Self-Awareness and Comparison (Please Bookmark, Follow, and Vote)

Life was like a small river—sometimes turbulent, sometimes calm—but no matter what, it kept flowing forward as always.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Taiichi's life during this time had been just as peaceful and fulfilling, with every day packed full according to his plans. During school breaks, he would also invite his friends out for picnics and camping trips.

It was worth mentioning that after several months of study, Taiichi had not only learned Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique and Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, but had also begun learning Medical Ninjutsu under Nonō and Tsunade's guidance. He had mastered his first medical ninjutsu, Healing Technique, thereby unlocking Wind Release Nature Transformation and Yang Release Nature Transformation.

Speaking of Tsunade, she had also given Taiichi a pleasant surprise. Ever since Taiichi had treated her to a meal he cooked himself as a way of thanking her, Tsunade had come to his house every few days to freeload off his meals. Sometimes, she even brought Shizune along.

She did not ask him to prepare a special meal for her. Whatever Taiichi ate, she ate too, claiming it was to ensure her business partner's safety and prevent anyone from causing Taiichi trouble over those shares.

Though that sounded somewhat reasonable, how should he put it—she was just shamelessly freeloading.

Still, this was genuinely a good thing for Taiichi. Tsunade was one of the Sannin, the Hokage's disciple, and the First Hokage's granddaughter. She was one of Konoha's most influential figures. With such a powerful backer, Taiichi could do anything with much greater confidence. Not to mention that Tsunade herself was a treasure trove.

Taiichi's abilities had now changed drastically:

Name: Taichi Matsushita

Class: Genin Lv6 (547/1000)

Talents: Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity, Academic Overachiever

Age: 6

Constitution: 13

Strength: 15

Agility: 13

Spirit: 20

Chakra: 3000 (5350)

Attribute Points: 9

Skill Points: 9

Fire Nature Transformation Lv2 (64/200)

Wind Release Nature Transformation Lv2 (35/200)

Yang Release Nature Transformation Lv2 (12/200)

Skills: Basic Taijutsu Lv8 (1053/1400), Basic Meditation Lv8 (1148/1400), Chakra Refinement Technique Lv8 (1186/1400), Ninja Tool Throwing Lv7 (647/1200), Transformation Technique Lv6 (515/1000), Clone Technique Lv7 (537/1200), Substitution Technique Lv6 (853/1000), Fire Style: Flame Bullet Lv6 (256/1000), Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Lv6 (836/1000), Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Lv6 (648/1000), Healing Technique Lv6 (873/1000)

Evaluation: Compared to some veteran Genin, you are no less capable.

After four months of comparison, especially after getting to know Tsunade, Taiichi had gained a thorough understanding of the strength of ninja at every rank. He no longer had to rely solely on his own guesses, allowing him to compare his own strength, panel data, and ninja rank more accurately.

First, there were physical attributes. A normal person's average attributes were all 10 points. Each additional point was not a linear increase; it raised one's abilities by roughly 1.1 times their current physical condition. Taking strength as an example, someone with 10 Strength could punch with roughly 100 kilograms of force. At 11 Strength, that became 110 kilograms; at 12 Strength, 121 kilograms; and at 13 Strength, 133 kilograms.

In other words, the further one progressed, the greater the improvement gained from each point of attributes. The Attribute Points Taiichi had saved would become more valuable the further he went. Of course, every attribute represented overall physical quality and could not be compared from just one aspect alone.

For ordinary Chunin and Genin, only Strength and Agility were required. As long as those two attributes met the standard, one's physical condition was qualified. But becoming a Jonin was not merely about Strength and Agility. A normal Jonin needed at least 20 points in either Constitution or Spirit.

That was what made Jonin so valuable. It was also why there were so many Chunin and Genin, yet the number of Jonin dropped off a cliff. Every Jonin was a precious asset to the village.

Compared to the straightforward nature of Attribute Points, Chakra growth was much more complicated. Taiichi still had not figured out its exact formula. He could only say that increases in Constitution and Spirit played a decisive role in increasing Chakra Quantity, while Strength and Agility had relatively little effect. After all, Chakra was originally formed through the fusion of physical energy and spiritual energy.

However, Taiichi was certain that Kekkei Genkai definitely provided a bonus to a ninja's Chakra Quantity. Otherwise, how could ninja like Senju Hashirama possess Chakra comparable to, or even exceeding, that of a Tailed Beast?

For Taiichi, the number displayed on his panel represented the Chakra currently in his body. Its upper limit depended on his training in the Chakra Refinement Technique and the limit of what his Constitution could withstand. The number in parentheses represented the maximum safe amount of Chakra he could extract independently each day. That was a comprehensive reflection of all his physical attributes. Naturally, it did not include the Chakra his body slowly recovered on its own.

At present, Taiichi could store a maximum of 3,000 points of Chakra, already exceeding the minimum Genin standard of 2,000 points. Meanwhile, the maximum amount of Chakra he could extract each day was 5,350 points. Among students his age, that was definitely exceptionally outstanding.

Next came skills. For Taiichi, the two most important special skills were Basic Taijutsu and Basic Meditation. Both could enhance his physical attributes, while the level of Basic Taijutsu more directly reflected his taijutsu combat power. Based on his current understanding, Basic Taijutsu Lv1–5 was considered laying the foundation, Lv6–8 was Genin-level combat power, and Lv9–10 was Chunin-level combat power.

As for other ninjutsu skills, the higher the level and proficiency, the faster they could be performed and the less they consumed. The power of a ninjutsu, aside from its inherent strength, was determined by the level of Chakra Nature Transformation.

That was the main reason why the same ninjutsu could produce vastly different results in the hands of different ninja.

Overall, Taiichi's comprehensive abilities were absolutely sufficient for a Genin. What he lacked now was the accumulation of theoretical knowledge and the tempering of actual combat. After all, those things required time to build up. A panel alone was not enough.

Thinking of this, Taiichi could not help but think of a certain ninjutsu—the Shadow Clone Technique, or even the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Compared to other clone techniques, the greatest feature of Shadow Clones was that when they dispersed, they could return their memories to the original body. That incredible function was what gave Naruto Uzumaki his cheat-like learning ability in the future.

But what upset Taiichi was that when he asked Nonō and even Tsunade about this technique, they both refused him on the grounds that he was still too young and that learning it was too dangerous. Forget the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—even the Shadow Clone Technique had not been taught to him. Though they truly meant well for him, it still left Taiichi feeling extremely frustrated.

Without the boost of Shadow Clones, Taiichi could only rely on himself to study and train slowly.