"How should I deal with this?"
Hoshita Shūichi stroked his chin in thought, then smirked.
In the next moment, his form shifted silently into a perfect replica of Tsunade—down to the last detail, even the cup size.
Hands on hips, brows furrowed, and twin ponytails flicking, he bellowed: "Ji—ra—iya!"
On the rooftop, Jiraiya—who had been engrossed in his "research" while wiggling his hips—whirled around in shock.
"Tsunade?!"
"Oh no—"
Before he could react, Hoshita Shūichi, in Tsunade's form, raised a leg and slammed it down.
CRACK!
The ground split, the force rippling through the building. Jiraiya lost his footing and plummeted into the women's bathhouse amid a chorus of screams.
Moments later, a disheveled Jiraiya burst out, pursued by a mob of bathrobe-clad women.
Shūichi transformed again, blending into the crowd, and joined in pelting Jiraiya with punches.
The beleaguered sage fled, resorting to expert-level Transformation, Substitution, and Shadow Clone Techniques to escape.
Refreshed, Shūichi returned to the bathhouse, still disguised as Tsunade, and compensated the owner for the damages before choosing another spot to enjoy a relaxing soak.
"Next time, I should invite Director Nonō along..."
He closed his eyes, indulging in the thought.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya nursed a head full of lumps.
"Didn't expect a fellow shinobi to be there..."
He sighed, then grinned. "Still, this trip wasn't a total loss!"
"Too bad Tsunade wasn't among them..."
He lamented briefly before recalling the near-fatal beating from his last encounter and quickly dismissed the idea.
As for whether the Tsunade he'd seen was fake, it never crossed his mind—this was Konoha, and the real Tsunade would absolutely act like that.
Time slipped away unnoticed between training and missions. Before long, it was Year 40 of Konoha's founding, and Shūichi's seventh birthday passed quietly during a mission.
On a Cliffside.
After a spar, Hoshita Shūichi and Kakashi sat side by side, watching the sunset.
Below, Might Guy and the others continued their boisterous training.
"How's your jutsu coming along?" Shūichi asked once he caught his breath.
Kakashi shook his head slightly. "Lightning Release nature transformation is tough to master."
"And you?"
Shūichi lay back on the grass. "I've completed the first step—applying Fire Release to my blade. There's some shape transformation mixed in, but it's not quite an ultimate technique yet."
"But everything takes time. The key is having a clear direction."
"Define the result you want, the conditions needed, and the skills required to get there."
Kakashi pondered this, then stood. "Thanks. But even if you're ahead now, the match isn't over yet!"
With that, he leaped off the cliff.
Shūichi chuckled as he watched Kakashi's retreating figure.
Beneath that aloof exterior, Kakashi was fiercely competitive—cold on the outside, warm inside, with a hint of tsundere.
Still, developing a new technique from scratch was no easy feat.
Just look at Namikaze Minato.
And Shūichi knew this firsthand.
Even with his talent-boosting titles, it had taken him half a year to complete the first step of his Fire Release blade technique—despite his enhanced Fire and swordsmanship aptitudes.
Though this "first step" alone could already rival techniques like Chidori Blade.
In fact, the Talent Tree system recognized it as an A-rank technique—or sword art.
But Shūichi's current focus was on the [Taijutsu Expert] title.
After over a year, he had finally achieved his 50th victory over Kakashi in taijutsu sparring.
The long-awaited title was his at last.
Focusing on the Talent Tree in his mind, Shūichi activated the [Taijutsu Expert] leaf.
Effects:
Taijutsu talent +100%
Physical constitution +100%
Neural reaction speed +100%
His mind blanked as a tingling, electric sensation surged through his body.
When his senses returned, Shūichi felt stronger than ever.
Bliss.
Sheer bliss.
The taijutsu talent boost aside, the enhancements to his physique and reaction speed were instantly noticeable.
With heightened mental processing, neural reflexes, and focus, he could now track the rapid flutter of an insect's wings.
"How does this dynamic vision stack up against the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"
He grinned, then deactivated his heightened focus. "Even if my visual tracking isn't quite there yet, how many Uchiha can match my neural speed now?"
"The Sharingan's evolution only enhances sight—not overall reflexes. None of them can compare to me as I am now."
After adjusting to his enhanced body, Shūichi turned his attention to another title leaf.
[Fire Release Master]
Unlock Conditions:
After obtaining [Fire Release Expert], create 5 A-rank Fire Release techniques or 1 S-rank Fire Release technique.
Effects:
Fire Release talent +100%
Fire Release nature transformation +100%
Fire Release shape transformation +100%
No learning barriers for any non-Kekkei Genkai Fire Release techniques or secret arts.
This was clearly an upgraded version of [Fire Release Expert].
Three 100% boosts were tempting, but the unlock conditions were steep—A-rank or S-rank Fire Release techniques weren't easy to create, especially for Fire Release.
Shūichi couldn't recall many pure Fire Release ultimates in the shinobi world, let alone S-rank ones.
Next, he checked another newly unlocked title.
[Swordsmanship Master]
Unlock Conditions:
Defeat Hatake Sakumo in a sword duel, or create 1 S-rank sword art.
Effects:
Swordsmanship talent +100%
Physical constitution +100%
Designated weapon quality +100%
No learning barriers for any non-Kekkei Genkai sword or blade techniques.
Another trio of 100% boosts—especially the physique enhancement—was highly appealing.
But the unlock conditions made his eye twitch.
He didn't know what incident had driven Sakumo to take his own life in the original timeline, but anything severe enough to devastate the Land of Fire and Konoha wouldn't be trivial.
At his current standing and strength, intervening wasn't an option.
"Thankfully, it's a choice between two conditions..."
He exhaled inwardly, glancing at Kakashi with a frown. "Could it be related to that Land of Rivers incident?"
Shaking off the thought, he mused: "Two master-level titles at once. How do I unlock [Taijutsu Master]?"
Additionally, after obtaining [Fuinjutsu Expert], no higher-tier title had appeared.
"Forget it. These titles are headache enough as is."
Dismissing the matter, Shūichi leaped off the cliff and sprinted downhill.
With his enhanced physique, he needed to fully adapt—especially now, while training in the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
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