Lying in bed and focusing his mind, Hatani once again entered the game interface.
After using Wind Style: Powershot earlier, he had been plagued by a splitting headache and found himself unable to access the system. However, once the pain subsided, everything returned to normal, much to his relief.
While his "cheat" didn't seem particularly overpowered and came with plenty of restrictions, it was still his only lifeline. If it had simply vanished, he would have been beyond devastated.
He glanced at his current gold reserves, and a wave of melancholy washed over him.
Between the Rain Chunin and the Genin he'd killed, the system had awarded him a total of 217 gold—42 for the Genin and 175 for the Chunin. Killing the Suna Jonin, Parashia, had netted him 325. This allowed him to map out the general reward structure.
Ordinary Genin were essentially "lane creeps," worth between 35 and 70 gold. Chunin were akin to low-level heroes, yielding 150 to 200. As for Jonin, the bounty mirrored a high-level hero kill—anywhere from 200 to over 300 gold, likely depending on the target's specific strength or his own "kill rating."
Even after jumping two ranks to take down a Jonin like Parashia, he only had 590 gold. It was barely enough to buy a Bracer, a Wraith Band, or a Null Talisman. He was still miles away from the "luxury items" that cost four or five thousand.
Unlocking the next hero seemed just as distant. Even the cheapest option, Phantom Lancer, required 2,500 gold.
However, something caught his eye that left him suspicious. He distinctly remembered that the cost to unlock Phantom Lancer was originally 3,500 gold—500 more than Windranger. Now, for some reason, the price had dropped by a full 1,000 gold.
And that wasn't the only surprise. A new name had appeared in his hero gallery: Marci.
She sat behind Phantom Lancer and Juggernaut in the queue, requiring 4,500 gold to unlock.
"Is this system updating in real-time?"
These two changes gave him a new perspective on the system and set his mind racing for a cause.
"Is Marci a new hero because the DOTA 2 game in my previous life just updated, and the system synced up?"
The addition of Marci was easy enough to rationalize. The sudden appearance of a hero that hadn't been there before was most likely due to a content update. But the price drop for Phantom Lancer was a total head-scratcher. He felt as lost as Louis XVI at a guillotine—completely headless.
The confusion only deepened when he saw that Juggernaut, the second hero in the queue, remained unchanged at 4,000 gold.
He racked his brain, retracing everything he had done recently, searching for any action that might have influenced the system. Suddenly, a realization flashed through his mind like a lightning bolt, much like Conan discovering a hidden clue.
"Wait... is it because I learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu today?!"
The Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Originally invented by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to increase administrative efficiency, the jutsu was simple, practical, and versatile—perfect for study, espionage, and combat. After its creation, it had spread rapidly throughout the shinobi world.
But while the Shadow Clone technique was famous, less than half of the shinobi in the world could actually master it. As a B-rank ninjutsu, it wasn't something you could just pick up on a whim.
For the vast majority of Genin who survived on kunai, paper bombs, traps, and a handful of C-rank jutsu, a B-rank technique like Shadow Clone was a high-level prize they yearned for. Most Genin who lacked the potential to become Chunin would go their entire lives without ever touching it.
Fortunately, Hatani had an excellent mentor.
Though Mimura Shinji, the leader of Team 13, specialized in Fire and Earth and couldn't help with Wind Style, he was never stingy with other skills. Beyond sharing his combat experience, he had taught Hatani everything he could: Shurikenjutsu, trap-setting, and the D-rank Body Flicker.
He hadn't withheld the Shadow Clone Jutsu either. After observing Hatani for over six months and confirming he had the talent, Mimura-sensei had granted Hatani's request and taught him the technique just before they left for the Land of Rain.
But a B-rank jutsu is still a B-rank jutsu. Its ubiquitous reputation didn't make it any easier to learn.
Between the paper bomb traps, the Rain ambushes, the Suna pursuit, and the desperate flight of just him and Nawaki, Hatani hadn't had a moment of peace to settle down and study it. It was only after reaching Jiraiya and becoming his apprentice that he finally had the time and mental energy to focus.
Bolstered by Jiraiya's pointers and his own prior theorizing, Hatani had finally mastered the technique this afternoon.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Jiraiya had just stepped out of his room, yawning, intending to find a quiet spot to "contribute" some natural fertilizer to the Land of Rain's soil. The low shout instantly chased away his drowsiness.
"Hmm."
Seeing Hatani practicing under a tree, Jiraiya nodded with approval. Even though he still felt like he'd been "played" into this apprenticeship, he had to admit that Hatani was a dream student—talented, hardworking, and clever enough to think for himself. Without being told, most people wouldn't think to use Shadow Clones to accelerate their training speed.
However, just as Jiraiya assumed Hatani was about to use clones to master Wind Style faster, reality slapped him in the face.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Hatani summoned a clone, immediately dispelled it, and then instantly wove the signs to summon another.
"..."
Jiraiya wasn't sure if it was the pressure on his bladder or Hatani's actions, but he felt a twitch of sheer annoyance.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
When Hatani dispelled the second clone only to summon a third, the feeling intensified.
If the kid was trying to test his limits to see how many clones he could maintain, that would be one thing. But what was the point of summoning and dispelling them instantly?
Even if you're just practicing the seal, you should at least observe the clone after it appears to find flaws and improve, right?
But this? This looked like he was just... playing around.