Back in his seat after lunch, Naruto listened as Iruka announced the next activity.
"Since lunch is over, let's do some practice."
The class soon found themselves outside, standing in front of five target dummies. The students were arranged in lines, six people per line.
Iruka explained the exercise: "Now, you will step up to the line and throw five kunai, then ten shuriken. After that, go to the end of your line. Everyone will get five chances to throw. We will take your best round for your grade."
Naruto's gaze drifted to Iruka as a golden question mark appeared over his head for a moment.
[ World Quest Alert ]
[ Quest Name: Kunai and Shuriken Oh My: Achieve 80% Accuracy or Better ]
[ Objective: Successfully score 80% or higher accuracy in Kunai and Shuriken throwing. ]
[ Reward for Completion: ]
- [ Experience Points (Exp): 20 ]
- [ Equipment Provided: ]
- [ Academy Kunai x10 ]
- [ Academy Shuriken x20 ]
[ Penalty for Failure: ]
- [ Experience Points (Exp): 2 ]
Naruto was buzzing with excitement for this quest. With his new skills, he felt confident about acing the test. When his turn came, he stepped up to the line.
On his first try, he hit the target with four out of five kunai and seven out of ten shuriken. He was a bit annoyed for not meeting the quest requirement. The second time around, he managed to hit with all five kunai, but again fell short with the shuriken, hitting only six.
He was getting closer, but it was still not enough.
By the third attempt, Naruto threw with precision, hitting 86% of the targets, successfully completing the quest.
[ Completion Achieved: You've hit the target with commendable accuracy. ]
[ Rewards Granted: ]
- [ Experience Points (Exp): 20 ]
- [ Academy Kunai x10 ]
- [ Academy Shuriken x20 ]
Naruto received another alert shortly after.
[ Path Quest Alert ]
[ Quest Name: My Personal Best: Achieve 90% Accuracy or Better ]
[ Objective: Score 90% or higher accuracy in Kunai and Shuriken throwing. ]
[ Reward for Completion: ]
- [ Experience Points (Exp): 100 ]
- [ Skill Book: 'Academy Intermediate Taijutsu' ]
[ Penalty for Failure: ]
- [ Experience Points (Exp): 20 ]
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If the last quest had him excited, this quest had him dancing like a monkey.
"Yatta!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
He was practically bouncing with excitement, eager to conquer the next quest.
Naruto took a deep breath, his chest swelling. He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself amid the rustling leaves and distant sounds of his classmates. As he exhaled slowly, his thoughts cleared, sharpening his resolve as he let them rip.
For a split second, he felt the weight of eyes on him.
Turning, he saw the faces of his classmates—all showing surprise, except for Mizuki, whose expression was pensive, almost lost in thought. Despite the stares, Naruto reveled in their astonishment, a part of him basking in the unexpected attention. Yet, beneath that fleeting pride, a nagging question lingered in his mind. He had learned Kunai and Shuriken Bukijutsu a year ago, but now, reflecting on his stance and movements, he had realized everything he had been taught was wrong. Why was that?
His contemplation was abruptly interrupted by Iruka's voice announcing the score. "That's an 88% Naruto, good job."
"No," Naruto suddenly cried out, his voice cracking as he dropped to his knees.
[ Quest Outcome ]
[ Result: Completion Failure ]
[ Penalty Awarded: 20 Experience Points (Exp) ]
Naruto collected the practice weapons he had thrown and returned them to the teachers.
"Okay, students, back inside for history," Iruka announced, earning a groan from all the students.
As they started heading back inside, Iruka called out, "Naruto, wait a second."
The class left, some teasing with a chorus of "ooohs."
Naruto and Iruka stood facing each other, an awkward silence hanging between them. Both remembered the earlier incident where Naruto had hit Iruka.
"Naruto."
"Sensei."
They paused, then Iruka gestured for Naruto to speak first.
"I am sorry for hitting you, Sensei. I was just frustrated," Naruto admitted, his voice reflecting genuine remorse.
Iruka placed his hand on Naruto's head, offering a kind smile. "It's alright, Naruto. I wasn't professional in dismissing your questions. Even if I didn't have the answers, I should have been a better teacher and told you I'd try to find them. For that, I am sorry."
Moved by Iruka's understanding, Naruto impulsively hugged him.
"I am also sorry for being a dumbass."
"That's fine," Iruka responded, returning the smile. "Just make sure you do your homework."
Naruto groaned in response but then added, "Fine." Iruka's smile grew warmer.
"And I'll try to find what I can about the Uzumaki clan, okay?"
"Thanks, Iruka Sensei."
----------------------------------------
In history class, Naruto tried to focus, but the lesson was dreadfully dull. The teacher droned on, "The Fire Daimyo established the Water Lily Dance Festival to honor the ninjas who saved his daughters from pirates who..."
Naruto's attention waned.
'Okay, this is boring,' he thought, and discreetly opened the system, tapping on the Quest icon.
[ Quests: Key objectives or tasks in a game-like system, often leading to rewards upon completion. ]
[ Types of Quests ]
[ World Quests: These are quests that arise due to events or circumstances occurring in the game world. They are typically larger in scope and involve significant developments affecting the broader environment or multiple players. ]
[ Path Quests: These quests are personalized, stemming from a player's decisions, actions, or aspirations. Path Quests are often related to the player's chosen class and race, guiding them on a journey that aligns with their character's development and goals. ]
[ System Quests: Quests that are directly assigned by the game's system. They can vary in nature and purpose, ranging from tutorial tasks to complex challenges designed to test the player's skills and decision-making. ]
"Well, that explains a lot."
Naruto's curiosity led him to tap on the Exp icon on the system, and a detailed explanation popped up:
[ Exp: Experience points (XP) are gained by overcoming challenges and defeating enemies. Accumulating XP leads to leveling up, which enhances a character's abilities and power. ]
[ Level 1 to Level 2: 300 XP ]
[ Level 2 to Level 3: 600 XP (total of 900 XP) ]
[ Level 3 to Level 4: 1,800 XP (total of 2,700 XP) ]
[ Level 4 to Level 5: 3,800 XP (total of 6,500 XP) ]
[ Level 5 to Level 6: 7,500 XP (total of 14,000 XP) ]
[ Level 6 to Level 7: 9,000 XP (total of 23,000 XP) ]
[ Level 7 to Level 8: 11,000 XP (total of 34,000 XP) ]
[ Level 8 to Level 9: 14,000 XP (total of 48,000 XP) ]
[ Level 9 to Level 10: 16,000 XP (total of 64,000 XP) ]
[ Level 10 to Level 11: 21,000 XP (total of 85,000 XP) ]
[ Level 11 to Level 12: 15,000 XP (total of 100,000 XP) ]
[ Level 12 to Level 13: 20,000 XP (total of 120,000 XP) ]
[ Level 13 to Level 14: 25,000 XP (total of 145,000 XP) ]
[ Level 14 to Level 15: 30,000 XP (total of 175,000 XP) ]
[ Level 15 to Level 16: 35,000 XP (total of 210,000 XP) ]
[ Level 16 to Level 17: 40,000 XP (total of 250,000 XP) ]
[ Level 17 to Level 18: 50,000 XP (total of 300,000 XP) ]
[ Level 18 to Level 19: 60,000 XP (total of 360,000 XP) ]
[ Level 19 to Level 20: 70,000 XP (total of 430,000 XP) ]
Naruto then glanced at his own Exp bar, which read:
[ Exp: 60 ]
He sighed, realizing the enormity of the task ahead.
This is going to be a long journey.