Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: A Puff of Monkey Fur, Countless Clones!

After witnessing the grand battle between the Tailed Beasts, Shūichi returned to Konoha, feeling quite satisfied. He organized the information he had gathered and sent it to the Hokage's office via a crow, while he himself retreated to his study. There, he carefully transcribed the seal patterns of Shukaku onto a blank scroll.

After studying the patterns for a while, a look of delight appeared on Shūichi's face. "This is a real treasure!"

"These seal patterns can completely form a set of talismans..."

Shūichi picked up pen and paper, beginning to analyze and combine Shukaku's seal patterns, one by one creating talismans that he wrote onto the paper.

Before he knew it, night had fallen.

As Shūichi put down his pen and examined the talismans he'd inscribed, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

"This is... similar to the Adamantine Sealing Chains' effect?"

"Not just that, there are traces of binding seals as well."

Furrowing his brow, Shūichi pondered, "The origin of the Tailed Beasts is the Divine Tree. The Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques trace back to the Sage of Six Paths, and further beyond that, to Kaguya ōtsutsuki and the Divine Tree."

"When you think of it that way, it's not so strange."

"However, compared to Shukaku's seal patterns, the sealing techniques I've learned, including the Adamantine Sealing Chains, all seem more complex."

"Shukaku's patterns, on the other hand, give off a more... primitive feeling."

So, is this power from the Sage of Six Paths, or does it still stem from the Divine Tree?

Just as Shūichi was lost in thought, he heard some noise from outside.

Asuka and Nonō had returned.

That evening, Shūichi did not travel to the Land of Wind. Instead, he continued to study the power of the Adamantine Sealing Chains with Asuka. His new insights from Shukaku's seal patterns complemented his understanding, leading to even more breakthroughs.

But just as he was about to fall asleep at 10 PM, memories from one of his shadow clones suddenly flowed back to him, making him pause—and then smile.

"Ah, of course! How could I have forgotten? Since shadow clones are physical entities, they too can absorb natural energy by transforming into a Tailed Beast to restore stamina and chakra."

Shūichi remembered that Naruto's clones were able to recover stamina and chakra through medical treatment from Tsunade.

Without hesitation, he created another shadow clone to send off to the Land of Wind, and then peacefully went to sleep.

In the following days, Shūichi himself shuttled back and forth between Konoha and the Land of Wind. However, he spent most of his time training in Konoha, while leaving the task of gathering intelligence to his shadow clones.

Even the troublemaking was left to the clones.

Additionally, after discovering that his shadow clones could restore stamina by transforming into Tailed Beasts and absorbing natural energy, Shūichi's main body didn't need to travel as much.

However, while playing the role of a disruptor, he couldn't be as blatant as before in impersonating the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.

Instead, his shadow clones simultaneously posed as Iwa, Suna, and Kiri ninja, creating chaos in non-primary battlefields and behind enemy lines. This only intensified the already heated conflict between the three factions.

Resentment isn't just an individual emotion—groups can harbor it too!

Even though both Iwa and Suna, as well as Kiri, sensed that something was off, the chaotic nature of the battlefield made investigation difficult. And with Shūichi's clones never leaving any survivors, there was no evidence left behind.

There was nothing to investigate, and no time to conduct a thorough search.

Suna, in particular, found itself in a difficult position, as it was already strained fighting a war on two fronts.

...

As the fierce battle between the three great ninja villages raged on, the tension across the entire shinobi world escalated.

Konoha began its preparations for war, bolstering the border defense forces both in the north and the west.

Even Jiraiya, who had been traveling abroad, returned. The first thing he did was seek out Shūichi for some "inspiration."

After dealing with Jiraiya using various distractions like bunny girls and cat girls, Shūichi immersed himself in his own training and research.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, summer turned to fall, and the chill of late autumn began to set in.

Under the waterfall that he regularly trained beneath, created by his Earth and Water Release, Shūichi stood with his entire body weighted down, swinging a large sword.

This sword had been taken from the ANBU. It was the same type that the burly Akimichi Chōgan once used, but in Shūichi's hands—standing just over 1.6 meters tall—it appeared enormous.

Yet under the waterfall, Shūichi wielded it with ease and grace, without a hint of clumsiness.

He had been training his physical potential with this blade since June and had long since become accustomed to it.

Under this intense training regimen, Shūichi noticed a significant increase in his chakra capacity in a relatively short period.

