Three Armies from the Start

Hatake Sakumo had asked Kakashi to meet the two of them. Kakashi paid little attention to Might Guy, but what Nara Tsukimi had done caught his eye. The three Ninja Academy students were still lying there.

As far as Kakashi knew, the Nara clan's Shadow Secret Technique couldn't do anything like that. Hatake Sakumo had never mentioned it, either.

A Ninjutsu he invented? Or a Kekkei Genkai?

Curious, Kakashi walked over and asked casually, "Hey, you two. What are your names?"

Tsukimi turned toward the voice and saw Kakashi as a child. Even at this age, the little white-haired brat had already mastered the art of acting cool.

Keep showing off, brat. You might lose an eye someday!

Might Guy froze for a moment, then broke into a grin. Pointing a thumb at himself, he declared, "I'm Might Guy! One day, I'll be stronger than anyone else!"

Nara Tsukimi knew the bowl-cut kid would actually pull it off. Kakashi, meanwhile, gave him a flat, unimpressed look before turning to Tsukimi.

Meeting Kakashi's gaze, Tsukimi nodded. "I'm Nara Tsukimi. I'm a new student this year too."

"Was that a Ninjutsu you invented?" Kakashi couldn't hold back the question once he knew Tsukimi's name.

"More or less."

Kakashi gave him a long look. "I look forward to fighting you. Don't disappoint me." With that, he turned and entered the school, walking off like a boy who believed no one could beat him.

That's Kakashi for you. This cocky little white-haired brat belongs at the same table as Optimus Prime!

"Come find me when you have time. We can train our taijutsu together."

After watching Kakashi and his father enter the school, Tsukimi said goodbye to Guy and headed for the Nara Compound. He needed a proper look at the Tara Mask.

Back at his courtyard in the compound, Tsukimi sat beneath the rear veranda and carefully went through every ability and rule of the Tara Mask.

The confusion and anxiety he had carried for the two years since arriving in this world vanished at that moment.

As expected, the Tara Mask's power was to summon the Nine Shadowkhan Armies.

But there were two differences from the original Jackie Chan Adventures. First, the nine armies unlocked in three batches. He had to develop all three armies in a batch to their limit—summoning fifty members of each at once—before the next batch would unlock.

The second difference was the most important: the Nine Generals were gone. Or rather, they had existed, but crossing over with him had changed them into something else.

The Nine Generals had become enhancements to his own abilities, with each general corresponding to a different ability. The further he developed an army, the stronger its enhancement became. Developing it to the limit would grant the full enhancement.

The three armies Tsukimi had just gained had already given him three such enhancements.

The Ninja Tribe appeared most often in the original Jackie Chan Adventures and was well-rounded in every respect. Its gift was precise Chakra control. Tsukimi had completed his tree-climbing and water-walking training long ago, but the Ninja Tribe took his control to another level.

The Samurai Tribe had arguably performed worst of all the armies in the original. Maybe it was because General Ikazuki had ended up stuck on Finn's backside, but the Samurai Tribe had been beaten from start to finish.

Their performance had been downright awful.

Still, the Samurai Tribe's ability was good: it enhanced his Swordsmanship. Swordsmanship had a place throughout nearly every stage of the ninja world's history, and it would shore up Tsukimi's weakness in close combat.

The Troll Tribe, last of the three, was absolutely incredible. It enhanced his physical strength, which meant not only better taijutsu but also more Chakra.

Chakra was made up of physical and spiritual energy. As someone who had crossed over and practiced his clan's Yin Release secret techniques, Tsukimi had already possessed a substantial Chakra reserve. With the Troll Tribe's boost, he was another step closer to having Chakra by the ton.

The Shadowkhan Armies covered mid- and long-range attacks, while Swordsmanship and taijutsu covered close combat. He had no weakness at any range. The only thing missing was a decisive finishing move. Perhaps one of the remaining six armies would provide it.

While Tsukimi was still exploring his new abilities, Nara Shikaku strolled in, looking as laid-back as ever.

"I've heard what happened at the school gates."

Shikaku sat beside him and looked at the Shadowkhan Tsukimi had yet to dismiss. His tone turned serious.

"That technique of yours is nothing like the traditional Nara arts. Now that you've shown it, a lot of people will probably take notice."

"Power that unusual tends to attract prying eyes and schemes. Be careful from now on."

Tsukimi dismissed the Shadowkhan and smiled faintly. He wasn't panicking. He was no longer the person who had thought only of staying alive when he first arrived in this world.

He was no longer the newcomer who would have scrambled to run and hide.

I've got my own cheat now!

Seeing Tsukimi's newfound confidence, Shikaku said no more about it. Instead, he addressed what had been weighing on Tsukimi's mind.

"Ever since you read through those records two years ago, you've resisted becoming a Ninja."

Tsukimi started to explain, but Shikaku raised a hand to stop him.

"You don't have to explain. Whatever you were thinking back then, I only wanted you to make more friends when I sent you to the Ninja Academy."

"Your parents entrusted you to me before they died. Even if something does happen in the future, I'll make sure you're safe."

Konoha's greatest strategist really does live up to his reputation.

Shikaku's words swept away Tsukimi's last misgiving. As long as he wasn't being sent off to die, that was enough.

Seeing the resolve in Tsukimi's eyes, Shikaku smiled.

"Made up your mind?"

"Yeah." Tsukimi nodded. "I'll take school and training seriously from now on."

As he had studied the Shadowkhan Armies' abilities, he'd discovered that fighting was the best way to unlock their potential. The greater an opponent's potential and strength, the more progress he gained. Training alone, by contrast, would be very slow.

That morning, Tsukimi had planned to coast through school. Now it was no longer a prison to him, but the first stepping stone on his way up.

Every student there was a crop waiting for him to harvest.

"I need a batch of high-grade medicinal herbs to strengthen my body and build a solid foundation."

Shikaku laughed. "Submit a request to the storeroom. I'll approve the whole thing."

With that, Shikaku got up and left, leaving Tsukimi alone in the courtyard.

Nights in the forest always brought back old memories. As Tsukimi recalled his previous life, regret welled up inside him.

He had scored 90.5 on the aptitude test and 89.5 on the written essay—a total of 180 that put him ahead of everyone else. He had been one step away from securing a civil-service post.

Then the Great Truck Deity had come for him.

Fuck! My government job!

Tsukimi would leave no regrets in this life. He would take control of his own fate.

First, he would set himself two small goals.

First: make it through the Ninja Academy!

Second: survive the Third Shinobi World War!

Third: to hell with fairness!