Naruto:Ten Skill Bar

As Gekkō Hayate stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage's sharp gaze bore into him, radiating an intensity that made even a seasoned Special Jōnin like Hayate feel the weight of it. Despite his years of service, Hayate found himself swallowing hard under the Hokage's scrutiny.

"Today," Hayate began, his voice steady but respectful, "I was teaching a clansman some swordsmanship. To my surprise, I discovered his extraordinary talent for the art."

"Extraordinary talent?" Hiruzen's tone carried a hint of skepticism.

"Yes," Hayate affirmed. "After watching me demonstrate the basics once, he perfected the movements in two attempts. But that wasn't all—when I taught him the ten forms of Konoha-ryu swordsmanship, he not only learned them after a single demonstration but executed them more perfectly than I did."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed, his curiosity piqued. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled as he studied Hayate's expression.

---

"Better than you?"

Hiruzen's disbelief wasn't unwarranted. Gekkō Hayate was renowned as one of the finest practitioners of Konoha-ryu swordsmanship in the village. His mastery had earned him his rank, despite his lack of physical prowess and chakra reserves.

For someone to surpass Hayate after merely watching a single demonstration was almost inconceivable.

"Who is this boy?" Hiruzen asked finally, his tone measured.

"Gekkō Ishisaki," Hayate replied, standing straighter. "He's my cousin, a student at the Ninja Academy, and will graduate in just over a month."

"A student?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "How has such a prodigy gone unnoticed until now?"

Hayate nodded as though anticipating the question. "The Gekkō Clan is small, and swordsmanship isn't part of the Academy curriculum. Without exposure to a blade, there was no opportunity for his talent to surface until now."

Hiruzen mulled over the explanation. It made sense—Konoha's smaller clans often struggled to gain visibility. Still, if Ishisaki's talent was as remarkable as Hayate claimed, it warranted closer attention.

---

A Plan in Motion

"If you're willing, Hokage-sama, I can bring Ishisaki here for a demonstration," Hayate offered, eager to dispel any doubts.

Hiruzen shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I trust your judgment."

The words filled Hayate with pride and relief.

Hiruzen continued, his tone thoughtful. "If his talent is as exceptional as you claim, he must be nurtured properly. However, he has not yet graduated, and the village's resources are limited. For now, it falls to you to guide him. Ensure he develops this talent to its fullest potential."

Hayate bowed deeply. "Of course, Hokage-sama. I won't let him—or the village—down."

"Good," Hiruzen said, dismissing him with a wave. "Now go. I have other matters to attend to."

As Hayate left, Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly. He tapped his fingers against his desk, lost in thought. If this boy's talent is real, he could become a powerful asset. Or, if mishandled, a dangerous liability.

---

Back at Home

Meanwhile, Gekkō Ishisaki sat cross-legged on the floor of his home, still focused on his system interface. His mind buzzed with questions about Active Skill 3: Unknown.

"What changes could ninjutsu bring to the passive skill bar?" Ishisaki muttered aloud, hoping the skill itself might provide some insight.

---

[Unknown: Insufficient information. Please test manually.]

Ishisaki sighed. "So I have to figure it out myself, huh?"

Still, he couldn't deny that Active Skill 3 had already proven invaluable. Its ability to help him learn new skills quickly was nothing short of miraculous.

For now, though, his focus shifted to a long-standing question: What happens if I place a ninjutsu into the passive skill bar?

---

Reallocating the Skill Bar

Ishisaki began reshuffling his skill bar to make room for his experiment.

[Passive Skills 1–5: Chakra Refining Technique]

Chakra remained his foundation. These slots were non-negotiable.

[Passive Skill 6: School-Level Taijutsu]

Taijutsu's incremental boosts to physical fitness were equally essential.

That left Passive Skill 7 as the testing ground.

---

The Legacy of Water Style

From his storage, Ishisaki retrieved a scroll—the only inheritance left to him by his parents.

It was a Water Style ninjutsu scroll containing the Water Style: Water Colliding Wave technique. This C-rank jutsu had taken Ishisaki three grueling years to master, made possible only by his affinity for the water element, inherited from his father.

Carefully, Ishisaki placed the jutsu into the seventh passive skill slot.

[Passive Skill 7: Water Style – Water Colliding Wave]

[Skill successfully installed.]

"Let's see what happens now," Ishisaki murmured, his eyes glued to the interface.

---

Testing Begins

As seconds ticked by, Ishisaki noticed a new notification appear.

[Passive Skill 7 completed once.]

"Once every twenty seconds," Ishisaki noted. "Not bad. But what's the effect?"

Before he could finish his thought, the system chimed again.

[Unknown: Host is learning new skills. Skill analysis initiated.]

[Analysis: 2%...]

"Wait, what skill is it analyzing?" Ishisaki asked, confused. "I didn't do anything new!"

The percentage ticked up slowly with each twenty-second interval.

[Passive Skill 7 completed once.]

[Analysis: 4%...]

"It's still analyzing…" Ishisaki murmured. "But what skill could it possibly—"

---

[Analysis Complete.]

Seventeen minutes later, the system delivered its verdict.

[Congratulations! Host has acquired a new skill: Nature Transformation – Water.]

End of the Chapter.

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