A Budget Susanoo (Revised)

Less than ten days remained before the Joint Chunin Exams, hosted by the Five Great Nations, officially began.

Lately, all of Konoha had been busy preparing for the exams. The younger generation of ninja had been given time off. Some worked on their teamwork, while others shored up weaknesses in their ninjutsu. The whole village hummed with anticipation.

Tsukimi used that time to put the finishing touches on his long-running training.

He had been taking the Physical Revitalization drug Orochimaru had developed for him for more than twenty days straight.

Ordinary drugs of the same kind on the market squeezed out the body's potential, sometimes even shortening a person's lifespan, in exchange for a brief boost in power. Orochimaru's drug was different. It was meant for sustained use and long-term conditioning.

It neither damaged the body's meridians nor undermined its foundations. It offered no quick results, but its effects could seep fully into the body.

In the gentlest way possible, it kept stimulating cellular activity, steadily improved physical recovery, and tempered the muscles. With continued use, it gradually broke through the innate limits of a ninja's body.

After more than twenty days of continuous use, its effects had finally begun to show.

There had been no earth-shaking transformation, no sudden surge of strength. Instead, his body had undergone a deeper, more comprehensive change.

The mild drug permeated his body, gradually refining its weaker points. Nourished by its effects, his muscles grew denser, improving both his explosive strength and his endurance.

His cells became more active. His ability to heal and resist fatigue far surpassed that of ninja at the same level. The restraints on his body's growth slowly gave way, and the limits of his physical potential, once thought fixed, continued to rise.

More importantly, although Tsukimi was still only