The deepest mark—
That one was the Chakra Needle.
The shallower one…
Chakra Thread.
The shortest must be the Soldier Pill.
Different depths, different levels of influence. It seemed the Bodhi Seed grew by absorbing the "nutrients" of knowledge and wisdom he spread to others.
The grooves themselves were proof.
Chiba let out a long breath.
Now that he'd figured out the pattern, his path ahead suddenly looked much clearer.
He began analyzing the two techniques he'd already passed on.
From a purely ninjutsu standpoint, the Chakra Needle's potential was massive—but its difficulty was just as high. An A+ technique would turn away the majority of ninja, and even if simplified, it would still sit firmly at A-rank difficulty.
The Chakra Thread, on the other hand, had a weaker influence—after all, manipulating tools and puppets with chakra was nothing new; Sunagakure had perfected the art long ago. But that also meant it was easier to learn and much more adaptable.
"By that logic, the one suitable for widespread use right now is the Chakra Thread," Chiba muttered. "The only question is—how many markings do I need to accumulate before the Bodhi evolves ?"
He understood all too well—taijutsu, ninjutsu, even senjutsu, all had their limits. Even if he someday mastered Sage Mode, st monsters like Madara or Ōtsutsuki Kakida, he'd still stand little chance.
If he truly wanted to live without fear, his only real hope lay with the mysterious Bodhi Seed that had crossed into this world with him.
"Let's start by refining the Chakra Thread. It's simple enough."
Whether it was weapon control or puppet-style manipulation, the Sand Village already provided countless examples. Replicating their methods wouldn't be hard, and Konoha had a major gap in this field.
The jōnin probably wouldn't care much, but everyone below that rank would be thrilled to have a new practical technique to learn.
After a long moment of consideration, Chiba nodded to himself. He had his next goal.
"Good thing I don't have to attend classes anymore. Otherwise, even I wouldn't have enough time for all this."
He sighed inwardly.
Taijutsu couldn't be neglected.
Medical theory still needed work—he was barely a beginner by his own standards.
He still had to study puppet techniques, chakra mechanics, and anatomy…
Busy. So busy.
Chiba stood, stretching lazily before doing a few quick warm-ups.
He'd expected some sort of reward from the two new markings on the Bodhi Seed—but after testing himself, he didn't feel any physical changes.
Mentally, he did feel unusually refreshed upon waking, but that might just have been good rest.
Human spirit was a mysterious thing. In Konoha, only the Yamanaka Clan truly studied the mind—but their knowledge came from secret techniques, not anything in the public archives.
Maybe he could test his chakra capacity later. That would at least be measurable.
For now, he decided not to rush it. His chakra reserves were usually more than enough for day-to-day practice.
"Heh… awake already?"
Huh?
Chiba froze. That voice—
Why is he here?!
"Lord Hokage."
"Ahem." The Third Hokage coughed lightly, pipe in hand. "I just came to check on you. That Nara Clan boy survived thanks to your help. Shikaku and I were visiting him, so I thought I'd stop by to see if you were awake."
Chiba turned his head and saw Nara Clan Shikaku standing quietly behind the Third.
When Hiruzen finished speaking, Shikaku stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"If not for you, young Chiba, Shihui would've lost his arm—and his future as a ninja. The Nara Clan is deeply grateful."
"Please, Lord Shikaku, don't. I only did what I could."
But Shikaku didn't argue—he simply bowed , then turned to the Hokage. "Lord Hokage, I'll go check on Shihui."
"Go ahead," said Hiruzen.
Chiba watched him leave, a faint crease on his brow.
They'd surely already seen the patient—so why stay behind?
That could only mean one thing: the Hokage had something to say to him.
He hesitated, then asked, "Lord Hokage, was that chūnin saved?"
"Yes. Barely."
Hiruzen smiled. "He'll have some limitations using his hand, but since he's from the Nara Clan, his jutsu don't rely on taijutsu anyway. He'll continue as a ninja without issue."
"That's a relief," Chiba said, exhaling softly.
At least his effort hadn't been in vain.
Reality had proven how devastating explosive tags could be. Not even Nawaki could survive one—and even elite chūnin weren't exempt. A direct hit almost always meant severe injury.
"Hanpo told me your technique made the operation possible," said the Third. "You contributed greatly. Since you're willing to offer your jutsu to the village, Konoha should show its gratitude. What would you like as a reward?"
"I heard you have quite the personal library, Lord Hokage. I'd like to borrow a few books."
Chiba had been eyeing Hiruzen's collection for a long time.
He'd even had kid mention him before, hoping to earn a connection that might open that door. Now that the opportunity was here, he wasn't going to let it slip.
No need to hide his intention—being too cautious would only look suspicious.
The Third Hokage's face broke into a warm smile. "Of course. You may come to the Hokage Building any time to read. Some of the ninjutsu scrolls are available as well. Even if your nature transformation talent is weak, persistence can still bring results."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage, for your guidance."
Chiba bowed respectfully. He knew the old man meant well—
but the truth was, his inability to use ninjutsu wasn't a matter of talent. It had something to do with the Bodhi Seed in his mind.
He still didn't fully understand that thing—but someday, he hoped to.
Still, the Third was right about one thing: even if he couldn't master nature change, studying the logic behind other ninjutsu could still teach him plenty.
And those books? He was absolutely going to read all of them.
"If you come across anything you don't understand," Hiruzen added, "feel free to visit my office. I'm old, my memory's not what it used to be—but I still remember a few things."
He stayed a bit longer, chatting amiably, before finally taking his leave.
Chiba watched him go and couldn't help but think—
Is it just me, or does the Third kind of… have a thing for me?
He shook his head almost immediately. No, that was ridiculous. Given his talent, it was natural that the Hokage would take an interest.
After all, a genius like him didn't come around often.
Still, he couldn't shake the thought entirely.
"Forget it," he muttered. "No point overthinking. I've got my own work to do."
He stretched . "Been lying around all day. I'll rest properly today, eat, and go for a run after."
It was just around noon—the perfect time to hit the hospital cafeteria and grab a free meal.
Along the way, plenty of people greeted him warmly.
A few questions later, Chiba realized he'd become something of a minor celebrity at the hospital.
A twelve-year-old who'd taken the operating lead—some even compared him to Lady Tsunade.
That comparison made him break into a cold sweat.
After all, Tsunade could perform the entire operation alone; his "success" yesterday came mostly from steady hands and a sharp eye. His medical knowledge was still shallow, and he hadn't even learned true medical ninjutsu.
He tried explaining that a few times—then gave up.
Apparently, gossip was inevitable, whether in the modern world or the shinobi world.
Workplace rumors—can't escape them anywhere, he sighed inwardly.
At lunch, he ran into Kitayama Xu, mentioned he'd be taking the day off, and she readily agreed.
After eating, Chiba went out for a walk and some exercise.
Having been stuck in bed half a day, the feeling of moving —
was downright exhilarating.
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