Search, Strike, Retreat

Indra watched Jackie Chan and the others bicker, a trace of nostalgia flashing through his eyes.

The memories of the chakra reincarnation body and his own personal experiences were fundamentally two different things.

He had truly struck it rich this time. All twelve talismans were in his hands.

Captain Black, his bald head gleaming brightly, stepped forward and patted Indra on the shoulder. "Indra, you made a great contribution this time. I'll apply for leave and a bonus for you."

He then held out his hand. "Now hand over the talismans so we can take them back to the secure Section 13 for safekeeping."

"Is Section 13 safe?"

Indra ignored Captain Black and gave him a speechless look.

Section 13 was about as secure as the Land of Light. Anyone, human or ghost, could come and go as they pleased. It was freer than a public restroom!

Besides, now that the talismans were in his hands, how could he possibly hand them over?

Captain Black frowned deeply, his tone turning stern. "What are you talking about, Officer Indra? Section 13 is the safest place in the world!"

"Compared to Section 13, I think the talismans have somewhere safer to go."

Indra clenched the Rabbit Talisman and turned to bid Jackie Chan and the others farewell. "See you next time, Jackie Chan, Jade, Uncle."

The moment Indra finished speaking, he activated the Rabbit Talisman's magic.

Whoosh!!!

His figure vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a black afterimage stretching all the way to the palace ruins.

Captain Black stood stunned for a full second before reacting. "Indra betrayed us!? He took the talismans!!"

This sudden turn of events caught Jackie Chan and the others completely off guard as well.

Indra's figure abruptly appeared amid the ruins of Shendu's palace.

The chakra reincarnation body had built up its credibility points for so long. It was the perfect time for him to cash them in.

Though he could still stay for another month, Indra had no intention of wasting any more time.

The most important twelve talismans were already in hand. To avoid getting overturned by the good-versus-evil ELO system, it was better to leave as soon as possible.

But before leaving, Indra intended to take a few more good things.

He might not need them now, but that might not be the case in the future.

"One of the Shadow Army's nine masks, the Ninja Shadow Mask, happens to be in Shendu's collection."

Indra took out the Rooster Talisman, and vast telekinetic power instantly enveloped the entire open expanse of ruins.

Rumble!!!

The ground shook violently as huge swathes of earth were forcibly ripped up, as if by an invisible giant hand!

A hidden underground tunnel was immediately exposed before his eyes.

Indra flashed into the passage, passed a pile of gold, silver, and jewels, and arrived before an ancient treasure chest at the depths of the vault.

He used telekinesis to open the chest from afar, revealing a purple-red mask with two horns.

This mask corresponded to Nija, the Oni General of the Shadow Army—the demon who commanded the Ninja Corps.

The Ninja Corps' soldiers were agile, proficient in karate and lightness skills, and also skilled at long-range attacks. They were the Shadow Army's most versatile force.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Masks had an obvious flaw. Wearing one would gradually allow the demon soul sealed within it to erode and take over the wearer's body.

Compared to items like the twelve talismans, which could still function even if all one had left was style, the Shadow Masks were far inferior.

"If I keep it under control, it's still a pretty good item."

"Shendu gained control over the Ninja Corps by drawing upon the mask's energy. Maybe I can try replicating that."

In the world of Naruto, chakra really could control shadows.

If he studied it properly, perhaps he could steal—or even control—the Shadow Army as well!

Indra hesitated no longer. With a thought, he connected to the All-Heavens Pearl and instantly returned to the All-Heavens Space.

Through this transit point, Indra returned to his hotel room.

Looking at Tsunade sleeping soundly beside him, Indra glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Looks like time was paused when I left."

"Time in the Jackie Chan Adventures world continued to pass after I left, but the rate is unknown."

When he had gone there, it had clearly been at the point when the chakra reincarnation body died.

Yet after returning from this trip, there was no fixed point in time like a game save at all.

"One of the drawbacks of chakra reincarnation, but its benefits are obvious."

Indra looked at the Ninja Shadow Mask in his hand, as well as the twelve talismans in his ninja tool pouch.

If he had traveled there simultaneously, at most he would have been able to share the memories and origin of his other self. There was no way he could have obtained these items.

He carefully walked out of the room, took out the Rabbit Talisman, and activated the magic contained within it.

Whoosh—!

Indra turned into a blur indistinguishable to the naked eye and returned to his home in the Uchiha Compound in the blink of an eye.

He hid the Ninja Shadow Mask in a false compartment in the cabinet, then returned to the room at the Tanzaku Street inn within seconds.

After several experiments, Indra concluded that the power of the Twelve Talismans had likely not been diminished.

Besides that, he found it was best to use only two talismans at a time.

It was not that there was anything wrong with the talismans, but that his own mental stamina was limited.

Each talisman's power was independent and required separate focus to control.

Even with the Tiger Talisman maintaining the balance between the talismans' powers, it was difficult to wield the magic of more than four talismans at once.

"Using two things at once is fine. Three is barely manageable. But four or five, and my mind turns into a complete mess."

This was probably another part of saintly Lo Pei's plan to weaken Shendu.

Even if Shendu gathered all twelve talismans, he would still be unable to freely use their powers, greatly weakening his combat ability.

"That explains it. No wonder Shendu acted like he had Down syndrome before. So it wasn't just because of that good-versus-evil ELO mechanic."

But in Indra's eyes, this minor issue was nothing at all.

Taking out the Dog Talisman and Horse Talisman and clutching them in his palms, Indra immediately began refining chakra.

Chakra was the fusion of physical energy and spiritual energy. Excessive consumption and refinement were extremely harmful to the body.

In the future, Nagato would become as skinny as a skeleton from overexhausting his chakra.

Although Indra possessed Uchiha blood and had stronger vitality than ordinary people, he still could not compare to the Uzumaki Clan.

To avoid stunted growth from excessively refining chakra, Indra had always kept himself in check before.

But now, he no longer needed to restrain himself.

"The immortal Dog and the noble Horse—it's time to show me just how unfathomable my talent is!"

"Chakra refinement, activate!!"

With no more reservations, Indra began crazily squeezing every one of the 130 trillion cells in his body.

Bit by bit, chakra was squeezed from his body as though wringing out a sponge, flowing throughout his body along his meridian system.

Indra's skin visibly shriveled at a rapid pace. The next moment, the Dog Talisman's power of immortality surged forth, replenishing the life force he was continuously consuming.

At the same time, the Horse Talisman's power of recovery took effect, healing the damaged cells and meridian system within Indra's body.

One night passed.

Feeling the chakra flowing within his body, Indra was beside himself with excitement.

His "potential" was far too outrageous. In just one night, his chakra reserves had increased by thirty percent.

Unfortunately, his body had not fully developed yet. Otherwise, he definitely could have refined even more chakra.