Ishiki's eyes were drawn to the new notification, a faint shimmer of light drawing his attention back to the system interface.
Looks like a new gadget unlocked, he murmured, his gaze intently fixed on the object that had materialized in his inventory.
It looked unmistakably like a piece of headwear, a sleek, metallic object that resembled a futuristic helmet, certainly nothing like the standard cloth-and-metal headbands of the shinobi world.
He quickly accessed its name and description.
Genius Helmet: A gadget originated from the 22nd-century robot, Doraemon. When worn, the user gains enormous intelligence, allowing them to rapidly process complex information, perceive the underlying structure of the world with greater clarity, and significantly improve their comprehension of any subject.
A slow smile spread across Ishiki's face.
This was precisely what he needed.
His talent for theory was limited by his twelve-year-old brain and meager life experience.
If this helmet could bypass those limitations, his progress would be exponential.
After reading the description, he didn't waste a moment; he focused entirely on its application.
He took the helmet and carefully placed it over his head. A slight humming sensation enveloped him, and the world seemed to sharpen, the chaotic influx of sensory data suddenly organized into coherent patterns.
With the helmet on, he closed his eyes and started pondering. His mind immediately went to the three fundamental jutsus he had only recently managed to learn: the Shadow Clone, the Transformation, and the Body Replacement Jutsu.
He had the mechanics down, but he lacked the deep, intrinsic understanding of their principles, the minimal chakra consumption, the precise mental commands, the very nature of the illusion versus the physical reality of the techniques.
Now, under the influence of the Genius Helmet, his thoughts were no longer a meandering stream but a tightly focused, high-speed quantum processor.
He dissected each jutsu.
For the Shadow Clone, he calculated the precise chakra division ratios, visualizing the intricate matrix of energy required to create a physical, sentient copy, and theorizing how to minimize the tax on his already depleted reserves.
For the Transformation Jutsu, he broke down the molecular illusion, analyzing how to make the transformation more stable, more convincing, and how to maintain the disguise with only passive chakra flow.
The Body Replacement Jutsu became a study in reaction time and localized, explosive chakra release. He began to devise mental shortcuts and muscle memory triggers to execute it in less than a heartbeat.
He began practicing, not with full power, but through mental simulations and micro-movements, instantly adjusting his theoretical models based on the minuscule physical feedback.
Time melted away.
He was utterly absorbed in this cycle of theory, micro-practice, and refinement, the three jutsus evolving in his mind from rote techniques into comprehensive, optimized systems.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain flared behind his eyes, a violent throbbing that jolted him out of his intellectual fugue.
"O-ow!" he gasped, instinctively ripping the helmet off his head.
He stumbled back, catching his breath.
The moment he removed the helmet, the world returned to its normal, slightly fuzzy state.
He quickly opened the system panel to check his vitals, worried the surge of mental activity had strained his body.
-----STATUS
Name: Ishiki
Age: 12
Chakra: 5/46
Strength: 23
Ninjutsu:
Shadow Clone (Kage Bunshin no Jutsu): Beginner
Transformation (Henge no Jutsu): Beginner
Body Replacement (Kawarimi no Jutsu): Beginner
Taijutsu: Beginner
Genjutsu: None
Elemental Affinity: None
A huge wave of satisfaction washed over the pain.
His proficiency in all three jutsus had officially risen from Entry to Beginner , a significant step that would have taken weeks of normal, exhausting training.
"This is incredible," he whispered.
With the Genius Helmet, he could bypass the painfully slow learning curve.
He could master Ninjutsu at an unprecedented rate, and perhaps, even create his own original techniques much sooner than he ever thought possible.
But the joy was quickly tempered by the cold, hard facts of the status screen.
He sighed, the excitement deflating slightly.
The downside was obvious: everything in this world, even theoretical practice aided by a legendary gadget, still required Chakra.
The mental strain, the countless simulations, the inherent energy cost of thinking about chakra, it all chipped away at his minuscule reserves.
He was back down to 1 point. He had less chakra than a fresh Academy student.
Yet, despite the recurring problem of his low chakra, he was starting to piece together a critical pattern about his mysterious gadget system.
"Every time I need something, it gives me a gadget that solves the problem," he mused, cataloging the sequence of events.
When he was almost hit by a powerful Fire Jutsu, the system provided the Reverse Cloak, a defensive mechanism.
When he started to think about how to quickly and efficiently improve his physical strength to meet the demands of training, it gave him the Concentrated Food.
Now, when he was focused on how to improve and master his fundamental jutsus, it unlocked the Genius Helmet.
"So," he concluded, a grim resolve settling in his eyes, it unlocks the necessary tool at the necessary time.
My job is to recognize the need, and the system will provide the means.
But I still have to put in the work, and I still desperately need more chakra.