Host: Sakamoto Tatsuma
Attributes:
STR (Power): 1576 / 1984
SPD (Speed): 1821 / 3893
PHY (Physique): 1701 / 3490
INT (Intelligence): 1205 / 1432
NIN (Ninjutsu): 1193 / 1547
GEN (Genjutsu): 661 / 1013
ENG (Energy): 1236 / 1757
SEA (Seals): 1344 / 1682
Special Talents:
Space-Time: 80%
Ninjutsu Development: 70%
Ninja Tool Projection (Minato Limited Edition): 90%
Sensing: 55%
Sealing (Kushina Limited Edition): 30%
These were the values currently displayed on Tatsuma's system. Every single attribute cap had already crossed the threshold for a Chunin, and his current "realized" stats—aside from Genjutsu—had all officially entered the Chunin rank as well.
Even Genjutsu was showing promise. Not long ago, he had finally learned Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, meaning he was no longer relying solely on Genjutsu: Release to grind his progress.
Furthermore, after his attributes surpassed the 1,000-point mark, his "conversion rate"—the speed at which he could turn potential into actual stats—had improved. It used to be a grueling one point per day, occasionally two; now, it had accelerated to two points per day, occasionally three.
At this rate, in six months at most, his overall combat strength would perfectly align with the Chunin standard.
However, Tatsuma still suffered from a slight lack of confidence when it came to real-world application. His only consistent sparring partner was Minato, and the two of them were simply too familiar with one another. They knew each other's habits so well that it was impossible to gauge his true standing against a stranger.
As for the others in their class... they were simply too weak. Even Tenfu Uchiha couldn't force Tatsuma to go all out. Because of this, he was actually quite hopeful that Kushina would prove powerful enough to act as a proper litmus test for his current level.
Kushina watched Tatsuma emerge from behind the tree, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She was terrified he was using another Transformation Jutsu to bait her. But after a few seconds of scrutiny, she realized she couldn't tell the difference anyway, so she tossed caution to the wind and charged.
Thud!
Another strike landed with a heavy, muffled sound. This time, however, there was no smoke—only the solid impact of Kushina's fist slamming into Tatsuma's braced forearm.
The force of the blow sent Tatsuma skidding back two steps. His jaw tightened; Kushina's raw strength was immense. By his internal estimate, her physical power exceeded his own by at least thirty percent.
Seeing him forced back, Kushina let out a proud huff. But before she could get a word of mockery out, several shuriken appeared in Tatsuma's right hand.
Whiz—!
Three shuriken flew toward her in a triangular formation, spinning through the air. Kushina bit back her retort and drew a kunai, expertly parrying the projectiles.
By the time the last shuriken was deflected, she looked back to see Tatsuma's hands already finishing a series of seals.
"Paralysis Jutsu!"
Instantly, Kushina felt as though invisible ropes had cinched around her limbs, torso, and neck. She was frozen mid-step, unable to move a muscle.
The Paralysis Jutsu, also known as the Body Binding Technique, was a simple D-rank jutsu, but it was incredibly versatile. The duration and strength of the bind depended entirely on the amount of chakra injected. Tatsuma hadn't used much; he didn't need a long bind. He only needed an opening for one move.
While Kushina was immobilized, Tatsuma reformed the Seal of Confrontation. In a flash, he triggered the Body Flicker Technique.
A standard Body Flicker is just a D-rank ninjutsu that uses chakra to vitalize the body for a sudden burst of speed. For Tatsuma and Minato, mastering this took less than a day. They had already figured out the principles of physical vitalization while studying Jiraiya's Needle Jizo and Wild Lion's Mane Technique.
Tatsuma's execution was seamless. He seemed to vanish the moment his chakra surged, reappearing directly in front of Kushina.
"I won't let you!"
Kushina's panic quickly flared into a surge of humiliated rage. Her chakra erupted with a violent intensity, physically shattering the paralysis bind through sheer force. She swung a fist toward Tatsuma's face, which was currently twisted in mock shock.
Poof!
Just as a triumphant grin began to spread across Kushina's face, her fist connected with his cheek—only for him to dissolve into smoke.
"A Substitution?! No, a Clone!"
Staring at the empty space, Kushina felt a chill run down her spine. She spun around, searching for his shadow, failing to notice the ground beneath her feet shifting slightly.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
A pair of hands burst from the grass, seizing Kushina by the ankles and yanking her downward with a violent tug.
This was the only elemental ninjutsu Tatsuma had truly mastered, and the only one Minato hadn't managed to learn yet. Watching from the sidelines, Minato looked on with a clear sense of envy.
Tatsuma suspected the issue was elemental affinity; Minato likely lacked an Earth affinity, making it difficult for his chakra to resonate with the soil and reshape it. Of course, given enough time, Minato could probably learn it anyway—the Headhunter Jutsu was more about physical manipulation of the earth than a deep nature transformation. Affinities made the process easier, but they weren't always a hard requirement for low-level utility jutsu.
Tatsuma, however, wasn't thinking about Minato right now. He was fully focused on the struggle. Even though he had caught her by surprise, pulling Kushina into the earth was proving difficult.
After her initial shock, Kushina's reflexes kicked in. Though her lower body was already submerged, she slammed her palms into the grass, bracing herself to stop her descent. Her raw strength was still superior to his; after a brief, tense stalemate underground, Tatsuma realized he couldn't win a tug-of-war.
He let go, breached the surface, and instantly lunged with a kunai toward the half-buried girl.
"Dammit! All you do is play dirty tricks!"
Even trapped in the dirt, Kushina remained defiant. She pushed off the ground with one hand, trying to wrench herself free, while using her other hand to raise a kunai in a desperate parry.
Clang!
The blades collided. Because of her awkward positioning, Kushina couldn't bring her full strength to bear, allowing Tatsuma to finally match her in power. His blade skidded off hers, whistling past her ear and slicing through several strands of her long, red hair.
Seeing her hair cut, the frustration that had been building in Kushina finally boiled over into a primal, berserk fury. The surge of adrenaline gave her the strength she needed to tear herself out of the ground. In one fluid, acrobatic motion—reminiscent of a Capoeira-style handstand kick—she lunged at Tatsuma.
Tatsuma scrambled back, his hands moving frantically to parry the flurry of kicks. His reflexes were sharp enough to avoid the brunt of the assault, but Kushina had successfully reset the field, standing once again on even ground.
"Let's start over for real! You Seaweed-Head!" Kushina snarled, rolling her shoulders and glaring at him.
Tatsuma's eye twitched. He muttered under his breath, "You actually dared to insult my hair... Ninja Art: Needle Hell!"