Had Lei Dou been quietly watching over me all this time?
So Lei Dou really did...
"Hinata, rules are rigid, but people aren't. You're gentle and don't like fighting, but that doesn't mean you can't become strong."
"Look at Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin. She's a medical ninja, but she's still the toughest woman in the Shinobi World. Even the Hokage trembles when he sees her."
Hinata nodded firmly, the light in her eyes growing brighter. That was what she thought, too.
"So don't worry about what other people say. Follow your own path. Once you're strong enough, those doubts will disappear on their own."
Lei Dou stood up and reached out to ruffle Hinata's soft, short hair, treating her like the little girl next door.
"I believe in you. You can do it."
After saying that, even Lei Dou found it a little unbelievable.
His old, cautious self would have avoided any unnecessary trouble. He never would have meddled like this.
Apparently, gaining strength had made him more confident. Even interacting with the original story's main cast now felt perfectly natural.
He dusted off his backside and prepared to leave. He still hadn't taken care of his actual business.
Suddenly, Hinata called out from behind him, sounding a little urgent. "Lei Dou!"
"Huh?"
Lei Dou turned around.
Hinata quickly lowered her head again, nearly rubbing the hem of her clothes to pieces.
"Um..."
"Thank you... for saving me nine years ago!"
Nine years ago?
Lei Dou froze for a couple of seconds before the dusty memory slowly resurfaced.
Something like that had happened. He had just transmigrated that day and discovered he was an orphan with absolutely nothing. He had been so frustrated he wanted to hit someone.
Then he happened upon a few little brats bullying a girl. Without another word, Lei Dou had gone over and beaten them up, venting all his anger on those unlucky kids.
Afterward, he had lost interest, dusted off his hands, and left. He hadn't even gotten a good look at the girl's face.
If Hinata hadn't brought it up today, he would have forgotten the whole thing forever.
So that was Hinata? No wonder I never saw Naruto play the hero. I'd beaten him to it?
"Oh, that old thing? It was nothing!"
Lei Dou waved casually. Before Hinata could say anything else, he vanished into the woods with a few leaps.
Hinata stood there for a long time, watching Lei Dou leave.
Lei Dou... you shine so brightly now. I'm so glad...
The scene shifted to Konoha Hospital.
Lei Dou activated Transparent Release, turning completely invisible and concealing every trace of his presence, then strolled right inside.
His luck was good. He had barely reached the second floor when he saw several medical ninjas in white coats hurrying toward an operating room.
An instructional demonstration, ready and waiting!
Lei Dou slipped into the operating room like a ghost and settled into the corner with the best view.
The surgical lights came on.
To Lei Dou's surprise, the first skill the system analyzed wasn't the Mystical Palm Technique.
[Analysis complete.] [Congratulations, host. Learned: Chakra Scalpel.] [Additional acquisition: improved chakra micromanipulation precision.]
This was practically a buy-one-get-one deal. Not only had he learned the Chakra Scalpel, which could sever muscles and nerves, but his chakra control had improved along with it.
What a haul.
The operation continued. Only when they reached the final suturing stage did green light appear around the lead surgeon's hands.
It was the healing glow unique to the Mystical Palm Technique.
[Analysis complete.] [Congratulations, host. Learned: Mystical Palm Technique.] [Acquired nature transformation: Yang Release.]
There it is!
Lei Dou was ecstatic.
As expected, the Mystical Palm Technique's core was yang release chakra. Without that nature transformation representing vitality, healing people was nothing but talk.
He couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from rising. The final piece of the Hydrification Healing Technique had finally fallen into place!
He had only expected to pick up the Mystical Palm Technique, but he had expanded his arsenal in the process.
Leaving the hospital in high spirits, Lei Dou headed straight for his secret training base.
On the way, he held out his palm. Blue chakra instantly condensed into sharp blades at his fingertips.
The Chakra Scalpel felt extraordinarily dangerous, as though it could slice through the air itself. In actual combat, it would definitely be a lethal weapon.
And!
What would happen if I mixed in water release nature transformation?
[Great Sage: constructing simulation model... estimated time: five hours. Note: this technique requires extremely precise chakra control. Improving micromanipulation first is recommended and can greatly shorten computation time.]
Five hours? Easy.
But his immediate priority was finishing that lifesaving healing skill.
