653-661
·Chapter 653: Panther god Bast
As the warplanes were shot down, Deidara glanced at the ruins below, conjured another giant clay bird, and mounted it.
He was heading into the city to unleash the brilliance of his art.
"C3!"
Riding his giant clay bird, Deidara swiftly advanced towards the city, continuously dropping bombs that destroyed everything in their path. Upon reaching the city, he released a C3 Number 18 bomb.
As the C3 was dropped, the doll-shaped bomb rapidly expanded. Deidara quickly retreated, knowing the destructive power of the C3 could obliterate an entire shinobi village.
"What's that falling from the sky?"
People noticed the oversized doll descending and questioned in amazement. The next moment:
"Boom!"
A massive mushroom cloud erupted from the ground, and the blazing light illuminated Wakanda's sky.
"Ahhh..."
The blinding light from the C3 bomb temporarily blinded those who looked directly at it. Following the light, a terrifying shockwave swept through, toppling buildings and creating a colossal crater at the explosion's epicenter.
The surrounding buildings were reduced to dust, and the Wakandan people in the vicinity perished instantly.
Kisame, fighting in the distance, saw the bright mushroom cloud and immediately started running, cursing, "That bastard Deidara, is he trying to kill me too?"
Kisame fled the battlefield as the visible shockwave approached.
W'Kabi also saw the mushroom cloud. In that moment, his mind could only think one thing: Wakanda was under nuclear attack.
Knowing he couldn't outrun the shockwave, W'Kabi shouted, "Defensive formation!"
He jumped off his rhino, taking cover behind the energy shields. Reacting quickly, some border soldiers raised their energy shields while others took cover behind them or used rhinos and debris for protection.
T'Chaka and T'Challa who just arriving at the battlefield, screamed in horror, "No!"
"Boom!"
The shockwave hit, shattering windows and breaking the energy shields of the border soldiers. The soldiers were thrown by the force, including T'Challa and T'Chaka, who were flung away like rag dolls.
Fortunately, being far from the explosion's core, the destructive power was somewhat reduced. Soldiers with energy shields had a chance to survive if lucky, but those without were instantly killed.
In an underground warehouse, Uchiha Itachi was loading Vibranium when he felt the ground shake and heard the explosion. Dust fell from the ceiling.
"The underground defenses are impressive," Itachi muttered. "I wonder if they used Vibranium in the construction."
He quickened his pace in collecting Vibranium while Hidan, guarding the entrance, had already dealt with several groups of Wakandan soldiers.
Hidan arranged the corpses before him, using their blood to draw a sacrificial symbol for his god. Standing in the center of the ritual, he smiled, "The ritual is ready. Time to offer these sacrifices to my god."
As Hidan spoke, his skin turned black with white bones marking his body.
"Great god, enjoy the sacrifices I offer," Hidan declared, starting the ritual. The souls of the slain Wakandan soldiers flowed into Hidan, enhancing his power.
Suddenly, the underground lights dimmed. Panther god Bast's gaze penetrated the dimensional layers, focusing on Hidan in the warehouse entrance.
"Is there a new god on Earth?" Bast's voice echoed underground, making Itachi pause. "But you shouldn't slaughter my followers!"
Feeling a deathly presence, Hidan cursed, "What kind of terrifying existence did Deidara provoke?"
Hidan didn't realize Bast was alerted not by Deidara's explosion but by his sacrificial ritual.
Although Deidara's C3 bomb brought immeasurable losses, it was not a big problem for the Leopard god Bast. Ancient One was still there, and even if she had the faith of Wakanda, she would not easily show up.
However, Hidan's evil god ritual forced the Leopard god Bast to pay attention. The brutal way of plundering and killing her believers, as well as the other party's appearance like a newborn god, forced her to intervene.
A colossal, rainbow-black panther paw materialized in the underground space, swiping at Hidan.
"Boom!"
The ground shook as Hidan was slammed into a deep crater, his sacrificial ritual interrupted. His scythe broke into several pieces.
"Cough, cough!"
Hidan spat blood, feeling as if every bone was shattered. Yet, his eyes held madness, not fear.
"If I offer this to my god, the blessing I'll receive will be unprecedented..."
Bast was surprised that Hidan survived. According to her calculation, he should have been pulverized.
"Since he's still alive, another strike will suffice."
Another giant panther paw appeared, ready to strike Hidan again.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupted from the void, engulfing the panther paw. At the same time, an Itachi shadow clone charged forward and self-destructed upon impact, delaying the paw's descent.
The real Itachi appeared before Hidan, grabbing him and using a reverse summoning technique to escape.
While retreating, Itachi sent a message through the Akatsuki ring: "Strong enemy. Reverse summon. Retreat."
"Boom!"
Bast's second strike missed as Itachi and Hidan vanished to the summoning realm, avoiding the blow.
Seeing her strike fail, Bast mused, "They escaped. Interesting."
As the panther paw vanished, the Amaterasu flames clinging to it fell to the ground, continuing to burn.
In the next moment, Bast's will swept across Wakanda, preparing to deal with Kisame and Deidara. However, a portal suddenly appeared, and the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, emerged from it.
"Bast, you have overstepped your boundaries."
With the Ancient One's words, a figure appeared in the sky. It had the body of a woman but the head of a black panther, and its attire resembled that of an African, sparkling with starlight.
"Ancient One, my followers have been massacred, and one of the perpetrators is a new god."
The Ancient One replied calmly, "Which is why I allowed you to intervene twice."
Bast looked at the Ancient One and said, "What about this new god?"
Clearly, Bast was unwilling to leave without also eliminating the emerging god. She believed that outside of Earth, she had many ways to kill the fledgling god.
The Ancient One shook her head. "No, he is not a deity."
Bast shouted, "How can that be? His core, the act of absorbing souls to enhance himself, and his aura..."
"The future is uncertain, but at least for now, he has not become a god, has he?" the Ancient One responded.
Bast muttered, "Not yet a god?"
"I understand."
Bast's gaze then fell upon the unconscious T'Chaka and T'Challa. She chose T'Challa, and her form dispersed into starlight, the brightest of which merged into T'Challa.
Seeing this, the Ancient One did not intervene and returned directly to Kamar-Taj.
In the city, Kisame and Deidara received the message from their rings. Though they were puzzled by what kind of enemy they had encountered, they immediately used the reverse summoning technique to return to the summoning realm.
Upon arrival, they saw Hidan lying on the ground like a ragdoll. Kisame was curious about what kind of enemy could injure Hidan so severely.
"What did you encounter?"
Deidara was also curious, noticing that Itachi didn't have a speck of dust on him and seemed unscathed, which made him even more intrigued about their enemy.
Itachi shook his head. "We didn't see the enemy's true form. I only saw a massive paw."
"A paw?" Deidara questioned. "Like a tailed beast?"
Itachi shook his head. "I don't know. Apart from Lord Charles, no one in this world should possess a tailed beast. It might be one of those powerful beings that Lord Charles mentioned, but whether it's an Earthly or otherworldly entity, I'm not sure."
Itachi, having participated in the Hell Defense Battle, knew that this world harbored many powerful and mysterious creatures in the shadows.
"Ugh..." Hidan coughed, looking at the three in front of him. "Where's my weapon?"
Itachi shook his head. "It broke, and I didn't have time to bring it with me."
"Palm Sage Jutsu!"
Itachi used the Palm Sage Jutsu to stabilize Hidan's injuries. Green chakra light appeared in his palm as he healed Hidan's chest.
"Zzz..."
However, it seemed like pouring gasoline on fire, as Hidan's condition worsened instead of improving, causing him to pass out again. Itachi, surprised, quickly stopped his jutsu.
Deidara remarked, "It seems the enemy's attack was even more formidable than we thought, preventing chakra-based healing."
"Contact Lord Charles; Tsunade might have a better solution," Kisame suggested.
"By the way, did we get the goods?" Kisame inquired, concerned about the mission. He knew how powerful Vibranium's defenses were.
Itachi nodded. "We did, and we got quite a lot."
Kisame nodded. "Contact Lord Charles then!"
