Jin's cheat had a newbie period?!
"Why didn't anyone tell me?!" He'd expected at least ten limitations; eight was stingy. This cheat was cheap. "Couldn't you have been more generous? Two limitations less wouldn't kill you!"
Despite his internal rant, Deduction remained unresponsive. A response would have been far more terrifying.
Jin sighed and took stock of his jutsu: Foundation Training, the Four Styles, Cat Language, Spirit Ball, and his newly acquired technique—eight in total.
Foundation Training and Spirit Ball were essential. Foundation Training was his base, vital for his future immortal cultivation. Spirit Ball was his primary long-range attack. While it lacked long-term potential, it was his main source of damage in the early stages.
The Four Styles: Swift Step for movement and Paper Arts for evasion were excellent, but Iron Body's damage reduction was limited. No ninja would stand still to take a hit. Finger Gun was useless; his Self-Propelled Jutsu was superior. He'd only created it to complete the Six Powers. And Cat Language was now entirely useless!
"I should have deduced more powerful techniques," he gritted his teeth. He could've mass-produced powerful techniques, gaining exponential benefits from those who mastered them.
Unfortunately… he'd never heard of a cheat with a newbie period. And he'd been stuck with one.
He glanced at Orochimaru, who was engrossed in his Hashirama cell research. Jin checked the update log.
Removed instant mastery ability.
Removed assisted advancement ability.
Added detailed deduction process information.
Access to the knowledge base of all connected individuals; knowledge can be freely accessed.
Ability to directly deduce techniques from the system's knowledge base; no need for inputting ideas.
Increased understanding by 10%.
Jin gasped, his teeth aching. A huge change!
Orochimaru looked up, puzzled. "What is it?"
"Just… thinking," Jin waved it off, watching Orochimaru return to his experiments. The update was both good and bad. The newbie period was over, the difficulty increased significantly, but the functionality had improved dramatically.
He no longer lacked jutsu. The knowledge of anyone who'd learned his techniques was now accessible.
Jin looked at Orochimaru. The future Edo Tensei was attainable; it would just be time-consuming. From today, he no longer needed to seek jutsu. He could find anything with the right name or parameters.
Deduction was no longer limited by his knowledge base; the combined knowledge of everyone he'd taught broadened his horizons. Most techniques he could imagine were now directly deducible. But if it fell outside their collective knowledge, it would fail.
He no longer needed to write lengthy theoretical papers or gather information about jutsu. He only needed to input the technique name and its effects.
But without instant mastery and assisted advancement… even starting was a challenge!
The only good news was that the deduction process was now detailed, and his comprehension had increased by 10%. Learning was now easy. But it used to be easier!
"This cheat was designed for graduate students, wasn't it?!" First, the introductory course, now the challenging advanced level. Hard to rate.
With this cheat, he'd easily surpass everyone. He didn't even need the cheat. He'd master any technique with relative ease. The previous stage was like a doctoral dissertation; this was the qualifying exam; the next stage would be a post-doctoral fellowship.
"It's lifelong learning," he sighed.
But…
"Un-awakened Sharingan + Hashirama cells."
Data and conclusions filled the input box. How to awaken the Sharingan, how to integrate the Hashirama cells… The summary was simple: Awaken the Sharingan, then the Mangekyo Sharingan. Refine the Hashirama cells. Perfect integration. No side effects.
"Are you kidding me?!" If he could awaken the Sharingan, he wouldn't need Deduction. The instructions were clear; awakening required intense emotions to create specific chakra. The Mangekyo required even more.
Useless!
"Don't repeat that again!"
"Is this thing going to become a malfunctioning AI?"
He was connected to few people. Their combined knowledge was vast, but insufficient to find a way to integrate the cells without awakening the Sharingan.
"The foundational knowledge is inadequate."
"If only I could connect to Madara Uchiha…" Madara was still hidden, waiting for someone with a Mangekyo Sharingan. His jutsu and research would be unparalleled. But he couldn't connect to him.
"This damn cheat!"
…
Daytime. Jin rolled up his sleeves and started harvesting rice. Minato and Kushina were already covered in mud. Ninjas did engage in agriculture. It was a D-rank mission; tedious and low-paying, thus unpopular.
"Jiraiya-sensei, when can we do some high-level missions?" Kushina complained to Jiraiya, who was writing in his notebook.
"High-level missions," Jiraiya said, putting down his pen. Their team was qualified, but regular Genin teams needed basic missions to build teamwork. Officially, it was to gain experience.
But his three students were already well-acquainted.
He looked at Jin and Minato working diligently, and Kushina trying to slack off. They already had a bond; teamwork shouldn't be a problem.
"Alright, I'll take you on a B-rank mission today." He put away his notebook and pen.
"Great!" Kushina cheered, having had enough of harvesting rice, cleaning trash, caring for the elderly, babysitting, and moving goods. They were ninjas, not servants!
"You should change first," Jiraiya said, eyeing their muddy clothes.
"Coming!" Kushina grabbed Minato and Jin, dragging them away at incredible speed.
"They're fast," Jiraiya sighed, looking at the harvested rice paddy. The agricultural products were intended to meet Konoha's basic needs. The ninjas' expenses, however, were covered by the daimyo. Ninjas were expensive; food alone wasn't enough.
Kushina returned, carrying Minato and Jin, who were both airborne. Jiraiya facepalmed. She was just like Tsunade.
"Jiraiya-sensei, let's go!" Kushina released them, her eyes gleaming.
Jin and Minato exchanged glances.
Jin: Maybe you should find another leader. This woman is too aggressive. She'll beat up men.
Minato subtly turned his head. Did he even get the message?
"Forget it," Jin sighed.
…
Konoha Mission Hall. Jiraiya entered with his team.
"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said from behind his desk, adjusting his hat.
Jiraiya slammed his hand on the table. "Hiruzen-sensei, give us a B-rank mission."
Hiruzen glanced at the three. He knew Minato and Kushina well: Minato, the Academy's top student; Kushina, the jinchuriki—one gentle, one fiery. His gaze rested on Jin, who glared back.
What's with that stare? Hiruzen shifted his attention to Jiraiya. This wasn't a simple, easily manipulated person. He didn't seem like someone hiding a powerful technique. A secretive Uchiha was dangerous. Things needed careful consideration.
"You seem confident in them," Hiruzen commented.
"It's my first time leading a team. Let's start with a B-rank mission," Jiraiya declared confidently. His students could easily handle a chunin-level opponent.
"We do have a B-rank mission," Hiruzen said, producing a scroll. "A spy investigation. Confirm the target's identity, and eliminate them discreetly."
These weren't peaceful times. There were no bandits to serve as practice. Ninja wars were common; bandits were hiding or operating in remote areas.
Jiraiya looked at Hiruzen seriously. "Sensei, this is a tough mission." Spy missions were the hardest B-rank missions, directly assigned by the village. It involved three steps: reconnaissance, evidence gathering, and assassination. And the most dangerous thing: the spy's strength was unknown—likely chunin, but possibly elite chunin or even a jonin. A B-rank mission could easily become A-rank.
But even Orochimaru and Tsunade would hesitate to take this mission. Jiraiya…
"Let's show them the might of Team Jiraiya. We accept this mission." He took the scroll. With him, this mission would be easy.