Chapter 42: System Panel Update, Orochimaru's Lesson, and Iwa's Growing Concern
After calming his emotions, Naraku decided to open his system panel for the first time in a while to review his recent strength changes.
[System Member Level: Beginner]
[Name: Uchiha Naraku]
[Age: 9 years / 80 years]
[Chakra Natures: Fire, Water (new), Earth (new), Wind (new), Lightning (new), Yin, Yang]
[Sharingan: Single Tomoe → Right eye: Three Tomoe, Left eye: Two Tomoe]
[Body: B+ → A-]
[Spirit: B+ → A-]
[Chakra Reserves: 2 Ka → 10 Ka (Ka = Kakashi Hatake's jōnin-level chakra amount)]
[Chakra Control: Medium]
[Ninjutsu: Clone Technique (Proficient → Mastered), Transformation Technique (Proficient → Mastered), Substitution Technique (Proficient → Mastered), Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Proficient → Mastered), Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon, Hatake Sword Style (Advanced mastery), Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation (Proficient → Mastered), Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation (Incomplete) mastered, Eight Branches Technique (Incomplete) mastered, Shadow Clone Technique (Proficient → Mastered)]
[Taijutsu: Uchiha Style Taijutsu (Proficient → Mastered)]
[Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Naraku Vision Technique (Proficient → Mastered)] [High-Grade Weapons: Kirikabe Ichimonji (Owner: Orochimaru – Advanced mastery), Water Dragon Sword (Owner: Hatake Sakumo – Advanced mastery), Incursio (Owner: Nawaki – Medium mastery), March of the Dead [Yatsufusa] (Owner: Danzō Shimura – Beginner mastery), One-Cut Killer [Muramasa] (Owner: Uchiha Hiiro – Beginner mastery)]
[Evaluation: Your strength has reached jōnin level and you can even clash head-on with some elite jōnin. Your panel stats have actually surpassed most elite jōnin, but your understanding and application of combat are still lacking. However, in the current ninja world, you possess a certain degree of self-preservation ability!]
Looking at his panel, Naraku felt a great sense of accomplishment. It had been less than half a year since he awakened the Forger System, and now he already possessed jōnin-level combat power.
He now had all conventional chakra natures and carried both Senju and Uchiha bloodlines.
His next goals for getting stronger would focus on the Mangekyō Sharingan and forging new weapons—after all, the Uchiha clan still had so much bloodline potential lying around. He felt that even by stacking, he could eventually achieve a Mangekyō Sharingan. Beyond that, Senju, Uzumaki, Kaguya, and Hyūga bloodlines couldn't be neglected either. Whenever there was a chance, he would keep adding and continuously evolving his bloodline—perhaps in the end he would end up more Ōtsutsuki-like than the Sage of Six Paths himself.
But Naraku also knew his shortcomings: he had far too little real combat experience against other ninjas. There was an old saying in China: "When poor, intersperse tactics; when rich, cover with firepower!" But even firepower coverage required brains. Look at Kaguya Ōtsutsuki after she devoured Uchiha Madara and descended upon the ninja world—with a panel stronger than Madara's, yet she fought so pathetically it was unbearable to watch!
Naraku suspected that even a random chūnin pulled from the battlefield would have better combat awareness than her. He felt Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was basically a natural airhead.
At that moment, somewhere on the Moon, a certain silly white sweet who was sleeping sneezed. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki looked toward the ninja world and said: "I will definitely return!"
...
After finishing the post-war cleanup, Orochimaru called Nawaki to him. At this moment, Nawaki was still immersed in the joy of victory, but seeing his teacher's serious expression, his smile finally faded.
From experience, Nawaki knew that when his teacher looked like this, it meant he needed to listen carefully!
Orochimaru spoke seriously to Nawaki: "Nawaki, you accomplished a great deal in this battle. The number of Iwa chūnin you killed on the battlefield was even higher than mine."
Nawaki scratched his head with an embarrassed smile: "I wasn't that amazing. It was mostly thanks to the help of 'Incursio' forged by Master Naraku!"
Orochimaru, however, didn't smile: "It's good to make use of powerful weapons—that's also part of your strength, made possible by your Senju physique and high compatibility with it. But your combat common sense is sorely lacking. From stepping on the explosive tag at the beginning to being hit by the Mountain Earth Technique later. Observing where explosive tags land—even the academy should have taught you at least that much. Even your first reaction after stepping on one should have been covered in the academy. You were lucky that Incursio's transformation process provided some protection—otherwise you would have either died instantly or been retired early. Later, you used your arms to directly resist the Mountain Earth Technique. You should know that technique isn't even a fast-attack ninjutsu—it's mostly used to restrict enemies or deal with large summoned beasts. Yes, you survived the crisis thanks to the armor, but you kept relying on Teigu power to brute-force attacks that could have been easily avoided. If you face even stronger enemies later—such as Lava Release or Dust Release—will you still rely on the armor to tank them? The result of this battle was very good, but as your teacher, I still consider you failed. In a way, you don't fight like a ninja—you fight like a samurai. From now on, stay in the rear until you eliminate these low-level mistakes. Only then will I assign you other missions!"
After saying this, Orochimaru left, leaving Nawaki alone in the tent to reflect.
Not long after, Nawaki received his promotion notice. He was now officially a squad leader in the logistics unit.
Orochimaru sending Nawaki to the rear wasn't solely to make him reflect—it was also because being too rigid makes one brittle. Especially on the battlefield, combined with Nawaki's special identity, it could easily bring him unusual dangers.
Nawaki, reassigned to the rear, had no idea that his performance in the previous battle had already made him famous.
Because some Iwa ninjas had witnessed his transformation process, and after donning the armor, his near-indestructible trait—directly immune to ninjutsu below B-rank—led them to give him the nickname "Iron Ghost."
...
After receiving his subordinate's report, Ōnoki once again rubbed his temples. Lately Konoha had been causing all sorts of trouble. Even in localized skirmishes, Iwagakure couldn't keep losing!
"This time, do you know the specific identity of that 'Iron Ghost'? And is that armor the one forged by Uchiha Naraku?" Ōnoki asked his subordinate again.
The ANBU replied: "Iron Ghost is most likely Senju Nawaki of Konoha's prominent Senju clan—the grandson of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama. As for that armor, we can only speculate that it is highly likely to be the one forged by Uchiha Naraku!"
Upon hearing Nawaki's identity, Ōnoki's brow twitched. Senju Hashirama was the God of the Ninja World—both in martial prowess and magnanimity, he deserved the title.
This young Senju Nawaki was already starting to show promise at such an early age. Ōnoki suddenly felt a little worried.
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