Shiratori lay on the bed inside the tent, studying his personal information panel.
[Personal Status Interface]
Name: Shiratori
Identity: Okkotsu Yuta / Cursed Spirit Mother
Age: 9 (24)
When he saw the age, he immediately frowned.
"When did I get a year older?"
Time really does fly like an arrow.
Just like that, another year had slipped by without him even realizing it.
Fortunately, the gains of this year had been quite substantial. The greatest achievement was obtaining four max-level cursed spirits.
And everyone knows that the power of max-level cursed spirits surpasses that of jonin. Spirits born from extreme emotions, like Rika, Rain, or Sukuna, are even stronger than ordinary max-level cursed spirits.
He sighed with satisfaction and continued reading.
---
Gender: Male
Primary Cursed Spirit: Orimoto Rika
Available Cursed Spirits:
- Orimoto Rika (Activated - 100)
- Sukuna Ryomen (Activated - 100%)
- Choso (Activated - 53%)
- Jogo (Activated - 55.6%)
- Mahito (Activated - 68.2%)
- Hanami (Activated - 92.05%)
- Kenjaku (Activated - 45%)
- Smallpox Deity (Activated - 100%)
- Guilt (Activated - 18%)
- Rain (Activated - 100%)
…[Expand for full list]
Host Abilities:
- Copy (Active - 100% capacity)
- Black Flash (Activated)
- Reverse Cursed Technique (Activated)
- Domain Expansion (Activated)
- Curse (Activated)
At a glance, the dense row of "Activated" statuses filled him with satisfaction. He tapped open the section for Copy.
Copy (Current Progress: 100%): Can copy all ninjutsu (including Senjutsu)
Available Technique Templates:
- Nanami Kento: Ratio Technique (Active)
- Ieiri Shoko: Reverse Cursed Technique (Active)
- Itadori Yuji: Divergent Fist (Active)
- Fushiguro Toji: Heavenly Restriction (Active)
- Mei Mei: Black Bird Manipulation (Active)
- Nishimiya Momo: Tool Manipulation (Active)
- Yorozu: Liquid Metal - Mercury (Active)
- Uraume: Ice Formation (Active)
- Yaga Masamichi: Cursed Corpse Manipulation (Active)
- Ogami: Séance Technique (Active)
- Hoshi Kirara: Love Rendezvous (Active)
- Uro Takako: Sky Manipulation (Active)
- Kamo Noritoshi: Blood Manipulation (Active)
- Zenin Naobito: Projection Sorcery (Active)
- Kugisaki Nobara: Straw Doll Technique (Active)
- Shigemo Haruta: Miracles (Active)
- Fushiguro Megumi: Ten Shadows Technique (Active)
- Zenin Mai: Construction (Active)
- Inumaki Toge: Cursed Speech (Locked)
…[Expand for additional options]
---
Until now, Shiratori had always been fighting on the battlefield, so he hadn't had time to carefully study the newly activated techniques.
Looking at them now, there were quite a few treasures.
He flipped through the system's introductions. Usually, he let the system narrate for him, but since he had already opened the personal information panel today, he might as well read them himself.
Takako's Sky Manipulation stood out in his memory. That was because he liked this ability very much.
Sky Manipulation, at its core, this technique manipulates space itself, specifically by creating, erasing, and moving spatial boundaries.
With this ability, he could "carve out" a portion of space, making it independent of the surrounding environment, like creating a floating "island" or "platform."
And this isolated space could follow his will, freely moving or changing shape.
Of course, since it was a technique that he coveted so much, it was impossible that this was its only power.
This technique could also erase space, directly connecting two originally distant points, thereby creating an effect similar to instant teleportation.
It was somewhat like Shukuchi, shrinking the ground to close distance. He could link points near himself, or he could link points near his enemies. By freely moving these "space blocks" that had been cut out or connected through the technique, he could displace objects or people located within them.
For example, during battle, he could slice apart the space his opponent occupied and hurl both the space and the enemy inside it into the air, or slam them down to the ground.
As for Haruta, he didn't like him, in fact, he could even say he found him unpleasant. But Haruta's technique, he really did like. The technique was called Miracles, and at its core was the principle of "storage."
It allowed him to store one-time, non-repeatable "miracles," and then later release them or attach them to his own attacks. This so-called "miracle" referred to powerful techniques or effects that others had once displayed before him. With this technique, he could store techniques or effects used in front of him, that is, he could store miracles.
Then, in battle, he could unleash the stored miracle, attaching it to his weapon or attack.
For instance, he could store Hanzō's poisonous mist attack. Later, when fighting an enemy, he could release that stored poisonous mist effect with a single swing of his weapon.
