The enormous question remained across the heavens.
HOW DID INUZUZA KOGA LAND A FIVE PERCENT HIT ON KUMA RAI?
Nobody spoke. Then the Sky Screen was added.
THE ANSWER IS EARTH ERUPTION.
A second message appeared beneath it.
EARTH ERUPTION IS AN ABILITY THAT DRAWS POWER FROM THE EARTH ITSELF.
The villagers listened carefully.
THE GREATER THE LANDSCAPE AVAILABLE TO THE USER, THE GREATER THE POWER THAT CAN BE GATHERED.
Several Ninja immediately began discussing it.
"So it uses the land?"
"That explains why the battlefield was grassland."
"Then why didn’t Rai sense it?"
The Sky Screen continued.
EARTH ERUPTION HAS ONE MAJOR WEAKNESS. THE ACCUMULATION OF EARTH POWER CAN BE SENSED.
The Ninja immediately understood.
"Of course."
"Any experienced sensor could notice that much energy gathering."
"It would take time to charge."
"And during that time, the enemy could move."
The Sky Screen continued.
THE EARTH POWER MUST FIRST ACCUMULATE AT THE SURFACE. THIS CREATES A VISIBLE AND SENSIBLE DISTURBANCE. AN ALERT TARGET CAN SIMPLY MOVE AWAY.
Koga nodded slowly.
The Sky Screen continued.
HOWEVER, KUMA RAI WAS UNDERGROUND.
The villagers suddenly became quiet.
THE EARTH POWER ACCUMULATED ABOVE HIM. KUMA RAI COULD NOT SENSE THE ACCUMULATION BELOW THE SURFACE BECAUSE THE ATTACK WAS FORMED THROUGH THE GROUND ABOVE HIS POSITION. BY THE TIME THE POWER REACHED HIS LOCATION, THERE WAS NO ESCAPE.
The villagers stared.
One person finally spoke.
"So..."
Another villager answered.
"He was underground."
"Exactly."
"He accidentally made himself the perfect target."
The Ninja Chat immediately filled with messages.
Genin Raku: So Koga didn’t actually predict anything?
Chunin Sora: Apparently not.
Jonin Taro: He simply noticed that Rai was underground and used Earth Eruption.
Villager Mina: So it was luck?
Yukiju Ninja: It appears that way.
Karasu Ninja: Five percent chance.
Kuma Ninja Goro: DAMN IT!
Another message appeared immediately.
Kuma Ninja Seki: THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
The Kuma Clan was furious.
Kuma Ninja Goro: CLAN HEAD WAS DEFEATED BECAUSE HE HID UNDERGROUND?!
Kuma Ninja Seki: HE LITERALLY CHOSE THE WORST POSSIBLE PLACE TO HIDE!
The Villager Chat erupted with laughter.
Villager Haku: So the strongest man in the village won because his opponent hid underground?
Villager Toma: That’s hilarious.
Villager Mina: Five percent!
The Top Overlord Chat was calmer.
Yukiju Ken: So the result was largely circumstantial.
Karasu Moira: Yes.
Inuzuza Kiza: Rai’s own technique created the perfect condition for Koga’s attack.
Kuma Rai finally responded.
Kuma Rai: Stop explaining it like that.
Yukiju Ken: It is what happened.
Kuma Rai: I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
Karasu Moira: Apparently not.
A few chuckles appeared in the chat.
Kuma Rai became even more irritated. Then another message appeared.
Inuzuza Koga: Indeed. It was luck.
Silence. Soon everyone was stunned. The Number One in the ranking spoke.
Kuma Rai stared at the message.
Kuma Rai: ...
Kuma Rai: YOU!
Koga blinked.
"What?"
He looked at the message he had sent. It seemed perfectly reasonable to him. He had gotten lucky. That was the truth.
Unfortunately, the words sounded completely different when everyone else read them.
Kuma Rai: YOU’RE SAYING THAT LIKE YOU BEAT ME ON PURPOSE!
