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[Star Platinum: The World]
[Six Star]
[Level: Level 6 (Max Level)]
[User: Kujo Jotaro]
[Introduction: A close-range power-type Stand with overwhelming strength, extreme speed, and ultra-high precision]
[Ability: Time Stop]
[When controlling only Star Platinum, possesses 9.99 seconds of time-stop activity range]
[When controlling multiple Stands, possesses 4.99 seconds of time-stop activity range]
[Within stopped time, aside from Star Platinum and the Stand user, no other Stands can move]
[Note 1: Invincible]
[Note 2: 9.99 seconds is the World's limit, not your limit]
[Note 3: And what if you take one more step?]
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Ryosuke finished reading the introduction panel of Star Platinum · The World. In terms of stats, there wasn't much change, it was still 5A1C. This upgrade's main change was in the effective activity time of time stop.
9.99 seconds of time stop, stronger than Dio even at his peak, was more than enough for Ryosuke to do many more things.
And then…
He looked at Note 3.
'What does 'one more step' mean?'
'Could it be that after using the Dimension-Upgrade Star Core, Star Platinum: The World still has further room for advancement, like…'
Ryosuke thought of the special item mentioned in Part 4 of JoJo, the Stand Arrow.
"Star Platinum: The World: Requiem?"
Glancing at the 714 Soul Shards he had left, Ryosuke stopped his daydreaming.
'Better keep farming shards.'
The Evil God Cult incident had given Ryosuke a terrible thought.
Human beings have two kinds of destructive desires.
One is self-destruction.
The other is destroying others.
The former he had already seen projected, the Evil God.
The white-haired cult leader was the perfect example of a yearning for self-destruction.
But logically speaking, the desire to destroy others should far outweigh the desire for self-destruction.
After all, when something happens, people usually curse others for being idiots. Only when they can't fight back, can't curse back, and in the end don't even dare to curse, only then do they want to just end it all.
So then, what would the desire to destroy others project as in the World?
Ryosuke pondered for a long time, and suddenly the image of the Three-Tails spitting out a Tailed Beast Bomb appeared in his mind.
"'Pure destructive energy… If Tailed Beasts are the embodiment of 'destroying others,' then the projection of this will explains so many things...'
'Unreasonably powerful, carrying some degree of self-awareness, and even if killed, able to revive after some time.'
'Tailed Beasts cannot die, because as long as chakra exists, as long as the desire to destroy others exists, as projections the Tailed Beasts will inevitably reappear.'
'Following this chain of logic…'
Ryosuke recalled from Konan's memory Nagato's 'Tailed Beast Weapon' plan.
'Nagato's plan could never bring peace.'
The more Tailed Beast power is used for mass killing and battle, the more deeply entrenched the obsession with destroying others becomes in the World.
Nagato would become the second Cult Leader.
He would be like driving a fuel truck with its brakes stripped out, even if that wasn't his intent, he could only keep flooring the accelerator, dragging along all his followers, strangers, and enemies together, toward the final ruin.
Of course, all this was just Ryosuke's speculation based on the Evil God Cult incident.
Whether it was really so, whether there were other variables, hidden details, Ryosuke still needed to keep exploring the secrets behind the World.
As he was deep in thought, a pale hand reached out, grabbed Ryosuke's shoulder. He turned his head and saw Tsunade, her eyes bloodshot, her face deathly pale, her body trembling slightly.
'Another curse-kill?!'
Still thinking about the Evil God, Ryosuke instinctively assumed that. But then Tsunade, red-eyed, said, "Ryosuke! Lend me some money! I'll pay you back when I win it back in Konoha. Don't worry, I know the rules, nine out, thirteen back!"
'Borrowing money…' Ryosuke finally caught on.
'The cult leader was dead. Where would a curse come from?'
The gambler in front of him was just high on her gambling frenzy, trembling because her losses were so miserable. Rage, unwillingness, and shame all mixed together.
Faced with Tsunade's request to borrow money, Ryosuke's only possible answer was, "No."
He glanced at the chaotic casino and shook his head.
