Combination Ninjutsu!

[Choose your gear and divine arts, and wage war against zombie monsters! Synthesis Warriors invites you to try it out...]

After the second hour of Immersion ended, it was time for another game trial.

This made Akaseki wonder: just like the previous two shows had been part of the Prosperity Realm series, were this show's rewards all game trials?

Still, that wasn't a bad thing...

Game trials didn't require any space or equipment, and they could provide training directly.

This game was the exact opposite of Temple Run...

Akaseki couldn't "run away" at all. Instead, he had to face an endless stream of monsters charging at him within a certain area.

The monsters came swarming from all eight directions, and at first, Akaseki had only shuriken and kunai...

But that wasn't the point. The point was that "treasure chests" came along with the monsters. The chests were labeled with various ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu... Akaseki discovered that they were all techniques he already knew!

At the start, Akaseki couldn't use any ninjutsu. He could only throw basic ninja tools. When he smashed a chest containing the Fire Style [Great Fireball Technique], he discovered that he could use the Great Fireball Technique—and even use it continuously!

Could I use ninjutsu infinitely? This is incredibly practical! Akaseki's eyes lit up. This was far more cost-effective than Temple Run had been.

After all, being able to practice ninjutsu continuously without using up any resources was incredibly efficient. Normally, even a Jonin would be drained dry after using a dozen or so high-cost techniques.

However...

Akaseki soon realized something was wrong!

It was true that he could use it continuously, but...

He didn't have to perform the technique himself. After making the Hand Seals once, he just kept spewing fire. It looked effective, but it didn't help Akaseki train at all!

That made this game much less worthwhile...

For the reward in the second wave, Akaseki chose the Earth Style [Earth Prison Dome of Nothingness]. Just then, a prompt appeared...

[Fusion successful. Acquired combination ninjutsu "Roasting Hell Technique."]

Akaseki: !!!

It gave him a combination ninjutsu outright?

This was ridiculously cost-effective!

It wasn't as fundamental as a Kekkei Genkai, which came from the fusion and mutation of chakra natures, but combination ninjutsu were powerful too. They could often achieve twice the results with half the effort. And... it looked like he could choose more than two techniques. If he combined multiple natures, wouldn't that be incredible?

Akaseki's attack pattern in the game immediately changed. Instead of continuously spewing fire at the monsters, he first made the ground rise with a "krrack," enclosing the enemies in earth and stone before setting them ablaze from the outside. Besides dealing damage, it could now trap his enemies, too.

But...

Wait... do I know this technique now?

Akaseki hesitated. He didn't feel as though he had learned any new ninjutsu. Then he seemed to realize something and hurriedly activated his Sharingan. Activating the Sharingan for real had no effect on the game, so he used it to analyze the "combination ninjutsu" he was currently using!

The good news was that Akaseki felt his Sharingan was memorizing the combination ninjutsu!

The bad news was that, judging by the rate it was recording the technique, he wouldn't be able to memorize it...

Before Akaseki could feel disappointed, he noticed something else.

The way his Sharingan "copied" techniques was different from before!

Previously, if Akaseki failed to copy a ninjutsu, he had to start over. He would ask Brother Fugaku or Brother Yashiro to slow down. If they slowed down so much that they could no longer use the technique, and Akaseki still couldn't copy it, then he simply couldn't copy it.

But now it was different...

Akaseki discovered that even if he failed to "copy" the technique, his progress was saved, and he could continue copying it the next time!

After thinking about it, Akaseki understood why!

When "copying" someone else's ninjutsu, anything short of success counted as failure.

But now, in theory, he was copying a technique he was using himself, so his progress was preserved.

In other words...

In theory, no matter how low his copying efficiency was in this situation, he could eventually copy the technique!

The third wave began soon, but his copying progress was still negligible.

Looking at the rewards, Akaseki first ruled out the other ninjutsu. Adding another technique now might overwrite the [Roasting Hell Technique], and it would definitely make copying it even harder.

At the same time, Akaseki noticed...

"Two Earth Clones? What's this?" Akaseki spotted a reward that wasn't a ninjutsu or ninja tool, so he chose it without hesitation.

After he smashed the chest, two clones appeared beside Akaseki. They automatically used the same techniques as him, greatly boosting his damage output. Even his ninjutsu-copying efficiency seemed to improve!

Akaseki was secretly relieved and continued copying.

However...

Akaseki had barely copied the basics of the [Roasting Hell Technique] when he "died."

"No, no... The Roasting Hell Technique can hinder enemies, but it's less lethal, and it takes too long to switch directions. Even with clones, I can't hold back the fifth wave..." Akaseki shook his head helplessly.

This game, where he could copy "combination ninjutsu," seemed great, but... after dying a few times, Akaseki realized it was nowhere near as efficient as he'd first imagined!

Because it was "himself" using the ninjutsu, his progress was preserved even if he died before successfully copying the technique. But continuing to copy it wasn't easy...

After all, he wouldn't randomly get the same combination of ninjutsu every time!

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Akaseki knew a great many ninjutsu...

For example, with the [Roasting Hell Technique], Akaseki had to randomly get both the "Great Fireball Technique" and "Earth Prison Dome of Nothingness" in his next game, then choose them again before he could continue copying it.

He also had to balance "game strength" against "real-world copying efficiency."

At first, Akaseki only considered which combination ninjutsu he could copy and didn't care about "game strength" at all. The result was...

He died too quickly!

His efficiency suffered as a result...

On the other hand, if he focused only on "game strength," fusing some incredibly powerful combination ninjutsu would let him keep playing indefinitely. But with his Two-Tomoe Ninjutsu Eye, he wouldn't be able to copy a thing.

When that happened, Akaseki usually just ended the game and started another round!

To copy as efficiently as possible, he had to balance the two.

By the time nearly all eight hours of the trial had passed (one hour in reality), Akaseki still hadn't successfully copied a single ninjutsu.

But it wasn't as though there was no hope...

Akaseki estimated that he could copy a relatively simple "combination ninjutsu" like the [Roasting Hell Technique] after rolling it two or three times. If he hadn't been unfamiliar with the mechanics during the first few rounds, he might already have copied a combination ninjutsu successfully.

Akaseki also understood that if he had the "Three-Tomoe Sharingan," his copying efficiency would rise dramatically. He could copy some simple combination ninjutsu in a single game, without relying on "probability" to get them a second time. His efficiency would naturally skyrocket.

Even now, success wasn't impossible. After all, there would be another chance to try it out.

[External disturbance detected. Immersion interrupted...]

"Tanuki... Tanuki..."

There was still some time left in Akaseki's game trial when he was jolted awake. He opened his eyes and saw that the Little Tanuki Beast had woken up too and was nudging him...