Chapter 9: Is the Third Hokage Interested in Me?

The deeper grooves represent chakra needles. The shallower ones... are those chakra threads? The shorter ones should be military ration pills.

The varying depths are likely due to the level of influence. Furthermore, spreading wisdom and knowledge allows the Bodhi seed to receive "nourishment" and slowly grow. The two grooves are evidence of this.

Chiba let out a breath of relief. Having grasped the pattern, the path forward suddenly became much clearer. He pondered for a moment and began to analyze the two techniques he had disseminated so far.

From the perspective of ninjutsu, the potential of chakra needles is undoubtedly enormous, but the difficulty is correspondingly high. Its A+ difficulty rating discourages countless ninjas, and even if it could be simplified, it would still bottom out at an A-rank difficulty. The latter’s influence is certainly weaker than the former; after all, using chakra threads to manipulate ninja tools or puppets is something the Hidden Sand Village has already mastered inside and out. However, this also means the technique is not overly difficult and possesses high potential for popularization.

"Based on this analysis, the technique currently more suitable for large-scale promotion is actually the chakra threads. I just don't know how many markings I need to accumulate to make the Bodhi seed undergo another transformation."

Chiba understood clearly that both taijutsu and ninjutsu have their limits. Even if he were fortunate enough to learn senjutsu in the future, facing Madara or Otsutsuki Kaguya would remain extremely difficult. To truly rest easy, he must rely on the Bodhi seed that crossed over with him.

"Let's try the chakra threads first; that thing is simple."

Whether it is ninja tool manipulation or puppet arts, the Hidden Sand Village has set a high bar, making it quite easy to imitate, whereas Konoha is a blank slate in this regard. Jonin might look down on it, but ninjas below the rank of Jonin would definitely be very happy for Konoha to have such a technique. After much deliberation, he set his second goal.

"It’s a good thing I don't have to attend classes now, or even I wouldn't be able to handle so many things at once." Chiba sighed silently.

He could not neglect his taijutsu. He still had to study medical knowledge, as he was barely a beginner—at least that was how he saw it himself. And he still had to tinker with things like puppet arts. He was busy!

Chiba got up, stretched, and loosened his muscles. He had hoped that the "two markings" would grant him some benefits, but after checking carefully, his body didn't seem to have changed much. As for his mental state, he felt refreshed upon waking, but he couldn't tell if there had been any improvement. The human mind is the most mysterious thing. In Konoha, only the Yamanaka clan focuses on this, but their methods are secret techniques, and those are not found in the village's library. However, he could test his chakra levels later; that would surely reveal something.

Forget it, there's no rush for now.

Using chakra like he did yesterday is, after all, rare; under normal circumstances, his own chakra is sufficient.

"Heh, you're awake?"

Huh? Chiba was startled. That voice... Why was he here too?!

"Lord Hokage."

"Cough, cough. I just came to check on things. Thanks to your treatment, that boy from the Nara clan is out of danger. Shikaku and I happened to be at the hospital, so we stopped by to see if you were awake," the Third Hokage explained.

Chiba looked toward the source of the voice and noticed another person standing behind the Third Hokage. Only after the Hokage finished speaking did the man step forward and say, "If it weren't for you, Chie would certainly not have been able to continue as a ninja. The Nara clan is deeply grateful!"

"Lord Shikaku, there is no need for that. I only did what I could," Chiba said, quickly trying to stop him.

Shikaku did not argue; he bowed solemnly and then nodded to the Third Hokage, saying, "Lord Hokage, I will go check on Chie first."

"Go ahead," the Third Hokage nodded.

Chiba watched him leave, feeling a bit strange. They must have already seen Nara Chie, right? So, did the Third Hokage have something to discuss with him privately? He thought for a moment and asked, "Lord Hokage, has that Chunin senior been saved?"

"Yes, his hand was barely saved. Although his taijutsu will be affected in the future, fortunately, he is from the Nara clan and doesn't rely as heavily on taijutsu, so being a ninja is not a problem," the Third Hokage said with a smile.

"That's good." Chiba breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that he was saved; otherwise, it would have been a waste of effort. Facts had proven that explosive tags in reality were truly fierce. Not only could Nawaki not stop them, but even an elite Chunin would suffer just as much if hit, and severe injuries would be the best-case scenario.

"Kanpo told me that your technique is very useful. This successful rescue was entirely thanks to your ninjutsu. Since you are willing to submit it to the village, the village cannot go without showing its appreciation," the Third Hokage said, taking the lead as he saw Chiba didn't make any requests. "What do you want?"

"I heard you have a large collection of books. I would like to borrow a few," Chiba said. He had been eyeing the Third Hokage’s collection for quite some time. Previously, he had asked Guy to pass on a message because he wanted to get a foot in the door with the Third and see if he could gain access to his private library. Now that the opportunity had finally arrived, he couldn't let it slip. There was no need to hide such a request; acting sneakily would only arouse suspicion.

The Third Hokage beamed and nodded repeatedly. "Good. You may come to the Hokage building to read books at any time in the future. However, there are also some ninjutsu scrolls you might want to look at. Even if your talent for nature transformation is poor, you can still eventually master them through persistence."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance." Chiba knew the Third Hokage meant well, but his inability to perform ninjutsu had nothing to do with talent; it was the fault of the Bodhi seed in his head. He didn't know what was going on with that thing, but he hoped to find answers in the future. Still, the Third Hokage was right. Even if he couldn't learn nature transformations, many ninjutsu could be understood by analogy; he didn't need to be limited to non-elemental techniques. Regardless, he was definitely going to read the old man's books!

"If you run into anything you don't understand while reading, you can come to my office to ask me. Don't be too formal. Although I am old and my memory isn't what it used to be, I know a thing or two."

After that, the Third Hokage said a few more words before leaving. Chiba couldn't help but feel that the Third Hokage seemed interested in him. He thought about it and realized it was normal; in recent years, it would be hard to find someone with better talent than his own. It was natural for the Third to have ideas. Chiba pondered for a moment, then shook his head, too lazy to overthink the Third Hokage's intentions. Taking care of himself was what mattered most.

"I've been lying down for a day; I won't read today. I'll get some good rest, and after dinner, I'll go out for a run." It was noon, and he could go to the hospital cafeteria for a meal.

Many people greeted him on the way. After asking around, Chiba realized he had become famous in the hospital—performing surgery at twelve years old as the "lead surgeon" had led many to compare him behind his back to Lady Tsunade, which made him feel somewhat ashamed. After all, Tsunade knew the full range of techniques, while he was at most steady-handed and precise with the blade. Yesterday's success was not due to profound medical knowledge, let alone any medical ninjutsu, which he knew nothing about.

Chiba tried to explain a few times, but eventually, he couldn't be bothered. It seemed that whether in his past life or the ninja world, workplace gossip was unavoidable. He grumbled to himself.

While eating, Chiba happened to run into Kitayama Shu and mentioned his request for time off, which the other party readily agreed to. After finishing his meal, he went out for a stroll and some exercise. After lying down for half a day, he felt like he was starting to rust; going out to exercise felt absolutely refreshing.