Naruto: Reborn With An AI Chip

Sorry for the late update I was in hospital

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Time flowed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, an entire month had passed. The year was drawing to a close—Konoha Year 46.

Since the destruction of the Mist's bridge, the Water Country front had remained quiet. Not only had Konoha secured a firm advantage in this region, but news from the Land of Wind indicated that the tide was turning decisively against Sunagakure as well.

All signs pointed toward an imminent end to the legendary Battle of Kikyo Pass—one that seemed destined to conclude with a resounding victory for Konoha.

Yet amidst this fleeting peace, the members of Team Zeri never once let their guard down and stopped training.

Throughout the month, under Zeri's patient but demanding guidance, the trio had undergone tremendous growth.

Maemon and Meri had successfully completed their Tree Climbing and Water Walking training. Now, they had advanced to more refined chakra control techniques, steadily maturing in their understanding of shinobi arts.

Renjiro's progress, however, was nothing short of astonishing.

Compared to where he had been a mere month ago, Renjiro had undergone a complete transformation. His strength had soared to such heights that even Zeri—a battle-hardened Chūnin—no longer dared to claim he could defeat him easily in close quarters.

If someone had asked Renjiro what his greatest accomplishment was during this past month, his answer would have been simple: Taijutsu.

Through Zeri's rigorous training and relentless sparring, Renjiro's hand-to-hand combat skills had skyrocketed. Once merely approaching elite Genin-level, he had now surpassed it entirely. He stood firmly in the realm of ordinary Chūnin when it came to taijutsu—deadly, disciplined, and precise. He has became a true close-quarters specialist.

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But today... today marked a new chapter in Renjiro's ninja path.

At the edge of the northern forest clearing—where Team Zeri had first introduced themselves—Renjiro now stood alone beside a murmuring stream.

This open area had long since become their unofficial training ground, not only for Team Zeri but also for other rookie Genin who often passed through.

Occasionally, Renjiro would spot another team training in the distance. Yet there was an unspoken understanding among them all: as long as there were no enemies, no one would interfere. Friendships might spark conversation, but otherwise, each team respected the other's solitude and focus.

Renjiro looked down at the reflection in the water, his eyes filled with excitement and expectation. He had come here today for a very specific reason—to verify the outcome of over a month's worth of silent, tireless analysis by his hidden most loyal ally, Arkain.

Taking a deep breath, Renjiro closed his eyes and focused his thoughts.

"Arkain." He called within his mind; "Begin the transfer. I'm ready to receive the data for Lightning Release: Thunder Ball."

As an extremely advanced cellular-intelligent chip, Arkain was embedded deep within Renjiro's brain. One of its core functions was the direct transmission of information into his brain—instantly, precisely, and with perfect clarity.

[Beep! Mission Established! Transmission Initiated... Transmission Complete!]

Along with Arkain's mechanical voice, a sudden rush of structured knowledge flooded Renjiro's brain—concepts, theories, chakra flow diagrams, and the full sequence of hand seals for Lightning Release: Thunder Ball. It was all now engraved into his mind.

Although this knowledge had appeared suddenly, it felt as if he had always known it. The information didn't seem foreign; in fact, it felt... very familiar.

Renjiro paused to mentally replay the entire jutsu, step by step, until he had fully internalized the process.

Then he nodded to himself with confidence: "Good. Now that the theoretical knowledge is no longer a problem, all that's left is… the real test."

Renjiro took another deep breath, and his expression turned sharp and serious. This was the moment of truth—the time to find out whether Arkain could truly help him master ninjutsu.

"Step one: hand seals."

With deliberate precision, he formed each seal slowly and carefully, prioritizing accuracy over speed. As his fingers moved through the sequence, he felt chakra begin to stir within him.

"Good!" An excited smile appeared on Renjiro's face.

That was a good sign. Chakra response meant everything he was doing so far was correct, but Renjiro now knew that forming hand seals and molding chakra weren't enough.

Thanks to Zeri's guidance, he had come to understand a vital truth about ninjutsu: chakra must be shaped by the mind, infused with intent, and molded by sheer force of will.

Only then could the ninjutsu be completed and performed.

He hadn't known this before. That single piece of knowledge had eluded him for an entire month—and it was the reason his earlier attempts had failed. Now, he understood: visualization completes the jutsu.

Steadying his breathing, Renjiro closed his eyes: "Okay. Let's take it one step at a time."

He pictured the jutsu—Thunder Ball—clearly in his mind: a concentrated orb of lightning, flickering with arcs of raw energy, pulsing with destructive force.

