Good Luck Smiles On The Daring [Waifu Catalog SI]
By: Xavier843766
[NSFW] - Good Luck Smiles On The Daring [Waifu Catalog SI] by Xavier843766
Status: ongoing
Published: 2023-09-11
Updated: 2023-10-21
Words: 97240
Chapters: 59
Original source: https/forum./threads/23822
Exported with the assistance of
Good Luck Smiles On The Daring [Waifu Catalog SI]
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Exorcising the Roots
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 1
Spoiler: waifu catalog build
Starting World: Naruto [Standard]
Starting budget 365
Challenges
Good Luck Smiles on the Daring 183 [548]
Difficulty [6.25]
Legacy Difficulty 0
You as Nara Shikamaru (Substitute) of T5 -20 [528]
Power Swap to Satoru Gojo(T7) -80 [448]
Bindings
Company Stamp free [448]
Lures
Zenryoku Zenkai -20 [428]
Faerie Feast -10 [418]
Other Controls
Signed and Sealedᵈˡᶜ -10 [408]
Home Perks
Pocket Space -5 [403]
Pocket Apartment -10 [393]
Home Securityᵈˡᶜ free [393]
Talents
Template Stacking I x2 [You as Nara Shikamaru has Nara Shikaku (Naruto), Accelerator (To Aru series)] -60 [333]
Body Tune-Up -5 [328]
Everlasting -10 [318]
Covert -10 [308]
Communication -10 [298]
Soul -10 [288]
Athletic -5 [283]
Aesthetic -10 [273]
Wild -5 [268]
Inculcationᵈˡᶜ -10 [258]
Template Stacking II x2 [You as Nara Shikamaru [Accelerator (To Aru series), You as Nara Shikamaru [Nara Shikaku (Naruto)] -40 [218]
Defenses
Body x2 -10 [208]
Wild x2 -10 [198]
Possession x2 -20 [178]
Information x2 -50 [128]
Mind x2 -50 [78]
Stress x2 -10 [68]
Addiction x2 -20 [48]
Defenses discounted for retinue members 34 [82]
Misc Perks
Universal Calibration -10 [72]
Mapper -10 [62]
Target Tracker -10 [52]
Sexual Calibration -2 [50]
Fertility Calibration I -2 [48]
Memorabiliaᵈˡᶜ -5 [43]
Time-Saversᵈˡᶜ -2 [41]
Generic Waifu Perks
Power Swap free [41]
Immutable Selfᵈˡᶜ[You as Nara Shikamaru] -10 [31]
HUDᵈˡᶜ[You as Nara Shikamaru] -10 [21]
Companions bought -20 [1]
Nara Shikamaru(T5)[buy] from Naruto
"Among the heavens and the earth, I alone am the Honored One."
That was my first audible sentence in my new life.
To be fair, the full power of Gojo Satoru is… well, incredibly overwhelming. The Six Eyes allowed me to see the world for miles, literally for miles, all around me. I could see every tree, every leaf, every person, every ant, everything, all over.
It is beautiful. Absolutely, painfully, stunningly, beautiful.
The clouds look amazing. That big blue sky.
"Well, someone's pretentious." Ino's mocking voice next to me replied as I lazily sat up, looking at her while giving the least amount of effort to do so.
I shrugged lazily, ignoring her remarks. Ino Yamanaka was definitely a character. She was always trying to provoke a reaction, constantly trying to get me and Choji to do whatever she wanted. In a way, Ino was really just mimicking her dad's behaviors, likely applying the lessons of what it meant to do T as a way to probe those around her. It's just that her skills were woefully obvious, because she was a novice in the art of provoking a response.
So many Clans tried to teach their children theory early, trying to get the good habits in before the bad habits developed, in order to nurture the next generation. With Itsuki's casual slaughter of the Uchiha Clan, the Academy's graduation age had been set back to 16, as if to say that an extra four years here would somehow help create a better foundation for their killers for hire to not be broken enough to attack the hand that fed it.
I was painfully aware of just how fucked up and barely functional the current system was. Better than the Clan Wars, if you consider the lower death toll for civilians and children under and around the age of 5 better. The higher death toll for shinobi, the barely tolerated trade from civilians across the countries, the corruption among the nobles, and all the other things truly didn't spell good news for the system's future health.
No, this world still operated under the same doctrine as the one I had left. The might makes right, and the weak hope to be able to carve out something out of the leftovers, if the weak don't cannibalize each other first.
Tier 5 Shikaku Nara meant that there truly wasn't anything I could learn from my father, being that I had the skills and abilities of my father as he was in Shippuden. It truly was more meant to hide that I had traded away my own affinity for shadows for Gojo's much greater skill, but it had potential if given the time to train fully, but in truth, I had another Template I'd rather train.
[Template Stacking II] for Accelerator. It put me at Tier 5 for Accelerator, which was a far cry from Accelerator's own Tier 8.
Which is why the importance of what and who you utilize for your Templates and your Base actually matters. A Tier 5 Specialist is significantly stronger than a Tier 5 Generalist, but a Tier 7 Specialist can be beaten by a Tier 5 or 6 Generalist that has mastered abilities that are a weakness for Tier 7's. It was why Link, a Tier 5 or a Tier 6 depending on the game, can beat Ganondorf, a Tier 7. A Specialist has holes in their abilities, weaknesses that Generalists can exploit.
Shikaku Nara is a Tier 5 Specialist, whose information gathering, tactical knowledge, and ability to read five to ten steps ahead of others if given the right understanding of the opponent, allows a full usage of a bloodline inherently meant to act as a way to stagger enemies to put them right into the paths of stronger foes.
Gojo Satoru is a Tier 7 Generalist, being a Jujutsu Kaisen Sorcerer who has fully mastered the Six Eyes and the Limitless, as well as Cursed Techniques and Reversed Cursed Techniques.
Accelerator is a Tier 8 Generalist, an Esper who has fully embodied the power of being the 'One Way Road', the 'One Who Wields The Power of God'. A man, with the aide of some help, had been capable of shaking the entire galaxy by creating and implanting a third metaphysical tree that governed reality, the artificial tree of mankind, into the universe he had lived in.
In short, I was planning on fully training up my Accelerator Template to it's greatest potential, while also relying on my current Tier 7 skills of Gojo Satoru to survive the 'early stages' of Naruto. Thankfully the Template Framework also meant it'd be easier to learn and regain Accelerator's lost skills at a much faster rate than it would be normally.
Of course, while I had Accelerator's power, I wasn't Accelerator. Accelerator's brain on it's own would be capable of beating ten supercomputers working against him, and the Misaka Network, of 10,000 ish Level 3 Espers, were all incapable of replicating even half of what Accelerator had been capable of doing with his calculations.
Iruka eventually came in and yelled at the class to shut up and sit down, some things just don't change, and I lazily lifted my head as Iruka began to announce the Teams.
"Team 10, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara. Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi."
Gotcha. I was still under the same team as Canon. I frankly couldn't give a shit either way, but at least it's nice to know my current existence hasn't already derailed something on it's own.
What interested me was that the classic Ino-Shika-Cho formation truly didn't apply to me anymore. Oh, I had all the skills and abilities required to perform my role, but why limit myself when I could fully expand the limits of my jutsu to unheard of heights? Why would I need to just stand around when I could just as easily crush the opponents using my Limitless?
To be a Jujutsu Kaisen Sorcerer, is to be selfish. To open yourself to dangers from within and without, to fully realize your sense of self beyond all limitations, even if the world should raise themselves against you. Jujutsu Sorcery is an Individual Sport, not a Team based one.
Gojo Satoru and Sukuna were not all that different from one another. Both heavily asserted themselves as 'The Strongest' that it became a core part of their identity, and while Sukuna would turn to fully mastering 'True' Cursed Techniques, Sukuna had abandoned his core principles in the end, by utilizing the Ten Shadows after taking over Megumi's body to fight Gojo. In short, he relied on someone else's Jujutsu in order to win, thereby indirectly abandoning the idea of holding himself up as 'The Strongest'.
Gojo Satoru hadn't. He fully embraced his principles, his beliefs, and his sense of self, in all aspects of the word. Gojo Satoru had used his Limitless and the Six Eyes to the absolute limit, and while he had some help for his starting attack, he'd faced off against Sukuna at nearly his fullest strength, in conjunction with Megumi's own Jujutsu, alone.
It didn't matter if Gojo Satoru died facing Sukuna in the fight, because in the end, Gojo Satoru had won, in all the ways that had mattered to him. To Gojo, he was truly 'the Honored One'. The one who set the standard on what it truly meant to be a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
It was why I doubted I'd stay in Konoha. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I didn't respect the Third Hokage's inability to hold Orochimaru and Danzo accountable. I didn't respect the shinobi world's system of constantly fighting amongst one another, teaming up to annihilate the strong, and constantly lying to themselves by refusing to recognize that their principles, their dogma, were all lies.
My father will be devastated. My mother will be horrified. My Clan will disown me. Konoha would never trust me. I'd be abandoning the village I had been born and grown up in.
So, why was I smiling? Why did I feel content? I didn't feel regret or fear or guilt. I just felt… at peace with myself.
Among the heavens and the earth, I alone am the Honored One. Embrace the selfishness. Embrace the magnificence of what it means to stand against the world that has caused so much atrocities, and when the world tries to end you, tries to change you, you laugh at the world and force it to change to fit your desires, your dreams, your ambitions. Embrace that, as the Honored One, this world will bend at your will. Or it will break trying to stop you.
I even had a perfect point in which to leave. The Sasuke Retrieval Arc, or now it'd be the Sayuri Retrieval Arc, I suppose. By that point, they'd probably write me off as a loss, someone who died trying to retrieve Sasuke. After that, I could buy 'Appearance Modifier', and become someone else.
Huh. Would this be considered pulling an Obito? Maybe. However, the freedom of not being bound to missions, a central location, alongside being fully capable of Stamping anyone I wish, it'd be easy credits.
I could even sell the Ichibi, since Shukaku tended to temporarily free himself from Gaara when Gaara went to sleep. Bijuu were worth way more than the Jinchurriki they resided within.
Sure, it'd mean it's impossible to capture the Ten Tails, since the Ten Tails wouldn't be revived without at least some chakra of all the bijuu, but the Ten Tails itself was only worth 200 Points. Hardly worth it when all nine bijuu were worth 900 Points all together.
Also, I can infiltrate the Akatsuki far easier as a Missing Ninja/Dead Ninja on record than I would as a regular shinobi.
Thanks to my HUD purchase, it was easy to take 'pictures' of each class mate as well as Iruka. As the Jonin came by to collect their students, I was able to tag them as well, until Asuma arrived to pick us up.
Ino grumbled having to deal with me and Choji, but I tuned her out. Ino Yamanaka may be 16, but she hadn't truly learned the hard truths of the shinobi world aside from the snippets of what Inoichi told her in stories or lessons.
Taken to Training Ground 10, Asuma told us that in order to qualify as Genin, we had to at least hit him once. How we did it, didn't matter as long as we got even a glancing blow.
"I'll give you guys a few minutes to plan, but then you have to find me and try to hit me." Asuma said easily, before he went into the trees nearby.
Ino and Choji looked at me. Waiting for a plan. I was the brains of the operation.
I took out my Stamp. "I'm using this on the back of your hands, Ino, Choji. That way we can tell if Asuma tries to pretend to be one of you."
Always plan for failure and sabotage.
It spoke to how much they trusted me that they immediately agreed, as I stamped them both.
Once I did that, I said seriously. "Choji, stand guard over Ino. Ino, try to find a bird perch or nest. Take to the skies, and release the technique once you find Asuma."
Ino's eyes widened, as she looked stunned that she had never thought of the idea, before groaning. "Why did I never think of that?!"
I shrugged. It just made sense to take advantage. We lived in a forest for Kami's sake.
Naturally, that plan went bust two minutes later as Ino woke up, looking embarrassed.
"I, uh, don't know how to fly as a bird." She admitted quietly.
I sighed. "Of course the Mind Transfer Jutsu doesn't let you take advantage of an animal's instincts. We do this the hard way. Ino, get on Choji's back. Choji, we'll be scouting to find Asuma. Once within range, I'll shadow bind him, then Ino can transfer her mind, allowing me to get over there and Stamp him as a 'hit'. If Asuma breaks out of the mind transfer, you can release Ino in a moment's notice to use the Human Boulder Jutsu."
They nodded, with Ino looking thankful that we didn't get upset at her inability to fly.
'Somehow' we found Asuma, and the plan was a success. Really, Asuma wasn't truly trying his best. He was really just trying to get us to work together and see what he had to work with.
Once that was done, I had moved the Stamp to the lower back of the team, meaning they wouldn't notice it during the three days it took to apply, and, per the Company, would ignore the Stamp during and after it's completion.
Afterwards, Asuma treated us to a barbecue as a way to celebrate our success at becoming Team 10. Ino looked like she was hardly going to eat before I spoke up, my voice serious.
"Ino. You don't have to eat as much as Choji, but you need to prioritize eating meat. Eating meat will allow your muscles to grow, but it also allows you to develop faster and better. Trying to starve yourself will hinder not just yourself, but the team in the long run. Without proper food, you'll be exhausted faster, you'll be weaker, your hair will fall out, and you'll never grow beyond what you look like now."
Ino's face paled as I didn't mince words, a combination of [Communication Talent] and [Inculcation Talent] working together to make Ino really rethink her dieting plan.
Asuma looked surprised for a moment, but nodded with approval. "He's right Ino."
This wouldn't be the last conversation, but eventually Ino would give up the dieting once she saw the results.
After eating, Asuma paid the bill and told us to tell our families the good news and to meet him at training ground 10 tomorrow around 8.
Ino and Choji left soon after, and I waited a few minutes before heading in a different direction from home.
The Six Eyes made it easy to recognize the absolute miasma of Cursed Energy that lingered in the Uchiha District. The immense negative emotions, the loss, the agony, all was easily felt even at a distance.
The lack of guards, the emptiness, all of it pointed to just how silent the district was. Houses filled with laughter and families, lay silent and cold.
If this place had been in Jujutsu Kaisen, the Cursed Spirit would've been on par of Jogo that came out of this place.
Silently moving through the empty streets, I eventually arrived to Sayuri's home. Here, the Cursed Energy was at its peak. The agony was concentrated here, and the misery that clung to the house was immense.
No wonder Sasuke became the way he did. Between the PTSD, the trauma, the miasma of negative energy, all of it practically crushed out all positivity out of him.
It was a miracle Sasuke hadn't committed suicide. Hell, the boy had likely been subconsciously suicidal, having aimed to take on Itachi while hoping for an honorable death to say he had at least tried to avenge his Clan.
Sayuri was training in the back of the house, near the lake as she practiced her Fireball Jutsu.
Say what you will about Sayuri, she's dedicated to her training.
Clasping my hands together, I appeared directly behind her, knocking her out with a swift blow to the back of her neck.
She collapsed almost instantly, unconscious. She'd exhausted herself to the point that she'd been easily handled.
A Stamp to the lower back, and I quickly went into the house to put her to bed with a quick contract written down.
'If you want to unlock the Sharingan, you need to be put in a life or death situation. If you want the help of a friend, sign the Contract and wait for me in the backyard three days from now late afternoon. The answer to Kakashi's Hidden Test is teamwork.'
I left the Uchiha District, heading for another potential individual.
Once I was within range, I could see Naruko was currently grumbling to herself in her apartment. I knocked on her door, surprising her inside as she eventually went to open the door.
"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?" She said aloud, confused.
After all, I had never been to her apartment, and I hadn't really interacted with her much in class or earlier.
[Covert Talent] made it easy to make me seem nervous, but excited.
"Naruko, I want to make a bet with you. I bet that I can make a better ramen than Ichiraku's."
Naruko's eyes widened before she pointed at me, her face turning red as she proclaimed. "Never! Ichiraku's is the best."
My smile widened as I grew confident. Or at least, pretended to grow confident.
"I want to write up a contract. If I can make better ramen than Ichiraku's, you have to swear undying loyalty and love to me. And I get to go out on a date with you."
Naruko's indignation turned full embarrassment, her face turning cherry red. Her mouth opened silently multiple times before she squeaked. "D-date?"
I nodded solemnly. "Yes. A date. Because while I think you can be stupid a lot of the time, you can be quite rude and abrasive, you are as stubborn as a rock, you don't pay attention to the details…"
Naruko's red face darkened in anger as she bristled at how bluntly I brought up her flaws. I continued, relentless.
"I also think you are passionate, because you always go for what you want. I think you're funny, I always get a laugh out of your pranks when it's not aimed at me. I think you're so much stronger than anyone takes you credit for, because despite being an orphan and alone, you were able to keep up with us even when you were skipping class. I love how passionate you get, because you never back down when you want something. I think you look incredible, just the way you are. While I don't know you completely, because who you are in private may well be different than in public, I'd love to get to know you, Naruko Uzumaki. Because I like what I see, and I want to know you even more."
Naruko's anger melted and her face flushed as her eyes widened as her lips opened slightly in surprise.
"I, I didn't know you felt that way about me." Naruko's voice spoke softly, her blue eyes looking at me carefully, no doubt trying to see if there's a prank or a lie.
"What do I get if I win?" Naruko spoke up, her face set in a small grin as she thought back to the contract/bet I was offering.
"Whatever you want." I said bluntly. I was very confident.
Naruko nodded. "Okay. Shikamaru. Write up the contract and we'll both sign it. If I win, I want…" Naruko bit her lip for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me.
"No judging me for what I say." She ordered and I nodded easily.
"If I win, if Ichiraku's is better. We'll take five bowls of ramen from Ichiraku's to go, and I get to eat it with you… and maybe a kiss."
I made it a point to nod, but I had to admit, the fact that Naruko was that worked up over a kiss said a lot about how little physical affection she had.
"A win-win."
The sounds of Naruko moaning so lewdly as she slurped the noodles I had made an hour later after returning with some fresh groceries was worth it. Especially as she, cherry red and looking mortified, declared her undying love and loyalty to me before begging for another bowl.
The fact that my mother saw the wide grin on my face later, and then learned that I, lazy bones Shikamaru, had cooked for someone to impress them on a date, had her demanding I bring Naruko over for dinner tomorrow, it was still worth it.
Well, shit. Might have to rethink the whole pretending to be dead thing later. Eh, it's not like I can't reform Konoha from the inside out.
And yes, I was picturing fucking Naruko over the Hokage desk. Who wouldn't?
Chapter 2: Exorcising the Roots
[Naruko. Love Confession/Signed and Sealed. 72 Points.]
[Purchases:
Normalcy. -10 63
Pavlov's Bell. -10 53
Time Savers. [Rank 2: All Retinue.]. -8. 45
Shikamaru Nara: Added Potential: Yakumo Kurama. -5. 40
Hypnos. -15. 25
Sticky Fingers. -5. 20
Social Club. -10. 10
Maestro. -10. 0
0 Credits Remaining.]
Waking up the following morning, and making some last minute purchases, I got out of my bed, stretching as I felt immensely pleased with myself.
Normalcy meant that having multiple partners wasn't an impact on my social life or through social standing. The rest of the world would just kind of consider us fairly normal as long as we're not doing anything outrageous like fucking in public.
Pavlov's Bell basically installed an app on my phone that allowed me to give a sense of pleasure or pain, of various degrees, numbness, or even a variety of sensations at my discretion, to my retinue. With Target Tracker, this allows me to tweak each 'waifu' to be set to specific responses based on what they were doing or how they were feeling.
By raising Time Savers to rank 2, the same basic benefits of Time Savers is expanded to all of my retinue. [Only need 6 hours of sleep, always well groomed and smelling great, never need to use the bathroom, can fall asleep within a few minutes with ease.]
Added Potential: Yakumo Kurama. Easiest 5 Credits spent. Ever. Yakumo Kurama is a rather plain looking girl, who was born with a frail body, and an extremely powerful potential bloodline that amplified Genjutsu to such a degree, that even untrained, that the human brain would think her genjutsu was real enough to retroactively believe it happened in real life. In short, with Itachi's Tsukuyomi, you could be tortured for three days, but still technically survivable with Tsunade's help to bring you out of the coma. If Yakumo tortured you for three days in a genjutsu, you died. Period. How could I not go for some absolutely broken genjutsu abilities?
The drawback of Yakumo Kurama is that her bloodline is so immensely powerful that it creates a separate personality to wield it, a separate personality that is all too happy to inflict absolute carnage on the world just because it feels like it. Of course, that doesn't work thanks to [Mind Defense II, [Stress Defense II, [Immutable Self, and [Possession Defense II].
Hypnos. The ability to fall asleep instantly, really neat, in order to, get this, enter the dreams of anyone I've met in the past day. I can mentally check if any valid target is dreaming at any time. I can control the dreams of the target once I'm within their dream, and I can manipulate the events of the dream, save for the target's own mind, body, and action within the dream. The dream will substantially influence the target for several days afterwards, more if they genuinely connect with the experience. I can choose if the target remembers their dreams and, if I choose to make them remember, how vividly they remember the experience.
Sticky Fingers is a staple, and it has a lot of potential. I don't really need to go over how driving someone wild with a touch of hand, can influence a person.
Social Club. It gives me a dream realm that I can fully control. Within this dream realm, my mind and the mind's of my retinue are present, whether we're awake or asleep, and cannot impact our ability to function, while using or interacting with the dreamscape. I can control how aware each mind is in the dream realm, such as making them feel the sensations of the dream, but not what's causing them, or making someone believe the dream world is the real world, or even mix the elements of the real world with the dream world, overlapping the dream world with the waking world. No one else can enter this realm. It also allows me to bring my retinue's minds into the dreams of my targets from [Hypnos].
Maestro. The upgrade to Hypnos, because it allows me to manipulate the target's mind, body, and actions by assigning them a role in the dream.
So, imagine my surprise when I find out that there's not two mind's in this realm, myself and Naruko, but three.
Turns out, I fucked up when buying Shikamaru Nara as a Companion, thinking it was a requirement for Substitute. It is not.
Of course, the Company doesn't give a shit if you don't read the fine print, so they gave me the companion Shikamaru and just shoved him into the Pocket Apartment since having two of the same target in the world wasn't legally reasonable. Their words, not mine.
Of course, see, the Waifu Catalog Company isn't perfect either. They also fucked up.
Because everything I had done to myself at Chargen, before the world started, also ended up applying to my Companion Shikamaru, since the catalog considered us the same person. They did end up taking away the Talents, since I didn't have Talent Sharing, but everything else? Fair game. The Company lawyers looked horrified upon finding out that little loophole when I pointed out to them.
So, now I have a Companion Shikamaru who had all the same stuff as I'd had at the start. A true duplicate of myself as I had been yesterday.
How would the shinobi world handle two of me? I could even play it off as an upgraded variation of the Body Duplicate Jutsu that I recalled one of the Stone Kage had done in the Fourth Shinobi War. Just, a one time kinjutsu in my favor.
Of course, that didn't mean the other me could just hang out in my Pocket Apartment until then either. See, the other me would be my 'eye in the sky', using the frozen internet from my laptop, thanks to Memorabilia, to keep me updated on the stuff I wasn't likely to remember.
It had been years since I'd watched the original Naruto, after all. And a part of me wondered just how many movies and filler episodes would be making a return in this reality.
Getting out of bed, I swiftly got dressed and headed out into the living room. not surprised in the least to see dad was already out, likely doing his thing as the Jonin Commander/Clan Head.
Mom looked stunned at seeing me awake, as I would almost never get up without her yelling at me to wake up. "Shikamaru? Are you okay?" She asked with some concern in her voice.
I raised my hand, giving a 'so-so' gesture. "Yeah, I slept pretty well, but I'm actually feeling a little nervous since Naruko isn't exactly the easiest person to get to know over dinner. She's an orphan, so she hasn't been taught or raised on any manners or on how to be polite, so she's very straightforward. She's also heavily ostracized by the village, something I don't understand since all she's mainly done are some harmless pranks that get a laugh out of people. So, I'm worried you guys won't see Naruko the way I see her, and might judge her like the rest of the village, without really giving her a chance."
Mom's eyes softened and she gestured for me to sit down as she sat across from me. "Honey, I can't speak on behalf of the Nara Clan, I married into the family, but I know your father and I won't prematurely judge anyone you date. Your our son, it's frankly a miracle you've even decided to date at all. I could tell you the stories about how I practically had to drag your father into doing things with me, let alone dating, since all he wanted to do was watch the clouds. Tell me about Naruko. Help me 'see' her the way you do."
I nodded, thinking for a moment, gathering my thoughts together. I truly hadn't been giving it a ton of thought when I'd been honest with Naruko. What surprised me was just how… genuine those feelings had came to me. I guess, even with my own memories and the skills/abilities of Gojo Satoru, I was still Shikamaru Nara. I was still the same teenager who wanted to be lazy, but also wanted to keep his family and friends safe. The same teenager who called himself the 'greatest coward' who somehow still stood up for his friends even at the cost of his own life.
"Naruko, seems really simple on the surface. She's loud, boastful, always shouting from the rooftops about wanting to be Hokage. She can never sit still. She hates doing homework. She's always doing pranks. She misses the details a lot of the time, since a lot of social cues and stuff goes over her head. She'd make a terrible diplomat." I chuckled a bit before continuing, a soft smile on my face.
"She's smarter than anyone gives her credit for. She's aced the trap making parts of the Academy like it's nothing, and she can be devious when she wants to be. She's strong, sometimes even giving Choji a good solid fight, which is hard to do. She's so passionate, and stubborn as hell. Even with most of the village hating her, even when she's had no one in her corner, she still wants to be Hokage, and she'll continue to shout it from the rooftops, no matter how many people keep telling her she won't be Hokage. She's gorgeous. The way her yellow hair catches in the sun, it's like she's covered in gold sometimes. Those blue eyes, sometimes it feels unnerving to see how open she is, how honest her emotions are, it feels like those blue eyes could just take my breath away. Though her laughter, her smirk when she successfully pranks someone, those moments when she looks so happy, it just… does something to me. Like I want to be the one to help her feel that way, you know?"
Mom sniffed, her eyes wet with tears. "My boy's in love." She sighed, shaking her head as she grabbed a napkin to wipe her tears off quickly as she coughed to clear her throat.
"Okay. So, I'll help Naruko learn all the things she's been missing out on, and though she might dislike it sometimes, it'll help her and you in the long run. Especially since she's been having to figure out all those things on her own, and probably missing the point of a lot of things. Poor dear. This village doesn't deserve her." Mom hissed quietly, her eyes narrowing in anger at the injustice Naruko had been going through, before smiling wryly. "I better tell your father that you might get married to Naruko in a couple of months if you're that emotional over her. The wedding planning will be such a drag, but it's worth it for a good daughter in law."
I couldn't help but laugh at mom making fun of how dad and I often said how troublesome or what a drag it was to do chores was, slipping that in. Mom's eyes sparkled as she chuckled with me. "Now, go get with your team. I'm sure they'll be looking for you eventually." She ordered and I got up out of my seat and headed out the door.
So, Naruko, what'd you think of my mom?
You asshole! I'm fucking sobbing into my morning ramen, you dick! Who makes a woman this emotional this early in the morning?!
Why are you eating ramen at 8:30 in the Kami damn morning?!
It'd been pretty easy to 'overlay' the images and sounds of me and mom sitting and talking next to Naruko eating ramen, so that way Naruko would feel like it hadn't just been a dream. The fact that Naruko had nearly dropped her ramen at the start was hilarious, though the fact that I could make her believe it to be real was quite convenient. The fact that Naruko hadn't even questioned on how I was able to do such a thing was amusing, since she was likely going to wave it off as some esoteric jutsu I'd picked up.
If I did that to someone like Ino, she'd have been asking a billion and one questions, trying to pick apart the technique to see if she could replicate it.
The world is still gorgeous, and I couldn't help but take it all in. It was part of the reason I didn't keep my eyes blindfolded: while I still had the Six Eyes, my eyes still looked the same, and the slight draining caused by overusing the Six Eyes wasn't present thanks in part to Accelerator's Template, whose computational skills for his Vector Manipulation, even at Tier 5, made using the Six Eyes a breeze.
I could feel Naruko's emotions, her feelings of gratitude, love, loyalty, and passionate joy were echoes through the dreamscape. For all her bickering and annoyance of being emotionally vulnerable, her real emotions and thoughts were as clear as a sunny day to me. Social Club allowed me a space where the mind's of my retinue and I were always present, a space where the physical and spiritual world didn't matter. I could be in Hell, and Naruko in Heaven, and our minds would still be connected by the dreamscape. It was a form of social insurance, and a way to help each other. If Naruko was in danger, I would know about it.
If I was in danger… I chuckled. Ha. Me, in danger. That's a good joke. Hilarious even.
Once I got to Training Ground 10, the rest of the team arrived at roughly the same time I did. Asuma nodded with approval at seeing us. "Alright, today I'll be figuring out where each of you stand. All three of you are from Clans, so no doubt most of your training will probably be from them for Clan Jutsu, but I can help shore up the basics. A solid foundation is important for all shinobi. We'll start with a simple endurance test. Laps around the training ground until we get a feel of how long anyone can last."
Training Ground 10 isn't all that big, roughly three miles in diameter. Unlucky for Ino and Choji, Gojo's constant Curse Reversal Techniques meant that I never got tired. I was in battle condition, pretty much always. 3 Laps, Ino stopped, exhausted. Asuma gave her some water and told her she hadn't done that bad. Some more general conditioning, and some more food like the meat heavy meal from the barbecue, and she'd be set.
5 Laps, and Choji stopped, exhausted, looking baffled at my easy going pace as I was still going. An easy going smile on my face as I loved the feeling of the air in my face, the big blue sky, the clouds.
10 Laps, and Asuma called for me to stop, and I came to a stop, with Asuma looking rather astounded, and worried.
"Shikamaru, are you okay? Your last conditioning had you pegged at the same laps as Choji." He asked quietly. "I hope you haven't been taking steriods or some drug enhancers. They kill your performance in the long run." He commented seriously, his eyes staring at me.
I shook my head. "No, Asuma. I haven't taken anything. I just woke up like this. I feel great even."
Asuma nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll monitor you, but for now, we'll hold off on taking you to the Nara Clan to be evaluated until later. The next thing is sparring. You and Choji, no ninjutsu."
After a couple minutes, to let Choji catch his breath and get into fighting shape after the warm up, the sparring started.
Or rather, Choji tried to punch me and I watched as his fist never landed, simply hovering in the air.
"Asuma, Choji can't hit me. Some sort of… field seems to be blocking him." I said aloud, pretending to be confused.
Asuma's eyes narrowed before he told Choji to step away, only for Asuma to try and surprise me with a fast kick.
The kick never landed, and Asuma's eyes widened.
"Ino, Choji, you're dismissed. Shikamaru, we're stopping by to visit the Hokage."
I said nothing, noticing that Asuma didn't even try to touch me to take me along to the Hokage's Office.
Asuma didn't even knock, entering through the door to the office, much to the Hokage's secretary dismay.
The Third Hokage and Danzo looked at us, with Danzo's regular eye narrowing slightly at me as I shrugged at them both.
"Asuma, what's the emergency?" The Third Hokage said aloud, looking at us with a serious expression.
"Shikamaru. Can you explain to us about what your feeling, and how this morning went so far."
I explained how this morning went in regards to the exercises this morning and the sparring, before explaining how I didn't feel any chakra being used to maintain this field. [Covert Talent] was soaking up a ton of subtle knowledge and talent from the Third Hokage and Danzo, especially in conjunction with [Communication Talent].
I deviated from the subtle interrogation, frowning at the Third Hokage.
"I feel fine, great even. I don't see the problem."
The Third nodded, looking curious. "Indeed. His chakra hasn't dropped in volume, and this ability appears passive in nature. A random mutation in the Nara bloodline, perhaps?" He muttered quietly.
"Shikamaru Nara, I wish to extend an invitation for you to train under me. Such a talent cannot go wasted." Danzo fired immediately, his regular eye fixed on me.
The Third Hokage moved to speak, but I spoke up first.
"Sure. I don't mind. It's not a permanent thing anyway. I will want a contract with you though. My current employment is under the Hokage." I said lazily, shrugging.
Danzo's regular eye narrowed. "A contract? Is the word of an elder not enough?"
I yawned. "Words are cheap. A contract allows me to set the parameters of our working relationship. If I just agreed without anything, you could just enlist me as a permanent 'apprentice' and call it a day. No thanks."
Danzo actually nodded slightly, a twitch of his lips as his regular eye glinted with approval. And annoyance.
"Very well. Write up the contract and we can both sign it."
The Third Hokage sighed as he gave me a blank piece of paper and some ink. "You can always ask me for help if you need it, Shikamaru-kun." The Third Hokage offered quietly. I smiled, nodding to the Hokage. "That'd be great!"
[Covert Talent] and [Communication Talent] eagerly sucked up every drop as the Third Hokage helped me iron out the contract that I'd written out for the Master/Apprenticeship Contract as designed, especially as I still wanted to be under Team Ten, so it'd be more akin to a thing to do when I'm not on missions for Konoha. Then I surprised both of them when I wanted to write up a Contract for Danzo separately as well.
"Being an elder just sounds so ambiguous. Like, you can offer advice to the Hokage, but so many people offer advice unsolicited already on it's own. I'm thinking the Elders should be signing Contracts to really iron out what their roles actually are, especially since the Hokage should never need to doubt if he's getting bad advice from the people advising him, no?" I asked with a large grin on my face.
Ooh, Danzo looked pissed, especially as the Third Hokage's gentle encouraging smile ended up widening at the idea. "I better tell Shikaku that his son might have a better head for diplomacy than he did at your age." The Third chuckled. "Absolutely. Danzo, I order you to sign the contracts that Shikamaru is making, and I'll even bring in Koharu and Homura to sign contracts of their own."
The contracts made for Danzo, and for the Elders, were fairly simple. They couldn't assassinate the Hokage or the Clans in Konoha and anyone in them, they couldn't knowingly help anyone assassinate the Hokage or the Clans in Konoha and anyone in them, they would be required to offer the best advice possible for whatever situations the Hokage brings to them, excluding all advice designed to allow them to influence the Hokage in some manner for their own gain. They were required to use all formal and informal resources to help Konoha in times of crisis such as an invasion, spies leaking immensely dangerous intel or knowledge, etc., even at the cost of their own lives if need be for the good of Konoha and the Will of Fire. In times of peace or when not in an emergency crisis, said formal and informal resources would be used to aid Konoha in subtle manners that would either not be traced to Konoha if it was illegal within the Land of Fire, such as Black Scroll Missions, even not telling the Hokage if such subtlety would prove beneficial to the village on a need to know business as well as allow plausible deniability, and openly if it was legal within the Land of Fire as to allow increased positive reputation for Konoha.
Danzo, with extreme reluctance, ended up signing the contract as I handed it to him, with the Hokage looking bemused by the fact that it truly didn't change much for them aside from making Danzo liable if he got caught fucking up. Again.
Or at least, that's what the Third Hokage thought was happening. In reality, Danzo immediately felt the iron-bound metaphysical chains of the contract, the old man stiffening in a mixture of awe and horror silently as he realized that my contracts were fully binding when signed.
And since we weren't currently in an emergency or crisis, he couldn't tell the Hokage even if he wanted to. The power of the contract ensured he couldn't, in order to avoid making the Hokage liable in some manner.
Danzo was all but required to use my ability to create contracts in order to fully bind himself and his forces to my contracts, because it would subtly aid Konoha in the long run. The Third Hokage happily allowed me to write up copies of the same contract for Homura and Koharu, pleased that he'd been able to fully turn the concerns his son had held into something he could use to pin Danzo down later. "Shikamaru-kun, I'll inform your father about the curious mutation in your bloodline. We'll do some extensive testing in a couple day's time, and we can see how modified your bloodline has become compared to it's normal iteration." The Third Hokage informed me.
With that, Asuma, reluctantly, allowed Danzo to take me for training, no doubt worried about if I'd be indoctrinated into Root.
Alone, Danzo turned to me, his face passive. "I will bring you some papers for further contracts to be given to all of my forces. I don't know how you've done this, but it's power cannot be understated. Write up the contracts so as to ensure absolute loyalty and secrecy, even to that they cannot have their minds read."
Danzo vanished, and my smile widened with satisfaction, and he returned shortly after with a set of paper in his hands and some ink. He had a Root shinobi take me to a desk in some random room, seriously this far under Konoha it's like an ant colony nest crossed with a maze in here, and I got to work, specifically creating a contract that Danzo and all of his forces would be required to sign and disperse silently.
Roughly an hour later, I coughed aloud and Danzo arrived, silently signing his copy and taking the stack of papers with him.
'With this contract, all those who signed are bound for eternity, in life and in death, to the service of the one who wrote this original contract. All those who sign this contract are obligated to be utterly, silently, loyal above all else, and bound, to the one who wrote the original contract, without being able to recall why or what caused the loyalty. All those who sign the contract will behave and act identically as before writing the contract with the exception of not being capable of harming, killing, stopping, or damaging anything or anyone else that has signed the contract or is otherwise bound to the original contract writer in some manner, and they will be incapable of knowing why, explaining it away with some rational reasoning.
Those who signed this original contract will be required to make copies of this contract to be given to any they believe they can make sign the contract, whether it be willingly or unwillingly through the use of some subtle method such as using genjutsu to hide the contents of the contract. All copies will be considered a part of the original contract, binding those who signed those copies to be considered signees to the original contract and utterly loyal/happily bound to the original contract writer directly. All other contracts signed by the signees, if written by the original contract writer, are still in effect so long as it doesn't expose the original contract writer in any fashion, or inhibits the original contract writer in any way.
All those who sign the original contract, and the copies of the original contract as written above, will be unable to share the knowledge of anything within the contract, nor the existence of the contract itself, in any fashion, whether it be verbal, written, memory, or otherwise, aside from the permission of the original contract writer himself. All orders from the original contract writer, be they given verbally or through some other methods, are considered absolute, and will be followed to the spirit of the order given, even superseding the contract itself if required. All who sign this original contract will subtly help one another without being asked or ordered, and will be fully believing it to be of their own free will, unless it would endanger the signee of acting or behaving against their normal behavior or thought process, and all who sign this contract will be unable to recall any information that could endanger the original contract writer, or the original contract writer's nation of origin and all within that nation of origin, if under interrogation or being probed mentally/socially in any way by others.'
[Danzo. Signed and Sealed Capture. 54.
Fu Yamanaka. Signed and Sealed Capture. 28.
Torune Aburame. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Sai. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.]
I didn't expect to get Sai, but I suppose he was either deeper in Root or he was in training for Root. Either way, it was annoying to realize that Root truly didn't have a lot of Named Characters, and so there weren't a lot of shinobi worth points. Perhaps I'd get lucky with Danzo visiting Kabuto, since I believe he was still here pretending to be a genin/medic in training, but the odds of them forcing Kabuto to sign, sounds unlikely.
The fact that I now had Danzo fully under my control, and Root as well, was a fairly heady feeling. I wouldn't need to worry about Danzo messing with Naruko anymore. In fact, Orochimaru was about to get a rude awakening if he stopped by Konoha. I didn't recall when Orochimaru visited Danzo, but I knew it was prior to the invasion, as Root shinobi hadn't moved to protect Konoha as they should have. At least, from what I recalled from the show.
I yawned. Not bad, and it's still before noon.
Reaching for Danzo's mind through the dreamscape, I ordered Danzo to remove Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, as well as the arm made out of Hashirama Cells/Sharingan if Orochimaru had given them to him yet. Afterwards, he'd give me the eye in a preservation jar, and the arm. A few hours later, he'd send a Root Shinobi to pay a visit to Yakumo Kurama, informing her that she can be a shinobi if she signs the contract, and that she'd be given further training in genjutsu. Then he could use Body Tune-Up to restore his missing eye and limb.
By the end of today, I should have Naruko being at home for dinner along with my parents, and I'll have an extremely powerful, if not yet trained, Yakumo Kurama in my forces. With some training, I'd give her Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, because who better to give a powerful tool for genjutsu than a Genjutsu Mistress of her caliber? With 5 Credits, I could even make Yakumo an Uchiha, and allow her to utilize the Sharingan as if she had been born with it alongside her Kurama bloodline. Itsuki Uchiha would be in for a rude awakening as this 'plain girl' took her precious Tsukuyomi and bent it to her will with barely more than a thought.
Gojo Satoru wanted to uplift the next generation to change the Jujutsu Kaisen World. Why couldn't I do the same here, and change the shinobi world?
"Among the heavens and the earth, I alone am the Honored One. Time to shake things up in this hellhole, and make it interesting."
Chapter 3
So, unfortunate news.
My Companion Shikamaru got sold off without my consent, due to the lawyers successfully arguing that having a duplicate of myself at Chargen wasn't accurate to the 'spirit' of the Waifu Catalog.
I did end up getting the 20 credits I'd spent, but I was far less pleased when I ended up losing out on the better deal of having a copy of myself to help me in my adventures.
With a Root shinobi, it was easy to leave the headquarters as they guided me to the surface of Konoha. Danzo was still eager to take me on as an apprentice, but now it was an actual apprenticeship rather than the 'slowly brainwash me to his side forever using Kotoamatsukami' thing he'd had going before.
So once or twice a week, Danzo and I would spend the afternoon officially training. I was actually curious on what Danzo would teach, since he was actually required to teach me now. Hopefully some of his unique Wind Style and his Fuinjutsu.
Sayuri hadn't signed the contract, I noted with some amusement at the torn up paper that I could see from miles away. I wasn't worried. Sayuri was already Stamped. It would take another 2 days for it to take effect.
In truth, I was honest on helping Sayuri unlock her Sharingan, since once she was Stamped, she'd have the same Defenses as the rest of my retinue.
Which included Stress Defense II. The odds of Sayuri unlocking her Sharingan after that were practically zero, unless I bought Toggle for her just to remove the Stress Defense II from her defenses without removing it for the rest of us.
As it was, I was especially excited for Yakumo. Ido's interference was low in this encounter, as Ido was all about impulses, and this shortcut to being a shinobi? Absolutely an impulse. She and Yakumo both would sign it.
Which made me wonder, if Ido would count as a separate Capture or not. Probably not. Under Company policy, Ido would be a Familiar.
[Paradox Defense II: -100.
28 Credits Remaining.]
Initially, I was considering holding off on buying more Defenses, especially this early in Naruto, but Paradox Defense caught my interest, since it also 'blocked all forced unwanted teleportation, whether that involves sending you elsewhere, or sending something into your current position.' So not only was I immune to Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan shenanigans, last I remembered was that he had some form of short time manipulation ability for his Mangekyo, but Obito's Kamui as well.
Pay 100 Credits to not get teleported into an empty dimension or turned into chunky salsa? Yeah, that made sense in my eyes. It was an investment.
The fact that it also extended to my retinue meant I didn't have to worry about Naruko being kidnapped by Obito. I wasn't even sure why he hadn't done so earlier: it wasn't like the dude hadn't just been chilling out making Kirigakure a fucking nightmare. A lot of people might argue that Itsuki threatened Obito to leave Konoha alone, but that didn't make a lot of sense, since that would leave Naruko pretty much ripe for the picking.
Why did the Akatsuki go after Naruto in the original timeline? It's not like they could've sealed Kurama first. They had to go in order, from Ichibi up. Meh, Kishimoto shenanigans. That and Itsuki was likely trying to subtly warn Konoha and Jiraiya of the Akatsuki's existence.
Oh hey, it looks like Might Guy's Team is back in town.
Inspiration struck, and my face widened into a vicious grin as I began to laugh. "hehehe…. HAHAHAHAHA!! Yes! That's it! Oh, this world, this big, beautiful, world, you just keep giving me more and more ideas!"
The civilians looked unnerved by my maniacal laughing.
"YES!! Be inspired by this beautiful world and the fountain of YOUTH!! Rock Lee! Laugh with me and my youthful friend! HAHAHAHA!!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Why are we laughing? HAHAHAHA!!"
"Kill me now." Tenten groaned in the background.
"Only if you kill me at the same time. Their idiocy is giving me a migraine." Neji grumbled quietly, barely audible.
I raised a thumbs up to Might Guy and his team. "You, all of you, are incredibly awesome! Keep training, and keep being youthful! In fact, I want to help you all! Guy, Lee, Neji, Tenten, I want to form a Contract! A Contract, of YOUTH! A promise from one Leaf shinobi to another, that we will always strive to be our best, unhindered by life's many storms, only to grow stronger from the winds of those storms to fan our flames of youth to even GREATER HEIGHTS!"
"YES! We will all sign! For Youth is Eternal!!" Guy roared in approval as I handed all of them contracts within an instant.
Guy and Rock Lee signed almost immediately, so fired up that they didn't even read the contract. Tenten glared at me and Neji looked like he wanted to strangle me, but both signed anyway, with Neji muttering. "Just get them to shut up, and leave us alone."
[Might Guy. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Rock Lee. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Tenten. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Neji. Signed and Sealed Capture. 22.]
The first one to notice something was different was Neji, who froze for several moments. His hands immediately reached for his Konoha headband, removing it within a second, and brushed his hands over his clearly unmarked forehead. Neji's eyes widened in shock, as he then activated his Byakugan, the veins on his head bulging around his eyes. "It's… gone. The Caged Bird Seal is gone." He muttered in shock. Rock Lee and Might Guy whipped around to stare at Neji, and Tenten looked stunned.
[Possession Defense II] at work.
"You've weathered enough storms from Fate, Neji. No one must know or suspect otherwise. I'm sure you can understand why." I said simply.
Neji immediately tied his headband back on, frowning. "The Hyuga Clan will eventually find out. The Byakugan isn't limited simply by cloth and metal." He said quietly, apprehension and some fear in his voice.
I smiled coldly. "No, they won't. Part of the Contract is a subtle Genjutsu of my own design. They will see what they want to see, unless you physically show them otherwise, by taking off your headband right in front of them, because the Genjutsu doesn't try to create false images, but instead creates a form of normality. They expect you to have the Caged Bird Seal on you, and thus, to them, you will have one on you."
Team Guy stared at me. "Such a genjutsu, would be absolutely terrifying in the hands of an enemy. I am thankful it is in the hands of a comrade. Thank you for saving Neji from the Hyuga Clan, and from himself. I will do anything to repay you." Might Guy said seriously, looking at me with absolute conviction.
"I will need to consider your offer, I will say this: I would do it for any Konoha shinobi. It's not in me to allow suffering so needlessly when I can help it." I said quietly. Might Guy nodded and the team left, to where-ever they were going before.
[Yamato(Tenzo). Signed and Sealed Capture. 42.
Kabuto Yakushi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 32.]
I immediately searched through the dreamscape, finding Kabuto Yakushi's mind and ordering him to tell me how he signed on.
Kabuto: I am used to signing off on patient charts and permission forms since I am/was pretending to be a medic in training. A simple Genjutsu had me read something as something else. How infuriatingly embarrassing.
Then I searched for Yamato's mind and ordered the same.
Yamato: I signed it mainly because Danzo was adamant that it would help me with my Mokuton reaching greater heights, as he had disguised it as a Scroll. As Danzo had been the one to give me the few scrolls on Mokuton we had in the first place, I hadn't considered it any more than just a Security Scroll, designed to release it's contents to whoever matched the blood and signature of it's intended recipient.
With Kabuto, I had an 'in' into the operations of Orochimaru, and technically through Sasori, though odds were that Orochimaru had already subverted the mental seal Sasori placed on his victims/unsuspecting spy network. This would work beautifully as I could now use Kabuto to disperse copies of the Contract through the Sound since it was still six months through the invasion. In particular, the advantages of the Sound Five, with a fully restored Kimimaro, I had my own taskforce that could now disperse Contracts outside of Konoha while I was still operating within Konoha's borders, as far as anyone else was aware of.
Time to implement my new plan into motion.
Reaching into Danzo's mind, I commanded a new order.
Allow Kabuto to give whatever spy information he needs to Orochimaru during these six months to the Chunin Exams.
Summon me when Orochimaru visits you, and pretend to agree to allow the Sound and Sand to invade the village. The Snake Sannin will fold, especially when I can offer a deal that none can ever give him other than myself. Immortality, and the Rinnegan.
In the mean time, send a Root Shinobi to go bring Kurenai Yuhi into the fold using a Contract, and inform her that I can give her the edge she needs to make Genjutsu truly a terror to be spoken of in battle.
Send Fu Yamanaka out to seek out Tsunade of the Sannin, but do not approach her directly, or indirectly, and do not interact with her, merely keep an eye on her and Shizune, Dan's niece, from a distance. They may well be in one of the many casino locations within the Land of Fire.
When the time is right, I will seek out Tsunade myself to offer her a similar deal to Orochimaru. I reiterate: do not be noticed at any costs, and do not use genjutsu/ninjutsu to hide. It will not work on the Sannin, and Jiraiya will especially be ruthless if he appears to notice someone else tailing Tsunade if he's in the area.
Danzo: Your will be done, Honored One. One of the Root Shinobi is approaching Yakumo Kurama right now. I've removed Shisui's Mangekyo, but I have not yet obtained the arm made of the First Hokage's cells yet, though the ten Sharingan alongside the Mangekyo Sharingan of Fugaku Uchiha are still preserved if requested or needed.
I froze for a moment. Okay, I wasn't expecting Fugaku Uchiha to possess a Mangekyo Sharingan. I didn't even know what his Mangekyo was!
Danzo, what was Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan ability?
Danzo: I am not sure. There's no documentation of the abilities ever being used. His nickname of 'Wicked Eye Fugaku' indicates he was quite powerful, enough so that none ever realized he had a Mangekyo until after his death. I discovered it only because his Mangekyo Sharingan appeared when I channeled chakra into each pair of eyes to see if any had evolved during the Uchiha Massacre.
Interesting.
I shrugged, moving through the village as I decided to head back to the barbecue for lunch, especially as I wasn't exactly hurting for money. 10,000 dollars a month in Naruko's world is roughly on par of two or three C-ranks, so enough for a decent living, if not an opulent one.
As I sat down and ordered the barbecue, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a notification from the HUD.
[Yakumo Kurama. Signed and Sealed Capture. 22.]
To my annoyance, Added Potential: Uchiha, didn't work. It had to be given to someone born or entering a world they hadn't been to beforehand.
However, if Added Potential won't work, then Template Stacking will. Besides, Yakumo Kurama was filled with untapped potential, potential that the Third Hokage would end up throwing away.
[Template Stacking I and II:
Yakumo Kurama: Itachi Uchiha. -40.
Yakumo Kurama: Immutable Self. -10.
198 Credits Remaining.]
Not quite the Tier 6 of Itachi Uchiha, but it would still give Yakumo Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. I can then give her Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan to give her that upgrade to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in a few weeks to a few months, depending on how long it takes for her to fully adapt and master the Template Framework that comes with having a Template Tier higher than the Template Stacking upgrade. With Immutable Self, it would allow Yakumo the freedom from Ido without the cost of her genjutsu abilities, something absolutely wasted by the Third Hokage.
I dove into the dreamscape as the food arrived, absently eating as I let Yakumo know that I was the original contract writer, but not who I was by name.
Yakumo: Thank you. Ido's gone, and I have all this power. I feel almost invincible. This is incredible.
You're welcome. Now, I'm going to use a one-time ability to restore your body beyond the limitations of your genetic defects. Afterwards, I want you to use your genjutsu prowess to convince the Third Hokage to sign a certain document, identical to the one you signed. I'm sure you know how to do this, since you use painting as a medium for your jutsu.
Yakumo: Gladly.
I smiled slightly as I continued to enjoy my meal.
Yakumo's ability in conjunction with the power of Itachi Uchiha would be horrifying, but it was horrifying in my favor. While it wasn't true reality manipulation, it's effects couldn't be understated when she was able to cast a village wide genjutsu with nothing more than some minor planning, and that was without actual proper training!
With Itachi Uchiha's genjutsu prowess, and Itachi's immense fighting potential, he'd been able to keep up with a Naruto that had mastered his Kyubbi cloak, the same Naruto that was capable of outspeeding the Raikage, she'd be an absolute monster to face in a fight, if you could even find her to fight before she caught you in a genjutsu miles away.
I'd say I'm cheating, but let's get real. I'm a shinobi, it's part of the job. The fact that I'm consolidating my forces like this would just make my life so much easier in the long run.
[Educational Talent. -5. 193.
Martial Talent. -10. 183.
Psychic Talent. -20. 163.
Science Talent. -20. 143.
Talent Sharing: -70. 83
Educational Talent.
Martial Talent.
Covert Talent.
Communication Talent.
Soul Talent.
Psychic Talent.
Money Talent.
Soul Defense Rank II: -40. 23
Creature Defense Rank I: -0.
23 Credits Remaining.]
The various Talents and Talent Sharing was designed to facilitate the retinue training one another, in particular as I could bring my retinue into dreams, dreams that could then be molded into real time training with Yakumo's aid of her Genjutsu. If Yakumo could cast Tsukuyomi in the dreamscape, those three days in an instant could be lengthened to centuries, because we perceive time differently in a dream.
Stress Defense II would protect the minds going through extensive training and learning.
Soul Defense II should, in theory, help Yakumo handle the effects of using Tsukuyomi on so many at once, as the technique seemed to be incredibly exhausting not just on chakra but on the minds of those casting the technique.
Paradox Defense II should block the negative effects since it could be considered time shenanigans, but if not, Everlasting Talent would do the trick to avoid the effects of immense rapid aging.
As Educational Talent allows one to rapidly train others to master skills at a tiny fraction of the time it would otherwise, I was hopeful that a session or two would allow everyone to become exponentially stronger than they were now.
Which is why I was being so blatantly risky with having Yakumo trick the Third Hokage into signing my contract.
With the Third Hokage as part of my retinue, not only could I revitalize the Hokage back into his prime, but I could use his immense knowledge and mastery of the five Natures to rapidly advance my retinue even further and faster.
With the Third Hokage, also comes access and the ability to disseminate contracts to Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and others in Konoha's forces.
Alongside a certain scroll: the Forbidden Scroll. I was certain within that scroll was Edo Tensei.
At the sacrifice of some nameless Root shinobi, or some prisoners in Konoha's T , I could summon the dead to enter into my services.
The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, Shisui Uchiha, Sakumo Hatake, Kushina Uzumaki, perhaps even Mito Uzumaki, and others.
I doubted Madara Uchiha was so easily recoverable, but even so, it would be quite the list of people to add to my retinue.
A few sessions with those legends, and my retinue would have at least one version of the Flying Thunder God, and the potential to either recreate the Flying Thunder God Minato had, or even improve upon it for a new reiteration of our own.
The other 'great' villages wouldn't even try to attack Konoha at that point. The Akatsuki might even need to alter their plans, as the odds of succeeding would be exponentially low.
Not that it matters. By the time after the Chunin Exams is done, I'll have already won. Simply by selling Shukaku, there will be no Juubi. And Obito's Space-Time Jutsu is already useless against us.
Of course, I didn't plan on having all the dead wander about in public so blatantly. No, no. They'd be a part of Root, wearing disguises and masks to hide themselves from the public. That way they can operate from the shadows, and I can avoid the drama of the other four villages complaining about how fucked up and overpowered Konoha was.
Bah, like they wouldn't have already done the same thing if they had the chance.
I have bigger plans for this place than simply an enactment of why Konoha is the top shinobi village in the world for a reason.
No, I wanted to make shinobi obsolete. I wanted to make it all but pointless to become a shinobi, and to break this system, you hit them where it hurts.
The nobles. The daimyos. They were the ones who profited from this system, even back when the Clans were little more than squabbling families against each other, it was the nobles and daimyo who hired them to do their dirty work.
