"Come on, let me see your swordsmanship!"
Naruto stared at Itachi with great anticipation, focusing every ounce of his attention to him.
Swish, swish, swish!
Itachi began demonstrating an entire sequence of sword techniques with fluid grace, his movements flawless and uninterrupted.
When he finished, he turned to Naruto, "How was it? Did you get it?"
In Naruto's previous world, any instructor who dared to teach like this would have been beaten to death.
After all, this wasn't teaching… it was just showing off. Expecting someone to master an intricate sequence after a single performance was nothing short of ridiculous.
Every detail needed to be studied and practiced repeatedly. No matter how talented, no one could learn something this quickly.
However, Naruto's face showed no trace of frustration. Instead, he smirked smugly, "Got it. Let's move on to the next set!"
Thanks to the Sharingan's insight and copying abilities, Itachi's movements had appeared slowed down to Naruto's eyes. Though the entire sequence seemed to complete in an instant, Naruto could perceive every subtle detail with perfect clarity.
Sharingan's copying abilities has already analyzed the movements and stored them deep in his mind, just like when the system rewarded him. Upward thrust, horizontal slash, continuous thrust, aerial pursuit, whirlwind slash, this set of swordsmanship has become an ability that Naruto seemed to born with.
'As expected, the Sharingan, one of the three great Dojutsu, is overpowered!'
"Alright then, let's continue." Itachi said, resuming his demonstration.
As Naruto observed, he noticed a pattern: Itachi's every combo began with a basic move, which varied each time, but the follow-ups were always executed with flair and finesse.
By the time the sun was fully up, Itachi concluded his lesson.
"That's all the sword techniques I can teach you. I've shown you the basics and demonstrated how they can be linked into combos. The rest is up to your creativity."
Itachi sheathed his weapon and smiled at Naruto.
Though he had taught others before, teaching Naruto was a uniquely satisfying experience.
After all, with the Sharingan, Naruto needed no explanations, just a single demonstration. It was efficient and effective, saving everyone time and effort.
Not only Itachi thought so, Naruto felt the same way, 'If I had such ability in his previous life, I would have been admitted to a top university and lived the dream life.'
However, the enticing aroma of freshly prepared breakfast, courtesy of Kakuzu, broke his concentration. Hunger took over, and Naruto followed the scent to the dining table.
After breakfast, Naruto stored the villa in his system inventory, and the group resumed their journey eastward.
As they traveled, Naruto flew above the group, swinging his Zanpakuto continuously.
Swish, swish, swish!
The Sharingan replicates Itachi's movements, which may be the most comfortable for Itachi, but because of the different physiques, it is a bit awkward for Naruto.
Throughout the day, Naruto adjusted the stances to better suit his own body. He also practiced increasingly complex combos, which are flashier and more intricate, solely for the sake of style.
For Naruto, striking cool poses and looking impressive was a lifelong pursuit!
To most men, heroism was found in shouldering responsibilities for family and country. But Naruto, who is still young, saw style as paramount. Cool moves and eye-catching aesthetics were the ultimate goals.
And he felt no shame in this pursuit. After all, everyone dreams of beauty, and if you have the ability, why not aim higher?
He flew all day, until the sun starts setting.
After a whole day of travel, Kisame, who had been running tirelessly, asked curiously, "Naruto-kun, aren't we taking a break?"
It wasn't that Kisame was tired. It was just that, usually by this time, they'd be stopping for one of Naruto's beloved games. So he wondered why they were still moving forward.
The daily games were sacred. And winning first place had become Kisame's obsession.
Naruto waved his hand and said, "Today's rest spot is different. I've prepared a fun and thrilling game. Let's keep moving."
"Alright!"
Hearing Naruto's words, everyone immediately perked up.
For something Naruto described as fun and thrilling, it was bound to be a serious challenge. The group was energized, and a tense atmosphere gradually enveloped the team.
Finally, they arrived at the outskirts of a village.
Upon seeing the village, Itachi couldn't help but frown, "This is Orochimaru's Otogakure… What are we doing here?"
"Of course, we're here for the game." Naruto replied, patting Itachi on the shoulder, "Relax. Since it's on the way, checking in on Sasuke while we're here isn't a bad idea, right?"
"But if we reveal our identities now, it could affect Sasuke..."
Before Itachi could finish, Naruto interrupted, "That's simple. We can just use the Transformation Technique."
"But why does the game have to be here? Don't tell me you're planning to..."
Once again, Itachi's words were cut off as Naruto interrupted, "To be blunt, Sasuke doesn't qualify to join the game yet. The real reason we're here is for someone who can even get me excited."
"Who?"
Itachi asked again.
Naruto was about to answer but suddenly chuckled, "Speak of the devil. He's already here. Why don't we let him introduce himself?"
With that, Naruto looked toward the west.
The group followed Naruto's line of sight, but they saw nothing but empty air.
However, in the next moment, a pitch-black door materialized in midair. Following that, a figure emanating a chilling aura stepped out.
Yes, stepped out… walking steadily on air. The figure seemed to possess the ability to fly.
This person is none other than the reborn Orochimaru!
"So, you sensed my presence and only came out now? Are you neglecting your duty as host?" Naruto couldn't help but tease.
Orochimaru chuckled softly and said, "Naruto-kun, you jest. I've arrived as quickly as I could."
"Hmm, I suppose that's acceptable."
Naruto nodded slightly, maintaining a calm facade, though inwardly, he was astounded.
He realized Orochimaru appeared on the west side due to his Observation Haki, sensing someone was about to show up there. Yet, by all accounts, it should have been impossible for anyone to appear so suddenly.
To his surprise, Orochimaru emerged through a strange black door… which is clearly some advanced form of Space-Time ninjutsu. And more shockingly, Orochimaru could fly.
'This new version of Orochimaru was far more enigmatic than before… It's likely due to abilities acquired from Urashiki's body.'
Still, as Naruto's servant, Orochimaru was bound to his will, incapable of harming him, and obedient to every command. This gave Naruto some relief.
Taking out the Servant Contract from the system inventory, Naruto flipped to the first page and saw Orochimaru's attribute panel.
[Yomotsu Hirasaka: Ultimate Space-Time Ninjutsu, classified as Kekkei Mora. This technique enables free traversal of space, allowing the user to open a black portal at will. It facilitates travel within the same space or between dimensions.]
[Kekkei Mora: A supreme ability surpassing Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tota, formed by fusing the elemental natures of Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, Yin, and Yang.]
After seeing the skill introduction, Naruto was completely dumbfounded.
'Damn! A full-element Kekkei Mora ultimate Space-Time Ninjutsu? That's ridiculously overpowered!'
And that was just one of Orochimaru's new abilities. The Servant Contract detailed numerous others.
The more Naruto read, the more dumbfounded he became...