Naruto:Ten Skill Bar

"The amount of chakra has nearly doubled!"

When Gekkō Ishisaki got up to wash in the morning, he looked at himself in the mirror.

Since his chakra levels were full, his mental state was excellent, and he felt more energized than ever.

Looking closely at his reflection, Ishisaki saw the change. His skin appeared radiant, his posture was upright, and his eyes gleamed with newfound confidence.

"The chakra refining technique is working wonders," Ishisaki muttered, feeling the robust flow of chakra coursing through his body.

Compared to the previous day, his chakra reserves had grown exponentially. If Sasuke's chakra was used as a base measurement, Ishisaki now had nearly sixteen to seventeen times more chakra than Sasuke.

"Still only about a third of Naruto's," he admitted with a wry smile, knowing the monster chakra reserves of his classmate.

"Progress has slowed slightly today," he mused, "but that's normal. The further you go, the harder it becomes to advance."

Ishisaki resolved to focus on updating the Chakra Refining Technique's skill status after school. "Doubling the amount of chakra every day won't cut it. I need more."

After finishing his morning routine and putting on a sleek new outfit, Ishisaki headed to the academy. His choice of attire was sharp and stylish, a stark contrast to his previously modest clothing.

As he approached the school gates, he immediately became the center of attention.

"Is that... Ishisaki?" one of the girls whispered.

"He's so handsome today!"

"Wasn't he always handsome? But now, it's like he's glowing!"

"That outfit suits him perfectly," another chimed in, her cheeks flushing pink.

Ishisaki walked through the crowd, nonchalant yet aware of the admiration he was drawing.

When he entered the academy, his transformation did not go unnoticed by his peers.

Shikamaru was the first to approach him. "Ishisaki, what's up with you today? You seem... different."

"Different?" Ishisaki raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded thoughtfully. "You used to have this... tired look about you. But now, you're oozing confidence. It's almost oppressive. Are you trying to scare people?"

Ishisaki chuckled. "Maybe it's just a good night's sleep."

"I don't buy it," Shikamaru muttered. "You're up to something."

Chōji, munching on a bag of chips, added, "You're definitely different. Even your aura is stronger."

"Eat your chips, Chōji," Ishisaki teased.

As Ishisaki entered the classroom, the chatter died down. All eyes turned toward him, including Sasuke's.

Sasuke observed Ishisaki with a furrowed brow. "What's with him? It's like he's a completely different person."

"Ishisaki-kun looks cooler than Sasuke-kun today!" one of the girls whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Ishisaki smirked inwardly. The attention was amusing but not surprising.

At his desk, Ino, his long-time seatmate, was frozen in shock. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were wide as saucers.

"Morning, Ino," Ishisaki greeted, flashing her a charming smile.

Ino stammered, "I-I... Ishisaki-kun, y-you look amazing today!"

"Really?" Ishisaki leaned closer, his voice teasing. "What's different?"

"I-I don't know! Maybe it's your clothes or... or your whole vibe!"

Ishisaki sniffed lightly and quirked an eyebrow. "New perfume, huh? Smells nice."

Ino's face turned as red as a tomato. "Y-you noticed?"

"Of course," Ishisaki said, leaning back with a satisfied grin.

Before the conversation could continue, Naruto burst into the classroom with his usual energy.

Spotting Ishisaki, he froze, then backtracked, grabbing Ishisaki by the shoulders and spinning him around to face him.

Ino was speechless. She was talking to Ishisaki-kun, and Naruto had barged in.

"Ishisaki!" Naruto shouted, his voice echoing across the room.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Did you get surgery on your face or something?"

Ishisaki rolled his eyes. "No."

"Then how do you look like this all of a sudden?" Naruto pointed accusingly. "It's bad enough that Sasuke's around, but now you're even cooler than him! This isn't fair!"

At that moment, Sasuke shot Naruto a death glare from across the room.

"I'm losing to a show-off like you?" Sasuke muttered under his breath, glaring at Ishisaki.

Naruto pouted. "First Sasuke, now you... Little Sakura's going to start looking at you, too!"

Ignoring Naruto's theatrics, Iruka entered the classroom. "Naruto, sit down! Class is starting."

As the students settled, Iruka's gaze lingered on Ishisaki.

"Ishisaki, you're looking very confident today. Keep that up—ninjas need self-belief to succeed in their missions."

Ishisaki smiled faintly. "Thank you, sensei. I'll show you soon enough just how much I've changed."

The day's lessons felt like an eternity. For Ishisaki, the academy had once been a place of excitement and growth. Now, it felt like a cage limiting his potential.

The only enjoyable part of the day was teasing Ino, who remained flustered from start to finish. Her usual fiery personality was replaced with meekness, and she could barely string two sentences together.

By the time the final bell rang, Ishisaki was ready to bolt.

"See you tomorrow!" he called to his friends as he rushed out.

Ishisaki hurried home, eager to continue updating his skill statuses. But just as he closed the door behind him, a knock came from the other side.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Ishisaki! Your Uncle Masano!"

Ishisaki froze. Uncle Masano?

He hadn't expected a visit from his clan's elder today.

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