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[Konoha2] Chapter 28: Mental Abnormality!
🕑 Added 2025-04-29 02:51:46 +0000 UTCSeeing that there were only a little over two hours left on the countdown, Hajime couldn't help but feel reluctant.
The [Indecisive] status was just too useful.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t hold onto it.
With a sigh, Hajime created nine clones in one breath and continued his training.
However, this time, he didn't split their efforts across different tasks.
All the clones focused on a single goal—Blade Storm!
Sometimes, two hours could feel incredibly long, like bearing a heavy burden.
Other times, two hours could pass in the blink of an eye.
When the [Indecisive] status finally disappeared, Hajime snapped out of his training.
One by one, his clones dispelled, and the accumulated experience surged back into him.
Lowering his gaze, Hajime quietly digested it all. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a trace of regret flickering across them.
He was so close.
But that small regret quickly faded—though he had lost the [Indecisive] status, he still had the Dual Mind skill.
The perfect version of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was now within reach.
Hajime was confident he could complete it step by step.
Shifting his focus, Hajime opened his status window.
> Current Status: Mental Abnormality <
> Note: From now on, your mental state is abnormal. Please constantly remind yourself to stay rational, and seize the unique flashes of inspiration that this abnormality may bring.
> Refresh Countdown: 167:57:58
Staring at the refreshed status, Hajime’s expression froze.
What the hell?
Mental abnormality?
Was he going crazy?
Flashes of inspiration from the abnormality?
What did that even mean?
Hajime was completely bewildered.
The explanation... well, he supposed it was better than nothing.
With a shake of his head, Hajime was about to look away when a sudden thought popped into his mind:
Could I dig out Nagato’s Rinnegan right now?
If he could take down Kakuzu, why not aim for the Rinnegan?
Even if he couldn't bear the strain of wielding both eyes, having just one would still be amazing.
Wood Release combined with a Rinnegan... who in the Shinobi World could possibly stand against me?
Hajime’s expression gradually became excited.
"At dawn, I'm heading to the Land of Rain!"
Having made up his mind, Hajime turned back to the wooden house to rest, soon falling into a deep sleep.
***
The sun rose in the east.
When Hajime woke up, it was already seven in the morning. Recalling the decision he had made the previous night, cold sweat instantly broke out all over him.
"Why the hell would I even think about going to the Land of Rain to dig out a Rinnegan?!"
"This isn’t right!"
Hajime’s face darkened.
So this is what "mental abnormality" means...?
"At this point in time, Nagato’s parents should still be alive..."
"And even though Uchiha Madara is hooked up to life support, he’s still wrapped in White Zetsu tissue. Beating me would be a piece of cake, wouldn’t it?"
Wiping away the cold sweat on his forehead, Hajime sternly warned himself not to seek death—just because he managed to kill Kakuzu didn’t mean he should get cocky.
Still, this Mental Abnormality status was seriously a trap.
After thinking it over, Hajime decided the best plan was to always maintain the Dual Mind state, keeping at least one part of his mind focused and rational.
"If only I still had dual soul consciousness..."
He sighed deeply, full of regret.
After all, Dual Mind was still just a split of the same soul’s consciousness.
He wasn’t sure if, under Mental Abnormality, he could actually maintain a clear-headed part of himself.
"Hmm, I should keep at least one clone active at all times."
Hajime thought to himself, "Even though clones inherit the Mental Abnormality status, the chance of both the main body and a clone going crazy at the same time should be lower, right?"
It seemed like a probability problem.
Hajime shook his head with a wry smile, then got up and headed outside for some physical training.
At nine in the morning, Hajime left the valley and headed into a nearby town to enjoy a hearty meal.
After leaving the restaurant, he strolled along the town’s streets, watching the bustling crowds come and go.
Suddenly, a balloon slipped out of a little girl's hand.
The boy next to her immediately jumped up to catch it, but in doing so, he accidentally loosened the balloon’s opening.
With a hiss, the balloon, deflating rapidly, darted around uncontrollably in the air.