Yeah, it's not a completely new idea.
Pain's idea of using the country destroying jutsu to force the shinobi world to stop fighting lest they end humanity and themselves was just the reenactment of the Cold War in my old world.
The difference is that Pain was solely focused on stopping shinobi from killing each other, where as mine would deprive them of the fuel and materials needed to wage war in the first place.
No nobles? No money. No money? No funding for the shinobi villages. No funding? Can't afford to train future shinobi. There's a reason Suna has the smallest and the weakest shinobi force by far aside for the rare ones like Chiyo and Pakura.
Sure, the shinobi could try and take the money by force, but when all the daimyo are being guarded or watched over by retinue and my forces?
They'd be slaughtered.
Then the real work begins.
See, Hashirama never replaced the core mechanics of the system he wanted to change, and because of that, it simply adapted and chugged along like before.
He united some Clans into a village, but other Clans got nervous and united into villages to counter his village.
The daimyo/nobles didn't care, in fact, they benefited: now they could hire groups of people with different specialties, instead of one Clan or two at a time. The nobles of this Era are way richer than the ones of the Warring Clans Era.
No. You need to change how the underlying system operates, the mechanics of the game must change.
Without the nobles, the villages of this world would starve, but I wouldn't allow them to cannibalize each other either.
I would be increasing trade and goods between the nations using the resources they had available to them.
Wars are bad for trade, and so they would be reluctant to give up their newfound wealth and products.
Capturing each countries government with contracts would make that infinitely easier in the long run.
Yakumo Kurama, the filler girl who was wasted by the Third Hokage, was the key, the linchpin, to my plans. Area wide genjutsu through painting, and genjutsu so realistic that the people, civilians and shinobi, considered it real? How could I not?
Yakumo. Lee. Naruko. Genjutsu. Taijutsu. Ninjutsu. How utterly wasted you all have been.
Yakumo, you should've shined as an example of why you look underneath the underneath. A frail looking girl entering the Chunin Exams only to turn the Forest of Death into a bloodbath.
Lee, you were wasted. You alone would have bodied the Six Paths of Pain.
Naruko. Oh, Naruko. The infinite chakra monster, endless stamina, and what did they reduce you to? A Shadow Clone and Rasengan/Rasenshuriken Spammer. You should have been creating tornados, turned the air into a billion invisible blades, cleared the skies alone with your power, taken Deidara and turned him into pulp when he got into the air.
But I am here now, and this world will never be the same ever again.
I finished eating my meal with a sigh of contentment as I paid the bill.
Now if only it'd be that easy for the social stuff. I should probably check on Naruko in person and see how she's handling it.
What the fuck do I wear?! I can't wear the orange jumpsuit when I meet his parents! I don't have anything else though! Oh Kami, I'm meeting his parents! I can't afford a housewarming gift! What do I say? What if they hate me? AAAA-.
Yeah, I'm definitely checking on Naruko before the dinner.
Chapter 4
A lot of people fail to understand that buying the Talents doesn't mean you're automatically at the best of those with that particular skill, it worked as an experience multiplier and amplifier. It was also why Naruko was currently losing her mind out of terror of fucking up her first official date, well, if it could be called an official first date when said first date was also meeting the parents of the person you were dating for dinner.
As amusing as it was, a part of me also felt really sad for her, since a lot of the major subconscious stress from this was because she was so utterly convinced that this was her 'make it or break it' moment. The idea of first impressions being absolutely everything, likely stemmed from the fact that everyone around her judged her for her Jinchurriki status, or her pranks, or her clothes. They didn't see Naruko, they just saw an annoyance, a nuisance, a loser, an orphan, and a bad omen, all rolled in one.
Which is why I knew that it didn't matter how often I told her that my mom was already excited to meet her, that my parents wouldn't judge her for circumstances outside of her control, because Naruko had no reference for that. Everything she knows in her life was based on how everyone around her treated her, and that meant she just couldn't process the idea that not everyone else was like the civilians and the occasional resentful shinobi. She just couldn't process that someone, anyone, would try to actually see her without her trying to force them to acknowledge her in some way first.
In a way, Naruko, like Naruto, was a broken person. While outwardly boisterous, always seeming to be unaffected by the circumstances of her birth and those who treated her like garbage, in reality, her psyche was an absolute mess. She clung to the dream of being Hokage like a lifeline, because it was one. It was the only lifeline she had where she actually saw everyone else actually give acknowledgement and respect to someone else without back-talking them or deciding they weren't worth their time. To Naruko, being Hokage was the only way she'd ever feel like she was accepted by the village populace.
Whether or not that was true, didn't matter, because that's how fucked up Naruko's mindset was. Her mind was absolutely holding itself together using duck tape and ramen, desperately trying to form some normalcy and stability and companionship with something, anything. Trying to bind to anyone willing to give her the slightest bit of positive attention. Textbook child neglect, emotional and mental abuse.
In a way, if the Kyubbi had patiently explained to Naruko what had happened the night of her birth, that he held no grudge against her because they were in reality both prisoners inside a village that both wanted to use them when convenient and throw them away when it wasn't, and that what he wanted was just to be free, to be able to stretch his legs and visit the siblings he hadn't seen in centuries, Naruko would've torn off the seal herself in seconds. Had he actually showed an ounce of actually wanting to leave, an ounce of actual cunning that all Foxes were supposed to portray, he would've freed himself. Well, until Minato showed up. Not that he knew that.
Because Naruko wasn't inherently selfless. She had her moments of selfishness. No, Naruko's selflessness stemmed from her insecurity and belief that if she wasn't being there helping all her friends, trying her hardest to be the rock for someone else, than she was worthless. Naruko's selflessness stemmed from her belief that she was nothing on her own.
It was why Naruto would go on to do everything to bring Sasuke back. Not because he understood Sasuke, he truly didn't, there was a chasm of misunderstandings there between the two, but because he desperately wanted to be the hero who kept his promises, who saw Sasuke's absence as the reason for everyone being so torn up inside and not the fact that Sasuke had betrayed them. Obito's latter attempts to try and bring Naruto over to his side failed, not because of the fact that Obito's viewpoint was wrong, though it is wrong for a variety of reasons, but because Naruto couldn't understand Obito at all.
Where Obito mistook the forests, and the grasslands, and the planet, for the trees, Naruto was so hyperfocused on one tree with a dying leaf alone that he only could understand the one tree, and believed that all the other trees would be 'saved' if he kept that one leaf from dying. Naruto's mindset was so fixed on one thing that he couldn't truly learn to see the bigger picture, because to him, the bigger picture just didn't matter to him at all.
Naruko was less a person right now than she was the cobbled together traits of what she thought was needed to achieve her goals. In a way, she was very much like Sasuke after the death of Itachi this early on in her character arc, an empty canvas that was malleable to whoever could paint the right colors at the right moment, a whisper of the right things to say to nudge her in a direction they wanted.
The problem was that I refused to paint that canvas. I wanted Naruko to have the moment she never got to have in canon, to be able to choose and decide for herself how she wants to grow, what she wants to do. Letting her figure out her clothes for the 'date', really it's more of an informal dinner so that way my parents could actually see her for themselves rather than the rumors that neither of them actually believed in, was one of the first steps on that road.
And, if Naruko decided that the village was in the wrong, if she decided she wanted to force the higher ups to address her grievances, I wouldn't stop her. Sayuri would no doubt want her pound of flesh from Danzo, and I wouldn't deny it of her. It was easy to give them what they wanted when what they wanted was fairly simple compared to the bigger headaches I was dealing with, like the destruction of the daimyo/shinobi system. That and the higher ups truly had a lot to answer for that they sidestepped in canon.
Like the Third Hokage effectively abandoning Naruko to figuring out how rent and food worked at age 6, while barely giving her the money to make ends meet. Like the Fourth Hokage, who knowingly sealed the Kyubbi into Naruko out of some prophecy bullshit and the idea of the Leaf needing a Jinchurriki. Like, yes, Kushina Uzumaki letting her husband go along with the horrible fucking plan by creating the chakra barrier to keep out the Third Hokage and the rest while letting Minato do his thing. When the right thing to do would have been to repress the Kyubbi and the Fourth Hokage until the Third got there in time to use the Reaper Death Seal to either reseal the Kyubbi back into Kushina, which would've allowed her to potentially survive, though the jury was out on that one, or split the Kyubbi in half like before, and seal half in Kushina and the other half in Naruko, thereby ensuring either way they would either have two Jinchurriki or one with a powerful parent that could at least stand up for Naruko against the village's biased idiots!
Oh yes, I wasn't in a forgiving mood, not even to her parents, because they abandoned her to her fate, because of some god damn words out of a fucking Toad's mouth.
I took a deep breath, calming down as my hands clenched, the table and the kitchen shaking slightly as my own negative emotions poured briefly into the world around me through my Cursed Energy.
Naruko stared at me, looking worried. "You okay, Shika?" She asked with some worry and concern in her face.
I nodded slowly. "I will be. I'm just remembering some things that got me angry, nothing to do with you, so I needed to calm myself down." Naruko looked relieved, but still worried.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly. I snorted, smiling briefly.
"Nah, too much of a drag. So, why haven't you asked me to take you out shopping for a dress or something?" I asked in response, amused as Naruko's face flushed hard.
"I didn't want to make you spend money on me. It's embarrassing." Naruko's whisper was barely audible, but I heard it anyway. My smile turned into a leering grin, making Naruko's eyes narrow.
"What boyfriend doesn't enjoy having his girlfriend model for him? Dresses, bikinis, skirts, stockings, so many things to make my sexy as hell woman even sexier, how could I ever choose?" I spoke lowly, slowly looking her up and down, licking my lips in obvious enjoyment of the sight. Normally I'd be more subtle, but Naruko definitely didn't do subtle, so I was much more blatant.
To Naruko's credit, she didn't back down, her face flushing almost red hot as she looked away. "Pervert. Fine, you can take me to grab a dress for the dinner, as long as it's not too expensive." She grumbled. "I like that you look at me like that. It's hot, feeling wanted. Stupid, sexy, Shikamaru."
I had to withhold my cackling laughter. It appears I've caught myself a Tsundere.
[Hiruzen Sarutobi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.]
And a currently living Hokage.
On the outside, I was taking Naruko out to go grab a dress, smiling with amusement as she continued to half-heartedly protest and thank me in equal measure while trying to not freak out over how I wasn't outwardly giving a shit about the glares from the civilians looking at us.
On the inside, a very different event was happening.
The air was still, and the entire world felt frozen in time, as if holding it's breath. The sun was gone, and the stars never came. The moon was there, but it's soft light never touched the surface. The people were all gone, as if sucked out of existence in an instance. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if something was very wrong, as if reality was now contorting in on itself. He hadn't felt like this since the initial Contract with the Shinigami.
"Apologies for interrupting your lunch, old man. However, we have a lot to talk about, and some things for you to clarify for me." His gaze was drawn from the frozen world to the man that sat across from his desk. Except, he wasn't in his desk. He was sitting across from his desk, and the man in the desk was the True Hokage, the Leader of All That Never Was.
Gojo Satoru, the Honored One, the Fate Breaker, The One Who Defied Heaven. Whose blue eyes seemed uninfluenced by the events of the frozen world, pinning him down as he gave a small cold grin.
"Explain to me why someone who proclaims himself to be Hokage, decides to abandon one of his own, against the wishes of their parents. Explain to me why you pretended to be friendly with Naruko, and yet abandon her to the tender mercies of your village. And make no mistake, if I don't like what I hear, there won't be an afterlife for you. I will ensure you never see your reality's wife, ever again."
For a brief moment, Gojo Satoru had shed his skin, and Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to scream in terror at the Thing He Could Not Unsee, the Thing That Should Not Be, and felt his soul briefly try to flee his body in an attempt to die rather than remain here for one moment longer, only for the Otherness to easily reach out and forcefully tie his soul into his body, unable to escape, unable to flee.
"I believe part of the Contract was 'in life and in death'. Even the Shinigami cannot free you from my grasp. Now, start talking."
Chapter 5
"I never wanted to do that, but I had no choice. Konoha was on the brink of war. The death of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki had caused a chain reaction, and the other nations' spies had been able to get their hands on information that leaked from Konoha's higher operations. They knew someone was now the Jinchurriki of the Kyubbi, so I created a 'false' trail as far as anyone knew. By announcing that Naruko was the Jinchurriki, the other villages weren't sure if that was an actual truth or a lie. It bought us precious time. Time that I used to allow Danzo to send out Root Shinobi to have the villages turn on each other. Iwagakure was fed information on the weak borders of Kirigakure. Sunagakure was fed information on potential weaknesses on the various A-class Shinobi in Kumogakure."
"I had hoped that the civilians and the village would eventually recognize Naruko as her own person, and had hoped that my shinobi would help them connect the dots on how Naruko's yellow hair and her last name Uzumaki would allow them to slowly learn about Naruko's parentage naturally. Minato Namikaze was very much respected and adored by both the civilians and the shinobi, a Clanless Orphan that had rose to the top using Fuinjutsu that the world had not seen since the Second Hokage."
Hiruzen scowled, his own bitterness and rage against his own village now out in the open.
"I was wrong. The civilians never fucking opened their eyes. My shinobi closed their eyes to the obvious and buried their heads in the sand on how Naruko was being treated. As far as they were concerned, Naruko wasn't a Hero. She was a Bad Omen. A representation of Konoha's Downfall from grace. Worse, they had grown arrogant and failed to keep an eye on internal security, to the point that the Hyuga Clan had nearly caused a war in and of themselves with the events of the Kumogakure Treaty. The diplomat should've been caught and tortured into a confession, not summarily executed. Without any evidence, I was forced to give Kumogakure some semblance of what they wanted, and caused Konoha to look weak on the international stage because, even now, we still haven't recovered from what we lost."
"I left Naruko alone in the apartment, but I had ANBU guards on watch around her 24/7. I couldn't make them like her, but I wouldn't allow them to abuse her physically either. I had given up hope on the adults, but I had made it a Law to not speak of the Kyubbi to Naruko nor anyone else her age. I wanted her to have a chance with those of her peers, those of her age. Once again, I was wrong. The parents whispered and ostracized Naruko so thoroughly that the children copied the parents even without knowing why. The money I gave her should have been more than enough, but the civilians started price-gouging her. I was horrified when I had found out several years later that most of her inheritance, which should've lasted several times over her lifetime, was almost gone. Because of them."
The desk exploded apart as Hiruzen roared in absolute fury, a sharp strong blow from his hands blasting the wood apart only for it to vanish rather than having the wood chunks flying everywhere.
"If I wasn't Hokage, I would've taken Naruko from Konoha myself. If I wasn't so focused on ensuring Naruko at least had a physically safe childhood, there would be no Konoha civilians alive. I would've butchered them all. Every. Single. One. When Naruko looked terrified and shaking like a leaf, pale and whimpering, because the Uchiha Clan had taken to abusing their roles as the police of the village to try and 'toughen' her up, using subtle Genjutsu from the Sharingan, I stepped in."
A dark gleam of sadistic joy and a cold smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"I killed the police force the night of the Massacre. I killed them all, torturing them as I tore out their eyes one by one. I gave them the eyes of old Konoha shinobi, regular eyes that held no Dojutsu, because I wanted their last living moments to be filled with absolute suffering and horror at how I defiled them, at how I made them feel helpless and terrified, just like how they had made Naruko feel. I wanted their last things they ever saw was my hands and my wrath. The main police force never stood a chance."
"I confiscated back Naruko's inheritance from the civilians, and those shops never opened again, because they weren't alive to open them again. When Kumogakure threatened war several years later after the Hyuga Diplomat Affair, I had Danzo pretend to be me for a few weeks, and I left my office. Those weeks were some of the best weeks I've had in years, slaughtering and butchering every Kumogakure shinobi I came across, and I entered Kumogakure to deliver my response in person."
The cold smile widened.
"I told A that if he didn't back down, I would use the Forbidden Jutsu to bring back the Third Raikage and have him slaughter everyone in Kumo. Every. Last. One. I told him with a smile on my face that I'd remove Orochimaru's Missing Shinobi status, and tell her that she would be more than welcome to do all the experiments and test subjects she could ever want, in Kumogakure. After all, when your surrounded by mountains, it makes the best prisons as well as defense posts."
The cold smile disappeared, a sigh of exhaustion escaping him.
"You have every right to judge me for failing Naruko. I did, I absolutely failed her in all the things that mattered. But never doubt that I didn't care for her. I am a terrible Hokage. I am a terrible one because I never wanted to be Hokage, something that Danzo, to this day, doesn't understand. I'm Hokage because my sensei chose to die and let us live. I'm Hokage because I volunteered to sacrifice my life, because I would rather die than return to a village with the loss of my team, whom I considered my real family because my actual family was full of self-obsessed idiots with delusions of grandeur, with the exception of my father. I'm Hokage, because back then, we didn't have any other options. I'm Hokage, so I can let Naruko live long enough that when she's strong enough, I can let her decide the fate of this fucking disgrace of a village."
Hiruzen gave a dark chuckle, raising his arms in a 'what can you do' gesture. "I am not Hashirama. I am not Tobirama-sensei. I could never put my love for the village over the love of the individual people in it that I cared about more. Orochimaru took advantage of that. Danzo took advantage of that. And yet, despite that, Konoha has survived two out of the three Shinobi Wars. Not bad for a guy who never wanted to be Hokage. You can send me to hell now."
Gojo Satoru shook his head, a frown on his face. "No. I won't do that. You've had to make some tough choices, and frankly I don't agree with a lot of the 'public' decisions you've made, especially in regards to having everyone think they can get away with things, even if you make them pay for it later in private. However, I am going to clean up your mess, and you'll be a Hokage in name only, as I've already turned Danzo into one of mine. This village has some serious cracks in it's infrastructure, and I plan on shaking things up."
"How?"
A wide smile crossed the Honored One's face. "Watch and learn, old man, watch and learn. This world will never be the same once I'm done with it. Now, you can go back to finishing your lunch."
Naruko wanted to disappear. She wished she could vanish into the ground or just be invisible. Anything else was better than this.
"What's wrong? You look gorgeous!" Shikamaru's chipper voice was not helping, at all!
"Stop! I feel ridiculous! I feel so exposed!" She complained. The dress was nice, but it was still way too expensive, and Shikamaru had 'accidentally' tore up her jumpsuit when she had asked for him to give it back so she could get dressed and not pay for the dress. It felt so soft, and comfortable, and it even had pockets! But it was still so expensive and she felt like it showed too much of her skin, her shoulders exposed.
Okay, so maybe she was overreacting, but she didn't like wearing this out in public! The civilians' glares made her very uncomfortable even when she was wearing something as practical as her jumpsuit. Let alone in a dress without her kunai and shuriken pouches.
"You're fine, Naruko. Besides, my parents will be especially pleased that you went out of the way to look good for them. It shows you care about what my family thinks, even if they won't judge for things you can't control. It's the emotional investment of the thing that matters." Shikamaru said confidently, and Naruko wanted to just punch him and hug him at the same time. The butterflies in her stomach weren't helping with that either!
"Of course I care about them! I want to make a good impression!" She was never, ever, going to admit out loud that she was scared to death his parents would tell him to never bring her over or that they weren't allowed to date each other. The idea of Shikamaru standing up for her against his family made her feeling all warm and tingly inside only to turn ice cold at the devastated look on Shikamaru's face as they strip him of the Nara name and inheritance because of her. The very thought made her chest hurt so much that she wanted to cry. She couldn't do that to him! She wouldn't!
"You'll see. The fact that I actually went shopping with you will probably make mom jealous as hell. Watch." Shikamaru promised, and Naruko felt her head spin.
Does Shikamaru do anything at home other than cloud watching, shogi, and sleeping? Why is he doing all this for me? I'm not that special.
"You are absolutely that special, and I'm doing this because making you happy, and flustered, I love that blushed face you get when you get flustered by the way, makes me happy. That's all there is to it." Shikamaru had turned around and held her in his arms, making her squeak as his eyes seemed to pin her down as she couldn't look away or do much more than squirm because she must've said the last part out loud by accident.
Her face felt like it was on fire, and she was hugging him as he hugged her against his chest, and why the fuck did he get to be so tall, that wasn't fair, and she didn't know what she was thinking anymore. Because Shikamaru was kissing her gently and, she moaned at the light kiss that made her want more only for him to step back and wink at her as, yep, her face felt like it was even more on fire as she pouted at him.
"Stupid, sexy, bastard." She grumbled as they continued on back to her apartment so she could get changed, and…
Wait, this was the wrong way to her apartment!
"Where are we going?! The apartment is that way!" She gestured with confusion and a slowly growing pit of terror in her stomach that swallowed up the butterflies as Shikamaru's soft smile took on a vicious grin.
"You didn't think you wouldn't be heading over to my place early, didn't you? I mean, since you insisted I couldn't buy you a housewarming gift for us at home, I figured us stopping by early and you chatting for a couple hours with my mom would be a nice sort of housewarming gift of it's own, no?"
Mean Shikamaru! Evil Shikamaru! Betrayer of girlfriends!
She inwardly cried out in terror as they arrived at a house with the Nara Clan symbol next to a fenced area filled with forests and a 'Warning: Deer.' sign on the fence.
Chapter 6
My mom had immediately gushed about how pretty Naruko's dress looked when she saw her, and Naruko's pale face flushed as she muttered. "Thank you, Mrs. Nara." Mom laughed for a brief moment, shaking her head.
"Anyone who can get my Shikamaru actually cook for them without being asked is automatically family. You can just call me mom or Yoshino if you feel uncomfortable with that." Naruko looked absolutely floored, and I could almost see the gears in her mind grind to a halt at the inability to input such a request.
"Mom, you go ahead and mingle with Naruko, I know you'll have dozens of questions for her, and Naruko, just be yourself, it's okay. We don't judge here." I said simply, breaking the ice as Naruko looked at me, her face flushing as she nodded, floundering as she really didn't know or what to say in this social situation. Mom's eyes softened as she saw how uncomfortable and lost Naruko looked, gave me a subtle nod before her face turned into a scowl.
"Shikamaru, you forgot to feed the deer again. Please go ahead and take care of that while Naruko and I chat."
I sighed, leaving with a slight smile on my face as Naruko looked terrified of being left alone with my mom as I shrugged. "Chores are such a drag."
Exiting the back, I easily entered the forest and sighed, taking in the smell of the forest.
I had already fed the deer. Mom just wanted to help Naruko get comfortable first, and I appreciated that.
My eyes narrowed.
Well, hello there, Zetsu.
The plant-man was evidently within Konoha, using the Mayfly jutsu to travel through the forests and trees unhindered to spy on the village.
Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.
My grin darkened as I clasped my hands together.
The Zetsu froze as I appeared in front of them. "Good afternoon, Mr… Ms? Plant entity thing." I said politely with a smile.
"Who are you and what do you want?" The Black Zetsu spoke, cautious and wary.
"No, no, my good plant-man thing! It's what I can do for you!" I said cheerfully. "After all, I may or may not know of an alternate way to bring your mother back to life without having to wrestle the hassle of the nine bijuu." I commented lightly.
"You lie."
"Well, sort of true. You can't bring back the dead, but what isn't truly alive, cannot die. Isn't that right Black Zetsu? After all, you have no corporeal form aside from the one you latch onto. It'd a shame if I somehow made your efforts meaningless by erasing the Shukaku from existence now wouldn't it?" I smiled coldly.
The Zetsu froze. The White one spoke up now. "That's impossible, no one can kill a bijuu." He said aloud, pointing his finger at me.
"The idiot is correct, you cannot kill a Bijuu." The Black one commented lowly, his yellow eye staring at me coldly.
My smile widened.
"True, a regular human cannot kill a bijuu. However, I am not a regular human being either. I am a Jujutsu Sorcerer. See, we specialize in exterminating Cursed Spirits, beings made of negative emotions that can utilize negative energy. Ooh, and guess which beings have been collecting centuries of negative emotions and harboring grudges for humanity? That's right, you and the bijuu. Of course, you don't have to believe me." I trailed off, but my cold grin didn't fade.
"But can you take the risk? After all, if any of the nine bijuu are removed completely from play, then the Gedo Mezo cannot return into the Ten Tails, and then you can't bring back your mother."
"What do you want?" The Black Zetsu spoke lowly.
"A Contract. You both work for me, and I'll bring back your mother, in about five years. Not that you have a choice. I can always utterly erase you from existence. Unlike the shinobi, I am fully capable of removing you from existence. It wouldn't even be a moment's work." I shrugged.
"I don't trust you. However, neither of us can move fast enough to evade you, and you detected us through the Mayfly Jutsu despite us hiding our chakra. We will sign it."
A copy of the contract appeared in my hands as I handed it to them along with some paper. "Oh, and don't bother trying to have only the White one sign it. I'll know." I smiled coldly.
The black one froze, no doubt having considered such an idea, but was caught in the act. Not that it matters.
Two signatures later, and I smiled coldly.
[Black Zetsu. Signed and Sealed Capture. 44
Blessed Talent. -30. 97.
Land Talent. -30. 67.
Performance Talent. -10. 57.
Talent Sharing: -30. 27.
Land Talent.
Performance Talent.
Blessed Talent.
27 Credits Remaining.]
I had extra credits to spend. Land Talent, was for Sage Mode. Performance Talent was to boost any auditory genjutsu, and also cause I'm a sucker for music.
Blessed Talent was for future reasons I'll explain later.
"This power is utterly terrifying." Black Zetsu commented as I hummed, the dreamscape now absolutely filled with dozens, hundreds even, of new proto-minds. The White Zetsu all acted identically because they were effectively a hive mind, a single mind replicated over and over again.
A hive mind under my absolute control.
"Glad we have an understanding. Now, you'll both be my eyes in the shadows, and I have work that needs doing. White Zetsu, absorb some chakra from Yakumo Kurama. She's under my employment, and she will be expecting you. Black Zetsu, you'll be guiding the White Zetsu to different areas of the Elemental Nations. For now, you'll understand why once you've absorbed some of her chakra, and your first requisition target, is Obito Uchiha. Go."
The plant thing vanished into the ground and I clasped my hands, returning back to the Nara forests, smiling all the while as I whistled walking through the forest.
The shadows darkened and the forest became quiet, and I could feel the coldness of the air, the stillness of the forest. The Nara forests held more than simply deer, after all. Our first connections through the shadows hadn't been without an aiding hand.
"Welcome to the Nara Forest, little one. It's been some time." The figure landed on the ground in a crouch, the earth warping and shifting under it for several moments.
Long antlers that grew through the trees unhindered, pale skin warped, stretched thin, and sagging in others. The teeth of a deer given a vicious appearance, and the sunken empty holes where eyes once were.
"Good afternoon, Wendy." I said politely. The Wendigo gave a soft chuckling raspy laugh.
Yeah, I bought Blessed Talent for a reason. Namely: getting along with spirits and Goddesses. Eh, the ones I wanted to get along with, anyway.
"Good afternoon, Shikamaru Nara. Your soul has become much stronger since we last met. Did you wish to strengthen our Pact?"
The Nara Clan's first members were said to be fully capable of warping the shadows in ways we could only dream of now. The ability to kill others, strip them of their shadows, and turn them into silent thralls. The ability to turn even the sun into an endless darkness, changing what it meant between the light and the dark to empower ourselves for a time. Of course, this ability often came at the cost. Our laziness was inherently our nature, and our deeper understanding of the world around us was a part of the nature of shadows. The first Nara literally were unable to leave the forests, their souls bound to the forest, and had been fully capable of facing Hashirama Senju without any threats of his Wood Style.
After all, our forests were a part of us.
Hashirama Senju had formed a new Pact, allowing the Nara Clan to join Konoha by expanding our forests. We had almost the entirety of the Land of Fire as our new territory, and the first Pact weakened throughout the generations as the Nara Clan moved away from using the Wendigo as a source of our abilities once we learned to mimic some of its abilities using our chakra.
The Wendigo cannot be seen by those who have not made a Pact, or by those not descendants of the ones who made a Pact. The Wendigo had long since learned to passively absorb the chakra of those it has a Pact with, and so it no longer had the same starving urges of a natural Wendigo.
Amusingly, I took to calling her Wendy because just saying "Wendigo" was too long and such a drag. The Wendigo laughed, and took to the name, as the name truly didn't change what it was. Merely giving it a more humanoid identity.
Unlike most of the Clan, even my father, who never wandered this far into the Wendigo's territory, I often had no issues doing so. Even as just Shikamaru, the young teen had often enjoyed the Wendigo's company, even teaching them shogi.
After all, as far as Shikamaru was concerned, the worst the Wendigo could do was eat him, which was better than listening to his mother yell at him and make him do chores.
Wendy had a good long laugh at that one, curling in on themselves at the fact that Shikamaru had more fear from his mother than he had to from them.
Such was their bond, that the Wendigo had often given Shikamaru hints on how to fully expand the shadows, whispering ways to make the shadows of others an extension of his own.
"Not yet, Wendy. My soul is strengthened, but not my body. Not yet. Give me a couple years and I'll be more than ready. I wanted to ask your thoughts on my… Pact with Naruko." I worded carefully.
Wendy paused, it's empty gaze seemingly trying to peirce through me, before its mouth widened into a large open mouthed grin.
"The Pact empowers you both, but like any Pact, it empowers you further. The female longs to be owned, to be coveted, and you provide that. Likewise, you lacked purpose. Drive. It made you a weaker shadow, but no longer. Now the shadows of your soul threaten to envelop all worlds, and it is truly enthralling to watch. I have been more entertained in two days than I've been in the past thousand years. That you've bound the weak shadow that called itself Black Zetsu is even more entertaining."
The Wendigo's black tongue, its form barely held by shadow licked its teeth and face.
"When the time comes, when the weak shadow eagerly awaits the return of its creator, feed to me the weak shadow. It's agony, it's despair, it's loss, will be quite delicious. Do this, and I will fully empower you by joining your Pact in full, the same one you've given to the others. And, as incentive, I will briefly reveal to you the parts of myself that I've hidden from the Nara Clan. That few have ever seen with their eyes and lived."
The shadows darkened as the Wendigo's bones cracked, the skin turning purple and the world screamed in protest as a Concept of Reality tore its way fully into reality, it's presence forcing the universe to stand still. For even Time has an end.
The white long hair, and the wide grin held firmly the dagger in its mouth until a hand reached to remove the dagger from its mouth as it spoke. As she spoke.
"Be honored to gaze upon me, and hear my voice, Shikamaru Nara. Gojo Satoru. The Fallen One. The Honored One. He Who Is Broken Yet Whole. I am the Shinigami, the Goddess of Death, and the Patron of the Uzumaki Clan, as well as the Patron of the Nara Clan. You, and you alone, may call me Wendy. Oh, and no need to cut open my stomach to release the soul and a half I swallowed sixteen years ago. They will come to you, and you alone, when you call for them. As thanks for the entertainment."
"It's nice to meet you in person, Wendy." Don't look at her breasts, Nara, don't look at those legs, Nara. Don't look at those horns and imagine using them as handles, Nara.
"I'm amused that you are more concerned over my body that I specifically designed to entice you than you are that I am a Spectre of Death. As it is, I'm impressed your mind hasn't cracked like an egg. Truly astounding. I will be returning to my Wendigo form for now, as while you may be soul resistant and mentally immune, you are at risk of becoming a Wendigo in my presence for too long. You will not see me again until you've brought the weaker shadow to be devoured. Or if I'm in the mood for shogi. One or the other."
The world rapidly returned to color, and I was somewhat relieved that I still looked relatively human.
Well. Huh. New plan: fuck over Zetsu at the end of all of that. I mean, I was planning on doing so anyway, but hey, more incentives!
Chapter 7
Naruko wasn't sure how to feel about this.
Yoshino was amazing, don't get her wrong, but she was almost envious, maybe even jealous, of Shikamaru. For all his talks about how much she yelled at him to do his chores, his mother actually cared about him. Worried about him, asked him how his day went, fed him, even once upon a time bathed and dressed him. Something she absolutely got to see pictures of as Yoshino went on about what a cute and absolutely lazy baby he used to be, growing up into a lazy but determined young man, one who was torn between his nature to let things be and his nature to stand up for the things he thought was right.
How she envied this. A family. A home. No doubt she'd have been as annoyed as Shikamaru, hell, sometimes she was still annoyed when Yoshino reprimanded her on her language or on her table manners when she had given Naruko a snack earlier, but she knew deeply that this was what a family was, what a home was. A place where no matter how annoyed people got with each other, they worked things out and kept improving each other, helping each other when they were down, not judging them for the clothes they wore, or the insecurities they had.
Not judging them for the things they couldn't control, like their birth.
Naruko wanted to scream internally. She wanted to roar to the heavens why of all people she had been denied this, how unfair it all was. She wanted to cry, that huge gaping chasm of pain and hurt and loss that she had never felt before being so much more visceral with such a good example of what she could've had right in front of her.
All because her father was the Fourth Hokage. Because, of course, she could intuitively understand, why would the Fourth Hokage ask for someone else's child to go through this if he wasn't willing to give up his own for the same sacrifice? She knew, logically, that it had to be her. There was no other candidate, no other person who could've possibly held the burden on their own.
A part of her wondered if maybe her father's faith was misplaced, because she didn't know how much more of this she could take. Because she could almost feel her sense of self barely holding itself together when Shikamaru had knocked on her door.
She wondered, briefly, if she'd ever tell him that she had been seriously contemplating ending it all. After all, her grandfather, yes, the Third was absolutely her grandfather, even if not by blood, had told her that the Kyubbi would very likely die with her if the seal was intact, and that it was super important to not allow anyone to see the seal without him there, and that she used protection to ensure she couldn't get pregnant.
After 'The Talk', she'd been unable to look at her grandfather for several days. It just felt that mortifying.
She knew she healed fast, but it wasn't all powerful. It had limits. She healed fast, but it was days for the injuries that took others weeks, and she was fairly sure that she was still able to die of blood loss.
After finally getting on a Team, something that her grandfather had always likened to a family, with bonds tighter than anything, she had been so hopeful.
Her hopes got crushed. Nothing changed. Sayuri was as aloof as ever, and Sakura yet again treated her like garbage, and while Kakashi made sure to reprimand them both on treating Naruko as a comrade, all she got was a half-hearted apology and a glare from Sakura like it was her fault that she was constantly berating her for doing 'everything wrong'.
Naruko had decided that if no one in this world wanted her around, then she didn't want to be around either. While most would've contemplated leaving the village, all Naruko could think was how much more crushing it would be if she ever left Konoha's walls only to be treated the same way.
Freak. Monster. Loser. Failure.
While now she was unsure if her plan would've gone through, no doubt her grandfather would've had someone keep an eye on her for her physical well-being, she still felt a deep sense of shame on having considered ending her own life. After all, how many shinobi died in the missions for the village? How many parents never came home? How many sons? How could she selfishly throw her own life away when so many were never even given the choice, their lives cut short by the circumstances of the world they lived in?
Her thoughts broke out of her spiral, as she felt someone's hands gently brush across her cheek. "Naruko, you're crying. What's wrong?" Yoshino asked quietly, her eyes filled with concern and worry.
Naruko tried to hold her emotions together. She'd been pretending everything was okay for years, and she'd like to think she was very good at it.
All of that broke at the gentle touch of a mother's hand, a mother who saw that something was wrong, and Naruko's mask absolutely shattered.
She sobbed as she absolutely collapsed, pain, self-loathing, hatred, agony, festering for over a decade exploding out of her mouth as Naruko just fell apart, wondering why she felt so safe in someone else's arms that wasn't Shikamaru.
She knew she was talking, but she couldn't even control herself long enough to hear what she herself was saying because all she could feel was Yoshino's arms around her, and she knew she'd be mortified later on as she kept apologizing for ruining Yoshino's shirt in between sobs and rambles about how much everything sucked until Shikamaru came along and how scared she was that he'd wake up one day and leave her like everyone else did.
She felt so exhausted by the end of it that she hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep, desperately holding onto Yoshino like a lifeline as Shikamaru gently took her into his arms as she went to grab onto him like her life depended on it while Yoshino stood still, her face impassive as her own tears fell.
Except, Yoshino's tears were not of sorrow. They were of rage.
"Shikamaru. Please inform Naruko Uzumaki that she is no longer allowed to live in that Kami forsaken apartment, and that all of her stuff will be moved immediately into temporary housing with us until the Nara Clan builds a proper private dwelling for her, and likely yourself, as she is not allowed under any circumstances to be left alone. I am going to be speaking to your father as soon as he gets home about these changes, among others that may be needed."
Yoshino paused, her eyes darkening.
"Then, I'm going hunting. The Wendigo will be feeding quite well this year."
The shadows lengthened as Yoshino Nara's face contorted as the room seemed to shake slightly, the shadows collapsing over her form as if to swallow all light in the area before Yoshino left the room silently, her hand twitching as claws of shadows pooled out of her hands with each motion, as if imagining tearing out the throats of the one's who had crossed her path on a very bad day.
For a lot of civilians, it would be their last night in Konoha. For Yoshino, all she'd say was that she liked to go for a walk sometimes in the village at night.
Very enthusiastic walks. She had to stay in shape, after all.
Chapter 8
The dreamscape exists as a dimension of it's own accord, and thus, doesn't behold itself to the same laws of reality that govern the rest of the multiverse.
Naruko may have exhausted herself emotionally in the real world, but here, her dreams and her psyche was still absolutely conscious.
"So, yeah. Mom's absolutely livid after all the shit you've been through. You'll be living with us for a bit until a more permanent house on the property is built, and we'll be with you to provide social/mental/physical support as needed or wanted. And, no, this isn't anything to be embarrased about. All shinobi, of all ages, are required by law to be given help if needed, especially if there's a concern for the well-being for the shinobi in question from themselves and others."
Naruko looked ashamed, looking away from me. "I feel so weak, Shika, so pathetic." She whispered. She leaned back against my chest as I hugged her from behind.
"Don't be. In fact, it's actually not that unexpected. Very strong shinobi have struggled with their mental health before. Let me talk to you about a man named Sakumo Hatake. The White Fang."
Naruko's body stiffened in my arms. "Kakashi?" She muttered.
"Kakashi's father. A man said to be a rival to the three Sannin, three students raised by the Third Hokage himself that all became S-ranks in their own rights. A very important mission went south, and through circumstances not of his own making, Sakumo had to make a decision. His team mates lives, or the mission's success." Naruko gasped quietly.
"He chose his team. He failed the mission, but brought them back home alive." Naruko nodded.
"That's good, right? I mean, at least his fa-team will be okay."
"Naruko, the mission that went south was so critical that it's failure would create the Third Shinobi War. The populace of Konoha blamed him and ostracized him, so much so that his own team mates called him a disgrace for having the gall to choose them over the mission."
"No! That's an impossible choice to make! It's not fair!" Naruko said in dismay, horror in her voice.
"Sakumo Hatake took his own life, and from the age of… I'd say 6, Kakashi Hatake was the first to see his father's cooling corpse. From the age of 6, Kakashi Hatake vowed to put the mission first so that way he could 'fix' his father's disgrace. It's not his fault: he was grieving, and a part of him blamed his father for abandoning him. However, when Kakashi had recently become a Jonin in his own right, during the Third Shinobi War, a mission went south."
Naruko was holding her breath, a sense of dread filling the space.
"Kakashi initially chose the mission, but a team mate of his chose to go back to save the other. Obito Uchiha chose the team over his mission, and he told Kakashi 'It's true, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.' Kakashi finally realized what his father had chosen to do, why he had done it, and so he took after Obito, who had left to save Rin."
"They saved Rin, but Obito died pushing Kakashi out of the way of the cave ceiling collapsing in on itself. Obito, a Genin, saved Kakashi Hatake's life, and as he was dying, gave Kakashi the Sharingan that had not been crushed, because he'd been born a Uchiha, an Uchiha that had been considered a failure for not being as talented as the rest of his family. The mission was technically a success, but only Kakashi made it out alive. I'm not sure what happened to Rin, but the reports were that she had been compromised by Kirigakure, and so had chosen to kill herself at the last second in order to save Konoha."
Naruko spun around and threw herself at me, tears soaking my shirt as she cried. "That's not fair! That's horrible."
I gently tilted her chin back up at me, a small sad smile on my face as I continued.
"Kakashi Hatake became an S-rank Shinobi himself, the 'Copy Cat Ninja'. He lobbied hard for a new Law to be instated that ensured the mental/physical/emotional well being of all shinobi, regardless of rank, to ensure that what happened to his father, and what he had been terrified he was considering choosing to do himself in that same house, would never happen again. The Law was passed, and it's said that Danzo, one of the elders of the village, had nearly gotten himself killed when he'd tried to veto the Law as an Elder. I dare say that the Third Hokage was the only reason Danzo hadn't gotten brutally murdered that day. This is the Law that allows us the ability, and the responsibility, to help you. The Sakumo Hatake Act requires that we don't allow the shinobi in question alone for the next six months, and that we endeavor to ensure you feel safe and cared for at home, whatever that requires to make that happen. It's not a perfect system, and. it's been considered 'too little too late' by many after what Itsuki did with the Uchiha Clan, but it's a far cry from the absolutely nothing that most had to work with."
Naruko nodded shyly, her face flushing as she gently, slowly, cautiously, went to kiss me for a moment before whispering. "Thank you, Shika. For telling me."
"Any time. Since you'll definitely be spending the night, I'm going to talk to you about why the Yamanaka Clan, the Nara Clan, and the Akimichi Clan have always been considered a pseudo-Clan unto themselves. That way you'll know why you'll probably be meeting a mind healer Yamanaka and an Akimichi Specialist."
Naruko looked worried and curious at the same time.
"The Nara Clan, my Clan, are the shadows, the spiritual leaders of the Clan. Our intelligence helps us make the right decisions, but it's our intuitive wisdom that helps us survive the guilt that accompanies those hard choices. We operate best when we know ourselves and our opponents completely, and while now we do this to help Konoha, we still primarily help the Yamanaka Clan and the Akimichi Clan when they often struggle in the decision making process on what or how to do what they want to achieve without compromising their morals."
"The Yamanaka Clan, Ino's Clan, are the mind whisperers, the psycho-analysts of the Clan. They are our eyes and ears outside of the territory of the Land of Fire, and they specialize in gathering information that the others wouldn't want us or them to know. If we are the intelligence of the operation, the Yamanaka is the intel that provides to us the resources and scenarios we can use our intelligence on. As a result, the Yamanaka Clan has a hard rule: no one is allowed to be solely in the dark alone or for long. You can't just stay an interrogator, and you can't just stay a therapist, and above all else, they are not allowed to use the Hidden Jutsu if they feel mentally unstable or emotionally compromised. It's a hard law that often means they can't be Hokage, but it's a law designed to keep their members from harming themselves or each other. It's why Ino only knows the Mind Transfer Jutsu: it's one of the only Jutsu in the Yamanaka Clan that, in theory, offers little to no personality bleed from the target to the user."
"The Akimichi Clan, Choji's Clan, are the physicians, the war doctors, of the Clan. They defend us from those seeking us or the Yamanaka physical harm, and though many people underestimate the Akimichi, the Akimichi Clan are absolutely masters of chemical and biological warfare, as well as knowing how to both amplify and break the body in ways that regular shinobi could only dream of. Their amplification has become so intuitive that where they used to need certain pills to use their jutsu, some have been able to do so simply with knowing that they can, a Hidden Jutsu turned into a Bloodline Limit. Likewise, there is a reason why the Hyuga Clan has never fought an Akimichi: they will lose. Badly, at that. An Akimichi's chakra network is not only vastly different from a normal shinobi, but an Akimichi's chakra network has redundancies built into it, and Kami help the Hyuga who tries to kill an Akimichi, since the Akimichi Clan are said to be able to heal and restart their own organs with training. An Akimichi that reaches Jonin is said to be virtually unstoppable against waves of regular shinobi."
"Since the beginning, we've worked together to form a cohesive whole. The Nara Clan's ruled the forests of Konoha long before Hashirama arrived. The Yamanaka Clan inspected travelers and spies entering the domains of our territory, and allowed us to consider the required decisions. The Akimichi helped us keep everyone alive, and to be physically fit, as well as investigating new methods on how to refine our bodies to handle our abilities as we grew into them. The Yamanaka Clan's Mind Healer will not be allowed to speak to anyone about how the mind sessions are going, and full patient confidentiality is required. You will have your choice to choose which Mind Healer you wish to have, after a few therapy sessions to find the right fit for you. The Akimichi will be taking samples of your blood as well as digging through your medical records to ensure the proper care is given to bring you back to peak health for your age, and if not even better if they think that they can get away with it."
I paused, smiling softly as I kissed Naruko's forehead.
"And my Clan and I will be monitoring your spiritual health. We'll be taking you out on walks through the Nara Forest, well, the more public areas, letting you feed the deer, spend time with some of the more relaxed members of the Clan, and encourage you to spend time with friends as well. So I imagine we'll be stopping by Ichiraku Ramen at least once. We will also be the ones inspecting the mindscape that connects you to your bijuu, ensuring that the Kyuubi isn't trying to degrade the seal using your own negative thoughts to trick you into releasing it. We can't do anything about the seal, but we can ensure that the mindscape isn't being warped against you in favor of the beast you carry."
Naruko sniffed, her eyes filling with tears. "Why? Why help me? Why do all of you care?"
Why do you care so much about me? I'm broken.
"Naruko, we are all broken in some way. It's the lifestyle of the shinobi, of the world we currently live in. We're all broken. Some of us in more ways than others. Of course we care, of course I care, how could we not? The shadows crave the light. You are my sun, the light that makes my life worth living. Now that I have you, I'm not letting you go. I'm afraid you're stuck with me. Oh, the tragedy." I said dryly at the end.
Naruko's tears vanished as she giggled lightly, her face flushed.
"Man, Shika, you're so troublesome. What a drag it is to be stuck with you." She giggled as I pretended to back away, hurt, clutching my chest as I mockingly gasped in pain.
"You dare use my words against me?! You dare to use that of which is mine?"
"All's fair in love and war." She stuck out her tongue at me.
The silliness of the situation was too much, and we just started laughing at how silly all of this was.
"Thank you, Shikamaru." Naruko said sincerely, hugging me again. "I love you."
I hugged her back. "Any time, Naruko. It's a privilege to help you, and don't you forget it." I smiled as we cuddled in the dreamscape.
Chapter 9
Kakashi had done a lot of shit he wasn't proud of. He's fucked up a lot in his career.
One thing he was proud of was the Sakumo Hatake Act. The Law passed in his father's name to ensure no shinobi would ever be tempted to take his or her own life ever again without at least some support network to ensure that they could at least say they tried to stop it.
He was not pleased to find out one of his students on Team 7 had been found to have required the Sakumo Hatake Act to be used, but his initial assumption was that it was Sayuri who had done it.
After all, one of the basic principles of the Sakumo Hatake Act was that the shinobi in question had to verbally admit that they were or could be a danger to themselves. You had to verbally ask for help and support in front of a Jonin or higher in order for the Act to apply.
That part was intentionally placed to ensure that some of the more politically inclined civilians, i.e. the technically retired Elders, or shinobi didn't get the idea to just imprison the opposition by calling their mental state into question.
Also because Kakashi had not been pleased when he had been put under constant watch without his own consent beforehand, back when Minato-sensei had decided he wasn't allowed to be by himself.
He wasn't wrong, but it would've been nice to at least not feel trapped in his sensei's home.
It was not Sayuri. It was Naruko who had requested help. In tears and desperately scared, according to the filed report given by Yoshino Nara to the Third Hokage who gave him a copy of the report.
Which is what led to what Kakashi was doing now.
"Why aren't we doing missions today, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked with some confusion. Her green eyes looked rather lost. Kakashi had to withhold the urge to strangle the teen.
Teenagers can be cruel, Kakashi. God knows I was a fucking asshole as a teen. How Minato was still patient with me, I have no idea. Deep breaths Kakashi. Don't breath out fire chakra and make the pink haired moron a baldy, Kakashi. Even if she deserves it.
"Neither of you are allowed to call me sensei. In fact, I'm debating dissolving this 'Team' entirely and sentencing both of you for permanent remedial training until you both would consider yourselves lucky to be Genin at the age of fifty."
Sakura and Sayuri's eyes both widened in alarm. "Hey, you can't-" Sakura's yell cut off as their faces paled.
After briefly wondering why they looked ready to keel over, Kakashi realized he might have been leaking his killing intent toward the two. He reigned it in and spoke, his voice cold.
"As the Jonin of Team 7, you three are not just Genin for training. You three are under constant evaluation, with every minute I'm with you having me consider the pros and cons of your skills, your character, and what detriments you bring to the table."
"In short, it's my reports that decide if you are ready to learn jutsu. It's my reports that decide if you are ready to earn the right for promotions. It's my reports that decide if you are worthy of being shinobi at all. So do NOT tell me what I can or cannot do, Ms. Haruno."
Sakura shakily nodded and Sayuri remained defensive, her red eyes narrowing at me.
Oh, how cute. Someone thinks she's special cause she has the Sharingan now.
"Continue to glare at me with your Sharingan and I will tear out your eyes here and now, Sayuri Uchiha."
Sayuri's face paled as she immediately looked away. "Sorry… Kakashi." She muttered.
"Now, I believe that the best way to force you both to grow up is to see and feel the consequences of your actions. Which is why for the next three weeks, you both will be taking shifts pretending to be Naruko Uzumaki so thoroughly that even your friends will believe you are her. I will be observing you both around the clock, and I will immediately dissolve this team if I think you both aren't taking this assignment seriously."
Sakura snorted. "Big deal, so I get to avoid dealing with my parents whining about the chores I haven't been doing at home. This'll be easy."
Sayuri stiffened, her head immediately snapping to yell obscenities at Sakura for how absolutely cruel she had acted just then but Kakashi raised a hand to silence Sayuri.
"If you can say that to Naruko's face after three weeks, I will allow you to remain a Genin. If. And if not, you'll be making it up to Naruko and Sayuri for that absolutely disgraceful remark." Kakashi coldly stated.
Sakura's face paled as she immediately looked to Sayuri, her apology dying before she could speak as Sayuri looked ready to kill her, squeezing her eyes shut to avoid using the Sharingan on Kakashi by accident.
"Sayuri, I have a secondary assignment for you, if you wish to stay as a shinobi. Not a part of Team 7, just to be a shinobi at all. If you don't do this, I will file to have your chakra network permanently sealed off."
Sayuri's face drained of all color. Sheer utter terror was visible.
"You will be going to see a Yamanaka Mind Healer. Not a therapist. Mind Healers are different entirely. I know that the Third Hokage allowed you to decline treatment and therapy out of respect to let you grieve over the loss of the Clan, but you've lost that right when you have done something your sister would've been proud of you to do." Kakashi said coldly.
Sayuri's black eyes flared angrily, but thankfully without the Sharingan as she protested furiously. "I didn't kill anyone!"
"Naruko Uzumaki has been admitted for nearly committing suicide for, and I quote, "if no one else in this village wants me here, than I don't want to be here either.""
Kakashi paused, his voice nearly choking as he read that out loud.
Sakura and Sayuri looked horrified at that knowledge. Kakashi glared at the two of them.
"You have no idea. None. About how tough Naruko has had it. How ostracized and lonely it feels to not only be neglected, but hated, feared, by the village, and the people you grew up with. Despised and considered less than dirt. But you will. You both will. Sakura, you're taking Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sunday. Sayuri, you're taking Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Three weeks in Naruko's old apartment, and neither of you will tell or show anyone what's going on or where you are. If anyone else finds out you're not Naruko, you fail. If anyone else finds out that Naruko isn't in the apartment when she's supposed to be, you fail. If anyone spots the two of you as Naruko, it's fine as long as it doesn't blow your cover, as Naruko knows the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Sakura, you've been checked in for a quarantine due to a super contagious medical illness. I'm thinking something embarrassing like constant diarrhea and super bad acne all over your body, and I mean all over your body. Sayuri, you got whatever Sakura had and are quarantined at the Uchiha Compound. Again, anyone finds out either of these aren't true, you fail."
"Failure is dissolvement of the team, and your immediate and permanent dismissal from the Konoha Ninja System. With a permanent black mark on your record for all civilians to see and permanent sealing of your chakra network. Oh, and I suppose the removal of your eyes, Sayuri, since the Sharingan is useless without chakra. Now, the assignment begins tomorrow at midnight. Now, get out of my sight."
The two ran like a bat out of hell.
Kakashi sighed, nodding to himself. He felt a little better now. If he was lucky, then he'd be able to have Naruko as an apprentice in three weeks.
If he was unlucky, he could at least make sure neither one of these maggots ever treat Naruko like shit ever again.
Now to create a Shadow Clone to follow them silently while he read the newest edition of Icha Icha.
Today might actually be a good day, he mused.
Chapter 10
[Kurenai Yuhi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 22.
Hinata Hyuga. Signed and Sealed Capture. 22.
Kiba Inuzuka. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Shino Aburame. Signed and Sealed Capture. 24.
Sasuke [Sayuri] Uchiha. Stamped. 30.
Obito Uchiha. Signed and Sealed Capture. 40.
Kakashi Hatake. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Anko Mitarashi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 16.
Inoichi Yamanaka. Signed and Sealed Capture. 16.
Iruka Umino. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Ebisu. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Kotetsu Hagane. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Izumo Kamizuki. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Muta Aburame. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Kosuke Maruboshi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
311 Credits Remaining.]
The first week had been annoying, to be frank. Naruko Uzumaki couldn't be allowed to be alone, but likewise, she couldn't just stay with me. The concerns of an unhealthy emotional attachment to the 'savior' in a relationship was too great, according to the Yamanaka Clan, who advised that while Naruko was allowed to interact with me, it was also for the best she get interactions with others of her own age group if possible to avoid an over-reliance/worship of me over the rest.
At least, that was the official reason. Unofficially, it was because Naruko Uzumaki was deemed too much of a flight risk if she was left to develop relationships with only one person her age, and more importantly, one person her age who has shown little to no inclination to give a shit about if Konoha was hit by a meteorite tomorrow. To be fair, I really couldn't give a damn as long as my retinue, my Clan, Ichiraku Ramen, and Naruko survived. The rest of this place? Nah, let it burn.
Of course, that didn't work because of the dreamscape, which worked wonderfully as Naruko herself wasn't pleased at all to be stuck dealing with people she didn't know, especially after how emotionally raw and vulnerable she felt after having admitted so much to a stranger, even if said stranger happened to be my mom.
That didn't mean Naruko herself didn't understand. She knew that it was unhealthy to hyper-fixate on one person, even if it was the person who saved her life, mentally and emotionally. She just didn't care: it wasn't like the Yamanaka had gone to check in on her when she had been effectively trying to manage her trauma alone.
The Yamanaka therapist had looked ashamed when Naruko had mentioned this, pointing out that for the so called 'mindwalkers', she had been effectively left to die. Which, as it turns out, was because the Yamanaka Clan had a standing rule: do not mindwalk a Jinchurriki. Best case, you piss the human off and they throw you out of their mind. Worse case, you've given the beast an opening to exploit to free itself or cause absolute destruction.
That didn't make them feel any better when Naruko had torn them all a new one for thinking that they could just treat her like any other patient, and not recognize that she had some serious grievances with nearly everyone in the village. Because for all the shit the civilians had done, they didn't live in a bubble. The shinobi had to have been aware of at least something going wrong. They just pretended everything was fine because it wasn't them being fucked over.
Yeah, that therapist really didn't last long after that, what with seeing Naruko's red eyes glaring at her like she was ready to tear their head off their shoulders.
