Revising the Settings

"I can only modify the settings of four basic jutsu right now. If I can only modify one, I'll rule out the Clone Technique first."

"Then there's the Transformation Technique..."

Genma started by eliminating his options.

In the end, he hesitated between the Substitution Technique and the Body Flicker Technique.

The reason he hesitated was that he'd thought of Uchiha Sasuke's Rinnegan ability, Amenotejikara.

This Kekkei Genkai jutsu was a Space-Time Ninjutsu, but Genma felt it could also be considered an advanced version of the Substitution Technique.

Could he modify the basic Substitution Technique so that it worked like Amenotejikara, instantly switching the positions of objects across space and time?

It was a very tempting idea.

As for the Body Flicker Technique, the basic version Genma had learned used chakra to activate his cells and unleash their strength, allowing him to move quickly.

The clearest way to modify it would be to make it a Body Flicker Technique that crossed space and time instantly, like the Flying Thunder God.

But could he make such a huge leap?

And if he tried a less ambitious version, how should he modify it?

"All done!"

Kakashi's voice interrupted Genma's thoughts, and the aroma of grilled fish wafted over.

"As expected of Kakashi!"

He took the grilled fish, blew on it, and bit into it. Instantly, he felt completely satisfied. "Mmm, if you'd graduated early, I wouldn't have had such delicious grilled fish so easily."

After training all morning, he really was starving.

Kakashi gave him a sidelong glance. "You could've left that part out."

Genma shrugged. "Once you've said something, you can't take it back."

"Anyway, what are your training plans from here?"

Kakashi asked as he ate. "Probably nature transformation."

Watching Kakashi eat, Genma couldn't help but tease him. "Hey, can't you take off that mask?"

Kakashi ignored the remark and asked, "What about you?"

Genma quickly finished one fish and picked up another before replying. "Same as you—nature transformation training. Hmm... I'll start with Yang Release, which means Medical Ninjutsu. It should help me improve my chakra control even more."

"What about you? Earth Release or Lightning Release?"

Kakashi thought for a moment. "Earth Release. Lightning Release is a bit harder."

"I'll master Earth Release first and use it for defense."

Genma gave him a thumbs-up, then fell silent and focused on eating.

Seeing this, Kakashi sped up too. They quickly finished all the grilled fish, then lay down on the grass to digest.

Genma closed his eyes and turned his attention back to the [Setting Collection], finally making his decision.

The Substitution Technique!

Staying alive came first!

As soon as he made his decision, the Substitution Technique's settings were erased. Then he entered a new setting: Use any substance within a certain range as a substitute, instantly switching its position with the user across space and time to evade an attack.

Modification complete. Confirm?

The next moment, the Setting Collection refreshed.

Genma's mind jolted. It worked!

It really worked?

He sprang upright, wide-eyed.

Kakashi glanced at him, then went back to resting.

Genma restrained his excitement and carefully sensed the mysterious stream of information that had flooded his mind when the Setting Collection updated.

"Kakashi, I'm going to get some exercise."

After calling out, Genma leaped away and vanished. After a few bounds, he reached a nearby grove.

He stopped and glanced around. Taking a deep breath, he raised his right hand with one finger pointing up.

This wasn't a hand seal for the Substitution Technique. He was simply focusing his mind to channel chakra, much like when pressing his palms together.

The next moment, a Genma appeared silently beneath a tree three meters away.

Poof!

The Genma where he'd been standing suddenly burst apart, turning into a dry branch that fell to the ground.

It really was the Substitution Technique, not Amenotejikara!

Genma stood beneath the tree, carefully savoring the feeling.

He'd switched places with the dry branch under the tree, and the branch had been transformed into his likeness with the Transformation Technique. If an enemy attacked, they would strike the Genma made from the branch.

That was different from Amenotejikara, which simply switched positions.

"But this range..."

Genma felt it was a little short. He wouldn't be able to evade an attack that covered a wide area.

Clearly, it couldn't compare with Uchiha Sasuke's Amenotejikara.

Still, as his body developed, his maximum chakra output would surely increase as well. That meant he could extend the distance of the position swap.

Whether he could reach a distance comparable to Amenotejikara would depend on how he developed in the future.

"It may not compare to Amenotejikara, but if I use it well, it'll definitely be a trump card."

Genma grinned, feeling much safer all of a sudden.

Thank goodness.

Ever since he'd arrived in the Naruto World, he'd lived on edge. That was why he'd started training at three, entered the Academy at five, and ended up in the same class as Kakashi and the others. Nearly a year later, he'd just barely earned himself the title of genius alongside Kakashi.

But setting aside the [Setting Collection], Genma knew exactly where his limits lay.

At best, he could reach the level of an ordinary Kage.

Even with an omniscient perspective and plenty of information, breaking through that limit would be incredibly difficult.

A Kage was certainly powerful, but by the later stages of the story, they were little more than extras on the sidelines.

But now...

Genma wanted to know whether the Hokage's bloodline was stronger, or whether his settings were more powerful!

At five in the afternoon, Genma parted ways with Kakashi, and they each headed home.

After dinner, Genma didn't stay home alone. Instead, he went with his mother to take a shift at Konoha Hospital.

"Genma, isn't it too soon for you to start learning Medical Ninjutsu?"

When her son said he wanted to learn Medical Ninjutsu, Ritsuka hesitated. "Medical Ninjutsu is very difficult. It might be pretty tough for you at your age."

As a mother, Ritsuka didn't want her son to work so hard at such a young age, even though she knew as a ninja that rigorous training was absolutely worthwhile.

"Mom, don't worry. I'm ready."

"You know I've already studied a lot of medical knowledge."

Genma grinned. "Besides, I inherited your good looks and intelligence, Mom. I'm sure I have a talent for Medical Ninjutsu."

Ritsuka smiled, her eyes crinkling, and ruffled his black hair. "All right. When things are quiet tonight, I'll teach you how to train in Yang Release nature transformation."

What mattered most in the Naruto World?

Bloodlines.

Take the Senju, the Uzumaki, the Red Eye, and the cataracts, for example.

Of course, as far as ordinary ninja were concerned, Genma thought the most important things were the following.

The most basic was chakra cultivation.

Except for Sealing Technique, chakra couldn't be stored in the body for long. That meant anyone who wanted to become a capable ninja had to learn to cultivate chakra as naturally as breathing, until it became instinct.

After all, you couldn't exactly stop to cultivate chakra before fighting, could you?

Genma had managed that at the age of four.

Once he'd built that foundation, the next step was chakra control.

Taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu—whenever chakra was involved, chakra control was fundamental.

With sufficient chakra control, a ninja could walk across cliffs and water as easily as on level ground.

Then there was Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred, which relied on precise chakra control to give her terrifying strength that surpassed even the Fourth Raikage's.

As someone familiar with most of the Naruto story, Genma naturally took this aspect very seriously.

But the only conventional chakra control exercises he knew were tree climbing and Water Walking.

He'd completed those exercises the year before. After that, climbing cliffs while carrying a boulder and running across a raging river with one were just upgraded versions of tree climbing and Water Walking.

After a year, his improvement had become negligible.

So now Genma had set his sights on Medical Ninjutsu.

Of all the types of ninjutsu, it demanded the highest level of chakra control.

Learning Medical Ninjutsu could naturally serve as a way to train his chakra control.