Naruto Shadow Mage

"Player, sorry, you haven't mastered any physical enhancement skills. Would you like to view your training progress?"

"Ah, I knew I was expecting too much!"

Since the beginning of his transmigration, Koshino has had only three dream abilities: Sage Body, Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and Rinnegan.

The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and the Rinnegan need no introduction among these abilities. In the Naruto world, known for its ocular powers, anyone with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan or the Rinnegan is practically invincible. As for the Sage Body, fake Naruto fans might not know its wonders, but Koshino, a hardcore fan, certainly did!

Putting it simply, what cheat did Naruto Uzumaki rely on in the early stages of the story?

Wasn't it the Sage Body, the unique constitution of the Uzumaki clan?

It contained nearly limitless spiritual and physical energy, allowing one to have chakra reserves comparable to a tailed beast with just a bit of training. More importantly, the Uzumaki clan's vitality was incredibly resilient, akin to "cockroaches." Naruto survived countless dangers early on thanks to this constitution; otherwise, he would've died at least twenty times!

If Koshino could have the same constitution as Naruto Uzumaki, or even just half of it, he would have the confidence to complete the Nara clan's secret techniques before age five, effortlessly surpassing contemporaries like Kakashi and Itachi!

Unfortunately, since the APP had already given a prompt, Koshino knew feeling disappointed was pointless.

So, Koshino followed the APP's instructions, step by step, to understand how to use it. First, he checked his training progress.

"Huh?"

"Shadow Imitation Technique?"

Following the APP's prompt, Koshino brought up his training progress. The first thing he saw was the familiar Shadow Imitation Technique, marked with a proficiency value of 30/100.

"I thought I had already mastered the Shadow Imitation Technique. Who knew I hadn't even reached one-third proficiency."

"Didn't the APP say I could modify my skill training progress? So, can I modify the progress of the Shadow Imitation Technique?"

With this thought, Koshino quickly communicated with the APP and asked, "APP, can I modify the training progress of the Shadow Imitation Technique?"

"Player, the Shadow Imitation Technique is in the training stage and can be modified."

"Great! Then I'll modify the Shadow Imitation Technique's progress to 100/100!"

Ding!

"Player, Shadow Imitation Technique training progress is now 100/100. Congratulations on completing the Shadow Imitation Technique training."

Completed?

The Shadow Imitation Technique, which took three months of thorough training to grasp the basics, was now fully mastered so easily.

With the APP's prompt echoing in his mind, Koshino's eyes filled with disbelief and excitement. He quickly restored his chakra, and after recovering, he formed the hand seals targeting the deer ahead!

"Shadow Imitation Technique!"

"Buzz!"

"Buzz!"

As he formed the seals, Koshino felt the chakra flow within him. However, the scene that unfolded left him stunned once again!

While performing the Shadow Imitation Technique, Koshino sensed a perfect change in his chakra!

The chakra changed nature without any loss, becoming the Yin Release chakra needed for the Shadow Imitation Technique. Moreover, as the chakra transformed, Koshino's shadow extended in seconds, connecting with the shadows of several deer ahead.

With a single thought, the deer's movements could now mimic his own!

"Did it succeed? The APP didn't lie!"

Drained of chakra, Koshino's legs went numb, and he collapsed, but his sweat-soaked face bore an excited smile!

Shikamaru's mastery of the Shadow Imitation Technique at twelve was considered an exceptional talent in the original story. Koshino had surpassed Shikamaru from the original Twelve Little Ninjas at the age of four. What did that make him?

A monster?

For the first time, Koshino felt confident in surviving in this harsh world where geniuses were common, and Kage-level ninjas roamed. Even though he lived in the same era as Kakashi and Itachi and knew the terrifying bosses he'd face in the future from the original plot, Koshino believed that with the APP, he could control his destiny, even living better than the original protagonists, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!

Sitting on the ground, Koshino restored his chakra once more. Whether it was the multiple uses of the Shadow Imitation Technique or the influence of the APP, Koshino noticed that as he condensed his chakra again, the amount and purity of his chakra increased after the breakthrough with the Shadow Imitation Technique.

With the APP as his cheat and Kakashi and Itachi as his first targets to surpass, Koshino found training surprisingly enjoyable and eagerly prepared for the next round of training.

"Hmm…"

"The APP's effect on modifying training progress is impressive. However, according to the APP's explanation, I can only modify the training progress of techniques I've already started training. For example, the Shadow Neck Binding Technique, an advanced form of the Shadow Imitation Technique, can't be modified since I haven't learned the training method yet."

"It looks like the only training I can do now, besides accumulating chakra, is some basic training methods!"

With this thought, Koshino decided on his upcoming training: basic chakra control exercises, including tree climbing and water walking.

Don't underestimate these basic exercises. During the three months since he transmigrated, Koshino had made countless mistakes while training in tree climbing.

Luckily, Koshino was smart enough to put a thick cushion under the tree. Otherwise, his butt would've been badly bruised from the many falls, and he wouldn't be leisurely hiding in the deer farm, avoiding the frequent funerals.

While reading the manga, Koshino thought tree climbing and water walking was simple; even an idiot like Naruto could master them in a few days. With the intelligence inherited from the Nara clan, Koshino thought he'd be like Sakura Haruno, mastering it immediately.

But the tree-climbing exercise was far from simple. It required constant focus; otherwise, he'd either disperse his chakra or misallocate it, resulting in painful falls. Moreover, with his limited chakra reserves, each tree-climbing session took a long time and slowed progress.

Eventually, Koshino decided to complete the Shadow Imitation Technique training first. Once his chakra reserves matched a Genin's, he'd resume tree climbing and water walking training.

However, the APP's sudden appearance allowed him to complete the Shadow Imitation Technique training, boosting his confidence. Now, mastering tree climbing and water walking has become his next goal.

Especially when he saw the Tree Climbing Training Card and Water Walking Training Card floating in the APP's storage space, Koshino, who believed in the APP's quality, eagerly took out the Tree Climbing Training Card and commanded, "APP, use the Tree Climbing Training Card!"