Konoha's Status Bar Ninja

October 25th, Year 36 of the Hidden Leaf.

Late at night.

In the Forest of Death, inside a wooden cabin, Hajime was sorting through the memories returned by his shadow clones.

At present, the clones were mainly focused on training Wood Release and Wind Release.

Of these, Wind Release training centered around developing new jutsu.

The first was the already prototyped Blade Storm.

The second, a movement technique propelled by airflow—Wind Body Flicker.

The third, refining the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

Refining the Rasenshuriken was proving to be far more difficult than Hajime had anticipated, even with his multitasking abilities.

Ironically, Wind Body Flicker was progressing quite well.

"It's just… a bit too flashy."

Hajime thought for a moment, then let it go.

"I designed this technique for speed and burst power. In combat, a bit of noise doesn't matter—as long as I'm fast enough, the enemy won't even have time to react."

Having finished reviewing the clone memories, his thoughts returned to the A-rank genjutsu: Dreamwalker Technique.

A-rank only signified training difficulty—it didn't necessarily indicate raw power.

"My status is about to refresh. If I can't solidify [Hypnosis Master], I'll need another way to improve the precision and depth of my hypnotic abilities."

Hajime mused silently.

He already suspected it wouldn't solidify.

Seven days was pushing it for locking in a master-level talent.

It would've been nice to get [Hypnosis Expert] first instead.

Still, Hajime had a few ideas about how to continue improving the Dreamwalker Technique after losing [Hypnosis Master].

"…Hm?"

Suddenly, Hajime felt a shift within himself.

His status bar had refreshed.

He immediately switched perspectives to check.

As expected, [Hypnosis Master] hadn't been solidified. The new status was…

> Current Status: Sharp Tongue

> Note: Your words are laced with sarcasm and scorn—you just can't help being cutting and biting. A sharp tongue but a soft heart. Also, be warned: your tongue is literally poisonous!

> Refresh Countdown: 167:58:57

Staring at the new status, Hajime's face darkened.

Seriously?

And it even had a literal meaning.

Am I supposed to lick enemies to death now?

He took a deep breath and suppressed the bitter sarcasm threatening to bubble out.

Composing himself, Hajime calmly began analyzing whether this new status could in any way enhance his combat ability.

But no matter how he looked at it… it was utterly useless.

Shaking his head, he shifted his focus back to the Dreamwalker Technique.

With [Hypnosis Master] gone, he needed a new method to enhance the technique's precision and power.

He'd already considered a few options.

The first: the Sharingan.

Implanting a pair of Sharingan and using them to cast Dreamwalker Technique would increase its accuracy, speed, and allow for seamless, seal-less casting.

As for the drawback of needing eye contact, Hajime didn't find it too concerning.

After all, how many ninja in the world could fight without using their eyes?

The second: the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques.

The Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique series worked by invading an enemy's mind and taking control of their body. At first glance, it bore a striking resemblance to the Spirit Transformation Technique.

Hajime believed it could be used to further refine his Dreamwalker Technique.

The Dreamwalker Technique involved deeply hypnotizing the target and manipulating their subconscious, turning them into a puppet.

But without the [Hypnosis Master] status, it was extremely difficult to instantly plunge someone into a deep hypnotic state mid-battle.

The Yamanaka's mental invasion could suppress an opponent's consciousness—that aspect alone was worth learning from.

So, which one should he choose?

"I want them both!"

Hajime believed in pursuing both paths with equal resolve and strength.

The next question was—how to obtain the Sharingan, and how to acquire the Mind Body Switch Technique?

"The Mind Body Switch Technique shouldn't be too difficult. But the Sharingan… The Uchiha clan currently isn't planning any coups, so it's hard for me to justify attacking my own people."

Hajime never claimed to be a good person.

But he still had a moral baseline.

He couldn't just despise Danzo, try to understand Danzo… and become Danzo.

Best case scenario: loot a Uchiha corpse. The upcoming Second Great Ninja War would be a perfect opportunity.

Middle plan: form a deep bond with an Uchiha, and have them willingly offer their Sharingan.

Worst case: assassination, ambush, gouging out eyeballs.

"Let's start by getting the Mind Body Switch Technique…"

With that decided, Hajime dispatched a shadow clone to train while he himself lay down to sleep.

Morning.

After first reviewing the memories returned from his clones, Hajime finally stepped outside.

He went through morning drills, breakfast, then resumed training with Inuzuka Ryo and the others.

But before all that, Hajime had sent out a Wood Clone to locate a target.

Afternoon.

The clone's memories returned.

Target acquired!

But as Hajime reviewed them, he couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.

"Targeting a kid still in the academy… feels kinda scummy."

Still, after giving it some thought, he decided to go with the clone's chosen target—Inoichi Yamanaka.

Future head of the Yamanaka clan. Father of Ino Yamanaka.

Currently, just an eleven-year-old boy who hadn't even graduated from the Academy.

...

"Today's training is over."

Looking at the two exhausted kids and one dog collapsed on the ground, Hajime spoke flatly:

"You're all from clans with secret techniques and well-established training systems."

"But if you cling to the teachings of your ancestors your whole life, no matter how well you master them—you're still just mediocre."

Inuzuka Ryo, panting like a dog, couldn't help but protest, "Captain, creating a new technique isn't something you can just do, y'know?"

Hajime turned to Aburame Ryoma.

"You've got no hope with Three-Headed Fang(AKA Cerberus). Try something else."

Ryo's expression froze—then he bristled.

"Hey, Captain, that's kind of harsh, don't you think?!"

Hajime gave him a side glance. "I'll give you one month to develop a new jutsu."

"If you pull it off, I'll teach you a Body Vitalization Technique."

Ryo raised a brow. "Body Vitalization Technique? Is that taijutsu?"

Hajime snapped, "Cerberus, you really need to study more. Stop asking dumb questions."

Ryo's mouth twitched. This guy's tongue is getting sharper every day! So annoying!

If he weren't so strong, I'd have beaten the crap out of him by now.

Gritting his teeth, Ryo growled, "Fine! Deal!"

Hajime explained, "The Body Vitalization Technique is a jutsu that significantly activates your body's cells. For you, it would enhance your physical attributes and make your techniques much more powerful."

Then he turned to Ryoma.

"The Aburame clan's strength lies in its insects. So raising better insects is key."

"I don't know how you'd raise them—but remember: the right idea beats effort. The right choice beats hard work."

With that said, Hajime vanished on the spot.

Ryo couldn't help but shout after him, "Shouldn't you at least give us a hint?!"

Ryoma said calmly, "You should've said that to his face."

Ryo glared at him. "Hey! I was doing it for you! No respect, this younger generation."

Ryoma stood up and replied, "Captain said anyone who uses seniority to win arguments is just proving their incompetence."

Ryo's face twitched.

This guy's been completely corrupted by the captain...

(End of Chapter)

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