Shadow Clone

Ever since learning two simplified Water Release ninjutsu from Maruboshi Kosuke...

Lin Chuan had returned to the dull, tedious routine of skipping class. After a month of constant practice, he had mastered the hand seals for the simplified Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet.

Compared to the original Water Dragon Bullet, which required forty-four seals and at least ten seconds to cast, he could now form two seals per second and release a simplified Water Dragon Bullet in three seconds. The only problem was that his chakra could not quite keep up.

Water Formation Wall was even faster. He could release it in a second, but again, his chakra could not keep up.

Using Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet in battle, his current chakra reserves only allowed him to use one B-rank ninjutsu.

There had not been much change on his personal panel over the past month. Since his kunai throwing proficiency had reached perfect accuracy, he had started working on some specialized tricks.

For example, through constant experimentation, he had finally gotten started with the Shuriken Manipulation Technique. He definitely could not make shuriken curve like the Uchiha, but using wire to tie things up was simple enough.

He had also practiced punching sandbags with Rock Lee, training his hand-to-hand combat skills. Ever since he had saved Rock Lee in the forest last time, they had become friends. Unfortunately, the Grind Panel showed nothing for simple sandbag training.

[Throwing]

[Kunai Fixed-Target Throwing (Limit Break: 42200/100000)]

[Kunai Moving-Target Throwing (Limit Break: 32240/100000)]

[Shuriken Manipulation Technique: (Beginner: 9/100)]

The remaining changes were mainly in ninjutsu. After learning Water Dragon Bullet, he had finally obtained the Shadow Clone he had wanted for so long.

Only two months had passed since the school term began, and summer vacation in July was still far away. So he went to his cheap old man and learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu he had been longing for.

[Ninjutsu]

[Non-Elemental Ninjutsu]

[E-rank Ninjutsu: Transformation Technique (Genin: 1004/2000)]

[E-rank Ninjutsu: Clone Technique (Genin: 1003/2000)]

[E-rank Ninjutsu: Substitution Technique (Genin: 1014/2000)]

[D-rank Ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique (Genin: 1300/2000)]

[B-rank Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone (Not Initiated: 0.1%)]

His cheap old man knew the Shadow Clone Jutsu. After having him demonstrate it several times and following along until it appeared on the Grind Panel, all that remained was to grind the proficiency until he could naturally get started.

His Body Flicker Technique proficiency had risen by another two hundred. He still needed to keep working to reach Chunin level. Now there was also the Shadow Clone to grind. He had to learn it as soon as possible so it could share the grinding workload, or he would soon be too busy to handle it all.

[Ninjutsu]

[Water Release Ninjutsu]

[C-rank Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Clone (Genin: 104/1000)]

[C-rank Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Shock Wave (Genin: 102/1000)]

[B-rank Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Formation Wall (Usable: 11/100) (Two seals)]

[B-rank Ninjutsu: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet (Usable: 14/100) (Six seals)]

After a month of grinding, the proficiency of both B-rank Water Release ninjutsu had finally reached usable. If his chakra reserves had not been holding him back, he could have grinded them to Chunin level. His chakra reserves had been bottlenecking him for more than a day or two. Unfortunately, he could only grind one B-rank Water Release technique a day. If not for water-rich environments, he probably would not even have been able to use B-rank Water Release.

He could put the Body Flicker Technique aside for now and focus on Shadow Clones. With the Shadow Clone as a grinding accelerator, even if he could only create one Shadow Clone, he could grow stronger faster. Otherwise, how could he take the Chunin Ninja Exams alongside that bunch of monsters?

After mastering those two Water Release techniques, he had wanted to learn other ninjutsu from Maruboshi Kosuke. But every message his cheap old man brought back was the same: Maruboshi Kosuke was away on a mission.

This was seriously bullshit. Ever since he had learned Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet, Maruboshi Kosuke seemed never to have rested, constantly taking missions like his life depended on it. Even meeting him once was difficult. Lin Chuan could not go looking for him at his home either; that would disturb his rest.

