My Goal Is Fame and Fortune!

Gen instantly vanished from the inferno's heart. His eyes scanned the smoke, hunting Kakashi's silhouette.

Whoosh!

Kakashi materialized behind him, kunai flashing toward his neck!

"Combat isn't over. Stay alert."

Clang!

Gen parried with his own kunai, steel shrieking. His left hand drew a second blade, slashing upward—only for Kakashi to twist away.

No hesitation. Gen pressed the assault, closing the distance.

His body and chakra were monstrously enhanced, but combat instincts lagged. The Ōtsutsuki bloodline was no joke—idiots like Momoshiki and Urashiki could still shatter planets. But low battle IQ got them sealed by a stealth Rasengan and poisoned by Jiraiya...

Gen wouldn't make that mistake. And he'd realized something else:

Fighting Kakashi lets me "legitimize" techniques.

Not just ninjutsu. Even the swordsmanship imprinted yesterday matched Kakashi's movements—wielding kunai like a blade.

So—

Gen's eyes sharpened. He surged forward, attacking faster.

Clang! Clang! Clang—!

Their blades became blurs, sparks flying as they danced across the scorched field. Kakashi clearly held back, yet Gen's ferocious focus created a deadlock.

Slowly, Kakashi's expression grew stranger.

...He's copying me?

Gen's movements started stiff, transitions clumsy. But with each exchange, they smoothed—flowing seamlessly. Feints grew cunning, counters instinctive.

For a chilling second, Kakashi felt like he was fighting... himself.

This learning speed...

...is inhuman.

"No wonder he knows Uchiha throwing arts."

Watching Gen mirror him perfectly, Kakashi disengaged. "Enough."

"Yes, sensei." Gen stepped back instantly.

"Your level... exceeds expectations." Kakashi studied him, gaze complex. "Your weakness is experience. I know how to address it. Prepare—we leave the village tomorrow."

"Seriously?!" Gen's eyes lit up.

[Side Quest Completed: Who's the Real Copy Ninja?]

[Reward: Kakashi's Lightning Release Techniques]

"Seriously." Kakashi waved a hand, eyeing the smoldering training ground wearily. "Dismissed. Report early."

"Hai!"

Gen bowed and fled—eager to inspect his reward. Behind him, Kakashi stared at the flames...

...and the crumbling Earth Wall, the Hokage faces melting like wax.

Just what have I taken on?

---

"Kakashi's Lightning Release..."

Gen sprinted home, head throbbing. System rewards were brutal—dumping knowledge directly into his brain: hand signs, chakra pathways, application theory.

The downside?

Compatibility isn't guaranteed.

And it feels like my skull's sprouting tumors.

"Also... these jutsu are ridiculously specialized."

Scanning the mental files, Gen winced. Kakashi's lightning techniques mostly branched from Chidori—useless without a Sharingan's precision.

But then—

...I can modify these.

Gen's eyes widened. The knowledge wasn't just static data—it was a blueprint. With his Ōtsutsuki-level chakra affinity and control, reshaping these jutsu felt... intuitive.

Like editing source code.

A normal ninja would never attempt it. But viewing the techniques from this godlike perspective?

Chidori Senbon? Chidori Nagashi?

Hell, even Purple Lightning...

I could recreate them all.

Power would scale with his reserves, but that was still formidable.

"...Shit."

Gen rubbed his temples. The bloodline's genius was a double-edged sword.

More techniques to "legitimize."

Everything needed a plausible origin. Danzō might be suspended post-Uchiha massacre, but—

"When that old badger returns... I need my story airtight."

He needed strength. Fast.

"GEN! YOU BASTARD!"

A shout echoed down the street. Naruto stood there, flanked by three others.

Inuzuka Kiba. Nara Shikamaru. Akimichi Chōji.

The rookie trio?

Naruto charged, jabbing a finger. "You scammed me AGAIN! How many times?! PAY UP!"

Gen blinked innocently. "Aren't we friends?"

"W-well... yeah..." Naruto faltered. Gen was one of the few who didn't hate him.

"And friends celebrate milestones, right? Like me becoming a shinobi?" Gen sighed dramatically. "Naruto... has our bond grown so cold?"

"Th-that's not—!" Naruto sputtered, trapped by twisted logic.

"Also," Gen's eyes narrowed playfully, "shouldn't you be in class?"