"Naruto really does have an incredible recovery ability…"
Walking back to his apartment, Kazama Shin recalled what had just happened.
Naruto had been completely exhausted, yet after resting for only a short while, he had already bounced back to full energy.
"The Uzumaki clan's bloodline… and the influence of the Nine-Tails…"
Kazama Shin's eyes gleamed.
In his eyes, Naruto was nothing less than a walking treasure vault. The key might fail from time to time—no, often—but as long as it worked even once, the reward would be enormous.
…
"This time it was Minato… next time, maybe the Nine-Tails' chakra, or even the irresistible Asura chakra… wouldn't that be even better?"
Of course, the best would be Asura's chakra.
As for the Nine-Tails' chakra—even if he obtained it now, Kazama Shin wouldn't dare fuse it immediately.
After all, Tailed Beast chakra had extremely distinct characteristics, and its sheer magnitude would make it obvious.
Even without a Byakugan, any ninja with basic sensory abilities would notice it instantly.
Fusing something like that within the village right now would be far too dangerous.
Better to take it step by step.
And this time—
Minato Namikaze's chakra was already a huge surprise.
—
Kazama Shin wasted no time. He quickly sat cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes.
"Fuse Minato Namikaze's chakra."
He muttered inwardly, unable to suppress his excitement.
Whoosh!
A ripple surged from deep within his soul, as if something had been born out of nothingness.
A strand of pure blue chakra appeared within his body, incredibly refined, before merging into him.
It guided his own chakra, causing it to circulate and flow throughout his body.
A refreshing coolness spread through him—starting as a faint thread, then growing stronger and stronger until it felt like his entire body was immersed in a clear spring.
Soon, the fusion was complete.
"Ha…"
Letting out a soft breath, Kazama Shin opened his eyes.
His chakra reserves hadn't increased significantly—
But something deeper had changed.
His body felt fundamentally different.
The slight fatigue from earlier had completely vanished, and his mind felt exceptionally clear.
"Every improvement feels this good…"
His entire body felt cool and refreshed as he stretched and murmured.
This wasn't an exaggeration.
Each time his talent improved, it felt like evolution—like a form of transcendence.
…
His thoughts shifted as he began examining the changes within himself.
"So this is… the Fourth Hokage's aptitude…"
He whispered softly.
With a slight movement of his mind, every cell in his body began rapidly extracting physical energy, naturally merging it with his spiritual energy to form new chakra.
At the same time, his mind was crystal clear.
His understanding and learning ability for ninjutsu had greatly improved.
If he were given a ninjutsu scroll now, he could likely learn and comprehend it on his own in a short time.
—
"No wonder he could rise from a civilian background to become the legendary Yellow Flash…"
Kazama Shin sighed in admiration.
"With talent like this…"
But then, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Now, I'm not inferior to him."
Under the sunlight, his expression looked especially warm.
Thinking about it, his background was quite similar to the Fourth Hokage's.
Both were civilians.
And now, their talents were on par.
…
Now that he possessed first-rate ninja talent, Kazama Shin had no intention of wasting it.
He made full use of his time, focusing on basic training he knew well.
Such as kunai throwing and shuriken techniques.
Such as chakra control—walking on water, climbing trees—all of which he gradually mastered.
Thanks to his improved talent, his chakra reserves had increased beyond that of an average Genin.
At the very least, he was no longer limited to barely using one or two techniques.
Now, he could use everything he had learned at least once.
At the same time, he occasionally used his three daily copying opportunities on others, gaining further improvements in different areas.
And so, life passed peacefully.
…
Several months later, Kazama Shin had undergone a significant transformation—both in strength and appearance.
He had grown taller, now half a head above his peers.
His black hair, neither too long nor too short, rested neatly by his ears.
The childishness in his features had mostly faded, revealing the outline of a handsome and refined face.
Confidence shone between his brows.
During this time, he had also learned several new ninjutsu.
Though none were particularly high-level, they had greatly enhanced his combat strength.
…
"Body Flicker Technique… a highly valuable D-rank technique."
"…"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique… a C-rank offensive ninjutsu. I got this from an Uchiha ninja."
"Konoha Whirlwind… where did I get this taijutsu from? Never mind, I forgot…"
Counting everything, Kazama Shin's strength had already surpassed most Genin by a wide margin.
In an actual fight, he could even compete with weaker Chunin.
In less than a year, he had gone from an ordinary civilian to an elite Genin.
His rate of progress was astonishing.
"Kakashi became a Genin at five and a Chunin at six… by that standard, my growth isn't any slower than his."
Kazama Shin thought to himself.
At the same time, he couldn't help but reflect on Kakashi's strength.
In his early years, Kakashi had been a true genius, progressing at incredible speed.
But after receiving Obito's Sharingan, things had changed.
While the Sharingan boosted him in certain areas and helped him gain fame—
It also placed limitations on his own growth.
"It's hard to say… without the Sharingan, Kakashi wouldn't have reached that level in the Fourth Great Ninja War either… I guess it's a trade-off. Without Uchiha blood, there are always gains and losses…"