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"After countless faceplants, I finally nailed Tree Climbing."
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Shin looked like he''d wrestled a mud monster and lost. He''d fallen out of the trees more times than he could count.
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But it was worth it. He could now scale a tree with the grace of a squirrel, his Chakra finally under his command.
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"Shin, how did you do that?"
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Kushina stared at him with wide, awestruck eyes.
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"Heh, wanna learn?"
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Kushina nodded eagerly.
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"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.
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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.
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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.
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"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?"
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It made him sound like a little kid. But Kushina was used to it; breaking the habit would be tough.
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Kushina called him ''Shin-chan'' because he was younger than her. Well, only by three days, but still younger.
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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."
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"Fine."
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Shin nodded and shared all the tricks he''d discovered.
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With Shin''s guidance and insider knowledge, Kushina mastered Tree Climbing in just half an hour. The girl was a natural.
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"Shin, I learned way faster than you!" Kushina said, a smug grin on her face.
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It had taken Shin over three hours, while Kushina had done it in thirty minutes. But that didn''t mean he was less talented.
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He''d had to figure it out through trial and error, while Kushina had a shortcut, thanks to him.
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After the Tree Climbing lesson, Shin led Kushina to a nearby river for Water Walking practice.
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Water Walking was definitely trickier. Water offered no resistance; one wrong step, and you were taking a dip.
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Thankfully, Shin''s Tree Climbing experience gave him a head start. He only fell in twice before he was walking, even running, on water.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
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Kushina, on the other hand, wasn''t having as much luck. She''d already fallen in a dozen times, much to Shin''s amusement.
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After splashing around for hours, Kushina finally got the hang of Water Walking.
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"Kushina, you''re officially a prodigy."
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Mastering both Tree Climbing and Water Walking at the age of five, with such precise Chakra control? That was prodigy-level stuff.
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"Let''s go change first," Kushina said, her clothes dripping.
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They went back, changed, and finally had lunch. It was already three in the afternoon.
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Kushina had stubbornly refused to eat until she mastered Water Walking, hence the late lunch.
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After their meal, Shin decided to skip training and headed towards the clan grounds with Kushina.
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"Shin-chan, why are we going to the clan grounds?" Kushina asked, surprised.
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"Didn''t we have a deal?" Shin lightly flicked Kushina''s forehead.
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"It''s a habit! I''ll get better, I promise."
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Kushina rubbed her forehead, pouting at Shin.
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Shin chuckled. Breaking that habit was probably going to be an uphill battle.
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"By the way, Shin-ch.. i mean, Shin, why are we going to the clan grounds? You don''t usually like going there."
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They lived outside the clan grounds and rarely ventured in, except when they needed supplies.
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This wasn''t a supply run. Shin wanted to put his Replication Card to use.
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As they entered the Uzumaki Clan grounds, the atmosphere became livelier. The Uzumaki Clan wasn''t small; they had over two hundred members.
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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.
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"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?"
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"That is for you to determine, Master. This System does not possess such functionality."
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"..."
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Fortunately, he had some knowledge of the Uzumaki Clan ninjas. He pulled Kushina towards the clan''s training grounds.
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The training grounds were vast; almost everyone in the clan trained there.
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Shin ignored the Genin and Chunin, his eyes scanning for Jonin.
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The Uzumaki Clan had its fair share of Jonin; a large clan like theirs couldn''t survive without them.
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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.
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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.
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"Bingo!"
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Shin spotted someone he knew, an Uzumaki Jonin who specialized in Taijutsu.
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"System, use a Common Replication Card to copy Uzumaki Hikaru''s physique."
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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.
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In an instant, Shin felt his body swell. His bones hardened, his muscles tightened, all thanks to an unseen force.
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He felt lighter, more agile.
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"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.
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With his [Perfect Sage Body], Shin was already freakishly strong.
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Now, with this boost, he felt like he could punch a tree in half.
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"System, does the copied strength stack with my original strength?" Shin asked a crucial question.
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"Affirmative. Copied attributes are additive to your existing capabilities."
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Shin''s eyes lit up. If he could keep stacking attributes, why bother learning Jutsu?
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If he could stack his physique to the level of Might Guy using the Eight Inner Gates, he''d be unstoppable with Taijutsu alone.
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"System, can I keep stacking with no limits?"
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"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."