Sasuke POV
Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
My hands blurred through the sequence, muscle memory guiding each sign. A breath drew deep into my lungs, chakra swirling, before I expelled it, shaping it into a roaring sphere of flame.
The fireball slammed into the wall, dissipating in a rush of heat and smoke. Faint scorch marks clung to the surface, a reminder of its impact.
Still, this was far from enough. Its true potential would only reveal itself when it burned so fiercely that several shinobi would have to join forces to extinguish it, just like when they once tried to counter Madara.
To reach that point, I will need time. And by the old rule, practice makes perfect, I can only keep grinding. Especially since this is one of the few ninjutsu I know, and using it will not raise any suspicion.
Speaking of Madara, I still find it hard to believe he was alive even during the Third Shinobi War. If not for those memories, I would never have known. As much as I hate to admit it, he was impressive. Fooling everyone, hiding for decades while pulling strings, watching the world from the shadows. Unlocking the legendary Rinnegan. Yes, it was all the result of manipulation, and that grotesque face embedded in his chest.
But still, he even chose the moment of his own death, all to set up his rebirth. Of course, he too was just another pawn to Black Zetsu, the same way he manipulated others.
Even so, there was no denying it. Madara was a man worthy of his legend.
I wonder if he learned the Uchiha had been destroyed, how would he feel? Pity? Regret? Surprise? Or maybe nothing at all. When he left Konoha, he took many things from the clan, but he never directly harmed them, at least not in an obvious way.
Maybe during the wars, he gathered Sharingan or orchestrated tragedies from the shadows to find the perfect successor. Still, he must have loved the Uchiha, right? He spent half his life fighting for something tied to them. And when no one supported him, perhaps he felt a sadness only someone who has given everything could feel.
He wanted peace. For that, he set aside the blood feud, shook hands with the killers of his brothers, his family, his clan. Even after leaving Konoha, after years of planning, peace remained just a dream.
Because peace is a lie. Across countless worlds in those memories, none of them have known true, lasting peace, only brief pauses before the killing began again. In one world, a machine exterminated all life, and the silence that followed was mistaken for peace. In many others, humanity united only to face an external enemy, and once that threat was gone, they returned to killing each other over colour, race, religion. Always killing. If someone tries to force peace through dominance, they are branded a tyrant. And then the world rises against them in the name of "freedom" and "democracy" before falling back into the same cycle of bloodshed.
Why am I even thinking about this? It is not like I want peace.
Shaking my head, I push the thoughts aside. Still, I wonder what he would do if he learned everything he planned was built on a lie. I cannot help but be intrigued. How would he react to Kaguya, to the Sage, to the truth of the Ōtsutsuki?
Sigh. I will have my chance to run experiments later. For now, the focus has to be on the present.
Points: 30
It has been a month since my first gacha pull. I have not touched it since. Why? Simple, better to save up and pull in bulk. More spins mean more chances to land something actually worth the effort.
Alright, let's begin.
1. Package: Jin Mu-Won (Legend of the Northern Blade)
2. Warding Mask ×10 (Demon Slayer)
3. Nobita's Glasses (Doraemon)
4. Iaian (One Punch Man)
5. Batarangs ×300 (DC)
6. Chocobi (Shinchan)
7. Life Fruit (Soul Land)
8. Spectre Ring (James Bond)
9. 100,000 Zeni (Dragon Ball Z)
10. Straw Hat (One Piece)
Two templates again.
The last Assimilation still is not complete, and since I am not exactly following that template's weapon-making path, the progress has been slow.
Still, I am not complaining. The more templates I have, the more options I get.
The first one, Jin Mu-Won, feels familiar. Family slaughtered, clan wiped out, everything stolen, and left to be used and manipulated by others. Pretty close to my own situation.
The memories do not give a crystal-clear picture of his full strength, but even from the vague parts, I would place him at least jōnin level, maybe even kage tier. It is hard to tell which stage of his life the template is from.
And since it is a package, I did not just get the template. I got his sword, robes, and other clothing too.
The second template is another kenjutsu specialist. Not much of his own memories are there, but his teacher's presence looms large, and that teacher is easily one of the strongest swordsmen in his world. If you are trained by someone like that, you are no pushover.
With these two, I should easily be able to hit jōnin-level strength. At the very least.
The rest are not really worth much. The only decent one is the Life Fruit, it will keep me full for ten days straight. The money is useless unless I am actually in that world. The ring, hat, mask, and glasses are all just novelty items at this point.
As for the Chocobi, well, I guess I can try it later.
Since I only have two slots, I did not think for long. I put the jin in the free one and decided Iaian can go in once the first slot frees up.
I let out a heavy breath.
Alright, that is the rest of it sorted. Time to get back to training.
*********
Jin Mu-Won power level ?