Lei Dou acted decisively, removing Thunder Breathing and Wind Release from his skill slots. He freed up four slots and filled every one with the Mystical Palm Technique.
Running four copies of the Mystical Palm Technique on autopilot would not only raise its level but also deepen his understanding of Yang Release across the board.
It killed two birds with one stone, grinding up his chakra control as well.
Once that grind was finished, combining the Chakra Scalpel with Water Release would be a natural next step.
First, he had Great Sage optimize the Mystical Palm Technique to perfection.
Then he set it to run automatically every thirty seconds.
With four processes running simultaneously, his experience bar practically shot upward.
After only an hour, Lei Dou felt the green light in his hands grow denser. Its healing effect had increased at least tenfold.
At this level, he could probably hold his own against a chief physician at Konoha Hospital.
He could keep grinding, but there was no need. This was enough.
"Great Sage, initiate the fusion process!"
[Great Sage: beginning fusion...] [Estimated time: five hours.]
Previously, it had needed three days. Now that he had mastered the Mystical Palm Technique at a proficient level, that had dropped straight to five hours.
And as the automated grinding scripts continued running, the time kept shrinking.
In the end, only an hour passed before a pleasant notification sounded in his mind.
[Computation complete.] [Congratulations, host. Acquired new ninjutsu: Hydrification Healing Technique.] [Skill description: allows the user to voluntarily liquefy injured areas and reconstruct them with chakra. Parts of the body can also be liquefied to cover and heal others' wounds. Healing efficiency far exceeds conventional medical ninjutsu.]
Done!
And the effects are outstanding.
What delighted Lei Dou even more was that, as his yang release nature transformation deepened, he could feel his physical condition subtly improving, even though his maximum health hadn't increased directly.
Yang Release and vitality weren't exactly the same thing, but they were close relatives.
As long as he kept that advanced Taijutsu running, becoming a massive health tank was only a matter of time.
Lei Dou took out a kunai and steeled himself to slash a cut into his arm.
With a thought, without any hand seals, the skin around the wound instantly became a flowing ball of water.
The water churned a few times, releasing a wisp of white vapor. When it subsided, the cut had vanished completely, leaving his skin smooth and unmarked.
The recovery speed was like turning back time. Probably only a cheat-powered guy like Naruto could compare.
There was, however, one flaw...
"It still costs mana?"
Lei Dou had assumed that, since the technique involved Water Release, he could use it for free like his other Water Release techniques. He hadn't expected it to consume chakra.
Apparently, the Yang Release mixed into it prevented it from qualifying for his VIP "all Water Release is free" benefit.
Fortunately, Lei Dou's mana bar was long enough now that healing a small injury like this cost practically nothing.
Even with fatal injuries, he could probably bounce back from death five or six times.
"It isn't completely free, but at least the Water Release portion costs nothing. That's already excellent value."
"With this, I'm practically an unkillable cockroach."
"Next comes the main event-the ultimate fusion of Water Release and the Chakra Scalpel."
[Great Sage: establishing new task...] [Estimated time: three hours.]
Lei Dou repeated the process, removing the Mystical Palm Technique and replacing it with the Chakra Scalpel.
Autogrind, acceleration-all in one smooth sequence.
In less than an hour, a brand-new killing technique was ready.
[Congratulations, host. Acquired new ninjutsu: Water Release: Riptide Blade.] [Skill description: compresses water release nature transformation to its limit, forming miniature water saws flowing at high pressure and speed. Possesses terrifying cutting power and can be attached to limbs or weapons.]
Isn't this just a Naruto-world high-frequency vibrating particle blade?
And it could be activated instantly without hand seals.
Lei Dou casually picked up a kunai. With a thought, a layer of high-speed water as thin as a cicada's wing instantly coated its surface.
He gave a light swipe at a nearby tree. Without the slightest sensation of resistance, the tree slid down silently, its cut surface as smooth as a mirror.
"What a shame. If only I could learn the complete Hydrification Technique..."
If his entire body could turn into water, combining it with Riptide Blade would make him a walking meat grinder. Anyone he touched would die.
"I can't turn my whole body into water, but a clone can!"
Inspiration flashed through Lei Dou's mind.
Water Clones were already made of water. If a clone used this technique, every part of its body could become a blade!
Just imagining it was brutal.
After all that, the central problem had circled right back to where it started-the Clone Technique.
