The Celestial Copy - Chapter 29

Standing in front of the door to Naruto’s apartment, I felt a sense of anticipation. Today was the day Naruto and his generation would start attending the Academy. For most citizens of the Hidden Leaf, this was an amazing day. Parents would feel pride that their children were going to one day become future heroes of the village. I’d be filling that spot for Minato-sensei and Kushina.

However, part of me couldn’t see it the same way all the other parents did. I knew the reality of being a shinobi. Only a tiny fraction of the students entering today would actually be under a Jōnin’s tutelage when they graduate. The rest of them were going straight to the Genin Corps. They’d become the cannon fodder destined to die in a ditch while stalling for a stronger shinobi to finish the job.

Still, that was just how the shinobi system worked. Any sign of weakness was an invitation for the villages to pounce. That was why it was necessary for them to have a constant supply of Genin. The easiest way to get that was to convince their people it was for a just cause.

For those who didn’t care about nationalistic pride, the village offered more practical incentives. Tax cuts for families with active shinobi or those injured while on a mission. High base salaries. Even a Genin sticking to safe D-rank missions earned enough to live comfortably, far more than most civilian trades. There was the caveat of not being able to quit whenever they want, but people were short-sighted. If one could ignore the high probability of an early death, becoming a shinobi was actually a fantastic financial decision.

And here I was, about to send Naruto to be a part of the same system, though it wasn’t like he had an actual choice. As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he was the village’s ultimate weapon. He’d already been conditioned by Hiruzen to want this, and then even further by me so he was ready for it.

Sighing, I knocked on the door.

No answer.

I knocked again, harder this time.

…

Still silent.

Is he oversleeping?

With how excited he was after I’d offered to go with him, I almost thought he'd be the one to show up on my door today to drag me with him.

I pulled a thin piece of wire from my pouch and worked the lock. It gave way with a click, and I let myself in.

Heading straight to the bedroom, I found the boy sprawled diagonally across the mattress with one leg hanging off the edge.

I walked over to the bedside. “Naruto. Naruto, wake up.”

A mumble into the pillow was my only reply. “…five more bowls… old man…”

I reached down and shook his shoulder gently. He tried to get away from me with an alligator deathroll, but I kept my grip and shook slightly harder. He finally gave up, blinking blearily up at me.

“Huh? Big bro Kakashi? What are you doin’ here? Did you bring ramen?”

“You are aware of what day it is today, right?”

“Uh… Monday?”

I paused. “Right, but you’re still forgetting about something. Think a little harder.”

“Big bro,” he said, yawning. “I don’t want a lesson right now. Just tell me.”

“Today’s your first day at the Academy.”

His eyes shot wide open. “The Academy! That’s today?!”

“Yeah,” I answered, deadpanning. “And the opening ceremony begins in twenty-five minutes.”

“Gah! Thanks for waking me up, big bro! I totally overslept!”

“Let’s not waste any more time. Take a quick shower and brush your teeth. I’ll make you something to eat.”

Naruto practically jumped out of the bed, nearly tripping over his sheets as he sprinted for the bathroom.

I went to the kitchen, getting ready to make a simple breakfast. Turning on the stove, I set a frying pan and poured oil into it. While it was heating up, I took out a loaf of bread and a carton of eggs. I dropped two slices into the toaster, then cracked an egg into the pan.

By the time the toast popped up and the egg finished frying, the sound of running water in the bathroom cut off.

Naruto came out a moment later, wearing a black t-shirt with the red Uzumaki spiral on the chest, white shorts, and his favorite green goggles.

“Eat,” I told him, setting the plate down.

“Fanks for da food!” he said around the toast hanging from his mouth.

While Naruto was eating, I went back to the kitchen to prepare lunch for him. The Academy provided lunch, but they were notoriously bland. Way back when I was attending, my father would make lunches for me every day. After he committed suicide, I had been tired one day and didn’t make anything. When I actually ate the meal provided by the Academy, I learned just how bad it really was and never made the same mistake again.

Opening the fridge, I checked what he had and decided a simple bento would be fine, then took out sausages, mixed vegetables, and a bowl of leftover rice. I heated the rice in the microwave. While it spun, I tossed the sausages into the pan, frying them until the skins split and browned. I quickly whisked two eggs, rolling them into tamagoyaki, then blanched the vegetables in boiled water for a minute, and shaped the rice into triangular onigiri. Once everything was done, I arranged them into a bento box.

