Naruto: I have Ten Skill Bars

"My chakra has nearly doubled…"

Early in the morning, Shigure stood in front of the mirror, freshly washed and ready for the day.

Thanks to the fully restored chakra in his body, he looked and felt exceptionally energized. His reflection seemed more spirited than usual—and when he focused his attention inward, he could clearly sense it.

Indeed, compared to before, his chakra reserves had doubled.

If the prodigy Sasuke was the unit of measurement, then Shigure's current chakra level was already sixteen or seventeen times that of Sasuke.

And yet, compared to Naruto—who possessed a monstrous chakra pool—it was still only about one-third of his total.

Even so, today's chakra growth had clearly slowed.

But that was expected. Just like building up internal strength or stamina, the further you progress, the harder it gets to improve.

"Looks like I'll need to spend some time upgrading the Chakra Refining Technique after school today," Shigure murmured to himself.

If he let it stagnate, the gains from the technique would become increasingly insignificant over time.

Of course, doubling one's chakra in a single day was already an incredible feat.

But Shigure wasn't satisfied.

Ambition—or perhaps greed—was what kept pushing him forward.

After packing his things, he stepped outside and made his way to the ninja academy.

As soon as he arrived at the school gates, he drew attention.

His appearance today was strikingly different. The clothes he wore were stylish and elegant—far more eye-catching than his usual, modest attire.

A small crowd of girls quickly noticed.

"Whoa... is that Shigure-san? He looks so cool today!"

"What do you mean today? Shigure-san has always been handsome!"

"Yeah, but he used to dress so plainly. You couldn't really tell before!"

"That's true!"

A chorus of voices followed him as he walked through the gate.

Shigure could feel the attention. It was different from the usual stares, and for once, he didn't mind it.

Soon after entering the school grounds, he ran into a familiar face.

The person stopped in their tracks, blinking at him in disbelief.

"What happened to you? You feel like a completely different person today."

"Do I?"

"You don't think so?"

Shikamaru looked him over with narrowed eyes. This wasn't the Shigure he was used to.

Although he had always admitted that Shigure was good-looking, there had always been a hint of fatigue or quiet frustration lingering between Shigure's brows.

But today... Shigure radiated confidence.

His entire aura felt sharper—like a blade that had just been honed. There was even an inexplicable pressure around him, as if simply standing near him made others uneasy.

Is this just my imagination?

No way… I'm clearly stronger than Shigure. Why does it feel like he's exerting pressure on me?

"I feel it too," Choji spoke up between bites of potato chips, his voice more serious than usual. "Shigure seems... different today."

Shigure rolled his eyes. "Just keep eating, Choji."

Choji blinked innocently. "Oh! Okay. You want some?"

"I'm good. Quitting today."

When they entered the classroom, the change became even more obvious.

Almost every student's gaze was drawn to Shigure as soon as he walked in.

Even Sasuke, who rarely paid others any mind, glanced at him more than once.

What the hell...? Did this guy turn into a different person just by changing his outfit?

"Wow... Shigure-san is even cooler than Sasuke-kun today!"

"Ugh, he's way too charming—my heart can't take it!"

Sitting nearby, Ino—Shigure's old desk partner—had been stunned ever since she laid eyes on him that morning.

Her mouth had been slightly open the whole time, like she was still processing what she was seeing.

Shigure sat down calmly, then turned toward her with a teasing smile.

"What's wrong? Don't recognize me anymore?"

Ino usually had a pretty relaxed relationship with Shigure. He would often glance at her, and she didn't mind. In fact, she kind of liked the attention.

But today… when he looked straight at her, her cheeks flushed red.

She wasn't the type to get shy like Hinata. Yet somehow, she felt completely unprepared to deal with this version of him.

"I-I-I didn't say that!"

"No?" Shigure leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them. "Even your scent seems different today."

He said it with such calm confidence, his eyes steady as he studied her flushed face and the way her heart visibly raced.

Internally, he was quite satisfied with the effect.

"I-is that so...?"

"As long as you like it, Shigure-kun..."

"Yeah. I like it a lot."

"Re-really?"

Behind them, Shikamaru and Choji were both watching the exchange with wide eyes.

Choji nudged Shikamaru. "Hey… I think Ino can't talk anymore. She's stuttering!"

Shikamaru sighed. "It can't be helped. Shigure is just too dangerous today."

"Dangerous? What do you mean?"

"Tch… forget it. You wouldn't get it, Choji. This kind of 'trouble' isn't something you'll ever have to deal with."

Just as Ino was leaning in and whispering nervously to Shigure...

Naruto walked past Shigure, striking a pose with his usual exaggerated swagger. But after a second, he abruptly turned back.

Grabbing Shigure by the shoulders, Naruto twisted him around until their faces were directly aligned.

Ino blinked in confusion—she had just been talking with Shigure. What was Naruto doing barging in like that?

"Shigure!" Naruto cried. "Did you get plastic surgery or something!?"

Shigure met his gaze calmly. "What do you think?"

The two usually got along well, so Naruto wasn't being rude—just loud as always.

But even he was stunned.

"Damn... why do you look even more handsome than before?!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief. "Sasuke was bad enough, and now you're giving him a run for his money. At this rate, my Sakura-chan…"

He glanced toward Sakura, who was also sneaking peeks at Shigure.

Naruto's heart dropped. Great. Another rival in love.

Sasuke, who caught all of that, gave Naruto a cold glare.

What the hell does he mean by 'even Sasuke'...?

Right then, Iruka entered the classroom.

"Naruto! Back to your seat. Class is starting."

As he walked in, Iruka's eyes briefly lingered on Shigure.

He clearly noticed something different.

But unlike the others, Iruka kept his reaction subtle. He simply gave a slight nod and said:

"Shigure-san, you look very different today."

Shigure smiled. "The real change… you'll see that soon, Sensei."

"Oh?" Iruka raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "You're confident. That's good. That's how a shinobi should be. If you can't believe in yourself, you won't be able to complete a mission, no matter how simple."

"Alright, let's begin class."

The day's lessons passed quickly.

Once upon a time, class had been something Shigure enjoyed. But now, it felt more like torture.

He couldn't refresh his skill statuses here. All he could do was quietly cycle through his passive abilities over and over in the background.

The only source of entertainment was teasing his desk partner, Ino.

Unlike before, now she was visibly flustered the entire time—blushing nonstop like steam might start pouring out of her ears.

It was oddly satisfying.

Finally, class ended.

Shigure said goodbye to Ino, Shikamaru, and the others, then quickly headed home.

Right now, updating his skill bar was his top priority.

But just as he reached his house and was about to step inside—

Knock knock knock.

"…Who is it?"

A familiar voice called from outside.

"Shigure! You home? It's me! Your uncle came to visit!"

Uncle Masano…?

...

TN:

Shigure means Rain or drizzle...😊

...

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