So, the next therapist came in, and tried a different approach. A blunt approach.
"Naruko, you don't like me. That's fine. Many patients wouldn't like us even if they came to us for help. Because therapy, despite what many people believe, can suck like hell. We're not here to make you happy. We're here to make you mentally healthy. We're here so that way when the time comes for Shikamaru Nara to step into your mindscape, the bijuu can't use your deeply bottled negative emotions to drown the two of you until you both emerge as twisted versions of yourselves."
Naruko's eyes widened at that. "Oh." She whispered, her fists relaxing as she looked rocked by that information.
"You respond best to bluntness. You don't want to be treated with kiddie gloves. I can work with that. Hell, I can respect that. The same stubbornness is what allowed you to survive your experiences. It might even be the only reason you're in the room with us today. So, I'm not going to pretending you're made of glass. I'm going to treat you the way I wish I was treated in my therapy sessions, because I wanted to be respected as individual, not belittled. Not lied to. Not babied. If you think you want that approach, you need to work with me. Even if it sucks. Even if it hurts. Does that sound fair to you?" The man said bluntly.
Naruko nodded slowly. "Yeah, but only if it's reasonable. I'm not signing myself up for torture or… needles." Naruko shivered. She hated needles.
The man snorted. "Good luck telling the Akimichi that once they get ahold of you. Let's start from the beginning. I'm Kabuto Yakushi. I'm a medic-in-training, a Genin, a recently fully licensed therapist. I'm told I'm quite good at mirroring people, even if that's more of a defense mechanism than I'd like to admit. Your turn."
"I'm Naruko Uzumaki. I'm a Genin, a Hokage-in-training. I'm told I'm quite good at being stubborn when I'm unhappy in a situation I don't want to be in." Naruko said dryly, with a small grin on her lips.
Kabuto laughed. "It's a start. You'll be surprised how often it is that we shinobi develop sarcastic or dark humor in order to cope with the situations we find ourselves in. Now, I will start this session with a question."
Kabuto paused for a moment, before speaking, his voice solemn and serious.
"What do you think your father would do if he found out what you went through because of being a Jinchurriki? What do you think your mother would do?"
Naruko's breath caught, her voice cutting off as a mixture of shock and alarm flooded her system. After several seconds, she spoke quietly.
"My father would tell me that, even though he was disappointed in the village, he was proud of me for still standing for the village and for becoming a shinobi anyway. He'd tell me to have faith that things get better. Same with my mom, I guess." She answered honestly.
Kabuto took off his glasses, rubbing his nose as his eyes clenched. Naruko felt her stomach drop at the sight, since the Third Hokage always did the same when she had done or said something particularly stupid.
"No." Kabuto said simply, putting back on his glasses as he shook his head before looking at her.
"Your parents, firstly, would've taken you away from Konoha. Immediately. The second thing they'd have done is start a massacre. Konoha would be a ghost town." Kabuto informed her bluntly, and Naruko felt almost an intense confusion.
"Why?" She asked him, baffled.
"Naruko. I want you to imagine, even though it might be hard or impossible, to have just found out that you're pregnant. You're having a baby, with the man you love." Kabuto said quietly.
Joy. Terror. Excitement. Dread.
Naruko couldn't even speak, her hand going to her stomach as she imagined what it would be like to be pregnant. She'd heard from afar how some women complained about the back pain or the struggle of sleeping. Yet they always looked… happy, content, eager to see their child born.
"Now imagine that it's sixteen years later. You've been in a coma. The last thing you remember was the feeling of just holding your baby in your arms. You're desperately searching for your baby, even if you know that they are no longer a baby anymore. Imagine everything you went through, and imagine it happening to your daughter, and hearing those words come out of your daughter's mouth."
Naruko knew, in the back of her mind, that Kabuto was waiting for a response. All she could hear was the blood rushing through her ears, the white-hot heat of absolute visceral rage and agony that coursed through her veins as Naruko wanted to tear down the entire village brick by brick, until absolutely nothing remained. Not the mountain. Not the walls. Every building, ashes. Every person who had done her baby wrong, absolutely slaughtered.
"I can do it, you know. I can avenge your suffering. It wouldn't even be all that difficult. I'll leave the Nara Clan alone. I'll only kill the ones who wronged you. Just free me. Tear off the seal, Naruko." The Kyuubi whispered in her ear as she felt herself reaching out to tear down the seal, tears falling from her face as she wanted to make them all pay. She knew Shikamaru would understand.
"Naruko. Stop, and step away from the seal. Deep breaths, and calm down. You're safe."
Naruko stepped away from the seal, taking deep breaths as she felt the rage slowly, achingly, drain away.
"You… What are you?" The Kyuubi demanded, his deep voice booming off of the walls and the water.
The man stepped forward in front of Naruko, and she felt her breath taken away as the man had turned toward her.
Spoiler: the man she sees
[img: /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Gojo-Jujutsu-Kaisen-But-Why-Tho-2.jpg]
"Hey, Naruko, I figured you'd need the help since the Kyuubi is being so troublesome." The man said dryly, winking at her.
Recognition flooded her in an instant.
"Shika! You look so different!"
"This is my spiritual form. Despite being Shikamaru out there, this is who I am spiritually. Mostly. Might change as I get older. That said, I'm just going to have a chat with the Kyuubi."
"You may be a descendant of one who made a Pact with the Wendigo, but that is nothing compared to the power of a Bijuu. I do not negotiate with weaklings." The Kyuubi snarled.
Shikamaru laughed, even his voice sounded different in here, and then he seemed to vanish.
Her eyes widened in shock and fear as Shikamaru appeared behind the jail doors.
"Phase, Twilight. The Eyes of Prajna. Cursed Technique: Lapse Blue."
A massive blue orb appeared above the Kyuubi, whose eyes widened in shock as the entire room began to shake violently as the large bijuu was forced into the air, roaring in pain and fury as it was violently dragged into the blue sphere.
The Kyuubi's tails began to draw together, red and blue energy collecting around in front of it as the Kyuubi snarled.
"Your arrogance blinds you! Witness the might of the Kyuubi, and be erased!"
The energy collected into a purple orb that the Kyuubi swallowed, before Naruko's skin tingled as the sheer danger rose so rapidly that Naruko opened her mouth to scream at Shikamaru to get out of there!
Shikamaru's smile widened as he held his two fingers up toward the Kyuubi, whose eyes gazed hatefully, only to widen in, what Naruko could only interpret as fear, as Shikamaru spoke.
"Phase, Paramita. Pillars of Light. Cursed Technique: Reversal Red."
The Kyuubi's mouth opened, the purple ball launching so fast that Naruko could only see a blur as it flew right down toward Shikamaru.
Only for the purple ball to be caught by a much, much, smaller red orb. The red orb drilled through the purple orb, seemingly getting stronger as Shikamaru's smile widened.
"What jutsu is this?!" The Kyuubi roared as the red orb smashed into the blue orb that was still holding the Kyuubi in place.
"Nine Ropes. Polarized Light. Crow and Declaration. Between Front and Back. Hollow. Purple."
The world exploded as the area shook so badly, the water under Naruko's feet violently vanishing as a flash of white erupted, halted only at the jail doors as the seal itself seemed to flare to life to contain the energy on the other side of the jail door.
As the white faded, Shikamaru stood unharmed, the energy seemingly having washed right off of himself.
The Kyuubi was brutally injured, five of it's tails were gone, and it looked barely conscious, with red energy gushing out of various openings in it's body and it's right eye gone, the red energy pooling out of it like blood. It's single intact eye gazed at Shikamaru.
"No. more. I submit. If I hadn't forced most of the bijuudama's energy around myself at the last instant as the jutsu drilled through it, I'd have been erased. You win." The Kyuubi's voice was no longer loudly echoing across the room, now it almost seemed to hunch in on itself away from Shikamaru.
"Sign the Contract, and I'll consider letting you live. If I kill you, all that remains is the purified chakra. Purified chakra without a consciousness that Naruko could use whenever she wants." Shikamaru said bluntly.
Naruko winced as she saw the brief defiance in the Kyuubi at the audacity of a lowly human attempting to force a contract on it, but it gave in with a whimper, a large hand with barely two fingers left reaching down as it signed the contract Shikamaru had somehow brought into the mindscape.
Shikamaru sighed, turning and leaving the broken Kyuubi behind in it's jail cell as Shikamaru once again passed through the bars, unimpeded.
A snap of his fingers, and the Kyuubi seemed to be almost twice as big as before, the Kyuubi having regained all of it's lost tails and it's fur seemed brighter and cleaner. The Kyuubi looked unnerved.
"What kind of Power is this? What are you?"
Shikamaru turned toward the Kyuubi, a grin on his face.
"Outside these walls, the world sees me as Shikamaru Nara. To you and those more spiritually inclined, you may refer to me as Gojo Satoru. The Honored One. I'll see you at home, Naruko, once these next few sessions end."
Naruko nodded, her face flushed as she whispered as Shikamaru left.
"He's so awesome, and hot."
The Kyuubi seemed to pout at her. "I'm awesome too." It grumbled as it turned away from her.
"Are you sulking?! Why?!" Naruko asked exasperatedly.
"No. I'm not. Go away. I just lost to a human. Again! My siblings will be laughing at me for centuries!" The Kyuubi grumbled.
Naruko found herself blinking awake to the Third Hokage looking at her with some exasperation of his own.
"Can we go through one therapy session without making my Jonin think they're about to meet Kami? Please?" He asked her.
Her face flushed as she looked away, not able to look her grandfather in the eye. "Sorry."
Emotions are hard, okay?!
Chapter 11
[Kurama. The Kyuubi. 64.
375 Credits Remaining.]
That's… a lot of Credits.
[Trace Defense II. -10.
Corruption Defense II. -60.
Environmental Defense II. -20.
Destiny Defense II. -80.
Creature Defense I-II. -0.
Exit Stage Left. -5.
We Will Meet Again. -15.
Pursued By A Bear. -40.
145 Credits Remaining.]
Honestly, pretty well worth the investments.
Trace Defense was worth the purchase. Hostile and neutral remote viewing, scrying, postcognition, precognition, dream visitation, astral projection, will be unable to see or sense me. At the immunity level, deity-like entities would only see a reality where I didn't exist. This doesn't apply to cameras, technological based surveillance, or some other physical method based observation.
Corruption Defense II should plug up that weakness where Naruko had been getting corrupted by Kurama whispering into her ear, though that was no longer an issue regardless.
Environmental Defense covered one of the few weak points of both my abilities as Gojo Satoru and Accelerator, namely being the environment around us. Now I could go diving into the sun and swim through space, without burning or suffocating at least.
Destiny Defense was future-proofing myself from any luck-based Deities out there trying to mess with me once I got passed Naruko's world.
Creature Defense was partially to plug up the hole I had against creatures like snakes or animals in general, but also cause it was free.
Exit Stage Left basically allowed me to track my progress on what it took to consider 'completing' the storyline of Naruto, to be able to leave, by creating a portal to another world once it was fully filled out.
We Will Meet Again allowed me to return to any past world's I had visited, through the Portal Apartment. Time runs consecutively across all worlds I visit or will visit simultaneously, meaning I couldn't just skip onto a new world and come back fifteen years later and expect everything to be the same.
Pursued By A Bear greatly expands the exit capabilities of Exit Stage Left. Instead of just the one world, I get seven worlds to choose from, with their danger ratings clearly displayed. In addition to choosing a world, I can reject or save a world for later on. Rejected worlds will not appear for the next selection, and the saved worlds will continue to appear until chosen. Choices that I don't pick, save, or reject may appear for up to three times in a row, and then disappear for a time before reappearing down the line. Rejected worlds will never reappear unless taken off the 'rejected' list in the app.
Now, what to do with the rest of my Credits..
"Hey Wendy, should I invest into more versatility/utility or should I go more toward making myself able to be in your presence?" I asked aloud in the forest.
"In truth, there is little you can do to withstand my presence. The durability of your soul, body, and mind may be greatly enhanced or even amplified, but against Death, all such amplifications stand for nothing. Even the Gods die, even the stars wink out one by one, and I have seen entire universes slowly go cold and stale. The strengthening of your base self won't help you. What you need is to gain my full allegiance, which you already know the task required to do so. Many who have sought immortality are often Chained by it, for the few who succeed in their task when I allow it. It amuses me, how so many mortals eventually long and beg for death after centuries of fleeing from it."
"So… I shouldn't make myself able to shrug off instant death effects?" I asked cautiously.
"Absolutely, you should. While those who sought immortality will regret their decision, the foolish ones who rush head first into danger or overconfidence in themselves will, and have, throw themselves into my eternal embrace far sooner. For all that mortals talk of Fate and Destiny, very few realize that All must bow to Death. For all things end. It is the nature of things."
[Fatality Defense II. -60.
85 Credits Remaining.]
I almost jumped as I felt something cold brush itself against my neck, but I didn't notice anything physically touching me.
"It's been eons since I've had a potential Mortal Lover. Often, they end up becoming Necromancers, believing themselves above Death. Or they become driven mad, their soul unable to withstand the constant brushes with the Eternity After. Truly, it'll be a Joining of a Concepts, you and I. Especially since you'll be giving me dinner and dessert when the time comes."
The sound of her licking her lips as she growled in my ear, despite the fact that I once again saw nothing there physically with my Six Eyes, didn't help me stay calm.
"Is that a kunai in your pants, or are you just as excited as I am, Shika-ma-ru?"
"That was too corny." I said dryly.
"You do know that I can sense how much you like my bad flirting, right? You can't lie to me."
"I'm not honoring your horrible flirting with a positive statement. I… fine." I sighed.
"Tell me, did the devil pay you to leave Hell? Cause you're almost too hot for me."
"And you thought my flirting was bad? Pfft. HA! You could've said I'm drop dead gorgeous! That was awful!"
"At least my humor isn't to die for." I sarcastically replied.
"… Okay, you should leave the forest now. All this talk about death and hell is making me hungry, and I have some hunting left to do. Making these humans run around for days or even weeks, not realizing they can never leave, desperate to survive, only to watch me tear off a rib or two off of one of their still living counterparts, maybe a finger, and watch them scream in terror or beg for mercy is always delicious. The fear, sweat, terror, and agony makes some excellent seasoning to go with their meat and souls."
Leaving the forest right now then. I winced as I heard the distant sound of a man screaming. "My leg! Oh, Kami, my leg! No! Not the face, not the face!"
"Ah, it's a shame that their brains are all practically worthless. Hatred makes a terrible seasoning you know? Too bitter."
Leaving the forest faster!
Chapter 12
Sakura Haruno could safely say that being Naruko Uzumaki sucked. Absolutely fucking sucked.
The first couple days weren't that bad. Having to hold the Transformation to pretend to be Naruko was still exhausting to do for longer than a couple hours, so she mostly went for grocery runs.
Except she didn't realize just how expensive everything was. Getting fresh fruits and vegetables was a nightmare! No wonder Naruko stuck with ramen! It was annoying as hell!
The cold shoulders, the lack of smiles, the feeling of being unwelcome, didn't really sink in back then, because as far as Sakura was concerned, Naruko had earned her reputation. Being such a prankster and an annoyance to everyone around you? Of course they wouldn't want anything to do with you!
Then, it began to sink in when Sayuri took one look at her fruits and vegetables before throwing it in the garbage. That, that hurt. She might have nearly tried to punch Sayuri for wasting so much money, until Sayuri looked her dead in the face and explained that the fruits and vegetables were not edible.
To demonstrate, she sliced open one of the tomatoes, revealing the rotting insides alongside what looked like a fake shell around it.
Sakura's stomach dropped at the sight.
Naruko was a menace, a prankster, a loser, but… did Naruko really deserve to be treated like this? Was Naruko really so bad that they'd tried to kill her?
That's when the cold glares and hateful remarks in the background really began to kick in. Or the fact that the apartment, whenever they left it pretending to be Naruko, would be devastated when they returned from pretending to both be Naruko going in different directions.
Or the fact that the hot water never worked, and the cold water was smelling funky and moldy, like something had died in there. Sayuri had nearly had a fit when she came out of the shower looking ready to murder whoever fucked up her shower system, and forget drinking the water out of the tap!
Sakura felt herself getting nauseous at the sight of Sayuri opening up the tap water only for it to be red in color, and had nowhere the consistency of regular water either. It slopped out of the faucet like a gel, and the smell was horrifying. Like vomit mixed with raw chicken left to rot out in the dumpster in the Suna desert. For months.
Sayuri seemed to stare at the faucet and the cup she'd used, looked at Sakura, back at the faucet for a long moment. Silent.
"I'm going to fucking kill the owners of this complex." Sayuri said coldly, and Sakura didn't even offer a defense toward the civilians. Not anymore.
The nights weren't any better. Sayuri had woken up nearly setting the apartment on fire with her fireball jutsu, and Sakura had likewise wanted to scream, cry, and vomit.
Bed bugs. Bed bugs everywhere. The insects seemed to come out in droves at night, and the two of them were absolutely covered in bite marks as the bed bugs seemed to love the taste of blood.
Cockroaches too. Sayuri had been trying to heat up instant ramen, and could hear the sounds of something cracking in the microwave. She opened the microwave to see what looked like a lot of dead cockroaches in her now definitely not edible instant ramen.
Needless to say, neither one of them bothered trying to use the oven, with Sayuri joking darkly that the oven was probably rigged to blow up if they used it anyway.
After the first few days, Sakura was finally able to be Naruko outside in full time, and that was an experience, to put it lightly.
The glares and cold shoulders from the civilians was one thing, but the absolute dismissal of her fellow shinobi struck Sakura as even more hurtful. Old retired shinobi that she'd never met would get this cold distant look in their eyes, looking at her if picturing how to kill her and get away with it. The younger shinobi were kind, but distant, as if trying to avoid being associated with her, as if her existence would stain their reputation.
Sakura felt like a part of herself wanted to curl up and die. It was one thing to be treated like this for something you deserved, but from people she never met? From the people she had once happily called friends? The dismissive gaze in Ino's face, like she was a particularly annoying piece of garbage, really made Sakura almost want to tear off the Transformation and scream at Ino.
Almost.
Sayuri nearly stabbed someone when she found them trying to pickpocket her when she was Naruko on her shift, and the civilian had backed off once he realized that Naruko looked out for blood. The horror and terror on the civilian's face almost made up for the fact that Sayuri had admitted that it made her want to throw up afterwards.
Itsuki had forced Sayuri to watch as Itsuki killed every single family member, every civilian, every shinobi. Every child, every infant. The same look of absolute terror and horror on their faces, their lips trying to move to ask Itsuki why she had done this, only to drop cold to the ground without an answer, their blood spraying and coloring the empty grey world of Tsukuyomi. Seeing the same look on the civilian, just from Sayuri losing her temper while pretending to be Naruko, had deeply shaken Sayuri.
The two had made it a point to apologize to Naruko when they saw her before the next mission. No one deserved to be treated like this, especially when Sayuri connected the dots and told Sakura with a look of horror on her face that Naruko never said anything because to her, this was normal. Naruko grew up like this.
Sakura tried to picture that this was her whole life. No family. No friends. No comforts. The bed bugs. The cockroaches. The broken microwave that stopped working a week and a half in. The water likely being so biologically harmful that she had been tempted to bottle some of it and test it for new poisons/toxins to use against enemies outside of the Land of Fire.
'I would rather die. I would rather die than live like this.'
Sayuri would say that being Naruko Uzumaki, was shitty and kind of boring.
Yeah, the civilians treated her like shit, but Sayuri honestly didn't appreciate when they tried to kiss her ass when she was Sayuri Uchiha out of pity either. Yeah, some of the older retired shinobi gave her the creeps, those icy cold gazes of 'I'm thinking of a dozen ways to kill you, I just need to figure out how to get away with it' reminded her too much of Itsuki on the night of the massacre. Yeah, bed bugs and cockroaches in the apartment, along with everything else in the apartment, was absolutely disgusting to deal with.
The real pain was just how empty this village felt. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. She couldn't train because, for the life of her, she actually hadn't seen Naruko go out and train. Certainly not in any of the public training grounds, and the less said about trying to train with the extremely overpriced equipment and goods, the better. Naruko had no books, well, she had one book. The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja, was a rather pitiful book. No actual useful thing in there aside from the fact that the main character's name was Naruto, and that the whole book was about determination. In one's life and one's goals. Sayuri had gotten careless and left it out one day in the apartment, and returned to it utterly destroyed, the pages torn out, the book absolutely ruined, and the smell of human excrement was very much present. Sayuri had to put on what felt like five pairs of gloves, a gas mask, and several wrapped up paper bags, because she didn't trust the plastic bags that were under the sink weren't compromised in some way, to dispose of it.
How pathetic. Determination didn't stop you from dying by a kunai. Determination didn't save you from the slowly approaching death by starvation or dehydration. Determination, meant absolutely nothing in the face of reality.
How a Shinobi should die is a much better novel. All the honorable ways to go, none of the pretty bullshit. Dying trying to avenge one's family was fine. Death by old age was considered the pinnacle of shinobi success, but very, very, few got to reach that kind of end.
Still, the fact that Naruko had lived like this, still lived like this, was absolutely upsetting. She had plenty of space in the Uchiha District. All those buildings had been cleaned up by the ANBU, so Sayuri knew they were at least up to construction standards, and Naruko could've been at least living it up in one of those empty houses all this time, if she had just opened her mouth and asked her for help.
It's not like the Uchiha Clan was using those houses anymore anyway. The thought stung, but it stung less when she thought about having others use the houses, people that needed homes, so that way they could be put to good use rather than slowly wasting away in the silence of the dead and gone.
The one good thing she could say she got out of this was that her Transformation of Naruko was so on point that she had actually felt some confusion and a feeling of deep disorientation when she looked herself in the mirror some mornings, still in Naruko's form. That and the slowly growing idea of just donating most of the Uchiha District to be converted into future homes for the orphans or the needy to be used as required. With the number one person in mind being Naruko, because she'd be damned if she had to pretend to be Naruko in the future, and still deal with this shit.
Don't kill the civilians. Don't kill the civilians. Don't kill the retired shinobi with the missing leg.
A small part of her, in the back of her mind, in Itsuki's voice, whispered.
You know, if Naruko snapped one day, would you really blame her? Would you even try to stop her? Wouldn't you say she's justified to test the limits of her abilities against those who wronged her?
Sayuri was deeply unsettled at the thought of someone with Itsuki's mindset being justified, waking up in a cold sweat as she had to swallow a scream as she recalled the dream of Itsuki nodding in approval as Sayuri slaughtered the Uchiha Clan with her, the two sisters against the world.
Sayuri wouldn't sleep for the next three nights, shaking silently as her pale gaunt face always seemed to look too much like Itsuki's when she wasn't pretending to be Naruko.
Chapter 13
[Yagura Karatachi. The Fourth Mizukage. 42.
Isobu, the Three Tails. 80.
Kisame Hoshigaki. The 'Tailless' Tailed Beast. 46.
Onoki. The Third Tsuchikage. 30.
283 Credits.]
Ah, that's right. Onoki was hiring the Akatsuki to do missions for him for cheaper around this time in Naruto, which made him particularly vulnerable. The fact that I got Yagura surprised me, as I had expected he had already died by this time in the story, but it worked out even better as Obito had access to both Yagura and the Sanbi through the use of his Sharingan.
The plan was coming along nicely. I was avoiding dealing with Konan and Nagato, as both were serious contenders, and while Konan was likely vulnerable to Genjutsu, I suspected Nagato was not, at least not to visual based Genjutsu.
[Polymorph Defense II. -80.
Wyldscape Defense II. -100.
103 Credits left.]
That covers the Defenses. Now the only way I was entirely vulnerable was through an actual physical death. For all the Defenses of the Catalog, surprisingly there wasn't much to protect the Contractor from physical death. I'd say it's a loophole, but no, I was thinking this was an actual hole in the Defense structure on purpose.
After all, Contractors who got overly full of themselves and overly reliant on the Defenses would end up walking headfirst into their deaths in some of the higher Tier worlds, thinking themselves invincible or invulnerable.
"Glad to see my potential Mortal Lover isn't stupid. Yes, the Contractors of the Company are not infallible. Harder to kill, yes, harder to injure, sure, but fully immortal? No. Most of the time, the universes containing the Contractors slowly stop spinning, as if some governing force slowly begins to stall and lie still. Eventually, the universe simply freezes in Time and Space, a form of True Death. It's rather disheartening, even to ones such as myself, but such is the fate of all things. Whether out with a bang or with a whimper, all things end."
'Sounds rather depressing. What's the point in doing anything if all things end?' I mentally questioned back.
"I too had similar thoughts, eons ago. After all, what is the point of taking on Mortal Lovers if they too die? What is the point of me doing my responsibility if all things end with or without my aide? A couple eternities ago, I had an… what would you mortals call it? An epiphany? Yes, an epiphany, an Awakening. An Understanding."
"That although I am Death, I am More Than Death. I don't need to be cold, lifeless, eternal death. I can be the happy death after a long fruitful life filled with friends, aspirations fulfilled, and dreams accomplished. I can be the peaceful death of a commander who has decided to buy his unit time by sacrificing his life for them. I can be the violent death, that roars in challenge against the Endless Night. I can be the endless hunger in the cold winter nights that feed off of the living. I can also be the friendly being that helps someone live just a little bit longer, strive to be just a little bit better, in order to live a fuller life when their time next comes. I can be, and am, More Than Death."
'I see. Thanks, Wendy. You've given me something to think about. I suppose my purpose is to enjoy this universe, this microcosm of reality, for as long as I can. Even if the universe does slowly draw to a halt like the other ones, I'd like to say that I enjoyed it. Every moment of it, as much as I can. Sounds pretty selfish of me, actually, saying that out loud.' I laughed, chuckling to myself.
"You chose to be the Shadow of Gojo Satoru, for a reason. Embrace the selfishness. Living your life always for others, is just as terrible a way to live as it is to live entirely for yourself. A balance is usually best, but that is not so easily done. For mortals or immortals."
I guess that since I completely covered my Defenses, Wendy felt it was safer to reach me even beyond the Nara forest, since I was currently eating at Ichiraku Ramen, though I smirked as I noticed Ayame's flushing face kept sneaking glances at me, before she finally approached me, her face turning almost red.
I did not expect a frying pan aimed dangerously at me as Ayame's eyes narrowed in rage. "I'm going to ask this once, and only once. Where is Naruko Uzumaki? I've been seeing 'her' come around, but those fakes barely eat even a third of what Naruko can pack away, and while they ask for leftovers, they don't complain when I sneak in vegetables and nutrient powder in them, when Naruko always complains about how it changes the ramen broth's texture."
Who the fuck is dumb enough to try and pretend to be Naruko at Ichiraku Ramen?
And for that matter, why are they trying to be Naruko in the first place?
Kakashi Hatake sighed. "I suppose I can't fault them for not being able to pretend to be Naruko at the ramen stand." As he sat down beside me, nodding at me politely.
"Sayuri Uchiha and Sakura Haruno are under a… let's call it a C-class espionage mission. They're under strict orders to pretend to be Naruko during the first month of her treatment plan. I can't say the treatment plan, it's strictly confidential, but it's also so that way Naruko doesn't feel obligated to be out amongst the… rabble, so to speak." Kakashi shrugged lazily at Ayame, who frowned.
"If you guys did anything to Naruko, I will make you pay. She's a sister to me." Ayame warned darkly, her eyes narrowed as she slowly went to the back.
Teuchi came out, nodding to himself as he approached Kakashi. "Kakashi, haven't seen you here in years." Teuchi said warmly.
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm… sorry, Teuchi. It's been a long time." He said quietly.
"The usual? Miso ramen, extra pork?" Teuchi said lightly.
Kakashi's eye widened. "I, you still remember?" He asked, stunned.
Teuchi's eyes grew misty, his smile brittle. "How could I not? She was family… And you're family too, Kakashi. I'm here if you need me. Whether for an ear to listen, or a hand to help."
Kakashi nodded, his voice rough. "Thanks, Teuchi. Yeah, I could use the ear, but not now. Maybe after closing time. Remember the place after work?" Teuchi laughed.
"Couldn't forget! I'll meet you then." Kakashi nodded, got up and left the stand, as Teuchi sighed.
"Kid, getting old sucks, but sometimes, it's nice to meet family you haven't seen in a while." I slowly nodded, finishing my second bowl of ramen, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Times like these, I feel like I know too much. I wish I could tell them that they don't need to speak in circles just cause I'm here, but then they'd start asking questions. Questions I wouldn't want to answer right now.
Chapter 14
"My, my. How bold of you to cross my threshold so far into the forest, and no food to give me either." The Wendigo's raspy voice echoed across the silent forest. This deep in, the leaves were gone from all the trees, the branches grown gnarled and misshapen, the ground cracked and oozing a faint mist of darkness.
"I want to know what you've done to my son." Shikaku said quietly, the shadows pooling around himself like a wraith, the only visible part of him being his eyes.
"I've done nothing. Your son is… unique, even among your kind." The Wendigo said flatly.
"Explain. Please." Shikaku stated reluctantly, looking down at the ground.
"He is Twice-Born. In your tongue, a Reincarnation. The abilities he's awakening are an extension of his past life. Chakra is made of spiritual energy, that of which is born from imagination, experiences, and memories. Physical energy, that of which is born from the process of stripping energy from the world through the prey you devour, and then used to reconstruct the body in the process. Both alone can do little without training, but the metaphysical is where the source of all Bloodlines, of all Innate Natures, come into play. The metaphysical is the Source of the universe, the bedrock of how it's foundations work. Bloodline Limits can manipulate the basics of the Source using Chakra as a Conduit. Those born with a Glorious Purpose, or perhaps have a Great Prophecy attached to their souls, can manipulate the Source in greater ways still than those with Bloodline Limits. However…"
"What happens if someone is not of this universe? What happens if someone who is reborn in this world was recently not of this world? Now they aren't using one Source, but two. Two Sources to draw from, double the amount of metaphysical to play around with. Most of the time, one Source is deemed more relevant than the other, with the 'native' Source taking precedence, but this isn't always the case. Most with a preference for a Source not native to this world often are unable to use chakra properly, the coils not developing or otherwise becoming malformed. This has nothing to do with the Body, for the Physical Imprint of this world is still there, but the Metaphysical Value is too far different to be compatible."
Shikaku filed that information away, particularly as that had some serious value for Rock Lee, whose coils were malformed, according to Might Guy's reports. "What about my son?" He asked again, quiet, careful to not offend the Patron of the Nara Clan.
"Shikamaru Nara is a Twice-Born, but not just any Twice-Born. Twice-Borns happen on a rare occasion, it's just that their memories of their past lives are erased. No, Shikamaru Nara is a Twice-Born of the Honored One."
"Honored One?" Shikaku asked, feeling a sense of dread in his stomach. That kind of title usually didn't mean a nice quiet life for his son.
"Indeed. The Honored One."
The shadows carved apart the earth, reaching through the air and shaped into a
figure.
Spoiler: The Honored One
[img: https/images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2./f/2f9e8780-1e9b-4920-85b8-bb5270cb1e1e/dg37osc-1d6b2c2a-f025-4881-b742-47b6408f1d6c.jpg/v1/fill/w_1280,h_1703,q_75,strp/gojo_satoru_jujutsu_kaisen_season_2_by_nico2713_dg37osc-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTcwMyIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzJmOWU4NzgwLTFlOWItNDkyMC04NWI4LWJiNTI3MGNiMWUxZVwvZGczN29zYy0xZDZiMmMyYS1mMDI1LTQ4ODEtYjc0Mi00N2I2NDA4ZjFkNmMuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.SZT_kvya8EULAQ19CNjJupErJC_tyEyBwaDb_qJRpwg]
"He looks nothing like Shikamaru." Shikaku commented quietly, looking at the frozen image.
"The spirit is the same, even if the body differs. Regardless, the Honored One was reborn in this life with the same abilities he had in his past life, along with his new life's abilities. It is these abilities that are resurfacing in this world that are what confuses your kind, because these abilities are drawn from a different Source from the native one."
"I don't suppose you could explain what these abilities are and how they work?" Shikaku said dryly.
The image vanished and the Wendigo laughed, it's raspy laughter echoing across the dead forest.
"And spoil the fun? No. I think not, little Nara. However, Shikamaru Nara is far more than even the Shadow of the Honored One. After all, the Honored One was but one of his Aspects' Titles. While he has a much firmer grasp on the Honored One, he's seeking to understand, and master, a third Source. Accelerator. The One Way Road."
The Wendigo paused, a tone of pride and respect in it's voice, something that terrified Shikaku, as if every nerve was just plugged into a weak lightning jutsu, a sense of dread and alarm filling him in equal measure.
A second image arose from the ground, the shadows warping into shape.
"The One Who Wields The Power of God."
Spoiler: The One Who Wields The Power of God
[img: https//a/uploads/scale_medium/35/359413/2971413-6208415168-Accel.jpg]
"God. Like, as in one of the Kami?" Shikaku asked lowly, his voice strained. The idea of his son, his boy, being that power hungry, unnerved him.
The Wendigo snorted.
"Remember, this is a third Source. A different universe entirely. The 'God' referred to here is capable of taking on every spiritual and physical being that has ever existed, will exist, or could exist in this universe, all at the same time and win. Effortlessly. 'God' would be able to annihilate the nine bijuu, end all wars, and force the shinobi world to kneel in a week's time, without truly needing to show himself to do it. Your universe would be forcefully contorted beyond all imagining simply by His Arrival."
"My son is going to be smitten by a Kami for his arrogance. I should've started drinking way earlier today." Shikaku groaned.
The Wendigo's voice took on a decisively darker tone, the trees shaking as the shadows writhed, the silent dead forest coming to life as, for a brief moment, the Wendigo lost it's temper.
"They would die trying."
Shikaku nodded shakily, leaving the forest as quickly as possible as the Wendigo's voice echoed through the forest.
"I do hope you remember to keep our conversations to just us, unless you wish to leave this mortal coil sooner, little Nara. Oh, and do be a 'deer' and remind my Mortal Champion to bring me some more food to hunt. I'm afraid I've already eaten all the prey your wife gave me earlier."
Shikaku felt his cold sweat on his face as he continued to leave.
He was almost to the house when he saw his wife's face, her eyes narrowed. "Were you really that stupid to go into the Wendigo's territory without any prey?!" Yoshino yelled at him.
Troublesome. Trying to figure out how keep his family safe without pissing off the wife was such a drag sometimes.
The things you do for family, he sighed.
Chapter 15
Teuchi was an old man, by shinobi standards, something that his body liked to remind him a lot of when he went about his day. The aches and pains of old age were never pleasant, and some days were better than others. His wrists ached, his knees always popped whenever he got up too fast, and Kami forbid he actually stay up late or drink like he used to, because his body reminded him that those things were for young men, not people in their forties.
And yet, here he was, sipping his first drink still as Kakashi was on his sixth, the young man looking like he wasn't sure what to do with himself. In truth, Teuchi would have been the same himself in his twenties.
But time has a way of rubbing against your pride and insecurities. The things you fear and regret in your twenties are very different from the things you fear and regret in your forties.
"I failed her, Teuchi. I failed her, my sensei, and her daughter. I should've been here, not out there." Kakashi said quietly, his voice flat.
Teuchi said nothing, merely nursing his first drink as he sat there quietly. A young man like Kakashi had a lot of people who told him what to do, what to think, how to act.
Teuchi had long since learned that sometimes what people needed most was someone just willing to sit and listen. To feel heard, regardless of how right or wrong their thoughts were.
"She looked so thin, so tired." Kakashi whispered, his eye glazed over. "She looked closer to 10, not 14. Her bedroom was something I'd expect from an ANBU member, not a child. The same single outfit bought multiple times. No toys. A single picture of her and the Third buried under a floorboard in a corner under the desk to avoid getting found or damaged in case of a search… or a bomb. No books."
Kakashi took a long raspy breath, and downed the rest of his sixth cup, waving at the bartender for another.
The bartender nodded silently. The "After-work Bar" was strictly for Jonin and higher for a reason.
"She could barely read. I dropped off 'The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja', since I wasn't sure if she just wasn't interested in reading. I found her not even an hour later, struggling to sound out the words, trying to understand them."
Kakashi barely bat his eye as a seventh cup of alcohol was placed in his hand as he took another swig.
"I was so close to going rogue that day, Teuchi. I was so close to just losing it, slaughtering them all, and dying trying to make up for what they did to her. But, she smiled. She thanked me. She didn't see me, but she said thank you to the empty room because "my grandfather always said to thank Kami for the blessings, great and small"."
Kakashi looked at Teuchi, tears falling silently from his single regular eye. His voice rough and raspy as he continued.
"I told the Third Hokage. Everything I saw. That statement alone reminded me that, no, I wasn't the only one who would be horrified, infuriated, by how his daughter was treated."
Kakashi wiped his face of his tears, returning to his drink, whispering with a dark satisfaction.
"We got most of them back for what they did. It was, I wouldn't say fun, but…" Kakashi struggled to find a word to say.
"It was justice done." Teuchi said lowly, sipping from his cup.
"Kakashi, I left the service. I retired to take care of my daughter after my wife died at the tail end of the Third Shinobi War. Kushina was a second daughter to me. Do you have any idea how hard it was to not put on my Ninja gear when I saw how scared and hungry my grand daughter looked?" Teuchi asked quietly.
"No, but I can imagine it was quite difficult." Kakashi responded roughly.
"Quite. There is a reason why the Third Hokage never called me back into service when Minato and Kushina died: I am too old. War is a young man's battlefield."
Teuchi sighed. "Kakashi, what would you do if Minato was here?"
Kakashi immediately responded. "Punch him in the face for abandoning Naruko to this shitty village."
Teuchi laughed dryly for a moment. "And then?"
"Hug him and tell him I missed him." Kakashi's voice was even quieter with that response.
"We all fuck up, Kakashi. All of us. The older you get, the more you realize it's not the fuck ups that matter; it's how you get back up and do better next time that matters more. Stop living in the past: it's the present that needs you more." Teuchi said simply, finishing his drink.
"Easier said than done, Teuchi. But, I'll try. For Naruko." Teuchi nodded with approval.
"Good. Now I need to get home. My body will hate me for this tomorrow. And, do give my regards to Might Guy and Anko when you see them."
Kakashi nodded. "Will do."
Teuchi nodded to him back as he left the bar.
It's a shame he couldn't tell Kakashi he never actually retired, but the less that knew the better.
After all, not many knew that old Teuchi from the ramen stand had once been the S-ranked Teuchi Senju, the Butcher.
Man, those were the days. Everyone overlooks that I have the chakra reserves of a civilian, yet the strength and precision equal to my grandfather Tobirama Senju. I wonder how many ever realized that I'm wearing chakra suppressors. Not that Danzo would squeal: he knows better after what I did to his limbs and to his 'ambush'..
Really, did he think he could just jump me with fifteen Root shinobi and himself? Fool. And to think I left him alive at the Third's request. Looks like he still has that limp though. Those limbs and nerves just don't heal like they used to, eh Danzo?
Twenty years later, still got it.
Chapter 16
"So, why didn't things improve if the Third Hokage found out about all of this at 14?" Kabuto asked Naruko bluntly.
"Cause it was too late." Naruko said flatly. "By then, I was just hoping that I'd be able to move into one of my team mates houses or apartments. It was something I was counting on, actually. The problem is that for all the powers of the Hokage, grandfather couldn't enforce his rules 24/7. Not when most of the shinobi also didn't give a damn."
Kabuto nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "Then why didn't he remove you from the apartment?" He said quietly, writing things down on a notepad.
"Because, honestly, I didn't care at that point, I was too used to it. And… I didn't mention anything about the apartment." Naruko whispered quietly.
"Why?" Kabuto asked patiently.
"Cause I've heard a lot of people complaining about their stuff not working, cockroaches, bed bugs. To me, it wasn't worth complaining about what l thought everyone went through. I actually felt proud, like I was a grown up for being able to figure out ways around it." Naruko responded, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Really?" Kabuto asked dryly.
"Well, yeah! Being a shinobi is all about being self-sufficient! Moldy cold water? Boil it! The red guck in the faucet dissolves as it boils, and it kills everything in the water. Strain it with a shredded paper bag, and boom, clean drinking water and cleaning water!
The cockroaches in the microwave get fried when you start it for two minutes. Kill them, clean it out with some of the red guck, and now you can use the microwave for ramen!
The bed bugs are still a nuisance, but some of the boiled water with some of the red guck in a plastic bottle and you can spray them. It won't kill them but it'll make them run. Kinda stains the carpet though, so you really want to aim for the walls."
Kabuto stared.
Naruko's face flushed even harder. "And the landlord even gave me a huge discount for not complaining! Only 2,000 yen a day!"
"A day?" Kabuto clarified faintly. Naruko nodded.
"Yep! Especially since the streets get creepy at night. All those weird older guys come out sometimes and try to give me money to go 'home' with them." Naruko shuddered.
Kabuto's eye faintly twitched. His smile looked frozen.
"I also got a bunch of the orange jumpsuits, for free! They were on super discount! I only had to pay 50,000 yen for the kunai. They don't work very well though, so they don't really cut into the targets at the Academy, and you gotta throw them at a weird angle."
"And the super hot water in the shower works great for when the oven stops working! Free boiling water!"
"I… see." Kabuto's voice was strangled.
"Naruko, do you know your primary physician? The Akimichi Clan are struggling to find your medical records." Kabuto changed the subject.
Naruko felt confused.
"Uh, no. I've never needed to go to the doctors. I've never gotten sick enough to need one. Besides, I don't like doctors! I've heard they really like to drain people dry of blood, like vampires! They even inject things into people! Who knows what's in those things!"
Naruko shuddered.
"I am going to have so much fun delivering some of these animals to Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto whispered quietly to himself, and Naruko felt her confusion grow.
What animals? And who's Orochimaru?
"Do you know where babies come from?" Kabuto asked her abruptly.
Naruko felt her face darken as she vividly recalled the Talk with her grandfather.
"Yes." She said shortly.
Kabuto sighed. "Who taught you?"
"My grandfather."
"Good. So at least that's accurate."
"Yeah, but for a reeeaally long time, I was told that monsters like me don't deserve to breed. That hurt to hear."
Kabuto's eye twitched again.
Chapter 17
The worst part of being subtly compelled by a contract that demands absolute loyalty, was that it was made to feel natural, Danzo mused grimly.
His careful plans for the past thirty years were now gone, burned to ashes.
Civilians were a suspicious lot, by nature only trusting the shinobi they grew up with, and even that was a distant trust. It had been almost too easy, simply plant some subtle rumors and whispers to turn the civilian population against the Kyuubi Jinchuriki.
The fear soon developed into hatred, and it was too easy to fan the flames about how they could keep the Kyuubi from regaining its past strength if they hamstrung it. Weakened it.
It was trapped in a human body, and worse, it pretended like it was human. Those tears were fake, it was laughing at you. Those cries for help and food, were lures only meant to weaken your guard as it corrupted you and your children. Give it no shelter. No warmth. No food. No kindness. Starve the beast. Make it suffer like it made your loved ones suffer in their final moments.
From there, it became too easy. The same rumors that had allowed Danzo to mold the 'undesirables' to be guided into Root and his line of thinking, had worked perfectly for breaking the spirit of the Jinchuriki.
After all, it had worked before. It was how he molded Orochimaru. How he had been able to sway Konoha against the 'red eyed demons that lurked under the Uchiha's skin'. Civilians were almost too easy to be molded to suit his needs, and when he had needed them to change their minds for Sayuri?
The death of her Clan had been a sign from Kami that, as the spared, she was innocent of her Clan's crimes for harboring demons in the blood and soul.
And all of that work was slowly becoming undone as Shikamaru used the cracks he'd made in the spirit of those same undesirables, in the spirit of the Jinchuriki, to make them stronger and more loyal by filling those cracks, making them entirely loyal to Shikamaru in turn, even if it made them temporarily vulnerable emotionally during the process.
Shikamaru had taken the process he'd painstakingly mastered and honed, and subverted it entirely for his own purposes. He couldn't even be upset about that fact: a part of him even admired the young man's willingness to take on such projects.
Danzo knew he was slated for death. If not by Sayuri Uchiha's hands, then by Shikamaru's hands. He knew it, and had accepted it. Everything he'd done, was for the sake of Konoha.
And if that meant to take on the responsibility of being the monster, of being the one whose stories were told in hush whispers for his crimes and horrific actions, Danzo accepted it wholeheartedly.
It was the nature of what it meant to be a shinobi. Something Hiruzen Sarutobi could never understand. That for the good of the many, sacrifices must be made.
It was always the case. It was what he had learned as Tobirama-sensei had sacrificed himself for the mission.
That to get things done, sometimes one must be willing to do even monstrous acts for the sake of progress. Even if it means ruining relationships. Ruining families. Destroying reputations. Breaking promises.
Burning entire villages to the ground. Whatever it took for Konoha to stay on top.
Danzo didn't feel regret or guilt for his actions, nor the problems he had caused. It was not in his nature. He had no sympathy or empathy for those who still tried to be human and Shinobi. To be a true shinobi in his eyes, was to kill all heart, to be a tool of war and death for one's country.
He had no regrets. No guilt. He did what he had to do, and he'd do it again if it was required of him to do so.
So why was he feeling this sense of dread and cold wash over him?
Oh, pitiful Danzo. You think you can die and leave this mortal coil so easily? No, I think you'll be an excellent Wendigo when the time comes, after my Mortal Lover has his fun stringing you along.
Danzo shivered as the Wendigo laughed rasply, not able to hear or see the figure as it licked its lips hungrily at the prey whose soul was drenched in sin.
Chapter 18
"So, a Genin has a permanent Space-Time Jutsu around themselves?" Homura said with disbelief. "How?" He demanded to know.
The Third puffed from his pipe. "Shikamaru Nara may be a simple Genin on paper, but his intelligence nothing to be scoffed at, nor his determination. Tell a regular person that Space-Time Jutsu is impossible and they will believe you. Tell a Genius like Shikamaru, Minato, and Orochimaru that it is impossible, and they will investigate to find out for themselves."
Homura nodded slightly. "I see."
The Third laughed. "No, you don't. Shikamaru Nara's technique doesn't even qualify as a Jutsu. No chakra is being used to maintain the technique, and it is subconsciously active. Even sleeping, Shikamaru was able to repel the paralytic gas that they put into the room. A barrier that is on 24/7, with little to no visible detriments in long term use."
"Shikamaru Nara is already more than capable of becoming the Hokage in strength, if not yet in experience. Nor in aptitude: Shikamaru has stated multiple times that Naruko is his pick for the position."
Homura looked unnerved. "The Jinch, the Uzumaki?" Homura immediately corrected himself at the Third's narrowed dark gaze.
The Third nodded. "Indeed. Naruko Uzumaki has passed the first month of treatment. It seems that all she needed was some support and a listening ear from someone her age. Something I'm very grateful to Shikamaru Nara for doing for her."
"She's been reinstated to return to going on missions with Team 7 under Kakashi Hatake, and has likewise fully moved in with the Nara Clan while the second stage of treatment with the Akimichi Clan takes place."
Homura nodded slowly. "Were they able to find her records?" He asked cautiously.
Hiruzen's eyes darkened. "No. Naruko has not been seen by any physician since the age of 3. The rest of the medical record was falsified. Kabuto Yakushi has fully volunteered himself as her primary physician as well as indicating he wishes to have… words with those who falsified her records and spread the rumors about how doctors were "vampires who drained people of blood, injected horrifying things into them, and butchered people like they are meat at the market"."
Homura's face turned green. The Third smiled coldly.
"I, of course, fully granted his request. I will have my ANBU escort you to meet him after this meeting, seeing as one of the sources of those rumors was you, Homura."
Homura's mouth opened silently, his protests dying before he could open his mouth.
"I've also informed Kabuto to please pass along a message to Orochimaru that he, sorry, she was more than welcome to return to Konoha as evidence has been obtained that while she had been experimenting on civilians and shinobi of Konoha, it had been under the orders and permission of Danzo. Something I had not learned about until recently."
Homura hung his head as an ANBU appeared with a wolf mask next to him, taking Homura away from the Third's sight for the last time.
"Kami, it felt so good to finally throw the book at the man. It's not against Danzo, but baby steps, Hiruzen, baby steps." He chuckled darkly.
While he still wouldn't trust Orochimaru, she had given up her humanity, at the very least he could use her here as a deterrent, a weapon to be aimed at another village if they crossed the line.
Calling me on my bluff after I find out about how my granddaughter contemplated suicide is not how to keep your village alive and stable, Raikage-dono. I'm in a very bad mood, and I think some teacher-student bonding time on experimenting/torturing the Lightning shinobi and civilian population would go a long way to make me feel better.
I wonder if Orochimaru has a middle ground for aches and joint pain? I'd prefer to stay as myself for a little while longer, but if it improves my health and combat capabilities by ripping those younger muscles and joints off of a few dozen shinobi that may or may not go missing, well, I'm sure the Raikage could understand wanting to stay fit.
The Third chuckled darkly. As the Hokage he couldn't condone experiments on his own people and citizens. It sent a bad message, and it messed with Konoha's PR as the 'good guys of the shinobi world'.
Other civilians and shinobi outside of Konoha?
Well, as long as no one's around to complain about it, it's still fair game.
Hiruzen hummed as he drank from his cup of tea. Naruko's therapy is going well, Kakashi Hatake is actually showing up on time and even apologized to him for how he had been acting in his grief and pain, Shikamaru Nara is an up and coming S-rank monster that could give Hashirama and Tobirama-sensei a run for their money, and Hiruzen even got to finish his paperwork early!
Today, is an amazing day. Hiruzen smiled as he looked over the village at a nondescript building at the edge of the village.
It almost felt like he could hear their screams and begs for mercy. Today was definitely a good day.
Chapter 19
[Ino Yamanaka. Stamped. 26.
Choji Akimichi. Stamped. 16.
Asuma Sarutobi. Stamped. 16.]
Asuma Sarutobi was no slouch, but he had picked his first team as the generational squad because he knew that they had their formations and exercises down from when they were kids. He was there to help them realize their full potential, and to train them if they decided to deviate from their parents. Generational Squads like the Ino-Shika-Cho formation really only lasted three or so generations, as other villages would learn to pick apart the formation, and the formations would change and deviate to avoid being caught flat-footed by the enemy.
Still, he was surprised and pleased to see how just an extra four years at the Academy had lead to these three Genin already more than ready for the Chunin Exams. Choji knew how to survive in the wild, forage food and water, find shelter, analyze his opponents Taijutsu for openings so he could grapple him and then break them upon his Human Boulder Jutsu. Ino knew how to cast her Mind Transfer Jutsu without needing to stay still, and had already picked up on being able to telepathically reach to her team members, which often led to what he called 'Silent Idea Sessions' as Shikamaru would relay his plans silently to Ino. She had even created a brief offshoot of the Mind-Transfer Jutsu that she called her 'Disruption' Jutsu. Basically she cast the same jutsu as the Mind Transfer, but only sent a 'thought' bubble that had a specific command or idea. An enemy hit by the jutsu would receive the thought or command, and would end up acting upon it instantly. This allowed Ino to lead enemies into traps or committing grave mistakes as they ended up losing control of the battlefield.
To be honest, both were frightening. Choji had the skills and capability of taking down Jonin by being much faster than most would expect someone his… size to look, and had the strength to crush rocks without much thought. Choji even commented that it was annoying sometimes, since he had to regulate himself to not accidentally break something at home! Ino Yamanaka was a prodigy, and was even scarier than her father in how easy it was for her to pick apart the tells and the mental weaknesses of a person, breaking them down with ease as she whispered doubts and fears into their minds, making them make fatal mistakes.
While both of them were commendable, easily Chunin rank in Asuma's opinion, neither of them compared to the horrifying nature of Shikamaru Nara. Honestly, if Asuma hadn't seen it first hand, he'd have thought the reports he was handing in were inaccurate.
Shikamaru Nara was an absolute monster, there really wasn't any other way to put it. Ignoring his immunity to ninjutsu, taijutsu, and targeted/area of effect genjutsu, Shikamaru Nara didn't fit the playbook of the Nara Clan. Oh sure, he could bind others in place with shadows, kill them with spikes, blind them in their own shadows as they flailed helplessly, but that was when he was 'shaking off the rust' of his abilities, as he put it. No, Shikamaru Nara prefer using his 'advanced bloodline limit', as he took to calling it, to fucking teleport into the enemy, and then knock them out if he needed them alive. Or crush them against a solid surface if he felt truly sadistic.
Asuma still cringed at the memory of the bandit begging for Shikamaru to stop as he pressed him against the wooden wall of their bandit camp, the sound quickly being choked out, replaced by the sound of bone snapping, flesh crushed under itself as the eyes popped out and turned into paste, the heart briefly exposed and beating only to be burst open with a solid gushing noise against Shikamaru's field.
Of course, Asuma had brought them to a bandit camp so that way he could get his kids 'bloody', so they would know what it is to kill. Some shinobi quit, others… enjoyed it too much and were often sent to be trained further into ANBU as a result, since the ANBU were all about either protecting the Hokage or killing in the name of the Hokage, and some felt nothing from it, like it was taking out the trash.
Ino had felt nothing, her blue eyes cold as she tore out the memories and emotions of the bandit she had been assigned. A brutal young man that had done a lot of crimes in the Land of Fire, and all that was left him was an empty gaze, blood and drool going down his face as he had chewed his tongue off in his screaming. A swift kunai, and the man died, turned into little more than a husk.
Choji had felt disgusted, complaining the whole way back to Konoha about how nasty it felt to feel the man's blood and organs all over him. Not an uncommon thing with the Akimichi, as their clothes were often red in color for that reason.
Shikamaru claims to have felt nothing, but the cold terrifying grin on the young man's face as he relished in taking on most of the bandit camp probably said otherwise. The fact that the teen had been absolutely livid at the sight of the raped victims who weren't exactly mentally aware anymore, and the dead ones thrown into a ditch probably didn't help. Ino had been the one's to identify the bodies that weren't too decayed, their last moments often being a replay of their lives which allowed Ino to figure out who they were.
Shikamaru Nara was fully capable of flight, something that he used to his advantage by creating a Shadow Clone of himself to act as his 'eye in the sky' during their operations. While he could only create three or four Shadow Clones before running empty, it was a very good plan since the Shadow Clone carried the same 'advanced bloodline limit' to defend itself without popping. Asuma, in the back of his head, wondered what that would do in combination with the Uzumaki's own endurance/vast chakra pool.
The image of hyperactive, hyper-intelligent, little toddlers running around causing pranks and eating all the ramen in Konoha while being both untouchable and capable of flight, scared Asuma so bad that he swore he'd retire the moment he heard of Naruko Uzumaki's pregnancy. Fuck. That. He wasn't helping with that. Not for all the money in the world.
Then there was the dark stuff, the stuff that Asuma filed away because while they were a Capture Team, they weren't necessarily required to bring them back alive. Sometimes it was to kill a target, group of targets, and then bring their bodies back to confirm they were actually the target before incinerating them to dust.
To which, while Ino and Choji were great and fully capable of taking out bandits, Shikamaru took to a higher level.
"So, Asuma-sensei, our job is to take out the bandits hiding in the minor village?" Asuma nodded.
"That's correct, Shikamaru. Now, our intel is that there may be some low ranking missing ninja there, so we'll be doing some scouting beforehand, but there's probably no civilians inside that village now that they've turned it into their very own fortress."
