Shock the entire ninja world!
That was something for the future. Right now, Shigure needed to focus on studying his own skill bar.
Just earlier, after performing the Clone Technique once, he noticed a difference—his hand seals had become smoother, and even his body seemed to move with a sense of muscle memory. The clone he produced was more refined, more convincing.
The Clone Technique—unlike the Shadow Clone Technique—was merely a tool of deception, meant to mislead and support in battle. But it was also a weak technique, easily seen through, even by those who didn't possess dōjutsu like the Sharingan or Byakugan.
The reason was simple—discrepancies.
The clone wasn't a true replication formed from chakra mimicking the user's form. It was an illusion, a visual trick created by imagination.
So if you were wounded and used the Clone Technique without incorporating that wound into the illusion, the clone would appear uninjured—and that inconsistency would instantly reveal the trick.
Now, as Shigure observed the remarkably realistic clone before him, he began to grasp a deeper insight into basic ninjutsu like the Clone Technique.
Using such jutsu wasn't just about momentary utility—it also trained your body and mind, subtly increasing your familiarity and mastery with each use. It was as if the skill itself was evolving through repetition.
And that wasn't all—it even improved your seal formation speed. Transformation Jutsu, for example, required hand signs. While the Clone Technique didn't use many, repeatedly practicing it helped accelerate one's overall proficiency in forming hand seals.
"So, the Chakra Refining Technique can constantly increase the amount of chakra in my body!" Shigure concluded.
Chakra was the lifeblood of a shinobi—its importance couldn't be overstated. But chakra alone wasn't enough.
After all, look at Naruto in the early days. His chakra reserves were monstrous, but his actual combat strength relied heavily on using thousands of shadow clones to overwhelm enemies. Against truly skilled opponents, sheer numbers wouldn't cut it.
Auxiliary ninjutsu like the Clone Technique, when placed in the passive skill bar, could continuously evolve. Not only that—it also improved practical aspects like hand seal speed.
A passive skill, once slotted, would "train" the technique again and again in its most optimal state—as if Shigure was practicing continuously, perfectly, and without fatigue. No wonder the Clone Technique was becoming more effective.
It stood to reason that offensive ninjutsu, if placed in the skill bar, could also be strengthened in a similar way. This gave the skill system combat potential beyond support techniques—it could enhance attack strategies as well.
And that was reassuring.
After all, the three pillars of a ninja were chakra, ninjutsu, and taijutsu.
You could have enormous chakra and powerful jutsu, but if your taijutsu was lacking, you'd crumble the moment someone got close. In that case, you'd be no different from a fragile mage—easy to take down in melee.
Unacceptable.
Shigure turned his attention to the available skills.
"Academy-Level Taijutsu…"
That was the basic physical training taught at the Ninja Academy.
If he slotted this into the passive skill bar, he should be able to gradually enhance his physical strength too.
Running the passive skill once was equivalent to a perfect practice session. So adding physical techniques should steadily improve his combat fitness.
[Passive Skill: Academy-Level Taijutsu]
[Passive Skill: Chakra Refining]
[In Operation]
Not long after placing taijutsu into the passive slot, a system prompt appeared.
[Passive Skill... Completed One Cycle!]
In that instant, Shigure felt as if every cell in his body had caught fire—but just as quickly, the sensation vanished.
He immediately recognized the feeling.
It was the familiar pain-and-growth from pushing your physical limits in training. That unique sensation when your muscles ache and tremble, but push forward—breaking boundaries and gaining strength.
Each time that happened, his body would grow stronger. Endurance, speed, raw strength—all of it would inch upward.
Still, compared to chakra refining, physical training was more demanding.
Even so, Shigure had some talent for taijutsu. At the Academy, his skills were considered average—not outstanding, but reliable.
Maybe it was because chakra training hit a ceiling quickly. Whenever he had spare time, he focused more on physical training instead.
But even with his persistence, he couldn't match the monstrous level of dedication that Rock Lee displayed.
Rock Lee had no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu, but when it came to taijutsu, he was on a completely different level. His innate talent, paired with his terrifying training regimen, made him exceptional.
Now, though, Shigure had something even Rock Lee didn't: a passive skill bar that could simulate perfect training every ten seconds.
Each increment was small—but constant. If this pace continued, reaching Rock Lee's level wouldn't be a pipe dream. It was just a matter of time.
And as his physical strength increased, so would his body's natural energy. That, in turn, would further improve chakra refinement.
But there was still one area he hadn't touched.
Spiritual energy.
Chakra was made from a combination of physical energy (from the body) and spiritual energy (from the mind). Boosting one half wasn't enough.
"How do I increase spiritual energy...?"
Only one possibility came to mind.
Genjutsu.
Illusions directly targeted the opponent's mind and, by extension, required strong spiritual power. It stood to reason that practicing genjutsu could strengthen it.
But there was a problem.
"I don't know how to use genjutsu…"
Shigure clenched his fists in thought.
Maybe on Monday at the Academy, I can ask the teacher to teach me a simple genjutsu!
Or… maybe I can ask one of the uncles from the Moonlight clan for help.
Shigure wasn't looking for anything advanced—just a basic genjutsu would be enough.
All he wanted was to test whether using genjutsu could help him enhance his spiritual energy.
"Alright, no point wasting time. Let's go now!"
He couldn't wait any longer.
It was Saturday, so there was a good chance some members of the Gekkō clan were off-duty and resting at home.
After a quick cleanup and minimal prep, Shigure adjusted his current skill setup:
Six passive slots filled with Chakra Refining Technique
One passive slot filled with Academy-Level Taijutsu
For now, chakra development was still his top priority—but he couldn't neglect his physical training either.
As for other ninjutsu… well, he didn't know any yet.
The only thing close to a technique he could use besides Clone Technique was basic evasion, and that hardly counted.
Let's focus on getting a genjutsu first.
Luckily, the Gekkō clan's residences weren't far from Shigure's home.
Smaller Konoha clans like the Moonlight (Gekkō) didn't have a dedicated compound like the Hyuga or Uchiha.
But clan members typically lived close together in the same district, forming a loose community.
Shigure originally planned to visit a particular uncle—an easygoing Chūnin from the Gekkou family who'd always looked out for him.
But just as he passed by the home of another clan member, the front door opened.
Someone stepped out and noticed him.
"Shigure! Where are you going?"
...
TN:
Gekkō = Moonlight.
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