Inuzuza Koga: I didn’t say that.
Kuma Rai: YOU SAID IT WAS LUCK!
Inuzuza Koga: Because it was.
The chat exploded.
Kuma Rai: YOU’RE MOCKING ME!
Inuzuza Koga: I’m not.
Kuma Rai: YOU ABSOLUTELY ARE!
Several people started laughing. Even Inuzuza Kiza could not stop herself.
Inuzuza Kiza: Hahaha. Why not introduce yourself? The Inuzuza Clan would welcome you.
Koga saw the message. He did not reply. He had no idea why everyone was laughing. He simply thought he had answered honestly. Then the Sky Screen suddenly flickered. The joking atmosphere disappeared.
A massive message appeared.
WHAT A DISAPPOINTING RESULT.
The villagers looked up.
IT IS TRULY REGRETTABLE. I, THE OVERLORD RANKING WANTED TO WITNESS THE OVERWHELMING POWER OF THE NUMBER ONE OVERLORD. I WANTED TO SEE THE TRUE STRENGTH THAT CAUSED INUZUZA KOGA TO BE PLACED ABOVE EVERY OTHER WARRIOR IN KOYAGAKURE. I WANTED TO SEE THE POWER THAT MADE THE RANKING SYSTEM RECOGNIZE HIM AS THE GREATEST OVERLORD IN THE VILLAGE.
The villagers became confused.
"What does it mean?"
The Sky Screen continued.
INSTEAD, THE BATTLE ENDED BEFORE INUZUZA KOGA EVEN NEEDED TO DISPLAY HIS TRUE POWER. I, THE OVERLORD RANKING IS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED.
Koga’s face slowly became pale.
"Oh no."
He already knew where this was going.
The Villager Chat exploded.
Villager Mina: SYSTEM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Villager Toma: WHAT TRUE POWER?
Genin Raku: YOU KEEP SAYING KOGA IS OVERWHELMINGLY POWERFUL!
Jonin Taro: THEN WHAT IS HIS ACTUAL ABILITY?
The Top Overlord Chat followed.
Yukiju Ken: System, what exactly are you talking about?
Karasu Moira: You have repeatedly described Koga as overwhelming.
Inuzuza Kiza: Why haven’t we seen his strength?
Koga’s forehead began sweating.
"Stop asking."
He whispered.
"Please stop asking."
The Sky Screen answered.
I DON’T KNOW.
Silence. The villagers stared. The Ninja stared. The Overlords stared. Then the Sky Screen added another message.
THE OVERLORD RANKING DOES NOT KNOW.
Koga’s eyes widened.
"What?"
The villagers erupted.
"THE SYSTEM DOESN’T KNOW?!"
"Then why did it put him at number one?!"
"How can it rank someone without knowing his strength?"
The Ninja Chat exploded.
Genin Raku: WHAT?!
Chunin Sora: THE SYSTEM DOESN’T KNOW?!
Jonin Taro: HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!
The Top Overlord Chat became chaotic.
Yukiju Ken: Explain yourself.
Karasu Moira: You scanned him, didn’t you?
Inuzuza Kiza: If you don’t know his strength, why did you rank him first?
The Sky Screen responded.
THE RANKING RECOGNIZED SOMETHING ABOUT INUZUZA KOGA THAT IT COULD NOT FULLY MEASURE. THE SYSTEM’S ANALYSIS COULD NOT DETERMINE THE LIMIT OF HIS POWER. THE SYSTEM COULD NOT ESTABLISH HIS UPPER BOUND. THE SYSTEM COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF HIS POWER. THE SYSTEM COULD NOT CALCULATE HIS MAXIMUM STRENGTH.
The villagers became completely stunned.
"So..."
A villager swallowed.
"It really doesn’t know."
Another whispered.
"That means Koga could actually be stronger than everyone?"
The Ninja became serious. The clan leaders exchanged looks.
