"You do realize you're not a normal person, right?"
That was what both Tenten and Kasa were screaming internally.
Souma had mentioned the Limit State before, but the two girls had only trained their arms so far—and even now they still hadn't mastered that part.
But the moment they thought of this—
Their mood collapsed even further.
What Souma called "simple taijutsu"
was, to them, an impossible task.
Tragic.
Truly tragic.
Tenten secretly thought:
If this guy could use nature transformations, he'd probably learn them in a day—no, an hour.
Even while feeling crushed, her body very honestly leaned over to peek.
Kasa did the same.
Kakashi also approached, though far more calmly.
Three faces, three different expressions—
Tenten and Kasa are already dizzy from the content…
Because—
There was way too much of it.
"This is… the simplified version?" Tenten asked in disbelief.
"Mm. With this method, you should be able to activate about seventy percent of the true Limit State," Souma explained.
"The upper limit's lower, sure—but it's easier to learn and far more stable."
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.
"So earlier, you perfected it by coordinating every muscle in the body—similar to opening the Inner Gates.
But now you're controlling only the major muscle groups."
Souma blinked. "Inner Gates?"
"Oh—right, you probably don't know. Guy has a technique called the Eight Gates, which forcibly draws on the body's eight chakra limiters."
"Ah, that explains it. But violently forcing them open… that must be pretty dangerous, right?"
"Very," Kakashi confirmed.
He flipped through the notebook again, reading carefully.
Souma had deliberately written everything in the simplest possible language.
And yet—
Even so, a normal genin absolutely couldn't understand it.
"This isn't something a regular genin can study," Kakashi concluded.
"What rank does someone need to be to understand it?" Tenten asked.
"At the very least, you'd need to study anatomy—
learn the main muscle groups, understand how each one generates force.
Then you could…"
Bang!
Kakashi threw a punch.
Explosive force rippled out.
He tried a few more times—and then his eyes lit up.
"Weakened doesn't necessarily mean worse."
"Exactly," Souma said.
"The effectiveness drops, but the strain also drops.
As a regular-use technique, this version is actually better."
The simplified Limit State could last four times longer than the full version.
In some ways, calling it a "beggar's edition" wasn't even accurate—
it was simply more practical.
"This technique could greatly strengthen our shinobi's taijutsu.
Souma, I suggest you take this straight to the Hokage and have it sealed—this must not leak to other villages."
Kakashi's tone grew serious.
This was a foundation-level taijutsu technique—
the kind villages would kill for.
"Before I hand it in, I wanted you to see it first," Souma said.
"That way you can teach Tenten and Kasa.
Oh—do you know where Guy-sensei is?"
If Kakashi got it, Guy definitely had to get it too.
Souma was always fair.
Kakashi sighed.
"…And why do you always assume I'll know where he is?"
"You don't?"
"…I ran into him running laps this morning.
Right now he's probably eating somewhere.
Shouldn't be hard to find."
"Thanks!"
"…"
Might Guy really wasn't hard to find—
but today his entire team was present.
It looked like they were preparing for a mission.
Souma didn't take out the notebook.
Guy wouldn't understand a thing in it anyway.
Souma demonstrated the technique directly.
Guy didn't get the theory—
but once Souma performed it physically…
He understood instantly.
Pure instinct.
Pure physical genius.
Once done, Souma delivered the notes to the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage was delighted to see him.
But once he realized Souma had invented yet another technique…
His happiness became mixed with pain.
Souma's contributions were outstanding—
but at this rate, the Hokage's reward treasury wouldn't survive him.
Chakra metal was almost gone.
So what could he give this time?
Hiruzen agonized for a long while, then finally coughed lightly.
"Souma… this technique is extremely important, but I'm afraid I have nothing left suitable to offer as a reward. Unless…"
"Fire Shadow—Hokage-sama, it's fine," Souma said with a calm smile.
"I'm not in a hurry for a reward."
Hiruzen blinked.
"What? You don't want one?"
"Correct.
I said before—we should establish an Innovation Jutsu Archive to encourage new creations.
So I want this technique added to that archive."
Hiruzen fell silent, considering.
The idea had great merit.
But this jutsu could strengthen many shinobi.
If it became a high-tier reward, only a few would get it.
He weighed the pros and cons.
Finally, he asked:
"You want to restrict its spread?"
"Of course not," Souma said.
"But at the start, it can be treated as a reward."
Everyone—from medics to frontline shinobi—needed taijutsu enhancement.
Using it as an incentive made perfect sense.
Hiruzen immediately saw the broader picture:
Early-stage: keep it confidential, reward-only
Later: open it gradually to meritorious shinobi
Meanwhile: prevent leaks to enemy villages
And: stimulate innovation as Souma intended
The plan was excellent.
"Very well," Hiruzen said. "We'll proceed with your idea.
As for your reward—I'll record it for now.
And if I cannot find anything suitable later…
I do have a technique you will absolutely be interested in."
Souma's eyes gleamed.
"What technique?"
"Ahem. Didn't you say you didn't want a reward yet?"
This kid changed too fast!
Hiruzen had just taken a sip of tea—
and immediately choked.
"If it's something ordinary, we can wait.
But if it's something I truly want…
it's best to learn it now."
Souma didn't even try to hide his intentions.
Hiruzen chuckled helplessly.
"I know quite a few techniques, but most involve nature transformations.
The ones suitable for you are sealing arts, barrier techniques… and Shadow Shuriken Clone…"
"Fire Shadow-sama," Souma suddenly said,
"I've heard you know a technique that allows you to observe and monitor someone as long as you know their chakra signature?"
"Pffft—!"
Hiruzen spat tea again.
He barely managed to turn his head in time to avoid soaking the documents.
He wiped the table, coughed twice, then asked:
"…Who told you that?"
"No one," Souma replied.
"I saw it myself.
There were a few times I came to see you, and you… didn't exactly hide the crystal ball very well."
Hiruzen's old face flushed red.
You little brat… even if you're right, you don't have to say it out loud!
He composed himself and asked stiffly:
"And what do you want with that technique?"
"The person who created it," Souma said lightly,
"must have cared deeply for the village—enough to want to observe it at all times and protect its people.
That kind of invention has great potential for further development."
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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