Konoha's Status Bar Ninja

Inside the Forest of Death.

The first one Hajime captured was Nara Taku from the Nara Clan. He was tightly bound and hung up in midair.

Almost instantly, his eyelids grew heavy, and a wave of drowsiness hit him.

"Damn, a genjutsu…"

Taku realized what was happening, but he was powerless against the overwhelming sleepiness. In the blink of an eye, his eyes drooped, and he slipped into a deep sleep.

At that moment, Hajime—having just kicked Mimura Hamaki flying—raised a single hand, and Taku's eyes immediately opened again.

Dreamwalker Technique!

Yūhi Shinku, a genjutsu specialist himself, instantly sensed something was wrong.

"Crap! Taku's under a genjutsu!"

He abandoned his attack on Hajime and dashed toward Taku, blade in hand.

Aside from genjutsu, Shinku's taijutsu and kenjutsu were not weak either.

But before he could reach him, Taku had already landed on the ground. He formed hand seals with both hands—his shadow stretched out rapidly, splitting into multiple tendrils that shot toward Shinku and the others.

"What kind of genjutsu is this?!"

Shinku's expression changed drastically.

At the same time…

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was watching the controlled Nara Taku through his crystal ball and was equally shocked.

To not only control someone but to do it in a way that allows them to fluently use ninjutsu—this level of genjutsu was not simple.

Even the famed Sharingan couldn't achieve something like this.

"It must be a self-developed technique… The difficulty has to be at least S-rank."

Hiruzen speculated silently, then inwardly praised,

"What an outstanding child…"

A talent like this doesn't belong in Root.

As Danzō's old comrade, he knew full well the man's secretive ambitions.

Trying to control the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki through Wood Release—such thinking was too extreme.

The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki required more than just brute control.

Hiruzen hoped that the second host of the Nine-Tails could be like Uzumaki Mito—someone who could perfectly suppress and utilize the power of the beast.

Not a dangerous weapon that might turn on their own people at any moment.

That's why—

Love and bonds were the best way to control a Jinchūriki.

Watching Hajime effortlessly subdue each of the jōnin candidates one by one, Hiruzen had already made a decision in his heart.

...

Back in the Forest of Death—

The battle was over.

Even Nara Taku was strung up again and placed under the control of the Dreamwalker Technique.

Now came the true part of the exam: testing loyalty.

Of course, Hajime's method was simple.

Under the effects of the Dreamwalker, it was easy to guide the minds of Yūhi Shinku and the others and extract their deepest thoughts.

If he wished, Hajime could even learn their clan's secret techniques—as easily as if he had the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique.

However, for a jōnin exam like this, Hajime suspected that Hiruzen Sarutobi was likely observing remotely.

So, in the end, he stuck to standard questions about loyalty.

Once all the questions were asked, everyone passed without issue.

Hajime then released the genjutsu and deactivated his Wood Release.

Yūhi Shinku and the others slowly regained consciousness. Their expressions were first blank, then gradually became more complex as they looked at the masked Hajime.

They had no memory of being hypnotized, but everything before that—especially the way Nara Taku was controlled—was still fresh in their minds.

A Wood Release user… No wonder there's a 36 million ryō bounty on his head.

Terrifying beyond words.

Compared to him, their jōnin strength meant little.

...

"Congratulations on passing the final exam."

Hajime announced calmly,

"You may now return to the Hokage Tower and report to the Third Hokage."

Yūhi Shinku and the others nodded.

"Understood!"

They bowed respectfully and then leapt into the sky, vanishing into the distance.

Only then did Ryo and Ryōma approach.

"Captain, your genjutsu is scarier than ever," Ryo muttered with admiration.

Ryōma added, "It's probably S-rank now, right?"

Hajime gave a slight nod.

When he first developed it, it was only A-rank.

But after incorporating elements from the Mind Body Switch Technique, enhancing the speed and precision of deep hypnosis, the difficulty had surged. It truly had reached S-rank.

