Being stared at so suddenly by Sarutobi Hiruzen...
Even Gekkō Hayate, an elite tokubetsu jōnin, felt the pressure instantly double.
His body froze momentarily.
As expected of the Third Hokage—even in old age, when serious, his gaze alone was overwhelming.
Swallowing nervously, Gekkō Hayate held his ground and continued speaking.
"Today, I was training a clan member in swordsmanship, and I discovered something incredible. He has astonishing talent."
"He watched me once, and after practicing just twice, he'd already mastered the fundamentals of kenjutsu!"
"Later, I taught him the Konoha-ryū sword style. He only saw it once—and used it more flawlessly than even I could!"
The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed as he studied Hayate.
Though the young jōnin's eyes held some hesitation, there was a clear trace of excitement and expectation beneath.
He wasn't lying.
If what Hayate said was true, then this was indeed a major surprise.
To be compared to someone like the White Fang of Konoha...
That wasn't a term used lightly.
"Are you saying he performed Konoha-ryū kenjutsu better than you, after seeing it only once?"
Hiruzen asked, visibly skeptical.
He knew very well what Gekkō Hayate was capable of.
Among the few who inherited Konoha's sword techniques, Hayate was the most skilled.
While his chakra reserves and overall physical ability were limited, his kenjutsu skill was outstanding.
It was precisely that mastery which earned him the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin.
And yet he was now claiming someone surpassed him on their very first attempt?
"Who is this person?"
"Gekkō Shigure, my cousin. He's currently enrolled at the Ninja Academy. He's set to graduate in just over a month!"
A student at the academy?
And they were only just now discovering this level of talent?
The Third Hokage considered it for a moment—and found it reasonable.
"The Gekkō Clan is small after all. It's no surprise that a child from such a minor clan might go unnoticed."
"And swordsmanship isn't something taught at the Academy. It's natural that no one picked up on his aptitude."
"If Lord Hokage doubts me, I can summon Shigure immediately to demonstrate in person!"
Hayate's voice was earnest, afraid that the Hokage might dismiss his claim.
But Hiruzen waved him off.
"No need. I believe you."
Hearing those words, Hayate was genuinely moved.
"Since he's such a promising talent, we must not let that go to waste. But the boy hasn't graduated yet."
"Let's wait until then. If his swordsmanship truly rivals the White Fang's, you must personally guide him—don't let him grow lax."
"Konoha needs fresh blood—now more than ever."
With the Third's approval, Gekkō Hayate had accomplished his goal.
He could barely contain his excitement.
Hiruzen, sensing the younger man's mood, smiled faintly. "Alright, that's enough for now. I have other matters to attend to."
"Then I won't take up any more of your time, Lord Third."
With a respectful bow, Hayate turned and exited the Hokage's office.
After he left, the Third Hokage's expression turned contemplative.
"Could someone really possess such terrifying talent in kenjutsu?"
He wasn't just uncertain—he was deeply skeptical.
Still...
Perhaps I should see for myself sometime. If the boy is really that gifted, he could become a pillar of Konoha in the future—
—and a loyal one at that.
Meanwhile, at home, Shigure was still immersed in his experimentation with the skill system.
"What would happen if I slotted ninjutsu into a passive skill slot?"
[Great Sage※: Insufficient data. Please experiment independently.]
So, it seems I'll have to try it out for myself.
No matter. Being able to use the active skill slot to learn techniques is already amazing.
I can't expect everything to be handed to me.
Still, the idea of putting a ninjutsu into a passive skill slot had been on Shigure's mind for a while.
After all, ninjutsu was the core of a shinobi's strength.
How could he not be curious about the results?
He opened the system interface and prepared to reassign his passive skills.
[Passive Skill: Chakra Refining Technique]
Chakra was essential. This one wasn't going anywhere.
[Passive Skill: Academy-level Taijutsu]
Taijutsu helped build his physical foundation. Also important.
That left one open slot.
Shigure was ready to use it for a trial—by inserting ninjutsu into the passive skill bar.
By "ninjutsu," he wasn't referring to basic, non-elemental techniques like the Three Basic Techniques.
This was something else entirely.
It was a Ninjutsu technique—an escape technique, to be precise.
And more importantly, it was the only legacy Shigure's parents had left him aside from some savings and property.
Escape Technique: Chaotic Wave Step!
(Dōton: Ranbō no Jutsu — Unofficial name preserved as "Chaotic Wave Step" due to its fictional nature.)
This single scroll of ninjutsu was the only tangible inheritance from his parents.
Both had only been average chūnin in life, and for shinobi at that level, even a single ninjutsu scroll was incredibly valuable.
It had taken Shigure three full years to fully master this technique.
He also considered himself fortunate—he had chakra with an elemental affinity. Most likely, he'd inherited it from his father.
This alone showed just how difficult it was for ordinary ninjas to learn even one solid ninjutsu technique.
Let alone train in high-level techniques.
Now, it was time to test something bold.
[Passive Skill: Escape – Chaotic Wave Step]
[Installation Successful]
"Alright, let's see how frequently this thing activates."
He began timing.
Twenty seconds passed.
[Passive Skill completed one cycle]
"Twenty seconds per activation… not bad."
"But what about the effect?"
[Great Sage※: Host has begun learning a new skill. Initiating analysis...]
[Analyzing…]
[Progress: %]
"Oh? It's analyzing again? What skill is it picking up now?"
"I didn't do anything just now…"
"Why did it stop?"
"Can't it just continue the analysis?"
Before, whenever the system analyzed something, the speed was lightning-fast. But now, it was stuck—frozen at just a percent.
Shigure stared at the skill bar, puzzled.
[Passive Skill completed one cycle]
[Analyzing…]
[Progress: 4%]
"Wait... Escape—Chaotic Wave Step. Is this being counted as learning a new skill?"
"What new skill would even be involved?"
[Great Sage※: Analysis in progress]
"Well… alright. Just do your thing."
If the skill activated every 20 seconds and increased the analysis progress each time, it wouldn't take long. A dozen minutes, tops.
So he waited.
Seventeen minutes passed in a flash.
[Great Sage※: Analysis complete]
[Congratulations, host! You have mastered a new skill—Nature Transformation: —]
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TN:
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