My Techniques are a bit off

Ninja Academy Rooftop

"If I can't improve my physical abilities, the most effective way for me to handle stronger opponents seems to be using Substitution Jutsu as my core strategy for now..."

Sitting alone in a corner, Link pondered his next steps. Ever since his battle with Kakashi, he had become somewhat of a celebrity at the academy.

In a school with so few students, having someone who appeared to wield Ice Release made him stand out.

However, Link had no interest in interacting with his peers, especially those who approached him solely because of his unique abilities. With too many secrets he couldn't share, no one could truly get close to him. The idea of having friends felt even more far-fetched.

This self-imposed isolation wasn't due to others ostracizing him—he was the one keeping everyone at arm's length.

The academy's education had shaped his combat system to follow traditional ninja logic. After his crushing defeat, however, Link had come to an important realization.

Without more powerful jutsu in his arsenal, he needed to fully capitalize on his strongest ability: Substitution Jutsu.

Until he acquired jutsu that could enhance his physical capabilities, taijutsu battles needed to be excluded from his strategy. His lack of physical strength was a glaring weakness that would only become more evident as time went on.

However, the randomness of his summoned substitutes made it nearly impossible to establish a consistent battle style.

Still, among all the techniques he currently possessed, Substitution Jutsu had the highest potential. At this point, it felt like his only viable choice.

Compared to other ninjas, Link had a significant advantage in using jutsu:

Most ninjutsu was limited by the user's chakra control. Too much chakra could overwhelm a jutsu and cause it to fail; too little would render it ineffective. Many ninjas struggled with this balance, which often determined the success or strength of their jutsu.

Skilled ninjas with excellent chakra control could channel larger amounts of chakra into a jutsu, making it far more powerful than average.

But Link's altered jutsu bypassed this issue entirely. He didn't need precise chakra control. All he had to do was extract the chakra and direct it vaguely toward the technique. The chakra would then dissipate, and the jutsu would activate automatically through an unknown mechanism.

This meant he didn't need to worry about controlling the flow of chakra—he only had to manage how much he allocated.

For example, maintaining a combination of Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu for about a minute consumed roughly 10% of his chakra.

Substitution Jutsu, on the other hand, required a staggering 30% of his chakra to sustain for the same amount of time—and that didn't even account for the stamina drained by the substitute's abilities.

This made Substitution Jutsu similar to the Shadow Clone Jutsu: essentially a forbidden technique due to its enormous chakra requirements. Recklessly depleting chakra to the point of unconsciousness was extremely dangerous.

To prevent himself from being directly targeted during combat, Link realized he needed to use Clone Jutsu as a shield. Without this buffer, even the strongest substitute would be wasted if his fragile body was quickly incapacitated.

At 10% chakra consumption, a single jutsu was already considered costly. Most ninjas couldn't afford to maintain full stamina before a battle; they often used some chakra for mobility or preparation.

An ideal jutsu would consume between 5% and 8% of a ninja's chakra. Techniques with higher costs were typically reserved as finishing moves—such as Kakashi's Chidori.

But basing an entire strategy on Substitution Jutsu made combat scenarios highly unpredictable.

In theory, he should summon a substitute at the start of every fight and adjust his tactics based on its type and abilities. His role and battle plan would hinge entirely on the nature of the summoned stand.

It sounded exciting—but it was also incredibly unreliable.

What if he summoned a healing substitute in a one-on-one fight? Or summoned Hermit Purple when he needed raw power?

The potential pitfalls were endless. No ninja relied on luck-based combat. Even in fiction, except for something like Yu-Gi-Oh, heroes didn't typically gamble on random draws to determine victory.

Anyone who's played a roguelike game knows the thrill of getting a powerful skill—and the frustration of being stuck with a bad one.

Link considered reducing the duration of each summoned substitute to increase his margin for error. He could also supplement his stamina with soldier pills during combat to offset the chakra drain.

But in the heat of battle, if his first substitute was useless, could he realistically last long enough to summon a second?

One undeniable benefit of substitutes was their invisibility. Only a stand user could see stands, which meant that academy students, teachers, and even Kakashi hadn't been able to perceive them.

Combat-focused substitutes could significantly enhance his offensive capabilities, while support-oriented ones offered unique and strategic advantages.

Some stands with rule-based abilities could even achieve one-hit kills if specific conditions were met.

Ultimately, the value of his substitutes lay more in their special abilities than their raw power or speed.

In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the strength of stands was rated inconsistently.

Strength C: Comparable to an average human.

Strength B: Above average.

Strength A: Exceptional.

But the actual performance of these ratings varied wildly. Some stands with Strength A could shatter diamonds, while others couldn't break iron bars. Meanwhile, some with Strength C could demolish parking lots. The disparity was absurd.

Against chakra-enhanced taijutsu ninjas with explosive strength and agility, most substitutes were outmatched in raw combat.

Thus, Link had to rely on their unique abilities rather than their physical power. Even the infamously mocked Hermit Purple was highly effective for gathering intelligence.

The inherent randomness of his substitutes remained a major drawback.

Given his ability to repeatedly summon substitutes, the key to success lay in increasing his margin for error. If the first substitute wasn't suitable, he'd summon a second, or a third, until he got one that fit the situation.

To achieve this, he needed a specific ally:

"I need a teammate. Preferably someone durable—like Naruto—who can tank hits and buy me enough time to summon a useful substitute."

Deep in thought, Link's resolve began to solidify.

~~~

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