I returned to the dining table. Naruto was almost finished with his breakfast.

“Your cooking’s the best, big bro!”

“I’m glad you like it,” I said. “But listen, Naruto. You need to be more responsible with your schedule from now on. I can’t come over here to wake you up every morning. Shinobi have to be punctual.”

Naruto grinned, unbothered. “I know, I know! It’s just, I was up late thinking about how awesome it’s gonna be! I’m gonna make tons of friends when they see how good I already am from your training! And I’ll also pay attention so I become a super strong ninja like you, big bro!”

I eye-smiled, ruffling his hair. “I’m sure you’ll become even stronger.”

“You bet! So, how long does the Academy take?”

“Usually, it takes six years.”

“What?!” he exclaimed as his face twisted in horror. “That’s forever! I’ll be an old man like you and the Hokage!”

I’m not even twenty yet…

“…I’m nowhere near as old as him,” I muttered. “Besides, it’ll go by faster than you realize. I regret trying to finish it as soon as I could.”

“How long did it take you?”

“I graduated in less than a year. I was five at the time.”

Naruto’s eyes sparkled. “Woah! I’m gonna finish just as fast as you! I’ll show everyone! Believe it!”

“You should cherish your time there. The techniques and power will come, but the bonds you form... those are harder to build.” I looked at him seriously. “The friends you make will be your comrades for life. Don’t rush past them.”

He grinned, giving me a thumbs up. “I don’t really get it, but you’re never wrong, so I’ll do exactly that!”

I held back a sigh. 

I’ve already tried teaching him not to idolize people... But at his age, there’s only so much reasoning he can do.

“Good. Now finish that last piece.” I said. “We’re cutting it close, so we’ll need to move fast.”

------------------------------

A short run later, and we had managed to make it just moments before the entrance ceremony began.

I moved to the section designated for parents and guardians at the back of the Academy courtyard. Hiruzen stood before the new students, flanked by all of the Chūnin instructors. The children were lined up in neat, nervous rows as he began a speech about the Will of Fire.

Being this close to the parents, it was impossible to miss the sheer density of the Leaf’s elite gathered in one spot. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were clustered together, Fugaku and Hiashi on opposite sides, Shibi Aburame lurking near the back, and Tsume Inuzuka at the front, holding herself back from making a commotion.

It wasn’t a coincidence that so many clan heads had their children at the same time, but it wasn’t anything dark like a secret conspiracy among the elite. The reason was actually very simple. When the Third Shinobi World War ended six years ago, everyone clearly had the same idea on how to celebrate surviving. The result was this “Golden Generation” entering the Academy today.

What was strange, however, was that some of them weren’t focusing their attention solely on their children or the Hokage.

I felt three sets of eyes on me.

What’s that about?

Fugaku’s reason was obvious. We were practically co-conspirators in stabilizing the village and his clan at this point. Hiashi was likely still grateful for the rescue of his daughter several months ago. As for Shikaku... I had no idea why he was lazily analyzing me.

“…My congratulations to all of you!” Hiruzen exclaimed, wrapping up his speech. “You have a lot of hard work ahead of you as you walk the path of the Shinobi, but I expect great things. I know you will do the Hidden Leaf Village proud.” 

He surveyed the rows of young faces, making the children instinctively straighten up their postures.

“By now, you should know which class you’re assigned to. If you don’t, ask one of the teachers behind me for assistance. Use this time before the bell rings to find your group and introduce yourselves to your future comrades. Dismissed!”

The orderly rows instantly broke apart as the children scrambled back toward their families, their excited voices overlapping. Parents knelt, hugging and offering final words of encouragement to their kids for their first day.

Naruto came up to me. “I’m gonna go and find the others in my class now, Big bro. Thanks for walking me here!”

With Iruka still serving active duty and not yet assigned to teaching at the Academy, I wondered who would be handling the class of future elites.

“Which one are you in?” I asked.

He rubbed the back of his head. “Heh… uh… I kinda forgot.”

“Come on,” I sighed, gesturing with my head. “Let’s go ask an instructor.”

We approached the line of teachers. My eye landed on a fairly large man with brown hair and a goatee, wearing the standard flak jacket with his forehead protector tied like a bandana. Daikoku Funeno

In the canon timeline, he’d been the senior instructor who’d advised Iruka to not focus on Naruto beyond what was necessary due to his disruptive behavior. A common mindset in the village. I suppressed the urge to frown. As long as he didn’t actively sabotage Naruto’s education, I would let it slide.