After half an hour of sword practice under the waterfall, Shūichi sat cross-legged beneath the cascade, letting the water crash over him while watching Kakashi and Might Guy sparring nearby.

It was rare for both of them to be free of missions.

"Huh?"

Shūichi suddenly noticed that Kakashi was being overpowered. Not only that, but Might Guy's speed and strength had noticeably increased.

It had only been a short while since he last saw them—how had Guy improved so quickly?

Had he removed his weights?

Probably not.

Could it be...?

Shūichi stood up and walked out of the water onto the shore.

A moment later, Kakashi fell, defeated, while Might Guy knelt on one knee, gasping for breath, sweat pouring from him like rain.

Shūichi stepped forward and placed a hand on Guy's shoulder, using the Strength of a Hundred Seal technique to inject chakra into Guy's body, relieving his fatigue. With a smile, he said, "Guy, it looks like you've developed a secret technique of your own!"

With his chakra replenished, Might Guy stood up, grinning, "You really can't fool Shūichi! This is a forbidden taijutsu technique my father passed down to me!"

Shūichi glanced at Kakashi, who was still lying on the ground, panting, and nodded with a smile, "The results speak for themselves."

Kakashi spoke up, "Hey, shouldn't you help me recover too?"

Without turning around, Shūichi waved his hand dismissively, "Kakashi, you can recover on your own. I'm more interested in testing Guy's forbidden technique."

Might Guy explained, "This taijutsu is called the Eight Gates. It's a technique that releases the limits on the body's eight gates, greatly enhancing physical abilities."

"Just now, I opened the First Gate—the Gate of Opening."

Guy continued seriously, "This gate releases the brain's restrictions on the body, allowing me to use 100% of my physical strength. However, it comes at the cost of overloading the body's energy, which is why my speed, strength, and stamina saw such a drastic increase."

Shūichi nodded, "The human body indeed has many hidden limits. For example, if the pain becomes too intense, we pass out. Fainting is actually a form of protection from the brain."

"And the same applies to chakra. Once we reach a certain threshold in chakra exhaustion, we also lose consciousness, as part of the body's self-defense mechanism."

Kakashi, now sitting up, listened intently, while Might Guy appeared to have an epiphany.

Shūichi continued, "That's why the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu is classified as forbidden—it bypasses the body's natural limits, draining physical strength excessively, which can result in life-threatening chakra depletion."

Kakashi stood up, "So, that's the reason why the Eight Gates are also forbidden techniques."

"By overriding the brain's restrictions, excessive consumption of energy would lead directly to death, rather than simply passing out for self-preservation."

Shūichi nodded, then looked at Guy, "So, Guy, you need to be fully aware of your stamina."

Guy nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, my father warned me about this. That's why I need to train even harder, so that my body can grow strong enough to handle opening more of the gates and the power they unleash."

With a determined grin, Guy added, "With the Eight Gates, I'm confident I can become a Chūnin this year!"

Konoha held Chūnin Exams twice a year—once in July, and again around mid-November, which wasn't too far off now.

"Well then, I'll be looking forward to it," Shūichi said with a smile before his tone shifted, "But for now, why don't you show me the power of the Eight Gates?"

"I was just about to suggest that!"

Fueled by passion, Might Guy opened the Gate of Opening again, his form blurring as he charged at Shūichi, leaving afterimages in his wake.

The taijutsu spar began, with Kakashi watching from the sidelines, analyzing the movements of both fighters.

Meanwhile, Shūichi was deep in thought.

Not only had Guy's speed and strength improved, but he could now execute techniques he couldn't before.

However, after assessing the situation, Shūichi concluded that the Eight Gates were rather useless for him.

Moments later, Guy collapsed on the ground, exhausted yet content. "Shūichi, you truly are my eternal rival!"

Kakashi approached and asked, "Shūichi, your stamina... it's probably far greater than ours by now, isn't it?"

Shūichi gave it some thought and replied, "Roughly... 26 times yours, I'd say."

Kakashi broke into a cold sweat upon hearing that, while the downed Guy looked equally stunned. "Shūichi, do you have some kind of special body? That's... that's just absurd!"

Even Kakashi found it hard to believe.

Shūichi chuckled, "Maybe it's just natural talent."

In truth, based on his earlier estimates, his stamina should have been around 24 Kakashis.

