Talent System In The Naruto Universe

Hanekawa raised his hand, and a swirling chakra appeared in his palm.

With a loud boom, the Rasengan struck a massive tree before him.

In an instant, deep spiderweb-like cracks spread out from the impact, with the Rasengan at the center.

Hanekawa withdrew his hand and circled around the tree. What greeted him was a large crater.

Such was the destructive power of the Rasengan—it hit hard on both ends, just like a chili pepper.

[A-rank Ninjutsu Entry: Rasengan.]

[Trigger Condition: Successfully perform the ninjutsu.]

[Effect: The ninjutsu automatically reaches the proficient level.]

Hanekawa nodded in satisfaction.

From mid-August to September, it had taken him about half a month, but he had finally mastered the Rasengan.

In terms of raw power, brute strength still had the upper hand, but the Rasengan had immense potential for growth.

Especially since he was a versatile ninja, he could incorporate any type of elemental release into the Rasengan, creating even more powerful variations.

Clapping his hands together, Hanekawa returned to the living room.

Uzumaki Kushina, Tsunade, and the Nine-Tails—represented by two tails—were seated at the table playing cards.

"Hmm?"

Uzumaki Kushina noticed him and asked, "Did you run into trouble practicing the Rasengan?"

"No, I've already mastered it," Hanekawa replied, shaking his head.

"Mastered it? So quickly?"

Kushina froze for a moment, then said with a hint of amazement, "You really are a genius!"

She wasn't overly surprised, as Hanekawa had grasped the first three stages of the Rasengan training very quickly.

"Well, he is my student, after all," Tsunade chuckled softly. "Pair of Aces."

"Can't beat that," Kushina muttered as she glanced at her cards, envy evident in her tone. "I wish I had a genius student too."

"You'll get your chance," Tsunade said casually, drawing a card and smirking. "A three. Just two cards left!"

"Uh-oh!"

Kushina's expression shifted dramatically. "Nine-Tails, think of something quick!"

"No rush."

The Nine-Tails' two tails swayed gently as it played a Joker card.

"Pass," Tsunade said, suddenly sensing trouble.

Sure enough, the Nine-Tails played a series of pairs, clearing all the cards in its hand.

"Victory!"

Kushina cheered in delight. The Nine-Tails' tails moved in for a celebratory high-five with her.

"Damn it!"

Tsunade turned to glare at Hanekawa. "This is all your fault!"

"What does this have to do with me?" Hanekawa replied innocently.

Hanekawa's lips twitched as he asked, "Before I came, did you win at all?"

"Of... of course I did!"

Tsunade responded awkwardly, but her tone remained defiant.

Uzumaki Kushina was about to speak the truth when she was silenced with a glare. Helplessly, she cast Hanekawa a look of apology.

"Alright then," Hanekawa said, pretending to concede. "In that case, I'll take my leave."

"Wait!"

Tsunade's face lit up with a smile. "Between teacher and student, these little things are trivial. Come join us—we'll play together."

She had finally realized that to win, she needed Hanekawa by her side.

Hah, women.

Hanekawa sighed inwardly but chose not to argue. He stepped forward and sat next to her.

After nearly two hours of training, he figured a short break wouldn't hurt.

The card game resumed.

Tsunade's luck improved significantly—she won more than she lost, a stark contrast to her earlier losing streak.

"Is Hanekawa really this effective?" Uzumaki Kushina asked tentatively. "Why don't you sit by me and try it out?"

"No way," Tsunade immediately refused. "He's my student."

"How stingy," Kushina muttered before continuing with the game.

Hanekawa was speechless.

What do they take me for, a luck charm?

Just then, he suddenly sensed something.

Glancing down, he saw a fox tail wrapped around his leg.

At some point, the Nine-Tails had secretly extended one of its tails.

However, this tail was noticeably smaller—about two-thirds the size of the other two.

"...?"

Hanekawa was full of questions.

Where's your dignity as the strongest tailed beast?

Are you seriously throwing it away just to win a card game?

"Eh? Nine-Tails, you've gotten a lot smarter today!" Uzumaki Kushina exclaimed in surprise.

The Nine-Tails' hand was better than before—not as terrible as usual.

"I've always been smart!"

The Nine-Tails proudly waved its three tails.

"You're cheating!" Tsunade accused, realizing something was off. "When did you grow another tail?"

"When did you split it off?" Kushina asked in surprise.

The Nine-Tails wagged its three tails energetically.

"It says it didn't cheat," Kushina translated. "Hanekawa can vouch for it."

"Hanekawa?"

Tsunade turned to look at him in surprise.

"It's true," Hanekawa nodded. "It just borrowed a bit of luck."

"Come over here and sit on this side."

Tsunade immediately understood the reason behind the suggestion.

She never expected the Nine-Tails to possess such astonishing ingenuity.

"How annoying!"

The Nine-Tails flailed its three tails in protest, but Tsunade ignored it completely.

The game resumed, and the Nine-Tails returned to its usual level of play—slightly better than Tsunade, who was notoriously unlucky.

Hanekawa yawned, feeling a bit drowsy from watching.

Aside from Uzumaki Kushina's relatively normal card skills, both Tsunade and the Nine-Tails were utterly ridiculous.