"So, any concerns about collateral damage?" Shikamaru asked cheerfully. Choji looked like the idea hadn't occured to him and also looked at Asuma for answers.
Asuma shrugged. "The daimyo has already written off the minor village as a lost cause. The bandits here are just becoming enough of an annoyance that rather than send his samurai, we were brought in."
"Oh, good. I was worried about having to pay them back for the damages, this mission's kind of cutting into my spending time with Naruko, since she's probably waiting for me now that her therapy is done for the week around this time, so I'd like to wrap this up." Shikamaru yawned as he stepped forward in front of them.
"Shikamaru, being vague isn't being all that helpful. Can you… explain…" Asuma's voice trailed off as the presence of danger sharply rose.
Shikamaru held his hand outward toward the village.
"Phase, Twilight. The Eyes of Prajna. Maximum Cursed Technique: Lapse
Blue."
A massive blue orb exploded out of Shikamaru's hand, the orb expanding as it shredded the earth and landscape, the blue orb ramming into the village walls as the orb seemed to rapidly suck in everything into itself, the buildings and the walls being ripped right out of the ground and pulverized as the bandits could be heard screaming and dying en mass as the orb seemed to expand to cover the entire remains of the small village.
The blue orb churned and crushed everything in it's place, rapidly pulverizing and crushing everything inside it as it stopped expanding before it winked out of existence. The rubble, wood chips, and what Asuma would infer was likely a lot of dead bodies turned into chunks all falling toward the ground into the neatly created pit that had once been an entire minor village teeming with bandits and some missing ninja.
What shook Asuma the most was how… bored Shikamaru looked, turning back to the team as he shrugged. "Mission accomplished." The teen yawned.
The Technique was considered an easy S-rank, labeled simply as 'Blue', and Shikamaru had briefly explained it as sucking in the 'space', the 'shadows' between what made the foundation of the universe, until the whole thing snapped inward. It seemed rather obvious to Shikamaru.
It didn't help that he explained to Ino that it wasn't all that powerful since he needed to use 'Red' in order to combine it with the Blue technique to create Hollow Purple, a much more powerful technique that was capable of vaporizing anything it came in contact with. It was what he considered his current 'ultimate fuck you' technique to any major enemies that tried to pull a siege or an army on Konoha somehow.
Only to a genius like Shikamaru could that seem obvious, and Asuma found himself going to the "After Work Bar" needing a drink.
Kakashi had nodded with approval at Shikamaru's actions, since it helped keep Team 10 safe and allowed him to fulfill the parameters of the mission at the same time without wasting time.
Asuma couldn't remember much after that.
Geniuses were fucking scary.
Chapter 20
Orochimaru liked to pride themselves on being the smartest person in the room. It was a point of pride for them, since they had spent so many years researching and experimenting on how to achieve their various goals for immortality and furthering the understanding of how chakra changed things, of how chakra worked, and how to push it's limits to ever greater heights.
Of course, set backs were unfortunate. Some set backs greater than others. The unfortunate slowness of having to use prisoners and civilians in other nations had been a common annoyance, but a relatively simple matter back during the Third Shinobi War. Alas, after the war ended, Orochimaru had found themselves unable to prioritize research speed over the lives of their remaining patients.
Oh yes, they called them patients, because even though they often died extremely brutally, Orochimaru prided themselves on not letting them die without extracting every ounce of knowledge and understanding he could from them when possible.
It was to Orochimaru's surprise to receive a message from Kabuto. Apparently their sensei had found evidence that their research on the citizens and shinobi of Konoha had been at the permission and order of Danzo, and so their missing shinobi status was now revoked, allowing them passage into Konoha freely.
Orochimaru bristled. Permission? I didn't need anyone's permission! I merely took him on his offer! The idea of being shackled once more under Konoha's ethos of pretending to be nice made Orochimaru want to immediately go to Konoha so they could strangle their sensei in broad daylight just so that way they knew once and for all that Orochimaru bowed to no one!
The message continued, and Orochimaru found their anger slowly fading away as another emotion took it's place.
Curiosity.
A Nara with an innate Space-Time Jutsu around themselves? That worked 24/7 and somehow didn't use chakra as a source of power for it's activation?
Glee. Awe. Hunger.
The universe was truly generous with those who wished to understand how the world worked!
"The universe has finally given me a control variable! An ability unreliant on chakra nor seemingly any biological process is unheard of! Yes! Oh sweet Yomi, you've blessed me on this glorious day! With this, I can tap into the understanding of the universe that would be impossible otherwise!"
I must have him! Forget the Uchiha! Forget the Rinnegan! He's the One! The one who could finally crack the secrets on the universe!
'This world truly is beautiful. Soaked in blood, soaked in sin, filled with meaningless lives not realizing the blessings they were born with, and yet it is truly beautiful. Kabuto, I will head to Konoha soon. You must give me all you know on Shikamaru Nara. I need to know his likes, dislikes, fears, wants, hatreds, I must know everything about him, so that way I can make him mine. Inform sensei I will be returning to Konoha within four months. I have some cleaning up I need to do. Orochimaru.' With that written down on the scroll, they quickly sent it off with a Reverse Summoning.
They were in charge of the Sound, and they would obey Orochimaru without question. That was without a question. The Sand, on the other hand, would no doubt want to ensure that Orochimaru kept their end of the deal on creating weaknesses in Konoha's Barrier Jutsu and the walls of the village.
Now then, how to send the proper message to Sand that the deals off… Ah, that's satisfactory.
I'll just steal the Ichibi Jinchuriki and kill the Kazekage. It's not like they did a good job on the poor Jinchuriki's seal anyway. A quick fix and I can bring her along with me as a good gesture to Shikamaru Nara. After all, Shikamaru appears to be interested in half-Uzumaki's, and Aikemono is half-Uzumaki herself, even if she's unaware of it. Mm, better bring Karin as well, just in case. I'll need to end the patients and the experiments I'm running in those research centers within Sound, but such is the price of last minute innovation. Ah, the sacrifices I do for the glory of SCIENCE!
Chapter 21
A despised weakness. Weakness in body, weakness in mind, weakness in heart, he was disgusted by it all.
Above all else, hypocrisy and liars disgusted him even more.
Threatening A in his own village took balls, but A already had the measure of the old man back during the Hyuga's fuck up.
Making up bullshit about bringing back his predecessor to destroy his own village? How stupid did the Third Hokage think he was?
How insulting. How embarrassing!
No. He would answer his insult. Kumogakure was more than ready. Killer B had mastered the Hachibi. The Nibi as well was mastered. His two Jinchuriki would be more than a match for the pathetic Kyuubi Jinchuriki. They were barely out of diapers, barely Genin.
Konoha has grown soft in their arrogance. He would crush them, and then scatter them to winds like Uzushiogakure.
Yes, he even took precautions. Several Jonin volunteered their lives to using the Sage of Six Path's tools. The Third Hokage would die, sealed by his lies, or dead by his hands.
In six months, Kumogakure would crush the weak tree huggers during the Chunin Exams. If he was lucky, Rasa the gold digger would also be there so he could kill him. Take Suna and Konoha in one blow.
Peace? Negotiations?
Bah. The only thing the shinobi world valued was strength and power. The strong took what they wanted, and the weak pray that they aren't next. It is the nature of things!
A smiled grimly. It would be his legacy to his people. The Raikage who took back his people's pride from the losses they incurred from the Yellow Flash. The Raikage who started and ended the Fourth Shinobi War in one day.
"Let's see if you can actually back up those pathetic words, Hiruzen Sarutobi. For I am not one to take insults lightly, and I am finally ready to return the favor." A growled, his eyes narrowed as he looked past the clouds and mountains of his realm.
He could almost smell the burning charred flesh. Just a little longer.
Chapter 22
'You sure you won't be upset at me for this, Wendy?'
'No. All souls will eventually go into their perspective Afterlives. It's the evading death and mockery of death that truly angers me, and even that often takes a lot to do. Voldemort and Orochimaru both apply, but only because they've mutilated their souls to such a degree that there isn't a soul left to guide, merely fragments that will grow cold and evaporate back into the cosmos of the universe at large, a soul removed from the Reincarnation Cycle and the Afterlives. A cruel fate, to be denying one's future and past selves the chance of existence, but not one they didn't bring unto themselves.'
"Impure World Resurrection." I murmured.
The five prisoners shook and screamed silently in agony as ashes grew to cover their bodies, their souls swiftly taken by the Wendigo who happily snatched them out of the air before swallowing them whole. The fate of the one's sacrificed by the Impure World Resurrection was a grisly one, but Wendy had already been waiting rather patiently to be fed, so she had first pick on what happened to them so to speak.
Shisui Uchiha. Hashirama Senju. Minato Namikaze. Kushina Uzumaki. Dan Kato.
The five undead opened their eyes, but their expressions were empty, their gaze filled with no emotion. This variation of the Impure World Resurrection was by far the weakest, being only capable of binding to the soul just enough to function. While they are capable of answering questions and basic movement, they were entirely incapable of using jutsu. Who knows how many sacrifices Orochimaru had to do in order to further bind the First and the Second Hokage to make them capable of using jutsu and some semblance of personality be present?
How many did Kabuto need to do to consider the technique mastered and perfected?
"Sign these pieces of paper." I ordered lowly, handing each one a contract.
They slowly signed it, each one barely cognizant of the world around them, but still, they were still considered physically present enough that-.
[Shisui Uchiha. Shisui of the Mirage. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Hashirama Senju. The First Hokage. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Minato Namikaze. The Fourth Hokage. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Kushina Uzumaki. Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. 30.
Dan Kato. 12.]
Each were chosen for a variety of reasons. Admittedly, some more personal than others, but all were chosen to be the first brought back to life.
I swiftly activated Body Tune-Up for each of them, the ashes and cracked skin upon each of them beginning to steam and fuse together, the ashes melting away as each gaze became truly alive and aware. Shisui Uchiha shuddered as he came back to life.
"I hadn't realized how cold that water was when I landed in it." He muttered lowly.
Minato Namikaze's return to the living was celebrated by Kushina punching him in the stomach as he wheezed, her red hair flickering as she snarled. "We are through, Namikaze! Oh, the village will see Naruko as a Hero, my fucking ass." Kushina roared as her hands twitched angrily, the Contract she had signed not allowing her to really make Minato suffer.
Minato slowly got back up with a grimace, his eyes closed as tears fell down his face. "I know. I know Kushina. I was too optimistic about the village and the people in it. I've known for a long time that we were done, and I don't blame you. Or Naruko, if neither of you-."
"Shut the fuck up." I commanded, and Minato's mouth slammed shut, his eyes opening as I cut him off.
"You both fucked up." I said bluntly, pointing first at Kushina and Minato. "You," I pointed at Minato, "know you fucked up, and that's a good first step, but you're not allowed to have a pity party, when your daughter will no doubt want answers as to why you decided to pick her, and it better be for a better reason than 'you're my daughter, I knew you could handle it', because Naruko nearly fucking killed herself due to this shitty village. Suck it up, cry in private later. Apologize to Kakashi after the next Chunin Exams for being a dumbass if it makes you feel better. And if you mention a certain prophecy to Naruko, I swear to all the deities that I will feed you to Wendy myself." I snarled.
"And you," I pointed at Kushina, who looked ready to argue. "You should've bound your husband and the Kyuubi, letting the Third in so he could've sacrificed his life to the Shinigami. You fucked up not just because you followed your husband's stupid fucking idea, but also because you didn't even fight for Naruko. You fought for her as a Jinchuriki, but you didn't fight for her as a parent. You let Minato do as he wanted that night because you were too much of a coward to live without Minato, so don't you go on your high horse when you also fucked up."
Kushina's face turned red and she looked down, ashamed. "I, I know." She admitted quietly.
"Now, I brought all of you back for a variety of reasons. Some of them far more personal than others. None of you will be allowed to show yourselves to the living, but you'll all be playing important roles, as a part of my forces. Until I can bring in Orochimaru into the fold, where I can handwave you all off as just more horrifying crimes against nature caused by him as a way for him to science his way out of Death, all of you will be donning masks and fake identities. None of you will look like yourselves, and all of you will be doing missions or jobs for me in order to drag this shinobi world into a utopia, kicking and screaming if I have to."
"Hashirama, Minato, and Dan, you're all going to be working with a masked ninja named Tobi, the same man who caused the Kyuubi to break free. He's under my command and he's no longer possessing any free will of his own. You four will be my outreach force to be deployed where I need you to be in order to force signatures on my contracts or to scare the shit out of the shinobi world as needed. You will be bringing the Akatsuki and Amegakure firmly into my fold using the Contracts as the first major mission."
"One of them possesses the Rinnegan, and has six bodies, the real body isn't among them, they're corpses being manipulated. Once you meet the real body, call for me and I will appear there to negotiate on how to achieve Peace. The man will listen."
"Kushina, you'll be staying here to reinforce and add defenses to Konoha's barrier and the seals along the walls of the village, while wearing a mask with dyed hair to ensure none can recognize you. At night, you'll be training myself and my retinue Fuinjutsu, as well as explaining how the Uzumaki Chakra Chains operates."
"Dan, you'll be replacing Fu Yamanaka in keeping an eye on Tsunade and Shizune. If you're caught, well, I'm sure you can think of a way to have Tsunade and Shizune get on board with Contracts. The cover story is that after over a couple decades, you learned how to use your Spirit Transformation to bypass the barrier between the Pure Lands and this one, but it was a one-time deal."
"Shisui, you personally will be using your Mangekyo to bring Itsuki Uchiha into the fold. If you need incentive: Itsuki is dying from some unknown illness. If Tsunade can't heal her, I can."
"All of you will be working together with the Third Hokage and Yakumo Kurama in order to raise the knowledge and skill of my retinue, as well as myself. You'll still be doing the previous missions I've assigned, but I have a certain method to the madness, as you'll find out."
"Together, we will ensure none of the children in Konoha, in any nation, will ever see the Fourth Shinobi War. All of you may refer to me as the Honored One in public or Gojo Satoru if others insist on a name of the man in charge of the operation. We will be known as the Immortals. Our goal: to end all wars in the Elemental Nations."
Hashirama frowned. "I had much the same ambitions, young man. How are you certain you can succeed?" Hashirama asked me carefully.
"You created a village of Clans and shinobi. The others created villages of Clans and shinobi to counter you. The underlying mechanics has not changed. I aim to usurp the control of all the Daimyo and nobles. With all the governments and wealth, shinobi can not fund their wars nor their equipment/training, and I will increase trade between Nations and the civilians to make wars seem both unprofitable and stupid to the masses. Over time, I will make the shinobi and samurai obsolete." I answered truthfully.
"Madara had similar ideas, minus the trade deals. He wanted to expand Konoha across all the nations, force the other Clans to bow or die. Yours seems less war-like, but equally outlandish. We will see if your plan fares any better." Hashirama commented quietly.
They dispersed, and Wendy looked at me dryly.
'The Immortals. Really? That's the best you could come up with?'
I shrugged. "I didn't get picked by the Company for my naming sense."
Wendy sighed.
'The things I do for entertainment.'
Chapter 23
Naruko hadn't been sure what to expect, after a month of therapy and sessions with the Yamanaka Mind Healer, a pleasant man named Inoichi who had looked horrified at realizing his daughter Ino was practicing using T tactics on mentally provoking and breaking people down on others her age, but she hadn't expected Sayuri and Sakura to look… well, traumatized was the only word to describe it.
Sakura's long hair was cut short, her normally light make up conspicuously absent, her eyes scanning the training ground cautiously. She looked exhausted, and her outfit looked as if she had thrown it on in the last minute.
Sayuri looked even worse. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken, her black eyes looking almost dead. If not for her breathing and the barely conscious motions of her hands twitching toward where her kunai pouch used to be, Naruko would have thought she was dead.
"Hey guys, you okay?" Naruko asked slowly. One does not startle a shinobi.
Sakura burst into tears, and Sayuri just stared at Naruko, her normally aloof gaze now looking at Naruko as if she had never seen Naruko before.
"Kakashi-sensei didn't die, did he?" Naruko whispered, horror at the thought. After all, Kakashi had been the one to teach her how to escape from being tied against the post, even instructing her on how to flood chakra down into her hands clenching the ropes to shred them as a last ditch effort if she got trapped.
Kakashi spoke up behind her. "Naruko, I'm pleased to hear you were worried about my wellbeing, but nah, I'm fine. I had Sayuri and Sakura take turns pretending to be you for an espionage practice." Kakashi cheerfully said behind her.
Naruko went still. Terror, shock, and confusion went through her.
Sayuri spoke up quietly. "Naruko. I'm donating most of the Uchiha District for the needy and the orphans. Everything is built up to code. You can get first pick of the house you want."
Naruko's face flushed as she felt a sharp spike of embarrassment and gratitude. "Uh, thanks Sayuri but I'm already moving in with Shikamaru and the Nara Clan. I'll put a good word in for Tenten though!" She said cheerfully. Tenten was always one of the nicer orphans, and she ran the weapon shop often to pay rent. Hopefully it would help with that if she lived in one of the Uchiha houses.
Sayuri nodded solemnly. "I have great respect for you and your patience in not murdering the village. If that changes however, I suggest you approach me for help." She said with a monotone voice.
"Uh, thanks." Naruko said lamely. She wasn't sure how complaining to Sayuri about the village would help but maybe bonding with her over the annoyances in the village would help them grow as a team!
Sakura stopped sobbing, her green eyes filled with tears as she choked out. "I'm so sorry about your apartment." She bawled.
Naruko frowned. "You guys didn't burn down the complex, did you? Granted, the only thing I care about in the apartment is my book 'Tale of a Gutsy Ninja' and a photograph of me and my grandfather."
Sayuri winced. "I'm sorry Naruko. The book didn't survive."
Naruko sighed. "Damn. It's about that time of year for me to reread it too. It always felt like a good luck charm. It just appeared in my apartment one day. Worked great for reminding me to stick things through. Determination and all that." Naruko shrugged.
Kakashi spoke up, his voice rough. "I'll get you another one, signed by the author if I can." Naruko felt bad. Poor Kakashi had a cold.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." She smiled as Kakashi smiled back and nodded. Well, his eye sort of smiled? Close enough.
"Naruko. I need to know. How did you handle the icy cold water of the shower?" Sayuri interjected.
Naruko frowned. "What do you mean? I use the cold water to fill a pot. Throw it on the stove, gotta crank the heat to max or else it won't start, and also cause the cockroaches like to hide inside the oven beneath. Once the water boils, use some of the red gunk to mix. It dissolves in the boiling water. Strain it with a shredded paper bag, and now you have hot water. I prefer baths cause it's easier, but a string and a half shredded paper bag works if you want to make it a shower…"
Naruko's voice trailed off as Sayuri walked off to a random tree, and started stabbing it rather viciously. Repeatedly.
"Say, Naruko, I'm thinking you can work out a good deal with the Aburame on the bed bugs and the cockroaches. They're always on the lookout for rare and invasive species of insects. You could make some serious money. Same thing with the red gunk at the hospital… and T ." Kakashi said cheerfully.
Naruko's smile could've powered the village. "That's an awesome idea Kakashi-sensei! You're the best!" She crowed. That'd go a long way to paying Shikamaru back for the therapy sessions and the rent! She owed them so much backpay!
Kakashi nodded. "I am the best. I'm glad one of you acknowledged this. Now, today we're going on a light mission exercise. Naruko, I'm going to teach you how to turn a Shadow Clone into a bomb, and the more chakra you put into it, the bigger the explosion, and Sayuri/Sakura can learn to play their job of dodging the bomb."
Naruko decided today was the best day in Team 7 ever… eh, so far. She could always look forward to them all eating ramen with her in the future!
Sayuri whimpered as Sakura's face lost all color when Naruko recommended Ichiraku later.
Kakashi decided that it was an excellent idea for lunch. On Sayuri's dime this time, of course.
Chapter 24
Shino Aburame was a quiet teen. He knew most of the village were disturbed by his Clan's Kikaichu. He knew that his manner of speaking was odd, perhaps even strange. He knew that the odds of him finding someone he could consider a friend his own age outside the Clan was slim to none. It still hurt, but he had resigned himself to his fate, focusing on what he did best. Taking care of insects, and striving to do his family proud.
So it was to his surprise that Naruko Uzumaki approached him. After all, Naruko had not hidden her subtle shivers of disgust/terror/unease when he revealed that he did not in fact carry jars for his kikaichu. He was the 'jar' so to speak.
"Hey, Shino. Umm, I wanted to ask if you could stop by my apartment? I was hoping I could work out a deal between me and your Clan on the bed bugs and cockroaches I have trouble dealing with." Naruko admitted honestly, her face sheepish.
"Understandable. Why? Because Low-income housing is fraught with poor maintenance and infrastructure. Why? Because of poor funding. My father and I will stop by this afternoon."
Naruko's confusion at his speech pattern cleared up as she beamed at him. "Thanks Shino, you guys are awesome!" She ran off to who knows where.
Shino Aburame would deny to any who asked or pointed it out, but he felt his face flush as a small smile peeked out of his jacket collar.
Yes, he may have a hard time finding friends or comrades who didn't try to flee from him as soon as they could, but at least Shino Aburame could say he now had a friend his age.
Shibi and Shino approached Naruko's apartment, and they entered, considering it rather poorly made, but not unexpected.
It was Shibi who held a hand to Shino, stopping him from entering the apartment completely.
"Shino," Shibi rumbled, "we are leaving. Immediately. This apartment is now deemed a Class 5 Hazard. We will return wearing the proper materials, and follow the procedures accordingly. I will also bring a medic. Why? Because my kikaichu have found several decomposing animals in Naruko Uzumaki's water heater. As well as several having died immediately upon contact with the faucet."
Shino nodded with understanding as they swiftly left.
Hazard 1: no danger, mild to no hazards. Nominal conditions.
Hazard 2: some danger to civilians, no harm to Genin or higher Shinobi.
Hazard 3: Found to be containing mild to severe poisons, acids, or mixtures therein. Medic recommended, but not necessary if with the proper antidote or counter.
Hazard 4: Severe poisons, acids, and toxins. Approach with caution, and bring a medic. Civilians will die if they stay here within three to five days.
Hazard 5: Do Not Approach. Chakra-based Biohazard containment breach. Hokage and Jonin Only. Clones are recommended to avoid chakra exposure and contamination. Shadow Clones excluded!: Chakra contaminant may follow back to the original!
Shibi sent in a Kikaichu Clone, as had Shino to observe and remember the proper procedures for the future. The medic Shibi brought in was a Jonin, who grimly returned with several samples of red… Shino wasn't sure what to identify it as, only that he had to contain himself from running as far away from it as possible.
The bed bugs were found to be extremely resistant to the red substance, as well as the cockroaches. Subspecies of the bed bugs were found to gourge themselves on the blood, but not explode as expected.
Rather, the bed bugs would split in half, quickly regenerating into two bed bugs of nearly identical size and shape.
The cockroaches did not seem to require food, but rather seem to absorb the ambient chakra in the atmosphere. When given flesh or food, the cockroach would not eat it, but would instead spit a liquid that seemed to turn it into a liquid purple substance that the cockroach would drink.
Interestingly, the bed bugs and cockroaches shared a symbiosis. When bed bug numbers appeared too high, the bed bugs would sacrifice weaker and older bed bugs to the cockroaches to be consumed, and in turn the cockroaches would allow the bed bugs to lay eggs inside the same nests as the cockroaches.
The bed bugs were immune to every form of pesticide, insecticide, and even fire/acid would be shrugged off. Water would seem to drown them, but it seemed a form of Stasis as the bed bug would reawaken when the water disappeared.
The cockroaches were even more interesting. Crushing, burning, acid, insecticides, all seemed to work… except the cockroaches would regenerate their lost and damaged tissue. One even regrew a body with just its head and the other body grew a new head!
The DNA of both specimen indeed showed extreme changes and evolutionary adaptations, to such a degree that they were deemed utterly unique.
Shino was in awe of the fact that Naruko may not have been a fan of his kikaichu, not hating on insects in general as he had woefully assumed.
After all, only someone with extreme dedication to insect culture would subject themselves to so many generations of bed bugs and cockroaches, carefully cultivating them to reach the apex of their evolution before giving them to the Aburame Clan.
It was a priceless gift! One that the Aburame would have paid an entire colony of kikaichu's worth of weight in gold for!
Then the news only got even greater!
The kikaichu were not only fully compatible with both the bed bugs and the cockroaches, but had the capability to assimilate both into themselves without losing effectiveness! Such a unique Kikaichu colony would be capable of taking the Aburame into the S-class tier! A way to uplift the Clan to heights deemed impossible without the drawbacks of having to use living hives from other villages!
This was a momentous find! A once in a generation, no, once in a hundred year discovery!
Shibi knelt down and placed his hand on Shino's shoulder.
"To the outside world, Naruko is someone to be afraid of. To the outside world, Naruko is someone that strikes fear into many for acts not her own. To the Aburame, to us, she is considered an Honorary Aburame. She will be rewarded for her continual decade long sacrifice, and we will stand behind her when our time comes to whom we will let lead us as Hokage. Shino, she went to you because she trusted you. She sees you as a friend, a comrade."
Shibi's voice trembled slightly. Ever so slightly. The Aburame Clan trained hard to regulate their emotions. Why? Because hormone imbalance can mess with kikaichu development.
"I am proud of you, Shino Aburame. You have earned your right to be the first to name these species of kikaichu, and the first to carry them."
Shino was stunned. Only Jonin level Aburame were allowed to carry more than one hive of kikaichu. This was unheard of.
He paused for a moment. "Kikaichu Subspecies: Tyranids. For they will be an unstoppable tyrant to the Shinobi who deem us weak." Shino nodded to himself. That sounded right.
Shibi nodded. "Tyranids it is. Inform Naruko Uzumaki she is considered an Honorary Aburame, and her payment shall be three million yen. I will understand if she declines the payment as too low or absurd. Such a long decade of cultivation means such funds may seem cheap in comparison, which is why I will supplement it by giving a portion of our carefully cultivated bee hives to her as well."
Shino nodded. The honey the Aburame made was by far the sweetest, and the bees did not have stingers. They wouldn't be as vicious as the bed bugs and the cockroaches, but perhaps Naruko could yet surprise them a decade down the line with hyperactive bees that could surround their enemies and somehow kill them to death with vibrations alone.
That or relentlessly sting them with stingers until the prey collapsed in pain and agony, paralyzed as their nervous system shut down as they died in excruciating pain.
Shino was thankful that he had a friend in Naruko Uzumaki.
Oh, and the medic returned. The red stuff was apparently a living Biohazard that grew like a Slime mold out of chakra, and was considered another Biohazard 5 Class on its own. The hospital and the T department was very excited for different reasons on the substance and had gleefully patented the substance as 'Kyuubi Slime'.
Shino had been eager to know what made the substance valuable, but it was deemed an SS-rank substance. So classified that only the Hokage and the people who used it could know about it.
Perhaps Naruko could find a career as a Biohazard Creator. It seems she truly enjoys her work in the art of creating new weapons for Konoha and her allies. Shino mused to himself.
Chapter 25
The silence of the village was broken by the sound of running, gasps for air, and a silent crying as a man was running like his life depended upon it. His friend had already been grabbed, and he knew that the monster chasing them was after him next, the sound of whistling in the far distance seeming to echo through the silence. This area of the village had long since learned to keep to themselves, the poor and the orphans alike knowing well enough that if someone was being picked next for The Hunt, they knew better than to interfere.
The man couldn't even scream for help, the monster having cut his ability to speak. Tears fell down his face as he found himself staring at a wall, a dead end. There was nowhere left to run.
He turned, shaking, his eyes wide in fear as the whistling had stopped. The monster was here.
Spoiler: The monster
[img: https/cdn./images/characters/8/207883.jpg]
"Ho? What's wrong?" The monster's mocking voice echoed through the silence, the red eyes pinning him down as the monster's mocking grin grew.
"Can't say I'm not disappointed. I expected more from a retired Jonin, Mr. Hosuke." The monster purred.
The man couldn't even scream in pain as he felt his remaining leg crack in five separate places, his false leg torn off and shattered with ease. Wind Jutsu. I never stood a chance.
He didn't even fall, suspended in the air like a puppet, the monster slowly approaching him. "Now then, I think it's time you got a taste of what you all gave Ms. Uzumaki." The monster's grin vanished, a dark scowl as his red eyes glowed in the darkness.
The man felt a surge of drowsiness and all the adrenaline in the world couldn't keep his eyes open as the monster purred.
"Sweet dreams, Mr. Hosuke. I doubt you'll wake up. Greet Wendy for me, will you? Genjutsu: Nightmare Realm."
The sky turned red, the village darkened, and Mr. Hosuke couldn't even scream if he wanted to, as he felt his stomach burning from the inside, the hot agony of poison coursing through his veins as he collapsed, unable to do more than croak for help as her bathroom was too far, as she could feel her stomach wanted to tear itself out of her belly. It hurt so much.
Why did she think the nice man's tomatoes would've been any better than the markets?
The retired Jonin collapsed, trapped in the Genjutsu. Wearing the guise of Accelerator was fitting, as I practiced on using the more horrifying abilities of Accelerator when on the hunt for these animals, these scum.
"Oh, out for a walk too?" I turned to see Kakashi Hatake, his headband lifted up, the Sharingan spinning silently as his eyes crinkled. "I can't say I disapprove, Shikamaru, but don't forget to leave a Shadow Clone at your bedside for an alibi." The white haired Copy Cat ninja whistled. "Impressive Genjutsu, very nice. Using the five senses to recreate traumatic memories. I might need to remember that for future walks. Kabuto, take Mr. Hosuke with us. He'll be perfectly fine with the rest at T for new studies."
Kabuto nodded with approval as he walked around me, picking up Mr. Hosuke. "Good work, Mr…?" Kabuto trailed off quietly.
"Accelerator." I answered bluntly, smiling coldly. "I believe you'll find five of Mr. Hosuke's friends about three or four blocks to the right. He and his group of friends were bragging about the things they thought they could get away with Ms. Uzumaki. Including destroying a certain book in her apartment by using her landlord's key." I commented lowly.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as a brief sense of cold fury incarnate washed over the area before he smiled. "Appreciate the tip, Mr. Accelerator. We'll be going now. Enjoy the walks throughout the village." He said cheerfully as they left.
I nodded. Let's see, that's about fifty so far this week. A good haul. Can't show up at the same times and nights too frequently unless they start complaining to the Hokage about a serial killer. Hmm, I'll wait until next Tuesday, been about three and a half weeks since I've done a Tuesday night. I'm thinking on the richer side of the village, since this side is cleaning up pretty nicely. I think I'll pay Ms. Otogawa a visit since she's Naruko's landlord.
I chuckled darkly. Yes, this truly does help me feel better.
A cough echoed and I turned to see mom smiling at me, drenched in blood and shadows. Her hands were covered in gore, bits of muscles and bone sticking to sharp claws made of shadows. "Oh, you remind me so much of my son. Please, remember to get some sleep tonight." She said cheerfully. "I've been enjoying some enthusiastic walks on the other side of the village, but it's always nice to have company."
"It is indeed. I am Accelerator." I 'introduced' myself.
"Yoshino Nara, pleased to meet you Accelerator. I'm thinking of stopping by a certain bank that seemed to have lost some of my daughter's funds. Care to join me for a late night stroll?" Mom said sweetly.
My eyes narrowed as a dark grin crossed my face. "Absolutely, I think that would be delightful, Mrs. Nara."
What can I say? Sometimes it was fun going on a midnight walk with family and friends.
Chapter 26
"It is time. Are you ready, Yakumo?" I asked her, the realm of the Social Club no longer a muddled array of colors and shifting landscapes, instead now replaced by a large blood red moon, and the ground was completely gone, replaced instead by a vast series of lights, each light representing a mind within my retinue.
[Inexhaustible. -140.
Template Stacking I: [Alex Mercer [Prototype] for Shikamaru Nara. -80.
Template Stacking II: [Alex Mercer [Prototype] for Shikamaru Nara. -20.
Template Stacking I: [Izuku Midoriya/Deku [My Hero Academia] for Naruko Uzumaki. -20.
Template Stacking I: [All For One [My Hero Academia] for Naruko Uzumaki. -60.
Template Stacking II: [All For One [My Hero Academia] for Naruko Uzumaki. -20.
33 Credits Remaining.]
Yakumo Kurama continued to gaze at the large red moon, her eyes equally red with Itachi's Mangekyo reflected in it. "I am." She affirmed. Over a month of practice and learning had gone into perfecting her mastery over Itachi's Mangekyo.
The moon's red glow began to burn brighter, a black shadow carving over the moon's surface, the reflection of the Mangekyo upon it's surface.
Red chains grew from the moon down into each light around us, with a red chain wrapped around Yakumo's hand as she stretched out to grab it, and I did the same with the other red chain as it manifested.
Inexhaustible works by ensuring one's internal energies never expires, and can be passed along to those I possess a Soul Bond with. This means my retinue, and those I've bound a Contract with, are now no longer limited to the limits of one's chakra reserves.
Tsukuyomi. The Mangekyo Technique that allows one to experience centuries in a single moment.
Reversed Cursed Technique. The ability to heal by multiplying one's Cursed Energy.
Social Club. The ability to manifest dreams into reality for those to whom I have bound to me, merge reality with a dream, and swap what one considers a dream, and what one considers reality.
Yakumo's Bloodline Limit. The ability to make Genjutsu feel so realistic that the brain tricks the body into considering it reality.
Alex Mercer's Hive Mind, the ability to regenerate flesh at the viral level, alongside the ability to pass on one's abilities at the biological level through his Evolved.
Izuku Midoriya's One For All was only needed at the base level with it's ability to store quirks and energy at the meta level, due to it's Stockpile nature, in conjunction with the Hive Mind ensures that the physical death of one member does not lead to True Death. All For One's ability to absorb and understand Quirks alongside the ability to give Quirks can now be passed on through One For All. If my theory is correct, then not only does the quirk get passed on, but remnant's of one mindset, is also passed on.
Because why train each person individually to my level when I can simply give them a copy of myself to do the training for them, and keep an eye on them at the same time? With these abilities, I don't need the Outsider Heritage, the Transhumanism, the Mastermind. I stand above them all as an Entity unto oneself. As long as I don't get cocky.
This was a momentous act. One I'd been preparing for ever since I read Social Club's description thoroughly. This was where we stand as fully capable Tier 8's.
Every single member would now be capable of at least being a Tier 7. Bloodline Limits included, for bloodline limits are what you are born with, and quirks are the same thing, so to All For One, this world is a feast for the taking.
Naruko's moans echoed off the walls as I sucked on her clit, her heavy panting and mewling as she couldn't even muster the words to say anything as I gave one final suck, her back arching as she screamed in release, willingly giving me her everything as she came, her juices tasting absolutely divine as I gulped it down as much as possible.
The quirks of One For All and All For One followed, and the sheer power was absolutely delicious as my own Reversed Curse Technique healed the internal damage as my body adjusted to the insane power of both quirks in one body. Alex Mercer's Blacklight eagerly combed through both of the quirks' biological process, the differences between my brain prior to the quirks' arrival and after, and recreating copies of the physical changes as I lunged up to kiss Naruko hard as she moaned eagerly into my mouth, her hips pushing against me as she tried to push how needy she was to have me inside her, her eyes red as she pushed me over and mounted me, her hips slamming hard against me as she howled in another orgasm.
We passed the quirks between each other, albeit mostly because it gave the orgasms a rush that they didn't have without the process. At some point, Naruko had fully reveled in her Blacklight transformation, her claws lengthening as she roared in orgasm, her pussy clenching around me even tighter as she vibrated, her eyes flickering between colors as she lost control of herself briefly.
The process of passing the Quirks wasn't nearly the same with the others, as I first infected each member with Blacklight with a vial of blood, and then passed the Quirks along once they adjusted to becoming my Evolved. Yakumo had embraced her transformation, growing large horns similar to Ido's, but her face unchanged as she seemed to revel in the power exchange.
Blacklight alone could not infect in a dream, but the Quirk of One For All's Stockpile carried the essence of Blacklight inside it as I was the previous carrier, retroactively making the Blacklight virus transformation physically present. With Tsukuyomi and Yakumo's Bloodline alongside One For All, the brain would order the cells to create new proteins and new changes for the Blacklight virus to be induced, a form of infection.
I had been the first to obtain One For All and All For One, for a reason, because my fragmentary self would act as a filter for the memories and abilities for each Quirk and with each member absorbed into the Hive Mind, all were in effect a part of me, and that allowed my other self to filter through the memories and knowledge, keeping each individual from being overwhelmed and losing their sense of self.
My other self would also lock away knowledge and abilities that wasn't deemed fully ready to be dispersed for the use of the Hive, as Accelerator's power was more of a danger to others if not trained appropriately or used with caution. With this, bloodline limits were no longer limits at all, but amplifications of the whole. The abilities of Accelerator and Gojo Satoru were locked off, but the rest was deemed relatively safe.
Training, knowledge, skills, understanding, was all shared through the mixture of the Hive Mind, the One For All and All For One, and Yakumo's greatly amplified Tsukuyomi, all under the umbrella of Social Club.
Kurama and Isobu, though they were beings made of energy and not true flesh in a sense, were still amplified by All For One and One For All, and thus gained flesh through Blacklight. It was a perversion of Ninshu of the highest order, as understanding was now centralized as a source of power and biological process through Blacklight. Peace through Power and Understanding.
While they still retained their status as bijuu, they were no longer limited by it either. They were now unique entities unto themselves.
With the absorption of the bijuu into the Hive Mind, came an understanding on how to convert chakra into flesh, and back. An instinctual process that the bijuu went through when their Jinchuriki died, was now unlocked, understood, and passed along to the rest.
The two centuries ended with a mastery of skills and abilities, an understanding of how they could wield their powers, baked into the subconscious of their psyche as Social Club allowed me to tweak what could be remembered of the dreams. They would remember nothing consciously.
I preserve their individuality, but raised them to the apex of the abilities between all my retinue. A Gift of both understanding and power.
Sage of Six Paths, this is how you achieve Peace. Understanding without Power renders you unable to enact change when change is necessary without the force to ensure it is possible. Power without Understanding gives it no focus, no direction, and it is easily molded to be directed at the behest of those who hold malicious intentions on how that Power is used.
Peace through Power and Understanding. Peace through conflict and negotiation. One cannot have one without the other.
Through this, I enact my will upon this world! And every world hereafter!
Through all the heavens. Through all the earths. Through all the Hells. Through all the universes I step into from here on after.
I, alone, am the Honored One. But, I am more than the Honored One.
For I am Many. For I am One. For I am All.
I am Meraki.
The Third Hokage sat across from Gojo Satoru, the Hokage desk and hat absent.
Gojo's blue eyes seemed to pierce through the frozen world around them as the Honored One spoke.
"I've bequeathed a Gift to you and those I've deemed worthy. This gift will be considered an… upgrade of sorts to you and yours. You will wake up in your prime, and many abilities and bloodlines once lost to you will be awakened, as well as to those who have been given my gift. You can explain this all away as a subtle S-rank area of effect Jutsu that Tobirama Senju had hidden away that was recently realized when Naruko Uzumaki stumbled across it in Training Ground 7. It's considered a one-time event. A Fuinjutsu that has fully ensured Konoha's survival. His final gift to you all."
Hiruzen found himself flummoxed, and wary. He had not been the Hokage through two wars for nothing, even if he despised the position.
"And what's the price of this Gift?" Hiruzen said warily.
The Honored One snorted. "Already paid. I take care of what's mine, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
The Third Hokage nodded slowly. It was not his place to question the Honored One, but he trusted the man to be selfishly motivated to protect his interests.
Wendy nodded with satisfaction to herself.
Meraki. To put one's soul into one's works. A labor of love, normally for creative purposes. Truly rather poignant for a Mortal Lover of mine. I may have underestimated how far he thought ahead on this. I have already bound myself to not interfere beyond the shell of this world's Shinigami, but this is truly exciting.
The birth of a Truth, a God in mortal flesh. Truly, I cannot wait to mount you myself, Meraki.
Wendy licked her lips as she had to control herself from appearing in front of him and feeling his hands on her horns as she sucked him dry.
A Mortal Lover that could not be driven insane was one thing. A Truth was another thing entirely. A being that embodied a Concept wrapped in mortal flesh. How enticing.
She almost wanted to drag the other bijuu and the mortal who carried around the body of the bijuu to let him finish the job, but alas, she had sworn an oath to not interfere.
She could wait. Mounting a Truth was worth the wait.
She shivered as she clenched her thighs, growling lowly in the silent forest.
Chapter 27
Amegakure. The Land of Rain.
The rain never seemed to end here, drenching everything in an icy cold downpour.
The ground was muddy, the very land almost absent of vegetation aside from moss.
Tobi said nothing to the others, his orange mask replaced by a blank white mask with two open holes to allow the Sharingan to peer through. The man's chakra was methodical, but bereft of any inner motion. Tobi was bound by the Contract, but he was merely going through the motions.
Minato Namikaze's icy cold blue eyes showed no remorse or sorrow to what had happened to his former student. His former student had cost him his life, his wife, and even his hopes in the village he had once ruled over.
The blonde hair was dyed black, and the cloak of the Hokage was replaced by a simple black cloak with the only insignia on it being a moon on one side and the sun on the other.
Shisui Uchiha was absent, having been moved to a different location to recruit Itsuki Uchiha, his girlfriend back from when he was alive.
Hashirama Senju stood in his iconic armor. He was the open face of the operation. The First Hokage had been an open pacifist, at least by shinobi standards, so no doubt Pain would at the very least be interested in talking with the man who had a hand created the current broken system of the Five Great Villages.
Hashirama stood carefree in the rain as it soaked his armor and his skin, a carefree smile on his face.
"Mito, this rain reminds me of you." Hashirama said wistfully. The chakra that suffused the rain was masterful, a form of surveillance that rivaled Mito's own Grand Detection Barrier that she had made for Konoha when she arrived.
The rain slowed to a stop, and Hashirama Senju frowned as he saw the seven bodies. Six of them shared the exact same chakra signature, and one did not.
"Why has the long dead First Hokage come to Amegakure?" Pain asked coldly, his rippled eyes betraying the Rinnegan.
"I've heard you are the man to talk to about peace. Madara had his own vision of peace. I had my own vision of peace. Neither of us was successful. I wished to hear yours." Hashirama said honestly.
Konan stilled, her cold face betrayed by her chakra wavering between hope, curiosity, and fear.
"You created the Five Great Villages system. You gathered and then gave out the nine bijuu to the other nations for money. Your vision of peace led to the utter destruction and generational agony of my home and nation. I don't think you've earned the right to ask me about my vision." Pain said with hostility, his eyes narrowed.
Hashirama nodded sadly. "I know. I know, and, I'm sorry, Uzumaki. The price paid is too much, too high. All I ask, is that I meet you and talk to you as kin. Senju and Uzumaki, we are family. 'Family above all else' is the motto of the Uzumaki." He said quietly.
Pain's eyes hardened. Konan's chakra twisted in pain at her friend's reaction.
"Please. Do not do this. This is too close to your nation's homes. Too close to your village. Do not fight me, Uzumaki. For Mito's sake!" Hashirama begged.
"A God has no family." Pain said coldly. A surge of chakra exploded into the body, and Hashirama Senju cried as a blast of chakra hit him.
The blast of the chakra did nothing more than make him stumble, and Hashirama could feel his tears fall into the rain below.
I'm so sorry, Mito. I tried. I really did.
His hands clasped together as his Sage Mode activated.
"Mokuton: Great Forest Emergence."
Then the ground exploded apart in forest and trees, rapidly swallowing up the muddy ground and the trees sucking up all chakra in every living thing it could touch.
The Preta Path stood in front of the Naraka Path, but it couldn't absorb the trees for any longer than a moment as it turned to stone, petrified as the trees ruthlessly crushed the body as it ensnared and consumed the Naraka Path in the same motion.
The Animal Path didn't even get the chance to summon anything as it saw only the briefest moments of a black flicker, and a rasengan into its skull.
The Human Path was easily crushed, by the large thick roots reaching out from under it and dragging it into the ground, never to surface again.
The Asura Path's arms opened to reveal laser cannons, it's head likewise opening up to reveal an even larger laser priming to fire.
It wasn't fast enough to dodge the large green flower that poured acid on top of it, the acid melting through metal and bone as the Asura Path became molten sludge.
The Deva Path had barely recharged its abilities in time and had launched itself high into the air, hovering over the ground as the Deva Path debated releasing a large Shinra Tensei in the area below.
It never had the chance, it's body jerking violently as something seemed to eating it from the inside out as it fell out of the sky, collapsing on a tree with a harsh thud.
"This body will be of interest to the Honored One." Tobi commented coldly, the mokuton growing out of his arm severing the spinal cord of the long dead Yahiko's corpse. One blink, and the body was gone.
In less than a minute, the Six Paths of Pain had lost.
Konan trembled in fear as she saw Nagato's eyes closed in defeat. "Konan. Whatever happens, thank you for being my friend and being with me from the beginning." Nagato said quietly.
Konan shouted at him. "No! Don't say that! We can leave, they don't know where you are! We can try again."
Nagato laughed rasply. "No, Konan. They are already here."
Step. Step. Step.
Hashirama Senju stepped into the dim light, his Sage Mode still active as he looked devastated at Nagato.
"Kin, your body is mutilated! Mito would have my head if I didn't treat you!" Hashirama's voice of stunned horror echoed in the silence.
Nagato snorted. "There is nothing to be done, and you don't need to lie to me, Senju. Where was our kin in the Second Shinobi War when Uzushiogakure was being raided by all four of the Great Villages? Where was our kin when my mother had to flee to the Land of Rain to evade death, only to meet death at the hands of Konoha shinobi!" Nagato spat.
Hashirama's eyes darkened and Konan felt her throat catch as she couldn't breath. The feeling of nature pressing in on all sides, of fungi growing in the lungs as she wheezed and begged for air, of the horror and silent begging for death as the fungi took over her body and piloted her like a meatsuit, as it tore through her eyes and face. The feeling of tree roots drinking her blood slowly as it fed off of her wounds for weeks on end as she begged for a quicker death.
"Tell me if they yet live, and I will avenge your parents." Hashirama vowed darkly.
The feelings vanished and Konan struggled to maintain her composure as all she wanted to do was cry.
Nagato looked puzzled. "I… don't understand." He said slowly. "You would kill Konoha shinobi for what they did to my family? Why?" He clarified at Hashirama's solemn nod.
Hashirama's smile lit up the room as he sighed with nostalgia.
"Mito Uzumaki believed that family came first, above all else. As a young man, I had convinced myself that the village was my family, but when little Susano'o was born, I had my worldview shattered like glass."
Hashirama's voice darkened. "The village judged my son, little Susano'o, for not wanting to be a shinobi. He wanted to be a chef. He loved making food. He loved growing food. He cared nothing for the shinobi way of life. My village did not like that. They bullied him, they kept trying to mock him, kept trying to lie to me about his grades. My son nearly committed suicide at the hands of my village, because he became convinced that him not being a shinobi was a dishonor on me."
"I nearly killed them all." Hashirama's voice echoed, his green eyes glowing as the entire village of Amegakure shook. In the distance, an old rusted skyscraper in the edge of the village was suddenly being grabbed by a large tree that grew around it and squeezed, the screeching sound of rusted metal being crushed and shredded apart until it collapsed into the distance with a large crashing sound in the distance.
A deep breath. The shaking stopped.
"I announced to the village that the Senju Clan was to be dissolved. All my clansmen were encouraged to marry into other Clans and civilians. I announced to them all that being a shinobi is never a requirement, and that I was honored my son felt safe enough to follow his dreams of being a chef in my home. That anyone who made fun of my son, anyone who tried to convince him that he could dishonor me in any way, would feel my wrath as I drove a stake through them and left them to die hanging for days as the bark drained them of life."
Hashirama's glowing green eyes gazed at Nagato, who looked shaken.
"Do not doubt me. I am a peaceful man, but I am not a man to be pushed around for the sake of peace. My hearing you out is a courtesy, kinsman, not a requirement. I was brought back to life by another who shares our vision of truth, but his vision doesn't rely in jutsu to do it."
Nagato blinked, frowning.
"How?" Nagato said doubtfully.
A whisper of motion, and Konan moved to defend Nagato, fear soaking her every muscle, yet she still acted anyway.
Except, it wasn't a motion to attack.
A man appeared in front of them, his white hair and tall frame reminding them of Kakashi Hatake, with the exception of those glowing blue eyes.
"Who are you?" Nagato demanded weakly, his Rinnegan eyes widening in what Konan could only recognize as fear and concern.
"I am here to offer you and Konan a Contract, a way for peace. I intend to destabilize and destroy the Daimyo and the nobles that hold the wealth of the Great Five Villages. With no income, the Great Five cannot wage their wars. I intend to up trade between all the Nations to ensure that wars seems unprofitable and unreasonable to the masses. I have already captured Iwa, Kiri, and Konoha. Suna is nowhere strong enough, and Kumo is setting up it's own downfall."
Nagato's eyes narrowed. "How can you be sure your path to peace is the right one?" He rasped.
The man waved to his left, and Nagato and Konan both stiffened as an orange haired young man coughed as he waved at Nagato and Konan.
"Hey, Nagato. Konan. I've heard that there's been a lot going on in the Akatsuki these days. I hope you guys have been okay without me." Yahiko said solemnly, his face showing a tentative nervous grin to Nagato and Konan.
Konan's face turned red with absolute rage as she turned to the man, ready to attempt to kill him here and now except Nagato… shook his head?
"Yahiko is real. He's alive. The man somehow brought back Yahiko alive and well despite not having the Rinnegan." He muttered to Konan, whose face drained of all color as Yahiko nodded solemnly.
"I'm sorry for how much pain my death caused all of you. I just thought I was doing the right thing." Yahiko said quietly.
"Is that proof enough, Nagato Uzumaki?" The man said abruptly.
Nagato nodded, and Konan blinked as two pieces of paper appeared in front of them. "Sign it, and then I'll restore your body back to it's prime, Nagato Uzumaki."
The piece of paper was absurd, but Nagato had already signed it without a second glance, and so, reluctantly, Konan also signed it. Where Nagato went, she followed.
The machine snapped apart as Nagato found himself on his feet, the rods he'd had impaled in his back for many years now gone as he found himself standing on his own two legs with ease, like he'd never lost them.
"Who are you?" Konan whispered. Even Nagato had resigned himself to this contraption from the Gedo Statue.
"I am Meraki. I will return in a few month's time for the Gedo Statue, and I will call for you then. In the mean time, you will find I may send you or Nagato on a recruitment for the Akatsuki, and some other missions in the background. It was a pleasure meeting you face to face."
The man vanished, and abruptly Konan found herself being hugged by Yahiko.
"Konan, I don't want to die a virgin again." Yahiko whispered into her ear.
She sighed as she turned into paper, reforming several feet away as Yahiko pouted at her.
"Yep, that's Yahiko alright." She groaned to Nagato, who laughed in the background, a smile tugging on her lips as Nagato sounded more care-free and happy than he'd been in decades.
Thank you, Meraki.
Chapter 28
[Pain [Nagato Uzumaki]. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Konan. God's Angel. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Yahiko. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Jiraiya. The Toad Sage. Signed and Sealed Capture. 45.
Itsuki Uchiha. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
225 Credits Remaining.]
Alex Mercer's Hive Mind was a surprisingly efficient thing to behold, being as it took on many aspects of the Social Club. Less a collection of minds, than it was a collection of memories, experiences, and emotions . I hadn't taken into account that One For All greatly amplifies and expands the powers of each Quirk as it was passed on, and that included Blacklight, which it sort of saw as a Quirk due to it's unique nature.
Blacklight was more akin to the Agents from the Matrix now, a subtle but powerful pseudo-mind that could dictate orders, follow missives, and could create copies of itself even out of nothing but chakra so long as a person in my retinue was within the area thanks to having both Kurama and Isobu into the Hive Mind. While each copy of Blacklight was still directed by me, as I am Blacklight, the virus was truly something more akin to a reality warping entity.
I could now appear in any of my retinue members, switching their consciousness and their body with my own, at any time. Simply by willing it so, I could create a copy of myself next to them simply by their bodies emitting viral particles into the air as I could take those tiny pieces and use chakra to create a new body for the other me. A new form of Shadow Clone, a True Clone, a living flesh and blood copy that didn't weaken itself by splitting myself in two like Mu did in the Fourth Shinobi War.
That had been just one of the changes I had inadvertently made during that process. The synergies between Accelerator and Gojo had always been there, but both were limited by the neurological process of a single human brain. No matter how intelligent, no matter how powerful that processing speed, all of it was dictated by a single brain, a single mind. A weakness that could be exploited.
A weakness no longer. Though the abilities of Accelerator and Gojo had been locked away from the other retinue members for their own, and others, safety, I was still able to piggyback off of the processing power of my entire retinue whose minds had been altered and expanded to equal my own. A brain that had the processing speed of Accelerator.
42 Minds of Accelerator all working in one Network. The Accelerator Network.
I was no longer a Tier 7. I wasn't even a Tier 8.
I was a Tier 9. A Tier 9 is, at base, Planet-level. This is generally the point where the capital-G Gods are at. This was without obtaining the Rinnegan, nor bringing Kaguya into my retinue. With both, I could place myself easily on Tier 10, being that Tier 10's are fully capable of manipulating, influencing, and altering things on a planet scale with ease, and with abilities generally considered impossible to do.
That didn't mean I was infallible. I was sure to remind myself that there are beings out there that make Tier 10's look like Tier 1's. The idea of being this powerful is a nice form of insurance in a world like Naruto, but this would be of little help in a world like WH-40K where I was certain the Chaos Gods were easily Tier Y's. I am not invulnerable, I am not unkillable.
The thing that kills Contractors is arrogance and overconfidence. Do not fall into that trap.
Still, I couldn't help but smile. I was thankful my idea paid off. I did not trust the Company when it came to Heritages. If the deals seem too good to be true, it probably is.
Dragon Heritage makes you powerful, but you will spend a lot of time guarding your harem, I mean, your hoard, as you struggle to raise them to your Tier.
Transhumanism is great for expanding one's skillset or power on a biological, cybernetic, or spiritual level, and can ease the elevating of your retinue, but there's the rub. You can only choose one unless you want to start spending IMG Tickets. It also leaves you vulnerable in the beginning, as well as toward the end if an enemy can figure out your Transhumanism specialty and counter it.
Outsider is another way to make you something outside of reality and still fully capable of interacting with the world, but your very nature draws suspicion and concern, and good luck dealing with being a very small fish in a big ocean if you end up in a place where the spiritual takes an Eldritch twist, because the Chaos Gods would happily chew on the Outsider as a snack.
Every Heritage has drawbacks, every Heritage limits you in some way, because the price paid for an easy ladder for power is that you are stuck if the ladder is burned under you, and you have no way to get off.
So I chose something different. To form my own Heritage, without relying on a Heritage. Blacklight is quite similar to Transhumanism and the Primal Shroud. Signed and Sealed can allow one to bind even one's soul to the binder with the right worded Contract, and HypnosSocial Club allows a fiat-backed private realm that transcends even the astral plane, and allows a connection from me to them regardless of if they live or die. With All For One and One For All, passing along one's biological abilities without killing and consuming the individual becomes not only feasible, but preferable, as One For All amplifies the 'Quirks' of those it has carried over time, while All For One can give an instinctive understanding on how those Quirks work, as well as regulates them to ensure they don't kill the hosts of One For All.
With the bijuu, I can even connect this beyond a biological level, as Blacklight is no longer merely a physical virus, but a mental and spiritual one as well.
