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Chapter 202: Strength and Speed Both A, Overall Rating A+!
🕑 Added 2025-09-19 11:34:31 +0000 UTCChapter 202: Strength and Speed Both A, Overall Rating A+!
In the days that followed, the earth-shattering news that the "Shadow of Darkness" had become the new clan head of the Nara spread like wildfire. If not for the solemn atmosphere of wartime, the Nara clan would have thrown a massive, joyous banquet and invited every major figure in Konoha to attend. The reason, of course, wouldn't have been to celebrate the new clan head, but to celebrate the new summoning contract between the Nara clan and the Five-Tails, Kokuō. After all, what belongs to the clan head, belongs to the clan, right?
Keisuke had no interest in interfering with his clan's newfound love for Kokuō. For the past few days, he had shut out the world and focused solely on "teaching the fat sheep."
Tsunade, a natural genius in chakra control and taijutsu, was an incredibly fast learner. Under Keisuke's "close, personal, round-the-clock" tutoring, her progress with the Sage Clan Guidance Technique was rapid. In just a few days, she had already mastered its unique breathing method and perfectly integrated it into her normal daily rhythm. Of course, "learning the technique" and "sensing natural energy" were two different things. She still needed time, but she was on the path to learning the more advanced Sage Clan Breathing Method.
He had also, without reservation, shared the other scrolls from the Fire Temple with her, including the C-rank Arhat Fist, the B-rank Adamantine Fist, and the A-rank Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Hand Kill.
And in his spare time outside of tutoring Tsunade, Keisuke was methodically advancing his own research projects: testing his new jutsu, fusing his shadow techniques, and using the White Zetsu to continuously collect data on Wood Style. Every one of his clones had a job to do.
This morning, the moment Keisuke opened his eyes, he was greeted by a series of notifications.
[For one full natural day, you have engaged in no strength-consuming exercise beyond satisfying basic physiological needs... Your [Strength] stat has increased!]
[For one full natural day, you have remained perfectly still beyond satisfying basic physiological needs... Your [Speed] stat has increased!]
[Your [Strength] and [Speed] stats have increased! Your Overall Rating has been raised!]
[[Strength]: B+ -> A-]
[[Speed]: B+ -> A-]
[[Overall Rating]: A -> A+ (High Kage-Level)]
'After just a few days of rest, the stats that were already on the verge have finally broken the A-rank threshold!'
Keisuke looked at his current panel:
Ninjutsu: A+
Taijutsu: B
Strength: A-
Speed: A-
Precision: A-
Wisdom: A+
'Strength, Speed, and Precision are all now A-rank. Even my weakest stat, Taijutsu, has reached B.'
Due to his unique combat style, Keisuke had never prioritized taijutsu training. His stat had only increased from B- to B as a passive result of his core [Strength] and [Speed] attributes rising. The strength of one's taijutsu, after all, was built on a foundation of raw physical ability. Now that his Strength and Speed were both A-rank, even without using chakra, his physical specs alone were comparable to an elite Jonin taijutsu specialist.
'Taijutsu, huh...' Keisuke shook his head. Compared to the hard work of training his body, increasing experience, and using refined techniques to defeat an enemy, he much preferred to just solidify his foundation and crush them with the raw numerical difference. Besides...
'Why bother with a fistfight when one Dark Spiral Annihilation Sphere can solve the problem?'
He got out of the soft, comfortable bed, made more clones to send to their daily research tasks, and then began his own routine. Like a diligent little bee, he made his rounds between his four key locations: the underground lab, the medical institute, the Kikyo Orphanage, and the Nara Forest.
At that same time, in the Hokage Tower, another private meeting was being held between Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two advisors, Homura and Koharu. The topic was simple: how to handle Konoha's newest "top-tier combat assets." Specifically, Nara Keisuke, the Five-Tails, and Uchiha Kagami.
Setting all other factors aside, any one of these three was powerful enough to hold a battlefield on their own. In a previous meeting, Koharu had suggested separating Keisuke and Kokuō, allowing other Nara to command the Tailed Beast on a different front.
Homura argued this was entirely unacceptable. Kokuō was a Tailed Beast. If it went berserk, it would damage Konoha itself. "My opinion is the same as before," he said. "Keisuke and Kokuō cannot be separated. Besides Keisuke, there is no one else in this village who can control its power. Their '1+1 is greater than 2' combination should be sent to the Land of Rain to clean up that quagmire and accelerate our victory."
"But Homura, have you considered the other problem?" Koharu sneered. Her suggestion wasn't based purely on personal feelings. "As that boy himself pointed out, the merit he has accumulated in this war is already far too great. If we allow him to also resolve the Land of Rain conflict and defeat the combined Suna-Iwa forces there... have you thought about how we will manage his reputation after the war?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Hiruzen. The two advisors were, in reality, just parasites on the Third Hokage's power. Her words were merely a reflection of Hiruzen's own concerns.
Hiruzen smoked his pipe silently. He agreed with Homura's strategy but also with Koharu's political fears. Keisuke's age was small, but his contributions were massive. This did not align with his original plan. He had been hoping to name the Fourth Hokage after the war, and his chosen candidate was his own student's student: Minato Namikaze. Minato had the strength, the merit, and the reputation, and was infinitely close to the level of the Sannin.
But that was all before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. In that one campaign, Keisuke had single-handedly destroyed a thousand-man army, suppressed the Third Tsuchikage, and captured the Five-Tails Jinchuriki. If you added his capture of Ebizō from Suna... was there anyone in Konoha with a greater war record? Minato had "mowed the grass" and earned his fame, but could that compare to capturing legendary figures? The reversal of the entire war was almost single-handedly directed by Nara Keisuke. If he was allowed to take the Five-Tails and win in the Land of Rain... his reputation would be uncontrollable.
Could he really watch a Nara ninja become the Fourth Hokage? Hiruzen silently shook his head.
"Compared to that, let's first discuss Kagami's placement," he sighed, tabling the problem that was giving him a headache. "Kagami's identity is too sensitive... the only teams he can join are the two that know his situation: Minato's squad, and Keisuke's. Since Keisuke already has the Five-Tails, adding Kagami would be a waste of resources. My plan is to assign Kagami to Minato's team. What do you think?"
His reasoning was that if this "special duo" could achieve great things on the front lines, it would naturally elevate Minato's personal reputation. The elders, seeing this logic, immediately agreed.
"Then all that remains is... Nara Keisuke," Hiruzen said, rubbing his forehead. "Perhaps we should..."
Before he could finish, the door to his office was suddenly thrown open. No one was allowed to interrupt this meeting unless it was a matter of grave importance. The three of them looked up in unison.
"Enter," Hiruzen called out.
A masked Root ninja flickered into the office, dropping to one knee. "Lord Hokage! Last night, the Third Raikage launched a surprise attack on the Konoha camp in the Land of Hot Water. The front line has collapsed. Lord Danzō is critically wounded and can no longer fight."