However—

In Hajime's opinion, this still wasn't the complete version of the Heavenly Dreamwalker.

If he had a pair of Sharingan…

To be precise, a three-tomoe Sharingan—then he could skip hand seals entirely. Once enhanced, just a single glare would be enough to instantly control his enemies.

...

Back at the Root base, Hajime went straight to meet with Danzō.

"Alpha, how did those candidates fare?"

Danzō asked.

Hajime replied respectfully, "Lord Danzō, their loyalty poses no issue."

"However, their thinking is too conservative. They're not well-suited for our purposes."

Danzō gave a slight nod, showing no disappointment. He then said,

"Starting tomorrow, you'll lead a team in cooperation with the Hokage's personal ANBU. Your mission will be to ensure the safety of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

"You must treat Lady Mito with the utmost respect!"

Hajime quickly bowed his head.

"Understood, sir!"

...

Upon returning to his quarters, Hajime's mind was still dwelling on the matter of tailed beasts.

He greatly coveted the power of the Nine-Tails.

Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to obtain it at the moment.

Wait for the Nine-Tails' rampage?

"But even if I want to harness the Nine-Tails' power, I'd need the right methods."

"The Torii Seal requires senjutsu. Where can I learn Sage Techniques?"

Hajime pondered.

Among the Three Great Sage Lands, Ryūchi Cave was absolutely out of the question.

Mount Myōboku… perhaps through Jiraiya, but considering their relationship, that wasn't going to happen.

Shikkotsu Forest…

"So in the end, I have to win Tsunade over!"

Hajime immediately pulled out his notes on sealing techniques.

But before seeking Tsunade out, he first reported to Danzō about his intentions to approach and get close to her.

Danzō was extremely suspicious by nature. Hajime had to show loyalty constantly to stay in his good graces.

Of course, consulting Tsunade about sealing techniques wasn't just about strengthening their bond. For Hajime, sealing jutsu truly was a difficult and esoteric discipline—challenging to master.

...

Konoha Hospital.

Hajime found Tsunade in the middle of reviewing patient charts.

Seeing him approach, Tsunade frowned.

"Don't tell me you're here for more poisons?"

Hajime grinned.

"Of course not. A hundred types of common toxins are more than enough."

"This time, I'm here to ask you about sealing techniques."

Tsunade looked genuinely surprised.

"Sealing techniques?"

Could it be… for the Nine-Tails?

That possibility instinctively crossed her mind, but she nodded in the end.

"I've still got work to finish. I'll have a clone answer your questions."

Hajime smiled pleasantly.

"Thank you very much."

Tsunade replied lazily,

"Then treat me to drinks tonight."

Hajime agreed instantly.

"Absolutely!"

Affection grows over time—a truth that held strong.

Not only did Hajime drink with Tsunade that night, but he also had lunch with her earlier in the day.

Thanks to her guidance, his study of sealing techniques went far more smoothly.

Later that evening, after returning to his quarters and organizing his notes on sealing, Hajime reassessed his current abilities.

* Wood Release remained his strongest technique.

* Wind Release followed—although the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken wasn't fully developed yet, its suicide-style offensive capability was formidable.

* Kenjutsu, using dual blades in tandem with Wind Shunshin and Sky Step, placed him solidly at a mid-tier jōnin level.

* Earth Release's Earth Spear and its upgraded version, Diamond Body, could ignore most physical attacks—except Lightning Release.

* Genjutsu, especially the Dreamwalker Technique, was at S-rank.

* Rasengan, a close-combat, seal-less A-rank ninjutsu.

* Plus, the strong regenerative ability granted by Hashirama cells.

Looking over all these skills, he was already an extremely well-rounded shinobi.

If he had one major shortcoming, it was this:

Sensory perception.

"Sensory abilities… I'm not sure whether I have a natural affinity for them, but I probably… do?"

"Either way, I have to try."

Hajime thought to himself,

"But I'll need the right opportunity to acquire sensory techniques."