…
In Wakanda, after being thrown by the shockwave, T'Challa found his consciousness pulled into a special realm. He saw a giant black panther before him, its body shimmering with starlight.
T'Challa knelt, bowing his head. "Great Panther god Bast, I am your follower, T'Challa. Please, save Wakanda. We have suffered a terrifying attack."
Bast looked at the kneeling T'Challa, and four figures materialized before him—Hidan, Itachi, Deidara, and Kisame.
"Are these your enemies?"
T'Challa looked up, recognizing two of them. "I saw these two. I don't know if the others attacked Wakanda."
Bast nodded. "I found all four in Wakanda. The enemy has been repelled."
Hearing this, T'Challa felt relief. "Thank you for your protection, Panther god!"
However, he wondered why Bast didn't kill the enemies if she could repel them. Bast seemed to read his thoughts and said, "This disaster is also a trial. Wakanda will emerge stronger from this ordeal. I will grant you greater power, the strength to protect Wakanda's people. Only by personally avenging the wrong can true justice be served."
Before T'Challa could respond, Bast transformed into a light and merged into his body. His consciousness returned to his body, and he stood up, contacting his sister Shuri through his suit's communicator.
"Shuri, the Panther god Bast appeared and has driven away the enemies. Spread the word, Bast has saved Wakanda again."
T'Chaka, hearing this, also instructed, "Spread the news."
Looking at the ruins around him, T'Chaka couldn't hold back his tears. Wakanda had suffered too much this time.
-1-
·Chapter 654: Uchiha Shisui
New York-
Inside the base-
At this moment, Charles's consciousness was in the system space. He had just spent 1980 gold coins to buy 1 set of Ninja Rookie - Uchiha Shisui fragments, totaling 10 pieces.
Looking at Uchiha Shisui in the ninja list, Charles couldn't help but marvel at the increase in Uchiha clan members.
Tsunade's wish for a Senju clan member was still challenging. Who knows if Nawaki would appear?
Clicking on Uchiha Shisui's avatar, the opponent's information came into view.
C rank Ninja: Uchiha Shisui, Fragments 10/10, Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting One-Star C rank Ninja, Ninja Rookie - Uchiha Shisui.
The next second, a scene appeared before Charles. Uchiha Shisui stood there, wearing a Konoha ninja headband, with a ninja sword on his back.
Clicking on the ninja details, Charles first confirmed the ninja's skills.
Ninja Rookie - Uchiha Shisui: C-level Ninja
Star Rating: One Star
Normal Attack: Taijutsu Attack!
Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills: Fuma Shuriken, Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Slash, Body Flicker Technique: Flame Slash.
Fuma Shuriken: Throw a Fuma Shuriken forward to attack enemies, then instantaneously appear above and release Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique towards the ground. (Note: Or the shuriken flies for a while and then slants away, followed by Young Uchiha Itachi appearing instantaneously to perform a two-strike combo!)
Uchiha Style - Sword Leap Slash: Jump forward for a downward slash, then turn in the air for an upward slash!
Body Flicker Technique - Flame Slash: Shisui makes hand signs, instantly creating multiple tangible shadow clones, making it difficult for enemies to discern the real one. The clones continuously attack forward, and finally, Shisui uses Flame Slash to finish.
Due to his expertise in Body Flicker Technique and its related skills, Shisui is known as "Shisui the Teleporter."
Looking at Ninja Rookie - Uchiha Shisui, Charles couldn't help but admire that another genius from the Uchiha clan had emerged, achieving the title of Shisui the Teleporter at just nine years old.
Even if this period's Uchiha Shisui didn't have the strength of a Jonin, he should at least be an Elite Chunin or Special Jonin; otherwise, a nine-year-old wouldn't have made a name for himself in the Third Ninja World War.
The only pity is that Shisui didn't fully mature and died young, but in the Marvel world, that's not an issue. Summoning a few more Shisui fragments would still significantly enhance his strength.
Clicking to claim the ninja, Charles's chakra amount increased by 1 card, reaching 352 cards.
At the same time, the Uchiha bloodline within him strengthened a bit more, and Shisui's Body Flicker Technique and Uchiha Style swordsmanship were also instilled into Charles.
After recruiting Ninja Rookie Uchiha Shisui, Charles's attention shifted to the Ninja Recruitment section.
With all the previous S-rank ninjas recruited, the recruitment pool had been updated.
Charles was very interested in the newly updated ninjas and curious about the new S and A rank ninjas this time.
With anticipation, Charles opened the ninja recruitment interface.
However, the next second, the screen went black, and a scene appeared in a forest showing Orochimaru staggering forward.
In front of him was the ANBU ninja Kakashi Hatake, but under Orochimaru's killing intent, Kakashi ultimately let Orochimaru leave Konoha.
The scene shifted to a location in the Land of Rice Paddies where Orochimaru established the Hidden Sound Village and changed his outfit, removing the Konoha headband and wearing a purple rope belt tied in a butterfly knot.
The final scene showed Orochimaru in the Hidden Sound Village, with a large brown snake beside him.
Looking at the scene, Charles muttered, "Is it the defector Orochimaru?"
As the scene faded, Charles glanced at the background of the recruitment interface, which was indeed Orochimaru.
It seemed that this time, the S-rank ninja was the defector Orochimaru. I wonder if the A-rank will be Akatsuki Orochimaru?
Following the precedent of S-rank being Minato Namikaze and A-rank being Young Minato Namikaze last time, would this update be the same?
With a bit of expectation, Charles opened the recruitment pool.
S rank Ninja: Orochimaru. (100 fragments)
A rank Ninja: Konan, Zetsu. (40 fragments)
B rank Ninja: Shippuden Naruto Uzumaki, Shippuden Sakura Haruno, Shippuden Sasuke Uchiha, Shippuden Hinata Hyuga, Shippuden Neji Hyuga, Guren. (40 fragments)
C rank Ninja: Hanabi Hyuga, Young Killer B, Ino Yamanaka, Ninja Student Naruto Uzumaki, Karui, Hayate Gekko, Shino Aburame, Maruboshi Kosuke, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Iruka Umino, Shizune, Sasuke Uchiha, Tenten. (10 fragments)
Browsing through the entire recruitment pool, Charles found that all S-rank and A-rank ninjas he had previously recruited had been replaced. This time, the Akatsuki organization could add two more members: Konan and Zetsu.
Moreover, Zetsu wasn't just Black Zetsu but the black-and-white Zetsu resembling a pitcher plant.
Looking at the two A-rank ninjas, even though Akatsuki Orochimaru didn't appear, Charles was still very satisfied. Konan could handle some Akatsuki matters, and Zetsu could gather intelligence, who was even better than Kabuto Yakushi.
As for B-rank ninjas, the seventh team from Shippuden was regular, along with Neji and Hinata, which was expected. But the appearance of Guren was a bit surprising.
Charles considered Guren to be quite powerful, able to trap numerous ninjas and even hold off Three-Tails for a while, indicating she had Kage-level strength.
Her Crystal Release was particularly unique, and she was once one of Orochimaru's potential vessels.
The C-rank ninjas also featured Young Killer B and Karui from the Hidden Cloud Village, while Konoha had new ninjas with Jonin-level strength, such as Maruboshi Kosuke and the special Jonin Hayate Gekko.
After familiarizing himself with the updated pool, Charles was very satisfied with the new powerful ninjas.
Seeing that he had 62963 gold coins left, Charles felt that they were not enough again. Luckily, he still had a Mind Stone to recharge with, but he needed Wanda and Pietro's abilities activated first.
Taking a look at the recruitment interface, Charles was about to check the limited ninja updates but felt the summoning of the Reverse Summoning Technique.
It seemed like something urgent had happened, so Charles exited the system space and responded to the Reverse Summoning Technique, arriving at the summoning world.
…
Summoning World - Shikkotsu Forest:
Katsuyu had recreated a small Shikkotsu Forest as her new habitat.
At this moment, Charles Doyle responded to Katsuyu's Reverse Summoning and arrived here.
Looking around, Charles saw Uchiha Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, and a giant Slug.
Seeing his surroundings and the three people in front of him, Charles asked, "Did you summon me?"
