[Phantom: After activation, attacks generate phantom afterimages that increase damage]
[Swap: Allows position exchange with a clone]
[Consciousness: Allows transferring consciousness into a clone]
Akira carefully examined the three options.
The first one increased attack power—but he wasn't sure how it applied.
If it only boosted close combat, its value was limited. His current fighting style relied almost entirely on long-range ninjutsu to ambush enemies. In close combat, he wasn't confident he could beat most of the opponents he'd been running into.
But if this buff applied to ninjutsu, then it would be extremely useful.
The second option overlapped with Substitution Technique, though swapping positions with clones felt… familiar.
"So I'm cosplaying Shisui now?" Akira muttered.
Granted, the mechanics probably weren't identical—but the effect felt close enough.
Shisui wasn't even born yet anyway. When the time came, it'd be hard to say who was copying whom. Whoever used it first had the right to speak.
As for the third option—
"This doesn't boost combat much," Akira said thoughtfully, "but it's useful in other areas."
Transferring consciousness into a clone was effectively a body immune to physical harm. But clones were still illusions—unable to deal damage—better suited for scouting or communication.
That wasn't what he wanted.
He only cared about combat power.
"In the end, the best value really is Phantom."
He made his choice.
[Clone Technique (Lv.10) – MAX]
Trait: Phantom
The moment the selection was confirmed, a flood of research memories about Clone Technique poured into his mind.
He immediately tested it.
Wei—Si—Yin.
Chakra rippled through his body.
Nothing appeared.
"…Can this still even be called Clone Technique?" Akira complained.
The technique had become a buff-type skill—once activated, it stayed on, similar to Unknown Fire. It no longer created independent clones.
He threw a punch.
A phantom fist appeared at the same time, overlapping perfectly with his real one.
"Double hit?"
By feeding more chakra into the technique, the number of afterimages increased—each one stacking additional attack power.
He activated Bear Pummel.
Chakra condensed into a massive bear-paw shape around his hand—then a phantom bear paw overlapped it.
"Clones now function as a second strike… but only for an instant."
The current Clone Technique could now augment ninjutsu.
However, doing so increased chakra consumption, and the phantom attack only existed for a single burst. The original jutsu retained its sustained effects, while the clone portion was a one-time explosion.
"In other words—"
"It's like casting the same jutsu twice at once."
The chakra cost was reasonable.
White smoke rose as the Clone Technique deactivated.
"This is a solid upgrade."
Unlike Transformation or Brain Fei, which drained chakra at an absurd rate, this was usable in real combat—as long as he avoided high-cost jutsu chains.
Of course, it had a dangerous flaw.
Once activated, it couldn't be stopped mid-cast.
If Akira used a jutsu while low on chakra, the Clone Technique would forcibly duplicate it anyway—draining whatever remained.
The result?
Death by overdraw.
This was a skill that demanded discipline.
With more than 30,000 EXP remaining, Akira first leveled up twice.
[Name: I'm Hyūga Akira]
[Class: Hunter]
[Level: Lv.23 (0/7500)]
[Chakra / Nen: 1080 / 1010 +50 +20]
He still had around 24,000 EXP left.
He invested 5,000 into Nen.
[Nen (Lv.2) – EXP (0/10000)]
Advanced Nen techniques and combat experience flooded his mind. His control improved dramatically—without increasing chakra consumption.
He added another 10,000 EXP.
[Nen (Lv.3) – EXP (0/20000)]
This time, the three core Nen applications became far clearer.
Shū: Extending Nen through Ten to reinforce objects in contact with the body.
Shuriken: Heavy Fire Mode just got stronger.
In: Concealing Nen to make attacks difficult to detect.
Against ordinary sensor-type ninja, this was extremely effective—though specialists who could see energy flow would still notice.
Gyo (Akira's own term: Condense): Focusing Nen into a specific body part to amplify it.
Akira's eyes lit up.
He still had around 9,000 EXP left.
Instead of leveling up, he invested it into Bear Pummel.
[Bear Pummel (Lv.5) – EXP (0/1600)]
[Bear Pummel (Lv.6) – EXP (0/3200)]
[Bear Pummel (Lv.7) – EXP (0/6400)]
With about 4,900 EXP remaining, he poured everything into Byakugan.
[Byakugan (Lv.3) – EXP (0/900)]
[Byakugan (Lv.4) – EXP (0/2700)]
[Byakugan (Lv.5) – EXP (0/8100)]
Akira opened his eyes.
A flash of pale white light shimmered within them.
His vision expanded—farther, sharper.
"…I'm terrifyingly strong now."
His close-combat ability had improved, but his long-range combat had advanced by leaps and bounds.
With Byakugan to lock onto targets, Shū to reinforce shuriken, plus Bear Pummel, Clone Technique, and Unknown Fire—
He could strike from kilometers away.
A true long-range sniper.
His original idea had finally come together.
Byakugan was meant for sniping.
He still had about 1,300 EXP left—kept in reserve.
From now on, his build would revolve entirely around enhancing this sniper playstyle.
If he could kill enemies from afar, he wouldn't even risk injury.
If they tried to track him down?
Substitution Technique.
With proper preparation, he could even snipe jōnin—maybe even a Kage.
Akira was already picturing a beautiful future.
There was no other ninja like him in the entire shinobi world. No one would even think to guard against this kind of attack.
"…Still, I should field-test it."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
This sniper mode was freshly developed. He needed real data.
Man, I really want to test it on Hanzo.
A shinobi on par with a Kage would give insane experience.
Akira's current job had effectively turned him into Hanzo's political advisor.
He followed Hanzo around all day, doing nothing. At night, he was sent back to rest.
And every question Hanzo asked revolved around controlling nobles.
The problem was—Akira was mostly improvising. He had ideas, not execution plans.
And he really didn't want to stay a decorative ornament.
So he made a direct request.
"Lord Hanzo," Akira said plainly,
"I want to go out and take missions."
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