Warning: insane amounts of yapping. For those that enjoy the LitRPG side of things.
Right. Time to get to work archiving this bullshit. [Status].
Fuma Tomo, Uchiha Clan Prodigy (The Gamer), Level 26
Health Points (HP): 260/260
Chakra Pool (CP): 310/310
Experience Points (Exp): 0/2600
Money: 122.000 Ryo
STR: 31
VIT: 26
DEX: 125
INT: 125
WIS: 29
CHA: 31
CC: 14+83.5%
LCK: 23
Questions Unasked: 10
Points to Spend: 10
[Skills] – 30
[Jutsu] – 12
[Boons] – 2
[Titles] – 4
[Karma] [Affinities]
Opening up my menu, I'm greeted by the same thirty odd skills I've picked up over the years. Some are useless things I've picked up over the years just to try and grind up stats, some are debatably useful. Some have obvious uses.
Mentally rearranging them into an easier to read pattern and adding the ones I'm sure exist because they have been shown to me in the things I'm good or bad at in the form of arrows up or down, I'm left with some pretty clear distinctions.
Miscellaneous:
-Drawing Lv.33
-Pen-Spinning Lv.30
-Cooking Lv.1 ↓↓
-Calligraphy Lv.33 ↑
-Deception Lv.34
-Sprinting Lv.34
-Superior Awareness Lv.33
-Eavesdropping Lv.33
-Stealth Lv.35 ↑↑
-Flexibility Lv.0 ↑↑
-Accounting Lv.0 ↑
-Seduction Lv.0 ↓
-Cleaning Lv.0 ↓
These all range from "mildly useful for a shinobi" to "Legitimately just civilian activities". Besides Stealth, which I cannot fathom why is being thrown in with the rest. Observation is also in this category, but it's technically at max level.
Though I cannot fathom why any type of housework in general seems to be something I have difficulty with... sure, I only mildly help around the house, but still. Is this some sort of anime stereotype thing? The "Incredibly skilled assassin can't do housework to care for themselves" trope?
I'd need to become an incredibly skilled assassin first, but you know. I'm on that route, it seems.
As to what to gather from this... I don't know. The only thing that comes to mind is that I should train my stealth more, and I should finally get around to unlocking Flexibility. It doesn't seem like it'll help with anything in particular... but it also just doesn't seem like a bad skill to have. Though I'm wondering what the requirements for unlocking are, that I have yet to do so; I stretch enough prior to any type of exercise. Notably, a lot of the skills that I have a particular proficiency level in I also have no notable affinity for, such as Eavesdropping and Deception, but those just come with the shinobi life.
Calligraphy, Superior Awareness and maybe Drawing seem like they'll help with being a shinobi. Accounting might give me INT, but I can't fathom actually going that route for just a few points when my limiters have been lifted. Maybe if I get level beached again.
Resistances
-Pain Resistance, Lv. 33 ↑↑
-Exhaustion Resistance, Lv.12 ↑↑
-Physical Endurance, Lv.10 ↓
-Killing Intent Resistance, Lv. 7
-Genjutsu Resistance, Lv. 33 ↑↑
-Poison Resistance, Lv. 2 ↑
This seems self explanatory; I want all of them, in addition to whatever other skills exist. Though Physical Endurance is a terrible name for what the skill actually does, since the implication of the name is kind of a catch all; as far as I can tell it just makes me take less damage. Which makes it sort of a god-skill... if it weren't so hard to level up.
Notably, leveling up any of these implies putting myself through various levels of either harm or torture. I leveled Pain Resistance to the threshold by being actually tortured for days on end. Genjutsu Resistance seems to be, comparatively, the most pleasant... though I don't know what the long-term effects of stressing my brain that way has. I still suffer from nightmares, despite it being years since Danzo (or more likely, someone working for him) genjutsu'd me for months on end.
Taijutsu
-Fuma Clan Taijutsu Lv.31
-Uchiha Clan Taijutsu Lv.33
No, there's another skill there. Have I... should I just acknowledge that bit of my past?
...fine. I won't like it, but fine. 'Unhide traits with the ROOT keyword.'
-ROOT Style Taijutsu Lv.12
Notably, a generic version is missing... and I think I finally have figured out why. Of the generic branch of skills I've picked up, which is Kenjutsu and Shurikenjutsu, both are skills that I have an affinity for. Despite that, I know for a fact that a generic Taijutsu skill exists because it sits at a big, fat ↓↓ affinity for me.
