Naruto: I have Ten Skill Bars

"Such a gifted boy... Even though swordsmanship isn't the mainstream among shinobi, he's still worth cultivating."

The Third Hokage exhaled slowly as he watched the monitor. On the screen, Shigure was still wildly swinging his ninja sword, like a battle-hardened maniac.

"Using Genin to hone his sword skills, huh...?"

"This kid's swordsmanship… I wonder what it's called."

…

At the training field, Shigure surveyed the Genin around him. Most of them were visibly fatigued.

It's starting to get boring.

[Breathing Sword Style – Estimated Power Increase: %]

Ever since two minutes ago, their attacks had stopped contributing to the growth of his Breathing Sword Style. His enhanced calculation ability had already wrung all it could from this encounter.

The combat experience they could offer was limited.

Still, this result was already decent enough.

By now, the chakra of most Genin had nearly run dry. Each had already used three or four ninjutsu techniques.

For them, ninjutsu was essentially a trump card.

Failing to win after several attempts meant the outcome was already decided.

Yet Shigure, standing at the center, showed no signs of slowing down.

The Genin began to despair.

"Why... why does he still have so much energy?!"

"Doesn't he get tired?"

"Damn it! What kind of bizarre sword movement is that?!"

"I've never seen such strange and terrifying swordsmanship!"

Tired?

Shigure smirked.

His Breathing Sword Style came with passive enhancements and hidden bonuses.

Activating just one technique granted him two major advantages:

— No stamina consumption

— No chakra depletion

It was nothing short of a cheat.

From the beginning of the battle until now, Shigure hadn't felt the slightest bit of fatigue.

Despite the relentless activation of the Breathing Sword Style, he was still completely composed.

"No chakra left?"

"You're in your twenties and already so fragile. You really ought to take better care of your health."

Shigure spoke with complete calmness.

His words struck like a slap to the face.

A kid barely in his teens... calling them weak?

Unforgivable!

"You brat! That's enough!"

Suddenly, three figures stepped out of the crowd, each radiating a far more refined aura than the others.

"Chunin? Or maybe... Jonin?" Shigure narrowed his eyes.

He couldn't be sure what rank they held, but one thing was certain—his interest was piqued.

Genin weren't cutting it anymore.

These three were clearly on another level. Perhaps they could help further refine his sword technique through live calculation.

"You three look stronger than the rest. Want to challenge me?"

Shigure issued the challenge without hesitation.

The trio blinked in surprise. This kid's got guts.

"We're Chunin. Are you sure about this?"

Chunin?

Shigure had expected Jonin.

"Tch. Too bad... I thought you were Jonin. Just Chunin, huh?"

What?!

The three were stunned. Was he seriously disappointed?

Just Chunin?

Chunin were the backbone of any shinobi village, but this brat clearly didn't see them as worth much.

"You've got some nerve, punk!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kunai came flying toward Shigure in rapid succession.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With a swift backhand, he deflected them all, the impact reverberating through his ninja sword.

"Not bad. Now you're starting to look like real shinobi."

"Hmph! Kid, Chunin and Genin are two very different leagues!"

A voice called out—from behind him.

Speed!

So fast!

These guys were much quicker than the Genin he'd been dealing with until now.

He raised his ninja sword in a swift backhand, and a burst of sparks flew from the blade.

Two more figures flickered into view behind him.

The three Chūnin attacked in unison, their coordination and tempo on a completely different level from the Genin.

For the first time, Shigure felt a slight pressure.

Breath of—!!!

Eighth Form – Waterfall Basin!

(Takitsubo)

A powerful downward slash!

As Shigure's sword came crashing down, explosive water pillars surged around him with force.

The sudden eruption of pressure disrupted the attacks of the two Chūnin closing in from behind.

Shigure used the opening to leap back, putting some distance between them.

Twisting his wrist casually, he smiled.

"That was close... You almost had me there."

His ability to respond instantly and launch a counter using his swordsmanship left the three Chūnin even more astonished.

The surrounding Genin were dumbfounded.

These three were far quicker than them—yet they still couldn't take Shigure down in a single exchange.

That could only mean one thing:

He'd been holding back against them earlier!

[Great Sage: Calculation ability has increased. Now restored to 30%. Analytical function enhanced.]

Just as Shigure was about to strike again, the voice of the Great Sage interrupted him.

He snapped back to attention and examined the newly displayed data.

"Calculation ability increased by 10%?"

That was excellent news.

"Analytical ability enhancement? What does that mean?"

[Great Sage: Analytical capacity now scales with calculation ability. Upon reaching 30%, enemy technique analysis has been unlocked.]

Technique analysis? Directly analyzing enemy skills?

Up until now, all the Great Sage had been able to do was analyze ninjutsu scrolls—either passed down or recorded techniques.

But now, he could analyze an opponent's techniques in real time.

This directly solved one of Shigure's most pressing problems.

That instant burst of speed the Chūnin used earlier—clearly not just raw agility—it had to be a Body Flicker Technique!

Shigure's eyes narrowed with interest.

He'd always wanted to learn Shunshin no Jutsu.

"Great Sage, analyze the Body Flicker Technique those three just used."

[Great Sage: Beginning analysis…]

[Estimated time for completion: five minutes.]

Five minutes?

"No problem!"

Shigure's eyes lit up as he gripped his sword tighter.

That slight tension in his fingers—was a clear sign of excitement.

From the monitor, Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed the shift instantly.

The stronger the enemy, the more excited he gets… does this kid have the mindset of a battle junkie?

It was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it meant bravery, decisiveness, and fearlessness. On the other, an utter lack of caution could make him unpredictable—and difficult to rein in.

"Third Hokage-sama! You called for me?"

Gekkō Hayate entered the office after a quick knock.

Hiruzen nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Take a look. That little brat from the Moonlight Clan is causing quite the stir in Konoha today!"

Hayate blinked in surprise.

"…Did Shigure do something wrong?"

"Not at all."

He added quickly, "He hasn't graduated yet, so he can be a bit impulsive sometimes—"

"Impulsive? Impulsiveness is good!"

The Third gave a deep chuckle, stroking his beard.

"If I hadn't acted on impulse, I never would've found such a swordsmanship prodigy this early."

"Wait, what…?"

Gekkō Hayate stood confused for a moment.

Why did it sound like the Third Hokage wasn't angry… but actually praising Shigure?

...

TN:

Sorry for missing yesterday's update — the internet wasn't working properly 🌐😓

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