Chapter Three: Adding Attribute Points

This izakaya was one of Kato Mikaze’s favorite spots to relax, mainly for drinking.

“Welcome! Ah, Kato-kun, it’s been a while! Have you just returned from a mission?”

“Good afternoon, Aunt Kikukawa. Yes, I’ve just gotten back to the village. I was out for a walk nearby and thought I’d drop in. The usual, please—a bottle of shochu and two of your signature dishes to go with it.”

Aunt Kikukawa led Kato Mikaze to a seat by the wall near the window. “Perfect, your usual spot is free. Have a seat, I’ll bring you some tea first. The drinks and food will be out soon.”

“No need to fuss over me, Auntie. Go ahead and tend to your other customers; I’m not in a hurry. How’s business lately?”

“It’s going well enough, thanks to regulars like you who keep us going. Here, have some tea to moisten your throat,” Aunt Kikukawa replied as she poured.

Kikukawa Izakaya was tucked in a quieter corner of the Konoha commercial district’s food street. Business was modest, but enough to get by.

The shop belonged to the mother of Kikuawa Daichi, a teammate of Kato Mikaze who had sacrificed his life. Back in his genin days, Kato Mikaze was part of a six-member ninja squad, and Daichi was the first teammate he ever saw die.

They had only graduated from the ninja academy a little over a year; at that point, they were still greenhorns. The First Great Ninja War had ended a few years before, and while the ninja world was generally at peace, Konoha—being the center of the continent and its long-standing powerhouse—still had its share of unrest. The Third Hokage had only recently taken office, and the Land of Fire was not entirely settled.

Kikukawa Daichi died during a mission searching for bandits in the Land of Fire when they unexpectedly encountered rogue ninja from the Land of Water. The original mission had nothing to do with these renegades, but the enemy mistook the Konoha squad for pursuers. Daichi was the first to notice something wrong and sent out a warning signal.

He then went to track the enemy alone. Before the leading Konoha jonin could arrive, Daichi was killed.

After his death, Kikukawa’s family fell on hard times. Kato Mikaze and the rest of their former squad made a point of frequenting Kikukawa Izakaya whenever they had time off from missions and training, both to support the family and to honor their fallen friend.

Moreover, Daichi’s name was at least inscribed on Konoha’s Memorial Stone. The village did provide some benefits for the families of fallen shinobi, so the Kikukawa family could just about get by.

Kato Mikaze didn’t drink himself into a stupor; pleasantly tipsy, he bid Aunt Kikukawa farewell before dark and headed home.

Daichi was the first teammate Kato Mikaze ever lost—not counting his own parents, this was his first direct encounter with the brutal reality of a comrade’s death in the ninja world. The impact was real, but he’d lost more than one teammate over the years; he’d seen seven or eight die if not more than a dozen.

Kato Mikaze wasn’t yet strong enough, but by now, he could face the loss of comrades with composure. Besides supporting their families where he could, he knew he needed to strive harder to live on and grow strong enough to protect himself and those he cared about.

Back at the clan compound, he checked in with the elders, exchanged a few pleasantries, and learned that his elder brother, Kato Dan, was still away on a mission. The other cousins close to him were busy elsewhere, so he retired to his own room to rest.

In the family bathhouse, a young man with a well-proportioned, muscular physique, strikingly handsome features, sharp brows, piercing eyes, and tousled light blue hair was soaking in the steamy tub.

His star-like eyes narrowed as he glanced at his own reflection in the water. A blue towel hung around his neck, draping down his chest and conveniently covering his impressive pectorals.

This was Kato Mikaze, just back from his mission and a little tipsy from drinking at Kikukawa Izakaya, now relaxing in a hot bath to wash away his fatigue.

At this moment, he was focused inward, allocating points in his ninja system.

Ninja System

Name: Kato Mikaze
Ninja Rank: Chunin
Affiliation: Hidden Leaf Village
Physical Attributes: Stamina 59, Strength 55, Spirit 75, Speed 62
Chakra Attributes: Wind 62, Lightning 43, Earth 39, Water 0, Fire 0, Yin 75, Yang 59
Ninjutsu: Wind Style [Wind Blade, Wind Breath, Light Wind Step]; Lightning Style [None]; Earth Style [Minor Swamp Jutsu, Earth Wall Jutsu]; Three Basic Arts [Transformation, Substitution, Clone]
Taijutsu: Basic Taijutsu, Basic Swordplay, Shurikenjutsu, Kunai Techniques
Secret Technique: Spirit Transformation Technique (Unlearned)
Remaining Attribute Points: 176

From his extensive study of the system, Kato Mikaze knew that the Yin and Yang attributes in the chakra system were currently grayed out and unselectable, yet their values mirrored his stamina and spirit stats. Yin and Yang were higher-level properties compared to the five basic chakra natures in the world of shinobi, and the numbers here simply indicated his inherent potential—they didn’t mean he could actually wield Yin-Yang Chakra with ease.

Once any of the five elemental attributes exceeded 60, it signified a qualitative change in one’s chakra nature. Kato Mikaze possessed wind, lightning, and earth affinities, though his original values weren’t this high.

Stamina and spirit affected his total chakra reserves and energy. From experience, reaching 60 points in an attribute marked a threshold—usually the gap between chunin and jonin level.

Strength and speed were just as their names suggested—impacting his physical prowess and quickness.

“System, allocate points.”

In his mind, Kato Mikaze selected the stamina stat and chose to allocate points.

“Consume 50 attribute points to increase stamina? Confirm?”

“Confirm.”

“Consume 6 attribute points to increase stamina? Confirm?”

“Confirm.”

“Consume 5 attribute points to increase strength? Confirm?”

“Confirm.”

He repeated these steps three more times (no need to detail every click).

…

After this flurry of adjustments, Kato Mikaze’s ninja system showed the following changes:

Stamina increased from 59 to 61, costing 56 attribute points; strength rose from 55 to 59, using 20 points; remaining attribute points dropped from 176 to 100. All other stats remained unchanged.

(Attribute expenditure rises with each level: from 50 to 60, each point costs 5; from 60 to 70, each costs 6, and so on. Breaking a threshold—like going from 59 to 60—requires a lump sum, say, 50 points at that gate.)

Practicing and researching ninjutsu also consumes attribute points, with the cost depending on the technique’s complexity. Basic jutsu like the Three Techniques require only 1–10 points per attempt. However, spending points doesn’t guarantee mastery; it depends on Kato Mikaze’s own talent and suitability for the jutsu in question, merely increasing his chances of learning it.

Outcomes aren’t always ideal. For example, with Swamp Jutsu, originally a B-rank move, he only managed to learn the Minor Swamp Jutsu because his earth chakra nature and control weren’t yet sufficient. As the name suggests, the area of effect is much smaller than the real Swamp Jutsu, but at least it serves as a control technique—a limited but useful tool in his arsenal.

As for its effectiveness in actual combat, that depended on timing, and sometimes, on luck.

Kato Mikaze planned to reserve the remaining 100 attribute points for tackling the Spirit Transformation Technique. This was a secret art of the Kato clan, the highest-level jutsu he could currently access, and extremely difficult—each attempt at research would consume 50 attribute points.

For now, though, he decided to continue soaking in the bath and rest well tonight. During this short break, he would focus on adjusting to his newly enhanced physical attributes before tackling the Spirit Transformation Technique.

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