[Template Stacking I: [Dragon [Worm] for Shikamaru Nara. -160.
65 Credits Remaining.]
And now a cybernetic virus as well.
The processing speeds of Dragon was a joke in comparison to Accelerator and Gojo, but her aptitude as a Tinker was nothing to scoff at. At a Tier 4, the power is untrained, and barely viable for use, but already it was being put to use as by technically speaking the Blacklight virus would be considered an invention by a Tinker, considering Alex Mercer had created the Blacklight out of Redlight.
Another session of utilizing Tsukuyomi alongside the Social Club and everything else would go a long way to not only mastering the Dragon Template, but also adding in the Rinnegan as well as the Paper based Jutsu Konan was capable of using. In conjunction with the Ink Style utilized by Sai, it would be a nightmare to face in battle. Paper created Paths, alongside the ability of creating neural duplicates of oneself using the Dragon Template and a Shadow Clone as a base.
My smile widened.
Truly, one must be frightened when a Nara is motivated.
The Third Hokage puffed his pipe, a large grin on his face.
By law, the Hokage could not interfere with civilian business affairs unless it had to do with one of his shinobi, in order to encourage the masses to move to Konoha back when it was founded.
You fucked up, Ms. Otogawa, and Mr. Kobayashi. Messing with Naruko's apartment while she was a civilian is one thing, but as a shinobi? Now you've made it my business.
Mr. Kobayashi had nothing to do with Naruko's apartment, per say, but he did have control over Naruko's bank account that she had been lawfully given as a shinobi of Konoha. Internal red flags popped up when the Hokage sent Teuchi to investigate the books on the backend, and Naruko's bank account was smaller than it should have been.
Despite the missions and a lot of the backpay that the Third Hokage graciously transferred from the civilians years ago that had failed to turn up to Konoha's courts to answer for the crimes against Naruko Uzumaki, it was a third of the size it should have been. And several orphans and Jonin accounts showed similar errors.
Someone was skimming money from my shinobi.
Naturally, his ever so dutiful shinobi had already taken things to task. Again, legally, the Hokage could do nothing other than hand a notice to the Daimyo in the capital of the Land of Fire if he had to deal with civilians, but, as always, his shinobi were far more, shall we say, practical on these matters.
Mr. Kobayashi had tragically fallen ill several days ago and left a last will and testament to transfer all of his assets and funds to Naruko Uzumaki. How generous of him.
So, Naruko got all of her money back, and now technically owns a bank. Of course, this would technically be illegal, as shinobi had to have all income not related to their jobs as shinobi documented separately to ensure the Hokage couldn't just reach in and take it, but Naruko Uzumaki wasn't the owner of the bank, as the bank was now under the Nara Trust, who would hold onto it until Naruko reached her majority. Privately, the Third Hokage suspected Naruko would happily marry Shikamaru and let the Nara keep the bank, but that wasn't his decision to make.
And, if, for some reason, the Nara Clan started using the bank to invest into a lot of the civilian sectors of the economy, well, the Third Hokage couldn't do anything about it. Clans had their own separate laws and regulations entirely, so it wasn't like the Third could do anything if the Hyuga complained, not unless they wanted to open up a generational case on familial slavery.
The Third Hokage smiled.
I should really give Shikamaru a bonus on his last mission. Turns out he might have killed a little known S-rank missing ninja in that minor village after all.
Chapter 29
"May we talk, Shikamaru Nara?"
The sound of an old man's voice startled me from my musings, since I was in the middle of eating ramen with Naruko at home, that I made of course.
I blinked as I found myself staring at an older man with a beard and two Rinnegan staring at me, a slight smile on his lips.
"Or perhaps I should refer to you by your more spiritual self, Meraki?" Hagoromo Otsutsuki spoke once more with amusement.
"Meraki is fine. So, what brings the famous, or infamous in some matters, Sage of Six Paths to little old me?" I asked dryly.
The old man snorted. "You did. The gathering of Asura and Indra's chakra into your… rather unique skillset caused a bleed effect. You would have gained my eyes at the end of your life, but you skipped the process by obtaining and disseminating my eyes throughout you and yours."
I nodded. "So, are you asking to join my little gang?" I asked carefully.
To my surprise, the old man leaned his head back and laughed for several moments.
"I'm sorry, it's just been so long since I've met anyone who actually offered me anything. Most of the time, the people I connected in this manner tend to ask for power or to have me return to the living to guide others to peace." The old man finally said, wiping tears from his face, a grin on his face.
"In a way, I am here to shorten your stay in my universe. I am willing to disperse your contracts to all the rest of my children in exchange for taking my mother away from this universe." The old man clarified.
I snorted. "I was already going to do that. Your mom needs some serious therapy and some time away might do her some good."
Hagoromo nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Then, I will offer a deal on top of it. I will willingly enter into your services so long as you don't try to rule over the world as a God-King." The old man said seriously.
I paused for a moment. "Does not openly ruling as a God-King count? Cause I don't like the paperwork and I'm not sticking around longer than three to five ish years here. Might leave a permanent Clone here, but that's about it." I offered as an olive branch.
Hagoromo nodded. "I only know of the contracts because of Kurama and Isobu, so give me an edited contract with my terms and consider it done."
Chakra molded into paper, and ink appeared on the paper as I passed it to him.
The old man read the contract, nodded in satisfaction at seeing his condition right there in print, and casually used his Rinnegan to create a writing utensil to sign his name.
[Hagoromo Otsutsuki. The Sage of Six Paths. Signed and Sealed Capture. 140.
Shukaku. The Ichibi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Matatabi. The Nibi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Son Goku. The Yonbi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Kokuo. The Gobi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Saiken. The Rokubi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Chomei. The Nanabi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Gyuki. The Hachibi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.
Fuu. Jinchuriki of the Nanabi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
715 Credits Remaining.]
"Was this another test?" I asked dryly.
Hagoromo laughed. "Of a sorts. My children have been abused by mankind for too long, so they are a distrustful sort at the best of times. Getting a contract from me is far easier for them to accept than from a human, even if its a human that intends to see them free to be left alone by the world."
I shrugged. "Well, yeah. I'm not one to try and use them for power. Too much work, and it's such a drag. The shinobi will be obsolete in a couple generations anyway."
Hagoromo nodded, his Rinnegan eyes glinting with amusement. "Yes, and it's certainly not to protect my children's descendants from being mistreated and used by the cold ignorant world around them?" The old man's amusement was palpable.
"No, not at all. That's just a happy coincidence." I said cheerfully.
"Hmph. You'll find that each Rinnegan naturally awakened obtains an ability unique to each user. For yours, the ability is oddly fitting."
Ikigai. The ability to infuse my chakra into reality and mold it into whatever I desired or needed. Basically, a version of Creation of All Things, except my version were also extensions of myself that I could alter or recall to myself to return to energy as needed.
"Ikigai. That which gives your life worth or meaning. I suppose you truly reached enlightenment, Meraki, given that the Rinnegan's unique ability shows your true self." Hagoromo mused.
I nodded. "Thank you, Hagoromo. Now if there isn't any other reality altering discussions, I'd like to get back to my ramen."
Hagoromo nodded in return, smiling gently. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my very long life, Meraki. I'm glad to say that meeting you was not one of them."
I blinked and I was again back at home, eating ramen as Naruko looked at me eagerly for another bowl.
"Wait until everyone has eaten their first bowl, Naruko." I said dryly, and dad laughed as Naruko pouted at me for making her wait.
Now all that's left is the Gedo Statue. Right before I use Body Tune-Up, I'll feed the Black Zetsu to Wendy, and then that'll be that, aside from whatever else I want to do in this universe. I know Naruto had a lot of movies and filler, but I don't remember any of them. Definitely sticking around until the Chunin Exams, if only cause I can at least smack down the Raikage and Orochimaru.
To think it's only been a couple months. Time flies when having fun, or at the very least amassing a shit load of credits.
I relented as I grabbed Naruko's bowl to grab her more, hiding a smile as she cheered me on for changing my mind. Mom shook her head at me.
"What are you going to do if you have a daughter, Shikamaru?" She teased. Naruko's face turned red as she paused in her cheering.
"Spoil her rotten and leave the reprimanding bit to Naruko." I commented dryly as I handed Naruko her second bowl.
Naruko's face drained of blood at the idea of having to deal with a younger version of herself.
Dad snorted, hiding his laughter behind a cough as he wheezed.
Mom nodded slowly. "Yes, that seems fair. As long as you back her up on her punishments like a good husband." She glared pointedly at dad, who continued to wheeze as Naruko looked at me with the most helpless expression on her face.
I shrugged. "Hey, I can't help you. My daughter would have me wrapped around her finger from day one, no genjutsu needed."
Naruko turned to mom, who snorted.
"Grandparent privileges, sweetie. We're spoiling our grandchildren rotten."
Naruko moaned in defeat as she went back to eating her ramen. Then sighed as she looked up, her eyes bright with determination.
"I'll be the best mom ever. Beli-." I cut her off with a swift kiss, her face flushing as I stopped her from talking before pulling away.
"No. The words "believe it" and "dattebayo" are banned from your mouth." I said flatly.
Naruko's face turned red as she went back to eating her ramen silently, mumbling about how she totally wasn't going to say that.
Dad stared at me, stared at Naruko, and then looked at mom.
"Next time you start yelling at me about a chore I haven't done, I'm kissing you senseless." He swore.
Mom growled, her eyes narrowed as she bit her lip for a moment.
"Words are cheap, darling. Prove it." She purred.
"Get a room." I said dryly.
To my surprise, dad didn't even blink as he seemed to pick mom up onto his shoulders and walked away from the table, mom's giggles the whole way through making me sigh as I turned to Naruko, whose face was red as she continued to eat her ramen, refusing to look me in the eye.
"Not until Chunin. I promised gramps. Not until Chunin." Naruko muttered repeatedly, her face dark red as she continued to refuse to look at me.
Chapter 30
I'm pretty sure the Template Stacking I is a money sink…
[Template Stacking I: The Butcher XIV [Worm] for Shikamaru Nara. -320.
Template Stacking I: Mama Mathers [Worm] for Torune Aburame. -20.
Template Stacking I: Elizabeth [Bioshock Infinite] for Torune Aburame. -40.
335 Credits Remaining.]
I just can't help myself in completing the set.
Casting Tsukuyomi in the Social Club between me and Torune allowed us to fully master our perspective Templates, particularly as the Butcher's drawbacks of having voices in their heads from previous Butchers were now no longer in play, and after a full century of taking our Templates to their natural conclusion, I killed Torune Aburame, shredding his body and mind, consuming him entirely.
And just like that, I possess Mama Mather's powers and Elizabeth's.
Mama Mathers as a person absolutely didn't interest me, but her power? Oh, her power absolutely interested me.
Mama Mathers' power is this: the more you perceive her, the more she perceives you, and can manipulate the senses that were used to perceive her in the first place. Thinkers, people with powers based on super-senses like super-analysis, creating two timelines and choosing the one you want to be in while retaining the information of the other one, and so on, would be especially susceptible, as she could then manipulate those same super-senses to her advantage. It is a point to be made that the boogeyman of Worm, Contessa, would often use her Paths to exclude Mama Mathers deliberately from her calculations simply because she was that annoying of a power to deal with.
That completes the set. Bio, cybernetic, code, spiritual, mental, and now memetic virus.
Elizabeth's powers was the ability to create, open, and close tears in space-time, specifically into alternate realities. While this was the local alternate reality, in truth there is only so many variations of local realities in a given time since they are all based off of the same basic universe cluster. Still, this was useful to me because there are some individuals that I'd like to grab.
Leaving a True Clone to cover for me, and I brought back Torune Aburame who looked disoriented at the sensation of no longer having a body for a brief moment, I used a mixture of Obito's own Kamui and Elizabeth's power to create a tear, stepping through it while closing it behind me.
Social Club proved it's immediate value as while my connection to my Hive Mind was immediately shut off, Social Club still allowed me access to the minds back home.
With ease, I used Kamui to appear behind Menma Uzumaki, who floated in the air above Konoha. Before the individual could unleash his technique on the village below, I used the Adamantine Chakra Chains to cut off Menma's chakra, and dragged him, them?, did Naruko's gender alteration apply to other worlds?, into Kamui.
They struggled, but it truly didn't matter when I simply reached out and touched them. She, ah so Naruko's gender alteration did in fact cross local universe clusters, good to know, immediately stopped struggling as I forced a vial of my blood down her throat, after tossing aside the mask she used to hide herself.
Menma's long black hair reminded me too much of Sayuri's, but those eyes that were filled with hate only made me pity her. A Naruko who had had enough of Konoha, but still being molded by others. A shame.
Her hate filled eyes clenched in pain as the power of Blacklight did it's work, with my amusement growing as she found herself being bombarded by my memories, thoughts, and emotions. Through Blacklight, she was tied to me, and through me, came the Social Club and the connection to Mama Mather's powers. There was no escaping this form of connection, and Menma's body contorted in agony as I bombarded her with all the noise that I had long since learned let my other fragmentary self filter out from each mind thanks to All For One.
"Stop! Stop!" She begged, and I relented, a piece of paper held out to her. She whimpered as she signed it, sighing with relief as the cacophony of noise was gone.
[Menma. Alternate 'Dark' Naruko. Signed and Sealed Capture. 60.]
"Still want to destroy Konoha?" I asked curiously.
Menma's eyes snapped open, her eyes red as she growled at me. "Yes, why, going to tell me to forgive them?" She sarcastically fired at me, her eyes narrowed.
"No. Konoha is all yours. I have a different goal of mine to deal with. Just try to not get brainwashed again."
Because why settle for one universe of Captures when I can have two?
My smile darkened as I kicked Menma out of Kamui, who looked flushed at being caught with her pants down, metaphorically speaking, was replaced instead by Obito Uchiha's masked form appearing right where Naruko used to be.
"Who are you? To be able to use Kamui, and influence the Kyuubi Jinchuriki so easily is no small feat." Obito commented darkly.
"I'm your long lost dad, Obito Uchiha. I finally came back home with the milk, and an ass-kicking you deserve." I mocked him, my grin widening.
Obito's exposed Sharingan narrowed as he snarled, but he coughed, and kept on coughing, stumbling to his knees as he continued to cough and gasp for air.
"I'm afraid it's too late, Obito. You're already infected. It's alright. It'll be over soon." I mockingly comforted him.
"What, is this?" Obito gasped weakly. "What did you infect me with?" He demanded weakly as he continued to cough violently, his hands shaking.
"You're infected with Blacklight. I am Blacklight. And together, you and I will bring a utopia of understanding to this rotten Shinobi world." My voice echoed as Obito's vocal chords moved by my command.
Oh yeah, it's all coming together.
Sucks when you don't have Possession Defense II, eh? So many ways to have someone just take over your body like a meat-suit.
[Obito Uchiha. Signed and Sealed Capture. 0. Captured Copy.]
My eyes twitched, and I sighed as I just killed Obito Uchiha, completely consuming him and destroying his thoughts and memories to ensure it was a final death.
Damn, the Company thought ahead.
Ah well, can't win them all. I shrugged.
Appearing back where I'd been before, was in the air looking down at a crater.
I whistled. "Very nice." I commented as Menma floated next to me, her black hair exposed to the winds, as she frowned.
"I feel… empty. All these years planning for revenge, and I just feel nothing now. Why?" She looked at me, confusion and hurt on her face.
"Because in the end, revenge for yourself isn't all that satisfying. Revenge on behalf of others? Totally different story." I said quietly. "Now, how about we get you a clean slate and a new life? It's not much better than the one you had here, but it's a work in progress." I shrugged.
Menma's face flushed. "I, would like that. Are you single?" She asked me bluntly, her face turning red as she blushed, her red eyes refusing to look at me. I snorted.
"No, is that going to stop you?" I said with amusement.
"No." She said bluntly. "As long as you're not fucking my mom."
I tilted my head. "An alternate version of you?" I questioned back.
Menma's face stayed red as she licked her lips. "That's actually kinda hot." She admitted.
I laughed. "Well then, let's go introduce you to your long-lost sister. I'm sure you'll have a lot to catch up on."
"As long as she knows that udon is superior to ramen." She commented. I snorted. Oh yeah, this'll be fun.
Chapter 31
Exiting from the tear, the sensation of the Hive Mind re-establishing connection was a surreal one. Like going from a nearly quiet apartment to an auditorium filled with people.
I smiled. For such a short trip, it was nice to be back.
Menma stumbled, finding herself in Root headquarters, her red eyes gazing around the room warily.
Trying to hide your discomfort will only make it more obvious to those under my oaths and contracts, Menma. My voice echoed in her head as she stiffened.
How are you doing that? Kurama should be eagerly devouring anyone trying to mess with my mind? Menma's thoughts echoed back to me as I smiled, looking relaxed. It was good to be home.
I am a special case, even in your world. You could even say I'm rather unique. You'll find out soon enough. As it is, the cover story for your existence is simple: I was dabbling with Space-Time Jutsu and successfully was able to bring someone from another reality. I'm here to observe you to ensure your body/soul/mind/being doesn't start collapsing by the universe trying to assert itself over you.
Menma's face paled. It's not actually going to do that, will it?
I snorted. No. My powers are far greater than a single universe would be able to so easily negate. You'll be fine, but you'll find many people are quite different from your original reality, and many enemies may be allies to you here. Give everyone a chance unless they seem open or subtly hostile. Remember, this is a clean slate. This isn't your Konoha.
Menma slowly nodded, her red eyes narrowed as she bit her lip nervously. I'll try.
I nodded, humming to myself as I easily traversed the maze of Root back to the surface of Konoha. That's all I ask. Oh, and you'll find Naruko isn't identical to you in this world.
Oh thank Kami. The whole twinning thing is hot in bed, but it'd be annoying as hell if you kept mistaking me for Naruko and vice versa all the time, you know?
I smirked. Someone has her mother's verbal tic. Better than 'believe it' or 'dattebayo', at any rate.
So, how's Naruko in bed? Has she used the Shadow Harem Jutsu? Menma asked curiously in our connection.
I laughed. No. We've yet to sleep together. The Third Hokage had Naruko promise him that she wouldn't sleep with anyone until she was a Chunin.
To help ease her transfer into this new world, I dove through Social Club and gave her the memories and thoughts of Naruko as well as myself during my time here.
Oh. Wow. That's a lot to take in. Yeah, this Konoha is very different from the one I came from. Still shitty, but for some reason Naruko stuck around when I… didn't.
Menma's voice was much quieter at the end, as she looked ashamed.
I hugged her, giving her a kiss on her forehead as she turned red, her red eyes widening as she gaped at me.
Naruko and you are different people, and I would've never blamed Naruko or you from leaving Konoha, or turning it into a crater. I certainly wouldn't have judged either of you because your lives have been hell. I'm just thankful that I was able to save Naruko from her eventual fate of burying her true self just because she wanted desperately to be accepted, and to save you from your eventual fate of resigning yourself to doing the same.
While at the end of Road to Ninja, Menma had regained Naruko's blonde locks, it didn't mean she'd have been absolved of her crimes, and it wouldn't stop Konoha from browbeating her to death over her 'guilt' of fleeing a village that had never treated her kindly in the first place. Menma and Naruko would end up as mirrors of where they ended up, with Menma likely becoming another ninja to be thrown in Konoha's selfish interests just because they could take advantage of her guilt for having deserted when they never deserved her in the first place, and Naruko becoming Hokage of a village that would likely never really appreciate her in the end anyway.
Such shitty ways to live. Not on my watch!
Menma's red face was steaming as she eventually kissed me on the lips, a chaste kiss that she quickly broke off. "Sorry." She mumbled.
I don't know what I'm doing. I've never kissed anyone before. I feel so stupid and out of my depths. I can fight Kages, but I can't kiss a boy without feeling weird about it! Gah!
I smiled, lifting her chin so she looked at me as I gave her chaste kiss back, a brief peck on the lips as I winked at her. We go at your pace, Menma. Whatever makes you feel comfortable and happy. I have all the time in the multiverse.
I released her chin as she nodded, not even looking at me as I turned to finally lead her to the surface, as we had stopped midway during Menma's slight panic and shame.
Kami, I can see why sis loves him. I fucking love him, and I just met the damn bastard. Stupid, sexy, Shikamaru Nara.
I had to swallow a laugh at the fact that Menma had inadvertently copied Naruko from way earlier.
Exiting the nondescript alley, we ended up at the edges of the village, with Menma blinking as her red eyes adjusted quickly to the afternoon sun, a brief smile on her lips as the other villagers in the area seemed to not gaze at her in silent disgust or hatred like her old home.
They seemed to pale slightly at her red eyes, but they didn't look ready to throw shit at her either! Progress!
"So, I know you think udon is better than ramen. And Naruko thinks ramen is better than udon."
Menma looked horrified, her red eyes widening in betrayal as she immediately looked ready to argue on the greatness of udon, but I cut her off.
"I bet that my food can test better than your udon." I finished with a challenging grin.
Menma's eyes narrowed. "Blasphemy." She spat. "What's the bet?" She rose to the challenge, raising an eyebrow at me.
My grin widened. "If my food is better than udon, you need to register as a mercenary shinobi for hire under me directly, Shikamaru Nara, as an unlimited permanent position with the payroll at my discretion." My grin widened as Menma's face flushed red.
See, Missing Shinobi from other villages could be killed and turned in for their bounties, but sometimes, a village can turn a missing ninja into a Mercenary Ninja, a ninja for hire. It usually depends on if the village is willing to deal with the political backlash of the other country taking offense, among other factors, but it would usually be offered to a missing ninja willing to help a shinobi on a mission in the area in exchange for safety and more permanent lodging. It's what Orochimaru had likely done to jump start the creation of his Sound village.
By saying that Menma was going to be a mercenary ninja under me, was another way of saying I was claiming her as mine, that not even Konoha would be able to hire her or turn her into a Konoha ninja, since she was under my payroll, and under my jurisdiction.
It wasn't the first time that Konoha shinobi had done this, nor would it be the last. After all, it was a sort of middle ground on how Clans eased their way into trusting the village, by sending a couple of their own to be mercenary ninja for specific trustworthy Konoha ninja to be vetted on if they'd actually follow their word on caring for the village and not selfishly trying to put one Clan above the rest.
To put it in another way, Mito Uzumaki was a Mercenary Ninja from the Uzumaki Clan to Hashirama Senju on a mission to strengthen Konoha borders as well as vet Konoha itself to ensure there wasn't any fuckery going on. Well, Clan Fuckery: Mito and Hashirama became lovers during that mission, and the rest was history. Literally.
"And if I say my udon is better than your food? What do I get?" Menma said quietly, her face still flushed red.
I leaned in, whispering into her ear as her face turned an even deeper red. "If you can honestly say your udon is better, you can have 72 hours where you can tell me to do whatever you want."
Menma's eyes glazed over as she breathed. "Deal."
I leaned back, chuckling.
Ooh, dirty Uzumaki, I noted as I read her thoughts as she stood there, drooling slightly, but I prefer being the one using the chains and whips, not the other way around. Think you can handle a bit of pain with your pleasure?
Menma whimpered as she clenched her legs together, her deeply red face still betraying her as she scowled at me, her eyes narrowed.
Stop reading my mind, it's private!
I raised an eyebrow. Hypnosis fetish too huh? Someone really just wants to let her hair down and let someone else take control, I can dig it. I laughed slightly as Menma looked away from me.
"Shut up, and make your food already, stupid, sexy, too-smart bastard." She grumbled silently as she refused to look me in the eye as she walked ahead.
"Menma, wrong way. My house is that way." I pointed in the opposite direction from where she'd been walking.
She turned around and ignored my chuckles as she walked past me.
Chapter 32
'The boundaries of Life and Death do not apply to me.'
A virus is not a living thing. It exists as a machine, a biological machine designed to hijack a much larger biological machine in order to create more of itself.
It does not think. It does not hate. It does not love. It simply… is. A true biological machine that wavers between the lines of a protein and a living construct such as a cell.
However, a question must be asked: Are you alive? Are you truly a living thing?
We say we are because we can self associate. We have the ability to think in complex logical patterns. We assume ourselves alive because 'I think, therefore I am'.
A lot of people view their flesh as a weakness. Bodies wither, fall apart, their biological processes slowly decay and fracture, and death is an inevitable part of living.
Some turn to religion as an answer, seeking the idea of the spirit above the flesh, that who we are is separate from the flesh we are born in.
Some turn to philosophy, seeking to live their lives by principles that would see them feel fulfilled at the passing of their flesh.
Others still believe in transcendence, believing that it would be possible to transfer our consciousness from a body made of flesh to one made of metal, or perhaps code.
I had none of these things, for I had believed that what happened after my life expired, would be of no importance to the 'me' after I died. All I cared about was living my life as I saw fit. No philosophy, no religion, no transcendence was possible in my time.
That had changed in this life. As Blacklight, I was now a virus that was sentient, capable of thought and focus. As Blacklight, I was a being outside the boundaries of life and death, as a virus felt no fear to death. Which in and of itself is interesting: all biological life fears the end. A virus, does not. It cannot fear, because it simply exists.
Contemplating existence is a strange way to pass the time to get to my house. I mused.
Meraki. Ikigai. Both had some serious ramifications. As Meraki, I had fully realized my sense of self that went beyond simply the Power Swap of Gojo Satoru and my various Templates. It meant that I fully embodied and understood myself in that moment.
That I did things because I enjoyed it, that I am fully a being of passionate desires and creative aspirations, above all else. Saving the universe means nothing to me, and helping others was just another means of a passionate desire to protect and nourish what I cared about.
It's incredibly, utterly, selfish. To put your own desires above the universe, above all else.
Yet I would not, could not, will not, apologize for it. I am Meraki.
Ikigai. Really, it was just another expression of Meraki. That I was all in or out on something. To such a degree that it reflected in my Rinnegan, to create anything I wanted or needed in that moment, and return it back into energy when I wished to recall it.
Where the Creation of All Things was Hagoromo's ability, the ability to truly permanently create something at the cost of some of his life force, a representation of how he truly gave himself to the world, Ikigai was a part of the world, and separate at the same time.
Because Ikigai was not permanent, and did not yield to the rules of the universe. Hagoromo's creations were bound by the universe, and the amount of life force he gave were in proportion to the amount of 'properties' he could make the universe accept.
Case in point: the Sage of Six Path's Tools were not infallible, and while quite strong, they are not invulnerable to damage. The bijuu are all semi-immortal, but not truly immortal.
They were permanent creations in that, once formed, Hagoromo could not absorb them back into himself.
Ikigai did not operate like this. Ikigai's creations were an extension of me, and as such, were under all the Defenses of the Company.
I could create a floating castle, and it would hang above the village for eternity, long after the village crumbled away, and long after the planet changed landscapes in millenia, the floating castle would remain.
Hence why Ikigai is a part of the universe, and not really. Like any creation of an artist or a writer, it exists in that moment between its formation and destruction.
It exists, up until it doesn't.
Technically this placed me at a Tier 10 automatically, because this was an impossible ability that could easily disrupt the world in an instant.
Of course, Ikigai had a trade off that Creation of All Things did not have. My creations were fundamentally a part of me. If I died a True Death, they all vanish as well. Where my Companions would be seized by the Company, all of my creations would be gone.
Much like how the true death of an artist or a writer, is to have their works destroyed or forgotten so utterly that they do not exist. I thought grimly to myself.
Menma walked ahead, guided by a subtle mental nudging from me on if she was going the right way.
Admittedly I was enjoying the view of her ass as she walked ahead. I wasn't one to oggle at others, but as Menma had shown some serious interest earlier, considering her fantasies, I had little restraint in enjoying the view.
I was an ass man. Truly, I enjoyed breasts, but I enjoyed the view and feeling of a woman moaning and gasping as I enjoyed her from behind.
When I wasn't doing a mating press on her and kissing her at the same time, of course. Seeing a woman's flushed face, her eyes almost filled with lust and animalistic pleasure, her moans and screams as she lost control under me, that just does something to me. A primal part of myself enjoys seeing her give into those same instincts.
"Only you could go from existentialism to sex at the shake of an ass." Wendy whispered into my ear mentally as she sounded amused.
I snorted. Please, like you didn't enjoy having another's attention. I mentally fired back.
"Of course. I would've been affronted if the form I crafted for you was not pleasing to your eye." Wendy whispered bluntly.
Menma's red face subtly turned to look at me, flinching as she realized I caught her glancing before looking forward again.
'I can feel him staring at my ass. I should be mad or uncomfortable, instead I feel flattered and turned on. I almost wanna…'
Menma's ass seemed to shake as she moved her hips, trying to walk seductively for a moment even as she didn't know how.
'I don't think I did it right, but I can feel his arousal spiking. Mm, Kami, he's driving me wild without doing anything. It's unfair!' She mentally whined as she gave another wiggle, letting out an audible whimper as I growled quietly.
"Dirty man. You're playing with fire with these Uzumaki. I'll leave you to your fun, but don't keep me waiting too long to finish my task." Wendy whispered hungrily as I gave a quiet grunt at the feeling of something soft touching me under my pants.
'Fuck! He's so turned on, he's making me soaked! You're ruining my underwear! Stop turning me on by being sexy and aroused, damn it!' Menma's thoughts were absolutely the opposite of her body, as her ass continued to sway with an exaggerated motion as she panted quietly.
'Now I have to meet his parents with my underwear soaked, and all I wanna do is drag him to his bed, rip his clothes off, and feel his hands pulling my hair as I choke on his cock.'
Menma shivered as I said nothing. The fact that Menma 'conveniently' forgot that her clothes were now Blacklight, and hence she could change clothes at a thought, was amusing to me.
Truly, Menma and Naruko were sisters.
'Oh, fuck! I'm meeting his parents! What the hell do I say? Shit! Did I need to bring anything?!'
Truly, the universe has a sense of humor.
Chapter 33
Mom blinked. "Oh, hello Shika. Did you take Naruko to get…" She trailed off, her face paling slightly as Menma's red eyes gazed at her and dad nervously.
"Hello, Mrs. and Mr. Nara. I'm not Naruko. Well, I sort of am?" Her voice trailed off as I spoke up, my lazy drawl absent as I sounded confident, proud.
"I finally mastered the Space-Time Jutsu I've been working on. Meet Menma, Naruko's alternate self from another reality. I brought her here for the time being as her Konoha no longer exists. She needed a place to stay." I said nonchalantly at the end.
My parents' eyes widened and my dad's face paled so fast he looked as white as the walls.
I frowned. "She means no harm to us." I said flatly. Naruko hadn't brought this reaction, so why… were… they…
I snorted. "She's not the Kyuubi. She's fully mastered the bijuu to a degree that her eyes stayed that way."
Mom sighed in relief, and dad eventually regained some color in his face as he nodded to Menma. "Any friend of Shikamaru is a friend of ours." He said lazily at the end, turning to me, his face relaxed, but his eyes sharp and serious.
"How powerful is that Space-Time Jutsu of yours?" He asked me seriously.
I thought back on Elizabeth. Her power was limited to the local multiverse, but it was still to a degree multiversal, and while she had truly not shown much in the games, odds are this power had to lead to ways to bring back countless copies of other people into her dimension if she'd wanted to do so.
"I'd label it closer to A-rank in combat as supplemental, but S-rank overall in utility. Where it truly shines, is the possibilities it grants." I nodded to myself. That makes sense.
"No way. You are at least SS-rank, so I'd take that with a huge grain of salt." Menma said flatly as she turned to me. "I was able to fight several Kage and the Jinchuriki simultaneously and win, and you took me down in less than a second." She sounded grudgingly admiring of that fact.
My parents stared at us. I frowned at Menma. "Yes, but you weren't thinking straight at the time. As it was, I had the lucky counter."
Dad spoke up tersely. "Explain what you mean by SS-rank, Menma. My son has a habit of being both lazy and keeping his cards to his chest."
I shrugged. "Shinobi lifestyle. Keep a few things up your sleeves."
Mom and Menma nodded simultaneously as dad looked exasperated at me.
Menma spoke up, her voice clinical. "Space-Time Jutsu that allowed him to evade my ability to sense negative emotions, able to shrug off the scythe of one of my Nine Beasts that had tried to cut off his chakra when I did notice him, and allowed him to forcefully drag me away from the battle into what I'd assume is a pocket dimension.
Overall, Shikamaru Nara indicates a mastery over Space-Time Jutsu equal to what the Second Hokage had over Water. I labeled him SS-rank because where the Fourth Hokage can be fled on sight as long as you haven't been tagged by the Flying Thunder God, Shikamaru can simply appear where and when he wishes, does as he pleases, and no one can stop him or even make him flinch."
Menma's clinical voice turned admiring and her face turned pink as she got flustered. "He's easily heads and shoulders above anyone and everyone I know." She mumbled.
Mom's eyes gained a glint as she grinned. "Sounds like you have an admirer, Shikamaru." She teased us.
Menma's face turned red as she turned to glare at me. "I still think my udon beats your food. Blasphemy to assume anything is better than Ayame's udon in Ichiraku Udon." She pouted.
I chuckled. "Then I shall be the gravest of sinners, for not only will you proclaim my food superior, you'll need to have a proper food taste testing between you and Naruko. Ramen or Udon. At Ichiraku Ramen. And if my food outbeats both of yours, I want an even greater prize of my choosing at my discretion." I cackled darkly, my eyes glinting with an unholy glee.
Menma's face paled, her red eyes widening in horror. Yet, her mouth, and likely her Tsun personality, doomed her from the beginning.
"Deal." Menma whispered, her red eyes staring at me as her face flushed crimson. Challenging me.
Mom spoke up, amused. "So all I had to do to get my son to do chores was do bets?" She looked at me, her eyes glinting.
I shrugged. "Depends on the bet, Mom. I play to win." My grin widened as I continued to stare down at Menma, whose face stayed red as she fidgeted, unwilling to look away.
"Oh? Very shinobi of you, Shikamaru. I approve." Mom nodded. "Luckily for me, your father has gotten more responsible, feeding the deer to take up your slack."
Dad nodded warily, his eyes looking away as he muttered. "Someone has to." He drawled quietly.
What did dad do to piss off Wendy? I wondered for a moment until another person entered the dining room.
"Shika, why is there a dark haired red eyed me in the house, and why do I immediately think it's your fault?" Naruko said dryly as she stared at Menma, who stared back.
"Menma, this is Naruko, this universe's Kyuubi Jinchuriki. Naruko, I finally figured out how to enter other parallel universes. Menma is another version of you I found and took in since her version of Konoha is gone. Think of her as a 'sister' if you will." I explained.
Naruko nodded, looking more interested and excited. "Oh! Awesome! You'll love it here, especially with Ichiraku Ramen still standing!"
"Udon is superior." Menma said flatly, her nose raised in superiority.
Naruko stared at Menma, and then looked at me, her face horrified. "Shika, my sister has suffered severe brain damage! Enemy genjutsu! Maybe both!"
Menma snorted. "I'm perfectly fine. I just think udon is superior to ramen. We're not identical twins you know?"
Naruko looked at her helplessly, and then looked at me for help.
I shrugged. "I already have two bets with her. I told her that I could make my food better than her udon, and that if you and her went and tasted each other's favorites, and still honestly admit that my food is better than either, I get a prize of my choosing from both of you, at my discretion." I smirked darkly.
Naruko snorted. "Udon against your food, Shika? Easy win for you." Menma's eye twitched as she glared at Naruko.
"That sounds like fighting words, bitch." She growled.
Naruko blinked, and then laughed. " Please, I heard worse from the villagers. Monster, beast, vermin, freak, 'bitch' is an upgrade. If it's a fight you want, bring it on, you red eye'd cocksucking, dirt-eating, no-soul possessing, failure of a copy of a clearly superior original."
Menma's eyes narrowed as the blast of dark red chakra explo-, cut off instantly as the void sucked out all will to live, the endless abyss between the stars seeming to engulf her and Naruko until both of them couldn't even remember their own names. Had it been a moment in this place, or an eternity? Did they exist? Was anything real? Were they real?
They blinked back into existence, with Naruko and Menma's face equally pale, shaking slightly.
"No. Fighting. Am I clear?" I said bluntly, having used the Social Club to assert my will briefly over them both to remove them from their escalation.
They both nodded, their faces flushed as they looked down. "Yes. I'm sorry Shika." They repeated quietly.
I nodded. "Good. Now, get cleaned up and wash your hands while I get dinner ready." They nodded silently and left, with Naruko quietly apologizing to Menma as she nodded back, an even quieter apology returned.
Mom and dad stared at me for a moment. Dad suddenly stood up. "I need to go feed the deer." He said abruptly, and left like a bat out of hell. Mom nodded, waited until he left, and then turned to me with a wide grin on her face.
"Oh, my baby is growing up and even managing his own harem into behaving!" She squealed, as I sighed. "Next thing you know, I'll be getting more grandchildren than I can hold in my two regular arms!"
She's going to be like this for a while. I went to go make dinner, amused as Mom continued to be, well, mom.
Chapter 34
Yoshino pouted as her son continued to command the kitchen and everything within it like he'd been cooking all his life. She knew that her son's cooking was better than hers, but that didn't mean she didn't want to help!
Still, seeing the passion and eagerness to win in her son's eyes made her heart melt. She lived for the moments like this. A motivated Nara was a truly terrifying thing to behold, but it had been what had led to her truly leaving the Yamanaka Clan for good and permanently tying herself to the Nara Clan instead.
She sighed as she thought back to those glory days, back during the Third Shinobi War.
She had been equally annoyed by Shikaku's laziness like Ino had been with Shikamaru's, but where Ino only ever saw the laziness, Yoshino always knew there was more under the surface. She just needed the right situations to bring it out, to fully motivate her team mate into fully acting past his initial impulses of laziness. Even before she had known the truth of the Nara Clan, she knew that there had to be a reason why the Nara Clan acted as the ruler of the Great Three as they called themselves in private.
The Third Shinobi War had been going badly for Konoha. The loss of Uzushiogakure in the Second Shinobi War had led to a lack of a barrier between Konoha and the other nations, and the fact that Suna, Iwa, and Kiri were all conspiring together to bring down Konoha had been a terrifying thing to face. Three of the Great Five Villages wanted to wipe Konoha off the map, and Kumo waited with baited breath on how the wind blew, taking advantage of Kiri's focus on the Land of Rain, Spring, and Fire to launch it's own offensive to carve out a bigger piece of it's own out of some of the smaller islands that once were a part of Kiri's borders.
Food, supplies, and equipment were stretched far too thin, and Shikaku had ordered that her and Choza withdraw from the outpost, so he could work out a 'plan' to defeat the mixture of Iwa and Kiri ninja that were heading their way. Initially both her and Choza argued to stay, but Shikaku's patience, something equally as vast as his laziness, snapped as he roared at them to leave, the shadows of the outpost rippling and twisting in the air as Shikaku looked furious at them.
Choza relented immediately, as he knew that when his friend got like this, there was no reasoning with him. Choza's plan had been to wait until after Iwa and Kiri were defeated from Shikaku's plan before sweeping back in to patch up Shikaku from overextending himself. Any Nara worth his salt can regenerate his chakra out of shadows, but the cost was often a slowly dwindling sense of self, and Yoshino just knew that Shikaku was planning his final stand here to protect his friends and family. After all, as far as Shikaku knew, he was the 'spare' of the Clan's Heirs.
They didn't know until three weeks later back in Konoha that Shikaku's brother had died facing off against the Eight Tails Jinchuriki.
Choza left, heading Shikaku's directions, Yoshina, pretended to leave, doubling back around from a separate direction entirely to avoid Shikaku spotting her.
The Kiri and Iwa ninja arrived, numbered a dozen each, but it was the arrival of Suna ninja that made Yoshino's blood turn cold. While only five to the other dozens, Suna had proven absolutely lethal and sadistic with their poisons, something Yoshino knew would mean Shikaku's final stand would be for nothing as the Suna would just deploy gas poisons at range, far enough out of the way that Shikaku would be forced to flee the outpost, leaving him facing off against all three factions at once out in the open.
I must save him! Yoshino's thoughts roared through her head, even as she knew this could be it for her. The Yamanaka Clan had withheld most of their techniques from her, being as the less the other countries could interrogate out of her, the less they could defend their spies or fake Konoha ninja from being spotted by the Yamanaka Clan back home. She knew the Mind Transfer Jutsu, the Mind-Puppet Transfer, and… that was it. She knew little else, relying on her own kenjutsu, and her knack of combining the swords with her Medical Scalpel Jutsu to cleave the organs of her enemies while they believed to escape unscathed.
However, she knew she needed to do something. Anything. She immediately prioritized the Suna ninja, aiming to cut them down first. Even if she died to their poisons, it would leave the Iwa and Kiri ninja far less options to work with, as the outpost had some seals dating back to Konoha's founding that resisted water and earth based jutsu.
Yoshino readied herself, silently holding her swords together as she prepared to launch a final offensive. She didn't use her chakra to sharpen her swords edge as she knew that any sensors in the area would immediately pick up on the chakra signature.
Thankfully she was a decent enough sensor herself to bury her chakra inside her, carefully keeping it muted enough that any nearby sensor would mistake it for an animal, not a Chunin.
Then she saw her chance. The Kiri ninja were arguing with the Iwa ninja, especially as one of them with two red dots on their forehead practically breathed blood lust and a hunger for battle.
The Suna shinobi were themselves distracted by the infighting, as they stood several feet away, looking on in amusement of the two squabbling factions.
She acted immediately, using the Mind Transfer on the kiri ninja that screamed blood lust. Her target was so feral that it felt more akin to transferring into a rabid animal than a human, and she let his instincts run rampant, releasing his extremely pitiful control in favor of his urge to kill and devour.
Bone exploded out of his arms, long whips covered in dense bone with sharp edges designed to shred rather than cut, and she ignored his team telling him to hold it together.
They're holding you back. They're jealous of your might. They want you to die so they can take your glory.
The Mind Transfer Jutsu suppresses the mind of the target completely, but Yoshino had learned that it came at the heavy cost of not allowing any knowledge or instincts of the target to breath, often making it impossible to act as the target without days or even weeks of study from afar.
So she lessened the hold on the target's instincts and capabilities, at the cost of the target being more subconsciously aware. So her whispers needed to feel genuine, like they were his actual thoughts.
It worked beautifully. The man spun in place, his whips suddenly breaking apart into a lot of bone fragments, which easily shredded his own team and injured several Iwa ninja who screamed in agony.
The blood frenzy took hold, and she had no more control of his body than he did. Earth based jutsu was shrugged off by the bone armor under his skin, and Kaguya Kisame showed his true form as the Bone Devil of the Mist, his blood lust mounting as he cackled madly, horns growing out of his forehead as he shrugged off the weak wind blades of one of the Suna ninja.
A quick step, and he smiled gleefully as his fingers tore into a kiri ninjas eyes whose scream cut off as his finger bones launched themselves out of his skull, the head exploding apart in gore and brain matter.
He sidestepped the blade of a Kiri ninja, shrugging off the water blade that had followed in it's shadow, as he opened his mouth as his teeth sharpened. The kiri ninja couldn't even scream as the man bit through his neck, savoring the spray of blood, bone, and the spinal cord cracking as he swallowed it all with relish.
He spat out the dead body, growing two drills out of his arms as he noted the Suna ninja preparing to use their poison, like the weaklings they were rather than fighting with their lives on the line.
He drilled through three of them before the cloud of poison took him on and he inadvertently took in a lung full of it, as he could feel the burning slow acting poison eating at his throat and lungs.
"I… will… not… die a pitiful death!" He roared, his bones exploding as the other two Suna ninja died, aiming his bones to launch at their hidden positions, even as he grunted from the two puppets shoving blades in his exposed ribs.
The remaining Iwa and Kiri ninja looked at each other and turned to face him, making him smile ferally. "Yes. Earn the right to kill me. Earn it, and die trying!" He goaded them as he leapt into the air, the horns on his head cracking slightly as he poured chakra into it.
The Kiri ninja tried to launch multiple water bullets, as the Iwa ninja created a hole where he was going to land, spikes of hardened earth in the pit created last minute.
It didn't matter. His horn finally broke off as he roared, the lightning chakra exploding violently through the area as the kiri ninja were launched away, the water bullets no match for lightning enhanced bone fragments.
His body exploded apart as he released most of his bone armor, shredding the Iwa ninja as well as the pit with hardened spikes beneath him.
Yoshino returned to herself a second before, watching cautiously as the Kaguya bled to death in the pit, bone fragments and dead bodies everywhere. To ensure he died, she coated one of her blades in the medical scalpel jutsu, and sliced off his head in one motion.
"A… glorious… death." Kisame Kaguya whispered his final words as his eyes dimmed and glazed over one final time.
Yoshino could respect that. She left to check on Shikaku, noticing that the Kaguya must've been seriously strong if he was capable of killing an entire contingent of Iwa and Kiri along with the Suna ninja nearby.
The outpost was covered in darkness, not a single speck of light visible. Shikaku's chakra signature was barely there, and was slowly vanishing. Yoshino felt terror grip her chest as she got to the top of the outpost.
Shikaku's body was wrapped in shadows, but she could see his body was slowly melting into the floor. In a few minutes, there would be nothing left as the shadows claimed Shikaku as their own.
"Shikaku, they're dead! Release the technique!" Yoshino yelled.
There was no answer. The shadows became a little darker, and colder. Like something was watching Yoshino.
A whisper echoed in her mind.
'Shikaku is too far gone, and he will fade. He knew the price. Who are you to deny him his death rights?'
"I'll do anything, to save him. As long as it doesn't involve Konoha. What do I do?" She whispered. Shikaku had hinted that the earlier Nara Clan members had initially made a contract with something to use their jutsu. He never elaborated but she suspected this was the same entity.
'Bring the bone wielder into the outpost. Consume his heart and sacrifice the rest of him to establish our Pact. Do this, and relinquish your mind walker abilities to me, and I shall make you my Mortal Champion, as well as save Shikaku Nara from the shadow's embrace.'
As a Yamanaka, this would have been unfathomable, inconceivable. To give up your birthright in the hopes of maybe saving a comrade who could die anyway in the war regardless of one's actions today.
As Yoshino, the choice had never been easier. She'd have given her life for his in a heart beat as it was.
She rushed to grab the decapitated body of the Kaguya, bringing him into the outpost. She took out a kunai and carved open his chest with the aide of her Medical Scalpel Jutsu. The lack of ribs helped, as she tore out the heart.
She didn't even hesitate as she ate into it, suppressing the urge to vomit as she chewed through the muscle-yet-not-muscle texture as she swallowed and ate it as fast as possible.
As she swallowed the last bit of the heart, she murmured.
"I, Yoshino Yamanaka, give the body of the Kaguya along with my birthright as a Yamanaka, to save Shikaku Nara, and to ensure that Team 10 survives unscathed from this current war."
"I accept your claim. Rise and be born anew, One of Shadows and Bone, Yoshino Nara, for you are now one of my chosen, my Mortal Champion. Rise and sacrifice even more to ensure our Pact eternal."
The shadowy figure revealed itself as the Wendigo, gleefully tearing into the body of the Kaguya as it nonchalantly released the shadows hold on Shikaku, the man collapsing unconscious but very much alive.
Yoshino Nara had left Konoha a Yamanaka and had returned a Nara. Shikaku had been horrified at the price Yoshino had paid, but Yoshino had not minded.
Indeed, she gave Shikaku the credit of defending the outpost, as she used her cover as a Yamanaka to evade suspicion as she sacrificed entire platoons of Iwa and Kiri to the Wendigo. She even learned genjutsu with Mikoto Uchiha in order to learn the advanced Bringer of Darkness to merge seamlessly with her own far greater affinity with shadows.
She suppressed a cackle at remembering the fear on one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist as the Samehada recoiled in disgust and terror, her jutsu unable to be consumed when tinged by the unnatural cold presence of the ever hungry Wendigo.
To be one with shadows is to be both a part of and separate from the world, and so she leaned heavily on her bonds with Shikaku as her moral compass, for she truly had no compassion for those she deemed a threat or of little consequence.
Still, she slipped sometimes. Righteous anger and the urge to protect her family had equal part in her desire to cleanse Konoha of those who harmed someone she saw as a daughter in all but blood, but a small part enjoyed the hunt. Enjoyed the blood covering her frame. The fear and whimpers from her prey as she enjoyed every moment of their suffering.
She took a fierce joy in her son. A part of her pushed him because she saw his heightened laziness as a result of her Pact, and she feared he'd waste away as another lingering shadow, a Nara whose potential became squandered by his nature.
She needn't have worried. His drive, his passion, his hunger, all greatly exceeded even her wildest expectations. All he needed was the right circumstances to bring it out. So much so that she knew her Patron was eyeing her son with great interest. As a mother, she should be worried about her son attracting the lustful interest of the Wendigo, but she wasn't.
After all, Shikamaru Nara was a Twice-Born. Something she had become immediately aware of thanks to her ability to See the Unseen. She became even more proud as multiple images overlapped one another, as it meant her son had truly begun to explore himself and seek enlightenment.
Now, he shone like a being on par of her Patron. His connections so great even she struggled to see them all, and his many facets working in unison to the greater benefit of the whole. It was truly exciting to see her son ascend, and slightly bittersweet as she knew her son was all grown up now, surpassing even herself and perhaps even her Patron.
She silently smiled as she saw Naruko and Menma moan quietly as they took a bite of her son's food. She loved her son, and she loved her family. Her chosen family especially seemed to struggle with their newfound feelings of love and lust.
It was to be expected, she mused. After all, her son was just the best. The best ever. No bias here. Not at all.
She giggled as Menma hung her head and admitted her son's food was better than udon.
Her son had long since surpassed her, and she knew that eventually, sooner than she'd like, he'd depart on his adventures. He was not one to be shackled. That was okay. Better he be free and happy, than chained and depressed.
She just couldn't wait for him to give her some grandchildren to take care of while he went on his adventures. No doubt he'd leave a connection or two to keep an eye on them, he loved them all too much, but she couldn't help but imagine a Nara with blonde locks and a cute face looking up at her as they asked her for cookies.
She withheld a squeal. They'd be so cute!
Chapter 35
[Lures:
Potpourri. -20.
Alluring Whisper. -20.
Don't Stand So Close To Me. -15.
Tsundere Services. -20.
Love Spot: Eyes. -20.
Sticky Fingers: Brown Sugar. -15.
Alluring Whisper: Siren's Song. -80.
Stud Services. -10.
Fool's Gold. -10.
Red Chains of Fate. -15.
Sticky Fingers: Alter Flavor. -10.
Demiplane/Dungeon:
Pocket Apartment II. -10.
Sweet Home II. -40.
Grand Manor II. -60.
Life's A Beach. -10.
Armory. -10.
Stay In Touch. -5.
Control Center App. -10.
Remaining Credits: 37.]
I decided to go all in on my credits for the more frivolous purchases, since I know had pretty much everything cleared up as far as Defenses and powers went for the most part. Also cause I like to reward myself for a good job done.
So I pretty much bought all the Lures I could get my hands on and a chunk of the Pocket Dimension purchases I wanted. A couple Perks were left, but those would be as an extra Credit sink.
Potpourri increases my sense of smell, detecting and categorizing scents and their origin. It also gives me control over how I smell, allowing me to subtly attract others in that way. From the smell of roses to call up a sense of romance to the smell of baked cookies to relax a target, this lure gives me a method of subtle manipulation over others through their sense of smell into their emotions. This also allows me to pick up on pheromones and scent based languages, and it even allows me to tune out smells I've categorized, if I wish to block the negative scent from my own senses. It will not work on someone who has no sense of smell.
Alluring Whisper makes my voice supernaturally soothing and, well, alluring. Merely whispering into the ears of a target will turn them into metaphorical goo, making them far more pliable to my suggestions. Beings with sufficient willpower can resist or even block the lure. It does not work on those who are deaf.
Don't Stand So Close To Me works in two ways. Targets taught by me or the targets that teach me will start to fall in love with me. They'll find themselves thinking on the next interaction we might have once the lesson is over, to thinking about me all the time, and even the lessons or 'tests' in their minds take on a more sexual nature over time. Longer, more personal, and more intense the interaction, the greater the effect. Students taught by me already interested in the subject matter are particularly susceptible, as are the teachers of those whose subject matters I'm interested in as well. This perk is best optimized for 1-on-1 instructions.
Tsundere Services works especially well on those with aggressive personalities and on those who have a tendency to hide their true feelings. Any aggression, verbal, mental, or otherwise, toward me by someone who I find sexually appealing, will be twisted into the aggressor simply being a 'Tsundere'. Once the aggressor is alone, they will find that aggression will swing into the opposite, making them unable to hide their actual feelings and desires even from themselves.
Easy guess on why I picked that one, huh?
Love Spot: Eyes, works on creating an immediate and intense infatuation in any woman who looks at the location designated. While it can be a mole, or a beauty mark, this perk can be reflected to simply work through a particular spot on the body or face. This charm effect works on line of sight, and intensifies with exposure. This lure can be resisted or negated by targets who have magic resistance, and cannot work on the blind.
Sticky Fingers; Brown Sugar, turns my bodily fluids into a natural aphrodisiac, which enhances any sexual experience in which my fluids are involved. I'm automatically immune to this purchase, and additionally, my… 'male genitalia' will secrete a natural lubricant that also possesses this aphrodisiac when aroused.
Admittedly that one was because the idea of enhancing sex and making my partner lose her mind during sex was quite tempting, and additional free lubricant is never a bad thing.
Alluring Whisper: Siren's Song makes my voice supernaturally commanding. Where the original perk can attract others to me, Siren's Song makes my voice able to compel others to do as I say. As an active effect, I can empower my words to give specific commands to individuals, or rally a crowd. Beings with sufficient willpower can resist and block the lure. Like the original perk, this does not work on the deaf.
Stud Services makes me 'prime breeding stock', able to sire the best children feasible given a compatible partner. This gives off a subtle aura that registers with those who can 'hear the biological clock ticking', those who've already had offspring, and those who are within the age range that considers the Contractor attractive. The more proof of my fertility, virility, or the quality of my offspring that a potential target witnesses, the far greater this Lure's effect, giving the targets fantasies and desires of being submissive and bred by me. With practice, this lure can also influence my offspring at conception to retain or remove traits which it would be possible for them to inherit.
Fool's Gold affects those of my targets who are influenced and motivated by money. It is particularly susceptible to those who have been rendered destitute, and this attraction is based on both obvious and subtle signs of wealth.
Red Chains of Fate gives me a sense of those who would be amicable to a relationship with me, making them 'pop' out when I'm aware of them in any way. By paying an additional 10 credits, this lure gives me a form of influence over those I'm aware of from this perk, drawing them to me like moths to flame. They will think of me more often and in a more positive context over time, and they will be drawn toward my location.
Sticky Fingers: Alter Flavor, allows me to modify the flavor of my bodily fluids at any time in an instant with just a thought, and this stacks in its effects with both Sticky Fingers: Brown Sugar and Faerie Feast.
Most of these Lures could be resisted or negated in some manner, which is why I didn't buy any of them until now. Even if the Lure itself could be ineffective, it still gave me far more avenues to work with in regards of Mama Mathers Template.
It also made me, and technically my retinue as a whole since they were also Blacklight so they are also an extension of me, that much more of a Cognitohazard. All five major human senses now made me an absolute danger, and this extends into the mental and spiritual. As a Jujutsu Kaisen Sorcerer, the body is the soul. One is not separate from the other.
So even in a spiritual aligned realm like Soul Society would find themselves having to deal with Blacklight. A true virus, a being that simply existed to encompass and further itself in every measure.
