During the half month he spent recuperating, Sosuke had been thinking about how he should strengthen himself.
If it had been anyone else, they probably would have started with all kinds of powerful ninjutsu. Fortunately, he had planned ahead and already replicated the Chidori-based techniques.
That had temporarily solved the problem of his lack of offensive options.
Next, he should think of something for his support abilities.
As the hero who had saved the next generation, once his injuries had completely healed, no one could refuse his request to go to the battlefield.
Considering his two brushes with death, Sosuke knew that what he lacked most right now was probably the ability to stay alive.
If he had to fight to the death every time, no amount of Points would be enough for him to spend.
On the battlefield, staying alive would always take priority over killing enemies.
The specific way to stay alive mainly depended on what problem he needed to solve.
Perception abilities could let him detect enemy ambushes and gauge their strength in advance, helping him avoid traps and enemies too powerful to confront head-on.
Clone abilities could be used to gather intelligence and take on dangerous tasks in place of his real body. They also offered far more options in battle.
Body Flicker abilities could improve the caster's ability to escape the battlefield. The highest-level space-time techniques were even peerless tools for staying alive.
Defensive secret techniques could withstand damage and protect the caster's real body.
Defensive kekkei genkai had extremely powerful effects, but their drawback was that they required a huge number of Points.
Defensive ninja tools had all kinds of strange functions. There were even special prosthetic arms capable of absorbing ninjutsu.
If he could, Sosuke wanted to exchange for all of them. Unfortunately, his current Points were nowhere near enough to achieve that goal.
[Points: 4280]
After exchanging for the Body Repair Potion, he had only a little over four thousand Points left. He had to narrow down his choices from the limited options available.
After slightly changing his selection criteria, the choices before him immediately dwindled.
What remained were all things he could afford.
[Chakra Perception (Beginner), Item Grade C, Requires 4000 Points to exchange.] [Shadow Clone Technique, Item Grade C, Requires 3100 Points to exchange.] [Light Shadow Body Flicker, Item Grade C, Requires 2800 Points to exchange.] [Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo, Item Grade C, Requires 3500 Points to exchange.] [Scientific Ninja Tool (Arm), Item Grade C, Requires 3900 Points to exchange.]
All five types of items were within his affordable range.
As for which one to choose, Sosuke had not made his final decision yet.
First, there was Chakra Perception.
As the most expensive item among the five options, its purpose was self-evident.
Whether for tracking or avoiding danger, Chakra Perception was extraordinarily powerful.
Unless he encountered some ruthless expert capable of concealing their chakra fluctuations, it would be very difficult for the user to end up surrounded.
At higher levels, perception could sense the presence of others hundreds of kilometers away. True masters could even turn it into a passive ability.
The drawback was that it did not help much in actual combat, which was why Sosuke had been hesitating.
The Shadow Clone Technique was a powerful clone technique that was almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. It could be used to avoid potential risks, and in the original story, Kakashi had mastered it to perfection.
Most importantly, Shadow Clones provided a tremendous boost in combat power. They were absolutely a favorite of underhanded fighters.
It was one of the options Sosuke favored more.
Light Shadow Body Flicker was derived from Uchiha Shisui's Body Flicker Technique. By combining light and shadow effects, it allowed the user to move rapidly between different afterimages.
The afterimages looked intangible, yet they could still inflict damage on enemies.
Its combat enhancement was powerful, but its ability to keep one alive was somewhat lacking. When facing a formidable enemy, its effectiveness would drop sharply.
Needle Jizo was Jiraiya's defensive ninjutsu. Its advantages were that it could be deployed suddenly and possessed a certain degree of offensive power.
Its shortcomings were obvious. Its defensive ceiling was not high enough, and its function partially overlapped with Chidori Stream.
As for the Scientific Ninja Tool, it was a defensive prosthetic arm capable of absorbing the chakra from ninjutsu released by Genin.
That was right. Although it appeared to possess an ability similar to the Rinnegan, the amount of chakra it could actually absorb was extremely limited.
It could be exchanged for and used, but it could not become the trump card he relied on to survive.
If conditions allowed, Sosuke would exchange for all five abilities. By then, his ability to stay alive would certainly become extremely powerful.
He could sense chakra from a distance, use Shadow Clones to scout ahead at mid-range, flee with the Body Flicker Technique if things went wrong, defend with Needle Jizo, and even use the installed prosthetic arm to neutralize enemy attacks.
It might not help him defeat powerful enemies, but it could improve his efficiency at "farming Points."
"Sigh, I can't be too greedy."
After struggling internally for a while, he gritted his teeth and eliminated Needle Jizo and the Scientific Ninja Tool first.
They were good things, but they were not quite as valuable to him.
The less money he had in his pocket, the more carefully he had to spend it in the right places.
Looking at the three options—Chakra Perception, Light Shadow Body Flicker, and the Shadow Clone Technique—Sosuke fell into a long silence.
Not long afterward, the entire clan learned that Sosuke had recovered.
For several days in a row, visitors came to his door without end. His cramped little room could barely hold all the gifts.
Saving the Uchiha Academy meant saving countless families. Some parents were even so excited that they wanted to kneel before him.
Previously, when Sosuke's body had been crippled, Madara had not wanted outsiders disturbing him, so he had issued a strict order in his capacity as Young Clan Head.
Now, though, it was time for him to experience the enthusiasm of his clansmen.
After Sosuke finally struggled out from beneath the pile of gifts, he saw Uchiha Madara sitting in a chair with a smile, quietly enjoying the scene before him.
Seeing this, Sosuke rolled his eyes in annoyance. "When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I saw you busy opening gifts, so I didn't want to disturb you."
"Ahem, the gifts could have waited."
In Sosuke's view, anyone who received gifts from others and could leave them in front of themselves without opening them was a ruthless person among ruthless people.
He definitely could not do that. If he did not finish opening them, he would not be able to sleep tonight.
"Father wants to see you," Madara suddenly said.
Why does that old bastard want to see me?
When the doctor had announced that he could no longer continue his career as a ninja, Tajima, the Clan Head, had not even shown his face. Logically speaking, after Sosuke had rendered such tremendous service, the Clan Head should have come to offer his condolences.
But Tajima was simply that kind of person, an extreme realist. In his eyes, a tool with no further use was no different from wild grass by the roadside.
Now that he knew Sosuke had recovered, he had immediately sent his son over to express his concern.
Sosuke smiled faintly and did not refuse the Clan Head's invitation. No matter what, his freedom was still in the other man's hands.
Going to meet him would be a good opportunity to have an open and honest talk.
"All right. I'll get ready and head over."
"Mm, then I'll be leaving first."
After Uchiha Madara left, Sosuke dropped himself into the pile of gifts, a strange curve at the corners of his mouth.
The next second.
Bang!
His entire body turned into a cloud of white smoke and disappeared.
Before you continue