"What happened?"
--2--
·Chapter 655: Hidan's Injury
Uchiha Itachi spoke up, "Lord Charles, we discovered a deeply hidden technological nation on this planet, with a large amount of Vibranium."
Charles immediately responded, "Wakanda!"
"You know of it, my lord," Itachi said, a bit surprised.
Charles nodded and asked, "What happened next?"
"We launched a surprise attack and obtained a ton of Vibranium. However, there were some unexpected events."
Hearing they had obtained a ton of Vibranium, Charles was indeed surprised. That was quite a substantial amount. He also wondered how they had found Wakanda. It couldn't have been Pakura who told them, as she didn't know the exact location.
"How did you find Wakanda?" Charles asked.
Itachi explained, "Kakashi told me. While searching for the Golden Nation, he stumbled upon that place and sensed something unusual. Since he didn't stay long due to his mission, he asked me to investigate further. We happened to notice an attack and followed their aircraft, discovering the real Wakanda."
Itachi then detailed their observations, how they infiltrated Wakanda, attacked the city, obtained Vibranium, and why they had to retreat.
Charles said, "It's fortunate you were decisive. Otherwise, you might have all been trapped there. Hidan's opponent was likely Bast, Wakanda's guardian deity."
"Deity..." Itachi murmured, recalling Akatsuki's leader who also claimed to be a god.
Charles continued, "This world is not simple. It hides various powerful beings. You'll encounter more in the future."
"Where is Hidan? Take me to him."
Katsuyu spoke up, "He is here."
Katsuyu shifted slightly, revealing Hidan lying on a stone platform.
"His body contains a unique energy repelling chakra-based healing. I've stabilized him with sage energy for now."
Charles approached Hidan, frowning. Hidan, who possessed immortality, was left nearly crippled by Bast. This deity's power was beyond his expectations.
"Chakra healing is ineffective?" Charles mused.
"I'll call Tsunade to take a look."
Katsuyu interrupted, "It's not a medical issue. Tsunade won't be able to help. The unique energy in his body is blocking his self-healing. Removing or neutralizing this energy will allow him to recover."
If Tsunade couldn't heal him, Charles considered two options: using the system's abilities to upgrade or merge cards, or seeking external help from someone like Ancient One or Odin.
As Charles pondered, Hidan awoke.
"Cough... cough..."
"Hidan, you're awake."
"Lord Charles!"
Charles asked, "Hidan, you're severely injured. Do you have a method to recover?"
Being a follower of Jashin, Hidan might have his own solution. Charles suspected the energy within him was Bast's divine power.
"My lord, don't worry. I know my condition well. If I perform a few more sacrifices, I believe my wounds will heal."
"Hidan, the energy blocking your recovery is likely Bast's divine power. Are you sure sacrifices will work?"
"Yes, my lord. My instincts are rarely wrong. A few more sacrifices will definitely restore me."
Charles nodded and then addressed Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara, "Hidan's recovery is now your responsibility. There are many remote areas in Africa. Avoid Wakanda and perform the sacrifices there."
"Understood, Lord Charles!" X3
Hidan grinned, "Lord Charles, I have a feeling that if I can sacrifice the one who attacked me, my power will increase dramatically."
Charles's eyes lit up. Sacrificing a deity might indeed be a path for Hidan to ascend.
"There will be opportunities!"
Hidan nodded, feeling hopeful about his future. He was determined to spread Jashin's glory in this world.
Kisame approached with a box, placing it before Charles. "My lord, here is the Vibranium we collected."
Charles stored the box in his spatial storage with a wave and said, "Do any of you need new weapons made from Vibranium?"
Kisame looked at Samehada and shook his head. "Samehada is perfect. I don't need a new weapon."
Deidara also shook his head, showing his clay pouch to indicate he was content with it. Itachi then spoke, "I don't need a weapon, but Hidan's triple-bladed scythe was destroyed by Bast. He needs a new weapon."
After considering their requests, Charles said, "I'll have a new triple-bladed scythe made for Hidan from Vibranium. Additionally, I'll commission Vibranium battle suits for each of you, in the style of your Akatsuki robes. This should greatly enhance your defense."
"Thank you, Lord Charles!" the three responded in unison.
Kisame, having witnessed Vibranium's defensive capabilities, was particularly pleased. This would significantly boost their defense.
Turning to Uchiha Itachi, Charles thought for a moment before saying, "Itachi, Shisui has also arrived."
"Shisui..." Hearing the name, Itachi was momentarily stunned, his thoughts drifting back to the past.
Shisui had been a mentor and friend to him. However, after being ambushed by Danzo and losing one Mangekyo Sharingan, he ultimately committed suicide in front of Itachi.
After informing Itachi, Charles's consciousness entered the system space, placing Uchiha Shisui's ninja card in the deployment slot, selecting to manifest within three meters.
In the next moment, the figure of Ninja Rookie - Uchiha Shisui began to appear.
Seeing Shisui, Itachi felt a mix of emotions: joy, pain, regret, and more.
Charles said, "I'll leave Shisui to you for now. Catch up and teach him about this world. After you help Hidan recover, let Shisui report back to the base."
"Yes, Lord Charles!"
Charles didn't stay long in the summoning world, leaving the space for Itachi and Shisui. Although Shisui was only nine years old now, he believed the two would have much to talk about.
Dismissing the reverse summoning, Charles Doyle returned to his room.
...
Meanwhile-
Wakanda-
In the palace, the tribal elders, including the seldom-seen M'Baku who worshipped the White Gorilla god, gathered.
King T'Chaka spoke, "Thank Bast for her protection!"
Everyone in the palace, except M'Baku, echoed, "Thank Bast for her protection!"
After a pause, T'Chaka continued, "T'Challa, bring it up."
T'Challa carried a box forward, opening it before everyone. Inside was the broken remains of Hidan's triple-bladed scythe.
"This weapon was used by one of the attackers."
At T'Chaka's signal, Shuri projected images of Uchiha Itachi, Hidan, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Deidara for everyone to see.
"These four are the culprits behind the attack on Wakanda."
"Judging by their attire, we can tell they are ninjas. Although their headbands are different, indicating different villages, their uniform suggests they belong to the same organization."
"Their target in attacking Wakanda was our Vibranium."
"This attack has caused us immeasurable loss. Beyond the economic damage, what pains me the most is the loss of Wakandan lives in this conflict."
An elder from the River Tribe asked, "Are the people who attacked the border city connected to them?"
T'Challa replied, "I don't think so. If they were, they would have attacked us together."
"With their strength, my father and I wouldn't have been able to resist them."
Hearing T'Challa's words, the elders pondered deeply.
---3---
·Chapter 656: Terumi Mei's Intentions
After some thinking, they concluded that these ninjas are not the same group as the previous attackers.
But how did they manage to enter Wakanda? This puzzled the elders.
Moreover, the fact that this group had entered Wakanda meant that Wakanda's true situation had now been exposed to the outside world, at least to some observant individuals.
Wakanda's future is in danger...
Seeing the pale faces of the elders, T'Chaka continued, "Recently, we have obtained some powerful items from the outside world."
"Shuri, show the effects of the physical enhancement serum."
Following T'Chaka's order, Shuri displayed a file showing Okoye's strength, speed, endurance, and other tests after injecting the physical enhancement serum.
Seeing Okoye's ten-ton strength, incredible endurance, and ability to maintain a speed of 60 kilometers per hour for three hours, the elders were astonished.
"This... this is even more powerful than the heart-shaped herb's enhancement."
T'Chaka shook his head. "The heart-shaped herb's power is more than just this. It's just that most people find it hard to fully develop it."
The elders nodded in agreement. As a gift from Bast, who would dare say it wasn't powerful enough?
T'Chaka continued, "I will provide ten doses of the physical enhancement to form a super squad dedicated to protecting Wakanda."
Hearing this, the elders were overjoyed.
The elder of the border tribe asked, "What are the selection criteria for the personnel?"
"I will hold a competition among Wakanda's soldiers to select the ten strongest warriors to become part of the super squad."
Hearing this, the elders' faces brightened, knowing that Wakanda's strength would become more powerful than before.