As Mama Mathers power also worked based on if you knew her name and spoke her name aloud, so to did this power expand to encompass my identity. To know of me in any measure, is to risk my awareness of you.
Blacklight. Project Zeus. The Honored One. The One Who Wields The Power of God. Shikamaru Nara. Gojo Satoru. Accelerator. All of these names and more now had a string, a connection, attached to them. To know me by any name, by any identity, was to risk my attention, and even worse was to say any of these names aloud.
In short, I was reminded a lot of the Eldritch Deities, and the Deities/Monsters of Percy Jackson, where to speak names was to risk getting their attention, and the greater risk of their ire if you disrespected them in the same breath.
The Pocket Dimension purchases were annoying in that some of the purchases were requirements for others, and that they overrode the previous ones, reminding me that it was a Tier progression that acted like a credit sink.
Pocket Apartment and Sweet Home got overridden by Grand Manor II. Fiat garunteed 2,400 square meters of interior floor space and 40 hectares outside. The Grand Manor is gaurunteed to have every living, training, and workshop area me and my retinue might need. Specialized workshops and equipment/resources will only be available if I know, or have someone who knows, how to use them. For safety reasons, all personnel and important items will be ejected from areas undergoing rearrangement through either the Control Room deep in the Manor or in the Control Center App if purchased.
Life's A Beach greatly expands the outside section of the Pocket Dimension. 24 vertical meters into the ground and 48 vertical meters into the sky, with the land expanded by 15.2 square kilometers across. Through the Control Center App, I can customize the exterior landscape however I see fit. The default is a tropical island paradise with standard day/night cycles and perfect weather. Alongside the purchase of the Grand Manor I or II, I can add new wings, lofts, basements, and attics to the Grand Manor so long as it fits within the Pocket Dimension's Exterior. The edge of the Pocket Dimension is selectively permeable, allowing biome appropriate wildlife to enter from worlds me and my retinue call home, with a gauruntee fiat against invasive species, pollutants, unwanted predators, etc.
Stay In Touch does exactly what it says on the tin, giving me high speed internet service covering any and all dimensions, no matter the location, magic wards, or jamming technology. A modern router and replacements are provided for free. The only downside was that it only works and connects to worlds I've been at so far: and Naruto doesn't have internet as far as I'm aware of yet.
Armory gives me, well, an armory. A room filled with weapons, armor, and ammunition. It holds a wide variety of standard and specialized equipment from every world I've visited, and my original world. This does include specialized equipment that would only be available to special forces, but does not include custom made equipment or unique ones. Weapons and armor acquired out in the field can be sent into and out of the armory with a few seconds concentration, and each of my retinue, including myself, could designate up to ten pieces of equipment to be able to equip and return to the armory at will. Everything stored in the armory will automatically repair and maintain itself, though this doesn't include fully destroyed magical artifacts without me first giving the magical energy to do so.
While most of these purchases were primarily to use up my Credits, I had to keep myself from shaking with excitement at the Armory's description.
Everything stored in the armory will automatically repair and maintain itself…
Blacklight was, first and foremost, a bio weapon.
I created a True Clone to take my place in my bed, so as to not alarm anyone if they woke up and wondered where I went, and I entered the clearly conveniently placed Portal Gateway right outside my home, walking into my Grand Manor as I appeared right inside my Armory as I willed it to take me right to there.
"Ikigai." I commanded, the sterile, clinical, nature of the Armory provided by the Company changing as I willed my first Creation into the world.
To create something from Ikigai, was to put yourself wholly and utterly into it's creation. It was a labor of love, of entirely placing one's desires and creativity into the act.
Normally this created a weakness where others could interfere or even try to kill me out of my momentary distraction, but I was not so easily killed.
For the fiat of the Armory to apply, it must be a weapon.
For it to represent Blacklight, it must be contagious, a viral weapon designed to infect and grow, and infect to kill in equal measure.
For it to represent Meraki, it must be a force of creativity, an extension of oneself. An extension of me beyond all others. No simple weapon can do.
For it to represent the Honored One, it must be infinite in its capacity, and infinite in its potential. It must have no ceiling, and no floor.
For it to represent the One Who Wields The Power of God, it must be unrelenting and unyielding in it's purpose, it must act as a way to prove one's Divinity in it's Power. Equal in its ability to manipulate and alter as it is in its ability to create and destroy.
For it to represent Shikamaru Nara, it must be akin to a Shadow, a part of and separate from the world. It's subtlety hidden from all other forces when it chooses to be, and overt and omnipresent when it chooses to be.
In this, my weapon is clear, and it's aspects chosen. In this, I pour my will into this creation, and burn it upon all realities eternal and in a moment.
"Prometheus."
The Titan of Forethought, and the Titan who gave mankind the first fire, the spark that led to humanity's rise.
The Armory seemed, at first, unchanged. Indeed, looking down, I saw my first creation.
A simple ink brush, not unlike what one would find in a store.
"Through songs and folktales, man had been able to pass down histories and stories through the generations, but it was through writing that even long after the civilizations of man had fallen, that man had been able to preserve their voices and tales through the millennia. Writing and art, through a canvas of stone, ink, and brush." I mused quietly.
The sword may kill even dozens of men, and a gun, hundreds, but it was through the will of man that said weapons were used, and what better signified that than the brush that painted life and death in equal measure.
Of course, Prometheus was no simple brush. No, Prometheus was a living brush that waited patiently for my bidding. It could create armies, alter reality, write new Laws of Reality, and so much more, all at my command, and it waited patiently for it knew that it's main task was to dip it's brush into the pool of Blacklight that oozed next to it, to bring me back from death, if all of my retinue and I perished simultaneously somehow.
In a way, I mused, I have Yakumo to thank for this idea, considering she's so fond of her paintings and her ability to cast realistic genjutsu through them.
Of course, Prometheus didn't even need a canvas. It simply willed into existence what it seemed to draw in thin air, and I maintained it as the Principle of Creation and Destruction, the first of my creations through Ikigai.
A fail-safe to my various fail-safes, to ensure that I wouldn't die a True Death against odds stacked against my favor. Something I was well aware the Company often indirectly approved of against it's more arrogant Contractors.
Chapter 36
No matter how many times I saw the world, it truly stayed as beautiful as the first time I saw it.
The Sharingan gave chakra color, could read the muscle movements of others so accurately it was akin to reading the future of a fight, could cast illusions at a glance.
The Byakugan gave the ability to see through illusions and walls alike, to see for miles in any direction, could read the chakra network and coils of others to a degree unmatched by either the Sharingan and Rinnegan alike.
The Rinnegan offered unparalleled abilities through its Seven Paths of enlightenment, through which it could raise the dead, alter reality, change the course of history even. Truly it was worth being labeled the Dojutsu of myth and legends.
Yet, in spite of all of them, the Six Eyes were my favorite, the one that I'd pick every time.
Not because of it's power, for the Rinnegan offered power in spades for those considered worthy.
Not because of it's analyzing prowess, for in truth the Byakugan was capable of matching it in some regards, and the Sharingan in others.
No, what made the Six Eyes worthy in my eyes was how it showed the beauty of the world. Was how it magnified everything in such detail to be perfectly preserved and recalled upon in a moment at my whim.
Where the Sharingan's awakening and its path to power encouraged a disdain, a loathing, of the world and the hell it was, and where the Rinnegan encouraged a form of enlightenment where one took action toward recreating the world in one's image of peace, the Six Eyes did not.
All it encouraged, was to embrace the moment. To live in the moment. To enjoy every second of life, for life is fleeting. Ask out the girl you care about, because she might say yes to a date. Talk to your loved ones. Be silly with your friends. Eat your favorite dessert. For however short life is, it's the memories made of living that matters most, and to die with as few regrets as possible.
The Six Eyes offered enlightenment, and it required no pain. No sorrow. No betrayal. Enlightenment was freely given to those who were willing to see it, for it is a matter of perspective that brings enlightenment. It is offered equally to the richest man as it is the poorest, equally to the most corrupt individual as it is the most pure.
It is life altering, and freeing in the purest sense of the word. To be enlightened, is to be fully in touch with yourself and the world around you. To fully grasp that no matter how terrible or cruel the world and the people in it may be, that equally there is kindness and joy to be found as well.
That no matter your mistakes, your failures, your problems, you can reach enlightenment and find peace at the end, to die satisfied with what little time you may have had. All die with regrets, but to be satisfied despite those regrets was the pinnacle of enlightenment.
"This world is truly beautiful." I whispered.
"He's been staring at our asses for a while now. It's hot, but I almost wanna punch him cause he's just standing there looking at me like I'm a piece of pork in ramen…" "I know, right?! Ugh! At least grab our asses, spank me, grind your cock and bite my neck so everyone can see you've claimed me like an animal! Something!" Naruko and Menma's red flushed faces and whispers to each other, with Naruko gasping quietly at Menma's bluntness.
"You promised you'd wait until I was Chunin before seducing him!" Naruko whispered angrily at Menma, whose red eyes glinted as she smirked.
"Yeah, but it's not my fault if I tease him too much that he has to take me like an animal. I can't say no if he ties my hands behind my back, shoves my panties into my mouth, and takes me like an animal in heat. Kami, he smells fucking delicious. Just imagine his groans as he pins me down and just takes me. No love making, just ravaging me like an utter brute, going at it for hours until I am knocked up and bred, being forced to retire as a mercenary ninja because my man wants me barefoot, naked, and constantly swollen with his kids. I'd even have to get rid of my clothes cause he'd ruin them all just to take me whenever he wants." Menma's face was red, licking her lips as she caught herself drooling.
Naruko whined quietly. "Mean! Now my panties are soaked, and I already promised that I'd be Hokage… but it sounds so hot to be like that too. It's not fair." Naruko pouted, her face red.
Menma's smirk faded as a thoughtful look appeared. "You know, you can be Hokage and still be like that. I mean, it'd be shortest length of time anyone's ever been Hokage, but you could retire right after you've become Hokage, show off that large swollen belly, feeling Shikamaru's babies lazily kick in your belly as you show them all that the Hokage got bent over the Hokage desk and bred like an animal." Menma purred, grinning widely as Naruko's face turned dark red as she bit her lip hard, her eyes shifting to the same red as Menma's for a moment.
"Mean. Stop teasing me. I have to pack for a mission with Kakashi-sensei. I don't have time to change underwear." Naruko whined desperately as Menma sighed as she nodded to signal she'd stop.
"I have to go, Shika. Gotta pack for a couple weeks for a mission with Kakashi-sensei and Team 7. We're taking a bridge builder back to his home." Naruko explained quickly as she looked back at me. I didn't even try to hide my staring, slowly looking up and nodding lazily.
"Sure. Be safe." I said honestly and Naruko nodded gratefully as she left.
"Guess we'll have to do that udon v. ramen contest another time." I mused to Menma, who pouted.
"You don't have to just stare, you know? You can grab me, grope me, take me. It's not like anyone else would stop you. Could stop you, you know?" Menma purred as she wiggled her ass at me, her red eyes narrowed with lust.
I pulled her against me, Menma squeaking as I grabbed her ass to pull her flush against me as she felt me throbb against her as she gave a low moan and a pant, her face flushed.
"I know. But I also know Naruko wants to wait, and I want to respect her wishes. However, that doesn't mean I can't tie you over." I whispered hungrily in her ear, grinding against her in just the right way, using Sticky Fingers as a guide, until Menma bit into my shoulder hard as she muffled her scream as she came several seconds later.
She shuddered, her juices soaking her underwear and her pants for a moment as she trembled in my arms before she relaxed her bite, releasing my shoulder as she panted and gasped for air, dazed.
"I've never came that hard and so fast before. What jutsu was that?" She breathed, ignoring the fact that her soaked underwear and pants rapidly dried in an instant.
"Guess you'll need to wait and find out, won't you?" Menma pouted as she ground her hips back at me, making me inhale sharply as she wiggled against me.
"You try so hard to be good for us. I almost feel bad leaving you this worked up." Menma whispered hungrily. "Guess I'll just have to suck you dry every night after the Chunin Exams to make up for it. Damn, you smell so good." Menma groaned quietly as she took a deep breath, her red eyes dilating.
"Take me to dinner before I change my mind and suck you dry here and now." Menma whispered hungrily as she bit her lip and pulled away from me.
I sighed as I mentally nudged her to the barbecue place, having reserved two seats there. It'd be a change of pace.
Soon. Soon the Chunin Exams would be here, and I can watch Naruko tear the competition apart. Orochimaru wouldn't know what would hit him.
Then I can celebrate by absolutely ravaging these two Uzumaki until we figure out who can't keep up throughout the night. Not that I'd be telling them I'd be cheating using Reverse Cursed Technique to heal myself the whole time. Heh.
Shinobi's gotta keep a few cards to the chest, after all.
Chapter 37
A good 50-75% of deaths out in the field for shinobi can be summed up in two words.
Bad Intel.
Most of the time, it's completely unavoidable and entirely unintentional. The reports given by spies in the area or from the client can often be inaccurate or even be wrong entirely.
However, there are times where it's both avoidable and intentional. Those times were infuriating, especially as bad intel on the client's part often could be spies from other villages pretending to be clients in order to snipe potential A or S-rank shinobi while they're still inexperienced.
The Demon Brothers were C-class chumps, barely even qualifying as low Chunin, but Kakashi Hatake wanted to get a measure of how his kids would handle unexpected encounters.
He was pleased to find Naruko had tapped into her mother's bloodline, the pathetic chain used by the Demon Brother's gauntlets shattering almost immediately as Naruko's Adamantine Chakra Chains easily moved through it like butter to wrap around the two of them.
Naruko was shaping up to be a monster in her own right, especially as Naruko looked bored during the whole thing.
Sayuri took one brother aside, still wrapped in Naruko's chains, to interrogate the man with her Sharingan.
Sakura did the same with the other one, only instead utilizing what Kakashi had taught her. The "Genjutsu: Nightmare Realm" he'd picked up from 'Accelerator', had proven to be an A-rank Genjutsu that worked by first recording traumatic memories and experiences and then forcing the target into experiencing them, and it was absolutely beautiful in that since it was based on memories, it would stick in the target's mind. The genjutsu never left, since all it did was create new patterns of memories based on old ones.
Since Sakura was relatively young, Kakashi helpfully taught her the jutsu and pointed her in the direction of the hospital and T for recording particularly useful memories.
Sayuri's interrogation led to the brother spilling his guts, but otherwise looked at them defiantly. Up until he saw his brother.
Sakura's interrogation target was still shaking violently, his vocal chords destroyed from screaming, his tongue gone as Sakura had to take it out from the Demon brother trying to choke on his tongue to die. His eyes looked glazed and filled with blood, his arms and legs broken in several places from moving so desperately that he broke his own limbs.
The remaining Demon brother looked horrified, screaming his brother's name, but Kakashi was pleased to see Sayuri gagged the man before he could say anything else.
His kids were growing up so fast.
Kakashi turned to Tazuna, the bridge builder's face pale as Kakashi placed a hand on the man's shoulders.
"That is not a bandit. Do you wanna come clean or do you wanna have the same experience they did?" Kakashi asked cheerfully.
Tazuna spilled his guts, and Kakashi Hatake was not amused nor sympathetic.
He gagged Tazuna, tied him up, and looked at his kids.
"Naruko, good job on subduing the brothers. Sayuri, Sakura, good job on the interrogations. Sakura, I'm putting a recommendation that you'd do great as T , but please keep your target somewhat sane, at least for Inoichi's sake as a Mind Interrogator."
The three girls beamed at him, with Sakura's face flushing as she looked proud. Kakashi smiled at them.
His kids were becoming monsters in their own right. He was proud.
"Alright, kids. We got two options. We go back to Konoha, explain the bad intel, and I can show you the process of how you file a claim of a client's misappropriation of a Mission Ranking."
Kakashi paused, watching his kids carefully. None of them spoke up, waiting for him to finish laying out the options. Good. It meant they weren't eager to jump into things without thinking things through.
"Or, we continue with the mission, with careful reporting and note taking to dictate how the mission will be filed at the end. I'll walk you through how missions like this can be the deaths of Konoha ninja, why these things happen, how you react to these kind of missions, and the opportunities/risks involved."
"How often does this happen?" Naruko asked seriously.
Kakashi raised a hand, making an iffy gesture. "Depends on the rank. D and C ranks, almost never. B, A, and S ranks, can depend on where the mission takes place, if there is a war going on, and so on. Misfiled mission reports like this one has killed many shinobi. What Tazuna here just did is exactly what a spy from another village would do in order to kill up and coming Genin like you three who show promise out in the field or on paper."
Naruko's face darkened, her blue eyes shifting red for a moment, until she took a deep breath to calm herself. Kakashi nodded. Good. Anger when directed can be useful, but it's a double edged sword.
Sayuri spoke up tersely. "I would like to do the second option."
Sakura and Naruko agreed.
Kakashi nodded. "Okay. First, when you suspect the client is a spy or a bad faith actor, you wait until concrete evidence or some factor reveals itself that can be documented. In this case, the presence of shinobi immediately acts as a flag. Once a factor is found, you gag and tie up the client if it's an escort mission such as this one."
The three nodded in understanding.
"If it's an item retrieval or a intel gathering mission, it is on hold as you immediately inform Konoha of the misfiling. This can be done in several ways. Higher ranked Jonin such as myself who are Summoning Animal Contractors can send our Summons with messages to the Summoning Hall, a specific undisclosed area that can pick up messages from the animals in question. Chunin and recent Jonin often will use trained ravens that will fly high in the skies and head straight for Konoha."
Sayuri grimaced at the mention of ravens, which made sense since Itsuki was the holder of the Ravens Contract.
"Now, in an escort mission, like this one, we can still operate to protect the client but not without several changes. First, the client is going to pay a severe fine on top of the mission fee, with the fine easily reaching double or even quadruple the mission fee. Second, if the client cannot pay for the fine, then we Konoha ninja can simply choose to leave. After all, we aren't going to do work unpaid."
Kakashi chuckled coldly as Tazuna whimpered behind his gag.
"Of course, as incomplete missions don't look good, we can still do the mission. Konoha will often eat the cost of minor missions like C and B ranks for some of our more valuable clients who have value in other ways than simply currency."
Naruko looked confused. "Why?" She asked.
"Diplomacy and politics." Kakashi said simply.
"Diplomacy is because our neighbors also give us a buffer from the other Great Five Villages, so we often provide discounts or even take some missions pro bono in order to keep them around as 'neutral' territory, so to speak. Politics is because minor nobles or even some merchants will often buy missions in 'bulk'. Caravans for trading goods will buy out missions to protect their goods into or through Konoha and her allies months or even years in advance."
Sayuri frowned. "But our client is not a merchant nor a noble." She pointed out.
Kakashi nodded. "Correct. However, Gato Industries, according to Tazuna, is trying to bleed the Land of Waves dry by creating a monopoly. Not only does this hurt the Land of Waves, it hurts us as Konoha often uses the Land of Waves for transport of goods and services. And, as Gato has not filed a claim over the territory nor paid Konoha the tax fees required for owning a port, this is considered an attack on Konoha's interests."
Kakashi's voice took on a cheerful tone.
"So, Konoha will likely eat the fee, and we will complete the mission, even extending the mission until the bridge is complete, because in exchange, we will get our money and then some by taking Gato Industries to task. Most likely Tazuna here will be a puppet civilian in charge of Gato Industries on paper while Konoha takes control of both the Land of Waves port and the Gato Industries indirectly. Gato will fall ill, or have an accident, and his last will and testament will be to have Tazuna take all his assets, liquid and otherwise."
Tazuna shivered as Kakashi still kept his firm grip on the man, whimpering as Kakashi smiled at Tazuna as his grip tightened.
"I'm glad we found a way to compromise, Tazuna-san. Unfortunately, I think we need to keep you tied and gagged on the way there in case any other of Gato's hired ninja try to listen to any bumbling civilians. I'm sure you understand."
Kakashi nodded in approval as Naruko easily blindfolded and hog tied Tazuna up, having a Shadow Clone take Tazuna's place as she wrapped him up with some binding paper over her Adamantine Chakra Chains to ensure any stray attacks didn't kill Tazuna through the wrapping. The binding paper would allow Tazuna to breath and keep his blood flowing, but not see, hear, or move much otherwise.
"Good work, Team 7. Move out." He ordered.
He left the two Demon brothers with one of his ninja dogs to drag them to Konoha. They'd live, but it'd be a very unpleasant experience.
Ah, the joys of raising the next generation.
Kotetsu and Izumo trembled as they witnessed a group approaching them.
"I believe Hiruzen-sensei has pardoned me." Orochimaru purred as they smiled kindly at the two Chunin.
"Oh, I also brought some gifts to Shikamaru Nara. Aikemono, the Ichibi Jinchuriki. Karin Uzumaki. Tayuya Uzumaki, accompanied by the Sound Four along with my guard Kimimaro Kaguya. I've heard he likes to collect Uzumaki strays, and I wanted to help his collection. I'd love to meet him in person. Please don't keep me waiting too long. I get… impatient."
Kotetsu whimpered as Izumo flickered to get the Third Hokage as fast as possible.
"So… Kotetsu, I believe, tell me, is it true Shikamaru Nara can fly? How strong is he? Can he really teleport?" Orochimaru asked eagerly as their eyes flashed hungrily.
Kotetsu wanted to be anywhere else right now.
Chapter 38
Orochimaru was bemused and simultaneously annoyed that Kotetsu knew very little about Shikamaru but freaking out the weaker shinobi of Konoha was always an amusing past time for them.
However, it seems the surprises were still in store for them as Hiruzen-sensei arrived, looking the same as he had been back when Orochimaru had been 9 or 10 years old.
"Hiruzen-sensei, you're looking… youthful." Orochimaru complimented. No need to be rude to his old sensei after all.
Hiruzen-sensei beamed, reaching up to stroke his beard as he seemed to relish the full return of his vitality and youth.
"Thank you, Orochimaru. I must ask, what gender do you prefer and whose body are you inhabiting?" The Third Hokage asked honestly, no hidden disgust or loathing in his tone.
Orochimaru was rather confused. They knew their sensei. Hiruzen-sensei held very high value on the importance of life, the rules of nature, and so on. What had changed in the past twenty four years?
"I am a woman. Her/she pronouns are preferable, but ultimately gender is irrelevant in the face of understanding the universe and the glories of Science. This body was once named Guren. She held a unique earth affinity from birth known as Crystal Release. She willingly gave up her body in exchange for me taking in and caring for a young child I left back in the Sound village." Orochimaru said honestly.
Hiruzen-sensei nodded serenely. "I see. Very well. I believe we can set up accommodations for you and your guests. We have a lot to discuss, especially as no doubt you'll want to know a lot about the younger generation." Hiruzen-sensei alluded to Orochimaru's fascination/obsession/infatuation with Shikamaru Nara.
Orochimaru nodded shortly, correcting her sensei.
"Tayuya, Karin, and Aikemono are all gifts to be given to Shikamaru Nara. They are not my guests, more so his… new strays. They are all Uzumaki. Kimimaro Kaguya and the remaining Sound Four are my body guards, so they qualify more as my guests."
Hiruzen-sensei blinked and then gave a wide grin, his eyes glinting.
"Naruko will be pleased to know more of her Uzumaki heritage lives with us now, but she's out an a mission at the moment. I've heard Suna is missing their Jinchuriki, and Rasa is much more quiet than normal." Hiruzen mused aloud.
Orochimaru shrugged. "We came to a disagreement on certain subjects. Nonetheless, Suna will not miss what they never really valued."
The Third nodded as an ANBU appeared to guide the Uzumaki 'strays' to their new homes. Orochimaru and the rest of the Sound Four walked behind the Third Hokage through the village.
Orochimaru was rather puzzled. Her village was quite different. The villagers still looked terrified, but not of her and her guests.
Indeed, they pretended to be polite to the Hokage and her, even greeting her by name rather than her original moniker of 'Snake Whore'.
"Kabuto has been quite busy in T ." The Third remarked lightly.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "I've been informed. I must admit, while some of Naruko's circumstances are indeed poor, it wasn't all that different from me in my time."
The Third stopped walking, standing ramrod straight as he slowly took a deep breath.
"What exactly do you mean, Orochimaru?" Hiruzen-sensei's voice was strained, barely audible.
Orochimaru frowned. "Aside from the biological hazards, I had similar difficulties. I assumed you knew as a form of raising shinobi by being self-sufficient, to toughen us up from a very young age in the face of adversity. It was not uncommon for some of the weaker orphans or those who weren't able to learn alternative ways of survival to go missing or dying." Orochimaru pointed out bluntly.
"Why did you never say anything to me?" Hiruzen-sensei said flatly, still refusing to turn and look at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru tilted her head. "Why would I? It was much the same for all of the orphans of Konoha. I was more focused on mastering ninjutsu and honing my skills to avoid dying in the field."
The Third Hokage took a deep breath. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him, bring him back as an Edo Tensei, and then kill him again."
Orochimaru's eyebrows raised. "Who?" She asked curiously.
"Danzo." Hiruzen said curtly.
Orochimaru nodded. "I see. May we continue to your office? I'd like to read the reports on Shikamaru Nara. Kabuto has told me plenty, but it's not the same as official reports."
The Third nodded, speaking gruffly. "Of course. I'm sorry, Orochimaru. I had no idea you had similar struggles as Naruko." He said lowly.
Orochimaru shrugged. "It made me who I am today, Hiruzen-sensei. I do not regret it. Shinobi endure." She said with finality.
They continued toward the office, with Orochimaru noticing that Kimimaro looked furious as the other Sound Four looked uncomfortable. She wasn't sure why, as it had nothing to do with them.
Zabuza stared at his sword.
Or rather, what remained of his sword. The blonde girl had, instead of ducking like the rest of the squad guarding the bridge builder, created chains made of chakra that grabbed his sword out of the air and shattered it into several pieces.
The handle of his sword flung itself into a nearby tree, and he was deeply unhappy to be holding his now useless sword hilt.
"Shit." He summarized bluntly.
Kakashi stood up from his duck, nodding in approval. "Good job, Naruko." As the white haired ninja turned to Zabuza, smiling cheerfully.
"I believe you just tried to kill one of my kids." Kakashi Hatake, the fucking Copy Cat Ninja, Iwa's Bane, and the killer of the previous Five Tails Jinchuriki said cheerfully.
Zabuza knew right then and there that he wasn't getting paid enough.
"I surrender. I am not being paid enough for this shit. Haku, get the fuck over here. That's an Uzumaki, and she's probably got several Shadow Bomb Clones ready to jump you by now." He raised his hands to the air while letting the hilt fall to the ground.
Haku appeared minus her usual disguise of pretending to be a Kiri Hunter Ninja, standing beside Zabuza while her hands were up to show she was unarmed.
Kakashi Hatake pouted. "Damn. I was hoping to show off a bit to my kids. Naruko, bind them and suppress their chakra. No interrogation. They're playing nice, unlike the Demon Brothers."
Zabuza winced as his chakra was wrenched out of his grasp, buried so far out of his reach that it would take a couple hours until he could use jutsu again after the chains stopped touching him.
Haku moaned, and Zabuza had to repress a twitch. He didn't need to hear his daughter in all but blood getting turned on out of being weakened and tied up.
The Uzumaki, Naruko, he noted to remember her name, gave a quiet sniff and her face flushed.
"The one in a… kimono?, she's definitely more cooperative. For reasons." Naruko whispered to Kakashi Hatake, who nodded.
"Good work, Team 7. Now I'll go over procedures in how sometimes you can hire cooperative missing ninja during missions. Sometimes we can even bring them into Konoha properly, if several conditions are met."
Kakashi Hatake was training Genin. Genin who were able to take Zabuza and Haku with ease and disarm them.
Zabuza almost pitied the fools who thought Kakashi's kids were easy pickings.
Almost.
Chapter 39
Orochimaru scanned every page, every document, with a hunger she hadn't felt since she'd discovered the Self-Incarnation Body Transfer Kinjutsu. Shikamaru Nara had appeared unremarkable right up until he graduated from the Academy. Then it seemed as though he had an unheard of mutation in the Nara Bloodline that allowed him a level of control over space and time in the local area to such a degree that Shikamaru was considered an S-rank Genin.
Orochimaru knew right then and there that it was bullshit. No person can attain mastery over such complex abilities almost immediately, even with just instinct alone. And the fact that the abilities he wielded did not use Chakra at all, indicated that this had nothing to do with the Nara Clan.
"What do you know of how the Impure World Resurrection works, sensei?" Orochimaru asked as she continued to look through each report by Asuma Sarutobi.
"It functions by using a living vessel that sacrifices the soul, to call back a soul from the Pure Lands." Her sensei said bluntly. "That's all I know."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Time is… different to those in the Pure Lands. To be specific, it does not exist. To the resurrected, no time has passed since their deaths. They have no recollection of the Pure Lands, and thus, no memory of the afterlife. My theories have ranged from some filter that removes memories of the afterlife to those who enter this impure world, to the idea that the dead don't recall the afterlife because there is no afterlife at all. However, this, this beautiful person, proves what I've been desperately seeking for so many years."
Their sensei tilted their head. "I don't follow." He said flatly.
"That there are other realities that do not rely on chakra. That there are entire dimensions filled with souls, experiences, and memories that have nothing to do with chakra. Above all else, I have been seeking an impossible variable: a person who has not yet been reliant on chakra alone. If chakra is derived of all living things, what happens if chakra disappears from the world? Everything dies. I needed a control variable, something to compare to, in order to ensure that even having my chakra torn from me does not kill me. More importantly, chakra is not natural. It cannot be: the genetic variances for chakra all appear at the same time across all the species I've studied, across the entire continent, all at the same time, everywhere, simultaneously after life has already branched off into different evolutionary sectors. And this mutation has led to further mutations in the evolution of life, as all life is now utterly dependent on this new source of energy."
Their teacher's eyes widened. "Then that means…" The Third's voice trailed off.
"That chakra was not merely a mutation over time. This was a deliberate action by something, or someone." Orochimaru said with a dark satisfaction, and an undertone of concern.
The Third's eyes closed, his face paling slightly. "Fuck." Her teacher said succinctly.
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes. It's a bad situation, sensei, if something or someone is deliberately letting us grow dependent and then prosper off of an alien source of an energy. We're being harvested." Orochimaru hissed, her yellow eyes flashing angrily.
"Yet, you think Shikamaru has an answer to this clusterfuck." Her sensei said quietly.
Orochimaru's smile widened, as she felt more excited than she'd felt in years. "Absolutely! Abilities that do not require chakra means that Shikamaru is a once-in-a-millenia mistake on this whole thing. Shikamaru Nara is definitely using some form of energy, as Asuma had felt his 'hair stand on edge' when Shikamaru Nara used his 'Cursed Technique: Lapse Blue'. A technique that does not use chakra, no hand seals, but using a vocal chant in order to empower his technique means something. It means Shikamaru's abilities are running off of an entirely different energy source."
She shook in place, her hands shaking as she set down the folder on his desk as she leaned in to her teacher, so excited she could barely contain herself.
"Shikamaru Nara may have been born here, sensei, but his soul is not. The ease of his abilities, his sudden mastery over this new energy, and his ability to understand space-time on a level even the Second Hokage would be confounded by, all makes sense if it means he's from another dimension entirely. A true reincarnation from one of the other realities not dependent on chakra! Forget simply the sheer endless advantages this gives Konoha and us, think about the sheer implications of what that means!"
The Third stared at her as she practically drooled, her eyes glowing as she trembled with excitement. She didn't even let him keep talking.
"It means that we know for a fact that other realities exist simultaneously with ours, and that there might be an infinite number of those realities. How many realities do you think there are where your wife is still alive, sensei? How many realities do you think there are where immortality and enlightenment for our species isn't simply just a possibility, but a certainty? How many realities do you think it'd be where I have a fam-"
Orochimaru immediately stopped talking. Her yellow eyes so wide and vibrant turned cold and flat, and she closed her eyes hard.
Her sensei said nothing, his face contorted in grief as he knew better than to give his student empty platitudes.
Eventually, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath. No, no tears. Science is far more important than petty emotions, and I had long since gave up having a family in the pursuit of enlightenment and immortality.
"Do you think Shikamaru is aware of this?" The Third Hokage asked her, blatantly trying to change the topic. She nodded gratefully for a moment before giving a 'sort-of' gesture.
"Of the infinite possibilities and realities, is iffy, but at the very least of one other reality where he had honed and mastered his abilities, almost certainly. As it is, even if he's unaware of the gold mine that his soul, body, and mind truly is, he is above all else, a new perspective on how our universe operates. He may have knowledge or ideas on how to do things that we may have never even considered, let alone followed up on."
"Shikamaru Nara is a big stickler for contracts, so you may need to sign one if you want to consider actually experimenting on him with his consent." Her sensei said bluntly.
Orochimaru snorted. "Likely another 'outer' ability that uses the signatures of those who signed to make a voluntary contract self-binding and absolute. I'd have done the same myself almost immediately if it was an option." She paused, hesitating.
"Sensei, I see no other for me." She reluctantly spoke. "I am not one for emotions, but this man, this wonderful man, is proof that I had dedicated my life to something worth pursuing. That my immortality does not end with me bored for all eternity after I've figured out how chakra works. This wonderful man has made me realize that not only are all my dreams not only possible, but in some realities, a certainty. As a scientist, he is the one for me. There is no other. I love him, and I haven't even met him. There is nothing I would not do, nothing I would not sign, for this opportunity, and for me to meet this wonderful man." She said with finality.
The Third stared at her for a long moment. "I see." He slowly nodded before shaking his head briefly. "Well, I can't see from your perspective on such matters, but I will absolutely bring Shikamaru here to meet you and the rest of the Sound Four guards. It wouldn't do for him to be caught off guard. As it is, he is in a very loving relationship with Naruko, a young woman named 'Menma' that looks startlingly like Naruko, and likely several others. I hope that doesn't hinder you."
Orochimaru snorted, waving a hand. "Bah. Please. He's been raised in our customs. Strong shinobi like him will be crawling with more women than he knows what to do with, and things of that carnal nature do not interest me nearly as much as others who are controlled by their genitals would be. I'll gladly bear his children, if he honors me to carry them, but I will not be so easily swayed by others in his romantic life to be pushed away in the glories of Science!"
Orochimaru paused. "Did you just say a woman that looks startlingly like Naruko Uzumaki, the Nine Tails Jinchuriki?" She asked carefully.
The Third nodded. "Yes."
Her eyes lit up with hunger. "He's already begun studying and entering other universes. Likely a mirror of our own, if he was able to bring back an individual from an extremely similar reality. Oh, the questions, the studies, the ideas!" She did not squeal. She did not! She was more dignified than that!
Chapter 40
[Orochimaru. The Snake Sage. Love Confession. 50.
Tsunade Senju. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Gaara [Aikemono]. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Tayuya Uzumaki. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Karin Uzumaki. Signed and Sealed Capture. 6.
Mabui. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Samui. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Karui. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
A [Third Raikage]. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Sasori. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Kakuzu. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Deidara. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Hidan. Signed and Sealed Capture. 12.
Yugito Nii. The Jinchuriki of the Nibi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Killer Bee. The Jinchuriki of the Hachibi. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Third Kazekage. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Hanzo. The Former Leader of Amegakure. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
The King of Hell. Signed and Sealed Capture. 120.
Ginkaku and Kinkaku. The Gold and Silver Brothers. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
Gengetsu Hozuki. The Second Mizukage. Signed and Sealed Capture. 30.
633 Credits Remaining.]
White Zetsu in combination with Yakumo's Bloodline was absolutely terrifying when combined with the prowess of Itachi Uchiha's ocular jutsu. Alongside the most recent summoning of the dead that some of the white Zetsu had pillaged from the surrounding villages graveyards, and the result was absolutely worth the planning. That and Nagato summoning the King of Hell in order to compel it to sign the Contract he had in hand.
I had not expected a Love Confession from Orochimaru, but I had been operating under false information, thinking that she was still a man like in canon. This was not the case.
Being the two had been discussing about me, and had said my name, I had immediately became aware of the conversation and those involved, especially as the Hokage had a subconscious fragment of me working in the background. All of my retinue did. Such was the nature and power of connections through Mama Mathers' power. This ability likely wouldn't work beyond the universe I was residing in alongside the universes I visited, as even the Shards were not omnipresent.
I was quite impressed by the sheer intelligence and capacity for learning Orochimaru had in this universe, as it seemed that this version truly had wanted to learn beyond simply the scope of the Rinnegan, as had been the original Orochimaru's obsession after meeting Pain.
That and the reasoning of how the Otsutsuki did their work, despite never meeting or even hearing about them. Very impressive stuff.
Karin bit her lip as she looked at me, her face flushed. No doubt that as a unique sensor, Karin was likely at least receiving some understanding of what I was capable of.
At over 600 Credits, I had a lot of Credits to spend.
[Warehouse District. -100.
Template Stacking I: Ryoumen Sukuna [Jujutsu Kaisen] for Orochimaru. -20.
Template Stacking I: Gray Boy/Nicholas [Worm] for Orochimaru. -40.
Template Stacking I: Alucard [Hellsing] for Orochimaru. -80.
Template Stacking I: Trafalgar D. Water Law [One Piece] for Tsunade Senju. -20.
Template Stacking I: Katara [Avatar] for Tsunade Senju. -40.
Template Stacking I: Shanks [One Piece] for Rock Lee. -0. Reincarnation.
Template Stacking I: Taylor Hebert/Skitter/Weaver/Khepri [Worm] for Shino Aburame. -20.
Template Stacking I: Toph Beifong [Avatar] for Aikemono [Gaara]. -20.
Template Stacking I: Jack Slash/Jacob [Worm] for Menma Uzumaki. -20.
Template Stacking I: Bonesaw/Riley Grace Davis [Worm] for Menma Uzumaki. -40.
Template Stacking I: Sir Crocodile [One Piece] for Shukaku/Ichibi. -20.
Template Stacking I: Eneru/Enel [One Piece] for Fuu. -20.
Template Stacking I: Adam [Shuumatsu no Valkyrie] for Sayuri Uchiha. -20.
Template Stacking I: Tattletale/Lisa Wilbourn [Worm] for Kabuto Yakushi. -20.
Designer Babies III: -24.
Gone and Forgotten: -10.
Let Them Know: -10.
Paper Trail: -10.
Engineering Talent. -30.
Talent Sharing: -20.
Science Talent.
Engineering Talent.
29 Credits Remaining.]
Honestly, all of these purchases are pretty much overkill and using the Template Stacking credit sink is just way easier than trying to find some way to spend all the Credits into creating a demiplane.
All of this was very much just me wasting credits to also make myself even more broken than before, if it was even possible. Also, because I can. I just can, so I will.
I had not expected Rock Lee to be a reincarnation of Shanks from One Piece, however. That would explain his sheer willpower and his absolute insane capacity for Taijutsu, considering, you know, Haki is fucking broken in comparison to almost anything here in this universe.
Diving into the Social Club, I quickly started the cycle of empowering myself and everyone else with these new Templates alongside mastering them within Tsukuyomi.
Of course, now that we also had Gray Boy and Sukuna's Templates into the mix, in conjunction with Tsukuyomi, Social Club, the Butcher's Template, and so on, well, you can see how this quickly reaches absurd very quickly, yes?
Not to mention One For All and All For One became very interested in how Sukuna's ability to turn himself into Cursed Fingers allowed an acceleration and evolution into fully amplifying one's nature into a pseudo soul rather than simply a fragmentary consciousness as I initially suspected. It was a shame that Kenjaku, for some odd reason, was not available as a Template for power, but that just meant going to Jujutsu Kaisen and getting the first Kenjaku Template was just that much more valuable in the future.
That didn't even begin to cover the synergies between the various Templates that were now in my possession.
I dare say I might have become a TX Entity without technically becoming one, as you are required to have obtained a TX Ticket before you become such an entity as far as the Company was concerned.
Which is why the moment I returned to myself, I appeared next to Nagato, who had summoned the Gedo Mezo. I stamped it, the large wooden 'statue' not reacting in the slightest.
The three days starts now.
Finally, Wendy growled in my ear, you've been frustratingly patient and putting off my task until now. In three days, I'll finally get to eat the pathetic shadow and mount you. You have no idea how much you've been teasing me, leading everyone along since the beginning.
I shrugged. Work before play, Wendy, work before play; it's still two months until the Chunin Exams anyway. By my calendar, I'm still early. I've even left most of Kumogakure's forces, and A, alone so that way you get a feast when they get stupid enough to try and invade us.
The feeling of a cold yet hot sensation crossed the back of my neck as I felt more than saw Wendy lick the back of my neck hungrily.
You tease too much, Meraki. Better pray that your soul and body can handle me. Wendy purred.
I tilted my head. Isn't the best part of the hunt being the chase, the back and forth between a predator and it's prey? And what makes you think that I'm the prey? What if you are my prey, Wendy? I asked mentally as I began to vividly imagine what I would do to her if given half the chance.
Wendy gave a low moan in my ear. Promises, promises. Then, I will be waiting for you in the forest, Meraki. Hunt me, track me down, pin me down, and then 'devour' me. Wendy purred lustfully as I growled, feeling her hands reaching to grope me briefly under my pants before she vanished.
Chapter 41
[Template Stacking I: Morgan Yu [Prey] for Fu Yamanaka. -20.
9 Credits Remaining.]
How do you deal with dimensional traversing beings like the Otsutsuki?
Answer: You create or bring something that eats sapient beings for breakfast that can traverse dimensions like we would entering through doors.
Morgan Yu is by no means unbeatable. The protagonist of Prey has died countless times in the simulations that makes up the game. Each iteration different than the last. Indeed, Morgan Yu is nothing in comparison to the really dangerous Entities like Scion or Eden from Worm. In fact, many would remark that this was just another waste of credits in comparison to the sheer daunting task of facing the Otsutsuki Clan on their home turf.
Except, there's a catch. In the final ending of Prey, it's revealed that the protagonist is not Morgan Yu at all. You are in fact a Phantom, a Humanoid Mimic given the memories of Morgan Yu and then placed under a simulation.
According to the Company rules, this means that the structure of the Template for Morgan Yu must cover every iteration of Morgan's abilities from every playthrough of the game, and everything else covered by the lore. For just like how the Bonecharms and powers of the Outsider were technically infinite in their scope and vastness, the nature of this Template would cover every possible iteration of Morgan Yu, not just the ones' shown in the game.
I had isolated Fu Yamanaka's mind from everyone else in the Social Club, using a mixture of Tsukuyomi, Kotoamatsukami, Gray Boy's Time Manipulation, Bonesaw's Wet Tinkering Specialization, the Butcher's Template, and got to work.
Admittedly, I took my time with this. Morgan Yu's abilities from the Typhon were fairly formidable in their own right.
It was absolutely worth the investment. To touch, is to be touched. The Template Stacking I grants the abilities of those it is Templated by, but the way each Template functions is based on the origin on how that Template's character operates. Bleach Characters are a Template on top of the soul, Alex Mercer is a Template of biology, and so on.
It even came as a surprise to me that I actually died in a few simulations, with Fu having been able to subtly influence and change Blacklight to creating a Weaver Network vast enough to summon the Alpha Typhon, as the young man's mind became consumed by the Typhon Hive Mind.
Not that it helped them. When a Butcher dies, the killer becomes the next Butcher. And thanks to all of my Defenses on top of [Immutable Self, that made me the new Alpha Typhon. With each death, I became exponentially stronger as all of Blacklight grew exponentially more powerful from the abilities of the Typhon. With each consumption, I became a little… more than human.
This was my answer to the Otsutsuki, for I had heard of them via osmosis through the internet in my time. That they were immune to jutsu, that one of them had even apparently ascended to the level of a God.
The Typhon Hive Mind and the Blacklight Hive Mind began to mix several decades in, with Blacklight eagerly co-opting the mechanisms of how the Typhon Hive Mind did not cut off in between dimensions, as all of the Typhon were in effect, one species, and one entity. An ever hungering, ever-evolving, sapience devouring species that hunted those who had the capacity for intelligence. A Mind Flayer would approve of such a species creation, even if the Mind Flayer would be horrified at the fact that the species did not have an over-arching goal. It simply ate and devoured because that's it's instincts, and nothing else.
With this, I could connect to my retinue across all local dimensions simultaneously. For the Typhon, dimensions are to them what doors are to us, mere flimsy barriers to food and resources to be opened at a whim.
This is where all of my other Templates began to shine. From Gray Boy, came the ability to iterate loops upon loops. From Bonesaw, came the wet tinkering that fully molded organic things into other things. Morgan Yu was no slouch either, as the man had made the Scanner that had allowed him to detect mimics and read their mental patterns to create new Neuromods.
Slowly, piece by piece, a new Typhon was born.
Toneri Otsutsuki knew that the time to depart down to earth was coming. His plans were slowly coming to fruition, and he'd already dealt with the other traitors. His time was soon at hand.
He stopped moving, a sensation he'd not felt before rising rapidly.
The stars were shifting, some of them vanishing and others seeming to warp around something.
His Byakugan saw nothing, even as he cast his gaze kilometers forward into space.
Something cold touched his neck, and Toneri screamed as something shoved itself down his throat.
The home dimension of the Otsutsuki was under attack. It was supposed to be impossible. The home dimension of Shibai Otsutsuki was guarded under His ever watchful gaze.
Yet that didn't stop this thing that ignored their attacks and abilities. Elder Otsutsuki, ripe off of the fruits of countless worlds, died in droves as the black tendrils seemed to ignore their screams, shoving itself into their throats and eyes, screaming as their minds, bodies, and souls were torn asunder and consumed by this creature, this infestation.
Urashiki had been the first to fall, screaming about some endless hunger in the dark, before some tendrils appeared to tear itself through the man, choking to death as he seemed to gaze at Momoshiki for help, who looked horrified.
Kinshiki had been next, the man's large frame with his weapons ignored as the beast seemed to eagerly consume the Otsutsuki. Then it split itself into eight copies of itself, all of whom seemed to turn toward Momoshiki, who immediately fled as fast as he could.
It didn't matter. The infestation proved relentless, and Momoshiki's cries for help died under the swift tide of the ever-hungering monsters.
Shibai Otsutsuki had no body to be devoured, and yet even He watched on helplessly as the infestation grew to devour his home dimension. These things even seemed to copy his Clan's bodies and minds, departing to enter dimensions and places where the Otsutsuki had been growing more fruits to be devoured. They were being eaten, harvested en mass, and there was nothing they could do to stop these mimics, these twisted copies of the Otsutsuki Clan.
It was just a moment too late when Shibai realized that something was watching Him watching them, and then He was silenced.
Isshiki Otsutsuki knew that the time was not yet right. The thing that called itself Black Zetsu was still crawling around trying to release the seal on it's mother, the traitor that had attempted to kill him.
He stiffened as the dimension he'd sealed off was breached, and he knew it was a moment too late as the blackened thing had grabbed his container and devoured them both simultaneously.
Across the local universe, the Otsutsuki Clan was discovered, eaten, and then dissolved . There was no one to hear their screams and pleas for help.
Their minds were torn asunder, their bodies carefully analyzed and then molded, twisted, into whatever the Typhon deemed necessary or useful to it's goals. The souls would not depart to an afterlife, for the Wendigo feasted on each one hungrily.
Only those deemed useful to the Alpha Typhon were deemed viable to be left alive within the Hive Mind, their bodies no more.
[Toneri Otsutsuki. 'Stamped'. 60.
Urashiki Otsutsuki. 'Stamped'. 60.
Kinshiki Otsutsuki. 'Stamped'. 60.
Momoshiki Otsutsuki. 'Stamped'. 60.
Shibai Otsutsuki. 'Stamped'. 600.
Isshiki Otsutsuki. 'Stamped'. 120.]
You spoil me. Wendy purred.
I snorted. Did you think I'd leave them to run around and mess with me and mine after I've left? No. They were doomed from the start. I merely waited until it was more convenient.
There was no way that any of the Otsutsuki stood a chance, especially once the Typhon got their hands on the Accelerator Template. Even Shibai was utterly fucked at that point.
Now there's only a few things left, and then I can truly start thinking about where to go for my next world. I haven't even looked at my Exit Stage Left app.
I paused, frowning.
What do I do with all these points now?
I sighed. Suffering from success.
Chapter 42
Gato's death was too kind, as far as Team 7 were concerned.
With Naruko creating a few dozen Shadow Clones to go around slaughtering any bandits, mercenaries, and anyone else that seemed willing and complicit to Gato's operations, she still had more than enough chakra to participate in Kakashi's next lesson.
"Infiltrating enemy territory is arguably one of the most dangerous things you'll ever do as a shinobi." Kakashi lectured calmly.
The three Genin nodded simultaneously. That was obvious.
"One of the only things more dangerous for a shinobi is coming home." Kakashi continued.
"How?" Naruko asked flatly.
"Because as a shinobi, the feeling of safety and comfort of one's home leads to being careless. In fact, some of the best ways a Yamanaka Interrogator gets intelligence from captured ninja is to create a memory simulation of them successfully returning from a mission." Kakashi answered bluntly.
Sakura frowned, looking both upset and uncomfortable. "Aren't we supposed to be safe and comfortable in Konoha?" She asked uneasily.
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, however, safety and comfort does not mean you let your guard down. It doesn't mean you become paranoid either, as being in 'mission mode' as I call it can make you overreact to even the little things that can be explained with obvious answers. It simply means you keep your ears and eyes open, and then act accordingly. Higher level shinobi like myself do this subconsciously, and it's my job to tell you and teach you these things to help you survive and thrive."
Sakura relaxed slightly, nodding.
Sayuri frowned. "Yet, we aren't on guard all the time. We slip up, we make mistakes. How can we keep ourselves alert and relaxed simultaneously when our mistakes can cost people their lives?" She pointed out.
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "True. Our mistakes carry consequences. However, scaring yourself into maintaining high alert state of mind doesn't work for long: eventually the mind will begin to fabricate signs, fabricate tells in your mind. You'll start thinking everyone is out to get you, and then you'll die because you'll be acting so paranoid that others will think you are becoming not just a danger, but a legitimate threat to those around you."
"Constant vigilance is important." Kakashi admitted briefly, but his tone was cautious. "Yet it will and can kill you. We rely on our fellow Konoha shinobi to know what they're doing in order to defend our homes as well. Even I cannot do everything. I would burn out. I nearly did."
"Are you okay?" Naruko asked seriously. Kakashi smiled.
"Yes, I am, Naruko. Thank you for asking. My friends Might Guy and Anko Mitarashi dragged me from the edge of burn out, and we do mental/emotional checks on each other. Once a week if we're in the village, and whenever we return from a mission. A successful mission check up is brief, but if a mission goes south or if we feel emotionally compromised, we have made it a rule that we cannot be left alone for at least a month outside of missions."
Sayuri looked confused. "Why would you admit such weakness?" She asked. After all, to admit such emotional instability was practically reputational suicide.
Kakashi tilted his head as he looked at her, chuckling after a moment.
"Sorry, kids. I forget that while you have the skills of a Jonin, you lack the mindset of one. The whole rules on how a shinobi should act that the Academy trains into you to memorize? It's pretty much garbage. Most of those rules are for the rank and file, the Genin, the Chunin. The followers, if you will. I'm not raising Genin. I'm raising future Hokages, future ANBU Captains, future SS-rank shinobi. I am the best of the best, and I expect the best of the best from my kids." Kakashi said matter-of-factly.
His three kids beamed at him, with Naruko hiding her sniffles and tears as she shook her head for a moment.
"In any case, the same major weakness of a shinobi being careless in their own territory, applies to most groups as well. Gato promised a lot of money to Zabuza and Haku. He's greedy, selfish, and, more importantly, short sighted. It's very unlikely he hired any other missing ninja."
Sayuri frowned. "How do we know that about the target? We haven't observed him, and he was willing to kill the bridge builder. He could be cautious and paranoid." She pointed out.
Kakashi smiled. "Very good, Sayuri. Don't take even my words at just face value: the higher up the promotion ladder you go, the more politics and subterfuge begin to mix. We know Gato is short sighted precisely because he's trying to kill the bridge builder."
The three blinked at him, lost.
Naruko's eyes lit up. "Oh! I get it!" She exclaimed quietly. "Gato could've waited until Tazuna built the bridge, killed him, and then turned it into a… toll… bridge?" She tilted her head as she looked at Kakashi to confirm.
"You got it, Naruko." Kakashi confirmed. "Much like how the Land of Fire requires all merchants to pay a fee to cross its territory, so does the ports. Gato could have simply started double dipping by charging any merchants leaving the Land of Waves by land through the bridge, making it exorbitantly more expensive for merchants to relieve their goods by boat and then shipped through caravan out to the Land of Fire. He's so focused on saving every yen and maintaining his monopoly that he's destroying what could be a serious, yet documented, source of income."
"Such a man would be very unlikely to spend even a yen more than he'd have to, meaning the odds of any missing ninja guarding Gato in what he assumes to be his own territory is slim to none, especially as missing ninja are not required to uphold a standard or ethics. Many missing ninja have no problems killing someone they think is beneath them and taking the money by force. Zabuza is a rare case of a relatively, by missing ninja standards, honorable ninja who will go through on the mission requests."
"So, we know where Gato's base is, Zabuza gave you a rough idea of the mercenaries in the area, and we know Gato is likely there. What's the plan?" Kakashi asked his kids.
The ideas varied, but all of them made Kakashi smile with a vicious pride.
His kids would slaughter the Chunin Exams, and he was absolutely excited to watch them in action.
This mission was turning into a gold mine as far as he was concerned. Opening his kid's eyes on the reality of fubar'd missions, the politics and rules regarding nations and missions, even getting to teach Naruko how to adopt Haku into the Konoha Registry as a Mercenary Ninja under her payroll later.
This mission was supposed to be a toe dip into the shallows, and it ended up being his kids diving into the deep oceans, and making it look easy.
He smirked as the memories of a Shadow Clone popped, the Clone observing Haku moaning Naruko's name as she tied herself up using her ice release to make icy copies of Naruko's Chains.
He made it a rule to not interfere with his kids' personal love life, but maybe he could introduce Naruko to the 'Beginner's Guide to BDSM'. She might need it.
Chapter 43
[Template Stacking I: Misogi Kumogawa [Medaka Box] for Shikamaru Nara. -600.
409 Credits.]
Misogi Kumogawa is arguably one of the most double-edged swords you'd have to deal with as a Contractor. The man himself possesses an ability known as All-Fiction.
Anything he wishes can become 'fiction', erasing it from existence. This can range from mere objects to Absolute Concepts. In short, this ability is absolutely dangerous because it is absolutely vital on how one's mindset works. If someone with depression or an extremely low sense of self-worth obtained All-Fiction, they would erase themselves from existence permanently.
My original consideration had been for Medaka Kurokami, due to her immense amount of copied abilities and her own skills as [The End] and the Protagonist of the series, but I had decided against it as such an ability was likely better off for some of my weaker retinue later on. The amusement of raising a Tier 1 Character to an immediate Tier 10 with that sort of synergy was something I'd consider as an end-resort tactic if needed.
No, I went for Misogi Kumogawa because he was the Eraser to Prometheus. Creation and Destruction, at my will.
Arguably, Prometheus was more than capable of fulfilling the same functions as All-Fiction, but Prometheus had a limitation: it would only be effective where I or my retinue currently existed. Leaving the world of Naruto, for example, would render Prometheus unable to affect the world of Naruto if I and my entire retinue left the world.