So, despite this being speculation, I think it means that I can only learn specific styles of Taijutsu... which are probably only basic ones. The game locked me out of learning Burning Petal altogether, for example, because my "Taijutsu level" was too low. But if I cannot learn generic Taijutsu at all, that means that I'm never going to learn it because my Taijutsu level is never going to raise.
I don't know how to feel about that. Sure, I can be a big boy and bear the fact that I'm never going to be good at everything. But for some reason, having it spelled out in big bold letters that no matter what I do, I'm never going to be good enough to do a certain thing irks me.
...whatever. I'm not salty about it. I don't even like Taijutsu that much. And I can conjure weapons out of thin air whenever I want anyways, so there.
(I am extremely salty about it)
For the rest... the Uchiha Style Taijutsu is literally only stats, no technique, aside from knowing how to properly throw actual punches and kicks with all the appropriate power behind them. The Fuma Clan Taijutsu, then, is "Full DEX or Full STR with no inbetween: The Style". It feels extremely basic in principle; a few sets of hits and blocks and parries making use of either being a full STR fighter, or a flighty, full DEX fighter.
Notably, with my current skill level I can send myself into negative strength using it. It makes me feel like shit, however, so I don't do it. And... I think it might need to be coupled with the weight seals in the scroll for maximum effect? That's the only reason I can fathom why they were grouped together.
And then there is the ROOT Style, which is basically... fight dirty and aggressive. I'd say similar to Krav Maga, but I'm not actually sure I'm remembering correctly. Chokes, elbows, knees, palm strikes, anything and everything that will get you an advantage in a fight, with little actual defensive moves. Basically get in, do as much damage as you can, and if you die, too bad, someone else will replace you.
...for me that's another me but it's the principle that's wrong
None of them really do it for me. I'm going to have to find a new Taijutsu style that works for me... one probably tailored to evasion so that I can actually use the skills I'm competent in. The Uchiha style is neat, but does nothing of note in practice if you're not sharingan-equipped. Ideally, I'd want something that is kick-heavy and that goes well with kenjutsu... and on that note;
Shurikenjutsu and Kenjutsu
-Shurikenjutsu Lv.34 ↑
-Ricochet Lv.17
-Fuma Clan Shurikenjutsu Lv.0 ↑↑
-Kenjutsu Lv.33 ↑↑
-Fuma Clan Kenjutsu Lv.0 ↑
...I actually only know the generics for these. The only reason I know at all that there's even "styles" for these is that the system told me when it wasted all my questions. Ricochet is an extremely odd one, because the game heavily implies that it is an offshoot of the main Shurikenjutsu skill, refusing to level it up past the halfway point, but it is not a style. None of the other skills in my arsenal act this way.
The kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu for my clan are basically at the same level of affinity, a whopping 3 ↑s, but as far as generics go I'm better with a sword than with a shuriken. Or any other kind of thrown weapon. Though I honestly couldn't even begin to fathom where to learn these styles.
And either Shisui and Itachi have been extremely cagey about it, or they also use just the generic Shurikenjutsu skill to a much better effect than I do, which feels crazy to me. Then again, this might just be the skill level lock in place. They've had six to ten years to practice, I got to the point where I am in a little under a year and stayed there. No more.
Still, while I don't know where to pick up the Fuma stuff... without calling on my uncle, at the very least, but even then he used only the big shuriken, not a sword, I know where to pick up a sword style. Probably. The Moonlight style was a maybe. Other than that... I mean, I could somehow pester Kakashi into teaching me the White Fang's style? Yeah, right. Dude doesn't even use his tanto much. But I guess that if I do join Team Ro, that might end up being a thing.
The only other notable swordsmen I know are Uchiha, whose swordsmanship probably functions off the same basis as their Taijutsu does... or Orochimaru.
haha, no
If I wanted to do something so monumentally stupid, I might as well go and ask Yagura if he can get me trained by one of the Seven. I'm sure he'd like to see me again.
Ninjutsu ↓
-Miniature Mandala,
-Chakra Grasp,
-Mystical Palm, Lv.23
-Clone, Lv.5
-Shadow Clone, Lv.10
-Substitution, Lv.24
-Transformation, Lv.19
-Blade Projection, Lv. 28
-Wind Bullet, Lv.10 ↑↑
-Great Breakthrough, Lv.7 ↑↑
-Great Fireball, Lv.2 ↑
The system claims I'm bad at it. That, somehow, has not stopped me from picking up more than a fair few techniques. Definitely more than my... than Hana and Izumi knew, but that isn't in and of itself an achievement. These, I was quite a bit more limited in grinding by sheer fact that my chakra control has only sharply improved recently, what with being about 30-50% prior. That in and of itself meant that I could only fire off two great fireballs, my most chakra exhaustive technique before being done unless I spent about two to three hours meditating.