He held the image steady, then fed it into his chakra flow, molding the chakra to take on the form he had imagine, and then the transformation began.

And when the chakra successfully mirrored that vision—it would mean the ninjutsu had succeeded.

Without hesitation, Renjiro pushed the image into his chakra. With unwavering intent, he willed his energy to become what he had envisioned.

The result was instantaneous.

Crrkkk!

Bright arcs of blue lightning surged through Renjiro's hands as a dense orb began to form.

"Arkain, record the process of my ninjutsu for future reference." Renjiro ordered nervously.

Crrkkk!

A glowing, fist-sized sphere of crackling energy hovered just in front of his chest. It sizzled with raw voltage, casting flickering blue light across his face.

"It's finally done." Renjiro's eyes sparkled with excitement as he stared at the Thunder Ball floating before him.

Lightning Release: Thunder Ball—complete!

Contrary to what he once believed, a C-rank ninjutsu wasn't impossibly difficult. Renjiro had executed everything with such precision and control that there was no reason it wouldn't succeed.

Even though Lightning Release was notoriously difficult to handle, his chakra control—already at a Chūnin level—was more than enough to unleash a C-rank technique, as long as his reserves could support it.

Suppressing his excitement, Renjiro shouted: "Go!"

He pushed the lightning orb forward with a burst of will.

Crrrk!

With a shrill hum, the Thunder Ball shot from his hands, streaking through the air before smashing into a thick, old tree nearby.

BOOM! Crrkkk!

Sparks exploded outward, and a sharp crack split the air as the bark was blasted open—leaving behind a blackened crater nearly five centimeters deep, smoldering and charred.

Renjiro blinked in shock: "Holy hell... So that's the real power of Lightning Release."

He stepped forward to inspect the damage. The tree it struck was old and water-rich, a sturdy native of the Land of Waves, strengthened by the region's year-round humidity, and yet, the Thunder Ball had seared into it effortlessly.

If that blast had struck a person—especially by surprise—they wouldn't have stood a chance.

"It just consumes too much chakra…" Renjiro muttered with a bitter smile.

"Arkain, based on my current chakra reserves, how many times can I perform the Thunder Ball before I run dry?" Renjiro asked in a serious voice.

[Beep! Calculation Complete: Current Chakra Reserves Allow for Three Thunder Ball Activations Before Depletion.]

Three times, that was his current limit, but limitations didn't matter—not right now.

What mattered was this: for the first time, Renjiro had successfully performed a real elemental ninjutsu. He finally possessed a lethal technique of his own—something more than fists and sensory ability, something he could rely on to kill in battle.

With this ninjutsu, paired with his Observation Haki and chūnin-level Taijutsu, Renjiro had truly stepped into the realm of elite Genin—and perhaps even ordinary chūnin.

Less than two months after graduating from the Academy, he already held the strength of a chūnin in combat. While his theoretical knowledge might still be limited to Genin-level, given his background as a civilian-born shinobi—this was an extraordinary, unprecedented achievement.

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Meanwhile, far from the relative calm of Konoha's camp, the atmosphere at the Mist Village's forward base was suffocating. The catastrophic destruction of the bridge had cost them dearly, and their morales hit rock bottom.

The Hidden Mist was still in the throes of its infamous Bloody Mist era, and when the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, heard of the defeat, his fury was immediate and brutal. Several high-ranking commanders were executed on the spot for their failure.

To reclaim the front line—at any cost—Yagura issued a death order.

To ensure the mission's success, he dispatched someone special to the battlefield.

Not just any shinobi, a monster, a living legend.

Fuguki Suikazan—original wielder of Samehada and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Upon his arrival at the front lines, Fuguki wasted no time. He immediately seized command of the Mist's frontline forces and summoned the senior officers for a high-level meeting, and without hesitation, he declared the new objective:

A full-scale assault on Konoha's camp!

The reaction was immediate. Several Mist commanders voiced their opposition, because it was very risky. At best, the two villages were evenly matched in the Land of Waves. The Hidden Mist may have held a slight advantage in raw strength, but it was far from decisive.

A direct assault could shatter that balance—and the cost in lives would be catastrophic.

But how did Fuguki respond to those who dared oppose his decision?

He beheaded the first officer who challenged him—one clean, ruthless strike, then the room fell into deadly silence.

In the stunned horror that followed, no one dared to speak out again. His brutal example made the message clear: this was no longer a discussion.

The strategy was set—a direct offensive on Konoha's encampment. Under a heavy veil of fear and tension, Fuguki said his final command: "Prepare yourselves. Once all preparations are complete… we march on Konoha's camp."

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Author's Note:

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