Even Koga felt a chill. But his reaction was completely different.
"Why are you saying all this?!"
He looked at the Sky Screen.
"Are you trying to get me killed?"
However, Koga refused to say anything in the chat. For some unknown reason, whenever he chats that he doesn’t understand what the system is saying—or whenever he denies it and says it to the chat—it doesn’t show. Now he’s helpless.
He was already an unknown villager. Now the entire village believed he might possess some terrifying hidden power.
If people became curious, they would investigate.
If powerful ninja became curious, they might test him.
Koga wanted to hide—low-key and powerful. It was the same as being rich but wanting to live in a rural area.
The System was doing the exact opposite. Then finally, another message appeared, making him stop thinking for a moment.
DUE TO KUMA RAI’S DEFEAT, HIS REWARD AS AN OVERLORD WILL BE REVOKED.
Kuma Rai immediately became furious.
His message appeared in the Top Overlord Chat.
Kuma Rai: WHAT?!
Kuma Rai: WAIT!
Kuma Rai: I LOST ONE BATTLE!
The System responded.
YOU LOST YOUR OVERLORD POSITION. YOUR ASSOCIATED REWARDS ARE THEREFORE REVOKED.
Kuma Rai: BUT I FOUGHT!
Kuma Rai: I USED MY STRONGEST TECHNIQUES!
The System responded with brutal simplicity.
AND YOU STILL FAILED TO MAKE THE NUMBER ONE OVERLORD USE HIS TRUE POWER.
Kuma Rai’s face turned red.
Kuma Rai: THAT WASN’T MY FAULT!
Kuma Rai: I DIDN’T KNOW HIS SUMMON COULD DO THAT!
The System answered.
EXCUSES.
The villagers burst into laughter.
Kuma Rai stared at the screen.
Kuma Rai: YOU’RE ANNOYING!
OVERLORD RANKING: YOUR PERFORMANCE WAS UNDERWHELMING.
Kuma Rai: UNDERWHELMING?!
OVERLORD RANKING: YES.
Kuma Rai: I USED WILD RAGE!
OVERLORD RANKING: AND STILL LOST.
Kuma Rai: MY BEAR ALMOST KILLED HIM!
OVERLORD RANKING: ALMOST IS NOT A VICTORY.
The Kuma Clan members became silent.
Kuma Rai had no answer. Then the Sky Screen changed.
HOWEVER, A VICTORY REMAINS A VICTORY.
Koga looked up.
The System continued.
INUZUZA KOGA HAS WON A TOP RANKING BATTLE WITHOUT REVEALING HIS TRUE POWER. HE SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED THE SECOND OVERLORD WHILE USING ONLY A NEWBORN LEGENDARY BEAST. THE VICTORY SHALL THEREFORE RECEIVE A SPECIAL REWARD.
Koga’s eyes brightened.
"Finally."
The next message appeared.
REWARD: ONE THOUSAND CHAKRA STONES.
The villagers gasped.
"One thousand?"
"That’s a fortune!"
"Chakra Stones!"
Koga’s eyes nearly popped out.
"Chakra stones?"
For the first time, he felt genuinely excited.
With chakra stones, perhaps he could finally solve his biggest problem.
No chakra.
No bloodline.
No talent.
If the stones could help him cultivate chakra, then everything could change.
The Sky Screen flickered once more.
ADDITIONAL REWARD GRANTED.
Koga froze.
"Additional?"
The villagers leaned closer. The Ninja stopped talking. The Top Overlords waited. The Sky Screen slowly revealed the next reward.
LEGENDARY BEAST GRANTED.
Koga’s heartbeat accelerated. The message continued.
A LEGENDARY BEAST COMPARABLE TO IGNILION.
The entire village became silent.
Koga stared at the heavens.
Another legendary beast?
His tiny Ignilion looked up at him and made a quiet sound.
"Rrr?"
Koga swallowed.
He had no idea what the System was about to
give him. But whatever. So be it.