...I might not be able to pick up Ninjutsu of the other natures, given that I only have a bonus to my fire nature to balance out the general ninjutsu penalty, and a greater bonus with wind jutsu. For the others, I had actual penalties stacking on top of the base, and I already definitely felt the difference between Wind and Fire, both of which I have an affinity for.
Between that and my lack of proficiency, EXP did not rack up fast. I also just completely ignored the Clone technique after becoming vaguely proficient in it because it felt just so... useless to me. Shadow Clones are superior in every way possible.
Also, ninjutsu didn't have the forced cap for some reason, which means that the low-effort chakra exercises, such as the Leaf Sticking to Wall Walking to Water Walking I'd already mastered. Thank goodness.
Air walking, unfortunately, seemed to be featured only in the other thousand-episodes long shonen anime. Or at least, it was out of reach for my current level. But then again, if I lowered my weight enough, then I could push against the air itself like a thruster... the more I think about it, the more I feel like I've underutilized the only seal I know how to make. Which leads me to the last category;
Fuuinjutsu
-Versatile Weight, Lv.22
I actually did put chakra in the weighted book, in the end. Its current maximum weight is about 310 kilograms, which is as much as I was reasonably able to "lift" (and by that I mean get an inch off the ground), since that is kind of the limit on what I can put in my soulspace.
Its actual weight is closer to 200 kilograms, because I actually need to carry other stuff too, like throwing weapons and about everything I could reasonably need to survive outside for a month if need be.
Other than that, zilch. Versatile Weight does allow me now to do a change of up to 22kg per seal at 25 chakra per seal, which... I'm sure I can do something with. But I'm mostly just saving the orbital book bombardment for a rainy day. I should be doing more Fuuinjutsu, because as far I can tell, the usage I can make of it is similar to what I currently do with Shadow Clones; use them as batteries while they do stuff. Only, Shadow Clones are inefficient because I can only create two at a time... because the game has, of all things, an anti clone spam policy, which caps clone usage at the skill level divided by five, rounded up.
I did not like finding that out.
Anyways, Fuuinjutsu in theory doesn't have a time limit after I activate the seal unless the time limit is built in the seal; that means I could have pre-prepared things, if I learn the seal for it. But that requires me spending time to learn it, then spending time to make the seal.
Others
-Meditation Lv.33 ↑↑
-Battle Trance, Lv.10
-Hand Sign Dexterity Lv.34
Meditation and Battle Trance are just kind of there. Meditation speeds up my chakra recovery and otherwise works like actual meditation, and Battle Trance makes me better at fighting with Meditation on or while otherwise unable to reason. Battle Trance is also probably a sub-skill of it rather than a certainty, but I never really bothered to get it past level 10 because... well, actually it's because I suck at it. The only spars I get into are Taijutsu, and trust me, I can't Taijutsu people that aren't children without thinking about it and not get slapped around. I think it might be a great skill for lategame... but it's hard to see myself levelling it up without going on a training montage. And I don't find myself needing to use Meditation mid-fight very often.
Hand Sign Dexterity is just there. I'm not sure why it needs to be separate from DEX at all, but... sure. I use it constantly because it's a constant of using jutsu. It levels up like that.
Now, importantly, I'm pretty sure at least part of the reason I can't do Tsunade's super strength is because she uses Yang Release as the basis for her healing, which I started off on the wrong foot for, since I was taught the Mystical Palm by Hiroko... who still gives me the creeps... through Yin Release, since it was way easier for me to learn that way.
Now, I have no idea how Yin and Yang release differ in the way they heal people, but Yang Release is kind of a Senju thing, so I assume that's how Tsunade does it.
The other reason, of course, is because I'd well and completely forgotten about the other part of the Strength of a Hundred technique, the fact that one has to store chakra in their forehead for three years. At least, that's what Sakura had to do; I wouldn't be surprised if someone of Tsunade's caliber managed to do it in significantly less time, especially granted her being a Senju. As far as I can tell, though, it's really only about storing a metric ton of chakra in one's forehead so that it can be released at a further time.
That part, in theory, I should be able to do, assuming it works with my chakra.
The other other reason, then, is that it's sort of a force multiplier; being strong means that when you get stronger, you're even stronger.
Try saying that three times fast.
