The deepest mark on the Bodhi seed corresponded to the Chakra Needle.
The shallow one…
Chakra Threads, most likely.
And the short groove had to be the Soldier Pills.
The varying depth made sense—
The Bodhi seed was reacting to influence.
The greater the impact on the world, the deeper the mark.
Two grooves were proof enough.
Souma exhaled in relief.
Now that he understood the mechanism, his future path became much clearer.
He began analyzing the techniques he'd already spread.
From a ninjutsu perspective:
Chakra Needle had enormous potential, but the difficulty was terrifyingly high.
Even simplified, it would still sit at an A-rank baseline—enough to discourage most shinobi.
Chakra Threads, however, had far greater scalability.
Sunagakure had been using puppet chakra threads for decades.
That also meant they were easy to learn and widely applicable.
"In terms of broad impact, Chakra Threads are the more realistic technique to promote.
I just don't know how many marks the Bodhi seed needs before its next evolution."
He knew one thing for certain:
Whether taijutsu, ninjutsu, or even sage arts—everything had a ceiling.
Even if he someday awakened Sage Mode, facing monsters like Madara or Kaguya would still be nearly hopeless.
For true safety—
He needed the Bodhi seed.
Then the first thing to develop further is Chakra Threads. Easy enough.
Weapon manipulation, puppet-like control, multi-point precision…
Konoha had no real foundation in these areas.
Sunagakure had monopolized that niche for generations.
Elite jōnin might not care for such a technique—
but everyone below that rank would leap at the chance.
After thinking it through, Souma locked in a second objective.
"Good thing I don't have to attend classes anymore.
Even I couldn't juggle all this at once otherwise."
He sighed silently.
Taijutsu training couldn't be dropped.
Medical knowledge required constant study; he'd barely scratched the surface.
He still needed to analyze puppet principles…
and refine his own techniques…
Busy. Busy. Busy.
He stood up, stretched, and loosened his joints.
He'd hoped that the Bodhi seed's "two marks" would bring some visible improvement, but after testing himself, he couldn't feel much difference physically.
Mentally, he felt clear and refreshed—but that could just be normal rest.
The human mind was mysterious.
In Konoha, only the Yamanaka clan specialized in mental techniques, and their work was secret; there were no books about it in public archives.
He decided:
"I'll check my chakra reserves later. That should reveal something."
Yesterday's chakra expenditure had been unusual; normally, his reserves were more than enough.
Right as he was mulling this over—
"Heh heh, you're awake?"
Huh?
Souma froze.
That voice… Why is he here?!
"Lord Third Hokage."
"Ahem. I just came to check on you," Hiruzen said, waving his pipe.
"That Nara boy is safe thanks to you. Since Shikaku and I were already visiting him, we figured we'd stop by to see if you'd woken."
Souma looked past him—
and finally noticed the man standing behind the Hokage.
Nara Shikaku stepped forward.
"If not for you, Shihui would've lost his ability to be a shinobi. The Nara clan is deeply grateful."
"Please don't," Souma said quickly. "I only did what I could."
Shikaku didn't argue.
He simply bowed deeply, then said to the Hokage, "I'll go see Shihui now."
"Go," Hiruzen nodded.
Souma watched him leave.
Something felt… off.
They probably already checked on Shihui.
So… the Hokage came here to talk to me alone?
He thought for a moment, then asked:
"Lord Third, is the chūnin's condition stable?"
"Yes. His arm was barely saved.
His taijutsu will suffer, but as a member of the Nara clan, he won't struggle too much.
He can still serve as a shinobi."
Hiruzen smiled faintly.
"That's good."
Souma let out a breath of relief.
Saving him was worth it.
Reality proved what the manga never showed clearly—
explosive tags were absurdly lethal.
Even elite shinobi weren't safe; crippling injuries were common.
"Hanpō told me your technique was invaluable in the surgery.
Since you submitted it to the village, the village must respond accordingly," Hiruzen said, then added,
"If you have a request, speak it."
Souma nearly laughed.
Finally!
He'd been eyeing the Hokage's personal library for a long time.
He'd asked Might Guy to "pass a message" earlier precisely to create this chance.
There was no reason to hide it.
"I heard you have many books, Lord Third. I'd like to borrow a few."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
He burst into a warm smile, nodding repeatedly.
"Of course. You may come read at the Hokage building anytime.
Some ninjutsu scrolls are there as well—
Even if your natural transformation talent is poor, persistent study will eventually help."
"Thank you for the guidance."
Souma kept his expression polite.
But inwardly—
No, old man. I literally cannot learn about natural transformation.
The Bodhi seed won't let me.
Still… Your library is mine now.
And the Hokage wasn't wrong:
Plenty of ninjutsu were applicable without nature release.
Even if he couldn't mold elemental chakra, he could still learn from the underlying principles.
"You may also come to my office directly if you encounter anything you don't understand," Hiruzen added.
"No need to be shy. I may be old and forgetful, but I still know a thing or two."
After a few more lines of kindly rambling, the Hokage finally left.
Souma watched him go, then frowned.
…Does the Third Hokage have a special interest in me?
He thought about it.
Actually, it made perfect sense.
A twelve-year-old prodigy who created an A-rank medical jutsu and modified military rations—
Of course the Hokage would notice him.
He shook his head.
Overthinking was a waste of time.
"I've been lying down all day. No studying tonight.
Better rest up, grab some food, and go for a run afterward."
It was noon—perfect time to hit the hospital cafeteria for a free meal.
A lot of people greeted him along the way.
After asking around, he finally understood:
He had become something of a celebrity in the hospital.
A twelve-year-old who took the lead in surgery.
Some even compared him to Tsunade.
That part… embarrassed him.
Tsunade had mastered the entire medical field, while he was only good with sharp hands and chakra control.
Yesterday's success was mostly technique; his medical knowledge was still shallow, and his medical ninjutsu nonexistent.
He tried explaining that a few times, then gave up.
Apparently, gossip existed everywhere—
whether in his previous life or the shinobi world.
After lunch, he ran into Kitayama Oki and told her he was taking the day off.
She readily approved.
And so, Souma headed out for a jog.
After half a day of lying around, the feeling of running in the open air was—
Pure bliss.
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