But after continuously doubling his physical prowess, eating Four-Tails meat, and further honing his potential, his chakra levels had now reached the equivalent of 26 Kakashis.

Of course, this comparison was based on the current Kakashi.

For his age, this amount of chakra was indeed quite outrageous—far surpassing the peak level of Nonō Yakushi.

Even Asuka, who had massive chakra reserves and was approaching her peak as an adult, only had about 10 times Shūichi's capacity. It was far from the terrifying 30 times gap they once had.

But it was clear that Asuka's chakra reserves had grown significantly over the past few years.

Seeing the expressions on both of their faces, Shūichi smiled and said, "Hard work can also increase your stamina."

"And there's one more crucial factor."

Kakashi and Guy both focused intently on Shūichi.

With a serious expression, Shūichi declared, "You need to eat more!"

Guy's face lit up with understanding as he nodded earnestly, "I see! Looks like I'll need to increase my meal portions from now on."

"After all, Shūichi was the champion of the first-ever eating contest, and no one's broken his record yet!"

With renewed determination, Guy looked at Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, let's enter the eating contest again this year!"

Kakashi nodded, taking Shūichi's advice seriously. He also resolved to start eating more.

Perhaps he could even try training with weights and practicing under waterfalls.

...

After their exchange, everyone resumed their respective training.

Shūichi returned to his spot under the waterfall, shifting his focus to the Tag Tree.

Tag: Taijutsu Master

Condition to Obtain: Create a forbidden taijutsu technique on par with the Eight Gates.

Tag Effect: Physical strength +100%, Recovery speed +100%, Resistance to injuries +100%, Control over the body +100%.

Looking at the newly triggered Taijutsu Master tag, Shūichi didn't know what to think.

Creating a taijutsu technique comparable to the Eight Gates... That was no easy feat.

After all, Guy was able to kick around opponents at the level of the Six Paths with the Eight Gates!

While different people would experience different results with the Eight Gates, it was clear the technique had immense potential.

Shūichi had initially assumed the requirement was to master the Eight Gates. If that had been the case, he would have trained in it, even if it was of little use to him, just for the benefits.

But now... Shūichi felt a bit overwhelmed.

"Guess I'll set it aside for now..."

Reluctantly, Shūichi shifted his gaze away.

...

Time flew by, and November passed in the blink of an eye. Just as he predicted, Might Guy was finally promoted to Chunin.

At the same time, Uchiha Obito once again failed the Chunin exam, and for the umpteenth time, was defeated by Guy.

Shūichi Hoshita, who had gone to spectate the match, couldn't help but feel speechless. Obito clearly had decent strength. Among the graduates of his cohort, he was actually one of the better ones.

But for some reason, Obito always seemed to fall apart at critical moments.

This time, it was his stomach acting up. In the middle of his duel with Guy, Shūichi could even hear his stomach rumbling.

Looking at Obito, both frustrating and amusing at the same time, Shūichi felt a growing sense of urgency.

With the outbreak of the Great Ninja War, the preparations of Uchiha Madara — who's lying in wait with his tubes hooked up — were advancing fast! And then there's Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, who are likely out there actively searching for their targets.

Unfortunately, Shūichi had not been able to track down any trace of Black Zetsu or White Zetsu during his time in the Land of Wind.

Maybe his sensory ninjutsu just wasn't up to par!

...

As time entered December of the 44th year of Konoha, the wars involving the Sand, Stone, and Mist villages started to shift.

The Iwagakure forces had retreated to the borders of the Land of Wind. However, thanks to the change in terrain and the shortened supply lines, they managed to stabilize their position with the support of the Bird Country.

Yet Rasa had indeed led the Sunagakure forces to push back the Iwagakure ninjas.

On December 8th of Konoha's 44th year, Rasa, backed by his great accomplishments, officially became the Fourth Kazekage.

At the same time, the battle between Sunagakure and Kirigakure had reached a stalemate.

In his study, Shūichi was sorting through the latest intelligence reports his shadow clones had gathered. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to include his analysis of the current situation.

He predicted that next year, Sunagakure would likely seek peace talks with Kirigakure and form an alliance. Only by doing so would they be able to focus all their forces on fighting Iwagakure.

This choice was also closely related to how Rasa had ascended to power by defeating the Iwagakure forces.

