Shihōin Naraku sorted through the rewards from this draw, examining them one by one.
"Super Sonic Vibration Lightning Blade? That sounds like a move used by Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Infusing a blade with lightning release chakra generated ultrahigh-frequency vibrational waves, enhancing its sharpness and penetrating power.
"Just like the Chidori Blade Sasuke develops in the future, it coats the blade in lightning release chakra for roughly the same effect. I think Killer B used this very move to block Sasuke's Chidori Blade!"
It was a very practical ability!
Especially since Shihōin Naraku had just obtained Kurikara, this technique would come in handy right away.
"Hand Seals Master-this is an ability from the Naruto world, right?"
Shihōin Naraku asked the system directly. The answer confirmed it, and he also learned the reward's specific effects.
Hand Seals Master applied to him personally. From now on, no matter what ninjutsu he used, he could not only form hand seals extremely quickly, but also perform them with one hand.
Most importantly, it simplified his hand seals!
Take Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, for example!
Zabuza Momochi and Kakashi Hatake needed an absurd forty-four seals to perform this ninjutsu, but the Second Hokage could successfully cast it with just three.
From now on, Shihōin Naraku could do what the Second Hokage did, forming the fewest seals in the shortest time and releasing his ninjutsu before the enemy could react.
"Very practical!"
"For a ninja, a single instant determines life and death!"
"And with Hand Seals Master, I can seize that instant in battle to defeat the enemy!"
Shihōin Naraku then looked at the final reward, Sun Breathing, an ability from the world of Demon Slayer.
This breathing style could strengthen cardiopulmonary function, using the blood to take in a large amount of oxygen in an instant and thereby temporarily enhancing physical capabilities by a substantial margin.
This ability was useful to Shihōin Naraku, but the improvement was not all that great. After all, he had other ways to improve. However, the thirteen sword forms, or moves, that came with Sun Breathing were a tremendous help to him.
Upon mastering Sun Breathing, Shihōin Naraku instantly learned twelve of its sword forms and became proficient in them, greatly improving his swordsmanship.
For now, however, he still could not slash fifteen hundred times in an instant like its founder, Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
Perhaps once he could execute the twelve sword forms perfectly and link them into a cycle, he would have a chance to complete the thirteenth form!
But Sun Breathing's benefits did not end there. The system informed him that if he could master Sun Breathing to the highest realm of Total Concentration and maintain it even while sleeping, he could slowly improve his constitution.
This was good news for Shihōin Naraku. After all, his constitution was indeed somewhat weaker than his mind. Now that he had a way to improve it, he did not mind if it was slow.
"Phew..."
After letting out a long breath, Shihōin Naraku took another deep breath. Feeling his heart beating within his body, he began changing his breathing rhythm, stopping only once he had fully switched to Sun Breathing.
Then, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, Shihōin Naraku maintained Sun Breathing's rhythm without letting it slip. He did not know whether it was his imagination, but he felt his constitution slowly growing stronger.
Over the next few days, Shihōin Naraku devoted all his time to Sun Breathing, trying to reach the highest realm of Total Concentration as soon as possible.
Perhaps because he had mastered Sun Breathing's twelve sword forms, he could already maintain its rhythm while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down without disrupting it.
For now, however, he still could not maintain this state while sleeping.
No one knew that Shihōin Naraku's strength was increasing at a visible rate.
Time passed quickly, and several months slipped away in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Shihōin Naraku fully assimilated his surging strength and made his foundations even more solid.
Through persistent effort, he reached the highest realm of Sun Breathing's Total Concentration. He could now maintain his breathing rhythm even while sleeping, strengthening his constitution at a slow rate imperceptible to the naked eye.
While Shihōin Naraku improved his strength step by step, Konohagakure remained peaceful and stable.
A small problem arose on Naruto Uzumaki's side, however: Sasuke Uchiha discovered that he was secretly doing tree-climbing practice.
Ever since their last ninja sparring session, Sasuke Uchiha had noticed that Naruto Uzumaki's strength had actually improved considerably. The dead last he used to defeat in short order could now exchange blows with him for a while, and sometimes he even had to concentrate fully to maintain the upper hand.
Faced with this, how could Sasuke Uchiha, who considered himself a genius and was immensely proud, possibly stand it? After following Naruto in what he believed was a covert manner, he discovered Naruto Uzumaki's "secret"!
Thus, after a verbal clash, Sasuke Uchiha joined Naruto Uzumaki and likewise began tree-climbing practice ahead of schedule.
Although his chakra control was considerably better, Sasuke occasionally suffered Naruto Uzumaki's mockery during tree-climbing practice. But Naruto was also generous, sharing the tips Kakashi Hatake and Hiruzen Sarutobi had taught him with Sasuke Uchiha.
Faced with Naruto Uzumaki's loud mockery, Sasuke Uchiha found it hard to talk back after accepting his help, but occasionally he could no longer hold back and exploded, getting fired up. The two would then fight, leaving Naruto with a bruised face and Sasuke slightly better off, though still in a sorry state.
But Naruto Uzumaki's constitution was extraordinarily outrageous, and he recovered faster, so in a sense, the two had bizarrely fought to a draw.
Meanwhile, beneath the surface, the bond between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha grew ever deeper.
Neither of them noticed, however, and they still bickered loudly with each other.
At a training ground somewhere in Konohagakure.
Click!
Kurikara slid into its sheath and vanished. Shihōin Naraku lowered his hand and let out a long breath, surveying the training ground around him, which resembled a ruin, with scattered flames still burning amid smoke and dust.
"That should about do it!"
"By a rough estimate, my strength should be at Kage level now, and not the kind of Kage-level fighter who's just making up the numbers!"
A smile appeared on Shihōin Naraku's face as he looked at the gradually subsiding smoke and dust over the training ground, then turned and left.
"My training is causing bigger and bigger disturbances. My private training ground was destroyed last time. This one isn't completely wrecked, but it'll still need repairs. Looks like I'll have to find another training ground next time."
Shihōin Naraku felt somewhat troubled. Although Konohagakure had more than fifty training grounds, they would not last long at the rate he was wrecking them.
"Will I have to go outside the village...?"
Thinking about his own affairs, Shihōin Naraku arrived at the Forest Behind the Mountain.
He had been busy with his own affairs over the past few months and had not visited Naruto Uzumaki at all. In any case, he had already hinted at his plans to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shihōin Naraku guessed that the other man had understood what he meant.
Otherwise, why had no one come to ask him to keep an eye on Naruto Uzumaki all this time?
Having just finished training, Shihōin Naraku was in no hurry and made his way leisurely to the Forest Behind the Mountain. But as soon as he approached, he heard a commotion.
"Heh heh, hahaha... Stupid Sasuke, you lost!"
It was Naruto's smug laughter.
"Idiot!"
This voice was somewhat unfamiliar, but Shihōin Naraku recognized it as Sasuke Uchiha's.
It seemed that wherever these two went, they could never avoid arguing.
There was no helping it. The reincarnations of Indra's and Asura's chakra were just like that, getting along one moment and falling out the next, without end!
Before you continue