81 - Like a Tree in the Forest
[Obtained:
- Silent Walker (Blue)
- Master of Banter (Green)
- Complete Childhood (Gray)]
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"Huh?!"
Kei's eyes lit up the moment he heard the system notification.
He immediately focused on checking the detailed descriptions of the three traits.
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[Silent Walker (Blue):
Moves through the darkness, sneaks through the shadows, silent and traceless. Enhances the ability to hide one's presence, stealth capabilities, ambush skills, disguise techniques, and movement speed while sneaking. Reduces the chance of being detected by sensory ninjutsu.]
[Master of Banter (Green):
A true banter master never lets the conversation fall flat. Slightly increases wit and eloquence when speaking with others. When conversing with superiors, it slightly enhances flattery, praise, and ingratiation skills. When talking to subordinates, it slightly boosts the ability to encourage, comfort, and commend them.]
[Complete Childhood (Gray):
A complete childhood wouldn't be complete without the discipline of love. Before turning 18, the probability of causing trouble, making mistakes, encountering non-fatal accidents, being stubborn, and acting rebellious all increase. The likelihood of being severely disciplined by parents or elders also significantly rises.]
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"Not bad!"
A bright grin spread across Kei's face.
Back when he entered the Mountains' Graveyard, he had been maintaining stealth from five kilometers out. Not only did he utilize a concealment technique to suppress his presence, but he also deliberately used Hiding with Camouflage Technique to hide his figure.
Although he barely managed to avoid the dormant White Zetsu stationed in the graveyard, the moment he stepped into a cave, he was immediately discovered by Madara.
Later, he had to travel to Kumo to cooperate with Nonō, a shrine maiden, in assassinating key figures from foreign ninja villages.
For someone like him, a trait enhancing stealth abilities was a godsend! After all, Kumo had no shortage of sensory-type ninjas.
Even though he could always escape quickly using the Flying Thunder God Technique if detected, that would mean his mission had completely failed.
And he was someone who had already surpassed the Kage-tier threshold—a top-tier powerhouse!
Failing such a minor mission? He wouldn't be able to live with the embarrassment.
"Tsk tsk~ This effect and name are way better than [Stealthy Crawler]"
The more Kei read through [Silent Walker]'s description, the more satisfied he felt.
Cool name, powerful effect.
Perfect.
System, activate [Silent Walker].
As soon as his words fell, a mysterious force rapidly fused into his body.
It felt just like when he had previously integrated [Water Release Mastery].
A flood of memories related to stealth training surged into his mind, pouring into his memory palace. With experience from two prior integrations, he simply sat cross-legged on the ground.
He carefully immersed himself in the vast influx of knowledge.
His mind cataloged the techniques as they emerged: advanced concealment methods, breath-holding arts, and absolute breath suppression. Special ninja techniques revealed themselves—ones that could slow heartbeat and blood flow by more than tenfold.
To eliminate one's scent, a ninja might employ the Destroying Smell Smoke Prison technique.
For visual concealment, the environment dictated the approach: the Polarised Sand Formation: Hot Sand Camouflage excelled in dry terrain, while the Hiding in Frost Technique was ideal for snowy conditions. When rain fell, the Hiding in Rain Technique allowed one to become virtually invisible among the downpour.
Uh… although, the Hydrification Technique might work better in that case.
In just a brief moment, it felt as though he had trained diligently for years.
When he opened his eyes again—
His once sharp, blade-like gaze now appeared dull and unremarkable, like that of an ordinary person.
His presence had become as inconspicuous as a tree in the forest.
Even without using Hiding with Camouflage Technique or similar techniques, his presence had already weakened by several times.
"This feeling of lacking human presence… like a Root ninja?" Kei furrowed his brows.
A weak presence, a faint aura—before making a move, no one would even notice his hostility. This feeling was just too similar to the Root ninjas.
As for why it wasn't like the ANBU…
The ANBU, directly under the Hokage, often had to operate in the public eye while carrying out missions. Over time, their stealth abilities had actually fallen behind those of Root operatives.
While experiencing the enhancements brought by [Silent Walker], he glanced at the remaining two traits: [Master of Banter] and [Complete Childhood].
[Master of Banter] was practically worthless to him—he'd rather have a white-tier trait than this. He wasn't a master of eloquence, sure, but he wasn't so bad at talking that he needed a trait for it.
Besides, he had no interest in flattering or sucking up to others, making this trait utterly useless. As for the second one...
Were there any annoying bratty kids in Konoha that he disliked?
Kei thought for a moment.
Among the Ino-Shika-Chō clans: Yamanaka Santa, Yamanaka Kaze, Akimichi Doto, Akimichi Sito, Nara Maru, Nara Shinmaru
All of them were well-behaved, obedient children. Giving them this trait would just be cruel!
Kei suddenly thought of Obito.
After all, of the young kids he knew, Obito was probably the only one who fit the "troublemaker" label.
Wait... He almost forgot, Asuma was a mischievous little rascal too.
It was just that he hadn't interacted with the boy much, and his personality wasn't as over-the-top as Obito's.
Who else? Anko? Iruka? Shisui?
Well, aside from Shisui, who—despite awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan—still had poor judgment and mistook Danzō for a good person... It seemed like Konoha's new generation didn't really have any major problem children.
Hm... Didn't Mikoto mention in her last conversation with Kushina that she had recently finished her postpartum recovery?
Then what was there to hesitate about?!
They say some people have a childhood that heals them for a lifetime, while others spend their whole lives healing from their childhood. The reason Itachi strayed so far in the future was because he matured too early—dragged onto the battlefield by Fugaku at the age of four, leading to severe psychological trauma.
Of course, Fugaku himself wasn't exactly a genius either. What kind of parent takes their four-year-old child to witness the horrors of war?!
Seriously, there was a limit to parenting!
Giving [Complete Childhood] to Itachi would just mean he'd cause a bit more trouble, take a few more beatings, and truly experience "a father's discipline, sevenfold vengeance."
It would make Fugaku see his son as less overly mature and, at the same time, significantly reduce the chances of Itachi becoming the "clan slayer" in the future.
Perfect!
Damn, I'm such a great person!
"I wonder if this counts as altering Itachi's fate. He's an important figure, right? The reward for this should be pretty good," Kei pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze back to his system interface.
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[Host: Yamanaka Kei]
[Career: Ninja]
[Active Traits: Transmigrator (Red), Zero-Frame Start (Red), Sage Body (Red), Yin Release Mastery (Purple), Water Release Mastery (Purple), Spatial Insight (Purple), Handsome (Blue), Memory Master of the Shinobi World (Blue), Silent Walker (Blue), Battle of Misfortune (Black)]
[Inactive Traits: Stealthy Crawler (White), Fragile Yet Tenacious (White), One Pregnancy, Nine Babies (Blue), Nothing to His Name (Gray), Expired Milk (White), Master of Banter (Green), Complete Childhood (Gray)]
[Trait Gifting: 6]
[Trait Duplication: 1]
[Trait Downgrade: 2]
[Trait Reset: 1]