What?
"Of course, it would be a talent-based item," Kuro murmured, feeling his hand tremble slightly as he held the glowing sphere of light.
His breathing quickened as he stared at the radiant object in his grasp.
"Absorb it."
With that thought, the sphere of light quickly merged into his body.
An inexplicable sense of mystery enveloped him, leaving him feeling momentarily different before everything returned to normal.
On the outside, nothing appeared to have changed, but Kuro knew something within him had been fundamentally altered.
His talent had evolved.
He couldn't wait to test it, to practice and see just how much he had changed.
But his enthusiasm was halted by the uncomfortable dampness of his wet clothes clinging to his skin and the relentless pattering of rain outside.
"Tsk."
With a sigh, he turned his attention to the remaining three items.
Before him lay a palm-sized metal clasp, a sharp cone, and a book with a plain, faded cover.
The metal clasp was solid and weighty, exuding a sense of significance when held. The sharp cone, on the other hand, appeared meticulously designed, its simplicity almost intimidating.
Finally, there was the book. It lacked a title and had a dull yellow hue, resembling an old novel.
[Special item "Domain Mirror" detected.
Effect: This mirror creates an independent mirrored dimension upon activation. Both the user and the target are pulled into this dimension.
Within this dimension:
Neither side can defeat the other.
The target can be captured under certain conditions.
Note: If the target's strength significantly surpasses the user's, the entrapment duration will be shorter or entirely ineffective.]
[Special item "Guilty Lock" detected.
Effect: This conceptual item acts upon a specified target.
Features:
If the target feels guilt or remorse, the "Guilty Lock" manifests on their body regardless of distance.
The intensity of guilt determines the lock's weight and difficulty, significantly affecting the target.
Note: Excessive guilt may lead to the target's demise.]
[Special item "Thousand Years of Death" detected.
Effect: This item, perfected over years of practice by Kakashi, is a traditional technique capable of miraculous effects when used against unsuspecting or naive targets.]
[Special item "Innocent Child" detected.
Effect: This is a classic book narrating an explicit love story. Upon reading, the user will experience and relive the beauty and emotion of youth.]
"Nani…?" Kuro muttered incredulously, staring at the book as if expecting it to provide answers.
"Innocent Child"...
The origin of the book was easy to guess—it was undoubtedly tied to the infamous "yellow books" Kakashi was always seen with. But still…
Why is this thing called 'Innocent Child'?
Kuro was baffled.
He decided to set the book aside, tossing it into his system storage with no intention of spending more time on it. Then, he focused on the "Domain Mirror."
This item was undoubtedly derived from Kakashi's Kamui and held significant strategic potential, especially in critical situations. It could be a pivotal element in turning the tide of battle.
As for the "Guilty Lock," its description struck him as peculiar. The more he examined it, the clearer its function became.
An artifact designed to exploit feelings of guilt and remorse.
However, he realized it would be entirely useless against cold-hearted or cruel individuals. But against kind-hearted people or those with a strong sense of justice… this could be devastating.
Finally, he turned his attention to "Thousand Years of Death," letting out a laugh.
This thing is more of a joke than something practical.
Without much thought, he tossed the remaining items into his system storage. The call of a hot shower was far more pressing.
...
Morning, 10:00 a.m.
The rain finally stopped.
The sun broke through the gray clouds, illuminating the landscape with its warm light. In an instant, the world seemed to come alive again.
Kuro dressed in a black tracksuit, grabbed the bamboo umbrella, and stepped out of his house.
First, he went to the Yamanaka flower shop to return the borrowed umbrella. When he handed it back to Mrs. Yamanaka, she gave him a warm, motherly smile before bidding him farewell.
Wasting no time, he headed straight to Training Ground 39.
His talent had changed. He needed to know how much.
The timing couldn't have been better: it had just rained, and the conditions were ideal for progressing to the second phase of Fire Element Nature Transformation training.
The first phase had involved giving chakra heat properties; now, the second phase required training the intensity of the heat.
The goal was clear: to make the chakra reach a temperature sufficient to ignite large trees, even in damp conditions like these.
Arriving at Training Ground 39, he spotted a massive tree near the river. Its trunk, as wide as three people standing shoulder to shoulder, seemed perfect for his practice.
"Here we go…"
Placing his hands on the damp bark, Kuro closed his eyes and began channeling his chakra.
Fush
A faint flame emerged from his palm, barely perceptible. The tree's bark darkened slightly, a small charred mark forming, but it wasn't enough to dry the moisture on the trunk.
Kuro frowned but wasn't discouraged. With each attempt, he noticed the flame growing in intensity and strength, little by little.
The improvement was gradual but steady.
After a few minutes, he had an idea.
'This will go faster if I use clones'
Forming the corresponding hand sign, Kuro created thirty shadow clones.
Each clone approached a tree, mimicking his movements and replicating the training. With this multiplication of effort, progress would come much faster.
He fully immersed himself in his practice, letting each attempt refine his technique. So absorbed was he that he didn't even notice Lian's arrival.
From a distance, Lian watched him silently.
As the sun began to set, casting the sky in warm orange hues that blended with the forest's shadows, Lian decided to intervene.
"You're almost there," he said, catching Kuro's attention.
Kuro snapped out of his trance, blinking as his gaze shifted to Lian. Then, he noticed the sun touching the horizon and nodded slightly.
Understood
With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the shadow clones.
"Puff, puff…"
Thirty columns of smoke rose around Kuro, vanishing into the air. At that moment, a wave of exhaustion hit him like a freight train.
His body ached. His head throbbed.
The training had been grueling, but he knew it had been worth it. With each clone that disappeared, the accumulated experience integrated into him, filling him with new sensations and understanding.
He had made significant progress.
Shaking his head to clear the dizziness, Kuro leaned against the massive tree he had used as his main target.
"Now, let's see…"
With a trembling hand, he formed a single hand sign.
Fush
A roaring flame erupted from his palm, but this time it wasn't faint or weak. In an instant, the fire spread across the entire tree, engulfing it completely.
The tree, standing over ten meters tall, turned into a giant torch, lighting up the dark forest with its orange glow.
The heat was intense.
Birds and small animals scattered in all directions, startled by the sudden change. The once-quiet forest now buzzed with life.
Kuro took a step back, watching the flames with a mix of awe and satisfaction.
A smile spread across his tired face as he felt the warmth of his own progress.
He had advanced.
________
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