Shigure focused on increasing the density of his chakra.
He stared at the chakra threads extending from his hands. Their color deepened, and their form gradually began to shift—from a gaseous state toward something liquid-like.
It was subtle, but he could feel it.
Once he condensed the chakra to the limit of his current control, he attempted to mold it into threads and project it outward.
On his first attempt, the thread's thickness reverted to something closer to a finger's width.
But the result was exactly what he had hoped for.
He extended the chakra thread and tugged—effortlessly pulling a medium-sized stone across the ground.
It only weighed a few kilograms, but still… it worked.
It has pulling force now.
The range, however, was short. The thread could only stretch about three meters before becoming unstable. It was still too thick and far from the ideal he had in mind.
And the distance was definitely not enough.
"Keep going."
He looked up.
The moon had risen.
Before he knew it, night had fallen again.
But Shigure had no intention of stopping. Not now.
This pace of growth—this feeling of constantly improving—was addictive.
Training like this, where every minute led to visible results, was thrilling. Sleeping felt like a waste of precious time.
So he pressed on.
His chakra control deepened.
The threads grew longer.
Seven meters.
Eight meters.
Nine.
Ten.
Not only was the range improving, but so was the density of the threads.
And as his control grew more refined, Shigure began to feel more—more than he ever had before.
He sensed the flow of chakra within his body, the tenketsu (chakra points) scattered throughout him.
It felt like he was gradually unlocking a deeper understanding of his own body.
Eventually, the thread extended to a full twenty meters.
Shigure raised his hand and looked toward a boulder in the distance.
Roughly two hundred kilograms.
The chakra thread latched onto it—he pulled.
The rock skidded across the ground, dragged to his feet with ease.
He stared at the thread in his hand, astonished.
"Is this... still just training?"
Shigure let out a soft laugh.
But then—something unexpected happened.
As he retracted the chakra thread, the residual chakra compressed in his palm began to shift.
Instead of dispersing, it gathered and began flowing across his arm, like a thick, glowing liquid.
Faint white specks of light shimmered within it, pulsing gently beneath his skin.
He stared at it, wide-eyed.
A new transformation was taking place—one he hadn't anticipated.
Something deeper, something powerful was beginning to form.
Flashes of blue chakra flickered continuously along his arm.
The sight sparked something in Shigure's memory.
He smiled faintly.
Then, he began to focus—drawing out more chakra, steadily compressing it, then molding it to spread across his body.
As the chakra flowed and condensed, Shigure felt it clearly:
his reserves were rapidly draining.
Bit by bit, the compressed chakra enveloped him—layer by layer, until it covered him completely.
By the time it finished forming, less than one percent of his chakra remained.
And yet...
Compared to the average ninja, Shigure's chakra reserves were already more than 800 times greater.
To be reduced to one percent meant he had compressed and condensed an unimaginable amount into this armor-like state.
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for mastering the new skill: Chakra Coat]
[Chakra Coat: Provides powerful offense and defense. Strength varies depending on chakra type and compression level.]
"Chakra Coat…"
Shigure blinked in disbelief.
"Did I… just develop it by accident?"
There was no need for further explanation.
He knew exactly what this was.
This was the same chakra shroud Naruto used when channeling Kurama's chakra.
Even Sasuke's Susanoo, in a way, could be seen as a manifestation of chakra armor.
The Chakra Coat—a powerful ability that dramatically enhanced both offense and defense.
Even speed and mobility could benefit from it.
Shigure looked down at his body.
The blue liquid chakra flowed across his skin like a second layer of skin, glowing softly.
Within it, tiny white flecks of light shimmered—like stars scattered across a night sea.
Under the moonlight, Shigure looked as though he were cloaked in the fabric of the cosmos.
He raised his hand, extending a single finger toward the large stone in front of him.
Tap.
Just a gentle touch.
Crack.
Fractures raced across the boulder.
Crack—crack—BOOM!
The entire stone shattered, one corner completely collapsing into rubble.
"Just from that light touch…"
Even Shigure was stunned.
The raw power behind the chakra coat was beyond what he'd imagined.
The sensation was surreal—his body was overflowing with force, yet felt light and agile.
This power... was intoxicating.
But there was a downside.
The chakra consumption was enormous.
Unlike Naruto, Shigure didn't have the Nine-Tails or any tailed beast to lend him chakra.
If he wanted to use a chakra coat, he had to rely entirely on his own reserves.
And if it weren't for his incredibly advanced chakra control, forming this coat might've been impossible—even with all his chakra.
He raised his hand again.
With a flick, a chakra thread flew out, coiling around the ninja sword Zangetsu, which was embedded in a distant rock.
A tug—
and the blade flew into his hand.
Drawing the sword, Shigure raised it slowly... then pressed it against his arm.
Zangetsu, a blade sharp enough to cut gold and jade without effort, slid across his chakra coat—
—without leaving a scratch.
...
...
Sparks flew.
Shigure stared at the spot where the edge of Zangetsu met the surface of the chakra coat.
"It actually sparked…"
The realization hit him hard.
With the chakra coat protecting his body, ordinary physical attacks couldn't even come close to breaking through.
"This is… incredible."
It was strength on another level.
And the best part?
It had come as an unexpected gain—a side effect from simply trying to improve his chakra control.
"I've actually managed to develop a chakra cloak... With my current control, I might already meet the threshold to attempt the fusion of two kekkei genkai!"
[Great Sage: Based on analysis, if the range of your highly condensed chakra thread can be extended to 35 meters, you will meet the minimum control requirement for dual bloodline fusion.]
Still need 15 more meters, huh…
Shigure glanced up.
The sky was beginning to lighten—dawn wasn't far off.
"To extend the chakra threads another 15 meters... I'd probably need several more hours of practice."
But that could wait.
"Forget it. Let's stop here for today."
He wasn't a god—his body had limits, and right now, fatigue was setting in fast.
Tomorrow… my first mission as a Genin.
It would probably be something mundane—a D-rank mission: chasing cats, pulling weeds, hauling garbage. Tedious, yes—but ironically the most draining in terms of actual time and effort.
He raised his hand and flicked out a chakra thread, which zipped out and coiled around the scabbard lying on the ground, pulling it neatly into his hand.
Shigure sheathed Zangetsu with a quiet, practiced motion.
He nodded, satisfied.
"Even if chakra threads aren't suited for direct combat yet, they're ridiculously useful in daily life..."
"And honestly—pretty cool for showing off."
With that final thought, he turned toward home—ready to rest, recharge, and face the next stage of his shinobi journey.
...
TN:
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