Fugaku and Sasuke were currently standing in front of him.

“How time passes,” Daikoku said with a warm smile. “It feels like only yesterday that you were here for Itachi, huh?” He looked down at Sasuke. “And you’re his spitting image.”

“Thank you for your help with both of my boys,” Fugaku replied.

“Oh, not at all. It’s been a pleasure.” Daikoku chuckled. “He graduated at seven and now he’s already a Chūnin… that boy of yours is a true prodigy. There hasn’t been another like him in the Academy’s history.”

“You’re too kind.” 

Fugaku placed a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, steering him toward the building. As they passed us, he gave me a curt nod. Sasuke, however, side-eyed Naruto before looking away.

I stepped forward with Naruto.

Daikoku’s smile faltered the moment he saw who was standing next to me. His eyes flickered to Naruto, then to my vest. He forced his expression back into a professional mask.

“We missed the announcement,” I stated calmly. “Would you mind telling us which class Naruto Uzumaki is assigned to?”

Daikoku cleared his throat, scanning a clipboard. “Ah, right. Uzumaki. He’s in my class. Class 1, Room 101, in the West Wing.”

“Thank you.” We stepped away, and I looked down at Naruto. “That’s your class. Don’t forget it.”

“Got it! West Wing, Room 101!”

As we turned to head toward the building, a family approached us, cutting off our path. Hiashi Hyuga walked at the front, a woman with kind eyes and long dark hair at his side, and a small girl peeked out from slightly behind them.

“Captain Hatake,” Hiashi said, greeting me with a nod. “A moment, if I may.”

“Lord Hyuga. It’s good to see you.”

He urged his daughter forward. “Hinata. Look up. This is the man I told you about. The one who saved you from the Cloud shinobi.”

She bowed deeply. “T-thank you… for saving me.”

“Of course,” I said gently. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

I then looked at the pregnant woman beside Hiashi. She offered me a graceful bow.

That must be his wife.

I couldn’t recall anything about her appearing in the canon series. Most assumed she had died while Hinata was young. Since I had never heard of her being an active duty shinobi, her death likely wasn’t combat-related. It could be complications during childbirth. After all, her second daughter, Hanabi, was due soon.

Maybe I should get involved? Saving a life when it’s so easy for me is the moral thing to do. Plus, it’ll secure the Hyuga clan’s favor permanently.

I filed that thought away for later when I realized Naruto was standing quietly behind me, looking back and forth, clearly out of the loop regarding the kidnapping incident.

“Ah, where are my manners?” I said, stepping aside to reveal him. “This is Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, this is the Hyuga Clan Head and his family.”

“Hi there!” Naruto chirped. “I’m Naruto!”

Hinata’s face flushed, and she started poking her index fingers together. “H-h-hello… Naruto.”

“What class are you in?”

“O-one,” she squeaked.

“That’s awesome! We’re gonna be classmates!”

“Y-yes…” she whispered. “That would be… nice.”

She likes him already?

The origin of her crush was because Naruto defended her from bullies. I hadn’t realized that already happened. Then again, I wasn’t always watching. It was good to know he was forming connections on his own.

I let them talk for a moment longer before nudging Naruto gently. “Go on. You don’t want to be late.”

He nodded, gave one last wave, and headed off toward the West Wing with his head held high as Hinata walked right behind him.

One friend already. You’re doing just fine, Naruto.

------------------------------

[Sasuke Uchiha]

A boy with messy brown hair threw his final kunai. The blade hit the rim of the wooden target, but then bounced off and clattered on the ground. The boy laughed, like it was just a game to him.

“Not bad!” Daikoku-sensei called out. “Once you get some actual training on your form, you’ll be hitting the center in no time.”

Sasuke watched from the sidelines. 

The boy’s hands were soft, lacking the calluses that came from real practice. He held the kunai like a toy, not a weapon.

This is an assessment, he’s supposed to be taking this seriously.

They’d spent the morning running sprints and getting through obstacle courses, testing their endurance and balance. Now, they were testing shurikenjutsu accuracy to see what the students brought with them before the Academy would hone their skills.

“Sasuke Uchiha,” Daikoku announced. “You’re up!”

Sasuke stepped forward. He reached into his pouch, bringing out four shuriken between the fingers of his right hand. With his left, he drew four kunai, mirroring the grip. This was how Itachi would do it. If he threw them one by one like the other children, how was he ever meant to compare?

He flicked his right wrist.

