Name: Masahiko Uzumaki
Age: 47 (-)
Ninjutsu: 69 (+)
Taijutsu: 89 (+)
Technique Power (Chakra): 1003 (+)
Three Basic Techniques: Lv. 10 (Max Rank)
Shurikenjutsu: Lv. 10 (Max Rank)
Earth Release: Lv. 2 (16,998 / 20,000)
Wind Release: Lv. 3 (85,522 / 100,000)
Fire Release: Lv. 2 (14,493 / 20,000)
Special Talent: Sensory Perception
Overall Rank: Standard Jōnin
Witness Points: 20
So, it wasn't a hallucination after all. Masahiko scrutinized the attribute panel hovering before his eyes. Twenty points had indeed appeared, and next to every parameter except age, a plus sign now glowed invitingly. The interface painfully resembled some budget role-playing game.
Becoming a witness and participant in the great events of the shinobi world... The last two days had certainly been generous with changes. First, he discovered his age could be adjusted, and now there was a way to instantly boost his skills.
"Damn System! Why didn't it come with a manual? I've been waiting for this for forty-eight years!" Masahiko barely contained his frustration.
However, it was too late to lament the past. Most of this world's fateful events had yet to occur. The Warring States Period was drawing to a close, but ahead lay the founding of Konoha, the battle at the Valley of the End, and a succession of World Wars. All of this, he would see with his own eyes. Of the truly pivotal milestones, he had missed perhaps only the births of Hashirama and Madara.
"Alright, enough empty thinking. Time to test these points in action. If this works, I've hit the jackpot," Masahiko decided, mentally confirming an upgrade to his Taijutsu.
The number in the Taijutsu column shifted to 90. Masahiko immediately felt a surge of strength, his muscles seeming to grow denser and more responsive. The System worked. Points could be invested directly, but what about elemental releases? Would they only increase by a single unit too? He cautiously touched the Earth Release stat.
The indicator jumped instantly: Level 3. A single click brought ten thousand experience points at once. This was a true jackpot.
Masahiko paused for a moment, then invested two points into Wind Release and one into Fire Release. Following this, other indicators began to shift. Ninjutsu leaped up by twenty-eight points, hitting 97. As he had suspected, the stats were closely interconnected.
If that was the case, it was worth testing another theory. Masahiko pressed the minus button on his age eleven times, and the number changed to thirty-six. The effect was immediate: his Taijutsu stat began to climb, breaking past one hundred and settling at 102. At thirty-six, his body was at its physical peak, and the System obediently reflected this prime condition.
I wonder, if I get even younger, will my skills start to drop due to physical immaturity? No, let's leave those experiments for later.
Four points remained in his reserve. After some thought, he put three of them into Ninjutsu and decided to save the last one for an emergency. Thanks to this boost, his mastery over Earth, Wind, and Fire grew slightly once more.
Now the panel looked different:
Name: Masahiko Uzumaki
Age: 36 Ninjutsu: 100
Taijutsu: 102
Technique Power (Chakra): 1003
Earth Release: Lv. 3
Wind Release: Lv. 4
Fire Release: Lv. 3
Water Release: Lv. 1
Lightning Release: Lv. 1
Special Talent: Sensory Perception
Overall Rank: Elite Jōnin
Witness Points: 1
Looking at the new lines for Water and Lightning Release, Masahiko smiled with satisfaction.
"Exactly as I thought. When Ninjutsu reaches the level of an Elite Jōnin, new elements are unlocked. I naturally possessed three, and now I have the full set of five basic natures at my disposal. As for Yin and Yang, those probably require special conditions. And most importantly—my rank has finally changed!"
Masahiko muttered under his breath, "Lightning and Water can wait. The main thing is that Wind has reached Level 4. Now I can finally master my trump card."
Living in this world for decades with an affinity for Wind, he couldn't simply not try to recreate the Rasengan—Naruto's famous technique. It hadn't been easy: in an era of endless war, finding even a simple rubber ball for training was impossible. Masahiko had been forced to rely solely on his experience and intuitive understanding of chakra. By the time he reached Level 3 mastery of Wind, he had managed to complete the technique.
However, he wanted to go further and create the Rasenshuriken. Cutting leaves with chakra or slicing waterfalls was easy, but at the final stage, he invariably hit a dead end. Now it was clear: the System not only provided opportunities but also imposed restrictions. An S-rank technique required Level 4 elemental mastery. Without that foundation, even theoretical knowledge wasn't enough to achieve success.
That was why the appearance of Lightning didn't particularly thrill him. He knew that something like Chidori would require at least Level 3 mastery, and he still had a long way to grow before reaching that point.
His immediate goal was clear: perfect the Rasenshuriken and immerse himself in the affairs of the Senju clan. Any of their activities could be the event that yielded new points. His path to the summit was just beginning. Lulled by these thoughts, Masahiko drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he was awakened by insistent knocking. Tobirama stood outside the door.
"Second Grandfather, Father requests your presence in the hall for a discussion."
"Understood. Go on, I'll be there shortly," Masahiko replied.
He walked over to the basin of water to wash his face and froze. Staring back at him from the reflection was a familiar but noticeably younger face.
"Damn it, I look thirty-six right now. How do I explain this? Say I suddenly hit a second puberty?"
His gaze landed on a small box of rouge someone had left on a shelf. A woman must have occupied this room previously. It gave him an idea. A few minutes later, Masahiko looked into the mirror with satisfaction at the red diamond painted right in the center of his forehead.
When he entered the main hall, Butsuma Senju and the newlyweds were already gathered.
"Masahiko, you came..." Butsuma began, but stopped short upon seeing his guest.
"Ah, this... Yesterday, I finally managed to complete the mastery of our clan's secret technique—the Yin Seal," Masahiko explained quickly. "This method allows one to store chakra and simultaneously alter one's appearance, restoring the body to its prime."
"Well then... congratulations," Butsuma forced out. He felt unsettled. Watching a man who was technically his uncle by generation suddenly transform into a strapping man in his prime was bizarre.
"Second Grandpa, forgive us if we didn't pay you enough attention yesterday. And thank you, Father, for organizing the celebration," Hashirama spoke up.
Masahiko noted that today, the future leader of Konoha looked serious and composed—yesterday's awkwardness had vanished without a trace.
"I didn't gather you for important business. I simply wanted Hashirama and Mito to greet the family this morning. You are dismissed," Butsuma ordered.
Was it really worth getting up so early for this? I think I'll go back to sleep, Masahiko thought.
He left the hall alongside Hashirama and Mito. Near the doors, Mito gestured for her husband to go ahead, saying she wanted to discuss something with their relative.
"Second Grandpa, I am also studying the Yin Seal," she said quietly once Hashirama had disappeared around the corner.
"Oh, that's wonderful! Good luck with your training. As for me, I think I'll go lie down," Masahiko gave a forced smile and yawned theatrically.
"But, as far as I know," Mito continued softly, "only women can learn this technique."
A long pause hung in the air. The smile froze on Masahiko's face.