Naruto:Ten Skill Bar

"My Chakra volume has reached the level of a Chūnin," Gekkō Ishisaki thought, excitement glimmering in his eyes.

Compared to ordinary Genin, his Chakra reserves were already six or seven times greater. Among the current students at the Ninja Academy, only Naruto—thanks to his Uzumaki heritage and the Nine-Tails sealed within him—likely surpassed Ishisaki's reserves.

Even compared to active Genin, Ishisaki felt confident. Outside of a few outliers who had been stuck as Genin for over a decade, he doubted many could match his current reserves.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sudden noise interrupted Ishisaki's thoughts.

"Ishisaki, are you up yet?" a familiar voice called from outside.

Recognizing it immediately, Ishisaki smirked. "Isn't that Gekkō Hayate?"

Opening the door, Ishisaki saw Hayate standing there. His cousin looked as pale and tired as usual, dark circles under his eyes suggesting a lack of sleep.

"Hayate-san, what brings you here so early?" Ishisaki asked curiously.

Hayate gave a weary smile. "Didn't I tell you to just call me 'brother'? Well, never mind that. Here."

He handed over a scroll, which Ishisaki accepted with wide eyes.

"This is the illusion scroll you wanted. It's just a basic visual illusion—useful against civilians or untrained opponents, but don't expect it to work on experienced ninjas."

Ishisaki scratched his head awkwardly. "Thanks, brother."

Hayate waved it off. "No big deal. Now, have you had breakfast yet?"

"Not yet," Ishisaki admitted.

"Good. Get dressed and come with me. Breakfast is on me today," Hayate said with a grin.

After quickly tidying up, Ishisaki grabbed the illusion scroll and slipped into his new outfit. When he stepped out, Hayate paused, giving him an appraising look.

"This outfit suits you," Hayate remarked. "You look sharper. More confident."

Hayate chuckled to himself, imagining the younger generation dressing to impress their classmates, perhaps a certain girl. "Must be trying to catch the attention of someone special, huh?"

Before Ishisaki could respond, Hayate added, "By the way, grab your wooden sword."

"Huh? Are we training again?" Ishisaki asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Of course. Your talent in swordsmanship shouldn't go to waste. I'll supervise your training this morning, but I have a mission in the afternoon."

Though Ishisaki had his own plans, he couldn't refuse Hayate's offer. "Alright, brother."

After a quick breakfast at a small street-side eatery, Hayate led Ishisaki to a secluded forest on the outskirts of Konoha.

"This is a better spot for training than the public grounds," Hayate explained, leaning against a large tree. "Now, start with the basics. Foundation is everything. Build that, and you can go higher."

Nodding, Ishisaki stepped into the clearing, gripping his wooden sword. His body felt lighter and stronger after the previous night's chakra refinement.

A smile crept onto his face. "Let's test something new."

Without hesitation, Ishisaki adjusted the skill bar configuration.

[Passive Skill 7: Konoha-ryu Swordsmanship]

As the system registered the change, Ishisaki exhaled softly and began practicing basic swordsmanship. Each movement was smooth, precise, and deliberate, earning an approving nod from Hayate.

"The basics are solid," Hayate observed.

The entire sequence took Ishisaki less than thirty seconds to complete.

[Passive Skill 7 completed a run.]

The system notification confirmed it, but Ishisaki was more intrigued by the subtle changes he felt in his body. His fingers moved more fluidly, and his grip on the sword seemed instinctively firmer.

Testing his reaction, Ishisaki suddenly thrust the wooden sword forward.

Swish!

The sword pierced through the air with a sharp whistle.

"Faster," Ishisaki murmured, his eyes lighting up. "That was at least a third faster than before!"

Hayate, who had been leaning lazily against the tree, snapped to attention.

"The speed and precision…" Hayate muttered. "They've improved since yesterday. Is he still getting better at this rate?"

Hayate was stunned. Ishisaki had already reached a level of mastery in Konoha-ryu swordsmanship that would take most years to achieve. Yet, here he was, continuing to improve with each practice session.

"This isn't just talent," Hayate thought. "This is something else entirely."

Ishisaki transitioned into the full Konoha-ryu swordsmanship sequence. His movements became faster, sharper, and more refined with each form.

The ten forms of Konoha-ryu swordsmanship, which took most skilled swordsmen over ten seconds to complete, now flowed seamlessly in just that time.

When Ishisaki finished, he gripped the wooden sword tightly, letting his muscles relax.

"So that's the effect," he murmured.

If taijutsu enhanced his overall physical fitness—strength, speed, and endurance—then swordsmanship on the skill bar had a more targeted effect. It amplified reaction time, precision, and mastery of technique.

Each completed run of the skill wasn't just practice—it was like downloading years of experience into his body. His strikes became faster, his movements more efficient, and his understanding of swordplay deeper.

While it didn't boost his physical strength as much as taijutsu, the focused enhancements to combat precision made it a game-changer for close combat.

Hayate approached, clapping Ishisaki on the shoulder.

"Impressive," he said, though his expression was still one of disbelief. "Your mastery of Konoha-ryu swordsmanship is already remarkable. At this rate, you'll surpass me in no time."

Ishisaki smiled faintly, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Swordsmanship is faster for improving combat ability," he mused. "It's more specialized than taijutsu, but it gives me exactly what I need for now: speed and precision."

As they walked back toward the village, Ishisaki couldn't help but think about the future.

"With the skill bar, I can target exactly what I want to improve," he thought. "Taijutsu builds my foundation. Swordsmanship sharpens my edge. And ninjutsu…"

His eyes narrowed with determination. "Ninjutsu will give me overwhelming power."

End of the Chapter.

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