It was not that he liked spreading himself too thin instead of striving for perfection. It was because he retained his memories every time he transmigrated. If he did not learn more ninjutsu during this peaceful period, he would not have such good learning opportunities the next time he transmigrated.

Did anyone really think he could clear Naruto with this body?

This body's talent ceiling was probably only at his cheap old man's Chunin level. That was just how it was for ninjas without bloodline limits. Without spending points on talent, reaching Chunin level was already pretty good. Ordinary ninjas were the norm in the shinobi world.

He might seem to be advancing fiercely now, but all of it was strength bought with grinding potential. If his cheat could give him another chance, he absolutely would not want to work this hard.

As long as that dogshit game designer did not dump him in some godforsaken place, he would praise that dogshit game designer.

But if he got thrown into a hellhole like the Shinobi World War again, then he would curse that dogshit game designer to have a son without a dick.

If he trained like Might Guy and Rock Lee, he might be able to become a Jonin. But there was no need to work himself to death like that. It was not as if he could not use cheats. That kind of grinding did not fit his style of refusing to eat beef.

In this world that valued bloodlines, pulling Uchiha or Hyuga bloodlines was the fastest shortcut to becoming stronger. There was no need to abandon the root for the branches and become some hardworking genius. Working hard once or twice was enough; experience could be accumulated.

He had never been a genius to begin with. If he saved enough Life Points to improve his ninja talent, then accumulated Life Points through repeated transmigrations, he would eventually become a real genius. A genius's hard work was another matter entirely, though, and could wait.

Even a Jonin could not clear Naruto. Did anyone think the shinobi world was full of kindhearted people?

Without chakra or sufficient strength, he would not even survive one episode. If not for reviving with Life Points, he would have been killed by a samurai in the first episode, blown into the sky in the second, and survived the longest in the third...

To travel freely through this shinobi world, he needed at least Kage Level strength. To clear the Naruto world, he needed at least Super Kage Level strength. Otherwise, he would be just as dead if he encountered an Otsutsuki.

He knew this body's limits very well. By learning simplified Water Release ninjutsu, he could barely touch the threshold of Special Jonin. That was already its limit.

Once he reached this body's limit and collected the Life Points he needed, his next start would be a little easier. Each new transmigration would only make him stronger than the last.

After collecting himself, he sat in the last row of the classroom and began today's Chakra Scalpel wood carving. He shaped the chakra at the tip of his index finger into a blade and carved animals into blocks of wood.

At first, he had started with simple geometric carvings, making cubes. As long as the chakra blade was sharp enough, a few horizontal and vertical cuts could produce a standard cube with equal length, width, and height.

After that came all kinds of animals with curves and simple lines, before moving on to human figures. He planned to carve Naruto in the front row, but after starting, he realized it would be truly difficult to master without three to five years of practice!

If he wanted to stand on the same stage as those genius cheaters, this was training he had to carry through to the end. He could not slack off.

When school ended at noon, Iruka reminded all the students before leaving that there would be combat training in the afternoon, and no one was to be absent.

When he mentioned ninja combat training, he looked at Lin Chuan. This kid skipped class every time. He wondered whether this ninja combat session could keep Lin Chuan around.

Noticing Iruka's gaze, Shikamaru glanced at Lin Chuan, that grinding maniac, from the corner of his eye. The corner of his mouth twitched unconsciously. He already knew Lin Chuan had learned a B-rank ninjutsu. He feared that no one in this class, or even among all first-year students...

Would be able to beat Lin Chuan in ninja combat. Even if upperclassmen came, that freak Lin Chuan could still put up a fight. After all, who learned B-rank ninjutsu while attending school?

Then he noticed the eager Uchiha as well and could not help feeling sorry for Sasuke. Someone was definitely going to get thoroughly beaten up that afternoon—provided that someone did not skip class.