T'Chaka continued, "The enemies were repelled by our goddess Bast, a sign of her favor."
The elders shouted, "Praise the goddess Bast!"
T'Chaka looked at them and said, "Moreover, my son T'Challa has been blessed by Bast, showing that she will always protect us."
"Those who do not destroy us completely will only make us stronger!"
With T'Chaka's words, everyone chanted:
"Wakanda!"
"Wakanda!"
"Wakanda!"
As the chants subsided, T'Chaka announced, "Next, we need to rebuild Wakanda and recover from the damage of the battle."
"Shuri, intensify your research on Wakandan technology. We need stronger weapons."
"T'Challa, continue as planned and also investigate these ninjas."
T'Challa and Shuri nodded, "Yes, father."
"Let's proceed with the plans."
…
Meanwhile-
Charles Doyle had just returned from the summoning realm and hadn't had time to check the system for new limited edition ninja updates when he heard Red Queen's voice.
"Master, Terumi Mei and Haku from Kirigakure are here to visit."
Has something happened in Kirigakure?
"Where are they? I'll go over."
"They're in the guest area."
Hearing this, Charles nodded and asked, "How's the spaceship decryption going?"
"The current progress is 8%..."
The difficulty surprised Charles, indicating that the alien spaceship's technology was very advanced.
"Speed up the decryption. Request any equipment you need from Ginny."
"Yes, master."
After giving the instructions, Charles left his room and went to the guest area, where he saw Orochimaru talking with Terumi Mei.
Charles sat down and looked at Terumi Mei, saying, "What brings you here? This is your first visit."
Orochimaru greeted him, "Lord Charles!"
Charles nodded at Orochimaru and looked at Terumi Mei.
Terumi Mei smiled and said, "Since I haven't visited before, I thought I'd pay a visit to Lord Charles."
Not fooled by her smile, Charles asked, "Is there an issue in Kirigakure?"
At this time, Orochimaru spoke up, "Lord Charles, my research on Loki's bloodline has made some progress. I heard that Haku from Kirigakure has the Ice Release kekkei genkai, so I contacted Terumi Mei to bring Haku here."
Interested in Orochimaru's research, Charles asked, "What progress?"
"I want to see if the Frost Giant bloodline can be fused with the Ice Release kekkei genkai."
Charles looked at Haku and said, "You can proceed, but ensure Haku's safety."
Orochimaru nodded, "I only need some blood samples for now."
Charles looked at Haku, "Haku, cooperate with Orochimaru."
Haku nodded, "Yes, Lord Charles!"
Orochimaru stood up, "Haku, come with me. This will be quick."
As Haku and Orochimaru left, Terumi Mei brushed her hair back and looked at Charles, asking, "Lord Charles, would you like to have a drink together?"
Charles didn't refuse.
"Waiter, bring a bottle of whiskey."
Soon, the waiter brought an ice bucket, two glasses, and a bottle of whiskey.
Charles placed an ice cube in each glass and poured a small amount of whiskey.
Terumi Mei clinked her glass with Charles's and took a sip.
"The drinks here are quite different from the ninja world. They have a unique flavor."
Charles took a sip and asked, "Have you adapted to this place?"
Terumi Mei took out her phone and opened her Twitter account, saying, "I'm trying to adapt."
"Surprisingly, I have over ten million followers in this world."
Terumi Mei moved a little closer to Charles, holding up her phone to show her Twitter interface.
Seeing Terumi Mei's Twitter account, Charles was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected her to start using it, which was somewhat unexpected.
"It looks like you're quite popular here."
"Did someone teach you how to use Twitter?"
Twitter is a window for communicating with the outside world, but it could also be used by those with ill intentions to understand Kirigakure's activities.
Terumi Mei nodded her head, "A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, I think her name is Natasha."
"We even follow each other."
While talking, Charles and Terumi Mei clinked glasses and downed their drinks. Charles then poured more whiskey for both of them.
Terumi Mei opened Natasha's Twitter account and showed it to Charles.
Natasha's Twitter was filled with numerous photos, some were hot and spicy modeling shots, while others showcased her heroic side.
Terumi Mei raised her wine glass again and said, "The women in this world are really passionate and bold…"
"In the ninja world, no woman would dare to dress like this in public."
Charles chuckled. "Maybe because this world is peaceful, it's open enough."
"How are you adapting? How are you managing your finances?"
Terumi Mei smiled, seemingly remembering something. "Ao is in charge of our finances."
"At this moment, Ao is fighting crime, robbing the rich to help the poor…"
"As for special items or supernatural beings, we haven't encountered any yet."
"But seeing how much darkness exists in just one city, one can imagine how many criminals there are on this planet."
Hearing about Ao's activities, Charles found it amusing and suggested, "Why don't you set up an agency?"
"There are many extraordinary forces in this world, but they are often hidden, so they seem rare."
"If you want to find them, you might need to change your approach or perspective."
Terumi Mei thought for a moment and said, "The sea?"
"I read that many areas in the ocean remain unexplored."
"If there are hidden extraordinary forces, the sea could be one place to look."
Hearing Terumi Mei mention the sea, Charles thought of Atlantis, a technologically advanced nation with extraordinary powers.
"That's one direction."
"However, even with your strong Water Release, you lack the ability to survive in the deep sea. Exploring there wouldn't be easy."
Terumi Mei nodded. Fighting on the surface was fine, but deep-sea combat was impossible, even with her mastery of Water Release.
"If you encounter a powerful enemy, prioritize your safety."
"Afterwards, we can send more ninjas to eliminate the threat."
So far, none of Charles's summoned ninjas had died, so he didn't know what would happen if they did.
Would they die like real people and the ninja card disappear, or would the card shatter into fragments, requiring him to recruit them again?
If the ninja card completely disappeared, it would be a significant loss. If it turned into fragments, allowing for re-recruitment, it would mean the ninjas were practically immortal as long as he had the coins to summon them again.
Since he didn't know the final outcome of their death, Charles preferred to avoid such situations.
Seeing Charles's concern, Terumi Mei's face reddened, possibly due to the alcohol. She smiled and said, "My Lava Release is not that easy to counter."
Charles nodded. "Just stay safe. You're not invincible in this world."
As they chatted, they continued drinking the whiskey. Even Terumi Mei started to show signs of intoxication, her gaze towards Charles growing more affectionate.
To her, Charles was incredibly strong and very handsome, an irresistible combination, especially since he brought her to this world. He seemed like her ideal man.
However, the lack of heroic rescue opportunities left her without a chance to win his heart.
As they drank and talked, Terumi Mei gradually moved closer to Charles, eventually leaning against him and raising her wine glass for another toast.
Just as Terumi Mei considered making a move, Orochimaru and Haku returned.
Seeing Orochimaru and Haku, Terumi Mei rolled her eyes but still looked like she wanted to keep drinking despite her apparent drunkenness.
Orochimaru approached, glancing at Terumi Mei and understanding her intentions.
"Lord Charles, I've completed the examination and taken the necessary blood samples for initial research."
Charles nodded, "Orochimaru, thank you for your work."
Terumi Mei added, "Orochimaru, if Haku is needed for further experiments, let me know. I'll bring him over to assist."
"Just ensure the experiments don't harm Haku's potential and enhance his strength."
Terumi Mei's words showed her concern for Haku while also indicating she was open to further cooperation.
Orochimaru, aware of her ulterior motives, thought of Tsunade, knowing she had feelings for Charles too.
If anyone from their ninja faction could end up with Charles, Orochimaru hoped it would be Tsunade.
Orochimaru smiled and said, "With Tsunade's help, the research will progress quickly."
"If Haku is needed, I'll have Tsunade contact you. With her around, there's no need to worry about Haku's health."
Hearing Tsunade's name, Terumi Mei wanted to dismiss her as an old woman but remembered that Tsunade was only 24 years old and looked very young currently.
Moreover, Tsunade's jutsu could keep her looking youthful indefinitely.
Realizing Tsunade was a formidable rival, Terumi Mei smiled and said, "With the medical expertise of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, Haku's safety is indeed assured."
