My Techniques are a bit off

"The things transformed through the Transformation Jutsu are real, not illusions."

"Only the hands, feet, and torso can transform; the head cannot change."

"The transformation is currently limited to objects whose structure and function I fully understand. The size cannot be altered."

"The duration is ten minutes, much longer than the Clone Jutsu, and it consumes slightly less chakra."

"However, the transformation does not erase injuries upon completion, which is something to be cautious about."

Link took some time to summarize the peculiarities of his Transformation Jutsu. It was quite powerful—far surpassing the original version.

However, it completely lacked the ability to deceive others. Even if he transformed into a real animal, his unchanged head made him look like the product of some mad scientist's grotesque experiment.

Both bizarre and sanity-eroding.

Although it had many limitations, its practical value was decent. Transforming into a sturdy weapon significantly boosted both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Much like his strange Clone Jutsu, while it was unconventional, it was undeniably far more effective than the original version.

"Could this be my cheat ability?"

"Gurgle~"

Link's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling. Chakra was a product of combining physical and spiritual energy, and its usage inevitably consumed a lot of stamina.

Ninjas rarely depleted their chakra reserves or wasted excessive amounts because doing so left them completely vulnerable.

With his barely standard physical fitness, using the Three Techniques seven or eight times had already made him ravenously hungry. This confirmed that his chakra reserves were currently meager.

"I'm starving." The initial panic over his jutsu abnormalities, followed by the joy of discovering his cheat ability, had distracted him from his hunger.

Now that his emotions had calmed, the hunger hit him like a tidal wave, leaving him shaky and weak.

Of course, this was mostly an illusion caused by extreme physical exertion. Having experienced this many times during training, he had built a strong tolerance for it.

"I've decided. Ramen it is."

Patting his grumbling stomach, Link grabbed his small wallet and headed out, his short legs carrying him on a leisurely stroll.

After all, he was only seven years old this year, standing just over 120 centimeters tall. Despite technically being a ninja, his age and stature made it clear he was still a child.

Leaving the apartment, he stepped onto the bustling streets, shading his eyes from the dazzling sunlight with one hand. Feeling in a good mood, he decided to treat himself to a soda.

He stopped at a vending machine, bought a bottle of cola, and sipped it while walking toward Ichiraku Ramen.

If he was going to have ramen, it had to be from Ichiraku.

As the most famous ramen shop in the Konohagakure, Ichiraku's success was not just due to its delicious food. It was also incredibly affordable. A standard bowl of tonkotsu ramen was only 60 ryo, which was a great deal. Pair it with a 15-ryo bowl of rice, and it made for a satisfying meal.

(Note: According to Masashi Kishimoto's own setting, 1 ryo in the Naruto world is equivalent to 10 yen. This is based on Naruto carrying a wallet with 30,000 ryo during his search for Tsunade, which Kishimoto said was around 300,000 yen.)

The Konoha's commercial district wasn't particularly large, and Link's physical capabilities were already above average. It didn't take him long to reach Ichiraku Ramen.

"Yo, Link-chan! Good afternoon," greeted Teuchi, the owner, with a friendly smile. It wasn't the peak dining hour, so the shop was relatively quiet.

"Good afternoon, Uncle Teuchi," Link replied with a smile. Ichiraku Ramen was cheap, filling, and great for replenishing the energy he'd burned during training.

Unlike Naruto, who could subsist on instant ramen and milk three times a day while maintaining insane energy levels, most ninjas needed to consume large amounts of quality protein to fuel their physically demanding profession.

As an orphan, Ichiraku Ramen was a frequent stop for Link. Familiar with the routine, he placed his order: "One bowl of special char siu ramen and a side of rice, please." He paid at the counter with practiced ease.

Teuchi took the payment and got to work in the kitchen.

The shop was quiet, save for a bearded ninja in a green vest sitting in the corner, drinking and eating ramen. After all, it was the middle of the afternoon.

Link peeked into his wallet and sighed. Funds were running low.

After his father's death, he had inherited about 50,000 ryo and a ninja apartment. As an orphan who chose not to enter the orphanage, the village provided him with a monthly stipend of 2,000 ryo.

In practice, the 2,000 ryo was barely enough to survive. Even eating one bowl of ramen per day would cost 1,800 ryo a month. What about other expenses?

Becoming a ninja required more nutrition for body training. While ninjas weren't all gluttons, their meal portions were significantly larger than those of ordinary people. They also ate more frequently, which supported the many dining establishments in the village.

Currently, his savings were down to 17,000 ryo, with two weeks left until the next stipend payment.

Once he officially became a ninja, his training intensity and jutsu usage would increase significantly—expenses he wasn't looking forward to.

"Here's your special char siu ramen and rice. Enjoy!" Teuchi placed the food in front of him.

"Time to dig in!" Link eagerly slurped his ramen.

The salty broth of the authentic Japanese-style ramen paired perfectly with the rice. Some people ignored the excessive sodium, but he couldn't. Eating ramen with rice to balance the saltiness was normal for him.

He devoured the large portions of ramen and rice, drinking most of the salty broth despite its overwhelming saltiness, a testament to how hungry he was.

"Burp~"

Patting his full, round stomach, Link sipped on some iced water and leaned back in his chair with satisfaction.

At least he'd become a ninja, could use jutsu, and had a somewhat peculiar cheat ability. His future looked a bit brighter now.

But still… could his Three Techniques pass the graduation and genin certification exams?

He felt a little unsure. Then again, the entry requirement was simply to release a jutsu, not necessarily to succeed perfectly. His Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu might be odd…

Well, very odd—but they should still qualify him for the exams.

Even Might Guy and Rock Lee, who couldn't perform ninjutsu, were accepted due to their extraordinary physical prowess. Admission to the Ninja Academy often depended more on the subjective judgment of the examiners than rigid standards.

As long as his jutsu worked, he should be fine.

He repeated "should be fine" three times in his mind to bolster his confidence.

After all, if he didn't get into the Ninja Academy this year, he'd be forced to become a genin without a mentor or team. That would cut off any real opportunity to learn ninjutsu, rendering his cheat ability useless.

Sigh… here's hoping it works out.