Yoru carefully examined the lottery options.
[1 – Stress Reflex (One-Time Breakthrough);
2 – Chūnin-Level Chakra Capacity (stackable);
3 – Wire Kunai Technique (Beginner).]
The Wire Kunai Technique was likely a skill involving manipulating kunai with wires.
A long-needle kunai threaded with wire could pierce enemies and even sever their legs—its power was formidable.
Chūnin-Level Chakra Capacity?
Yoru, having been killed by Kuriarare Kushimaru, had expected to receive Jōnin-level chakra, but it turned out to be much less.
Perhaps his current body couldn't refine or sustain Jōnin-level chakra, so the system had downgraded it to Chūnin-level.
On missions, he went months on soldier rations—never starving, but losing significant weight.
Chakra is a mix of physical and mental energy; with a weakened body, chakra levels couldn't rise much.
The first option, however, intrigued Yoru greatly:
Stress Reflex (One-Time Breakthrough)—a special ability to improve reaction speed.
Human reaction time ranges from 0.2s to 0.4s; Yoru had measured himself, and his reaction was around 0.2s.
Kuriarare Kushimaru was a speed-type ninja, extremely fast with needle and wire techniques.
If Yoru drew "Stress Reflex" multiple times, he could also become a speed-type ninja.
He had a shadow clone pick up a stone, then suddenly drop it without warning. He tried catching it multiple times to gauge the average height.
Finally, he chose Stress Reflex (One-Time Breakthrough).
A jolt struck the back of his head; his skin tingled as if electric currents surged through him.
His reflex nerves had changed.
He had the shadow clone toss stones randomly again.
In his perception, the stones seemed to fall slower, while his muscles responded faster.
The catch height improved significantly.
After several trials, he estimated his reaction time had improved by 0.05s—to about 0.15s.
Olympic champions were said to have reaction times around 0.15s.
Not bad—this was a huge improvement.
Ninjutsu can be learned, taijutsu can be trained, but innate reaction speed is hard to drastically improve.
Namikaze Minato was said to have the fastest reflexes in the ninja world.
Even if a normal ninja learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting before the enemy, if the opponent's reflexes were faster, they'd still get slapped away.
Minato would relentlessly pursue; others would get annihilated.
Following the previous life's plot:
Two Konoha Anbu arrived in the desert, locating the Hippo Squad.
The Guardian Ninja Captain leaped directly into the Anbu crowd.
This time, Yoru was smart—he dodged the captain and Kurisame's directions early.
The battle erupted instantly.
Mist ninjas, like madmen, charged the Anbu, aiming to reclaim their captain.
Yoru spotted Kuriarare Kushimaru.
Just like before, Kushimaru used long-needle kunai to open a gap in the Anbu formation, letting Mist ninjas rush in.
He didn't advance himself but danced in place, throwing and retrieving kunai.
Yoru's faster reflexes allowed him to see the wires wrapping around.
The kunai flew to nearby stones, circled them, and returned to Kushimaru's hand.
Between the stones, wires formed a framework, and the kunai wove through, creating a large net.
Some Konoha ninjas noticed the kunai—ironclad Anbu armor couldn't stop it.
Kushimaru sharply tugged a wire.
A harsh slicing sound rang out.
The supporting stones were cut, instantly tightening the wire net.
Yoru carefully watched the ground.
The wire net severed two Anbu's calves!
He leaped, his speed faster than any nearby Anbu, narrowly avoiding disaster.
Just one attack had cut more than twenty Anbu's legs.
They fell, screaming in pain, blood gushing from half-limbs.
Kushimaru threw kunai again, using the fallen Anbu as wire-frame supports.
One by one, the legless ninjas were pierced, forming another wire net.
A terrifying attack.
Kushimaru was undoubtedly an elite Jōnin with a cruel temperament.
Kunai wounds were small, so pierced Anbu wouldn't die immediately, but screamed in agony.
Wire cuts were precise, turning the ninjas into puppet-like figures.
Captain Yellow Dog tried to intervene.
Kushimaru dodged easily.
Yellow Dog's Fire Release attacks were disrupted repeatedly by returning kunai from blind spots.
Yoru avoided stones and fallen Anbu, cautiously moving along the outskirts.
Meanwhile, the Guardian Captain struggled, injured multiple times.
Before dying, he pulled a scroll from his tool pouch.
"Don't even think about taking my Uzumaki clan sealing technique!"
The scroll had a detonation tag.
He bit it, intending to explode himself and the scroll together.
Another Anbu Captain, Black Ant, acted.
A Nara clan ninja, his shadow reached the Guardian Captain, controlling him instantly.
The Captain tore off the tag and threw the scroll.
The tag exploded around his head, sending the scroll flying.
Yoru had anticipated this, standing in line with the tag and scroll.
He jumped, caught the scroll midair.
Fast hands—perfect.
He glanced at the sealing scroll; any sealing technique was a big gain.
He wrapped the scroll and threw it to Black Ant.
Black Ant caught it, opened it, and froze—then looked at Yoru.
Yoru, wearing a fox mask, nodded, confirming it.
The scroll was blank!
Eight Uzumaki Guardian Ninjas—4 Jōnin, 4 Special Jōnin—had all held empty scrolls.
Who would have thought such a formidable formation was merely a decoy?
The real scroll might already have been sent out of the Land of Waves.
The surviving Uzumaki had toyed with Konoha and Mist.
Black Ant, incredulous, turned to a subordinate: "Maybe the scroll has invisible text, only revealed with special means. Break it immediately!"
Yoru, observing the intense Fire Release attacks of Yellow Dog and other captains, felt urgency.
His next priority: draw a water-element chakra.
His enemies weren't necessarily from other villages. Konoha often had internal conflicts; one had to stay vigilant.