Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 418

Back in his dorm room, Fujimoto Tōma stared quietly at the sword resting in his hands.

According to the academy instructors, once a blade’s release ended, it was supposed to revert to its sealed form. Only when the user activated it again would its shape change back.

But his sword didn’t.

Clear Mirror, Still Water looked exactly the same as it had during release.

No flicker.

No instability.

No sign of reverting.

"...So the instructors really don’t know everything," Tōma muttered.

Not surprising.

This place was still the perfect training ground for him, though.

He’d already looked into the structure of the village’s shinobi forces. Joining a combat unit early sounded impressive, but in reality it just meant one thing.

Work.

And not the good kind.

Some divisions specialized in front-line combat.

Some handled logistics and medical support.

Others did patrols, escort missions, or cleanup operations.

Early graduation would only lock him into schedules, missions, and command structures he didn’t need yet.

And for what?

Access to higher-tier techniques?

He didn’t need them right now.

What he needed was control.

Everything he’d seen so far pointed to one brutal truth.

Raw power mattered more than technique.

Stronger chakra meant stronger jutsu.

Stronger sword strikes.

Stronger durability.

Longer stamina.

It was the foundation everything else sat on.

Right now, his biggest bottleneck wasn’t lack of techniques. It was that his chakra control still lagged behind his reserves.

So staying in the academy and training quietly was optimal.

Also...

He glanced down at his sword.

Neither release should be exposed yet.

If people found out he could already activate release, he could still probably stay enrolled.

But if anyone learned he’d gone beyond that...

He’d be fast-tracked straight into active duty.

At minimum officer rank.

Possibly worse.

"...Hard pass."

Tōma gripped the hilt and closed his eyes.

He slipped into the Clear Mirror, Still Water state.

The world sharpened.

And this time, something new clicked.

His chakra control jumped.

Not permanently.

Not fully stabilized.

But he’d felt it.

"...So this state boosts training efficiency too."

That was huge.

It meant this wasn’t just a combat ability.

It was a growth engine.

Then his awareness brushed against something deeper.

His full release.

Understanding flowed in naturally.

"...That’s why you felt weak back then."

Full Release: Absolute Sever.

When his perception completely pierced through an opponent’s movement, intent, and structure...

His next strike would be unavoidable.

No dodge.

No block.

No escape.

A guaranteed cut.

"...So it’s a perception-triggered finisher."

And suddenly the earlier duel made sense.

The sword spirit had never managed to fully read him.

Which meant her strongest ability never activated.

"...Honestly," Tōma muttered, "this is kind of underwhelming."

With his chakra density, most enemies could already be cut down directly.

Why bother waiting for a special condition?

And against truly strong opponents...

Good luck fully reading them.

Still, the core theme stayed consistent.

All power routed back into him.

No borrowed strength.

No external hacks. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Which suited him just fine.

"If someone weak gets this blade, it’s useless. If someone strong gets it, it’s win-more."

He rested the sword across his legs again.

"...So the plan stays the same."

Raise chakra density.

Refine control.

Perfect sword forms.

Technique mattered far more for him than flashy abilities ever would.

Thunder Flash could serve as a base form.

The rest...

He’d build from scratch.

Days passed.

In sword class, Tōma started standing perfectly still, one hand resting lightly on his hilt.

He didn’t spar.

He didn’t swing.

He didn’t practice forms.

When forced into mock battles, he ended them instantly with basic ninjutsu.

Most people assumed he’d abandoned swordsmanship entirely and decided to specialize in ninjutsu.

No one mocked him for it.

In fact, most people were quietly impressed.

Only his close friends noticed something felt... off.

But no one could pinpoint why.

Until one morning, the academy courtyard exploded into activity.

Banners.

Decorations.

Crowds.

Tōma blinked.

"...Is today a festival?"

Renji stared at him like he’d just confessed to living under a rock.

"You seriously don’t know?"

"Should I?"

"...Do you at least know what the Thirteen Divisions are?"

Tōma nodded.

"Good. Two senior officers from one of the divisions are visiting today. Everyone’s going to watch."

Rika smirked.

"You literally just heard that five minutes ago, didn’t you?"

"...Details."

Curious despite himself, Tōma followed them to the main grounds.

Two figures walked across the field.

The first was a tall man with brown hair, gentle eyes, and black-framed glasses. He wore a white coat over his uniform, marked with a division emblem.

Warm smile.

Soft presence.

And an ocean hiding behind it.

Tōma’s pupils tightened.

"...I can’t read him at all."

The second was a lean man with pale-purple hair and narrow eyes. His smile looked... unsettling.

Strong.

But nowhere near the first one.

"...So even one division captain is this far above me?"

They passed without stopping.

Didn’t even glance at the students.

Which was fair.

"...That’s what a real monster looks like," Renji muttered.

"One day," he said loudly, "I’m going to reach that level."

Momo clasped her hands.

"...I’ll join that division when I graduate."

Tōma watched the captain’s back disappear.

"...Yeah," he murmured.

"That level is worth aiming for."

For the first time in a while...

He felt real pressure.

And he welcomed it.