Thack-thack-thack-thack!

The four shuriken embedded themselves into the target. Not waiting a second, he snapped his left arm forward.

Thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk!

“Aaah! Sasuke is so cool!”

“Did you see that? He didn’t even look like he was aiming!”

He ignored the squealing from the girls, his gaze fixed on the target. Eight hits. All of them within the inner ring, one of the kunai even piercing the exact center of the black dot.

Big brother would’ve hit the dead center with all of them. This is just the bare minimum for an Uchiha.

“Haha, excellent work, Sasuke!” Daikoku-sensei praised, writing down the result on his clipboard. “Top marks!”

Sasuke gave a brief nod and returned to where the other students stood. As he stepped back into place, he caught the end of a muttered complaint.

“Man, what a drag. Now sensei’s gonna grade us all on a curve because of him.”

The boy who said that had his hair tied up like a pineapple. He was the lazy one who’d hit the board once and then decided not to try for the rest.

“Next up, Naruto Uzumaki.”

The blonde kid paused as he passed Sasuke. “Don’t get too comfy at the top! I’m gonna get a higher score than you, believe it!”

“Hn, we’ll see.”

Naruto marched up to the throwing line. The chatter died down.

Beside Sasuke, a girl with purple hair leaned toward her friend. “My mom says the Hokage’s crazy or letting him into the academy.”

“I heard he’s supposed to be a monster.”

Naruto’s fist went white. He reared back and threw his first kunai. 

THUD!

It sailed past the target, embedding itself deep into the wall. All power, no skill.

“Aargh! Too much!”

Then Naruto shook his head and took a deep breath, muttering something to himself before throwing again. This time he did much better. Encouraged by the result, he threw the rest of his set. By the end, he had hit the board with all but one weapon, most of them grouping decently near the middle.

“He’s not as good as Sasuke anyway. He didn’t get any of them as close to the center as Sasuke did.”

Why’s she being so dismissive? She didn’t even get one on the board. He can, and he actually knows the right form. He even did better than some of the other clan kids.

Naruto beamed, looking expectantly at the teacher.

Daikoku marked his clipboard without looking up. “Adequate. Next, Ino Yamanaka.”

The boy’s smile faltered, but he shuffled back to the line without saying anything.

Just adequate?

The students before Naruto who did worse, missing the board entirely or just hitting one or two, had still received a word of encouragement.

A girl with long blonde hair tucked a strand behind her ear as she walked past Sasuke, glancing back at him.

She did her first throw as quickly as he did. It didn’t hit the board.

“Take your time, Ino,” Daikoku said warmly. “Just do your best. You’re the last one before lunch.”

“Right!”

Ino threw the rest of her set. Most of them hit the board steadily enough, better than average, but nothing special.

“Good job, Ino!”

Sasuke couldn’t help but find that strange. 

Sensei is treating the noisy girl better than the competent one. Why is that? Is it just because she’s from a clan and he isn’t?

“Alright everyone, that concludes the morning session. You’ll have a one-hour lunch break now. When you return, we’ll begin written tests.” Daikoku said, making most of the students grumble about not wanting to do more tests. “Haha! Don’t worry, these won’t count toward your actual grades. I just need to get an idea of where you all are.”

Then sensei led the class back into the building, taking them to their classroom.

“Grab your lunches. If you didn’t bring one from home, stay back here with me so I can show you to the supply room. The Academy provides lunches for any students who need it. Once you have your food, head out to the yard. And make sure not to leave the Academy grounds!”

Sasuke retrieved his lunch from his desk and headed out the door.

Scanning the courtyard, he found a spot beneath a large tree near the edge. He went there and leaned against the trunk, unwrapping his lunch: rice balls filled with bonito flakes and tomatoes.

Wait… these are the ones Itachi grows in the garden! Mom’s the best!

Even though he chose a spot away from everyone else, they still came closer and observed him.

“He’s an Uchiha, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh wow, I wonder if he’s a genius too.”

“He has to be. I heard he got number one in all the tests so far.”

Sasuke took a bite of a tomato, keeping his face impassive, but the words still made him feel good. Being number one was the expectation. Maybe when he told father about it tonight, he’d finally hear him say ‘That’s my boy.’

The accomplishment had meaning considering the others in his class. Members from all the major clans were there. As long as he continued to take the top spot, he’d bring honor to the Uchiha name.