Thankfully, the ordeal didn't last much longer.

"It's almost noon; that's enough. I'll go make lunch," Kushina said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Alright," Tsunade agreed reluctantly, though she didn't insist on continuing.

The Nine-Tails, however, seemed sulky as its three tails suddenly vanished.

It had already retreated to its little room, likely preparing to analyze its earlier card game.

---

After lunch, Hanekawa left Uzumaki Kushina's house.

Tsunade decided to stay; for her, it didn't matter where she gambled. Besides, it's not every day you find a tailed beast as a card-playing companion.

Since it was Sunday, Hanekawa didn't go to academy, especially since he had already been on leave for half a month.

A loud roar echoed through the area.

A water dragon soared into the sky and crashed into a stone pile nearby, sending debris flying with a thunderous boom.

"Impressive!" Hanekawa clapped and smiled.

"Hanekawa!"

Kurenai Yuhi spotted him and ran over excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"My training with my sensei is done. I can return to academy tomorrow," Hanekawa explained, patting her head gently.

"Yay!"

Kurenai cheered in delight. Although she saw Hanekawa every evening, she still felt something was missing when he wasn't at academy.

"And there's more good news," Hanekawa said with a smile. "I plan to learn the Crescent Moon Dance from Uncle Kosuke."

"That's amazing!"

Kurenai's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Though she didn't know what the Crescent Moon Dance was, she knew it meant Hanekawa would be training alongside her in Water Release techniques.

"You want to learn the Crescent Moon Dance?" Kosuke Maruboshi walked over and asked.

"Yes," Hanekawa nodded slightly. "I'd also like to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu was forbidden, but the basic Shadow Clone Jutsu was not.

The Crescent Moon Dance, a combination of the Shadow Clone Jutsu and Konoha-style swordsmanship, was a must-learn for him.

"Sure," Kosuke agreed without hesitation.

"Hanekawa, I forgot to tell you—I'm Uncle Kosuke's student now!" Kurenai said cheerfully, as if suddenly remembering.

Hanekawa froze briefly.

Being a student—or a disciple—was a significant difference. It meant inheriting one's master's teachings.

He thought of Kurenai Yuhi's future self.

Could it be that the Water Release techniques of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, were passed down to her through Kosuke Maruboshi?

"Congratulations, Kurenai, on having such a great teacher," Hanekawa said with a smile.

Becoming Kosuke Maruboshi's student was no small privilege.

In the entire village of Konoha, aside from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kosuke's mastery of Water Release techniques was likely unparalleled.

But given Kurenai's background and talent, it wasn't feasible for her to become the Hokage's student.

Besides, Hiruzen Sarutobi had long since stopped taking on students.

"Yes!"

Kurenai Yuhi nodded in agreement.

At first, she hadn't heard of Kosuke Maruboshi and assumed his abilities were average. But the more time she spent with him, the more she realized how skilled he was.

To be blunt, she even thought her father, Shinku Yuhi, couldn't compare to him.

"With such praise from you two, I feel incredibly motivated!" Kosuke Maruboshi laughed heartily. "Kurenai, continue your training. Hanekawa, come with me."

"Got it."

Hanekawa waved to Kurenai and followed Kosuke.

The two moved to a nearby clearing, just far enough to avoid disturbing Kurenai.

"The Shadow Clone Jutsu is a B-rank technique invented by the Second Hokage," Kosuke began, stopping to explain the technique.

The standard Shadow Clone Jutsu typically allows the user to create two clones. Any more than that becomes the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Unlike the basic Clone Jutsu, Shadow Clone Jutsu creates physical duplicates using chakra. These clones have independent consciousness, some resistance to attacks, and can even perform jutsu.

When the clones are dispelled, their memories and experiences return to the original body.

In the original story, Naruto Uzumaki's rapid growth was due to his use of the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. Simply put, it acted like a multiplier for experience.

However, the technique comes with significant drawbacks.

First, it consumes an immense amount of chakra, as the clones split the original's chakra equally.

Second, when a large amount of experience and memory returns to the user, it can overwhelm their mind.

The combination of these effects can lead to severe consequences—ranging from mental impairment to death.

This is why the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu is classified as a forbidden technique.

Only a handful of individuals in the original story could use it recklessly. For most shinobi, even using the standard Shadow Clone Jutsu required caution, let alone its advanced version.

---

Time quickly flew by, and December arrived.

The streets of Konoha were already brimming with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Hanekawa successfully mastered both the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Crescent Moon Dance.

Additionally, he unlocked a C-rank perk: "Earth Release Chunin", which increased the power of his Earth Release techniques by 50%.

This was largely thanks to Kakashi Hatake, who sparred with him daily.

Although Hanekawa rarely won, his skills improved significantly, making him on par with Kakashi's original timeline strength.

Hanekawa pushed open his window, and a wave of cold air hit him.

Snowflakes drifted through the air in Konoha, though it was only a light snowfall.

At that moment, three lines of text appeared before his eyes:

[C-rank Talent Perk: Manga Artist (Acquired)]

[Trigger Condition: Possess three bestselling manga.]

[Effect: Vision increases by 30% from its original level.]

Vision?

Hanekawa felt a sudden surge in his eyes and noticed that distant scenery became much clearer.

__

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