Chapter 4: The Second Ability – Duel!
The next morning.
"I'm full," Ren declared, waving lazily at Danzō before heading out for another day at the Academy. He strolled through an empty alleyway, humming a cheerful tune to himself, clearly in high spirits.
Last night's training with Danzō had yielded impressive results. Under his father's strict guidance and mysterious medical techniques, Ren had made a breakthrough—his Chakra reserves had surged, reaching the level of an Elite Genin.
The Chakra exhaustion and potential internal damage from his explosive overuse had been completely healed overnight.
Danzō must've used some high-grade medical treatment or secret Root concoction, and Ren wasn't about to question it.
Not only that—Ren's control over his Chakra had doubled. He could now perform Wind Release: Vacuum Slash (Fūton: Kamaitachi no Jutsu), a mid-tier C-rank Ninjutsu, with ease.
His basic Genin-level Taijutsu had also evolved significantly, enhanced by both refined Chakra flow and his own relentless pursuit of strength.
"Wait... what is this?"
Ren paused mid-step. His expression blanked out, his consciousness diving inward into his mental plane.
A glowing notification flickered across the interface of the mysterious system embedded in his mind.
The Heart of the Strong (White)
Temporarily boosts the user's output by 100% for one second.
Applies to Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu.
Ren stared in stunned silence.
"Holy... shit."
Jackpot!
He could barely contain the excitement bubbling inside. This wasn't some minor passive ability or stat boost.
This was an active skill! Something not from this world—a game mechanic system never seen in the Naruto universe! It wasn't like the Chakra-enhancing pills or curse seals that gave diminishing returns or side effects—this was a true, momentary, all-around surge in power.
Without needing to read any manual or instruction, Ren instinctively understood how to activate it.
Maybe it was the system synchronizing with his brain waves, or maybe his soul from the modern world just intuitively grasped game mechanics. Whatever the case, he felt ready.
He stood there stupidly, still deep in thought, unaware of the danger that lurked just ten meters ahead.
Hidden within the tall grass beside the alley, three Konoha shinobi lay in ambush. Their flak jackets were dark, emblazoned with the red-and-white Uchiha fan symbol.
"Captain... did he notice us? Why'd he suddenly stop moving?" whispered the shinobi labeled Uchiha Disposable #2.
"Are you dumb, Uchiha Disposable #2? There's no way a damn first-year Academy kid could sense a stealth formation!" Uchiha Background Character #3 sneered.
"Tch. You're the dumbass. Did you forget? He's Shimura Danzō's kid. And he knocked out Uchiha Cannon Fodder #1 with a single hit yesterday. I bet he's already at Genin-level!"
"Genin? Ha! If that brat is Genin-level, I'll eat a steaming bowl of deer dung from the Nara compound. If he's not, you eat it!"
"You're on!"
"Enough, you morons," growled a cold, sharp voice from the front. The two instantly snapped to silence, shrinking back in fear.
"Apologies, Captain Fugaku..."
"Boss, I was just kidding."
Uchiha Fugaku, at just fourteen, already an Elite Chūnin, stood as the acting captain of the Konoha Military Police Force.
His voice carried a quiet menace, and even though he wasn't much older than the two lackeys, the difference in presence was stark.
His icy eyes were locked on Ren, who remained obliviously standing ahead.
Fugaku's anger simmered beneath the surface. His pride as an Uchiha was bruised—publicly.
Everyone in the clan, and worse, across Konoha, had heard about Ren daring to flirt with Uchiha Mikoto, the girl whom Fugaku had unofficially claimed as his.
Ren's punch to one of his own clansmen was already a provocation. But now? If he didn't reassert his dominance, it would be an embarrassment for the entire Uchiha name.
He stepped out from the grass, no longer willing to skulk in the shadows.
"Huh?"
Ren blinked as he returned to reality. He looked up to see three figures now blocking the path ahead.
His brows furrowed as he recognized the leader.
"You're... Uchiha Fugaku?"
"Correct," Fugaku replied with a dismissive tilt of his chin. At fourteen, he towered over Ren, his posture arrogant and confident.
Fugaku didn't care for pleasantries. He was the future head of the Uchiha—the most powerful clan in the village.
Shimura Danzō's son or not, a mere Academy student wasn't worth his full attention. If not for Danzō's name holding some weight, he'd have had Ren locked up on bogus charges through the Police Force and "dealt with" behind bars.
But today... he wanted to make a point personally.
"An Elite Chūnin flanked by two Elite Genin... wow, Uchiha Fugaku. I'm honored." Ren smirked, unfazed by their presence.
Then, with a flick of his fingers, golden light surged invisibly, forming a square-shaped force field around the four of them.
Inside this invisible boundary, time and space subtly warped. Only Ren could perceive it, but it was real—and powerful.
He pointed to the two shinobi behind Fugaku.
"You two nobodies... you dare lift a finger against me, Shimura Ren? You think you're qualified? I'll be generous—walk away now and I'll consider this whole mess forgotten. Otherwise..."
The Face-Face Fruit activated.
It wasn't just talk. The golden barrier around them enforced its law—Give Ren face and you're spared. Disrespect him... and you're in for a fight.
The two nameless Uchihas looked at each other, then at the shimmering pressure forming around them.
Their faces paled. Despite Fugaku's authority, despite being born into the Uchiha clan, they weren't about to throw their lives away for ego.
They bowed stiffly to Fugaku, then turned and left without another word.
"Cowards!" Fugaku hissed. His face twisted in disgust as he watched their retreating backs.
As far as he was concerned, those two weren't even worthy of the Uchiha name anymore.
He had brought them along for appearance's sake. The truth was, he didn't need backup.
He was confident his Elite Chūnin strength was more than enough to crush an Academy brat, no matter who his father was.
And now, Ren had humiliated him again—this time in front of his own people.
His anger flared into murderous intent.
"Fine then. Let's go. If those two weaklings are afraid of your precious Shimura name, I'm not. I want to see if your bite matches your bark."
At that moment, the golden force field flickered. The shimmering walls of the domain cracked like glass and collapsed... only to reassemble in a flash.
The entire sky within the alley turned red—a deep, crimson hue only Ren could perceive.
Face-Face Fruit: Second Ability – Duel!
No respect? No face? Then no retreat. It's a duel.
Ren's heart pounded.
He had never triggered this effect before. Why? Because every time he used his power on people like Danzō or Hiruzen Sarutobi, they either gave him face out of affection or sheer power disparity.
The second ability simply never triggered. He hadn't been strong enough to enforce it.
Until now.
Fugaku was the perfect target—arrogant, prideful, and most importantly, not afraid of Danzō.
Ren felt an electric surge rush through him. He could sense it—this was the moment he had been waiting for.
Seven years. Seven years of hiding, growing, and waiting to test the limits of this bizarre fruit ability. The moment had come.
Across from him, Fugaku cracked his knuckles, misinterpreting Ren's silence as fear. "What's wrong? Second thoughts, brat?"
Ren's body trembled—not with fear, but with anticipation.
This is it. A real fight.
The thrill of challenging a powerful opponent, the fire of combat awakening in his blood, the system's passive boost, and now—the active boost from the Heart of the Strong—all aligned perfectly.
"I'm not backing down," Ren said with a grin. "You're the perfect lab rat, Fugaku."
The alley turned into a battlefield. There was no running now. No calling for backup. No interruptions.
This was a duel to the finish.
And for the first time since arriving in this world...
Ren was the one laying down the rules.