However, there was a person without a clan who’d caught his attention. The blonde kid. Naruto Uzumaki. In the earlier tests, at least the ones that required stamina and not skill like the final shurikenjutsu test, Naruto had been able to keep up with him.

He arrived with Itachi’s sensei. Maybe Kakashi trained him?

Sasuke glanced over. Naruto was sitting with a girl who had dark blue hair and pale eyes.

Hinata Hyuga.

She’d done best among the kunoichi. It made sense. She was the heiress of the Hyuga, the village’s second-place clan. Without any girls from the best clan, it was only natural for a Hyuga to take the top spot among the females.

Finishing his lunch, Sasuke stood up and walked over to them. 

Hinata froze mid-bite. Naruto looked up, still chewing.

“Oi. You.”

Naruto swallowed. “Huh? Me?”

“You came to the Academy with Kakashi earlier,” Sasuke stated. “How do you know him?”

“Ehhh?! You know Big Bro Kakashi too?!”

Big brother? 

Sasuke looked him over. The spiky blonde hair didn’t match Kakashi’s silver. The way he spoke was different too.

“You look nothing like him,” Sasuke noted.

“Not for real, dummy!” Naruto laughed. “But he takes care of me. We eat ramen together! He feels like a big brother, so that’s what I call him! How do you know about him anyways?”

“He’s my older brother’s sensei.”

Naruto blinked. “Sensei? Wait, he teaches other people? I thought it was just me!”

“U-um… Naruto?” Hinata whispered. “Jōnin… can choose to have Genin students.”

“Oh yeah, that makes sense. Big Bro is a super strong Jōnin, after all!”

“Hn. My brother Itachi is still stronger.”

“What? No way! You just said he was the student. That means he’s weaker!”

“Being a student doesn’t matter,” Sasuke retorted. “Itachi is a genius. Daikoku-sensei said he’s the most talented ninja to ever graduate from the Academy.”

“Nuh-uh! I overheard that, and sensei’s just dumb. Big Bro Kakashi graduated when he was five! He’s way more talented than your brother!”

…Five years old? That couldn’t be possible. Itachi had graduated at seven.

“P-please… don’t fight…” Hinata pleaded softly.

Naruto turned to her, dropping the argument. “We aren’t fighting. We just need to settle some facts. By the way Hinata, do you have a big brother too?”

“I… I have a cousin. Neji. We train together… he’s like an older brother to me. He’s one year above us, and he’s the most talented student in his grade.”

“You said he’s a year above us.” Sasuke crossed his arms. “That means he’s been in the Academy longer than Itachi was, and still didn’t graduate. Undeniable proof Itachi is better than this Neji.”

“Yeah,” Naruto nodded sagely. “And Kakashi is definitely better too!”

“…” Hinata’s silence was louder than words.

Sasuke sat down beside them.

It was impossible for anyone to see the world as decisively as an Uchiha could, so he could excuse their ignorance on the topic of which brother was the best. They still had something in common, at least.

Their company was… tolerable. Maybe even enjoyable.

------------------------------

The Evil Releasing Method. A direct counterpart to the Evil Sealing Method.

The version of me from the canon timeline would use that technique to prevent Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal of Heaven from influencing Sasuke. Though that relied on the will of the recipient to reject the temptation. Unfortunately, Sasuke’s desire for revenge outweighed caution, and he chose to embrace the Curse Mark’s power.

Applying a cursed seal required immense skill, so suppressing one demanded similar mastery. However, releasing one didn’t require the same finesse or preparation. It was practically a matter of brute force at that point.

Sasuke would use the same technique to revive Orochimaru, using a piece of Kabuto’s modified flesh to create a physical body for the consciousness of Orochimaru that was left in Anko’s curse mark. But the more important detail was that it had removed the curse mark from Anko entirely in the process.

That was why I now had the scroll for the Evil Releasing Method unrolled in front of me on my desk.

I’d been considering how to deal with Anko’s curse mark for a while. She had no suppression seal, though the sheer hatred she felt toward her former sensei had been enough to keep his influence at bay. But “enough” wasn’t acceptable now that I felt confident in being able to get rid of it too. I would use the same method that Sasuke did, just with a few key modifications.

The standard Evil Releasing Method had a flaw in this specific scenario. Since Orochimaru was still alive and active, the fragment of consciousness inside Anko had no incentive to leave its hiding spot. Worse, simply performing the release would be a disaster. It would likely just awaken the dormant consciousness, amplifying his influence over Anko without actually extracting him.