But should I even go the medic route? I mean, I definitely want medical chakra among my skillset, don't get me wrong; healing others and myself sounds amazing, both from a utility and a moral standpoint; but I... don't think I have what it takes?
Only one way to figure that out, I suppose.
'System, what is Tsunade's medical skills like in terms of natural aptitude?'
This is the first time that I ask a question about someone else, despite the answer being based on system parameters. If it's not meant to be, the question shouldn't work at all.
Instead, a popup window appears in front of me.
Tsunade Senju, Legendary Sucker, Lv.?
-Anatomy ↓
-Medicine ↑
-Yang Release ↑↑
-Medical Jutsu ↑↑
-CHA ?
-INT ?
Boons: Chakra Control Master, Superior Healer, Last of a Kind, Genin Specialization: Medicine, Jonin Specialization: Medical Jutsu, Legendary Sannin (Tsunade), Slug Contractor
For a moment, my brain freezes. Four digits Chakra?
With a sigh, I close the popup window, having learned exactly what I feared. There was a world of difference between us, even just in opportunity. Try as I might, beyond really good Chakra Control and maybe Yin Release, I'm just not as stacked.
...but it's okay. I'm not aiming for her spot. I can deal with being just "good enough", rather than taking the throne of best medic in the world.
Anyways, the picture painted for me is pretty clear. I'll pursue any and all skills I can abuse my near perfect chakra control in, and I'll go for a mixture of Kenjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, and Genjutsu, with all other skills as supplements to my style. Coupled with my good Stealth... well, apparently I was made for the Rogue life. I'll continue pumping mostly DEX and INT, because by the point I've reached, turning my 95% chakra efficiency rate into a 96% would mean an effective 20% reduction to the chakra I'm wasting.
Now, with all that in mind... what's this I saw about a Genin Specialization Boon? I did dismiss some popups that looked suspiciously like that…
Nevermind, there were more than some. Genin Boon Selection, Dexterity Boon Selection, Intelligence Boon Selection, Compound Boon (DEX/INT) Increase and Level 25 Boon Selection were all staring back at me, waiting to be picked.
You mean to tell me I've been skirting the line with all these boons for so long? Why wasn't the level 25 one available earlier? I've been at this level for the better part of last year.
Genin Boon Selection
You have rightfully achieved the Genin rank of the Konohagakure military, becoming a common soldier, gaining a boon. Boons you select will not be lost if you change allegiance, but you will not gain an additional boon for achieving similar rank in another hierarchy, such as Heishi, C-Rank missing nin, or Clan Fledgeling. Please select one of the following:
1. Proficiency Increase
Skill and talent are what separate the good from the great and the great from the masters. Increase three of your skill affinities by one rank, up to a maximum of rank five.
2. Master's Shadow
Sometimes, the student becomes the master. And sometimes, the student absorbs every single applicable skill the master has to offer in order to do that. Selecting this option grants your the Master's Shadow boon, which allows you to select one teacher; the speed at which you gain their techniques is tripled, and you're able to learn their techniques if you otherwise wouldn't be.
3. Team Combatant
Locked.
Requirement: Two or more teammates with which you have a positive affinity.
Ow. Way to rub it in that I didn't manage to get my friends on my team, game. With a sigh, I move onto the next ones. silently analyzing them. Might as well check out the others, before picking things that would anti-synergize.
Dexterity Boon Selection
Speed. One of the key attributes that a shinobi must have, it decides your ability to hit and not be hit in return by your opponent. Thankfully, you have that in spades. Please select one of the following:
1. Flash Before Your Eyes
Many can attest to the idea that in certain moments, right before their life was about to end, they could see their life flash before their eyes. For you, it gets a little more habitual than that.
Activated manually, or right before you're about to die, time slows down by 95% for you. In this state, you can evaluate, observe, calculate, and if you have the necessary boons, create [Macros] and manage the [Inventory]. When you resume movement, for the next three seconds, your DEX counts as double for the purposes of calculating your movement speed.
This state leaves you spiritually unsettled. Right after the boon ends, your WIS is cut in half until you spend at least an hour Meditating on the event.
2. Critical Striker
Sometimes, you gotta hit fast, you gotta hit hard, and you've gotta strike where it hurts the most. Damage you deal from landing critical hits adds your DEX to the damage calculation, and you can automatically land a critical hit on opponents you are unseen by, so long as you can connect with a vital area.