This mission, although it had a few twists, had led him to Tsunade, earned him Soul Shards, maxed out Star Platinum, and even given him some guesses about the origin of the world. Truly a full harvest.
It was about time to return.
Ryosuke thought. By now, the guests from Konoha should already have arrived in Kirigakure.
'Kakashi said among them is Uzumaki Naruto. I wonder how he and Sasuke are getting along.'
———
This group had ten academy students in all, basically including heirs of most major Konoha clans, except the Hyūga.
After all, secret arts and the Byakugan carried overwhelming strategic importance.
The adults, under Kirigakure's arrangement, had to join in reconstruction work each day.
Mei Terumi had already woven Ryosuke's ideas into the program, by working directly, they could feel for themselves the rise of productivity.
Ninjas and civilian workers together, working by day, writing reflections at night, sharing with each other, deepening their own understanding through output.
For Naruto and the other academy students, things were simpler.
They spent half the day attending Kirigakure's ninja academy normally, free in the afternoon, those interested could audit Miyamoto's kenjutsu classes.
At night they carried their little stools to the open-air classroom in the village center, listening to lectures alongside the adults.
After Ryosuke left, the lecturers became Takeshi and Mayuri.
Iwamine came to help every day. Since manpower was short, Mayuri sometimes invited her to teach or share her thoughts.
But Iwamine, who was never shy before an audience, each time waved her hands repeatedly, "Someone like me… absolutely not, impossible."
After several refusals, seeing her resolve, Mayuri gave up.
Among the youths, exchanges were calm and restrained. Konoha and Kirigakure ninjas, through working by day and lectures by night, steadily got to know one another.
But among the children, things were much more straightforward.
"…And you still think you can be Hokage?!"
Seven or eight ninja school kids surrounded Naruto, laughing aloud, "You can't even use a proper jutsu. If you can be Hokage, then I'll be Mizukage!"
Naruto shouted, "I will be Hokage! I already promised Grandpa Hokage!"
The Kirigakure kids froze. Their hearts skipped. Their faces showed a little extra caution, "The Third Hokage is your grandpa? Your real grandpa?"
"No… it's just, I usually call him Grandpa Hokage, "
Before Naruto could finish, a foot slammed into his stomach, kicking him down.
"Damn! Acting all cool! I thought you were really the Hokage's grandson. Scared me! Beat him!"
Naruto fell, clutching his head.
'Grandpa Hokage… is this the world you told me about? This world…'
'It's way too unfriendly!'
On the side, Inuzuka Kiba patted Akamaru's head, then turned to Nara Shikamaru, "Shouldn't we step in? He's still from our village."
Shikamaru fell silent.
He was weighing things.
'Fighting kids from another village's academy, is it worth it? Could there be political meaning behind it? Are these children pawns deliberately pushed forward by Mei Terumi?'
"I can't stand it."
Lee clenched his fists.
In his creed, it didn't matter who was who. If it looked wrong, then fists had to fly.
That was youth.
But just as Lee stepped forward, there was a faint crack of thunder.
With searing wind, a familiar figure appeared behind the bullies.
Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura's eyes widened slowly.
"That's… Sasuke-kun?!"
Sasuke raised the long tanto in his hand, since it wasn't sharpened, he just used it like a stick, whacking the Kirigakure kids one by one. They howled in pain, none daring to fight back.
Because this was, Uchiha Sasuke.
One of the core fighters in the Mizukage downfall battle.
Add to that his ties with Ryosuke, and with the current Mizukage Mei Terumi… Who would dare provoke him? Who could?
Beaten into a rout, the kids clutched their heads and fled, shouting "Big Brother Sasuke, please have mercy!"
Sasuke pointed his tantō at their retreating backs, "Next time you dare bully anyone, each and every one of you, I'll break your legs!"
When they'd gone, Sasuke crouched and reached out a hand to Naruto.
"Been a while since we met. You…"
Seeing Naruto's battered appearance, not wanting to hurt his pride, he phrased it gently, "...are still the same."
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