While Mizuhara Aran was lost in thought, he suddenly caught the sound of rushing water ahead.
Snapping his head up, he spotted a narrow river not far away.
For a moment, an indescribable emotion welled up inside him. He just stood there in silence, unable to speak, his trembling hands the only sign of how excited he was.
He murmured under his breath, "Well I'll be damned… Heaven really doesn't disappoint the persistent."
Without another thought, Aran took off at full speed, sprinting like he was running the hundred-meter dash, and dove into the water with a dramatic splash.
Then came the struggle—kicking, splashing, grabbing with all his strength.
In the end, he managed to catch only a few fish… but swallowed what felt like half the river in the process.
Crawling out onto the bank, dripping wet and wearing an expression of pure misery, Aran glared at the river and shouted, "Oh no, you don't—I refuse to lose to you!"
Closing his eyes, he recalled the instructions the system had given him. Slowly, his hands formed a sequence of seals— (Ram), (Horse), (Snake), (Dragon), (Rat), (Ox), (Tiger).
Inhaling deeply, Aran shouted, "Fire Style—Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
His mouth formed a tight "O" shape, and a roaring column of flame erupted forth—nearly a hundred meters long.
Even more incredible was the way chakra surged inside him, flowing endlessly toward his mouth and transforming into fire. The sensation lit up his face with joy. This was, after all, the first time he had truly unleashed a proper ninjutsu.
The stream of fire roared directly toward the river.
The instant flame touched water, a thick cloud of white steam billowed upward, and the surface began to evaporate in wide swaths. Layer by layer, the waterline in that section of the river sank.
His chakra was burning rapidly—but Aran wasn't worried. One of his system-given talents was unlimited chakra.
Gathering himself for one last push, Aran forced the flames to swell, the column growing even more intense. This time, the water within its range didn't just evaporate—it was completely burned away, leaving a vast, gaping vacuum where the river had been.
Only after several more minutes did he finally let the flames die down.
"Hic~"
A few stray firebursts escaped from his mouth before he fully stopped.
As the last of the flames vanished, Aran noticed with some surprise that the section of riverbed exposed by his attack was scorched black. Moments later, the surrounding water surged back in to fill the gap.
He let out an admiring whistle. "Now that's an A-rank jutsu. The power's no joke."
It seemed the reward the system had given him wasn't so bad after all—definitely a high-grade technique.
"Grrr~!!"
His stomach growled loudly again, almost in protest.
Chuckling, Aran rubbed his belly. "Alright, alright… let's get you nice and full."
Glancing at the river, he nodded in satisfaction. The surface was now dotted with pale bellies—dozens of fish, large and small, all knocked out by his Fire Style.