five minutes to extract chakra for the first time.”
The office fell silent.
Even Hiruzen’s hand paused slightly.
Hinako continued.
“She’s unquestionably a rare genius.”
The Hokage slowly lowered his pipe.
His gaze drifted toward another document lying on his desk.
Tanya’s file.
The ANBU had already completed a preliminary investigation.
The information was simple.
Her parents had both been civilian-born shinobi.
Her father had died during the Second Shinobi World War.
Her mother passed away shortly after childbirth.
Since then, Tanya had grown up in the orphanage.
The background was exceptionally clean.
“A civilian-born genius…”
Hiruzen murmured quietly.
Several familiar faces surfaced in his memory.
His students.
Jiraiya.
Orochimaru.
Tsunade.
Then another.
Minato Namikaze.
None of them possessed the backing of powerful clans.
Yet each had become one of Konoha’s greatest pillars.
Time and again, civilian-born prodigies had proven their worth.
Without clan resources, they often relied entirely on personal effort.
When properly nurtured, such individuals frequently developed strong loyalty toward the village that supported them.
Tanya’s talent already exceeded what most children could achieve.
If cultivated correctly, she might become one of Konoha’s future pillars.
The thought settled firmly in his mind.
A moment later, Hiruzen stood.
“Hinako.”
The director immediately straightened.
“Yes, Hokage-sama.”
A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen’s face.
“I have some free time today.”
He picked up his hat.
“Take me to see the children.”
His gaze shifted toward the village outside the window.
“They are Konoha’s future.”
“Yes, Hokage-sama!”
Hinako’s face brightened instantly.
She respectfully bowed.
The Hokage’s personal visit could only mean one thing.
Tanya had successfully entered the sight of Konoha’s highest authority.
And her future was limitless.