I hummed. This was the classic conundrum of Versatile and Complicated versus Simple and Effective. Critical Prowess was very attractive, don't get me wrong, especially with the fact that I'm an assassin by trade. Flash Before Your Eyes also had that terrible downside... but a small part of me wanted to see how far I could push the movement speed limit. Did speed even equal power, with wonky anime physics? It must, right?
Still, there was also a matter to consider. Right now, a stroke of my katana dealt, on a good hit, around eighty-ish damage, increased by thirty if I slowed down with Fuma Clan Taijutsu,doubled on a crit. That was enough to kill a genin, but barely. Hell- one of my crits wouldn't oneshot me, and I don't exactly consider myself resilient when Itachi killed me on accident.
...fine. I can probably pick up the funny speed boon later. unless a better option presents itself. Right now, considering I just sacrificed everything into Intelligence for chakra control, I need the raw damage to make back up for it.
My mind is almost made up, but let's see the others.
Intellect Boon Selection
Intelligence is what distinguishes a mere soldier from a tactician, a sheep from a wolf. In that regard, you're cut above the rest of the shinobi populace. Please select one of the following:
1. Superior Observation
What sets aside a truly smart man from others? Their ability to plan in advance for every possible occasion, obviously! In order to do that, you need to gather intelligence, and that takes time. Observing a target will now yield considerably more information, and you are now considered to be 10 points higher in every stat, LV. included, for the purposes of determining your [Observe].
2. Tactician
What sets aside a truly smart man from others? Their ability to think and adapt on the fly, obviously! In order to do that, you need to be able to make a plan in a split second. You can focus on a number of targets equal to INT/50, be they objects or creatures, in order to predict their movements in the next few seconds. The lower the Deception level of the target compared to your Observe ability, the more accurate a prediction you can make.
...
These perks quite literally said it all on their own. One achieves superiority through on-the-fly thinking, the other through being prepared.
At face value, I'd be inclined to just pick up Tactician, because it was practically a form of future sight, but... something stopped me, and not just the wait to have seen every perk to see if there was synergy.
One thing was the fact that I'm always leery to use direct system assistance. One thing is when it grants me abilities and I base my own decisions around it... but somehow, this feels like I'd inevitably end up basing my own decisions simply around what the system tells me to.
There's also the fact that, if I got Deception to Lv.33 without particularly even trying, then who tells me that my opponents won't have the same? We're shinobi, deception is the name of the game.
...it sounds really freaking good compared to the other though, and I don't use [Observe] very much. But maybe... maybe it's time I rectify that.
Compound Boon (DEX/INT) Increase
1. Macro Caster
When speed of thought and speed of body become one, certain actions become automated to the point of perfection. You gain access to the [Macro] menu, allowing you to chain certain abilities and techniques in order to create combos.
Speed of using techniques in Macro chains that involve at least 3 or more techniques increased by 30%.
2. Fuuinjutsu Prodigy
When precision of hand meets wild imagination, there's no limits to what you can do with your seals. You gain the ability to create new Fuuinjutsu seals, rather than just replicating ones you've seen. Chakra cost of activating seals now includes your Chakra Control stat.
Thankfully, this one doesn't seem to require much consideration at all. I'd already been planning to expand into Fuuinjutsu, wasn't I? And Macros... same thing as before. I don't like the System doing things in my place. Call me old fashioned, but I like it manual.
It seems to be my one edge against other Gamers, too.
Lastly...
Level 25 Boon Selection
You've crossed the first gate. Your level will now not drop below 25 when losing EXP unless you choose for that to happen. Please select one of the following:
1. Pure Path: First Step
?
2. Impure Path: First Step
?
Right. Fuck you too, game.
There's sadly no point speculating more on this than I already have. Pure things seem to be connected to the spiritual side of the world, while the Impure things are... body, by default. That seems to be the criteria, anyways.
If it refuses to tell me what they do, though, I have no way of choosing the "better" effect. Still, given that I have a better affinity with the Pure Skills, might as well choose that.
As for the others... Macro Casting and Flash Before Your Eyes obviously synergize. And yet, what would that make me? Discount Uchiha? If I needed Bullet Time so badly then, well, not to be mean, but there's a lot of corpses to be harvested for their eyes, I'm sure.
Then again, Flash Before Your Eyes and Tactician also synergize... why do all of the ones that are the worse option singularly seem to do that?
Master's Shadow isn't worth very much if used on Yugao. But... what about someone else? I could choose Shisui as my master, or keep it on hold until I join Team Ro for Kakashi, the guy known for learning a thousand jutsu, or...
...
Oh. And with the title...
Man, I guess I am the slightest bit salty after all.