There were still over sixty thousand experience points left.
Hyuga Arin scanned through his skills and finally fixed his gaze on Demon Back.
This was a state-type skill—every time it was activated, all of his physical attributes increased.
He remembered clearly that on the forums, this skill was considered a newbie god-tier skill.
Even though he had long since passed the beginner stage, it was still extremely useful to him.
The most broken part was actually Demon Brain—that was the true newbie miracle skill. It allowed players to create monsters themselves and farm experience. Even if you couldn't beat anyone early on, you could just grind at home until you became a god.
And once Demon Back and Demon Brain were both maxed out, they could fuse into a state skill called Demon Person.
Demon Person inherited the traits of both Demon Brain and Demon Back—and was an enhanced version at that.
"Demon Person, huh… that's something you grind Cloud ninja for."
Cloud ninja dropped martial-arts-type skills. They were extremely popular in the early game, remained top-tier in the midgame, but in the late game you had to transition—pure martial builds just couldn't keep up with the meta anymore.
But right now?
"Max Demon Back for me!!"
Martial skills shared a common trait in the early game—
Low EXP requirements!!!
"As if I'm short on experience."
[Demon Back (Lv1)] EXP (0/100) – Trait (None)
[Demon Back (Lv2)] EXP (0/200) – Trait (None)
[Demon Back (Lv4)] EXP (0/400) – Trait (None)
[Demon Back (Lv8)] EXP (0/7400) – Trait (None)
[Demon Back (Lv9)] EXP (0/14800) – Trait (None)
[Demon Back (Lv10)] EXP (MAX) – Trait (Selectable)
[Talent]: Greatly enhances your martial combat aptitude
[Fortified]: Your body becomes as tough as bronze walls and iron ramparts
[Evolution]: Continuous intense battles will cause your strength to grow
"Talent-type? What's the point of boosting martial aptitude for a ninja? I'm not playing King of Fighters."
Hyuga Arin discarded the first option without hesitation.
The second was clearly a defense option—but his chakra-based defense, enhanced by Nen traits, was already more than sufficient.
That left only Evolution.
"Intense battles…" Hyuga Arin looked visibly displeased.
He liked one-shotting enemies. He didn't want drawn-out, intense battles.
[Demon Back (Lv10)] – Trait Selected: Evolution
This time, no memories flooded into his mind.
Instead, his body suddenly expanded.
The faintly visible muscles beneath his skin instantly became rock-solid, like carved stone.
He went from looking lean and soft—
To a straight-up muscle monster.
"Hyuga Arin… did you change?" Inuzuka Mei stared at him in shock.
"Your imagination," Hyuga Arin shot him a sideways glance.
"That's absolutely not imagination, hey!!" Inuzuka Mei vehemently denied it. "Your whole art style changed!!!"
"Woof!"
The little black dog on his head nodded in agreement.
This was definitely not an illusion!!
If not for the unchanged face, he would never believe this was Hyuga Arin.
Hyuga Arin gave him a look that said what a bumpkin.
"I just increased my purity a bit."
"Even your tone of voice changed!!"
From a normal teenage voice, it had become much deeper and thicker.
"Kid," Hyuga Arin clenched his fist impatiently. "Do you want to experience my purity? I just completed a ninjutsu, that's all."
"Oh… I see," Inuzuka Mei nodded as if enlightened.
"—LIKE HELL IT IS!!! Your way of speaking is completely different now!!"
What kind of ninjutsu changed a person this much?!
This was basically a different human being.
"You are… Hyuga Arin?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the sharp-featured youth before him. Beneath the traditional Hyuga robes, he could vaguely see explosively bulging muscles.
He looked down at the photo in the ninja file.
A clean, delicate-looking youth.
His eyelid twitched.
Are you sure these are the same person?
This wasn't just a different face—
The entire art style was wrong!!
This Hyuga Arin didn't look like a shinobi of the ninja world at all—
He looked like some monster about to enter a brutal underground death tournament!!!
…The youth division.
"Hokage-sama, don't make such a fuss," Hyuga Arin said, glancing sideways at Hiruzen.
"I simply completed a self-created ninjutsu. That's why I look like this."
He clenched his fist hard.
His muscles instantly swelled, tearing his clothes apart.
Turning around, he revealed his back—
Where bulging muscles formed the visage of a ferocious demon.
He tilted his head slightly and pointed at the demon face on his back.
"This is my new taijutsu—Demon Back!!"
"THE ART STYLE IS COMPLETELY WRONG!!!!"
Hiruzen slammed both hands on the desk and roared:
"You should go next door and enter a deathmatch tournament!!!"
Realizing he'd lost his composure, Hiruzen coughed twice.
"Ahem. In any case—welcome back to Konoha, Hyuga Arin."
"Mm." Hyuga Arin nodded, the muscles on his body twitching.
"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON FIRST!!!!"
Hiruzen's roar echoed through the entire Hokage's office.
Hyuga Arin walked out shirtless, pushing the door open and smacking his lips.
"So troublesome."
Passing shinobi immediately began whispering.
"He came out of the Hokage's office without a shirt…"
"I heard the Hokage has some… unspeakable hobbies."
"Wait, really? Tell me more."
"Still, those muscles… with that face… yeah, I get it~"
Some female ninja even blushed, sneaking glances at Hyuga Arin.
Honestly, they could kind of understand the Hokage's "preferences".
Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation was plummeting at record speed.
Completely unaware that his reputation was being brutally assassinated, Hiruzen was studying Hyuga Arin's file.
"So… he's completely fallen out with the Hyuga main house."
"But being able to obtain massive intelligence in Amegakure—his capability is unquestionable."
"Still… why did Danzo take Hyuga Arin under his wing?"
That part, Hiruzen truly couldn't understand.
A Hyuga branch member had no secrets in front of the main house—he didn't even dare let them enter ANBU.
Yet Danzo, of all people, had accepted Hyuga Arin into Root.
"What am I missing here?" Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
Danzo didn't tell him everything.
For example, Hyuga Arin's original undercover mission had been reassigned—by Danzo—to the Uchiha.
Danzo had once again, once again, persecuted the Uchiha.
Hiruzen only learned the full story after Hyuga Arin returned.
Because of Danzo's actions, Hyuga Arin's mission couldn't even be officially recorded—Hiruzen had personally suppressed it.
"…Danzo."
Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes.
Danzo was slipping beyond his control.
Upon hearing that Hyuga Arin had returned to the village,
Nawaki immediately skipped class and ran to the area beneath the Hokage Tower, waiting for his big brother to come down.
When Hyuga Arin finally walked up to him, he slapped a hand on Nawaki's shoulder.
"Nawaki, what are you staring at?"
Nawaki's body stiffened slightly.
Looking at the muscular youth before him, he forced out an awkward yet polite smile.
"Uh… and you are?"
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