Charles waved his hand, "Tsunade isn't the Fifth Hokage yet, but with her, there's no worry about Haku's health."
"Haku, with your Ice Release kekkei genkai, you have great potential. Reaching Kage level is within your grasp."
Haku nodded, "I won't let you down, Lord Charles. I will become a Kage-level ninja."
Charles nodded in approval.
With Haku's return, Terumi Mei didn't stay much longer. After some more casual conversation, she and Haku left Charles's base.
----4----
·Chapter 657: Shisui's Doubt
The Summoning World-
As Uchiha Shisui appeared, Kisame Hoshigaki and Deidara tactfully moved away, giving Uchiha Itachi some space.
Having just received his memories, Shisui looked at Lord Charles before turning his attention to the man before him.
The forehead protector marked with the scratch of a rogue ninja, the purple nails, the black cloak with red clouds — everything screamed that this man was a major villain.
Wait, did Lord Charles just say his name was Uchiha Itachi?
Staring at Itachi, Shisui was bewildered. In his memory, Itachi should be only five years old and entering the ninja academy next year.
"You... You are Uchiha Itachi?"
Itachi tried to smile at Shisui in greeting, but found he couldn't. Having slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, could he really say he had fulfilled Shisui's wishes?
In the end, Itachi responded expressionlessly, "Yes, brother Shisui. I am Uchiha Itachi."
Hearing Itachi call him 'brother,' Shisui realized this was indeed his younger cousin, four years his junior. However, looking at Itachi's attire and appearance, Shisui had many questions, which eventually condensed into one: "Why do you look older than me? And your forehead protector, did the Uchiha ultimately betray Konoha?"
Having made a name for himself on the battlefield, Shisui had his own views on clan matters.
Seeing Itachi's rogue ninja forehead protector, he surmised that if the clan leader's son had become a rogue ninja, then the entire Uchiha clan must have taken the path he most dreaded.
"Lord Charles brought us from different points in the timeline. I come from a time after yours, so I appear much older."
Itachi then shook his head, "And no, the Uchiha clan did not betray the village."
Hearing this, Shisui silently drew the short sword from his back, watching Itachi warily.
If the Uchiha clan hadn't betrayed the village, then the rogue ninja must be Itachi alone.
Seeing Shisui's actions, Itachi suddenly wanted to test his cousin's abilities.
In his memory, Shisui had always been ahead of him — first to earn a title, first to become the clan's foremost prodigy, first to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, even in death, Shisui had given up his life before Itachi could.
Itachi instantly appeared in front of Shisui and slashed with his kunai.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Each of Itachi's strikes was parried by Shisui.
"Uchiha Style: Sword Leap!"
Shisui, having deflected one of Itachi's attacks, leapt into the air, slashing down with blinding speed.
Though fast, Shisui's attack was still visible to Itachi, who threw his kunai at him.
"Clang!"
Shisui sliced through Itachi's kunai and launched multiple rapid attacks using his Body Flicker Technique.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Shisui's figure flashed from left to right, up and down, his speed earning Itachi's silent praise. No wonder he was called Shisui the Teleporter.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique."
In midair, Shisui quickly formed hand seals, summoning a massive fire dragon that barreled towards Itachi.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Itachi formed a single hand seal and launched a massive fireball to counter the dragon.
"Boom!"
The collision of the two fire jutsus caused a massive explosion.
Watching from a distance, Kisame remarked to Deidara, "It seems Mr. Itachi is fighting his fellow clansman."
Deidara dug in his ear and replied, "I heard he slaughtered his entire clan. It's no surprise they would fight on sight."
"Too bad this Uchiha is just a kid; he can't possibly be a match for Itachi."
"I wonder if he would dare to massacre the Uchiha clan again. But without Konoha, he probably won't have the same murderous intent."
Kisame shook his head. "The newcomer is called Uchiha Shisui. I've heard of him. He earned his title during the Third Shinobi War as Shisui the Teleporter. He was quite formidable."
"But I don't know the exact circumstances of his death."
Deidara squeezed the clay in his hand, wishing he could defeat Itachi to prove his art, but knew he wasn't yet a match.
With the explosion creating distance between them, Shisui took the opportunity to form hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Shisui created several solid clones, indistinguishable even to the Sharingan.
Each clone, along with Shisui himself, adopted the same stance: left hand open, right hand holding a ninja blade horizontally at their chests.
"My Body Flicker technique is impossible to discern!"
"Body Flicker: Flame Slash!"
Shisui's clones launched relentless attacks, silver-white blades flashing from all directions.
Hidden among his clones, Shisui launched his Flame Slash at Itachi.
"Boom!"
The flame slash struck Itachi, but his body disintegrated into a flock of crows.
"Genjutsu?"
From above, Itachi's voice echoed. "Shisui, I acknowledge your skill!"
"As for future events, you'll have to see for yourself."
The world darkened as Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan appeared, enveloping Shisui's consciousness.
Shisui found himself back in Konoha, watching the Uchiha clan and his own past as an observer. He saw Itachi's memories, his own past self, and the Konoha shinobi from Itachi's perspective.
In Itachi's memories, Shisui saw himself grow, become a member of the Leaf Village's ANBU, and navigate the delicate balance between the clan and the village.
In Itachi's recollection, Shisui was the foremost genius of the Uchiha clan and a mentor-like figure to him.
However, there was a day in the future when Shisui, missing one eye, appeared before Itachi. He gave his remaining Mangekyō Sharingan to Itachi, asked him to protect the Leaf Village, and then committed suicide by jumping into the river.
Shisui found this hard to believe. He couldn't comprehend what future events led to him being ambushed in the village, even with his Mangekyō Sharingan, and having one of his eyes taken.
Ultimately, he had entrusted his wishes to Itachi and chose to end his life.
Shisui was filled with questions as he witnessed Itachi's struggles, the dual pressures from the Leaf Village and the Uchiha clan, and Itachi's agony.
When the clan decided to rebel and a mysterious man tempted Itachi, Itachi, influenced by Shisui's resolve to protect the village, collaborated with both the village and the mysterious man to massacre the Uchiha clan and eventually join the Akatsuki organization.
These memories played out like a movie in the space of consciousness for three entire days.
Emerging from the Tsukuyomi space, Shisui felt as if he were drenched in sweat.
Looking at Itachi, he asked, "Is this really our future?"
Itachi nodded, then shook his head. "This is our future in the Shinobi world."
Shisui asked, "Can the future be changed?"
"There must be a balance point between the clan and the village."
"If I could go back, I believe things would be different..."
Itachi was silent for a few seconds before replying, "I don't know."
"But from the information I've received, even though we've come to this world, our counterparts in the Shinobi world will continue on their destined paths."
"Although we appear in this world, the versions of us in the Shinobi world still exist, and nothing will change."
Hearing that the future was absolute, Shisui felt a wave of dejection.
The clan members...
At this moment, Itachi continued, "However, Lord Charles has brought many ninjas from the Shinobi world. Four members of the Uchiha clan have appeared."
"There are dozens of ninjas from the Leaf Village."
Hearing Itachi's words, Shisui asked, "Which clansmen have arrived?"
"Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Sasuke."
"As for the Leaf Village ninjas, there are many: the Three Legendary Sannin, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi..."
As Itachi listed the names, Shisui realized many Leaf Village ninjas had been brought over by Lord Charles.
After a moment of silence, Shisui asked, "Do you know who the masked man is?"
"He claims to be Uchiha Madara, but I don't believe him."
Shisui's eyes widened.
The legendary ancestor Uchiha Madara.
After thinking for a moment, he denied, "It probably isn't him. If it were, he wouldn't need to use someone else. With his power, he could accomplish it on his own."
Shisui then seemed to think of something and said, "Since we've come to this new world, we no longer have to be caught between the Leaf Village and the Uchiha clan."
"The Uchiha can restore its glory, as long as enough of our clan members are brought here by Lord Charles."
Itachi looked into the distance. "There might be such an opportunity..."
"Now, Itachi, can you brief me on the situation in this world and Lord Charles's plans for me?"
Itachi nodded. "Alright."