All-Fiction, was the nuke to the precision scalpel of Prometheus. Even if I did somehow die a True Death, All-Fiction negated it as I'd be brought back later on. Much like those cartoon shows or anime with retcons, amusingly enough.
It was worth the 600 Credits, as the ability of All-Fiction would stay strictly with me. It would not be passed down through the same cycle of the other abilities. All-Fiction required strict control, as it had some serious consequences, since anything erased by All-Fiction could not be undone.
Well, sort of. It was odd that Misogi had thought All-Fiction had that limitation, because you could simply erase the erasure event from time in the local area, bringing it back from All-Fiction. It was an ability that relied on how one perceives and views the world around you.
Now the only way to die a 'True Death' was if the outward governing force on the multiverse I was in stopped spinning, since it was one of those few forces that I could sense was not influenced or affected by the power of All-Fiction.
Which tracks since if I recalled correctly, the anime of Medaka Box pretty much ended when Misogi erased the concept of colors from the series.
"Huh. I could actually achieve Madara's dream now." I mused aloud quietly to myself.
I want to sever the Fate of this world. A world of only victors. A world of only love. A world of only peace.
All-Fiction was more than capable. The ability to erase Concepts such as Hate, Corruption, and Greed was easily within reach.
I would not do it, however. Again, All-Fiction is a nuke option only. It cannot be so easily undone, and erasing such emotional concepts would have some extreme consequences.
No, my current plan of taking over the nobles and forcefully dragging this world into an era of peace through mutual interests, kicking and screaming if I must, was still the better option.
Now I wonder what would happen if I entered the world of Marvel now. I mused internally. The Infinity Stones are nothing in comparison to the power of All-Fiction. Even 'Snapping' me out of existence would be for nothing. One Above All and One Below All would be terrified of such an entity like myself if I truly showed myself.
For they would be powerless against All-Fiction rendering them meaningless. To box them out of their own multiverse.
My smile darkened as I chuckled lowly.
You played with the lives of countless living things in your endless chess games. Forcing you both to sit out and watch the current universes I enter, to be powerless to change things, to feel pathetically mortal like the people you used. Truly, there is no better punishment for the likes of you. For I know the Truth that you desperately seek to hide from them all: That there is no difference. One Above All and One Below All are One and the Same. Alpha and Omega. God playing with his children's lives for his own amusement. No, there is no escape from me if I enter your domains, for I will lock you out and make you watch as I clean up your failures.
This was the power of All-Fiction in the hands of a Contractor.
You are teasing me so much right now. Wendy growled lustfully in my ear. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to always feel robbed because of all the stupid retcons and resets those multiversal entities do? I cannot believe I have to wait another 44 hours. You are a tease, Meraki! She whined.
I snorted.
You're just happy you won't have to hold back against me, since I can just return from Death. I replied mentally.
Absolutely! You have any idea how much it sucks to have to constantly hold back?! I can't even fully enter your world without increasing fatalities by 10,000%! You have any idea how much more backlogged work that is?!
I shrugged. I can fix that using 'April Fiction' to temporarily erase the concept of the extra fatalities for a full 'three minutes' though I am unsure how that applies to a Conceptual Entity like you. I mentally responded.
April Fiction only worked on local things, but creating a 'screw' to pin down Wendy in order to conceptually erase the extra baggage of death caused by her entering the world I was in, was well within the lines of possibility.
Stop. Teasing. Me! Gah! It's not fair! Yes, it would work, but my 'three minutes' in your terms would be three eons, three blessed eons of no extra fatalities of work. It would only be three minutes in your world's terms, as far as you're aware. I don't even know what to offer in your terms to make it an 'even deal' so to speak. I tilted my head.
What if I don't want anything from you for it? What if I just want to make it even easier, safer, and more convenient for us to be together? It just seems like an easy decision on my part.
I… Well, I… Fuck, that's actually really sweet of you. Stop making me feel things dammit! I don't know what to do with all these complicated positive emotions! Ugh! I'm going to have some tea with Persephone. I'll see you in 44 hours.
Have fun. I responded as the mental connection vanished.
I'm thinking I'll save on the rest of the Credits. Either for the X-blade purchase if I decide to save up for that Master Xehanort Template, or if I want to be silly and just fully buy out the Sweet Home Expansion [25] so I can turn my Pocket Manor into a whole planet the size of earth. That'd be pretty cool.
Trajectory. Agreement. Would allow me to visit anywhere I want at any time, but then it feels like an end-game purchase since I would no longer feel obligated to complete the 'story' of any world I visited like how Exit Stage Left operates.
Nah, I'll enjoy the randomness of the Catalogue. It's not like I'm stuck with one option either, thanks to Pursued by a Bear giving me seven worlds to choose from.
It's not like I don't have an eternity or three to spend here anyway.
Huh. I paused as a thought entered my mind.
Should I give Wendy a permanent body? Between Ikigai and All-Fiction, it'd be possible. I'll have to ask her when she gets back. I wonder which Persephone she visited. The Hades Persephone is pretty nice, but the Riordan Persephone would also enjoy a cup of tea. Hmm.
Chapter 44
AN: First major sex chapter, so let me know what you guys think. Tentacles, breeding, some light 'vore', if not really.
[Juubi. The Ten Tails. Stamped. 120.]
I immediately activated Body Tune-Up. The barely present chakra exploded into existence as the Gedo Mezo began to reverse itself back into it's prime state.
Black Zetsu's yellow eyes only saw a glimpse of the Gedo Mezo shrinking, as Wendy eagerly grabbed the shadow, it's screams of defiance and despair silenced as the Black Zetsu was consumed by the Wendigo.
I love you, Meraki. You know where I'll be. Find me. Hunt me. Claim me. Wendy purred into my ear as she vanished.
[The Shinigami. The Puppet of True Death. 120.]
Kaguya opened her eyes, her calm face hiding the sheer turmoil of emotions under the surface. Having been sealed away by her two sons, having her chakra torn out of her body and then permanently mutilated, changed beyond recognition, she was barely even aware of the world around her.
She flinched as a screw appeared to bury itself into her hand.
"What… is… this?" She murmured slowly. She didn't even get a chance to say much else.
"[All Fiction]." She looked up at me as the screw vanished, a deep flush on her face as she slowly fell to her knees, one hand reaching up to tear open her shirt to expose her massive breasts to me, moaning loudly.
I had erased her ability to feel intense negative emotions toward me and mine.
And since I considered this world and everyone in it mine, she could no longer feel hatred or betrayal. As those were intense negative emotions.
"I love you. Fuck me. Breed me!" Kaguya moaned lewdly, shaking under another harsh orgasm.
To Hate is to negatively obsess over someone or something. To love, then, is to positively obsess over someone or something. Kaguya had grown to deeply resent and hate humanity, her sons, and had wanted to start over. She wanted to take back her chakra that had been stolen from the world, to make them all kneel before their rightful Mother, their Goddess.
Now she felt deeply in love with this world, and respected those in it who had done what they needed to in order to thrive without her guidance. Now she wanted to give back to the world that she had so deeply harmed unintentionally. Now she wanted them to soar, to be the best they could be, with or without her involvement.
This is the power of All Fiction. To turn even the greatest of villains, of monsters, and make them your allies and most trusted confidante with just a single command.
[Kaguya. The Mother Guardian of Shinobi. 300]
A different screw lodged itself into Kaguya's left hand, making her whimper as all of her chakra, all of her abilities, were disabled temporarily.
She moaned even louder as she spread her legs, her robes darkening as she clearly enjoyed being rendered powerless, not even able to do much more than move in place as she groaned.
"Fuck. Me. Please." Kaguya said breathlessly.
"For the next three minutes, you'll have no access to your powers and defenses. For the next three minutes, I'm going to use your body until you look like a well used slut." I said hungrily as I licked my lips.
"Then. Use me." She groaned as she weakly thrust her hips at me, her robes so utterly soaked that a puddle of her juices were beginning to appear at her feet.
"Good bitch." I purred as my form began to writhe, the flesh growing and shifting as Prometheus created an invisible dome over us. Three minutes of real time would last three hours inside the dome.
Her robes were torn apart, as the red and black flesh of Blacklight/Typhon wrapped themselves around Kaguya's limbs, lifting her into the air as she moaned.
Her juices didn't even touch the ground as Blacklight hungrily sucked up every drop that drooled from her pussy, the pale skin flushed as she wiggled weakly.
The first 'tentacle' of flesh dove itself into Kaguya's mouth, whose moans got cut off as she groaned, swallowing as much as she could of the most delicious liquid she had ever tasted in her two lives. She squirmed and groaned through the pulsing flesh in her throat as she felt so hot, so empty as she began to thrust her hips desperately at the air.
She whined as the flesh drooled more of the hot stuff all over her body, feeling the heat intensify until she felt like she was melting from how desperate she was getting.
The second tentacle eagerly pierced her pussy, the throbbing tendril hungrily burrowing itself firmly, and yet, slowly, in and out of her as her eyes, all three of them, nearly rolled to the back of her head as her back arched from intense orgasm back to back.
A third tentacle dove into her ass, something she had felt initial revulsion at the sensation of something poking her back there until she felt the pleasure triple, feeling so full and yet ever hungry for more as she groaned.
She spasmed from orgasm to orgasm. She could feel them all working together to drive her wild and she wanted to scream as the pressure grew and grew.
Until she crashed over the edge and felt her whole body seize up as she screamed as she went limp for a moment.
Yet still the tentacles continued and she felt whimpers escape her throat as she knew this was just the beginning. Her master would be breaking her in. Just like she wanted.
Chakra? Her sons? All that mattered was the intense pleasure and the knowledge that her master would surely knock her up over and over again. All that mattered was this moment, and nothing else.
She eagerly swallowed the intense wave of indescribably delicious liquid going down her throat, her legs twitching, her feet clenched, as she groaned in bliss as liquid heat poured into every part of her. Her alien womb, so unlike a human's, hungrily clenched onto the tentacle inside it, using her cervix to milk every drop as she could feel all four of her ovaries twitching, releasing several eggs so that way she could be turned into a proper breeding Otsutsuki.
No more harvesting fruits. No more trying to dominate the universe. All she was meant to do was to be her master's breeding slut, to give him countless children. The idea of spending the rest of her eternity just being this made her orgasms even more intense.
A while later, Kaguya found herself on a bed, her body and face a mess as she collapsed to rest, to recover as she found herself dreaming of giving ever more of herself to the world she had pledged to protect.
Wendy shivered. The forest no longer listened to her. Her shadows were unresponsive. The deaths of the world, for a brief moment, were no longer her concern nor her priority.
She whimpered as the ever forceful, ever relentless tide of unbridled Life poured through her forests, the tendrils relentless and ever hungering.
She knew that this was a Hunt. A Hunt with her as the prey, and there was no escape, there was no reasoning out of this. There was only the chase, and the act of being devoured.
She clenched her thighs as she knew she was drooling, the liquid arousal from her form not even killing the tentacle below.
Her eyes widened as she moved to leap up, only for the tentacle to grab her by her leg and pull her down into the earth as it yawned open.
Her eyes gazed up at the sky of her forests, a sensation of pride and annoyance of having been caught and defeated so utterly in her own forests dashed as the ground sealed up above her.
The many tentacles filled with hunger and life, black and red flesh rippling and writhing, seemed to cover every part of the surface she could see, and then she barely spotted him.
Meraki's glowing dozens of eyes blinked at her at different intervals, a mouth gaping open with different teeth of various sharpness and angles, and several hands pulling her toward her fate of being consumed and utterly fucked by him.
She couldn't even moan as a large tongue shoved itself down her throat, her legs wrenched open as several tentacles buried themselves into the warped body of the Wendigo, a screw forcing itself into her hand that briefly cut her off from the deaths of the multiverse.
She had lost the Hunt, and was being claimed utterly. She loved every moment of it as, for a brief moment, Death bowed to the relentless tide of Life and Meraki.
Chapter 45
The air was clean, the skies looked clear, and the mountains below looked relatively peaceful.
"Sorry, Kumogakure. I've decided to cut this short. Forgive me for not giving you the send off you deserve, being a village of the Great Five, but I have to confess, this tiptoeing around while seeing if any of you do anything interesting is starting to get boring." I commented lightly to no one in particular.
Seriously. Why would Kumogakure think they would be able to face Konoha on their own? They didn't even send any messages or invitations to Orochimaru, which is quite rude since as far as they know, she was chomping on the bit to do some damage to her former village of origin.
How foolish. Regardless, I've decided that simply waiting for the Chunin Exams is just not in the cards any longer. I'm done waiting, and now I will erase this pathetic village, to the point where not even the mountains will remain.
I cast my voice through the entire village with Genjutsu.
"My name is Meraki, but those among you will know me as Shikamaru Nara, the S-ranked Genin from Konoha. I also go by Gojo Satoru, Accelerator, the Honored One, among other names and titles. However, citizens and shinobi of Kumogakure, that is not why I am speaking to you."
"I possess three jutsu, that all work together. Lapse Blue works by forcefully contracting the Space between objects. Reversal Red works by forcefully expanding the Space between it and the objects it touches. Hollow Purple does both simultaneously to the point that even the molecules and atoms that make up your bodies are torn apart."
"I'd say it's been fun, Kumogakure, but I'd be lying. Rejoice in the honor of having been annihilated by the Honored One."
Of course, the entire village erupted into action from the moment I began speaking, amusing me as I watched them all moving from around their mountainside village and the nearby areas, as none of them seemed to realize that I was above them all.
So, why did I explain this all to them?
Because I can, for one. And because it makes my abilities that much more deadly to those who know how they work, courtesy of how Jujutsu Kaisen's Power System operates.
"Phase, Twilight. The Eyes of Prajna. Maximum Cursed Technique: Lapse Blue."
My hand outstretched below, as my face stretched wide in a vicious grin. The blue sphere hummed in the air for several seconds, shouts of alarm and worry echoing from the village below as they finally looked up.
Too late. The blue sphere roared out of my hand, the sphere immediately growing and expanding to double it's size for every second it fell.
Jutsu of various lightning styles, some water, and even some fire style jutsu all collided desperately against the massive blue sphere that had grown to the size of their tallest buildings, and yet was still nowhere near landing.
As the sphere grew to encompass the size of the entire major village on the mountainside, the shinobi below seemed to realize that their attacks were ineffective, and I could see them all scurrying away like ants from the rain.
There is no escape.
"Phase. Paramita. Pillar of Light. Maximum Cursed Technique: Reversal Red." My other hand outstretched to fire what would seem like a beam of red light to most shinobi rather than the immensely dense red orb that it actually was, speeding rapidly toward the now immense blue orb as it was merely a second or two from touching the village. It was easily the size of four times the size of Kumogakure by this point.
The red orb met the edge of the massive blue orb, and the blue orb, for a brief moment in time, turned purple.
"Nine Ropes. Polarized Light. Crow and Declaration. Between Front and Back. Maximum Cursed Technique: Hollow Purple."
The purple orb flared, and the resulting energy exploded forth, the sheer energy so vast that in the distance, the seas rippled from the sheer shockwave of the blow.
After a moment, the white light dimmed and faded, as I could sense Wendy was eagerly collecting the thousands of souls not part of my retinue, the minds and souls of those I'd captured were suspended within the Web of Memories, waiting and ready to be reborn in new bodies if I allowed it.
There wasn't even a mountain left. It had been erased, with the only evidence of it's existence being the various pieces of rubble that had made up it's base, cracked, fractured, and into pieces. All life in the area was gone, eviscerated from existence.
It was something I could've done with ease using All Fiction, but this was a satisfying conclusion, to use the abilities I had chosen at the start to be the ending chapter of the village that had thought itself superior to all others.
Kumogakure was no more, and while the Lightning Daimyo could try and fund another village to be built, the crippling moral and economic blow to the loss of Kumogakure in it's entirety would mean it'd be generations before the Land of Lightning would even begin to call themselves a Great Village ever again, if they even could.
I hummed as I summoned a single screw, driving it deep into the earth with one foot.
"The Lands of Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning shall no longer declare themselves as independent nations, for you are all now one nation. No other leaders can claim those lands, for those leaders are all but proxies for the ruler of the continent, the Lord Of Honor, for the Lord Of Honor is the Honored One, Gojo Satoru. All Daimyo will possess no free will of their own, subservient to the will of the Lord of Honor. For on this day, and all days and nights hereafter, the Lord of Honor has claimed this continent, all the people therein, and the world the continent is a part of, to be His. The Lord of Honor has commanded a Mantle of Heaven, a subservient position only given by the Lord Of Honor, upon Hiruzen Sarutobi to lead this world in His absence, and to ensure that prosperity and trade will be fully endorsed throughout the continent, for War shall not exist between what is His."
I mentioned before that All Fiction is a nuke in comparison to the scalpel that is Prometheus.
I hadn't mentioned, however, that there is one ability that All Fiction can synergy beautifully with.
Accelerator's Vector Manipulation .
With Prometheus' aide acting in tandem to the power of All Fiction, Creation working with Destruction simultaneously. Accelerator's Vector Manipulation guided the two powers, ensuring that there was no intended consequences of my words as I commanded the world to change as I see fit.
I'd wait for the Chunin Exams for Naruko, but I would leave a True Clone here while I explored other worlds in the mean time. For I had a multiverse to explore.
Although, I mused silently, I may have to pay Orochimaru a visit first. No doubt she'd happily leave this world without a second glance if I asked her too. All the others likely had obligations or emotional ties to this world.
The world froze, and I found myself sitting at a table across from Misogi Kumogawa. Looking around, it seemed like I was in a cafe, with a cup of coffee in my hand.
"Hello, Meraki. I've picked this form and this place as a good sort of middle ground for our talks. I'm from the Company, and I have to say, I'm very impressed with what you've done. It's been a long time since anyone's gotten attention of our parent company."
I blinked. I didn't even know the Waifu Catalog Company had a parent company.
"The Choose Your Own Adventure Corporation has existed long before the Waifu Catalog Company. I'm here to give you two offers. You can accept one, or the other, but not both."
I carefully kept my face blank.
"One, I give you three IMG Tickets for me to take copies of your Heritage Templates. Very few Contractors are aware that the Heritages need to come from somewhere, and often the Tier X,Y, and Z's give some serious haggling on their end to keep us from simply copy-pasting the Heritages that we offer from them directly. Getting copies from you is not only way easier in comparison, but you've even fully utilized and merged these Templates in such unique ways that we're considering making an Experimental Heritage off of it."
He paused for a moment. He nodded with satisfaction as he seemed to like whatever he was looking for.
"Or, we harden your Defenses to be fully capable of blocking even Tier Omega's, in other words, making your Defenses Absolute. Only the CEO and some of the Higher Ups in the Company have this, since rather than overlay the Defenses over you like most Contractors, like an invisible skin, we'll be permanently melding them through every part of your framework, body, mind, soul, meta-essences, and so on. In exchange for giving us those Heritage Templates. Whatever offer you take, your Templates and abilities will not be removed from you. You did pay for them, after all."
Misogi smiled politely as he drank from his cup of coffee.
I blinked.
Well, shit. What do I choose?
Chapter 46
"I won't accept anything merely off of your words alone, Representative." I said, after a moment.
"After all, it is through Contracts, not mere words, that we are brought into this business, and it will be through Contracts that decides how this goes forward." I finished grimly.
Misogi grinned. "I like you. Very good. Yes, we can promise even the Heavens themselves with our words alone, but that means nothing without a document ensuring its bindings. I must say, by the way, I was quite impressed with how you used the "Signed and Sealed" Perk. Very few people ever realize how truly effective it can become, especially when used in combination with other methods of Capture."
Misogi clapped his hands, as two documents appeared in front of me, along with a pen.
"These two documents are identical. One is for you, and the other is for the Company. You were right to call me out on my earlier offers, because we like to give low ball offers first to see if we can get any bites. You'd be surprised how many Tier X's and Tier Y's often end up falling for those initial offers, since they can be blindsided by the initial greed of more IMG Tickets or for an Absolute Defense Framework."
Misogi's eyes narrowed as his smile darkened. "Many Contractors who fall for the Absolute Defense Framework do not realize that it also makes them inherently weaker, as they cannot add more Templates, gain new abilities, grow, learn, or even traverse worlds. They become trapped, as the Absolute Defense freezes them at that point of their journey."
I raised an eyebrow. "Then why tell me all of this? Why would I willingly accept any offer you put forward now?"
Misogi smiled cheerfully. "I'm telling you, because, like I said, I like you. Also, the Company is more than willing to give some genuine offers, as long as it's not being disingenuous on your part."
I snorted. "'Rules for thee, not for me', huh?" Misogi shrugged.
"The Waifu Catalog enjoys a certain position of authority over their Contractors. It's not that much a surprise if they have several ways of dealing with some of the more power-hungry or unsavory ones, no?"
I shrugged, pulling my copy of the contract toward me as I read it carefully.
"In exchange for allowing the Waifu Catalog Company to create copies of the potential Heritage Templates, the Contractor, whose name shall be written below if accepted, shall receive no less than 1 IMG Ticket per Potential Heritage, 3 IMG Tickets per Potential Experimental Heritage, and will automatically be eligible for the Heritage Founder's Package as per Company Law 31.3.4.16.16.16a. This eligibility will be automatically considered accepted if the Experimental Heritage Template are considered acceptable in the next versions of the Waifu Catalog. The original Templates/abilities/structures, be they physical, mental, spiritual, meta, or otherwise, that make up the Contractor shall not be harmed, disabled, removed, nullified, stolen, or edited in any way by the Company during the Copying Process. All physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and meta-essences are insured by the Company to be guaranteed to be unchanged, undamaged, unaltered, unharmed, unhindered, and unedited during this process. The Intellectual Property of the new Experimental Heritage shall be held in confidence between the Contractor who developed the Heritage first, and the Waifu Catalog Company, splitting the profits of Credits paid by future Contractors in half between the Company and the Contractor involved."
I looked up, frowning. "What is the 'Heritage Founder's Package'?" I asked bluntly.
Misogi's smile widened. "Incentive." He said plainly.
"Tier Y's and Tier Z's are extremely reluctant to give up even copies of their abilities and how they function, so we needed to give them some incentive, especially for newcomers who have brought in new ideas and new 'blood' so to speak on the idea of creating their own Heritage Templates from scratch. The Heritage Founder's Package is supposed to help give incentive to encourage these beings to allow us to create copies."
"The Heritage Founder's Package, and the Law it's a part of, has been outlined below." He pointed out as I looked down.
"In accordance to Company Law 31.3.4.16.16.16a, all those who have created new Heritages, that are not considered replicas of other Heritages, will be considered Heritage Founder Package Applicants. All Applicants are considered Tier Omega's by Company Ratings. If the new Heritage, deemed Experimental during Beta Testing, is accepted, the Application is considered accepted. All Accepted Applicants are then considered Heritage Founders.
Heritage Founders enjoy unique privileges and Perks with the Company that are not available within the Waifu Catalog.
1. All Heritage Founders are automatically considered Exempt from Company Loans, with any outstanding debts immediately nullified.
2. All Heritage Founders are given a Golden Eye. Golden Eye Holders are exempt from participating in Red Eye Invasions, with Red Eye Holders automatically considered to have lost the engagement. The Golden Eye expands this protection to all worlds the Heritage Founder has visited, is visiting, or will visit in the future.
3. Heritage Founders are automatically given the Amazon Elite Package. This includes the following: Warranty Plan, Express Delivery, and Amazon-free Warranty.
4. The Heritage Founder, at their request, can edit the world they enter. This is in addition to [Universal Calibration, and functions on a per case basis. As an example: [Universal Calibration] to age up the Harry Potter wizards to eighteen may have the unintended side effect of killing Harry Potter. The Heritage Founder can then request, up to 24 hours after entering the world, to revive Harry Potter and edit their world appropriately. This can be done through an app or by placing a request through our Golden Eye Office number provided. They will answer any calls or texts within .1 millionth of a second.
We thank you for your services to the Waifu Catalog Company."
"I see. That seems a little too good to be true." I commented, frowning. "Also a lot of this seems rather unnecessary to me. With Ikigai, Prometheus, and All Fiction, I can already do this." I pointed out at the number 4's privilege.
Misogi nodded. "True. Which is what I told them would happen, you're not an idiot. Lucky for you, I was able to pull some strings with the parent company as well."
He took out a bottle filled with liquid.
"The Essence of the Inviolate Self. Unaltered, unedited, and completely untouched." Misogi proclaimed as I stared.
"You're kidding." I said bluntly.
He smiled. "I'm not. The Waifu Catalog Company is, shall we say, impressed by you, but they're also limited. Most Perks, purchases, abilities, all come with either strings attached or have a drawback. However, that is neither here nor there: unlike the Waifu Catalog Company, Meta Essences Incorporated is not limited. As long as it sticks to a theme, they can get as outlandish as they want."
"Seriously. Just for the Heritage Templates?" I asked quietly.
Misogi shrugged. "Partially. Another part is because, frankly, we're tired of letting those Tier X, Y, and Z's think they can do whatever they want without consequences. I mean, I certainly wouldn't say no, if, by some odd coincidence, your next jump just so happened to be my own world, Medaka Box, to visit a certain acquaintance of mine."
Ajimu Najimi. The Leader of the Not Equals.
"So, this is personal, I'm assuming."
"Not at all." Misogi said cheerfully, lying through his teeth. "I just wish to bring her to my level. A loser among losers." He smiled coldly.
A third contract appeared, detailing the exchange of an Essence and the next jump set to being Medaka Box.
I signed it along with the two other documents. The Essence of the Inviolate Self appeared in my hand and Misogi smiled cheerfully at me.
"Sell her to me, and I'll pay you 3 IMG Tickets on top of her selling price." Misogi commented lowly, his eyes dark before he nodded.
"Pleasure working with you, Meraki."
I found myself in my Grand Manor, sitting at the dining room table.
I immediately uncorked the Essence of the Inviolate Self and drank it, doing my best to ignore the taste.
Spoiler: Essence of the Inviolate Self
Essence of the Inviolate Self
Drinking this essence confers you the blessing of inviolability of the body, mind, and soul:
You now no longer need to eat, drink, breathe, produce human waste, or sleep, and are immune to the harmful effects of radiation alongside extreme environments ranging from the bottom of the ocean to the vacuum of space. Total immunity to all forms of poison, sickness, or disease, mundane or otherwise. Any existing ailments of physical, mental, or spiritual nature that plagues you will be completely cured upon drinking this essence. You are biologically immortal and utterly tireless, possessing unlimited stamina - you will be aged/reverted to your physical prime, but no longer age further. Infinite willpower to keep going through any amount of hardship; even bloody and broken you will not stop, and you will forevermore be protected from the effects of despair, boredom, ennui, etc., that will make living forever a pain in the ass. Your freedom is also inviolate, protecting you from being imprisoned, incapacitated, trapped, bound, sealed, etc. against your will, automatically freeing you from such situations and teleporting you to the nearest safe location. You are completely immune to any attempt to forcefully change, control, or manipulate your body, mind, and soul against your will in any fashion no matter what method is attempted or used. Those that use supernaturally boosted persuasion are equally stymied, being forced to rely on simple mundane arguments against you as anything beyond that flatly fails to work. You are also immune to memetic effects or the maddening effects of eldritch beings or phenomena. Your soul cannot be targeted as a vector of attack - the only thing you are still vulnerable to will be actual physical violence, if such things can cause damage to you. No Oracles or any other form of precognition can account for you, ever. Any predictions that are made will be made without taking you in account, and if seeking you out directly, all they get is static. In addition, you are not bound by fate anymore; your destiny is only what you make of it. This extends to the point that people and events that are deemed unstoppable or even unkillable, just because they are destined to, can be killed by you permanently. You are also immune to reality warping shenanigans, such as being caught in time paradoxes, time stops, not existing due to someone killing your mother when she's pregnant with you, etc. - your very existence is inviolate. Note: You can still be injured or killed through direct physical damage, if such things are capable of damaging you; all this Essence does is preventing your body, mind, and soul from being affected by other forces without your consent.
Chapter 47
Misogi Kumogawa was no slouch of dealing with Contractors.
It was why he was known as the Contractor Eraser. The one who took on even the most dangerous of Contractors, cleaning up their mess with a combination of his original "All Fiction" and "The One Who Wields The Power of God".
The Waifu Company often liked to keep an eye on the Contractors who were especially intelligent, powerful, or useful in some way. Both to obtain leverage over the Contractor in question, and to give incentive to keep those Contractors around.
It's a double edged sword. Strong, powerful, paranoid Contractors that did not trust the Company often lasted the longest out in the field, but their paranoia would lead them to start trying to find ways to get out of doing the Waifu Catalog's missions or jobs, and often led to trying to rebel against the Company.
Likewise, the Company were more than capable of simply stripping those Contractors of their powers, Perks, and skills. It was why he was hired on into Class S, the Contractor Hunter unit.
No, Meraki was immediately flagged due to the various synergies between his Templates, and his unorthodox use of the Perks he purchased. Meraki was deemed at least a Tier 'S', an informal rank between Tier 10 and X due to his various Templates and his lack of Capturing a Tier X. So he was called in to monitor the situation.
In truth, the Company was impressed by Meraki's understanding of the Perks and limitations of those Perks, but the Company was also worried that Meraki would grow to be too powerful to contain.
A little known fact about Template Stacking is that the more one uses and masters a Template, the more likely it begins to 'bleed' into the original framework of the Contractor themselves. In other words, simply taking off the Templates would stop working, because it has become a part of them.
Awakening a unique name based off of various Templates, truly accepting the changes they bring, is a form of spiritual rebirth, especially if it's not using a name already invented by the Company.
Meraki had absorbed the Templates in full when the Contractor became Meraki, and the Company grew even more worried/impressed as they realized that this extended to the immediate cannibalizing of future Templates purchased.
Ergo, Meraki was raised to a Tier SS, and Misogi Kumogawa was given an update on his file, and was told that he had a job to do.
Get Meraki to think positively of the Company. Offer incentives. Give protocols. Whatever it took in order to keep Meraki at least content enough to not turn his gaze on the Company in case a Contractor, or worse, a lower tier member of the Company, tried to screw Meraki over with one of their shenanigans.
So, naturally, Misogi Kumogawa did what he did best. He looked at Meraki with the same analyzing gaze he had done with his fellow Minuses, for all Contractors seemed inevitably, painfully, flawed and molded by their environment.
He disregarded trying to erase his work or the other Captures of his retinue. The power of All Fiction was negated by the surprising factor of Meraki's own All Fiction and Ikigai. Not to mention that threats and scare tactics on Meraki would only make his job harder, not easier.
Then it struck him. Meraki was a man of creativity, of passion. Meraki had no qualms about doing whatever he wanted, in order to achieve the goals he wanted, and his abilities all leaned in amplifying those traits.
Giving him IMG Tickets was a stupid idea. He would never spend them on himself. He wouldn't give the Company leverage over him, not willingly.
However, Misogi Kumogawa had strings to pull from more than just the Waifu Catalog Company. Meta Essences Incorporated often brought him on board to erase their less advertised Essences, the experimental ones that often did not end well for the beta testers. It was easy for him to get his hands on the Essence of the Inviolate Self.
This was what he could use to give Meraki incentive to sign on board for them to copy the Heritage Templates he'd been unknowingly creating in his time here. The Essence of the Inviolate Self would be more than enough to keep Meraki happy, as a being of creativity and passion.
At least, that's what Misogi Kumogawa told the higher ups who asked him why he was doing this.
They let him keep it, assuming it was a heavily modified, edited, Essence, that would finally give the Company leverage over this SS-rank Contractor.
He let them think that. He had no qualms on how the Waifu Catalog Company viewed him, seeing Misogi Kumogawa as a dog on a leash.
He found it funny, really. They were not the omnipotent beings that they thought they were.
Meraki was given the Essence as a way to make the SS-rank more comfortable as a Contractor, but also because Meraki was what Misogi Kumogawa had been hoping to find.
The weakness to Ajimu Najimi. The weakness to Medaka Kurokami. The weakness to Medaka Box as a whole.
Abnormals. Minuses. Not Equals. All of them wouldn't stand a chance to Meraki.
Not because of their powers. For Ajimu Najimi had almost an infinite number of powers.
But because Meraki stood for the power of human connection, creativity, and the power to use it. The ability to connect with others, to understand them, to change them. It was this connection that had led to his first retinue member, and it was why he gathered others to him like moths to a flame.
Ajimu Najimi would have no way of stopping this force he had sent her way. No narrative force would bind him. No power could end him or stop him. Even declaring him the 'new' main character would do nothing, because to Meraki's eyes, there was no one main character.
Meraki had viewed them all as the main characters of their own arcs, a representation and deconstruction of what it meant to be human. Even Medaka herself, was a character arc of realizing that she was no Goddess, that she was human as well.
So, Misogi Kumogawa had no scruples about lying to the higher ups, and pulling strings to get what he wanted. They'd be angry with him, but it's not like they could do anything about it now. After all, Misogi Kumogawa had drank many Essences over the millenia he'd been working for them.
Now the only question was if Meraki would sell Ajimu Najimi. His own social experiment. Personally, he thought that Meraki would refuse to sell. The man had not sold a single member of the retinue he had thus far.
Of course, he wouldn't say no if Meraki did sell her to him. Ajimu Najimi was like a sister to him, even as he both hated and loved her in equal measure.
"What will you do, Meraki?"
He couldn't wait to find out.
Chapter 48
Honestly, drinking the Essence of the Inviolate Self, which tasted absolutely disgusting beyond words by the way, didn't really change anything at first until I realized just how absolutely broken it was.
How?
Well, I exited my Grand Manor and appeared back in Konoha simply by willing myself there. Without a portal. Something that was explicitly required to enter or exit the Pocket Dimension.
Inviolate Freedom. No matter what I do, no matter where I go, I can do anything, go anywhere, simply because if I want to, there's nothing that can stop me. Provided it's somewhat within my abilities and powers, at the very least.
It's unnerving to realize that even the few limitations I had come to accept from the Waifu Catalog no longer applied.
[4 IMG Tickets. 1 for Copied Heritage Template: Outsider, Psychopomp, Wendigo, and Transhumanism.]
Woah. I had 4 IMG Tickets?!
… This is probably going to piss off a lot of the Higher Ups.
[IMG Tickets: -2. Credits: 2,000.]
Now, why on earth would I trade in an IMG Ticket for mere Credits?
For that matter, why would I trade in two IMG Tickets?!
Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.
[Template Stacking I: Master Xehanort [Kingdom Hearts] for -1,260.
The Blade of Endings: For Meraki. -1,000
689 Credits Remaining.]
I told you I'd buy it if I had the spare credits.
And, really, what would I do with IMG Tickets? Not like I'd really need another Binding when I'm already absolutely broken already… Although…
[IMG Ticket: -1. Second Binding: Shroud of Power.
Shroud of Power: -60.
Elemental Shroud: [Fearful]Darkness. -20.
Prismatic Shroud: [Glorious]Light. -14.
[Burial]Death. -30.
[Cyber]Technology. -36.
[Dream]Mind. -44.
[Primal]Fauna. -50.
Elemental Loom. -50.
Deep Weave. -25.
Three Piece Suit [9: -135.
Complimentary Colors: Orochimaru. -25.
Other Controls:
Conjunction. -25.
Apportation. -25.
Nine-Tenths Law [3]. -90.
59 Credits Remaining.]
Did I really just waste an entire Secondary Binding in order to get the Shroud of Power in order to make my abilities even more fiat-backed and purchased all these things in order to make myself even more broken?
Mmm, no.
Actually, I did it because getting Apportation and Conjunction was just too convenient not to get them, and I had no desire to deal with bringing Xenomorphs into the world.
Again, all this stuff I purchased was stuff I could already do, it just makes it more… hmm, fun for me to waste Tickets knowing that said higher ups probably were hoping I'd use it on something more attached to me.
Well, that, and I had a lot of ideas.
See, Alex Mercer is a Tinker of Blacklight. Morgan Yu is both the creator of the Psychoscope, as well as a part of the Typhon, a Hive Mind esque entity unto themselves that held the collective knowledge of every scientist on board the Talos One by the end of the game.
Master Xehanort is a Tinker of the Heart. He had spent decades learning and mastering the heart and how it worked, so much a part of his nature that even when he lost his memories as Terranort, long story, he still went into researching the heart and how it operates.
Including how to turn people into Nobodies and Heartless. To split the body from the heart, and both carry on as separate entities.
That's without getting into the Templates of everything else I've collected thus far. Alucard is the Father of Vampires, Ryouman Sukuna is the King of Curses, Eneru built his own spaceship from what I could recall, Bonesaw… is Bonesaw, and I have Orochimaru as part of my retinue, and thus, a part of me.
All working under the guise of the greatest Tinker that had ever lived, Dragon's Template of breaking down and rebuilding… Tinker… builds.
[Template Stacking I: Armsmaster/Collin Wallis for Neji Hyuga. -20.
Template Stacking I: Dauntless/Shawn for Tenten. -20.
19 Credits Remaining.]
"Well, that's fucking terrifying." Dad commented over breakfast as I cackled gleefully, my eyes glinting with unholy glee.
Efficiency… Charges over time… Time loops…
"I will rain absolute hell upon them all. Mwahahahaha!" I cackled.
Mom snorted. "Someone's excited for the Chunin Exams." She sighed fondly. "I remember my Chunin Exams. The looks they gave me when they thought I was a little fan-girl. They didn't make that mistake twice." She cackled, our cackling conjoined in the dining room making Dad look especially pale as he seemed to look nervous.
"Please, please, leave them alive, son. The paperwork for filing the dead during the Exams… It's absurd!" Dad begged as I stopped cackling, my face relaxed as I nodded solemnly.
"I won't kill any of them." I commented lightly. I won't need to lift a finger.
Dad looked relieved.
Mom's dark grin widened as her eyes glinted. "Oh, dear, I think I forgot to mention, that I have a bet going with Naruko. I told her if she could 'clean up the trash' during the Chunin Exams, we'd be going out on a vacation, giving her and Shikamaru a good month all by themselves. But only if she did really well during the Exams, and held nothing back."
Dad's face paled. "Oh no." He whispered gravely.
I smiled as a thought occurred to me. "Yep, and Yakumo's eligible for entering the Chunin Exams. Since she doesn't have a Team, she'll be going solo, but she's been doing quite well since I helped her with Genjutsu."
Mom's eyes glinted. "Yakumo? The Heiress of the Kurama Clan? I don't think you've mentioned her to us yet."
I kept my face carefully blank. "Oh, well, yeah, she's a fellow shinobi of Konoha. She reminded me a lot of Naruko since apparently her abilities caused her to develop a secondary homicidal consciousness since she was unable to master her abilities. So, after helping her master her gifts as a Genjutsu Mistress, she's easily the strongest Genjutsu user I know, barring some exceptions."
Mom smiled, smelling blood in the water. "Oh? Reminds you of Naruko, hmm? And does Naruko know of Yakumo?" She asked with some false curiosity.
"I think so. I've never hidden my involvements in making sure that the people I care about are well and happy." I said bluntly.
Mom's smile widened. "Dear, I think our son is a bit of a heart breaker. My, my, and how many other 'fellow kunoichi' have you been helping lately without telling us?"
A cough echoed. "Is now a bad time?" A smooth voice echoed, and we turned to see Orochimaru smiling politely.
"Hello, Shikamaru-kun. I really do have to thank you so much for helping me. I simply had to stop by in order to finally meet you face to face in person." She purred, her yellow eyes looking over me hungrily.
Dad's face paled even further as Mom's eyes flashed as she looked like she had found a prey in her sights. "Oh my, I didn't realize you knew my son, Orochimaru, the Snake Sage. Tell me how you knew about him, and more importantly, how he helped you?" Mom asked sweetly.
Orochimaru's yellow eyes turned briefly to Mom, a cold analyzing gaze that quickly turned warm as apparently she approved of whatever she had been looking for. "Gladly, Yoshino Nara." Orochimaru said smoothly, sitting down next to me as she seemed to shiver, licking her lips.
"What do the two of you know of Reincarnation? And Multiverse Theory?"
Oh dear. I think I may have introduced two women who never should have met.
Chapter 49
"I know that Reincarnation is a possibility, but I don't know anything about this 'Multiverse' Theory you speak of." Mom said bluntly, drinking her tea.
Orochimaru nodded. "Good. Then this is even easier to explain: Shikamaru is a Reincarnate of another person from outside our world, maybe even outside our reality. Likely the memories, or at least the skills, of the past life came back around the time of graduating from the Academy."
She looked at me curiously, eagerly waiting to see confirmation of her hypothesis.
"Past lives." I corrected quietly. I raised a hand, able to recall at least some memories of how magic worked.
Floating static images appeared next to me. Gojo Satoru. Accelerator. Alex Mercer. Dragon. Misogi Kumogawa. Master Xehanort. Alucard from Hellsing. Morgan Yu from Prey. Hagoromo Otsutsuki [Technically, since I got his chakra recombined into recreating the Rinnegan].
"So many." Mom breathed, her eyes locking onto each one before looking at me with pride.
"Fascinating. To be the connection to so many past lives." Orochimaru said breathlessly, her eyes barely focusing on the old man with the Rinnegan before she turned her gaze to the others.
"What were, are, their names? Do you remember what they were capable of? Can you replicate all of their abilities? Do you still feel like yourself?" Orochimaru asked rapidly, taking out a notepad from… somewhere, I suppose.
"Gojo Satoru. Accelerator. Alex Mercer." I went down the list of naming each one before I continued to answer her questions with a thoughtful look on my face. "The clearest memories I have are of Gojo Satoru, who proclaimed himself the Honored One. The others vary to different degrees, but I am fully capable of replicating the abilities they had in life. This power I used to show their images is one of them: the ability to use magic in order to create a visual image."
"I still feel like me, just… more. If that makes any sense." I mused, as Orochimaru nodded rapidly.
"Absolutely. No matter what body I inhabit, I am still Orochimaru. The body may change, the brain may differentiate from one to another, but the soul, the sense of self, is still present."
Dad continued to stare at Accelerator's image. "What was he capable of?" Dad asked quietly. I shrugged.
"Vector Manipulation." I said shortly.
Orochimaru's yellow eyes glowed as they widened in awe. "Are you serious?" She asked seriously, her eyes pinning me down. I nodded.
"Yoshino, Shikaku. Everything that has a magnitude and direction, in other words, anything that has mass, is considered a vector. Forget S-ranks, Shikamaru here could absolutely end this world and everyone in it without blinking an eye." She breathed as she explained excitedly to the other two, with Dad's face paling as Yoshino's eyes gleamed with even more pride.
"What about 'Alex Mercer'?" She asked excitedly. I raised my hand, shifting it into the red and black flesh of Blacklight as it writhed and wriggled for a moment.
"Blacklight. A living, sentient, virus. I'm not contagious unless I want to be, but it's absolutely lethal. Has a… 80% mortality rate, an extremely high infection rate, being an R35, an r-naught of 35 meaning that one person infected can spread it up to 35 people within a casual encounter, and a whole host of things related to the virus, including a form of immortality for those he infects, for they become a part of his Hive Mind."
Orochimaru licked her lips. "So not only are you capable of knocking this planet off of its orbit around our star, you can effectively infect the entire world before it has a chance to mount a vaccine, if a vaccine is even possible."
Mom spoke up, looking troubled. "How do you handle so many minds, honey? Are you okay?" She looked concerned for me now, her eyes watching me carefully.
I nodded. "Absolutely. My unique variation of Blacklight not only keeps me from being driven nuts by so many voices in my head, but it even stabilizes them, makes them calm subjects rather than unwilling mental background noise. They are all 'alive' and 'aware', simply without a body of their own to use. I am the Master of my own dominion."
She nodded with satisfaction. "Good."
Orochimaru nodded with similar satisfaction. "Excellent. I've only switched into fully willing Hosts in order to avoid such issues, but I may see about studying Blacklight to see if I can replicate it."
I raised an eyebrow. "You already… are a part of Blacklight." I said slowly. "All those I deem close to me, I've already attached to my domain, with the exceptions of those I believe would be hostile to such a change. Mom was left unchanged since I didn't know if she'd want to be stuck with pseudo-immortality, same with Dad, but I am a selfish individual. I'm not going to let go of what I think is mine." I finished honestly.
Orochimaru's face went blank. "Truly? You're capable of such a thing?" She asked carefully.
Orochimaru, I have seen your heart. I have seen your desires. I see you, and you are mine. Mine in body, mine in soul, and mine in heart. The multiverse awaits us. I'm merely waiting for the next Chunin Exams before we depart.
Orochimaru's eyes widened as I spoke to her through the Social Club and Conjunction simultaneously. She trembled for a moment.
How long have I waited for this moment? How long have I dreamed to meet someone whose ambitions would be equal or even superior to mine? I almost believed myself alone in this world, adrift as a light among all of these animals. I will wait impatiently for the day we set our sights beyond this universe. An entire multiverse to explore, to study. There is no other for me.
Dad looked shaken at the idea that I could give immortality, and mom smiled sadly, her eyes filling with tears. "I know I'll always love you, and I know I'll miss you dearly when you leave to have your adventures." She said quietly.
"I will always be proud of you, son." She cried as she walked around the table and hugged me, her tears soaking my shirt as I pat her shoulder gently.
She pulled back, her face shining with glee. "Now, I don't care how many children you have, or with whom, or where, but I will absolutely want to spoil all of my grand children rotten. All of them, mister." She poked me in the chest as she smiled.
I laughed. "Of course, mom. I'll definitely make sure to bring them all around for you to hug them all and probably give them all a sweet tooth if I don't give it to them myself."
She nodded with satisfaction. "Good."
Dad spoke up quietly. "Death is a part of life, son. I've made my peace with it for so many years." He looked at me, conflicted. "I won't begrudge you and your abilities, but I will eventually wish to make peace and be with the Nara Clan after I pass." He admitted roughly.
I nodded. "I know. It's why I didn't offer it." I said quietly.
He nodded, his face relaxing as he saw I wasn't hurt by his honesty. Mom rolled her eyes. "Men," she complained, "always acting like it's the end of the world with death and war. Bah!" She snorted jokingly as she smiled, showing she was kidding.
Orochimaru raised her arms to the air. "Absolutely! Finally! Oh my Yami, I cannot believe how soft my sensei has gotten! Filled with regrets and always apologizing to me about how he failed me like he had failed Naruko! Just get over it! It happened! Move on! We have lives to live! Things to do! Ugh!" She said with exasperation, her yellow eyes gleaming with relief at finally meeting someone who understood her.
"Excuse me?" I asked calmly, my cup of tea shattering in my hands.
Chapter 50
Wendy had seen a lot in her eternities as Death. It came with the job. She was the one who guided those to their perspective afterlives, the one who consumed those utterly drenched in sin, the one who did her job to ensure that all would meet their eventual ends in the cycle. All things bowed to Death.
Except that Meraki was not just any individual anymore. Meraki wasn't even considered a Truth, a God, a Concept, wrapped in Mortal flesh anymore. He was more akin to a force of nature now, his very existence now embedded into the framework of all universes within his range.
A force of nature equal to herself, in fact, if not slightly above her, since Meraki was more than capable of altering down or even removing a fundamental part of reality in it's entirety.
So, it made her nervous when Meraki lost his shit. She hadn't seen anything like this since that one cluster of universes where a multidimensional worm went homicidal on a bunch of universes simultaneously.
The X-blade in combination with Elizabeth's power to create Tears through parallel universes was absolutely horrifying. She witnessed entire worlds being eviscerated, entire potential universes withering and dying in the vine as Meraki's cold gaze showed no kindness, no compassion. The X-blade shook violently as trillions upon trillions of hearts, of souls, poured through it and into Kingdom Hearts.
Meraki stepped through universe after universe, the X-blade easily cutting down entire armies of demons and monsters alike. Each universe deemed fit for destruction as Meraki judged them all using his mastery of the Six Eyes to read the souls of those whose sins and cruelty outweighed their compassion. Meraki listened to none of their pleas, none of their begging for mercy, as he cut them down through each timeline with unnatural precision.
It was… in a way, to be expected. Meraki has reached his breaking point with stupidity, and he's taking it out on them because the ones who harmed Orochimaru are already dead. He's tearing through the local multiverse, and indirectly harvesting their negative emotions to fuel himself even further.
Meraki roared with rage as he stepped into a universe where Naruko died from the poison that old man had given her, raising his X-blade toward the sky. "Ultima!" He roared. The entire universe was erased, a flash of white, and nothing remained.
Meraki's hand reached through to the next universe, his hand clenched on the throat of a Sasuke in the midst of trying to stab through Naruto with the Chidori. His hand squeezed, and Sasuke's head exploded, the Chidori utterly ignored.
Itachi's eyes widened in horror as Meraki ignored Tsukuyomi, his blue eyes staring at Itachi impassively as his X-blade cleaved Itachi in half, Naruko passing out behind him.
Orochimaru screamed as his soul was burned from the inside out, the X-blade destroying his soul from within as Naruko passed out from the Curse Mark, the soul shard within removed and incinerated.
Danzo's deaths numbered in the hundreds of thousands, Izanagi ignored as the X-blade laughed in the face of a pathetic jutsu designed to rewrite fate, it's power being multitudes upon multitudes stronger and vaster than any a mortal could use against it.
Madara stood no chance as Meraki casually removed the moon from existence, unable to act as Meraki tore out his heart, both literally and figuratively with his hand covered in darkness.
In other universes, the Otsutsuki Clan was being dismantled, slaughtered, and their hearts stolen, their minds and bodies turned into mere husks, turned into Nobodies.
Across the local multiverse, countless died as Meraki decided some universes were just too stupid to live.
"Meraki?" She asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
I will be. I just needed to vent. It wasn't like I was harming innocents.
Wendy nodded. That was true. The sheer amount of souls, of 'hearts' as Meraki referred to them, was not an insubstantial amount.
She made a mental note to send Meraki toward one of her other Champion's way at some point.
Surely Meraki could deal with all the legions of Hell in every reality and give back Daisy to her Champion in that universe. It wasn't like he wasn't wielding the equivalent of a universe's worth of holy energy in the X-blade and then some.
Meraki took several deep breaths. "I'm washing my hands of them after the Chunin Exams. I'll leave a True Clone or something, but staying in a village surrounded by those… those… things, is liable to turn me into Geto Suguru." He admitted roughly.
Wendy nodded. "They'd have deserved it, but it wouldn't make you feel better in the end. So, what now?" She asked patiently.
Meraki shrugged. "I'm thinking I'll take a break for a bit. Might touch base with Sayuri since it's been a while since I've actually checked in on her. Might give her the closure of 'killing' Danzo, and then let you do whatever you want with him."
Wendy licked her lips. "That sounds like am excellent idea, Meraki." She purred.
Danzo would become a Wendigo, but not just any Wendigo. She had plans for this one.
Meraki sighed, dismissing the X-blade. "I'm only human, I suppose. I could handle Naruko's treatment because at least I could, in a way, understand it. The fact that they treated Orochimaru like that, it turns it into a pattern. And that makes it beyond forgivable in my eyes." Meraki said coldly.
She shivered under those cold blue eyes, a brief window into the sheer unstoppable force of nature that was Meraki . To end entire universes, entire realities, in less than a minute. Regardless of the fact that Meraki could use All Fiction to undo his actions if he wanted to, Meraki did not show remorse. He did not show regret. In a way, like a force of nature, he was just as much detached from humanity as she was, even if Meraki also embodied the connections and creativity that formed the center of his Concept.
She was absolutely enraptured by him. She'd seen glimpses of him as Shikamaru, but she had never anticipated what exactly she'd been cultivating.
Meraki winked at her, and she felt herself getting flustered. Of course Meraki could tell she was infatuated with him.
She licked her lips. "Do you have some spare time for another reunion, Meraki?" She purred, her hands reaching out to touch the entity as he grinned.
A screw appeared in her left shoulder, raising her excitement, but before she could do anything else, she saw Meraki's eyes glow yellow for a moment.
"I'm taking you for a spin, Wendy. I'm in need of stress relief, and you're perfect for the role. The safe word is "Sea Salt". Stopza."
She couldn't move, but she could feel him getting so much more rough with her, and she couldn't think of anything else.
The only word she kept mentally repeating was 'More!'.
Chapter 51
It was supposed to be a momentous occasion, a Chunin Exams with all Five of the Great Villages participating in order to extend an olive branch to this relatively new system created by the Lord of Honor. And yet, that same momentous occasion had been tarnished by the betrayal of Kumogakure.
Now it would be the Chunin Exams of the Great Four Villages, for the Lord of Honor had struck down Kumogakure for their arrogance, his power felt across the world as the entire mountain had been annihilated down to its base, with the village built on top of it erased from reality entirely.
Of course, there were always minor villages clamoring to enter the Chunin Exams, eager to prove themselves as worthy of being among the Great Five, now the Great Four. The newly created minor village of the Sound was entering into the Chunin Exams, as was the 'minor' village of the Rain, though now talks were being considered of elevating Amegakure into the status of a Great Village.
Of course, the Chunin Exams would be held in the Land of Fire, in Konoha, as the Mantle of Heaven, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had decreed this year was the year where the exams would be held in his village.
The Lord of Honor had even gone so far as to alter the Exams themselves. Every member entering the exams knew that even if the Lord of Honor was not physically present, His gaze would be on each and every one of them, the Genin hopefuls well aware that the Lord of Honor was not above slaughtering them if they acted foolishly.
One of the new systems put into place was that all members were required to sign waivers in case they died or were so heavily disabled that they could no longer be shinobi, and a Contract indicating that they would remain faithful to the Lord of Honor for all time, living or dead. Many Genin were uncertain if that was to be taken in face value, but given as one of His chosen, Orochimaru, had been able to resurrect some of Konoha's fallen to monitor the Exams, they were not inclined to think it a lie.
All deaths were considered a 'loss' in the exams, and while the members of the exams were promised to be resurrected, they would be unable to continue to participate in the exams for the rest of its continuation until the next one.
It was discomforting to the civilians that many shinobi had barely bat an eye at the fact that the rules of nature were being defiled and destroyed so utterly in front of them, but to the shinobi, it was nothing new, as the Lord of Honor simply took their abilities as shinobi to a higher level than any could achieve normally. Some prodigies even hoped they could eventually match the Lord of Honor in strength, even if they were aware it was simply the arrogance of youth in the end.
"So, preparations are done. What do you think?" Gojo Satoru asked cheerfully, his blue eyes looking over the completely redone and modified Chunin Exams.
"I think this is absolutely insane. I love it." Anko said with glee, her eyes looking at all the cameras, sensors, and technology.
This was the Central Hub Network. Out there, a genjutsu would be placed to put every contestant unconscious, and they'd be hooked up to a series of networks where they would enter a virtual reality, where they'd be participating in the first Virtual Chunin Exams.
It was a middle-ground. Those who died would simply wake up in their pods, with their chakra sealed off as they would be receiving their scores and where they failed. Those who did well in the exams up until the moment they died were still eligible for promotion, but they were merely placed in what Gojo Satoru called "Spectator Mode" where they'd be forced to use the senses of their killer to see through the rest of the exams. In this, all would learn from one another, whether they wanted to or not.
Gojo Satoru had been hired on by the Third Hokage as the Architect of this new Exams. The man was considered at least as strong as the Hokage, after being placed in a test simulation where it had been all of Konoha versus Gojo Satoru.
To which they had all lost, badly. The closest to even scratch him had been Kakashi Hatake, who revealed that his inheritance from Obito Uchiha had, in fact, evolved into a Mangekyo Sharingan.