However, I had a tool of my own that didn’t require his cooperation. My Sage Mode, and the ability to manipulate energy inside of a different person’s body. Just as I had absorbed the corrupted natural energy from Gintoki to purify him, I’d drag Orochimaru out of the seal by force.

Having two Orochimarus in the world was dangerous, but I knew I could kill the new one on the spot. My Legacy of Chronos would allow me to react and kill him before he could even attempt to possess someone or escape.

A sudden ping interrupted my planning.

[FEAT ACHIEVED: INDIRECTLY CAUSE NARUTO UZUMAKI TO MAKE FRIENDS EARLY.]

[50 CP GRANTED - 200 TOTAL]

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO ROLL?]

Eh? I caused that? I guess it’s probably Hinata.

Forming a cross with my fingers, I created a shadow clone, sending him to check out the specifics while I sat back in my chair.

Two hundred points was enough for a roll. Dealing with Anko’s seal was a delicate operation, and having another tool in my arsenal wouldn’t hurt.

[ROLLING…]

Holy Weapons - 200 CP

Source: 20 Minutes Till Dawn, Chapter: Destruction

In your hands, your weapons are imbued with holy power that is enhanced by your vitality. This grants the weapon a subtle flickering glow and enhanced capabilities that grows stronger the greater your vitality is. One mortal once tried to explain it as, "The more HP you have, the more damage your weapon deals." an apt description."

Advanced Flyer - 100 CP

Source: Peter Pan, Chapter: Domain

You have become an exceptionally good flyer, to the point that you no longer need pixie dust to fly. In fact, defying all sense, you have no weight at all unless you wish to. As long as you are awake, you can move fluidly through the air without ever touching the ground for a second. If you wish to sleep, you only need to rest on a sharp breeze to stay afloat, and if you fall asleep and start to fall, your descent will slow down so that you gently drift down like an autumn leaf. Although as a Fairy you do not need fairy dust to fly, you will need to purchase this perk for the additional abilities such as riding the wind, constantly flying even when asleep, and a slowed descent if your flying fails.

Hunter Horror - 100 CP

Source: D.Y.N. Freaks, Chapter: Magitek

A special set of magic equipment, though it might be hard to tell given it’s a tricked out motorcycle instead of a tome or wand. Hunting Horror here is able to go at around half the speed of sound with ease and can travel over any surface, even upside down or across water without complaint. It’ll never break, even when used to ram a flaming dragon or as a bludgeon against a powerful magician. Hell, it won’t even need fuel, running purely on the love of driving. Or magic. Probably magic. You may import a vehicle into this option if you wish.

[CHOOSE ONE]

I analyzed the options in order.

First was Holy Weapons.

The synergy was the first positive. The perk stated that the power scaled with vitality, one of my strongest fields. Dwarven Constitution granted me nearly limitless stamina, Take It Head On provided incredible natural durability that continued to increase as I grew stronger, and Sage Mode boosted everything even further. There was also the regular strength I’d built through constant training with Guy. 

With those factored in, it would turn the White Light Chakra Saber into a weapon rivaling S-rank jutsu with a simple swing. The idea of using my father’s blade more often just felt… nice.

It even seemed fitting for the task at hand. A holy power that could counter the “evil” nature of Orochimaru’s curse mark, guaranteeing the fragment of his consciousness would be permanently destroyed. It wasn’t truly necessary though. My previous plan was to use a fire-nature Rasengan infused with Senjutsu to completely incinerate his soul, which would definitely be enough. At least this would cause less damage to the environment.

Though I practically made my decision, I figured I should still check out the other options.

Advanced Flyer offered me an incredibly rare ability in this world, opening up a new field most shinobi couldn’t counter. I could even tie it into my Copy Ninja reputation, pretending I’d copied it from Onoki as justification for why I could do it. However, it was more or less a luxury. My existing speed was already overwhelming. I would have picked it if the other options were poor, but that wasn’t the case this time.

Finally, Hunter Horror. The idea of riding down the side of the Hokage mountain on a bike that couldn’t break was amusing. But that was all. 

Its top speed was “half the speed of sound,” something I was already faster than if I used Lightning Chakra Mode, the Eight Gates, and Legacy at the same time. Ultimately, it was a useless utility perk compared to the others.

The costs were all reasonable, but the choice was clear. I simply liked one far more than the others.

[-200 CP, PURCHASED HOLY WEAPONS. 0 CP REMAINING]

I looked back down at the scroll on my desk. I’d test out my new power a little, then get right back to work.