Finding an advanced Water Release Clone scroll himself would be harder than reaching the heavens.
If he wanted Great Sage to work it out, he first needed to learn the Shadow Clone as a sample.
"Looks like I'll have to bother Hayate again."
Shimozuki Hayate was hard to track down, but today was the weekend. Unless he was on a mission, he was definitely doing that.
Lei Dou first swung by his house. Sure enough, nobody was home.
The man next door gossiped while watering his flowers, saying he had seen Hayate leave early that morning all dressed up. He had obviously been going on a date.
A date?
That made him easy to find. In a dump like Konoha, you could count the suitable date spots on one hand.
Excluding the crowded Shopping Street, that left only the Grand Park.
With its hills, water, and woods, it was practically a dumping ground for couples' public displays of affection.
It was spacious and quiet. As long as you avoided the crowds, you could lie down on any patch of grass without anyone bothering you.
Lei Dou headed straight for the park and began his search.
Before long, he found his target on a secluded lawn beside the lake.
Under bright sunshine and a gentle breeze, Shimozuki Hayate lay on the grass with his arms beneath his head. Beside him sat a purple-haired beauty-his girlfriend, Uzuki Yugao.
The two were so lovey-dovey that you could smell the sickening sweetness of romance from half a mile away.
Grinning wickedly, Lei Dou crept over.
"Yugao, about us... when do you think we can make things official?"
Yugao was peeling an orange. Her hands paused, and she glanced at him with an amused smile. "Have you saved enough pocket money for the betrothal gifts?"
Just as their conversation reached this crucial life decision, a large face suddenly popped into view from above without warning.
"Hayate! I'd like to know whether you've saved enough, too!"
"Holy shit!"
The sickly Hayate jolted upright like a dying patient suddenly springing from his bed. His pale face turned deathly white, and he nearly passed out on the spot.
"Shi... Lei Dou?"
"Where the hell did you come from, you brat?!"
Beside him, Yugao blushed as well. Their moment had been decidedly intimate, and getting caught by a little kid was painfully embarrassing.
But upon hearing his name, she quickly regained her composure and studied Lei Dou with interest. "So this is that genius little brother you're always talking about?"
"He's quite handsome. He'll definitely be breaking girls' hearts when he grows up."
Lei Dou hadn't expected the legendary Uzuki Yugao to look even cooler in person than in the anime. That old rascal Hayate really was lucky in love.
"Hello, big sister. I'm Shimozuki Raito. Hayate talks about how wonderful you are all the time."
Lei Dou obediently reached out and shook Yugao's hand, then immediately turned toward Hayate, who was still patting his chest to catch his breath.
"Um, I'm really sorry for interrupting your romantic moment, but I have something extremely urgent I need your help with!"
Hayate could only feel his head throbbing. Getting caught on a date felt awful.
He's just a little kid. What am I feeling guilty for?
"It's fine. If your little brother needs you, it must be important."
Yugao smiled graciously.
Hayate sighed and looked helplessly at Lei Dou. "Go on. What trouble have you gotten into this time? Just so we're clear, I don't have any money either."
Lei Dou shook his head, his expression serious. "I'm not asking to borrow money, Hayate. I want to learn the Shadow Clone Technique!"
Shadow Clone?
Even Yugao froze at those words.
This was a B-rank ninjutsu, and because it involved dividing the user's chakra evenly, its requirements were extremely demanding.
How old was this kid, anyway? He hadn't even earned his forehead protector yet, had he?
Hayate shook his head like a rattle without a second thought. "No! Absolutely not! You're not even a genin yet. If I taught you this and something went wrong, how could I face your late parents?"
"Once you've graduated from the Ninja Academy, become a chunin, and grown into your body, I'll teach you this technique. Until then, forget it!"
Just as expected, Hayate's refusal was swift and absolute.
It made sense. Getting someone to teach him all their signature tricks just by asking? He wouldn't dare dream of it.
But since Lei Dou had dared to ask, he naturally already had an ace up his sleeve.
He leaned forward slightly, his warm breath tickling Hayate's ear, and lowered his voice to deliver a threat with a wicked grin.
"Hayate, if you won't teach me this technique, I'll tell Yugao every last detail about all those times you used Transparent Release to peep on the women's bathhouse!"
At those words, the previously unruffled Hayate shot to his feet as though a spring had been planted beneath his backside.
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