…
Elsewhere-
At the base, after seeing off Mei Terumi and Haku from Kirigakure, Charles, slightly drunk, found Ginny.
Charles handed her the vibranium given by Itachi.
"This box contains sealing scrolls, each filled with vibranium."
"There's a total of one ton."
"I have a task for you: you need to secretly create 20 sets of clothing from vibranium."
Charles showed the design of the Akatsuki black cloak with red clouds and said:
"Make them according to this design."
"But keep this matter secret; it mustn't leak outside."
At first, she was surprised by the amount of Vibranium. Then she became even more astonished by the order to make 20 sets when the Akatsuki currently had only four members.
"BOSS, isn't 20 sets a bit too much when there are only four members in the Akatsuki?"
Charles shook his head. "Make them according to this quantity. They'll be needed eventually."
"And also, make a battle suit for yourself out of vibranium. This material has exceptional defensive properties."
Ginny asked, "I already have the symbiote suit. I can't wear two suits at the same time, can I?"
Nodding in agreement, Charles recalled Tony Stark's and Black Panther's nano suits, one stored in the chest, the other in a necklace.
"Research nanotechnology and see if there's a company we can invest in that has mastered this technology. If so, buy the technology."
"Then you can create a vibranium suit that can be stored in a necklace. It'll serve as a second layer of defense if the symbiote suit gets compromised."
Impressed by the idea, Ginny nodded. "Boss, that's a brilliant idea."
"But I need to check if any company has this nanotechnology."
"And remember to accelerate the matter with Wanda and her brother."
"Yes, Boss!"
After giving a few more instructions, Charles left Ginny and returned to his room.
Once inside, Charles's consciousness entered the system space to check the new monthly limited edition ninja updates.
Opening the monthly limited edition recruitment page, Charles was stunned to see the three new ninjas: Young Jiraiya, Young Tsunade, and Young Orochimaru.
All three were C-rank ninjas, and each cost 9800 gold coins.
This surprised Charles. Not that the young Sannin were bad, but he expected B or A-rank ninjas instead of the younger versions.
But it would enhance the Sannin's abilities somewhat, even if not by much.
Without hesitation, Charles spent 29,400 gold coins to buy and recruit all three ninjas.
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on acquiring the new title "Young Sannin," rewarding one deployment slot!
Hearing the system's reward, Charles was pleased. This was a profitable deal; a single deployment slot now costs 56,000 gold coins, so he effectively saved 26,600 coins and increased his chakra pool by three cards.
-----5-----
·Chapter 658: USB Drive
With the successful recruitment of the young Sannin, Charles's chakra quantity increased by another 3 cards, reaching a total of 355 cards.
Due to the addition of young Tsunade, his Senju genes also received some supplementation.
However, it still fell short compared to the Uchiha genes. After all, including Shisui and the merged cards, he had recruited 8 Uchiha members, while there was only one Senju member, Tsunade.
But Charles wasn't worried. He knew that in time, he could recruit Senju Tobirama and Senju Hashirama to further enhance his own bloodline.
As for the new jutsu skills of the young Sannin, the only notable addition was young Jiraiya's ability to summon Gamabunta. This added a significant piece to Jiraiya's summoning capabilities.
However, it was a pity that Orochimaru still couldn't summon Manda.
It seemed that Charles would need to purchase Manda as a summoning beast separately since the known ninja cards didn't include the ability for Orochimaru to directly summon Manda yet.
As for Tsunade's new jutsu, Charles took a quick look but didn't pay much attention. Orochimaru's new skills included Twin Snakes Mutual Death, Speed Burst, and Master and Apprentice.
However, the Master and Apprentice jutsu might not see much use, considering it merely summoned a shadow clone of Hiruzen Sarutobi, which only contributed a single powerful attack. This attack's power was likely less than Orochimaru's own capabilities.
After quickly reviewing the young Sannin's skills, Charles summoned them all and performed card fusion.
After fusing the cards, the Sannin's strength saw only a slight improvement.
Once the fusion was complete and the young Sannin were resummoned, they relived their childhood memories, which played out like a movie in their minds.
…
Time quickly passed by a week.
In a forested area outside a Wakandan border city, a twelve-man strike team was searching for something with their instruments.
"Sam, have you pinpointed the signal location?"
Sam, looking at the small computer on his left arm, responded, "The signal source is moving, and it's moving fast."
"Let's go!"
The entire team moved swiftly through the forest, chasing the signal for a full hour.
At this point, the entire team was panting heavily. Sam said, "The signal source has stopped, just 1,200 meters ahead."
The team advanced another 400 meters. The sniper in the team asked, "Sam, report the exact location of the signal source."
"At 35 degrees north latitude, 800 meters from our position."
Hearing Sam's words, the sniper looked at the large tree in front of him, placed his weapon on his back, and began to climb the tree.
Quickly reaching the treetop, he used his sniper rifle to look in the direction Sam indicated. He saw a massive python.
Through the scope, he scanned the area around the target and found no other creatures.
"Sam, there's only a python at this location. Are you sure it's correct?"
Hearing it was a python, Sam nodded and said, "Eliminate the target, but avoid the abdomen."
Upon Sam's confirmation, the sniper aimed at the python's head and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
The bullet flew, and in the next moment, the python's head exploded into a burst of blood.
"Target neutralized."
The sniper climbed down from the tree and asked, "Is the signal still moving?"
"No, it's not moving anymore."
The team advanced to the signal's location and soon found the python.
Sam checked the computer to confirm the signal's position, which matched perfectly with the python.
He drew a knife and cut open the python's belly, searching inside until he found a human torso that hadn't been fully digested. Inside, he found a USB drive with a locator.
Holding the USB drive, Sam said, "Target retrieved. Prepare to return."
The team then orderly withdrew, leaving no trace of their presence.
…
In a secret Hydra base-
Alexander Pierce looked at the USB drive in his hand, the only thing they had retrieved from Wakanda.
He inserted the USB drive into a computer, revealing its contents: a series of video files.
Pierce played the videos, which showed two Black Panthers.
Watching the footage, Pierce calmly observed the scenes. As the videos ended, he stroked his chin, thinking deeply.
"It seems the 084 subject Shield is looking for is in Wakanda."
"Black Panther, Vibranium, stealth jets!"
"Wakanda is hiding something big, just as I suspected."
At this moment, Pierce contemplated how to make Nick Fury aware of Wakanda's issues.
He considered that Fury planned to use ninjas to investigate the Black Panther, which might be a good idea.
After knowing Wakanda's strength, Pierce realized they couldn't be easily defeated and would need more forces.
However, his goal wasn't high—he just wanted to obtain some Vibranium. As for Wakanda's advanced technology, there was no need for it. Though their technology is impressive, Hydra's technology wasn't far behind.
If Nick Fury couldn't get the ninjas' help, Pierce planned to secretly leak the information about Black Panther being Wakanda's guardian to let Fury discover it himself.
------6------
·Chapter 659: Konoha Jonin Uchiha Shisui
Charles had just finished his training and returned to his room.
"Master, Selene reported that SHIELD's Agent Natasha has visited you for the ninth time recently."
Hearing Red Queen's report, Charles wiped his hands with a towel and said, "SHIELD is really persistent."
Indeed, over the past period, Charles received frequent messages about Natasha's visits and her desire to trade a batch of physical enhancement serums, Felix Felicis, and place a task commission.
Charles was curious about what SHIELD intended to trade, especially after they lost the Tesseract. They might have some 084 items, but he wondered what they were willing to offer.
After making Natasha wait for so long, Charles decided to finally agree to the meeting.
He needed more gold coins to recruit new S-rank and A-rank ninjas.
He hoped that the 084 items offered by SHIELD would be satisfactory.
"Inform Selene that I agree to meet Natasha. I'll go to Charles Agency at 2 PM tomorrow."
"Yes, Master."
…
On the Other Side-
Upon receiving Red Queen's message, Selene looked at Natasha in front of her and said, "Lord Charles has agreed to your visit. He will come to the agency tomorrow afternoon."
Hearing that Charles Doyle finally agreed, Natasha smiled and said, "I will be here on time tomorrow."
