Naruto: The Crimson Error

(Second Bonus Chapter for 100 Powerstones, Guys we are finally in top 40, Let's try for Top 30, So Give me your Stones!)

Chapter 16: Stats, Seals, and Surprises

The sun was setting over Konoha, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink. Most of the village was winding down for the day, but atop the Hokage Tower, a small figure could be seen perched precariously on the edge, legs dangling over the side. Sora, the village's most notorious six-year-old prankster and not the self-proclaimed future Hokage, was deep in concentration, his brow furrowed as he studied an invisible display only he could see.

"Let's see how much I've improved," he muttered to himself, swiping his hand through the air as if scrolling through a menu. "Stats, stats, where are my stats?"

Finally, the information he was looking for appeared before his eyes:

- Stealth: 521 (Previously 423)

- Chakra Control: 401 (Previously 370)

- Ninjutsu: 369 (Previously 230)

- Taijutsu: 68 (Previously 50)

- Genjutsu: 330 (Previously 290)

- Fuinjutsu: 399 (Previously 350)

- Intelligence: 41 (Previously 32, average is 10)

- Creativity: 29 (Previously 25, average is 10)

- Luck: 71 (Previously 69, average is 5)

- Prank Points: 71

A grin spread across Sora's face as he took in the numbers. "Not bad, not bad at all," he chuckled. "Three months of near-death experiences really do wonders for personal growth!"

He leaned back, balancing precariously on the edge of the tower as he reflected on his progress. His Stealth, already at Jounin level, had skyrocketed by nearly 100 points. He was now firmly in the upper echelons of sneakiness, a fact that both thrilled and terrified the ANBU tasked with keeping an eye on him.

"Chakra Control finally hit Jounin level too," he mused, remembering the countless hours he'd spent trying to stick leaves to every part of his body simultaneously initially, and how far he had come. "Though I think I traumatized a few birds in the process. Who knew chakra-enhanced feathers could be so... explosive?"

His Ninjutsu had seen a significant boost as well, thanks in no small part to his penchant for inventing increasingly ridiculous jutsu. The "Ramen Summoning Technique" had been a particular hit with Naruto, even if it did result in a village-wide noodle shortage.

Taijutsu, while still his weakest area, had shown marked improvement. Sora chalked this up to his new training regimen of "accidentally" insulting Tsume and her dog and then trying to outrun her and her dog's wrath. Nothing motivated quite like the threat of being punched into next week.

Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu had seen steady growth, with the latter tantalizingly close to crossing into Jounin territory. Sora had big plans for when that happened, most of which involved finding increasingly creative ways to seal Kakashi's Icha Icha collection without the latter knowing.

But it was his Intelligence stat that really caught his attention. The jump from 32 to 41 might not seem like much to the uninitiated, but Sora knew better. Each point at this level represented an exponential increase in mental capacity.

"And to think," he mused, "most of that came from good old-fashioned survival instinct. Nothing gets the neurons firing like trying to figure out how not to die horribly every day for three months straight."

He chuckled, remembering some of the more... creative solutions he'd come up with during his "training trip." The incident with the rabid squirrels, the explosive tags, and the vat of honey was particularly memorable. He was pretty sure he was still banned from that part of Fire Country.

His Creativity had seen a modest boost as well, which Sora attributed to his constant need to think outside the box. When you're barely four feet tall and trying to survive in a world of super-powered ninjas, unconventional thinking isn't just useful – it's a necessity.

However, most of it came from him buying the stats from the shop.

"And let's not forget Luck," Sora grinned, eyeing the 71 next to that stat. "Still holding steady at 'how are you even alive' levels of improbable fortune."

Finally, his eyes landed on his Prank Points. At 71, they were respectable, but Sora knew he could do better. After all, what was the point of all this training if he couldn't use it to cause a little mayhem now and then?

With a satisfied nod, Sora dismissed his stat screen and turned his attention to the real reason he was up here. Strapped to his wrist was a bracer, covered in intricate seals that pulsed faintly with chakra. This was his latest creation, the culmination of months of work and more than a few accidental explosions.

"Alright," he muttered, channelling chakra into the bracer. "Let's see if this baby works as well on others as it does on me."

The seals glowed brighter, and suddenly a holographic display appeared above the bracer, showing a list of stats similar to what Sora had just been viewing. He grinned triumphantly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Stat-O-Matic 3000 is officially online!" he declared to the empty air. "Now to convince Jiji to let me test it out on some unsuspecting vic- I mean, valuable volunteers."

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Sora swung his legs back over the edge of the tower and stood up. It was time to pay a visit to the Hokage, and he knew just how to make an entrance.

"After all," he chuckled, backing up a few steps, "why use the door when you can use the window?"

With that, Sora took a running leap off the Hokage Tower, plummeting towards the Hokage's office window below. As he fell, he couldn't help but wonder what sort of stats his latest invention would reveal about the people of Konoha.

As Sora plummeted towards the Hokage's office window, he couldn't help but let out an exhilarated whoop. The wind whipped through his hair, and for a brief moment, he felt like he was flying. Then, with practised ease, he channelled chakra to his feet and hands, preparing for impact.

THUNK!

Sora hit the window with all the grace of a drunken squirrel, sticking to the glass like an oversized, grinning gecko. Inside, he could see the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looking up from his endless pile of paperwork with a mixture of amusement and resignation.

Knock knock!

Sora tapped on the glass, waving cheerfully. Hiruzen sighed, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he gestured for the boy to enter.

With a bit of chakra manipulation, Sora slid the window open and tumbled into the office, landing in a dramatic roll before popping up with a flourish.

"Ta-da! Sora has arrived, Jiji!"

Hiruzen chuckled, setting down his pen. "Ah, Sora. I should have known it was you. Only a select few individuals in this village enter through the window, and they all tend to be... interesting personalities."

"Aw, you think I'm interesting? I'm touched, truly," Sora replied, clasping his hands to his chest in mock emotion.

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "I didn't even bother to ask why you came through the window. I assume you have a purpose for this visit beyond testing my cardiac health?"

Sora's eyes lit up. "Oh boy, do I ever! Check this out, Jiji!" He thrust his arm forward, showcasing the bracer. "I've created a new seal, and it's going to revolutionize how we train ninja!"

Hiruzen leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Oh? And what does this new seal of yours do?"

"Well," Sora began, puffing out his chest proudly, "it's a stat tracker! It can measure and display a person's abilities in various ninja arts. Look!"

He activated the seal, and a holographic display appeared above the bracer, showing a list of stats.

Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly. "Impressive. And how accurate is this... stat tracker of yours?"

"Oh, it's spot on! I've tested it extensively on myself," Sora assured him. "But that's why I'm here. I need your permission to distribute it for further testing. I was thinking we could set up an autonomous centre where people can check their progress. And for the really trusted folks, we could give them their own bracers!"

The Hokage stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm, that could indeed be useful. It would certainly help with training and mission assignments. But what about security? We wouldn't want this technology falling into the wrong hands."

Sora waved dismissively. "Way ahead of you, Jiji! I've built in some top-notch security seals. Only authorized users can activate it, and it'll self-destruct if anyone tries to tamper with it. Plus, we'd be the only village with this tech. Think of the advantage!"

Hiruzen nodded, impressed. "You've thought this through, I see. Very well, I'll allow a trial run. But first..." He held out his hand. "May I?"