This theory made sense. When his Sharingan deactivated earlier, the energy that had been contained within his body leaked out and shrouded him.
That was Ten—the basic Nen technique of keeping aura around the body.
Now that he understood the mechanic, Ronin knew what he had to do.
He needed to activate the Scarlet Eyes to enter "Ninja Mode," converting his Nen to Chakra.
How to activate the Scarlet Eyes? Simple. Emotional agitation.
Fear, anger, excitement—any intense emotion would do. Thinking about Uvogin closing in on him, Ronin felt a spike of adrenaline. His eyes shifted instantly.
The change was drastic, especially in the dark forest. His vision sharpened, and a surge of power flooded his limbs. He felt faster, stronger.
He didn't waste a second. Maintaining the Scarlet Eyes burned stamina rapidly.
He formed the three seals again: Ram – Snake – Tiger.
This time, as he finished the final seal, he felt a distinct sensation.
A chunk of the energy in his body was consumed. Suddenly, another "Ronin" appeared running alongside him.
The Clone Technique... it worked!
Is it really that simple?
Ronin skidded to a stop, staring at the exact replica of himself, complete with the single-tomoe Sharingan. He felt a rush of excitement.
However, seeing the clone clarified something: his "Ninja" powers were likely linked to his transmigration. Even a Specialist ability shouldn't make learning Ninjutsu this intuitive.
But now was not the time for research. Ronin focused and began testing other jutsu.
He quickly discovered he couldn't just perform any jutsu he remembered.
When he formed seals, he could feel his "Chakra" responding. If he had enough Chakra to pay the cost, the jutsu would activate. If he didn't, nothing happened regardless of the seals.
So, the requirements were:
• Sufficient Chakra.
• Correct Hand Seals.
Currently, Ronin's repertoire of hand seals was limited. In the manga, seals were often skipped or simplified. He remembered Zabuza's Water Dragon Bullet required 44 seals, but later characters used far fewer.
Curiously, Ronin found he could simplify the seals too.
He tried a random, single seal and successfully performed the Clone Technique—which previously took three seals.
This led to a few hypotheses. Maybe seals were just a constraint he could bypass with proficiency.
More importantly, he gauged his Chakra levels. He estimated he had about as much Chakra as a fresh Genin graduate from the Hidden Leaf. Maybe slightly more, but not by much.
This was because his "Chakra" came from his "Nen." To get more Chakra, he needed to increase his Nen capacity.
Currently, he could only perform E-rank or D-rank jutsu. C-rank techniques like the Fireball Jutsu failed completely; he simply didn't have enough gas in the tank.
Having assessed his capabilities, Ronin looked up at the falling rain. The weather gave him an idea—a specific jutsu perfect for this environment.
But first, he had to set a trap. Combining these new powers with the combat memories of his predecessor, he might just have a sliver of a chance.
...
Uvogin wasn't an expert tracker, but the boy's trail was sloppy. It screamed of panic.
However, as he went deeper into the forest, Uvogin's expression grew serious.
The traces were disappearing. Now, Uvogin stopped, scanning the shadowy woods. The trail had gone cold.
Smart kid.
But Uvogin wasn't worried. The boy had limited options: run toward Nancha City, a hundred kilometers away, or hide in the mountains.
It didn't matter. Uvogin had a cheat code.
Lightning flashed, illuminating Uvogin's grin. With the severed head dangling at his waist, he looked like a demon from hell.
He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.
"One got away. I need a direction," Uvogin said flatly.
Back at the village, Kortopi had placed a copy-mark on every captured villager.
Kortopi's ability, Gallery Fake, allowed him to create perfect copies of non-living objects. By touching the original object, he could sense the location of the copy.
Before Uvogin left to chase Ronin and his father, he had Kortopi place a "Sticker 31" on him. As long as Ronin hadn't removed the sticker, Uvogin could find him anywhere within 24 hours.
Kortopi's confused voice came through the phone: "Huh? Aren't you two together?"