After a moment of thought, he summarized his current standing:

An elite jōnin, but still within the realm of conventional ninja.

He was still a long way from the real broken monsters out there.

Even though Hajime was technically a cheat-level existence himself, his status bar was far too unstable.

You never knew what kind of bizarre status effect it might generate next.

...

The night passed without incident. The next morning at 9 a.m., Hajime arrived outside the Senju Clan's ancestral estate with Inuzuka Ryo and Aburame Ryōma.

Just as they arrived, an ANBU ninja wearing a tiger-faced mask appeared in front of them.

"Alpha, come with me," the ANBU said as he turned to lead the way.

The trio immediately followed.

Hajime was not unfamiliar with the Senju estate, but he had never ventured this deep inside.

Now, guided inward, they finally arrived before Uzumaki Mito.

"Lady Mito!"

Hajime and the others dropped to one knee in respectful greeting.

Time had taken its toll—Uzumaki Mito's beauty had faded, her appearance now aged and frail. Yet her gentle smile carried a unique warmth and power.

Her gaze swept across the three, eventually settling on Hajime as if piercing through his mask and into his very face.

"You're all good children. I'll be counting on you from here on," she said kindly.

Hajime responded immediately,

"Lady Mito, it's our duty and honor."

Mito gave a small nod and smiled.

"Go on then."

The three of them quietly withdrew.

Outside in the courtyard, the tiger-masked ANBU turned to Hajime.

"Alpha, you can call me Tiger."

"There are three ANBU squads tasked with protecting Lady Mito—one visible, two hidden."

"The rotation schedule isn't fixed; it changes depending on the situation."

"Starting today, your squad will be part of the rotation. However, Alpha, you'll need to stay stationed here for the foreseeable future."

Hajime nodded seriously.

"I have no objections."

He understood very clearly—the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki was about to be replaced.

And they wouldn't wait until Mito's life burned out completely. It had to be done while she still had some strength left, so she could safely release, suppress, and then reseal the Nine-Tails into Uzumaki Kushina's body.

But that also meant… the moment the Nine-Tails changed hosts would likely be the moment Uzumaki Mito's life came to its end.

...

Hajime spent the rest of the day familiarizing himself with the other ANBU guards stationed around the estate—only learning their codenames, of course.

Once he understood the operational structure, Hajime's team took up their positions.

Hajime himself fused directly into the wooden walls of the house.

Ryōma released swarms of insects across the entire Senju estate before concealing himself.

Ryo hid in his own way, while his ninja dog, Kurotama, stayed out in the open—posing as an ordinary guard dog at the gates.

...

By evening, Hajime laid eyes on Uzumaki Kushina for the very first time.

She had long, striking red hair, and her eyes were filled with unease and fear.

She already knew what fate awaited her.

As Hajime's thoughts began to wander, he suddenly heard Mito's voice:

"Alpha."

"Lady Mito," he replied, rising up from beneath the floor.

Kushina, who had been resting her head on Mito's lap, looked up with curiosity at Hajime.

"From this point on, Alpha, you'll be responsible for her protection," Mito said gently. "And if possible… teach her a few things as well."

Hajime was caught off guard. Was she asking him to take Kushina as a student?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately replied,

"Yes, Lady Mito."

"However, I'll leave a Wood Clone by your side at all times. Please rest assured—I have plenty of chakra."

Mito smiled and nodded.

"Very considerate. That will do."

Hajime bowed deeply and sank back into the ground.

...

An hour later, Uzumaki Kushina emerged from Mito's room.

Hajime appeared behind her at once.

"Let's go."

The two of them walked out of the Senju estate, one ahead, the other behind.

Kushina walked with her head lowered, her back full of loneliness and sorrow.

"Barely a teenager and already forced to shoulder such cruel fate... What a twisted world this is,"

Hajime sighed inwardly.

He truly wanted to say to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uzumaki Mito: Let go of that girl. Let me take her place.

Unfortunately, he still didn't have the strength to say such words out loud.

(End of Chapter)

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