The final result of the match quickly became clear.
Jiraiya slumped to the ground, pounding the floor in frustration.
Meanwhile, Naruto stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily.
Kakashi could only facepalm in exasperation, 'This master-disciple pair was truly something...'
Although Jiraiya had the ability to gather intel, his actual technical skills were just too lacking.
To the point where even Naruto seemed more skilled than him.
The two of them finally decided the match in the fifth round.
After understanding the mechanics of these Ninja, Kakashi felt confident that he could beat Naruto in a rematch with at least a 90% win rate.
But that was assuming... his luck wasn't too terrible.
The antics of these two were just a small interlude during dinner.
After calming down, Jiraiya reminded Naruto, "Now that several forms of your future self have been released, even though they're from the future..."
"No matter what, you should use these three forms, Kurama Link Mode, Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and Sage Mode, as your main team. The growth and abilities you'll gain from them will definitely surpass everyone else's!!"
"And these are literally future versions of you. The ninjutsu abilities and fighting styles are tailor-made for you, so they're the perfect fit."
Jiraiya spoke with a serious expression.
Naruto nodded earnestly, equally serious.
Because he knew that while this Pervy Sage was usually carefree and joking around, when he got serious, it was always about something incredibly important.
So Naruto quickly followed Jiraiya's advice, setting his team to the three 'future versions of himself' that Jiraiya had mentioned.
As Jiraiya watched Naruto replace his regular form and Sage Mode with Naruto's future versions, a sly grin spread across his face.
"Hahahaha~ If you ever miss my handsome face, you can always switch back to me for a bit."
Although Jiraiya's special ability, 'Intel,' was incredibly powerful… after all, being able to gather information with minimal prerequisites was a godsend for any Ninja, it couldn't be ignored that the Ninjas one chose in the game also had a huge impact on their strength!
Now, Jiraiya could instantly activate Sage Mode, something even the toad couple found unbelievable.
In the eyes of the toad couple, the little Jiraiya they once knew was no longer the 'untalented' child.
As for techniques like the Rasengan... Jiraiya's proficiency in these had also improved significantly.
Moreover, while looking in the mirror, Jiraiya vaguely sensed something about himself...
His ability, Intel, still had room to grow.
And this growth could be achieved by unlocking other forms of himself in the game.
How much strength a player could gain from their chosen Ninja depended on three main criteria:
1. Character Understanding Score: How well the player understands the chosen character.
2. Character Operation Score: How skilled the player is at controlling the character in the game. Generally, the higher the player's rank, the stronger this score.
3. Character Compatibility Score: How well the player's own abilities align with the character's abilities.
Many players had blindly chosen Edo Tensei Hashirama, as their main character. But now, those who had mindlessly picked him were starting to swap him out for other Ninja or even Kakashi.
The reason was simple: They weren't naturally skilled in Wood Release. No matter how much they understood Hashirama or how proficient they were at playing Edo Tensei Hashirama in the game...
Compatibility was the biggest issue.
Because they don't know how to use Wood Release, their attempts at it were just poor imitations.
Instead, they found it better to choose a versatile Ninja who perfectly matched their own abilities, Hatake Kakashi.
As Konoha's top technician, Kakashi was proficient in all five basic Nature Transformations, and his fighting style was more adaptable for the average Ninja... achieving the most with the least amount of Chakra.
Moreover, Kakashi was skilled not only in Ninjutsu but also in Genjutsu and Taijutsu.
In short, as long as one chose Kakashi, no matter what kind of Ninja they were, they could gain significant improvements.
And for the players who had versions of themselves in the game, choosing their own character was undoubtedly the best option.
1. Since they know themselves best, they can max out the Character Understanding Score.
2. Their own Ninjutsu perfectly aligns with the in-game character's abilities, so the Character Compatibility Score is also maxed out.
3. As long as their character in the game isn't extremely weak to the point of being unplayable, they can grind matches to improve their Character Operation Score.
With these factors in mind, it's clear that for players who have versions of themselves in the game, choosing their own in-game character is undoubtedly the best option.
Moreover, through his Intel ability, Jiraiya discovered another piece of information...
For players who have awakened 'special abilities,' such as Kakashi's 'Fifty-Fifty' ability or Naruto's 'Talk No Jutsu' ability, equipping their corresponding in-game characters can enhance these three major scores, thereby strengthening their special abilities.
And Jiraiya also vaguely sensed that he still had at least two more forms yet to be released.
Once all his forms were unlocked, he felt his 'Intel' ability could improve significantly.
The only remaining issue was his gameplay skills.
This was the part that frustrated Jiraiya the most, as gameplay was practically a nightmare for him.
But gradually, he realized that having perfect mechanics wasn't the only way to score high in the Character Operation Score.
As long as he could reach a high rank and maintain a decent win rate, that would be enough.
Through his Intel, Jiraiya caught a glimpse of something called 'Ninja Way Points.'
Although it hadn't been implemented in the game yet, his Intel told him that this scoring system would appear in the future.
The calculation method was simple: win a match to gain points, lose a match to lose points.
The amount of points gained or lost would vary depending on the rank.
Therefore, the Character Operation Score could be tied to this future 'Ninja Way Points' system.
…
Under Jiraiya's guidance, Naruto equipped three future versions of himself.
As a result, Naruto's dual special abilities, Talk No Jutsu and Killing Intent, would also be enhanced.
Thinking about Naruto's performance in the story and the heights he would reach in the future, Jiraiya grew increasingly excited, 'With the powerful abilities of Talk No Jutsu and Killing Intent, how high could Naruto soar in the future?'