Chapter 4: [] : Copying a Taijutsu Master’s Physique
"After countless faceplants, I finally nailed Tree Climbing."
Shin looked like he'd wrestled a mud monster and lost. He'd fallen out of the trees more times than he could count.
But it was worth it. He could now scale a tree with the grace of a squirrel, his Chakra finally under his command.
"Shin, how did you do that?"
Kushina stared at him with wide, awestruck eyes.
"Heh, wanna learn?"
Kushina nodded eagerly.
"Nope, not gonna teach you. That's what you get for laughing at me." Shin crossed his arms. Kushina had found his repeated tumbles from the trees quite amusing.
It couldn't be helped. Controlling his massive Chakra reserves was no walk in the park, especially without a teacher. He'd had to figure it all out himself, the hard way.
He'd mastered Tree Climbing through sheer stubbornness and a high tolerance for pain.
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"You're so mean, still holding a grudge." Kushina stuck her tongue out at him.
"By the way, you don't like it when I call you 'Shin-chan', right? If I learn how to climb trees without using my hands, I'll stop calling you that, deal?"
It made him sound like a little kid. But Kushina was used to it; breaking the habit would be tough.
Kushina called him 'Shin-chan' because he was younger than her. Well, only by three days, but still younger.
She used to make him call her "big sis," but as a transmigrant, there was no way he was calling someone his own age "big sis."
"Fine."
Shin nodded and shared all the tricks he'd discovered.
With Shin's guidance and insider knowledge, Kushina mastered Tree Climbing in just half an hour. The girl was a natural.
"Shin, I learned way faster than you!" Kushina said, a smug grin on her face.
It had taken Shin over three hours, while Kushina had done it in thirty minutes. But that didn't mean he was less talented.
He'd had to figure it out through trial and error, while Kushina had a shortcut, thanks to him.
After the Tree Climbing lesson, Shin led Kushina to a nearby river for Water Walking practice.
Water Walking was definitely trickier. Water offered no resistance; one wrong step, and you were taking a dip.
Thankfully, Shin's Tree Climbing experience gave him a head start. He only fell in twice before he was walking, even running, on water.
Kushina, on the other hand, wasn't having as much luck. She'd already fallen in a dozen times, much to Shin's amusement.
After splashing around for hours, Kushina finally got the hang of Water Walking.
"Kushina, you're officially a prodigy."
Mastering both Tree Climbing and Water Walking at the age of five, with such precise Chakra control? That was prodigy-level stuff.
"Let's go change first," Kushina said, her clothes dripping.
They went back, changed, and finally had lunch. It was already three in the afternoon.
Kushina had stubbornly refused to eat until she mastered Water Walking, hence the late lunch.
After their meal, Shin decided to skip training and headed towards the clan grounds with Kushina.
"Shin-chan, why are we going to the clan grounds?" Kushina asked, surprised.
"Didn't we have a deal?" Shin lightly flicked Kushina's forehead.
"It's a habit! I'll get better, I promise."
Kushina rubbed her forehead, pouting at Shin.
Shin chuckled. Breaking that habit was probably going to be an uphill battle.
"By the way, Shin-ch.. i mean, Shin, why are we going to the clan grounds? You don't usually like going there."
They lived outside the clan grounds and rarely ventured in, except when they needed supplies.
This wasn't a supply run. Shin wanted to put his Replication Card to use.
As they entered the Uzumaki Clan grounds, the atmosphere became livelier. The Uzumaki Clan wasn't small; they had over two hundred members.
It was a far cry from their glory days during the Warring States Period, but they were still a force to be reckoned with in any Hidden Village.
"Hey, System, when I use a Replication Card, can I see the target's abilities? How am I supposed to copy something if I don't know what they can do?"
"That is for you to determine, Master. This System does not possess such functionality."
"..."
Fortunately, he had some knowledge of the Uzumaki Clan ninjas. He pulled Kushina towards the clan's training grounds.
The training grounds were vast; almost everyone in the clan trained there.
Shin ignored the Genin and Chunin, his eyes scanning for Jonin.
The Uzumaki Clan had its fair share of Jonin; a large clan like theirs couldn't survive without them.
But finding a Jonin in this crowded training ground was like finding a needle in a haystack. Even if they came here to train, they'd likely find a secluded spot.
Common Replication Cards could copy the Chakra and physical abilities of a Jonin at most, so Shin needed to find one to maximize his gains.
"Bingo!"
Shin spotted someone he knew, an Uzumaki Jonin who specialized in Taijutsu.
"System, use a Common Replication Card to copy Uzumaki Hikaru's physique."
Physique encompassed strength, speed, stamina, agility, and flexibility. He could copy each attribute individually, but that would be a waste of a precious Replication Card.
In an instant, Shin felt his body swell. His bones hardened, his muscles tightened, all thanks to an unseen force.
He felt lighter, more agile.
"This power is insane!" Shin threw a punch, the force generating a sharp gust of wind. He was at least seven or eight times stronger than before.
With his [Perfect Sage Body], Shin was already freakishly strong.
Now, with this boost, he felt like he could punch a tree in half.
"System, does the copied strength stack with my original strength?" Shin asked a crucial question.
"Affirmative. Copied attributes are additive to your existing capabilities."
Shin's eyes lit up. If he could keep stacking attributes, why bother learning Jutsu?
If he could stack his physique to the level of Might Guy using the Eight Inner Gates, he'd be unstoppable with Taijutsu alone.
"System, can I keep stacking with no limits?"
"Your limitations are defined by the number of Replication Cards at your disposal, Master. As long as you possess Replication Cards, you can continue to copy and enhance your physique."
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