Even in an 99% accurate simulation between Gojo Satoru and all of the past Hokage had ended in a loss for most, with what could be considered a 'draw' to the Second Hokage, who had to keep spamming his Flying Thunder God in order to actually bypass Gojo's Limitless, and then eventually led to sealing him away using Fuinjutsu, at the cost of his own life with the Reaper Death Seal.
The new technology allowed Gojo Satoru and the researchers he hired, being an entirely separate division he simply referred to as "The Organization", to create different simulations, different tests, that were tailored to work on each Genin's strengths and weaknesses, though that was only for the First Exam.
The Second Exam was a survival/reconnaissance effort, with all of them thrown in with various conflicting objectives, and to reach the center of what Gojo simply referred to as the Graveyard. There the finale would commence, the final Exam being a free-for-all where only one member could reach the top of the virtual summit, as the Graveyard had various mountains and valleys that formed it.
Where the last Genin, the survivor, the victor, would have to face the most dangerous task of the entire Chunin Exams, something that Gojo Satoru had refused to comment or share, saying it would be a 'surprise'.
It didn't help that the Jonin teachers had been 'volunteered', read: ordered, to test the Exam simulation themselves up until they reached the Third Exams.
It came as a surprise to many that it was Might Guy who not only succeeded in all portions of the Exam simulation, but even got to reach the summit, after surprising Kakashi with the fact that, unlike Rock Lee, Might Guy could use jutsu, surprising the white haired Jonin by actually combining Strong Fist with the late Raikage's Lightning Cloak.
Might Guy didn't say what was at the top of the summit, simply stating it was quite the 'eye-opening experience' and left it at that with a sly smile on his normally exuberant face.
I won't lie. I had a ton of fun making the new Chunin Exams. Taking some inspiration from the Data Worlds, the Matrix, and the Looking Glass technology/simulation from Prey, it was an absolute gem of what some would consider a horrifying recreation of the Hunger Games via technology.
To be fair, at least their deaths were only temporary, unlike in real life where many would, and have, died with nothing to show for it.
Also, hey, who knew that a shinobi world's favorite video game genre would end up being RPG's of the violent nature?
Seriously, selling Fallout: Konoha was the best idea I've ever had. A fully realized shinobi rpg in conjunction with the Fallout series where all the countries had 'destroyed themselves with jutsu over resources and pride', and setting in each country based on your Origins, with the default being Konoha since, well, most of the video game tech was based here in Konoha.
Where'd I get the technology for the video games? Where'd I get the resources or the manpower needed to build these things? How'd I get the world to accept such rapidly advancing technology in a world where every country is trying to one up each other for the purposes of 'my country is the best!'?
The answer is dimensional bullshit, dimensional bullshit, and reality warping bullshit in that order.
Chapter 52
Naruko felt… conflicted, was the best way she could put it.
Sayuri had opened up a lot to Naruko during their mission to the Land of Waves, emotionally venting that her sister had killed her entire Clan, her entire family, and that she was torn between vengeance against her sister and just trying to live her life, since she knew that the odds of her successfully beating the woman who had been ANBU Captain by the time they had become Genin was extremely low. Her honor demanded she at least make an attempt at vengeance, and her desire to try and move on with her life made it all but impossible for her to choose.
Naruko had listened patiently throughout the whole thing, but something didn't sound right. She knew her grandfather had ANBU posted around the clock to defend areas of interest to the village, something he had explained as internal security, so it didn't add up that Itsuki could have slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan on her own. Not without being noticed.
So, she discretely shared that with Shikamaru and no one else, hoping he could do some more digging for her on the back end since she knew that Shikamaru's dad was the Jonin Commander.
The problem was that while she was used to the idea of sharing Shikamaru with Menma, who she really saw as more of a twin of herself rather than just as a sister, she wasn't used to sharing Shikamaru with others emotionally. Sexually, she was all for as many women as she could get her hands on, boobs felt great and she wasn't going to say no to someone eating her out, but emotionally she was still on somewhat shaky territory, her subconscious fear of Shikamaru leaving her for someone else always in the back of her mind.
Of course, explaining this to Yoshino, mom, she corrected herself mentally since she really did see Yoshino as the mom she never had, in private out of worry and concern had led to mom explaining that while a lot of women did have these fears when dating an extremely strong shinobi, especially in a culture where the strongest often had their pick of the best women to choose from to carry their kids, those fears often faded as they settled into the relationship, for several reasons.
For one, raising a child requires a village. Not literally a village, mom explained with a snort as Naruko's face paled at that the thought of the entire village needing to be involved, but a whole group of people who could help the parents and the children throughout the years. Parenting is not easy, even for the best of couples, and having a group of people who had the best interests of the children and the parents in mind helped deal with that. It wasn't for everyone, but it wasn't uncommon for a harem to coordinate pregnancies, child-rearing, date nights, and family gatherings to work on a case-by-case basis to make things easier for the group. It made it less stressful to not feel alone doing all of these things simultaneously.
For a second reason, time and experience has a way of either smoothing out the wrinkles in one's relationships or exposing flaws in the relationships. In this, it was almost vital to have other connections, friends, family, outside of simply one's relationship to one's partner in order to feel like you won't be judged or isolated. This meant that Naruko could have friends that weren't Shikamaru's friends and vice versa, and the harem greatly expanded on this since Naruko didn't have to feel like she had only one person to turn to for help.
It also helped that no matter how powerful or versatile Shikamaru became, he was, at heart, a very blunt individual. It was refreshing to Naruko, knowing that Shika wasn't the type to talk bad about her in front of others or to avoid talking about issues he had with her, instead 'suffering in silence' until they grew so resentful of each other that they broke up. Shikamaru just wasn't the kind of guy to do that, preferring to nip those troublesome issues in the bud.
She had her own issues, she knew she was stubborn to a fault, and she was… less than reasonable when she got upset, but Shikamaru was the ice to her fire, keeping calm and letting her vent before he either addressed the problems she had or simply let her be until they had a moment where they could actually sit down and talk when she was in a more receptive mood.
The added advantages of Shikamaru's 'True Clones', as he called them, were immense, since Shikamaru could still spend time with her, even with all the responsibilities, chores, and others in the harem that might also need his attention. Unlike a Shadow Clone, where one's mental capacity and energy reserves were often stretched thin, Shikamaru's True Clones were living biological Clones, their minds all synchronized across every one of them, which sometimes led to Naruko often even forgetting that Shikamaru she was with wasn't just Shikamaru himself.
So, she was well aware that Shikamaru was never going to be just hers, but that was okay in her book, as long as Shikamaru still valued and paid attention to her, as long as she felt needed by him, then she was okay with that. It helped that sometimes she wanted her alone time, eating ramen with Sakura, gossiping with Ayame, so she wasn't simply hoarding Shikamaru all to herself and then leaving him at home alone if she wanted some time to herself. So, in her eyes, it worked out, even if she knew that it would be a while until she finally internalized that Shikamaru would always love her.
Gotta love childhood trauma, right?
Of course, while she knew that Shikamaru was interested in Sayuri 'dating wise', as Shikamaru had never once hid from her that he liked all kinds of women, but some women much more than others, she knew that Sayuri wasn't quite ready to date anyone yet. Nowhere near ready, so it made Naruko feel relieved to know that Shikamaru had not been surprised by that fact, simply pointing out that he wanted to be her friend first, at least help her with all the trauma she carried before they thought about dating.
It made her face flushed as she remembered how Shikamaru's gaze got when she had admitted to him that she was bisexual, and that she may or may not have gotten a very submissive girl to not only join Konoha, but to be her Mercenary 'Partner' as Kakashi put it. She had been worried Shikamaru would judge her, or think she was cheating on him with another girl, but all he had done was whisper "Good girl" into her ear and nibble on her neck with his hands reaching around to grope her butt.
She squirmed at remembering how that had rapidly spun out of control. That had been… close. Too close. She had promised to wait until after the Chunin Exams, but his hands felt so good and she wanted to ride him so badly, and so she compromised by sucking him off repeatedly, determined to make him feel good since she knew he was being patient with her.
Well, that, and she got turned on from drinking his cum. It tasted like the best ramen she'd ever had, and it made her whole body feel like it was on fire, to the point that she had soaked through her clothes so utterly that she had to take a shower and change afterwards! The fact that Shikamaru teased her by mimicking the moans and growls he had made earlier during her blowjob, as Shikamaru informed her of what that sex act was called, in her head using that not-jutsu he used to drive her up the wall didn't help.
"Stupid, sexy, Shika." She grumbled.
She could freely admit that it made her feel sexy, made her feel powerful, to have a man as strong and as kind as Shikamaru moaning and groaning by just sucking and licking his cock, kissing his balls and worshiping every inch of him she could reach, because he tasted and smelled that good, okay?, and feeling his hands run through her hair, at times clenching like he wanted to fuck her face but not going that far, probably to let Naruko set the pace of her first blowjob, he was too nice like that.
She made a mental note to tell Shikamaru that he should fuck Menma's face. She wanted to see her twin's red eyes roll out of view as she choked and drooled all over herself as Shika fucked her throat over and over again. She wanted to suck on her twin's breasts while occasionally kissing Menma's throat when she saw Shikamaru's cock create a bulge in her neck, finger that soaking wet pussy as her hips rolled up into the air over and over again as Menma's sexy body wriggled from lack of air and orgasms simultaneously. She wanted to eat her twin out while Shikamaru used her throat as a cocksleeve until she felt her twin's thighs clamp around her head she came so hard that she passed out with her man's cock pouring his cum into her stomach. She wanted to suck and lick her man's dick clean, drink the last drops of his last orgasm out of him and then bring her twin back to reality by kissing her, their tongue trading spit and cum as she tasted Shikamaru's cum while her twin tasted her own arousal from her being eaten out earlier.
She panted, clenching her thighs for a moment, trying to subtly scratch that itch for a moment. 'Is it incest or masturbation?' She idly mused as she bit her lip.
Does it really matter when all I want to do is spend the rest of my life being fucked, raising our kids together, and knowing he's doing the same with other women? That we're all meant to just be naked, to carry his kids over and over again until we can barely move with tits even larger than my head, and making so much milk that we get hooked up to milkers while he fucks us from behind and…
She bit her lip harder, shaking her head. Menma's fantasies were just… extreme, but they were hot, no denying that, and Menma had no compunction about whispering those same fantasies into Naruko's head. No worries, no concerns, no emotional problems. Just being a breeding slut, a cow, for her owner. Naruko's face turned red as she shivered. To be owned, to be claimed so utterly, that was a serious turn on for her, even if she'd never admit out loud. It helped that she could say she was the 'head wife' of the harem, even if she knew intrinsically that particular title didn't mean anything: if Shikamaru told her she was going to have a new dream of being the mother of his kids, to be used, to be fucked like an animal, and bred over and over again until she couldn't think of anything except getting fucked, she couldn't find it in herself to hate the idea.
Actually, that sounds really hot. She sighed. Real life isn't like a fantasy, she reminded herself. Even if it was a serious turn on, she had to admit that it wasn't realistic.
Maybe I can introduce it as a kind of… 'role play' as Kakashi's book put it? She mused.
Chapter 53
"Hatred alone is not enough. To drink from the well of Hatred is to live a half life, a Cursed life."
Sayuri frowned. It wasn't the whole preaching of not going after Itsuki, nor was it any condemnation against her feelings toward her sister.
Shikamaru Nara had been introduced as a Spiritual Healer, as the Yamanaka Mind Healers had realized that the 'damage' done by her sister's actions that day had been too deep for even the mind to heal alone.
It likely even explained why her chakra felt darker than most, more colder, less like a feeling of warmth and life, and more akin to an icy energy she brought forth to do her bidding.
Shikamaru Nara was an enigma, one that Sayuri puzzled over. He did not preach kindness, or to let the events of the past go. He didn't tell her that her feelings were wrong or that her way of living was doomed to failure.
No, Shikamaru Nara took her into the forests of the Nara Clan, speaking to her in blunt terms and in an almost calming manner.
"Itsuki is not wrong. The negative emotions can fuel our jutsu. It makes us stronger, it lets us push ourselves to ever greater heights… However, there is a cost." He said coldly.
She shivered as, for a brief moment, Shikamaru's eyes turned yellow, and even her icy chakra paled in comparison to the sensation of numbness that spread through her, Shikamaru's chakra feeling like an omnipresent force of darkness, threatening to envelop everything, including her.
"The greater one's light, the darker and greater one's shadow. Without any positive emotions, and drinking too deeply for too long from the well of Hatred, is to poison yourself. Eventually, you'll find yourself not caring for the world around you. Eventually, you'll kill your friends for power. Eventually, there is nothing you care about except your goal. And, if you achieve your goal, it will be too late."
"Too late?" She asked hesitantly. The yellow eyes stared at her hungrily, the numbness eating at her sense of self even as Shikamaru smiled coldly.
"I told you. It's a poison. Your chakra network will become unable to function properly without that Hatred. You'll find yourself getting exponentially weaker and weaker, your chakra unable to be formed in nearly as much quantity without that hate, you'll be a Shadow, a ghost, of your former self. Your lifespan will be measured in less than thirty or forty years, and you will die as your chakra becomes so warped that it begins to kill you."
Sayuri stiffened in horror as Shikamaru's yellow eyes blinked, turning to the normal black, and the numbness thankfully faded. She found herself rubbing her arms, trying to get feeling back into them.
"Of course, Hatred, and all negative emotions, are a part of life. A balance must be achieved. Light and Darkness. You've been cultivating negative emotions, cycling that inner turmoil into inner strength, but you've not yet done enough damage. Now I will teach you how to cultivate positive emotions into inner strength."
Sayuri frowned. "How?" She hoped it wasnt trying to accept her sister's actions. She'd nearly wanted to strangle the first Mind Healer who tried to say that.
"Baby steps first. Things you enjoy that are unrelated to your sister or your Clan. Your favorite foods, your favorite relaxing activities. You need to embrace the parts of you that you've tried to bury. Grieve for the loss of your family. Accept that they are gone. Mourn them in a way that matters to you. Talk to those who you think will not judge you. From what I've heard, you're on your way on that front."
Shikamaru's encouraging smile made Sayuri curl in on herself as she didn't know what to say to that.
"… I don't know what I want. I don't have any favorite foods or activities. The only person I talk to is Naruko." She admitted quietly.
Shikamaru nodded. "Understandable. Trauma can change a person, and not everyone can simply bounce back or try and move on. We do try, but often we incorporate negative tools, things that we fall back on as a coping mechanism even if it hurts us in the long run. Mental and spiritual scars are far more difficult to heal than any physical wound."
She felt relief that he didn't judge or pity her.
"Then, as I said, baby steps. Try new foods. Read some books. Exercise just to feel good, not to train. I want you to focus on what you feel, how you feel, and why, doing these things. You're not an extrovert like Naruko, you enjoy your solitude, so I'd recommend finding activities that make you feel fulfilled. Writing, drawing, painting, crafts. Something you can do to keep your hands, and more importantly, your mind, busy."
Acceptance. Shikamaru's advice felt more genuine, didn't try and make her connect to others automatically. It was actionable advice she could take.
"Thank you." She said sincerely. Shikamaru nodded.
"Any time." He said nonchalantly, staring up at the sky as he smiled.
"Cloud watching is a nice activity. Letting them float by, so free, just, untethered by the world and its problems. It's nice."
She tentatively sat next to Shikamaru and looked up at the sky.
After a moment, she found herself smiling at the clouds, watching them slowly drift across the sky. It was nice, quiet, but not alone.
'Guess I found a new activity that I like. Thank you, Shikamaru. It helps that you're cute and smell great.'
She pouted briefly as she ignored the red flush on her face from the involuntary thought that entered her head.
Chapter 54
The Master Xehanort Template was not to be underestimated.
Not only does one obtain the decades worth of knowledge in hearts, magic, keyblade lore, among many other things he picked up as a time traveler, but also the Keyblade he held before he obtained the X-blade was no joke in it's own right.
No Name. The same Keyblade given to Luxu from the Master of Masters, and passed down. It had been through this Keyblade that allowed the Master of Masters to see into the future and record the events into his Book of Prophecies, and able to travel from the past into the far future where he met a young Master Xehanort, starting the events to come to pass. A full on Time Loop.
Not only had this enabled the Master of Masters to succeed manipulating even the distant future toward his own goals, but had even allowed him to manipulate the events to pass in a way that gave Light the advantage to win against the Darkness. However, this level of manipulation did not come without cost: since he had technically interfered with the events of Destiny, he had been erased, banished outside of the multiverse that made up Kingdom Hearts into a new realm entirely.
What that new realm was, I had no idea, but I digress. The point is, you're not buying just Master Xehanort's Template. Alongside his own knowledge and abilities, comes those he had given his heart to in order to further his goals for his True Organization 13.
I. Master Xehanort. I am the guy, enough said.
II. Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. The Heartless of Terranort, the combined Body of Terra, a Keyblade Master who had fallen into Darkness, and the Heart/Mind of Xehanort. However, as the Heart of Terra is also within the same vessel, this also grants the same abilities and knowledge of Terra, and, thus, the Lingering Will, a fully autonomous armored being that had all the same abilities and strengths of Terra encased in the armor as a lingering will of his desire to destroy Xehanort.
III. Xemnas. The Nobody of Terranort. The man who would go on to create the original Organization 13. Arguably stronger than even Master Xehanort at his base form without the X-blade, Xemnas has the power to govern Nothingness, that being the ability to create, command, and destroy Nobodies at nearly all levels of power with the exception of his fellow Organization Members. His unique weapon, the Ethereal Blades, can hold their own against the Keyblade, and has the power to siphon the hearts of others into himself for even greater power, effectively making him capable of outright stealing hearts rather than simply possessing them.
IV. Xigbar. The Nobody of Briag, he obtained half the heart of Xehanort, retaining some semblance of free will, however, that still adds his Template into my own. His ability over gravity and his long range weapons makes him a nuisance to deal with for even other Keyblade Wielders, but it's who he actually is that matters even more. Xigbar/Briag is actually Luxu, having passed down his own Heart through the generations. Thus, I have obtained the Template of a 'who the hell knows' lifelong Keyblade Wielder and Master in his own right.
V. Luxord. The gambler, but his Template includes an affinity over Time, such that he can manipulate in the local area to various degrees. His inclination to gamble would normally make someone think him a cheater, but he actually enjoys a fair game, and a fair fight. While not much is known about his former Self, there's some considerations that he is actually from the realm outside of the multiverse of Kingdom Hearts, the same realm for those who are banished for interfering with Destiny.
VI. Larxene. Controls lightning, has a preference for knives, and is one of the incarnations of a past Keyblade Wielder from the time of fairy tales, back when all worlds were one world.
VII. Marluxia. Controls plants, able to summon them, and has a unique scythe as a weapon. He is another incarnation of a past Keyblade Wielder from the time of fairy tales.
VIII. Siax. One who derives power from the Moon, he wields his claymore like a madman possessed when enraged, and his cold outer exterior is betrayed by a very emotionally driven interior life, not unlike Sasuke Uchiha.
IX. Terra-Xehanort. Also known as Terranort, this man is actually just the aforementioned Terranort I had mentioned earlier, just fully combined in one body rather than the Ansem and Xemnas parts of him that had been split in half. Terranort possesses the same skills and abilities as both Terra and Xehanort, there's really not much else that can be said of the man that hasn't been written earlier.
X. Dark Riku. Now we get into some fun stuff. Dark Riku is a Replica, an artificial construct by Vexen to house a heart or the memories/emotions of a copied heart. As Dark Riku is still effectively Riku, that means it's a free Template of Riku, whose heart had grown immune to Darkness. Combine that alongside the mastery of the ability to enter and traverse Sleeping Worlds, long story, and this Template would allow me the ability to dive into worlds and places displaced into locked Pocket Dimensions, in theory, anyway.
XI. Vanitas. The Darkness of Ventus' Heart had been cleaved away by Master Xehanort, forming a new entity, whom is known as Vanitas. Vanitas is fully capable of creating an entire multiverse of unique Darkness-imbued monsters called the Unversed, that when defeated will simply return back to him. Not only that, but Vanitas was the holder of an artificial X-blade, a false X-blade that proved strong enough to summon Kingdom Hearts, or at least a weaker copy of one.
XII. Young Xehanort. The man is as arrogant as he is foolish, believing he holds all the cards while not realizing he lost at the end. In truth, young Xehanort is still quite the powerful Keyblade Wielder, especially taking into account his power over manipulating local time in ways even Luxord had not shown, when taking into account his previous self as the Mysterious Figure from Birth By Sleep as an Optional Boss Fight that is notoriously difficult, when playing as Terra at least.
XIII. Xion. An imperfect replica of Sora, she represents a Replica not designed off of any one person, merely designed to contain the memories and soul of Sora should Roxas die in the Organization, technically meant to have been usurping Roxas over time. However, she developed feelings and a conscious, and therefor sacrificed herself for Roxas and Sora to live. Brought back into the future through the notes of Vexen, she does end up on the side of Light in the end, after having her memories and sense of self fully restored by Sora.
That's all thirteen members of the Organization 13…
Oh, I'm not done. Those were the frontlines of Xehanort's Organization 13. He had back up members, weaker, but still designed to facilitate his purpose for assembling the X-blade.
XIV. Demyx. Controls Water, and is considered 'benched', despite having a piece of Xehanort's Heart inside him. Personally, I always suspected Demyx to be more powerful than he let on, simply going through the motions until he actually had some 'skin in the game' so to speak.
XV. Vexen. This person. This wonderful person was why I specifically went after Master Xehanort. Vexen is the man behind the Replica Program, the one who created artificial bodies for the Organization 13 to inhabit after moving forward through time. While technically a part of the real Organization, Vexen had no real skin in the game, preferring to keep to his research on Replicas, even to the point that he didn't mind creating more Replica bodies for the Light, so that way Roxas could return back to life in his own body rather than needing Sora to return to being a Heartless.
So, why is this important? After all, I can already create bodies through Blacklight, capture minds through the Typhon via the Weaver Network, and so on, right? All of this is just fluff, isn't it?
No, it's not.
All of my Templates have a reason for their place. Either to fit with the characters I believed would use them the best, or to amplify some strength/mitigate some weakness in some manner. As all of my retinue members are a part of me, they are all Blacklight after all, they all have a huge weakness in that if they are physically threatened, they would be stuck without a body until I created a new one for them, using their own memories and DNA as a template to create one, and that's an issue if I'm not in the same world as them.
No longer. Now, it would be even easier for a True Clone of mine to simply summon a Replica, as Prometheus can very easily copy-paste something invented by a Template of mine, and the heart/soul would be immediately placed within.
It was also another trump card of mine. If you can bypass All Fiction, Blacklight, Typhon, and all of my other Templates, you'll be facing thirteen of me in various forms, all equally as powerful as I was at the moment of my defeat, alongside my Heartless and my Nobody. Killing them all would simply reincarnate me back into my body once more.
That didn't even lend to the fact that since all Unversed are a part of Vanitas, and thus a part of me, I have access to a multiversal army of monsters that are, in fact, me, and thanks to Inviolate Self, my soul cannot be targeted nor harmed in any way, means you cannot dispel them via a Keyblade like they could have originally. Darkness, Heartless and Unversed alike, have no body to be destroyed with. They are constructs bereft of a physical form, molded by their 'heart' or 'will'.
All of this before taking into account the X-blade and Kingdom Hearts. X-blade has the power to seal or unseal any heart, being the connection to Kingdom Hearts, which makes it especially vicious to anything that possesses a soul or even no soul at all, as they would be eviscerated on contact with the weapon alone.
Kingdom Hearts is a Concept-Based Reality Manipulation Engine/Weapon Greater Than All Fiction.
Cause All Fiction is limited on what you know and understand. It's greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness: the mindset of the one who wields it.
Kingdom Hearts is not. It can unmake a multiverse, rewrite the laws of every universe, and has direct access to every heart that has ever or will ever exist. Every person born. Every construct that develops a conscious. All thinking and breathing beings would have a connection to Kingdom Hearts. The one who wields the X-Blade holds the power equal to Tier Omega's in their hands, even if they don't know what they're doing, because Kingdom Hearts responds to what the wielder of the X-blade wants, not necessarily needs.
It's for this reason why I suspected that the last wielder of the X-blade before Master Xehanort was the Master of Masters himself, commanding Kingdom Hearts to split the world of fairy tales, to divide every world of light and scatter them across the multiverse, in order to keep the Light from fading entirely, at the moment when Darkness won in a future timeline, and then sealed away Kingdom Hearts into the Realm of Darkness, in the first iteration when he hadn't prepared his students on the events destined to happen, back when the Darknesses had been so close to winning the first time.
Which would later be successful, at the cost of the Master of Masters being banished from the timeline, after sending himself back to the very beginning to convince his former self to commit the acts of creating the Book of Prophecies in the first place.
In short, the Master of Masters created a Paradox where he wouldn't have needed to send himself back in time, and the price was paid by being banished into a place outside of the timeline.
But not before he passed down No Name, ensuring that his gaze over the future timeline through the Book of Prophecies would come into fruition, and ensuring that the Light survived against the Darkness.
The Master of Masters was playing a very, very, long game, and although I hadn't played Kingdom Hearts 4, I suspected that the Master of Masters wanted to bring Kingdom Hearts back so he could finish the job he started: to crush all Darkness forever, regardless of the cost or the cruelties inflicted.
With Kingdom Hearts, I had a tethered connection all beings in every world I entered, and in every world I had visited. In this, it would be impossible to truly kill me, because I existed across every universe simultaneously, an entity embedded into the fabric of multiple realities.
It also meant that there wasn't much that could be a threat to me and mine anymore. An annoyance, sure, but a threat? Not possible.
I shrugged a bit. It just meant I could do what I pleased with fairly little consequence, and the few worlds I had resolved to never enter were now actually on the table. Warhammer 40K would be a joke in comparison to what Kingdom Hearts could do to the Chaos Gods.
After all, the Chaos Gods had come from the suffering and deaths of countless sapient beings, from what I could vaguely recall, and that meant Kingdom Hearts had ownership over those hearts way back to the very beginning.
The eternal wars meant to fuel the existence of the Chaos Gods would die, not with a bang, but with a flash of pure light as it erased and rewrote the fabric of their multiverse.
"Oh, dear. I wonder how there can be any Chaos in the Warp… If there was never any Warp at all?" I chuckled darkly, my eyes glinting coldly with triumph as I withheld the urge to laugh maniacally out in the public.
Dad saw my face as he went to go grab breakfast, paused, nodded to himself, and then immediately turned around to head back where ever he came from.
"Honey, our son is planning some sort of horrifying bad things to whatever or whoever pissed him off, I'm going to go feed the deer!" He called out before the sound of the closing door echoed.
"Good job, Shikamaru! Record it for me if you can!" Mom called out back from her room.
I snorted as I bit back a laugh. I love my family.
Chapter 55
Sayuri had known that part of therapy was facing your own demons, but she hadn't anticipated that to be literal.
She quickly dodged the flash of fire from one of the two shadows, the younger shadow looking eerily like herself having cast the Fireball Jutsu with no hand seals or even no need to breath at all. The shadows had no defining details, but the shapes they took were formed into just enough detail that she knew what they represented.
Itsuki Uchiha stood silently nearby, the shadowy figure standing coldly, the red Sharingan replaced by the yellow of what Shikamaru referred to as the essence of Darkness manifest.
She kept trading blows with her darker self, the shadow not tiring, not weakening, and seemed relentless in it's pursuit to kill her. Shikamaru stood to the side, his yellow eyes coldly watching her struggle. Shikamaru had a mastery over shadows and darkness to the point that he could bring out the darkness in the hearts of others, literally, in order to make them face themselves.
Itsuki Uchiha was her representation of the wounds, the scars, of the night she had lost her Clan. The woman was silent, and yet, felt omnipresent, more akin to a force of nature than a person. Her darker self represented her desire for revenge having slowly warped her to become like Itsuki, the decisions she had made that had been unknowingly killing her from the inside out.
The battle never truly ended. She knew she wasn't meant to win. The point was, as Shikamaru pointed out, to accept her Darkness, to fully realize that Itsuki was never supposed to be overcome, but merely to be nothing more than the shadow of the past to be accepted. To move on from that night.
Easier said than done, but already Sayuri felt lighter, ironically. In just a handful of spars, cloud watching, and some low gossip/emotional venting to Naruko, she felt better than she had in a long time. Each spar, the shadows seemed less obstinate, losing some more of their shape, the yellow eyes getting that much dimmer. It was a sign of progress, and she could feel the coldness in her chest was wavering, becoming more like a cold liquid rather than the icy slurry she had felt her chakra had become.
Shikamaru had no compunction showing her how he did what he did, using himself as an example. Only where Sayuri had one or two shadows, he seemed to have over twenty. Each one vastly more oppressive and more powerful than anything she could ever imagine, and the one that terrified her the most was the man who seemed to manipulate the other shadows like an orchestra.
Master Xehanort, unlike the rest of the shadows, was fully realized, his features not hidden by the Darkness, but amplified by it, his own Keyblade, a weapon that Shikamaru explained was capable of sealing and destroying souls, to Sayuri's horror, able to warp and command the world around him to freeze time, create storms of ice and lightning that was capable of destroying the ground she stood on.
The fight between Shikamaru and his shadows had to take place in an alternate dimension just to keep Konoha, and the continent probably, from being eviscerated.
Each shadow destroyed had led to the shadow being absorbed into Master Xehanort, whose glowing yellow eyes showed no fear, no concern, for the strength Shikamaru possessed. Indeed, he seemed to be amused by the fight given by his Lighter Half, and this was revealed when Master Xehanort had entered the fight himself, summoning thirteen copies of himself all wielding the same Keyblade.
And yet, despite all the things they threw at him, despite every jutsu cast by the old man who had seemed almost untouchable until now, Shikamaru had the same wide grin on his face. He reveled in the fight, enjoyed the carnage of being able to let loose.
While one eye remained yellow, the other eye was a shining blue with a red glow, and somehow, Sayuri knew it was over for the rest.
The Keyblade, X-blade, she corrected herself, appeared, and Shikamaru's eyes glowed as he raised it to the sky.
"Light. Darkness. Infinity in a Moment. Domain Expansion: White Void."
The X-blade glowed, and Master Xehanort's copies all melted apart as Master Xehanort himself collapsed on himself, appearing to bow in defeat as he vanished a moment later. The pocket dimension seemed to ripple, as Sayuri found herself standing on a white plain with pockets of black.
Apparently it was a combination of various powers Shikamaru had learned to master, but he explained that it was incomplete: once he learned how to use it, it would be shortened to just "Domain Expansion: White Void", as he was still getting a handle on it.
It was what he referred to as an "Open Domain", where instead of creating an enclosed space in order to amplify his abilities through his Sense of Self magnified, he instead forced himself upon the world so utterly that he was instead forcing his domain into the world. On top of making it many times stronger than a Closed Domain, it allowed him to maximize both the power and utility of his techniques to their ultimate conclusion.
It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying to behold, as Sayuri was only unaffected by Shikamaru choosing for it to not affect her. The demonstration of what someone like Shikamaru was capable of from mastering one's Light and Darkness utterly, plus some "outer-dimensional bullshit" as he put it, made Sayuri determined to at least master herself like that as well. To not have nightmares, to be happy, to not feel a twinge of pain and loss every time she woke up in the empty Uchiha home she lived in, was a worthy goal in her mind.
Especially if it meant knowing that she would be more than capable of holding her own against her sister if she ever threatened her family in the future.
She ignored the flush on her face as a voice whispered in her ear. 'You know, having Shikamaru's babies would definitely make it so Itsuki wouldn't be anywhere near them. He's so strong that he makes even the Hokages look like mere Genin. Strong, handsome, kind, patient, and it's not like it's not uncommon for strong shinobi to have multiple wives.'
She shook her head. She needed to at least make sure it was okay with Naruko, and she knew that she was stalling since she wasn't sure if Naruko would be willing to let anyone else get in on the action once she finally got a piece of him after the Chunin Exams in two and a half weeks.
'I'll ask her tomorrow. Maybe I'll even ask Shikamaru to make some ramen for us to butter her up first. She's always going on about how mean Menma is for riling her up, not knowing she's riling me up too.'
She sighed as she raised her hands in surrender as the shadow of herself held a kunai to her neck, before the two shadows vanished as Shikamaru nodded with approval. "Good job, Sayuri." He praised. "I dare say you could give Terra a run for his money on mastering one's Darkness by now." He mused aloud, and Sayuri smiled as she ignored the heat bubbling up her chest and into her cheeks at the praise.
Damn him for giving her a praise kink. Damn him for being so damn cute. Damn it!
Chapter 56
"As long as you remember that he's ours to share." Naruko said matter of factly, shrugging her shoulders as she slurped from her third bowl of homemade ramen.
Sayuri nodded, nonplussed. "I don't understand. Most people loath sharing their partners, especially strong ones. I expected a test, a trial, or something that might make the Chunin Exams a joke." She murmured, her face still burning after she admitted wanting to have Shikamaru in her bed as well.
Naruko scoffed. "Shikamaru isn't the kind of guy to cheat on me, and he's not going to simply drop me for someone else. He'd say "It's too troublesome to juggle multiple relationships, let alone one."" She giggled as she did the air quotes, making Sayuri chuckle slightly as she felt relief flow through her at not upsetting the one friend she'd made in years.
"No, Shikamaru is… greedy, yeah. He's selfish. He does what he wants, when he wants, and he won't apologize if he thinks it's the right thing to do, but he won't lie or skirt around something. That's just not him." She said bluntly.
"I want my friends to be happy," Naruko admitted lowly as she looked down at her ramen bowl, "so if you want to 'bed' Shikamaru, go for it. As long as I know he'll make some time for me, as long as I know he needs me in some small way, I'm okay with that."
Sayuri felt a sharp surge of gratitude and she had to pretend to have something in her eyes, using a napkin to discreetly hide her tears.
"Of course, I'm selfish too." Naruko continued lowly, making Sayuri stiffen as she felt Naruko's hands tug her closer, pulling her out of her chair and into Naruko's lap, making her squeak as she felt Naruko's boobs press against her back as Naruko's hot mouth nibbled on her earlobe as she found herself wiggling, trying to not moan out loud as Naruko's hands rubbed her sides and over her chest, staying above her shirt rather than yanking it up to grab them like a man would have.
She groaned lowly, her face red as Naruko spoke breathlessly in her ear.
"Good girl." She stiffened as she felt a shock of lightning going straight down her spine and toward her clit as she knew her underwear was ruined.
She never should've admitted her praise kink to Naruko.
"Shika and I are a package deal, and we play for keeps. If you sleep with either of us, we both own you." Naruko growled in her ear, one of her hands pressing right on Sayuri's lower belly, making her squirm.
"Your body won't be yours anymore. It'll be his. He'll knock you up over and over again. He'll bring back the Uchiha Clan in a single generation. You'll be knocked up so much that all that muscle you've trained, all that chakra control you've spent so long mastering, will be turned into nothing but fat for this ass of yours, and milk for his kids."
Sayuri's eyes rolled up to the back of her head as she came, Naruko's chakra and lust almost overpowering her with ease. Her stomach felt so hot, and she felt Naruko's chakra form thin, yet undeniably strong, chains holding her legs open as one hand rubbed her right over her core, still over her underwear even as she whimpered, bucking her hips as Naruko teased her.
"Mom isn't home, and Shikamaru's dad isn't here, since he's working right now. Shikamaru is in the kitchen making more ramen. I have you all to myself. I'm really horny, and Shikamaru is being unbearably sweet by waiting for me to become Chunin before he can ruin my career as a shinobi by turning me into a broodmare for our kids. So you're going to cum, and then you'll spend the rest of the dinner under the table, eating me out. I promised gramps I wouldn't give away my virginity, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun." Naruko growled in her ear as she started sucking on Sayuri's neck as one hand dove under her underwear, a couple fingers immediately sliding into her as a thumb rubbed her clit.
Sayuri's scream was cut off by Naruko kissing her roughly in the mouth, the kiss swallowing her scream as her hips bucked into the air, gushing all over herself as she came harder than she could remember, unable to think.
She came back to herself a moment later, with Naruko licking her fingers clean as she dropped Sayuri to the floor unceremoniously as she couldn't even yelp in protest from how dazed and out of breath she was.
Sayuri felt heady, almost as if she was drugged, especially when she felt Naruko's hands tug her by her hair in between Naruko's legs, with no underwear in sight under her hastily opened pants.
She breathed in Naruko's arousal, shivering as she tentatively stuck her tongue into Naruko's lower lips, both eager and slightly nervous of the taste.
It tasted salty, and yet it reminded Sayuri a lot of ramen, but it was Naruko's breathy moans of "Ooh, good girl, right there" as Sayuri accidentally licked Naruko's clit, sending chills and hunger for more of that, making her lose herself even more into the act of eating Naruko out.
She felt a buzz go over her at the fact that she made Naruko feel so good that she made her moan, and she was determined to make Naruko soak herself as hard as she had made Sayuri cum earlier.
Sayuri was so focused on her task that she barely paid attention to Naruko trying to pretend she wasn't being eaten out under the table as she ate her next bowl of ramen.
Or the fact that Naruko was making out desperately with Shikamaru to avoid screaming as she came hard, her legs clenched around Sayuri as she soaked Sayuri's face as she tried to gulp down as much of Naruko's gushing fluids as possible.
She admitted in the back of her head that she could get used to this.
She hadn't heard Naruko's squeak as Shikamaru called her a bad girl for turning Sayuri into a submissive slut under the table.
Or that Naruko had long since stopped holding her head to Naruko's groin, her hands replaced by the gentle caress of Shikamaru's hands gently moving through her hair, making her lazily close her eyes as she continued to decompress in her newly discovered subspace.
She couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed to find herself in Naruko's bed, waking up to Naruko cuddling her from behind, Naruko's hands curled over her breasts under her shirt.
'Does that count as a win? I think it's a win.' She thought drowsily to herself before she fell back asleep.
She was infinitely more embarrassed during breakfast the next morning as Yoshino winked at her as she asked if she slept well, and if she was getting grandkids any time soon.
She tried to drown herself in her oatmeal, as Shikamaru reached over to hug her and pulled her into his lap as his parents didn't even try to hide their chuckles.
That she felt warm and safe despite her embarrassment, and a soft smile on her face, certainly had nothing to do with her silently deciding to move in with the Nara Clan.
Not at all.
Chapter 57
I mentioned a while back that to the Typhon, moving through dimensions was as easy as stepping through doors for us.
Exiting the Corridor of Darkness, my eyes gazed upon the future village of Konoha, specifically the future had I never entered this world in the first place.
I had my eyes set on a quite a few targets that I had missed the first time around, because my arrival had permanently distorted the future of this world.
I smiled coldly as my eyes glowed, one yellow and one blue, summoning the X-Blade into existence.
I raised it into the air as it glowed.
"Domain Expansion: White Void."
This was my ultimate combination of techniques as far as my powers went right now. A combination of Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine, Gojo's Infinite Void, All Fiction, Prometheus, Ikigai, and using Kingdom Hearts as a conduit to expand the range of my Open Domain to everything as the center of my Open Domain's Expansion. With this, it would be child's play to instantly Stamp everyone connected through Kingdom Hearts and then dilate time so that it moved three days without anyone being aware of it.
[Boruko. The Daughter of the Sixth Hokage. 12.
Naruto Uzumaki. 60.
Inojina Yamanaka. 12.
Mitsuki. 30.
Shin 'Uchiha'. 12.
Metal Lee. 12.
Mirai Sarutobi. 12.
Konohamaru Sarutobi. 30.
Sarada Uchiha. 12.
Jugo. 12.
Code. 60.
Kawaki. 30.
Buntan Kurosaki. 12.
Ikada Funato. 30.
Shinki. 12.
White Snake Sage. 30.
Amado Sanzu. 60.
Delta. 60.
Kashin Koji. 60.
Chojuro. 30.
Darui. 30.
Sora. 12.
Gamahiro. 30.
Gamaken. 30.
Gamamaru. 30.
Gamakichi. 30.
Gamatatsu. 12.
Shima. 30.
Gamariki. 12.
Eida. 60.
Enma. 30.
Haruno Mebuki. 6.
Katsuyu. 30.
Shion. 6.
Kagura Karatachi. 12.
Chocho Akimichi. 12.
Himawari Uzumaki. 12.
Suigetsu Hozuki. 12.
Kankuro. 12.
Temari. 12.
Hanabi Hyuga. 12.
Hana Inuzuka. 12.
Tsume Inuzuka. 12.
Kurotsuchi. 12.
Moegi Kazamutsuri. 12.
Shizuka. 12.
Sakura Haruno. 30.
Mei Terumi. 30.
Credits Remaining: 1093.]
The white void vanished after a moment, as I immediately stepped through the Corridor of Darkness back home. It was just that easy, and while I could use my connection to Hagoromo to expand this ability into the afterlife directly, connecting to all the souls of the deceased in the Pure Lands, I had no real desire to do so.
Dismissing my X-blade, I appeared back home. Well, back in my old bedroom.
After getting the 'strays' from Orochimaru as a gift, the Nara Clan had to go back to the drawing board on the home that had originally been meant for just Naruko and myself.
Since that was scrapped, I asked them if I could 'create' my own home, in order to make it to my own designs.
They agreed, with mom looking especially excited that I was being a 'real man looking out for all of his wives and, more importantly, her grandchildren' in her words, as she explained.
Apparently it is considered a huge gesture of commitment, to build a home by your own hands for your own family to live in, even if it was a very outdated gesture thanks to the modern amenities of hiring carpenters to build a home for you.
I didn't have the heart to tell them it was an excuse for my Grand Manor along with everything else in my Pocket Dimension.
Also cause having sex knowing my parents is across the hall, under silencing seals and partitioning dimension seals even, still makes me mildly uncomfortable.
So, we were now 'moving out', even if heading back to my old home was as easy as stepping through a door or a Gate.
With the Chunin Exams now only two weeks away, Asuma had decided that we were given leave from any missions from now until the end of the Exams. We were given full leave to train on our own, with the acknowledgement that we were likely to face one another in the Exams.
"The First Trial will be tailored to the individual, to weed out those unworthy or unprepared. The Second will be team based, as Konoha wants to play to our strengths, but the Third Event is usually individual. I can't say much more than that." Asuma said honestly.
It was amusing from a certain point of view when the Third Hokage called for him in private to his Office.
"Naruko is my granddaughter in all but blood. She's fully committed in a relationship with you, and she wants to prove herself by winning the Chunin Exams. I'm making sure she isn't putting her life in the wrong person's hands." The Third said bluntly, smoking his pipe.
"Can you handle the Kyuubi as it tries to escape her seal during childbirth? Can you promise me that you'll give even your life for Naruko's safety?" He asked coldly, his brown eyes pinning me down as he glared at me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Bold of you to give me the shovel speech now of all times. I am the Honored One, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Do not think I am unwilling to rewrite reality itself to ensure the safety of what is mine."
A brief output of my power in the Social Club had the Third leaning back in his chair.
He smiled. "Good. I'll never understand Minato's desire to sacrifice himself for this putrid village, so I'm thankful you're honorable only until it comes to something you want. I don't need more sacrificial shinobi. I'm not Danzo. Your hidden S-rank mission is this: lose the Chunin Exams. Get as far as you wish, but do not complete it. Naruko is more than capable of doing the rest."
I snorted. "No kidding. Between her Adamantine Chakra Chains, Mind of the Kaguya, Rasengan, Shadow Clone, Shadow Clone Bomb, Wind, Water, and Earth Release, among other abilities, she's an absolute monster. It'll be fun." I grinned.
The Third nodded. "Excellent."
It had been a short talk after that before being dismissed.
Of course, that was just the surface of Naruko's abilities. It will be amusing when she unveils her own abilities as the conjoined master of All For One and One For All in one individual.
Naruko was more than a match for any single member of my retinue with the exception of perhaps Orochimaru herself right now.
This Chunin Exam would certainly be interesting.
Chapter 58
Danzo remained cold, his face bereft of expression as he was forced to his knees, several seals cutting him off from his chakra and rendering him unable to flee.
"For the crimes committed against Konoha, for the slaughter of the Uchiha Clan, defilement of their corpses, and creating false evidence of implication to make several of our best operatives, loyal operatives, Missing Ninja for over a decade, Danzo, you shall be put to death. Any final words?" The Third said coldly.
Danzo scoffed. "I did what I had to for the betterment of Konoha. I have no regrets."
His mouth shut itself as he couldn't even implicate the Third Hokage's part in his crimes. The Contract was ever-binding, and it ensured he would die without stirring up chaos in Konoha's ranks.
"Orochimaru. Any final words for Danzo?" The Third said quietly.
The Snake Sannin shrugged her shoulders. "I don't have any words to say. As far as I'm concerned, Danzo is already dead."
The Third nodded once. "Itsuki Uchiha, any final words for Danzo?"
The older Uchiha seemed pensive, her eyes the normal black color instead of the red since her chakra had been sealed off after being brought in and 'interrogated' by Inoichi Yamanaka.
"May Yami take your soul, may your deeds be forgotten, and may you never feel peace or rest. In any lifetime." Itsuki said quietly, her voice oddly detached.
The Third nodded. "Sayuri Uchiha. Any final words for Danzo?"
Sayuri's face twitched, unable to speak for several moments as she had sat there behind the glass at Inoichi's interrogation, as he went through her sister's memories.
"I have no words for this insect. Kill him and be done with it." She spat, turning away as she struggled to rein in her anger.
The Third nodded. "Goodbye, Danzo." He said coldly, making a single hand sign.
Danzo felt the scorching heat of the fire before the actual flames, and he died in moments.
Goodbye, Hiruzen.
Released from his body, Danzo found himself not in front of Kami, nor in the Pure Lands. Instead, he appeared to be in a dead forest.
"Finally, you've arrived. Welcome, Danzo, to your new Hell."
Danzo couldn't even scream as he felt his memories being sucked out of him, his soul hollowed out from the inside out as the Wendigo shoved its hands in his metaphorical chest, eating his organs, his bones being snapped open while sucking on the marrow inside.
Danzo's eyes rolled up to the back of his head, the spiritual body eaten alive bit by bit, the bones torn open, the skin almost lovingly sliced open to drink his blood and tear out his muscle and tendons as he jerked violently from the pain through his soul.
His throat was revealed through his neck, his vocal chords and his lungs carved out as air escaped his body. A deep sensation of overwhelming numbness overtook him, but the Wendigo wasn't done.
His eyes were torn out, one of them being crushed in it's mouth as it chewed on it slowly, savoring it like a grape, while the other was put in the Wendigo's eye socket, making Danzo recoil as he realized he was still seeing through that eye.
'Be honored, Danzo. You'll get to protect Konoha forever now. Ever hungry, ever empty, ever craving while never satisfied, but you'll get what you wanted. As they say, be careful of what you wish for.'
Danzo couldn't even look away as the Wendigo carved through his skull, taking it off and then making Danzo watch as it started to eagerly tear out bits of his brain, and Danzo felt his sense of self, his everything, collapse.
It only knew hunger. It craved flesh and bone, muscle and organ, souls and life. It knew no name, it knew no home. It knew no rest. It was hunger. It was all it knew.
The Wendigo couldn't even roam in its forest, shackled by chains of shadow. It was bound by its creator to never feed, to never hunt, despite its nature. Its mouth was removed, its lower jaw gone, with no teeth to gnaw flesh with. Its arms were removed at the shoulder, and its feet were stumps that bled black blood into the cracked ground.
Its suffering would only strengthen the forest and its shadows, forming shadowy beasts that roamed through Konoha, invisible to most aside from those who had a Pact with the former Wendigo that had once resided in the forests. Only these shadows had a far larger territory, spanning everywhere that the Wendigo considered its territory, being the entire Land of Fire.
Back in the execution platform, the Third nodded at the ashes that had once been his old friend.
"It is done." He said finally.
Itsuki flinched as Sayuri walked away without a single glance at her or at the Third Hokage.
Right as Sayuri appeared to leave the room, she spoke, still refusing to look at her sister.
"I'll never forgive you for killing mom, dad, and the rest of them. Never. Even under orders, I'd have rather died than betray them like that. But, the past is done. I won't ever see you as the sister you used to be, but, I'll try and move on from this. Consider this a clean slate, and maybe stop by the Nara Clan sometime for some dinner. Just, not for a few months." Sayuri said quietly, her voice rough.
She left, closing the door behind her.
Itsuki's tears dripped to the floor silently as she shook, not saying a word as she bowed her head, overcome with grief and gratitude in equal measure. Shisui Uchiha hugged her shoulders gently, his face in a sad smile as he knew Itsuki would need time to process this.
The Third puffed from his pipe as he left without a glance to his old friend's ashes. The time for regrets was over, and he still needed to look over the finishing touches to the Chunin Exams.
Shikamaru gently held Sayuri in his lap as she sobbed into his chest, rubbing her back gently as Naruko sat next to him, quietly giving them space while next to them to show silent support.
A shinobi endures, but off the clock, they're only human, and humans need time to grieve before they moved forward with their lives.
Chapter 59
[All Roads Lead To Home. -10.
Rainbow Bridge. -30.
1143 Credits Remaining.]
Time to shed some of the alien members of my retinue. They are less than useful to me, especially once I leave this world. Not without getting a piece of what they could have been however.
Waifu Perks are Unique Perks based on the individual Captured, and these Perks are only available while the Individual is within my Retinue, with the exception of those purchased with either Power Swap or Template Stacking.
[Waifu Perks:
Eyes of Samsara: Toneri Otsutsuki. -100.
Sacrificed Guardian: Momoshiki Otsutsuki. -100.
Template Stacking I: Medaka Kurokami [Medaka Box] for Toneri Otsutsuki. -20.
Template Stacking I: March [Worm] for Urashiki Otsutsuki. -20.
Template Stacking I: Iihiko Shishime [Medaka Box] for Kinshiki Otsutsuki. -20.
Template Stacking I: Geto Suguru [Jujutsu Kaisen] for Momoshiki Otsutsuki. -20.
Template Stacking I: Shiranui Hanten [Medaka Box] for Shibai Otsutsuki. -20.
Template Stacking I: The Last Dragonborn [The Elder Scrolls] for Isshiki Otsutsuki. -20.
823 Credits Remaining.]
Isolating them from the rest of the others in the Social Club and the Web of Memories, I broke each of them down, using my mastery of my other Templates to accelerate their Templates to their ultimate conclusion, while letting them each try and survive against me, allowing them to kill me a few times each in order to fully replicate their new abilities and Templates as my own.
They were quite difficult to deal with, in particular as Medaka Kurokami's Template really began to shine by trying to replicate my Templates against me, trying to use All Fiction to erase me, not that it worked since I was Inviolate, impossible to be altered or erased.
Eventually it reached a point where there was just nothing else to be obtained from them, as I had fully replicated each of their Templates on top of their abilities and knowledge.
So, I sold them. Not before raising their Tiers to 10, of course, since I could forcefully raise their strengths and abilities to the max by driving them nuts with a few hundred-ish years within the Social Club. I wanted them at their best price, after all.
[Retinue Members Sold:
Toneri Otsutsuki. 200.
Urashiki Otsutsuki. 200.
Kinshiki Otsutsuki. 200.
Momoshiki Otsutsuki. 200.
Shibai Otsutsuki. 200.
Isshiki Otsutsuki. 200.
1983 Credits Remaining.]
I detested the Otsutsuki on principle, but I have to admit, I was thankful for the increase in Credits alongside the 'free' Templates I had obtained from them all.
Especially with the synergies involved. I had chosen my 'free' Templates carefully. Obtaining Medaka Kurokami's The End on top of Shiranui Hanten's Power Creation, with Iihiko Shishime's own abilities to ignore attacks/powers of even Ajimu Najime caliber while possessing the ability to inflict permanent damage on others and the world that could not be easily undone, was quite the synergy.
What was of far more interest to me, aside from those three Templates' synergies and the potential that had, was The Last Dragonborn's Template. Not necessarily for the abilities and powers of the Dragonborn, but specifically because part of the Template includes unique gear associated with Template's purchase and mastery.
The Last Dragonborn, like most protagonists of the Elder Scrolls, is an avid collector of various Daedric Prince Artifacts. Artifacts that embody the Daedric Prince that they are tied to.
And in some cases, even the Aedra, with the Staff of Magnus as an example.
Which means, thanks to the Inviolate Self, that I now had my own Planes of Oblivion. Since I've usurped the Daedric Princes' power and symbolic artifacts as my own.
I shrugged. I'm already horrifically overpowered. This just kinda made it even more so.
The sad part was that I didn't even want or care for Shiranui Hanten's Template. That had only occurred because Zenkichi's Template was unavailable, meaning that Devil Style and Parasitic Sight were not available for grabs.
Yet another Template I would need to grab for the Company, to my growing annoyance. Did I need to do their job for them?
With the ability to create and give out infinite copies of powers, I now didn't even need to go into Worm for Scion or Eden, because I was already better than them in every way.
Thankfully, becoming grossly overpowered didn't mean boredom in my case. It just meant I could fully intervene in other settings and change things up to my liking.
It would be funny to enter Warhammer 40K, give the Emperor of Mankind a new body and the power of Scion, not elaborate, and leave.
Truly a funny joke to play on the Chaos Gods, worthy of Sheogorath. Or perhaps just turn their Champions into Cheese. Ha!
Go into the SCP Foundation, tell them that the Foundation is actually the Source of all SCP's, and then alter reality so that they can actually read the SCP Wikipedia and all future entries in real time.
Go into the Inheritance Chronicles, tell Eragon he's the son of Brom, leave without saying anything else.
Stop by DC, tell Joker that all he'll be is a villain of the week, that not even Batman will remember him after he dies, use All Fiction so that way he cannot interact, damage, or change anything in Gotham or anyone in it. Watch him have a mental breakdown as Batman doesn't even see him or remember him.
Go into Marvel, look right at the Watcher and tell him he's absolutely the most perverted person that ever lived. Give Galactus a Snickers and use All Fiction so he's forever full, tell him he's not him when he's hungry. Tell Charles Xavier that vegetables are tough to eat cause the wheelchairs and bedframes are always a pain to cut up and eat. Inform Jean Grey that her choice in men absolutely sucks. Tell Wolverine that he's so edgy, he has to cut open his hands to shred something rather than use an actual weapon. Inform Apocalypse that he's a moron that has to switch bodies all the time because evidently he's so ugly that no one will sleep him to give him an heir to transfer into.
Honestly, I could go on and on making fun of Marvel and DC alone. Both have some serious stupid moments.
Mental Note: Give Spiderman the life he deserves. Poor bastard keeps getting tortured just for more comic issues. Peter Parker deserves better than being used and stepped on all the time for 'character development'.
[Sweet Home Expansion [25]. -1,250.
Pocket Star: -1 IMG Ticket.
Homeworld in the Sea of Time: -600.
133 Credits Remaining.]
"Hello, World. My name is Meraki. You may also call me God. I've decided to return after a vacation. I think there's been a misunderstanding on how Life 1: The Video Game, operates. I'm setting some new rules…"
Did I just drag my original world into my universe? Absolutely. I've been eyeing that Perk since I stumbled across it.
Also, hello Questionable Questing. It's nice to finally meet all of you in person.
AN: That moment when it becomes too Meta, is definitely strange to write about. Blame the Waifu Catalog for having the Perk in question. Meraki can't read author notes, if only cause it'd be… awkward. Anyways, yes, it means Meraki can read your comments and questions, though you can italicize to avoid Meraki reading the comments.
Edit: He can't read the story either. It'll just appear like a Chatbox directly to him for some odd reason.