Naruto: I have Ten Skill Bars

After Ino showed up, she completely ignored Inoichi and dragged Shigure inside.

Not forgetting to turn around, she shot her father a glare—

One that clearly said: Don't you dare scare Shigure-kun!

Inoichi was left helpless. Is she siding with that boy now?

That said, he had to admit… Shigure was undeniably good-looking.

No wonder his daughter was smitten with him.

"Shigure-kun, come to my room! We need to review! Graduation's coming up, and you've got to brush up on your ninja theory!"

And just like that, using "reviewing" as an excuse, Ino brought him inside.

Inoichi's eyelid twitched.

Now she's bringing him to her room?

A boy and a girl… alone… and still young and impulsive. What if something happens?

He raised his hand, about to knock on the door—

But then he heard Ino's voice from inside. She really was going over theoretical material.

Would be rude to interrupt if they're actually studying, right?

Still, he couldn't help pacing back and forth outside, frowning in thought.

"Chakra Sensing."

Inoichi closed his eyes and focused, sensing the chakra within the room.

Originally, he just wanted to make sure nothing suspicious was going on.

But a moment later, his expression changed.

What… is this?

"That chakra... that can't be right."

You've got to be kidding me.

That much chakra from a kid who hasn't even graduated yet?

From his perception, Shigure's chakra wasn't just large—it was massive.

If a regular academy student's chakra was a stream, then Shigure's was a surging torrent. It was flowing fiercely and continuously.

Compared to him, Ino's chakra reserves were practically a trickle.

A genius...?

The Moonlight Clan wasn't known for being powerful.

No secret jutsu, no Kekkei Genkai—just a humble lineage.

Most of them barely made it to Chūnin.

Even the most talented among them, Gekkō Hayate, was only a special jōnin.

But nothing in the shinobi world was absolute. Exceptional talents could appear anywhere.

"At this age, with that kind of chakra... he'll definitely grow into an elite jōnin."

Realizing this, Inoichi's concerns vanished.

He even felt a bit proud of his daughter's taste.

Chuckling to himself, he decided not to be the third wheel anymore and headed out for a walk.

As for leaving them alone...

"Ah, young love! It's natural to get a little carried away. Worst-case scenario—they'll just have to get married!"

Inside the room, Shigure and Ino sat side by side, flipping through scrolls of ninja theory.

"Shigure-kun, graduation is right around the corner. Are you confident?" Ino asked, eyes filled with concern.

Shigure smiled lightly. "Of course."

Still, Ino was worried. Based on Shigure's earlier performance at the academy, he'd always been just average. Hardly someone with the credentials to pass the graduation test.

But he didn't seem the least bit worried.

Ino wasn't sure what to say. She clenched her small fists.

"If you can't become a ninja, then… then I'll protect you!"

Shigure blinked. Protect me?

He looked up at her. Their eyes met.

The moment was charged—either a fight was about to break out… or a kiss.

But Shigure just smiled.

"Don't worry. I've gotten a lot stronger lately. Graduation won't be a problem."

"Really?"

"Mm!" he nodded confidently.

"As long as you're sure... then I'll work hard too!"

As she said this, Ino suddenly froze.

Without even realizing it, Shigure had taken her hand in his.

Ino didn't pull away.

Shigure took it a step further and casually put his arm around her waist, pulling her gently to his side.

Ino's cheeks turned rosy as she fanned her face. "T-The dog... that hula hoops... it went out today. Next time… I'll show you when it's back..."

"Oh? All right." Shigure grinned.

Who's thinking about dogs at a time like this? Aren't there far more interesting things around?

"Ino, drink more milk from now on."

"Eh? Why?"

"You need to replenish what you lack."

"…Huh?"

After spending a cozy afternoon together, Shigure finally left, feeling relaxed for the first time in a while.

As he stepped out of the Yamanaka house, Ino still looked confused.

"Shigure-kun… what's the use of drinking milk?" she muttered.

Shigure turned his head with a smirk. "Try reading it backwards."

And without waiting for her response, he walked off.

Ino stared at his back in confusion—until it clicked.

Her entire face turned crimson.

She looked down at herself, muttering, "I'm just a late bloomer… That's all…"

Once back inside, she opened the fridge, took out a carton of milk, and quietly started drinking.

Meanwhile, Shigure had already shifted his focus back to his breathing exercises and training.

The calculations for the breathing technique were nearly complete.

Once Shigure returned home, he took a quick shower.

No more training today. He had to be at the Ninja Academy tomorrow, and rest was important too.

According to the Great Sage, the breathing sword technique would be fully calculated in just a few more minutes.

Shigure sat down, eager to see how it would turn out.

And then—

[Great Sage: Breathing technique calculation complete.]

[Skill status updated.]

At that moment, Shigure closed his eyes and reviewed the refined technique in his memory.

This time, it felt right.

The power from the sixth to tenth forms had finally taken shape. Gone was the sensation of pouring out chakra with minimal effect. It no longer felt flashy and wasteful.

Yet... something still didn't sit well with him.

It lacks sharpness, Shigure thought. Swordsmanship should feel like it's cutting through everything in its path.

[Great Sage: The Breathing of the Sword was originally a sword style developed to fight demons in the host's memory. Its structure and function are naturally different when used against humans.]

The reminder from the Great Sage caught Shigure off guard.

Is there really that big of a difference?

[Great Sage: Absolutely.]

"So if I want it to be exactly what I envision… you'll need to keep recalculating?"

[Great Sage: Correct.]

[Great Sage: However, I recommend the host gain practical combat experience. That will significantly reduce the calculation time.]

Combat experience...?

Shigure blinked. He wants me to fight?

But he hadn't even graduated yet. He couldn't go out on missions.

[Great Sage: Actual combat doesn't need to be life-and-death. Sparring with other shinobi will still increase your experience.]

Sparring...

So that was it. The system was encouraging him to challenge others.

If he truly wanted to refine this breathing style—to make it suit this world and his blade—then real battle was the next step.

Shigure slowly stood up, eyes gleaming.

"It looks like it's time to make a little noise."

...

TN:

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