Given the current state of affairs, a reconciliation between Sunagakure and Iwagakure seemed much less likely.

If Sunagakure and Kirigakure did form an alliance, they would share common interests and a united goal.

In the end, Shūichi recommended: "Reinforce the border of the Land of Rivers and remain vigilant of Kirigakure!"

After writing his analysis, he sent the report to the Hokage's office via his messenger crow.

Then, he returned his focus to his own training.

December had arrived, and it was time to make use of his "Flash of Insight."

Technically, this ability could be used once a year, at any time. However, he had deliberately waited until December to ensure maximum preparation and efficiency, aiming to make the most of the 10 minutes of heightened productivity.

But there were many problems to solve, and he needed to prioritize.

"First, the sealing jutsu, especially the key point related to souls... though that might be a bit tricky."

"Next, sensory ninjutsu. I need to improve the Listening Technique and integrate malicious intent detection..."

"And then there's enhancing the Bijuu Sealing Mark. Currently, the seal only boosts Fire Release techniques, and it can't store natural energy yet. While I've made progress on the energy storage, there's been no breakthrough on expanding the range of amplification. Maybe I need to focus on absorbing natural energy from tailed beasts and converting it into stamina?"

"Or, should I focus on improving the Bijuu Sealing Mark and attempt Sage Mode using the *Hundred Seals Technique?"

Shūichi mentally organized his thoughts.

Further down the list was the development of the Tailed Clone Technique, which was connected to the Substitution Jutsu.

Even further down were S-rank Earth Release defensive jutsu and techniques like the Electromagnetic Cannon for Lightning Release, which were lower in priority.

After carefully reviewing his plans, Shūichi was just about to head to the research lab when he received feedback from one of his shadow clones.

"It worked at last!"

Shūichi's face lit up with joy.

The memory that had returned came from a clone working on the Eight-Tails research at the lab.

After combing through the clone's feedback, Shūichi had a revelation. "The key is in the cells..."

The Tailed Clone Technique of the Eight-Tails involved using part of its body to form a clone, which made it undetectable even to the Sharingan.

This concept was similar to the Wood Clone Technique of Hashirama Senju, which had a similarly high level of undetectability.

The Wood Clone worked because it was infused with Hashirama's life force — the powerful Yang Release chakra.

In essence, there were key similarities between the Tailed Clone Technique and the Wood Clone Technique.

Using a living body part as a medium for creating clones wasn't new to Shūichi. His Crow Clone Technique operated on a similar principle.

Thus, creating a clone using a part of his own body as a medium wasn't particularly difficult for him.

In fact, Shūichi had previously tried using his own hair as a medium for clones. Unfortunately, the results weren't as impressive. The deception wasn't much better than his crow clones or shadow clones.

What he hadn't anticipated was that the real key was using living cells!

As if a paper-thin barrier had finally been pierced, Shūichi couldn't help but feel a wave of regret at not realizing this sooner.

After all, a strand of hair plucked from his head might not contain living cells.

But if the hair still had its follicle attached, the results were entirely different.

A small overlooked detail had cost him a lot of time.

"At least the research on the Eight-Tails wasn't in vain, especially regarding its regenerative abilities. The time wasn't wasted."

Comforting himself, Shūichi pulled out a strand of hair with the follicle attached and used it as the medium for a clone.

It posed no challenge for him.

Poof!

A clone appeared.

Shūichi examined it closely, then smiled with satisfaction.

It was far more convincing than a shadow clone. This clone not only possessed his chakra but also his cells.

Immediately, Shūichi began testing the clone.

First, he inflicted serious injuries, but the clone remained intact.

Next, he dealt a lethal blow. The clone collapsed but maintained its form for a while, only dispersing after its chakra could no longer sustain the life force within the cells.

This made the clone far more useful as a substitution than any other clone techniques.

Additionally, it shared the same deceptive properties as the Tailed Clone Technique.

Staring at the strand of hair that had fallen to the ground, Shūichi absentmindedly touched his own hair. "Good thing I'm a medical ninja and can regenerate my hair follicles. Otherwise, if I used this too much, I'd end up bald."

"But it doesn't have to be head hair. Any hair with a follicle would work."

With that thought, Shūichi couldn't help but recall a certain all-powerful monkey.

He chuckled. "A handful of monkey hair, and there'd be countless clones!"

If he did the same... the image was too much to bear!

(End of Chapter)

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