With that, Natasha turned and left the Charles Agency. Michael, standing nearby, curiously asked, "What trouble has S.H.I.E.L.D. run into this time?"
"They've been coming here for nearly half a month now."
Selena shook her head. "It might be trouble for them, but for Lord Charles, it could be a good thing."
Michael nodded thoughtfully.
…
On the other side-
Uchiha Shisui was walking down a street in Queens, New York. He had been studying with Uchiha Itachi and others in the Summoning Realm for a week. The four members of the Akatsuki had their own opinions about this world.
Recently, they had all left the Summoning Realm to help Hidan recover and were holding a ritual for the evil god in South Africa.
Following the map Itachi gave him, Shisui was heading toward the Charles Agency.
He was curious about the place where Lord Charles first made his name. Walking through the bustling streets of Queens, Shisui couldn't help but marvel at the abundance of this world.
Many people noticed his peculiar attire—a young Asian boy with a short sword on his back and a Konoha ninja headband on his forehead.
Seeing Shisui, people assumed he was a child who admired ninjas and smiled kindly at him.
A child wearing an Iron Man helmet ran up to Shisui and said, "I am Iron Man, Tony Stark. Are you my good friend, Charles Doyle?"
"Have you found any crime here?"
"Do we need to fight criminals together?"
Looking at the small child with a metal helmet, seemingly younger than himself, Shisui smiled gently. "No, I am not Lord Charles."
The child in front of Shisui was none other than Peter Parker.
Hearing Shisui's answer, Peter asked curiously, "Aren't you cosplaying the ninja Immortal, Charles Doyle?"
Shisui asked in confusion, "What is cosplay?"
Peter Parker touched a switch on his helmet, and the Iron Man mask automatically opened, revealing his young face.
"Cosplay is dressing up as superheroes using costumes and props. So who are you cosplaying as?"
Understanding the term, Shisui replied, "I'm cosplaying as a ninja, a Konoha ninja. Do you know about them?"
Shisui pointed to his Konoha headband.
Peter Parker nodded. "I know. Mr. Charles has a headband like that too. I've seen it before."
"Where are you going?"
Realizing the child knew Lord Charles's name, Shisui was curious but answered, "I am going to the Charles Agency."
Peter Parker excitedly said, "I need to go there too. Let's go together."
"My name is Peter Parker. What's yours?"
Shisui shook hands with Peter and said, "I am Uchiha Shisui!"
As they walked, Peter Parker proudly shared a secret, "I'll tell you a secret, but don't tell anyone else."
Shisui nodded solemnly, wondering why a newly met friend would share a secret.
"I have an autograph from the ninja Immortal, Charles Doyle. It's one of a kind. As far as I know, no one else has it."
Seeing Peter's proud expression, Shisui thought to himself that he was indeed a child.
"I will keep your secret."
What Shisui didn't know was that Peter's classmates and neighbors were all aware of this secret.
Curious, Shisui asked, "If it's unique, how did you get it?"
Peter proudly told the story of how he got autographs from Charles Doyle and Tony Stark. Through their conversation, Shisui learned that Tony Stark was a good friend of Charles Doyle and that they were both incredible superheroes. However, Peter admired Iron Man more.
Shisui also realized that Peter Parker was quite the talker.
As they approached the Agency, a red sports car drove past them. Natasha, who had just left the Charles Agency, was in the car. She saw Peter Parker and Shisui but, seeing Peter's Iron Man helmet, didn't pay much attention, assuming they were just two kids who liked superheroes.
Soon, Peter and Shisui arrived at the agency. Peter naturally pushed open the door and walked in. Michael, inside, saw Peter and said with a smile, "Peter, are you showing off your autograph to another friend?"
Michael picked Peter up and ruffled his hair.
Blushing, Peter said, "I wasn't showing off!"
"Yes, you were just sharing your little secret with someone else."
Michael laughed and said, "Why don't you introduce your friend?"
Standing by, Shisui said, "Hello, sir. My name is Uchiha Shisui."
The moment Shisui finished speaking, Selene, like a gust of wind, appeared before him. Michael also looked at him, knowing that three Uchiha ninjas had already appeared. This would be the fourth.
Selene seriously examined Shisui's attire and asked, "Are you a ninja from the Uchiha clan of Konoha?"
Shisui nodded. "Yes."
Selene said solemnly, "Welcome. Did Lord Charles send you?"
"No, Lord Charles didn't send me. I was just curious about this place and came to visit."
Peter, still in Michael's arms, exclaimed, "You're a ninja?"
Shisui smiled gently. "Nice to meet you again. I'm Uchiha Shisui, a Jonin from Konoha Village."
-------7-------
·Chapter 660: Natasha Arrives
The Next Day-
After having lunch, Charles looked at John Wick and said, "John, take me to the agency."
"Got it."
John Wick went to the garage, selected a Maybach, and drove it to the base's entrance. After Charles got in, John Wick started the car and headed towards the Charles Agency.
…
On the other side-
After returning to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters yesterday, Natasha reported the results to Director Nick Fury.
Charles Doyle had finally agreed to a meeting, providing an opportunity to purchase physical enhancement serums and other supplies, as well as to discuss a mission commission.
Nick Fury immediately decided to dispatch a strike team and assigned Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Brock Rumlow to the escort mission.
Before the agreed time, Natasha set off for the Charles Agency, taking the energy block and her team with her.
Five vehicles drove on the road, with Natasha, Hawkeye, and Brock Rumlow sitting in the middle armored car. The energy block was secured inside a box in the vehicle.
Brock Rumlow looked at the box and said, "Looks like our team is going to have some new members."
Barton nodded in agreement and added, "I just hope whoever joins us gets along well with everyone."
Listening to her teammates, Natasha curiously asked, "Do you think we'll ever see the day when physical enhancement serums become widespread?"
"What would it be like if everyone became superhumans?"
Barton shook his head. "Even in the ninja world, they can't make it universal. It's even harder here."
"Unless we get hold of much more advanced fifth or sixth-generation products, making it widespread seems impossible. Even then, it won't be immediate. Making it available to all elites is already a huge challenge."
Natasha and Rumlow both nodded in agreement. Even the equipment they used was far more advanced than what many elite units could access, let alone such powerful physical enhancement serums.
Brock Rumlow looked at the box and said, "This should be our last batch of energy blocks, right?"
Natasha replied indifferently, "Who knows? Nick Fury never tells me the whole story."
Hawkeye, who had previously overseen the Tesseract experiment, added, "After losing the Tesseract, this batch of energy blocks is likely our last."
"And who knows what these ninjas are collecting them for? They've already obtained the Tesseract."
Natasha laughed, "Maybe he doesn't even know we're trading these energy blocks."
Rumlow asked curiously, "You didn't tell him what you were trading?"
Natasha shook her head. "No, I just submitted a trade request."
"And the Charles Agency never said they wouldn't accept energy blocks as commission fees. Of course, if they prefer dollars, that's even better."
"I heard the security council allocated a substantial fund specifically for maintaining and stabilizing relations between Earth and the ninjas."
Hearing Natasha's words, Barton smacked his lips, indicating this was typical of the Security Council.
"As for why they need these things, perhaps it's similar to Loki's method; maybe it's used to maintain the connection between the Ninja World and Earth."
"Ever since they got the energy blocks, more and more ninjas have been coming to Earth. After the Battle of New York, I've noticed new ninjas from the Sound, Sand, and Leaf villages."
Brock Rumlow commented, "Then isn't trading with them just aiding the enemy?"
Natasha waved her hands playfully, "Do you think we'd be able to defeat these non-humans if we didn't trade?"
Brock Rumlow closed his mouth, not saying another word.
The power of the ninjas had deeply impressed them, especially knowing that Charles Doyle might have both a magical world and the Ninja World as his backers. He seemed even more terrifying than Thor.
After all, aside from Thor's companions coming to Earth initially, they hadn't seen other Asgardian warriors. But many ninjas from the Ninja World had appeared on Earth, along with that elusive group of magicians.
Soon, the convoy arrived at Charles Agency on 71st Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens. After the cars stopped, Natasha said, "You all stay in the car and guard these items."
"Yes!"
