There were still over sixty thousand experience points left.
Hyūga Akira scanned through his skill list, his gaze finally settling on one name.
Ogre Back.
It was a state-type skill. Once activated, it boosted all of his physical attributes across the board. departing from his usual style.
On the player forums, it had a rather famous nickname:
A beginner's god-tier skill.
Even though Akira had long since passed the newbie stage, Ogre Back was still ridiculously cost-effective for him.
More importantly, Ogre Back wasn't the end of the road.
What players really drooled over was its upgrade path—
Ogre Back + Ogre Brain = Ogre Form.
Once activated, Ogre Form inherited both the raw physical enhancement of Ogre Back and the terrifying growth potential of Ogre Brain. It was a true meta-defining state.
"Ogre Form, huh…"
Akira rubbed his chin.
"That means I'd need to farm Cloud ninja."
Kumogakure tended to drop martial-arts-type skills. They dominated early and mid-game, but fell off hard in the late game unless you switched builds.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now?
"Max Ogre Back."
Martial skills had one universal advantage—
Low EXP requirements.
Low to an absurd degree.
"Like I'm short on EXP or something."
System notifications began to flood his vision.
[Ogre Back (Lv.1) EXP (0/100)]
[Ogre Back (Lv.2) EXP (0/200)]
[Ogre Back (Lv.4) EXP (0/400)]
[Ogre Back (Lv.8) EXP (0/7400)]
[Ogre Back (Lv.9) EXP (0/14800)]
[Ogre Back (Lv.10) — MAX]
A trait selection window appeared.
[Talent]: Increases martial aptitude[Hardened]: Body becomes as tough as steel[Evolution]: Grows stronger through intense combat
"Talent?"
"What's a ninja supposed to do with martial talent—enter King of Fighters?"
Instant reject.
The second option was pure defense, but between chakra reinforcement and Nen-based protection, he already had that covered.
That left only one choice.
Evolution.
"'Intense combat,' huh…"
Akira frowned.
He preferred clean kills. One-shot solutions. Not drawn-out slugfests.
Still, objectively speaking, it was the best option.
[Ogre Back (Lv.10)]
Trait: Evolution
The moment he confirmed it, no memories flooded his mind.
Instead, his body changed.
Bones creaked.
Muscles expanded violently.
What had once been lean definition now hardened into something dense and solid, like reinforced stone beneath the skin.
From a clean-cut teenage ninja—
To a muscle-packed monster.
"…Huh?"
Inuzuka Moku froze on the spot.
"Akira… did you just change?"
"Your imagination," Akira replied flatly.
"That is absolutely not my imagination!!" Moku pointed at him. "Your art style completely changed!!"
"Woof!"
The black dog on his head nodded furiously in agreement.
This wasn't about strength anymore.
This was a genre shift.
"I just increased my purity a little," Akira said calmly.
"Your voice got deeper too!!"
What used to be a youthful tone now carried weight—low and resonant, like it echoed from deep in his chest.
"Kid."
Akira clenched his fist, muscles grinding audibly.
"Want to see how pure it is? I just finished a jutsu."
"…Oh." Moku nodded.
"—No, that explains nothing!!!"
Inside the Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the person in front of him in silence.
Then he glanced down at the personnel file on his desk.
The photo showed a refined, gentle-looking Hyūga boy.
Then he looked up again.
Sharp features.
Explosive musculature.
An oppressive presence that practically filled the room.
His eye twitched.
"…You're Hyūga Akira?"
"That's me." Akira looked back sideways. "Lord Hokage, you're overreacting."
"I just completed a self-created jutsu."
He clenched his fist.
Muscles bulged instantly. His clothes tore apart with a loud rip.
He turned around.
The muscles on his back twisted and formed the image of a ferocious oni.
"This is my new taijutsu."
"—Ogre Back."
The office went dead silent.
Then—
"THE ART STYLE IS COMPLETELY WRONG!!!"
Hiruzen slammed the desk.
"With a body like that, you should be competing in some underground death tournament, not serving as a ninja!!!"
Realizing he'd lost control, he coughed twice.
"…Anyway. Welcome back to Konoha, Hyūga Akira."
"Mm." Akira nodded, his muscles twitching slightly.
"PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON FIRST!!!!"
The roar shook the entire Hokage Tower.
Outside the Hokage Tower
Akira walked out shirtless, clicking his tongue.
"What a hassle."
Nearby ninja whispered among themselves.
"Didn't he just come out of the Hokage's office? Why is he half-naked?"
"I heard the Hokage has some… unusual preferences."
"…Seriously? Tell me more."
Some kunoichi blushed, sneaking glances.
"Those muscles with that face… kind of unfair."
Unaware of it all, Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation was collapsing at record speed.
Hashirama's Grandson Suffers Emotional Damage
The moment Senju Nawaki heard Akira was back, he ditched class and waited beneath the Hokage Tower.
When a familiar yet terrifying figure approached, a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Nawaki. What are you staring at?"
Nawaki stiffened, slowly looking up.
Muscles.
Pressure.
A familiar face—but an entirely different presence.
He forced out a polite, awkward smile.
"…Excuse me, sir. And you are?"
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