Uchiha Tatsu rubbed his sore leg muscles, his young face showing astonishment.
The explosive power in his legs was unprecedented. Caught off guard, he'd made a fool of himself.
"This strength and speed are leagues beyond before..."
He felt he could take on ten of his former selves.
To think he'd once believed he was impressive.
Was this one of the ninja world's three great illusions?
Tatsu assessed that his previous taijutsu was average among peers. But with chakra boosting him, his current speed was far superior.
He'd been practicing a taijutsu technique from one of Kagami's scrolls, but it was always strenuous, moving only a few meters and draining him completely.
This time, he'd doubled the distance, with unmatched speed, and though fatigued, he wasn't exhausted.
A single level-up had transformed his taijutsu?
As the pain subsided, Tatsu stood, brushing off imaginary dust, his black eyes gleaming with joy.
"Again!"
But he didn't dare wreak more havoc indoors.
With little wealth, smashing more furniture was out of the question.
He stepped outside to the courtyard's open space.
Channeling chakra to his legs again, he controlled the force carefully to avoid another mishap.
Still, having spent much energy, he only moved three meters.
"Not enough stamina..." Tatsu murmured. The scroll's described effect was still far off.
He needed to retrain to adapt to his new strength. A ninja who couldn't control their power in battle risked death.
He tried again, slightly better this time, but his chakra was nearly depleted.
"Host has trained diligently. Ninja Points +1. Remaining Ninja Points: 890."
Hearing the system's mechanical voice, Tatsu smiled.
Points were art!
After a short rest, he returned indoors. He had to report to the Ninja Academy tomorrow and couldn't spend all night experimenting.
He needed to conserve energy.
"Ugh... so hungry."
The exertion had left him ravenous.
Luckily, there was instant ramen in the fridge.
"Guess I'll end up like Naruto after all."
As Tatsu ate his ramen, the system chimed in: "Congratulations, host, for achieving a single-attribute upgrade on your first day, one step closer to becoming the strongest ninja on the planet!"
"New task issued: Before graduating from the Ninja Academy, upgrade at least one of the 13 attributes unlocked today to Level 8."
"Reward: Generous prizes. Penalty for failure: All attributes reset to zero, all ninja points cleared, and the host will enter a feminized state, forced to wear women's clothing for six months."
"Good luck!"
Tatsu nearly choked, spitting out his ramen.
"What?! Level 8, chunin level?! Why not just kill me? Reaching chunin level before graduation is insane! And that punishment—cross-dressing?! You're the real cross-dressing big shot!"
"By the way, have you possessed Naruto or Konohamaru too?"
...
Attribute Upgrade Costs:
- Level 0 to 1: 100 points.
- Level 1 to 2: 500 points.
- Level 2 to 3: 1,000 points.
- Level 3 to 4: 2,000 points.
- Level 4 to 5: 4,000 points.
- Level 5 to 6: 6,000 points.
- Level 6 to 7: 9,000 points.
- Level 7 to 8: 12,000 points.
The pattern was clear—higher levels required exponentially more points.
Level 8 was chunin-level, capable of leading teams, not just knowing a few techniques.
Tatsu calculated: his highest attribute, taijutsu, was Level 3. Reaching Level 8 required 33,000 points.
He'd taken a year to earn 2,000 points. To complete the task in five years, from an average student to chunin level, was daunting.
Plus, he couldn't focus solely on taijutsu.
He wasn't Might Guy.
In this era, pure taijutsu ninjas had no future and wouldn't be valued.
Running all night earned him 10 points. To gather 33,000 points would take years of relentless training.
An impossible task.
Was he doomed to be the "Eternal Genin"?
The darkest title in history.
"System, this task is impossible! Give me an easier one!" Tatsu protested.
"Task cannot be changed. Suggestion: Continue upgrading your highest attribute and take it one step at a time."
"Ugh, I've fallen into a trap."
No use overthinking—taijutsu was already Level 3, sufficient for now.
Updated System Information:
Host: Uchiha Tatsu
Land of Fire
Age: 5
Overall Strength Index: Dominant Student
- Chakra: Level 2 (0/1,000)
- Taijutsu: Level 3 (0/2,000)
- Shuriken: Level 2 (0/1,000)
- Hand Signs: Level 2 (0/1,000)
- Ninjutsu: Level 0 (0/100)
- Genjutsu: Level 0 (0/100)
- Wind Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
- Fire Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
- Lightning Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
- Water Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
- Earth Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
- Yang Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
- Yin Attribute: Level 0 (0/100)
Remaining Ninja Points: 890
He'd save the remaining 890 points for emergencies.
Tatsu tidied up and lay in bed.
In his dreams, he defeated the Five Kage, then Madara and Kaguya, becoming the strongest in the ninja world.
Then, he was wearing women's clothing...