As escort personnel, Barton and Brock Rumlow did not accompany Natasha to complete the trade mission. Their duty was to protect the materials, whether it was the energy blocks for trade or the items that will be traded.
Natasha got out of the car and walked to the entrance of Charles Agency. The doorman opened the door for her.
As she walked inside, she noticed an unexpected person. If her memory was correct, that child was walking with another child wearing an Iron Man helmet yesterday.
Could he also be a ninja? It couldn't be that the other kid was Iron Man too. That would be too crazy.
Natasha approached the reception desk, where Selene said calmly, "Lord Charles hasn't arrived yet. You can wait in the lounge area for a while."
"There's food and drinks available over there."
Natasha nodded, "Thank you!"
She then walked over to Shisui Uchiha and stopped in front of him. She greeted him, "Hello, handsome. I don't think I've seen you here before. What's your name?"
Surprised that a client at the agency was suddenly greeting him, Shisui didn't hide his name, "I'm Shisui Uchiha."
Hearing his name, Natasha glanced at his outfit but didn't see the Uchiha clan's fan crest on his front; it might be on his back.
The Uchiha clan, huh? Natasha was a bit surprised. Another member of the founding family of the Leaf Village had come to New York.
"I'm Natasha!"
After a brief introduction, Natasha didn't engage in further conversation with Shisui Uchiha. She simply greeted him and then went to the lounge area, found a seat, and ordered a coffee while she waited.
--------8--------
·Chapter 661: Trade
After driving for a while, John Wick finally arrived at 71st Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens.
"Boss, it looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. has brought quite a few things for the trade," John Wick said, observing the five vehicles parked in front of the agency from a distance.
Charles glanced through the car window at the vehicles and nodded, saying, "Let's hope what they brought isn't just useless junk."
John Wick drove the car into the agency's garage.
As they entered the agency, all the staff greeted Charles with respect, placing their right hands over their chests and bowing slightly, saying, "Lord Charles!"
Charles nodded in response.
Walking towards the reception desk, Charles noticed Shisui Uchiha nearby and approached him. "When did you arrive?"
"Yesterday."
"Alright, after this, come back to the base with me. There are members of your clan there."
"Yes, Lord Charles."
Charles then continued towards the reception desk. Selene saw him and respectfully said, "Lord Charles!"
Charles nodded and asked, "Where is the guest?"
"Lord, Natasha is in the lounge area."
"Tell her to meet me in the conference room."
"Yes, Lord Charles!"
After speaking, Charles headed towards the conference room.
He opened the conference room door and looked around. It had been a long time since he had conducted business here. The last time was ages ago, with Phil Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.
He wondered if Coulson had been resurrected; Tony had mentioned that Coulson had died and was quite upset about it for a while.
Charles pondered whether Tony would be angry with Nick Fury for the deception or happy that Coulson was alive—or maybe both—if he ever saw the resurrected Coulson.
…
Meanwhile-
Natasha was drinking coffee and reading a magazine. She hadn't encountered any other visitors at the agency, unsure if it was due to poor business or high fees.
At that moment, a staff member approached Natasha and said, "Ma'am, Lord Charles has arrived. He is waiting for you in the conference room."
"Please follow me."
Natasha put down the magazine and followed the staff member to a door. The staff member knocked a few times, waited three seconds, then opened the conference room door.
Natasha saw Charles sitting on the sofa and walked in, each step emphasizing her body curves and beauty.
Charles interrupted her seductive act by saying, "Natasha, you're here to do business with me. Even if you want to spend the night, the price won't drop a bit."
Natasha sat on a single sofa next to Charles, laughing, "You really are a man who doesn't understand romance."
Charles inwardly retorted: It's not that I don't understand romance; I just have no interest in someone who's been used many times.
He remembered that Natasha had been intimate with many Avengers... with Barton, Captain America, Bruce Banner, and others.
Charles even heard that to extract information from Kabuto Yakushi, she has even had intimate relations with him.
Seeing that Charles Doyle was genuinely uninterested in her, Natasha wasted no more time and got straight to the point.
"I have a mission request and need to purchase some items."
Charles perked up at the mention of a mission. After all, there hadn't been much happening recently.
"What's the mission? Give me the details."
Natasha pulled out a tablet, opened a file, and handed it to Charles.
Charles tapped the video file, which displayed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents besieging Black Panther in Brooklyn.
Watching the footage, Charles frowned slightly. He didn't recall S.H.I.E.L.D. ever attacking Black Panther. Something must have happened that he was unaware of.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. hopes you can help us locate the target's base."
"This guy has killed hundreds of our agents. The number of deaths at his hands surpasses even Loki's."
Hearing Natasha's words, Charles was a bit surprised. Loki had killed around 80 people in two days, but Black Panther killing so many was unexpected.
What had happened?
Unbeknownst to Charles, Black Panther had been attacked twice while dealing with the Sand puppet shop.
"This is a superhuman; finding his base won't be easy."
Natasha then said, "We have a batch of personal items from the target's subordinates. Would that be useful to you?"
Charles shook his head and replied, "No, you misunderstand me. I meant this will cost extra!"
Natasha asked, "How about 50 energy blocks?"
Charles chuckled, "I didn't expect you still had energy blocks. That's a bit surprising."
"But 50 isn't enough."
Charles was well aware of Black Panther's hideout. His subordinates had recently attacked that country, bringing back a ton of vibranium for him.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. went up against Wakanda, it would be entertaining to watch. With Wakanda's vibranium and the support of the Panther god, S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't stand a chance.
"How much would it take for you to accept the mission?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents can't die in vain; he must pay the price."
Hearing Natasha's serious tone, Charles almost laughed out loud. If it weren't for his years of training, he really might have.
"A hundred energy blocks will do."
Charles didn't set an exorbitant price. Typically, gathering intelligence on someone like Black Panther would cost about fifty energy blocks. He simply doubled it this time.
After considering it briefly, Natasha agreed.
"Let's go with that price."
Charles pressed a button on the table, and soon the conference room door opened.
Selene entered with a blank mission scroll, placed it on the table, and then left.
Charles quickly wrote on the blank scroll, detailing the mission and the agreed-upon reward, then handed it over to Natasha.
After Natasha signed her name on the scroll, she continued, "Besides the mission request, we also need to purchase some supplies."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. needs 5 doses of physical enhancement serum and 4 doses of Felix Felicis."
"The total cost should be 1,200 energy blocks. Adding the mission fee, it's 1,300 energy blocks. Is that correct?"
Hearing the quantity of supplies Natasha wanted to purchase, Charles suspected that this might be the last of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s energy block reserves.
"No problem, that's the price."
Satisfied with the unchanged price, Natasha nodded, "I'll have the energy blocks brought in now."
"Alright, it's a straightforward transaction."
Natasha pressed her earpiece and said, "Bring in all the energy blocks, I'm in the meeting room."
"Roger that!"
With Natasha's signal given, Charles waved his hand and produced five doses of the special physical enhancement serum and four doses of Felix Felicis from his storage space.
"Is there anything else you need?"
Natasha shook her head, "Not for now."
"If I need to purchase more in the future, how can I contact you? Visiting the Agency every time is quite difficult."
Charles took out a white card and snapped his fingers, making a line of gold-embossed text appear on it.
The Immortal god of Ninjas beyond this era,
Supreme Merlin of the Magical World
Charles Doyle
Contact Number: ********
"This is my card. Don't bother me unless you're buying something."
Impressed by Charles's display, Natasha exclaimed, "Wow, cool!"
She took the card and carefully put it in her pocket.
Soon, there was a knock on the meeting room door. It opened, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents walked in carrying thirteen boxes, placing them in front of Charles.
Natasha opened the boxes, revealing the neatly packed energy blocks, one hundred in each, totaling one thousand three hundred.
"One thousand three hundred energy blocks, everything is here."
Charles nodded, "Good, you can take your items."
"As for the mission, I'll have the results for you within a week."
Natasha stepped forward, emptied two boxes, and packed the five doses of the physical enhancement serum in one and the four doses of Felix Felicis in the other.
After packing everything, Natasha stood up to leave.