Konoha's Status Bar Ninja

Hajime walked on air.

Although he couldn't yet move as effortlessly as if walking on flat ground, this marked a brand-new beginning.

From here on, he just needed to grind experience with clones, and by controlling the flow of air while airborne, he could eventually move as if on solid ground—entering an entirely new realm.

Only after reaching that point could he begin developing the third stage: true flight.

Landing back on the ground, Hajime was visibly excited.

"Should I give it a new name? Just calling it Wind Step doesn't quite fit anymore."

"How about... Sky Step?"

Satisfied with the name, Hajime left two clones behind to continue training, then leapt away.

Upon returning to the Root base, Inuzuka Ryo soon came looking for him.

"Captain, here's the list of candidates for this round of the jōnin exam."

Hajime reached out and took the list, giving it a glance—then paused.

There were two familiar names.

Mimura Hamaki.

Currently a Special Jōnin.

And the other was Yūhi Shinku, currently a chūnin.

Hajime had fought alongside Mimura Hamaki before, and his earliest memory of him was from the Third Great Ninja War—as the commander of the Fire Country border defense unit.

Of course... that hadn't gone well.

They had nearly been wiped out by Iwa-nin.

If not for Minato Namikaze arriving in time and wiping out over fifty Iwa-nin in an instant, things would've ended much worse.

As for Yūhi Shinku—he was the father of Yūhi Kurenai.

Seeing that name made a flood of thoughts surge through Hajime's mind.

Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Yūhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, Might Guy—

All of them had only just been born not long ago.

"What kind of future awaits?"

For a moment, Hajime felt a surge of anticipation for what lay ahead.

Because on one hand, he already knew the future—

And on the other, he believed in himself.

He would change that future.

Not because he was trying to—but because his very existence would alter the course of events.

Putting the list away, Hajime asked Inuzuka Ryo,

"Any ideas yet for a new technique?"

Though masked, Inuzuka Ryo still looked clearly embarrassed.

"Uh… not yet."

Hajime said,

"When it comes to a new technique, there are many directions to go."

"Perception. Instant movement. Defense. Offense."

"You might as well think through each one."

"If you wanted to improve your tracking ability—how would you do it?"

Ryo fell into deep thought.

Hajime gave an example:

"For perception—your Inuzuka clan naturally has sharp noses."

"So, to enhance that ability, you might consider using Yang Release to strengthen it."

Ryo nodded quickly. "I understand, Captain!"

Hajime continued,

"In my team, I don't allow anyone to stay stagnant—or be the one holding others back."

Hearing that, Ryo instantly straightened up, his eyes fierce.

"I won't let that happen!"

Hajime didn't respond directly and simply said,

"Go. Notify everyone on this list—tomorrow morning at nine sharp, they're to gather at the entrance of the Forest of Death."

Ryo nodded and quickly turned to carry out the task.

Once Ryo had left, Hajime took out the sealing technique scrolls and began studying them.

These materials had been taken from a captured Sky Ninja spy.

In the ninja world, sealing techniques were said to be capable of anything.

So even though the learning process was extremely slow, Hajime gritted his teeth and forced himself through them, bit by bit.

"Maybe I could consult Tsunade for help…"

The thought flashed through his mind, and Hajime soon sank deep into the world of sealing techniques.

Time flew by.

Before he knew it, a new day had arrived.

November 8, Year 36 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar — 12:00 AM.

Hajime's eyes turned to his refreshed status bar.

In the fixed section, aside from [Swordmanship Expert], another status had appeared—

[Immune to All Poisons].

"It worked!"

Hajime's heart surged with joy.

This meant that from now on, he would be immune to all poisons.

Filled with joy, Hajime looked at his current status.

> Current Status: Calling a Stag a Horse

> Note: Under this status, you can turn a stag into a horse.

> Refresh Countdown: 167:58:55

Staring at the new status, Hajime was momentarily stunned.

Calling a stag a horse means… literally?

What's the point of turning a deer into a horse?

Was this another useless status, like the previous Sharp Tongue one?

Speechless, Hajime thought for a moment, then quickly sent out a wood clone from the Root base.

...

At the Nara Clan's deer enclosure, Hajime's figure appeared.

He quickly found a deer resting beneath a tree.

Calling a Stag a Horse!

Hajime pointed his finger, and the deer suddenly transformed into a horse.

Flawless. Not a single glitch.

Maybe it could be used with the Transformation Technique?

Hajime shook his head in disinterest. He lost the motivation to study it further.

...

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, after his usual training and a hearty meal, Hajime headed to the entrance of the Forest of Death with Ryo and Ryōma.

At 9 a.m., all six participants in the jōnin exam arrived on time.

Wearing his mask, Hajime scanned the group and spoke calmly,

"I am the proctor for this exam. As for who I am—you don't need to know."

"Perhaps some of you have heard rumors about the exam's content or direction. But forget all that. From this moment on, you'll do exactly as I say."

"Understood?"

Though some exchanged uncertain glances, Yūhi Shinku and the others replied in unison,

"Understood!"

Hajime leapt into the Forest of Death. "Follow me!"

The six exam candidates immediately followed.

After traveling a bit deeper into the forest, Hajime stopped on a thick tree branch.

Looking at the group catching up behind him, he said,

"All of you, attack me together. Come at me with the intent to kill."

...

Yūhi Shinku and the others hesitated.

Even Mimura Hamaki, who had a partial understanding of Hajime's strength, thought he was being arrogant.

After all, all six of them currently possessed jōnin-level strength.

Hajime said plainly,

"Relax. I'm just a clone."

"However, you'd best go all out—otherwise, you'll be eliminated."

The six glanced at each other—then launched their attacks simultaneously.

Among them, Mimura Hamaki, who recognized Hajime, quickly shouted,

"Be careful—he's a Wood Release user!"

That warning made Yūhi Shinku, who was just about to complete a hand seal, momentarily falter.

Meanwhile, Ryo and Ryōma immediately withdrew to watch from the sidelines.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Shuriken came flying toward Hajime. He raised one hand, and vines of wood swept across, easily blocking the barrage.

But immediately after, a giant fist from an Akimichi clan member—amplified through Body Expansion—came crashing down.

At the same time, Yūhi Shinku completed his hand signs.

Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!

Behind Hajime, a towering tree burst from the ground, vines wrapping tightly around his body.

The massive palm continued to descend, wind pressure roaring, loose hair and leaves flying.

Their coordination was impeccable.

But just before it struck, two vines lashed out, seizing the descending fist and halting it mid-air, immobilizing it completely.

Yūhi Shinku's face changed.

"He's completely unaffected by genjutsu?!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wooden vines swept toward Yūhi Kurenai, Mimura Hamaki—who had just prepared a jutsu—Nara Taku (from the Nara clan), and Sarutobi Shinichi (from the Sarutobi clan). All of them were forced to abandon their planned attacks to evade.

At that very moment, far away in the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was watching the scene through his crystal ball, observing the exam unfold in the Forest of Death.

This was the first time Hiruzen had seen Hajime's Wood Release with his own eyes.

Facing six quasi-jōnin and still looking relaxed and at ease, it couldn't help but remind him of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Though still far from the First's level, Hajime already showed the faint traces of his brilliance.

(End of Chapter)

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