One Week Later
Refine chakra, form seals, release—
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Boom!" A puff of white smoke rose, but nothing happened.
"Figures, it won’t work," Link muttered, sitting down with a sigh. He popped a soldier pill into his mouth, trying to restore his strength.
Every ninjutsu had a standard for successful activation. For example, even Sasuke, during his first attempts at the Great Fireball Teique, mao produce a small puff of fmes.
But for Link, things were different. If he couldn’t meet the required chakra threshold, the teique would fail ht. The chakra would dissipate in a puff of smoke, and nothing would happen.
The reason was simple: his chakra reserves were insuffit. He had been trying to modify the mutated jutsu to lower its chakra ption.
However, B-Rank jutsu like Earth-Style Wall, Earth Flow River, or Earth Flow Divide ed nearly 80-90% of his chakra. Without using any trump cards, their practicality was effectively zero.
Using such a jutsu once would leave him needing food a. After sleeping to recover his energy, he could attempt it again the day.
For days, Link had been trying to reduce the chakra ption, but the mutated jutsu seemed to have a will of its own. If the chakra provided didn’t meet the standard threshold, the jutsu simply wouldn’t activate.
While standard jutsu could sometimes be cast at lower power with less chakra, Link’s mutations required a strict minimum. Any amount below the threshold would result in failure; any amount above, and the teique would activate at full power with no further effort or adjustment on his part.
[So, this is what it means to fight as a ninja using chakra as the ultimate currency.]
He sighed inwardly but wasn’t upset. Gains always came with trade-offs; perfe was a fantasy.
"Boss!"
Link heard Iris's loud voice from a distance.
[Strange, where’s Ami?] He gnced up casually, though his heart was already wary. For days, the two of them had been inseparable, yet now Iris was here alone…
Somethi off.
[The chakra is wrong!]
Reag instantly, Link formed seals with both hands.
"Whoosh!"
The approag "Iris" suddenly sped up, moving almost faster than the eye could see. As they charged, a blue-white glow of chakra erupted from their palm.
"Smack!"
The glowing hand struck Link’s raised arm, causing his muscles to go numb instantly.
[Chakra Scalpel… Who is this guy?!]
Without hesitation, Link grabbed his own head with his left hand and flung it backward while raising his leg to kick the attacker.
"Bang!"
The transformation teique was undone, revealing a cloaked ninja wearing a fox mask. They crossed their arms to block Link’s kick.
[My leg’s numb too…]
Even as his head flew backward, Link realized that his leg muscles had been severed by the Chakra Scalpel as well. This mediinjutsu was devastating in close bat—just a touch was enough to sever muscles and tendons. A few hits could render most oppos pletely incapacitated uhey had extensive medical knowledge.
"Poof!"
Link dispelled his Shadow id-air, and his body reassembled. His arms and legs were instantly restored. Before hitting the ground, he rapidly formed seals—
"Shadow e Jutsu!"
"Su intriguing Kekkei Genkai…" The fox-masked ninja ented, Link. "Does it adapt to different jutsu?"
"No wonder you’re called Konoha’s most surprising prodigy."
[That outfit… and that Chakra Scalpel…] Link’s mind raced.
"Why not join us?" The fox-masked ninja’s voice turig. "rovide you with any jutsu you wish to learn—even forbidden teiques…"
Refine chakra, form seals, release—
"Shadow e!"
Without letting the enemy finish, Link gnced down. The shadow beh the fox-masked ninja began to writhe and rise at an unnatural angle, aiming directly for their lower body.
"Thunk!"
The ninja, seemingly prepared, flinched slightly. They ehe sudden loss of stamina, leaping away while fending off the shadow’s strike, sending it flying backward.
[If it’s him, one shadow isn’t enough…]
Link’s expressirim. It was time to reveal his trump card.
Refine chakra, form seals, release—
"Transformation Jutsu: Super Link Mode, Level One!"
P over 90% of his stamina into the jutsu, Link's body began to swell, almost like it was being infted.
"Rip—Crack!"
His clothes tore as his body expanded, except for his disproportionately small head, which remained unged. He now stood over two meters tall, though his proportions remained short-limbed and stout.
"Huff."
Link exhaled deeply. This wasn’t just about size—his transformed body geed signifitly more chakra.
Had he used a bit more chakra, he could have expanded his clothes too, but fag a formidable enemy, practicality outweighed modesty.
"Ssh!"
Meanwhile, the shadow and the fox-masked ninja cshed fiercely. The ninja’s Chakra Scalpel tore through the shadow like butter. Within moments, the shadow had lost two arms and a leg.
Yet even with only one leg remaining, it tio resist fiercely, showg Link’s impressive taijutsu capabilities.
Refine chakra, form seals, release—
"Rumble!"
The ground trembled as tless glowing yellments coalesced into a massive, teer-long Mountain Drake. It rose beh Link, carrying him skyward.
"Whoosh!"
The dragon’s wings beat furiously, kig up a fierce windstorm as it asded.
"Ssh!"
The fox-masked ninja decapitated the shadow, but their breathing grew bored. Looking up at the massive beast and its hulking rider, their eyes narrowed behind the mask.
"Truly a troublesome brat."
"Roar!"
The Mountain Drake let out a deafening bellow, its voice filled with delight at finally unleashing some of its potential. At Link’s and, its massive maw opened wide.
"Buzz!"
A colossal boulder materialized and hurtled downward, c a radius of over teers around the fox-masked ninja.
"Boom!"
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, upturnih and filling the air with dust and debris.
The fox-masked ninja escaped just before being struck, disappearing into the chaos.
Sitting atop the dragon, Link refrained from wasting any more chakra on attacks. Instead, he waited silently for Konoha’s Anbu and other to arrive.
