The Satoru Gojo Template

The dismissal bell rang, and the homeroom teacher left. The classroom quickly grew noisy.

Someone beside Eiji poked his shoulder. He turned to find Kushina looking too embarrassed to ask for what she wanted.

"Um, if it's okay..."

Kushina wanted to try one of Eiji's sweets. She had watched him eat them all period, and he was clearly skilled at making daifuku. Even as a princess of the Uzumaki Clan, she could hardly resist.

"Oh, go ahead. There's plenty left, and I promise they're good."

Eiji pushed the box of sweets toward Kushina, keeping one Kikufuku in his hand. It was the last one he needed to eat to complete the task. She could have the rest.

"Really? Thank you!"

Kushina smiled. She could feel Eiji's kindness, and most of the frustration left by her classmates' mockery faded away.

She picked one up and took a small bite.

Her eyes widened. She had never tasted a sweet this good!

"It's delicious! Where did you buy these?"

Kushina stared at Eiji in disbelief.

"Hm? I made them myself. You can't buy this flavor anywhere."

"You did? You're amazing..."

Eiji was in a good mood. Everyone liked praise, and Kushina was giving him plenty of it.

"If you like them, you can have the whole box. Don't feel bad about it. Honestly, I've eaten so many I'm about to be sick."

Giving them to Kushina meant making a friend and not wasting food. Two birds with one stone. Eiji certainly wasn't eating any more. Whoever wanted them could have them!

"Oh... Then thank you!"

Kushina had been about to refuse, but after hearing that, she accepted. They really were delicious. She would take them back for Tsunade and Grandma Mito to try.

Eiji popped the last one into his mouth, excitement rising in his chest. He was about to unlock the system—and finally be done eating the damned things.

As he swallowed the daifuku, a mechanical voice sounded in his head.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have unlocked the Character Template System!]

[Current Character Template: Satoru Gojo]

[Character Fusion Rate: 5%]

[Current Fusion Abilities: Six Eyes, Limitless]

Eiji's eyes lit up. Six Eyes and Limitless, right from the start?

How was that any different from starting with top-tier gear?

Six Eyes could see the flow of energy inside an enemy's body, letting him predict their next move. It could also reveal abnormal energy flow in his own body, which meant most Genjutsu would be useless against him! It was like an upgraded Sharingan, minus the ability to cast Genjutsu.

It could also detect living beings' energy from vast distances in every direction, see through obstacles and disguises, and let him observe things remotely. It was practically a Byakugan without the restrictions of the Caged Bird Seal.

It also allowed energy manipulation down to the atomic level. In other words, Eiji would be exceptionally good at Medical Ninjutsu.

Most importantly, it gave him nearly limitless energy. Six Eyes could reduce energy consumption until it was almost zero.

Put simply, Eiji now had eyes that combined an upgraded Sharingan, an upgraded Byakugan, and an almost bottomless energy reserve.

And Limitless was even more incredible. It could put him in a state where nothing could touch him.

Anything approaching him would remain infinitely far away.

To an observer, an object would slow almost to a stop as it neared him, never quite making contact. An absolute defensive barrier.

[Hint: Host can earn Experience Points by defeating enemies to increase Fusion Rate. Acting in ways consistent with Satoru Gojo will also increase it.]

Eiji's mouth curved slightly. As powerful as Satoru Gojo was, Eiji couldn't make himself adopt the man's entire personality.

Gojo was almost too kind. He held back against ordinary people and tried to take Curse Users alive. Only Cursed Spirits received no such mercy.

Eiji, on the other hand, thought the best way to deal with vicious Curse Users was to kill them outright.

Still, Eiji was a good person at heart. If he could, he wanted to protect the people he cared about.

[Ding! Behavior consistent with Satoru Gojo detected. Character Fusion Rate +5%. Current Fusion Rate: 10%.]

Oh, that much in one go?

Then again, Gojo's kindness was a huge part of his appeal.

Eiji often helped people in trouble. That made him a kind person too, didn't it?

Wait. What happens when my Fusion Rate reaches one hundred percent? Wouldn't any more Experience Points go to waste?

[Ding! When the host reaches maximum Fusion Rate, the Shop System will unlock! Experience Points earned thereafter will be converted into currency at a fixed rate! Once the host completes all major events in the current world, a gateway to the next world will open! The host may travel freely between worlds he has visited!]

Whoa. I can even go to other worlds!?

Does that mean I could clear the Shinobi World, take the Six Paths Power to the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, and beat up Sukuna?

Even Eiji, usually so composed, struggled to contain himself after gaining such extraordinary power. The corners of his mouth kept lifting, and he kept forcing them back down.

And defeating enemies earns Experience Points.

By his reckoning, the Second Shinobi World War was just around the corner. A perfect chance for Konoha's GOAT to rack up some numbers.

You know how it is. My fellow Konoha shinobi have always been my brothers. As for the other Shinobi Villages, I wish them all the best.

While Eiji was still basking in the joy of being James, an ill-timed laugh interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, Tomato Girl! Why'd you come to Konoha from the Land of Whirlpools? We don't want red-haired freaks like you here!"

A group of students surrounded Eiji and Kushina's desk. The first to speak was Tanaka Shinji, who threw his weight around in class because his older brother was a Genin. A few lackeys followed him everywhere.

"Her parents probably died in the Land of Whirlpools! The fighting was brutal over there. The whole country's gone now!"

Humiliated and furious, Kushina clenched her fists. Her long red hair began thrashing like an octopus's tentacles.

"Tomato Freak sure knows how to pick her friends. This guy's a freak too. Two freaks together—what a perfect match! Hahahaha—Gah!"

Just as Kushina was about to stand up and teach the brats a lesson, a ninja textbook shot past her cheek and slammed into Shinji's face, knocking him sprawling.

"Sorry, sorry. You were hurting my ears, and my hand slipped."

Eiji still held his throwing pose. His apology did not sound sincere.

Kushina stared at Eiji in astonishment. It wasn't that he had fought back—she simply hadn't expected a thrown book to knock someone over. Was her deskmate actually really strong?