Watching the scene unfold, Hajime suddenly froze, dazed.
At that moment, in his eyes, the wildly zigzagging balloon was no longer just a balloon—it had become a ninja.
Airflow!
Jet propulsion!
Wind Flicker Technique!
In an instant, a flash of inspiration burst in Hajime’s mind.
He realized he could use air propulsion to explosively boost his speed.
Moreover, if he could, like the Hyūga Clan, release chakra from all his body's tenketsu points, he could even achieve actual flight.
"But even though I can't release chakra from my whole body yet, I can already use my hands and feet. That should be enough to realize a lot of possibilities."
Hajime smiled brightly.
Leaving the town, Hajime couldn’t resist creating a clone to begin experimenting with the development of the Wind Flicker Technique.
Meanwhile, his main body didn’t concern itself with the clone’s activities and continued traveling—leaving the Land of Rivers and making his way back to Konoha.
On the evening of October 5th, in the 36th year of the Konoha calendar, Hajime finally returned to the village.
***
Root Base.
Standing before Kakuzu’s corpse on the ground, Danzō was silent.
An S-rank criminal, active since the era of the First Hokage, a man who had once survived an assassination attempt on Hashirama Senju himself—had actually died at Hajime Hoshita’s hands.
Danzō was genuinely surprised, even shocked.
Of course, he had high hopes for Hajime, but against someone like Kakuzu?
Even against a typical Jōnin, Hajime still had a ways to go in Danzō’s eyes.
His gaze shifted to Hajime.
"How did you kill him?" Danzō asked.
Without hesitation, Hajime recounted the battle process.
Of course, he conveniently omitted the part where his heart had been torn out.
The version he presented to Danzō was a tactical maneuver using a Wood Clone as bait, catching Kakuzu off guard, and finishing him with the Cutting Technique in a decisive strike.
The wounds on Kakuzu’s body also matched this explanation.
However, to Danzō, it still sounded somewhat implausible.
A seasoned veteran like Kakuzu had fallen so easily?
Or was it that Wood Release was simply that powerful?
Danzō stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking:
"The village has had a bounty out on this guy for a long time. The reward will be issued soon. His corpse also has significant research value. Take it to the Intelligence Division; they’ll collaborate with the Medical Corps for dissection."
Hajime respectfully nodded. "Understood!"
After acknowledging the order, he added,
"Lord Danzō, I would like to use Kakuzu’s bounty to exchange for chakra metal from the village and forge two ninja blades."
Hearing this, Danzō immediately agreed without hesitation. "Approved."
Chakra metal was extremely valuable and not something that could be casually bought.
But considering Hajime had taken down Kakuzu and possessed Wood Release, awarding him some chakra metal as a reward was more than reasonable.
"Go get some rest. Prepare for operations against the Sky Ninja."
Danzō instructed.
"Understood!"
Carrying Kakuzu’s body, Hajime disappeared.
Danzō remained standing in place, his gaze deep and brooding.
Wood Release...
He coveted that power.
Unfortunately, even after sacrificing so many ninja, Konoha had produced only one lucky individual—Hajime Hoshita.
"When Root grows stronger, we must restart the research into Hashirama’s cells."
Danzō secretly decided, then set off toward the Hokage Building.
Hajime’s outstanding performance had given him renewed confidence.
Danzō thought that their actions against the Sky Ninja could be more aggressive now.
Root alone might not be enough—he would need to borrow some forces from the Hokage’s Anbu.
***
Meanwhile, after delivering Kakuzu’s corpse, Hajime returned to his usual training grounds.
He still needed to continue perfecting the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
He had to further develop the Blade Storm technique.
And the Wind Flicker Technique he had just conceived today also needed thorough research.
Besides all that, Hajime still had Wood Release ninjutsu to train.
Moreover, after his battle with Kakuzu, Hajime realized that he should also master at least one or two Earth and Water Release techniques, to make his abilities even more versatile.
(End of Chapter)