He was more than satisfied with this technique, it perfectly soothed the disappointment he felt over not being able to activate Toge's Cursed Speech.
Next was Noritoshi's Blood Manipulation.
This one was the easiest to understand: its principle was the precise manipulation of one's own blood through cursed energy.
He didn't even need to consult the system's explanation; he already knew the lore behind this technique. Blood Manipulation allowed its user to freely control blood outside the body, its shape, hardness, speed, trajectory, and so on.
Blood could be used as a weapon, a shield, and all sorts of tools. It was highly versatile, even useful for something like unlocking doors.
Of course, the limitations of this technique were also very obvious. Since it depended on blood, if he overused it, he might lose too much blood and die.
So he decided, starting tomorrow, he would replenish his blood as much as possible. The more blood in his body, the better.
If only he could control other people's blood instead, that would be perfect!
Endless supply, no worries about bleeding out!
He kept reading, arriving at Megumi's Ten Shadows Technique.
This one he was also very familiar with. After all, it was a hereditary technique of the Zenin clan.
Users of the Ten Shadows Technique possessed an extra-dimensional "shadow storehouse," within which were sealed ten different shikigami.
By forming specific hand shadow gestures as a medium and expending cursed energy, the user could summon shikigami, or even sink into their own shadow to move or defend. Even setting aside the offensive potential, he was already extremely satisfied with just the extra-dimensional "shadow storehouse."
Now that he had unlocked Construction, what he needed most was a portable storage space.
No matter how convenient sealing scrolls were, they couldn't compare to having an actual portable dimension.
The Ten Shadows Technique is not only a portable storage space, but within its shadow domain are also sealed various shikigami.
By forming specific shadow-hand signs and consuming cursed energy, the user can summon a shikigami, or submerge themselves into shadows for movement and defense.
Each shikigami has its own unique abilities and forms:
Divine Dogs: Divided into white and black. The white specializes in sensing, the black in defense.
Nue: A flying shikigami that can carry targets through the air or unleash lightning.
Great Serpent: Attacks mainly through constriction and devouring.
Toad: A large toad-like shikigami, similar to the toads of Mount Myōboku, though not nearly as powerful.
Max Elephant: A giant elephant shikigami capable of spraying high-pressure water.
Rabbit Escape: A swarm of rabbits, used to confuse and distract.
Round Deer: A one-antlered deer that can use Reverse Cursed Technique to heal itself.
Piercing Ox: Charges in a straight line; the farther the distance, the greater the damage.
Tiger Funeral: A massive tiger shikigami, used for combat and pursuit.
Of course, the one that truly excites Shiratori is the strongest shikigami, Mahoraga, the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General.
It had the ability of "adaptation," capable of overcoming all phenomena, growing stronger the longer it fights.
No matter how you look at it, he hit the jackpot this time.
Next was Naobito's Projection Sorcery.
Projection Sorcery was one of the Zenin clan's inherited techniques.
Its core principle is dividing one second into 24 frames, and the user must precisely perform 24 pre-set movements within that second. Any object touched by the user's palm was forcibly pulled into this 24-frame rule. If its movements failed to perfectly match the 24 frames within that second, it would be temporarily frozen for one second due to "incompatibility."
His simplest understanding of Projection Sorcery was by comparing it to animation.
Although it could only freeze for one second, that single second should not be underestimated.
In high-level battles, speed was everything.
Think of the iconic representative, Minato.
To master speed is to already be halfway to victory.
Within that frozen second, he could easily take an enemy's life.
Could there be a technique stronger than this?
Furthermore, he has a huge advantage when using cursed techniques in the Naruto world.
Jutsu, no matter how powerful, could always be analyzed and countered. But a cursed technique was a rule. If you were not the inheritor of that rule, it was nearly impossible to analyze its principles.
That gave him a complete information advantage.
Finally, there was Nobara's Straw Doll Technique.
He was also very satisfied with this one. Not only was it strong, but most importantly, it was stylish.
The core principle of the Straw Doll Technique was a curse based on "resonance." By using a part of the enemy, such as hair, blood, nails, or even chakra-infused items, this could be affixed to a "straw doll" substitute.
This established a link between the doll and the target.
Any damage inflicted on the substitute would resonate proportionally, or even amplified, onto the enemy's real body.
The moment he obtained this technique, he already envisioned clever ways to use it. In battle, he could even manipulate an enemy's weapon. If their weapon had chakra infused into it, he could construct a straw doll, attach the enemy's chakra to it, and then directly attack the doll.
The outcome? Absolutely devastating.
No serious ninja would ever expect such a treacherous tactic to exist in the shinobi world.
The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he became.
This time, it was truly a great harvest.
He always said the battlefield was a good place. And thanks to Rika and Sukuna, his mental resilience had been greatly strengthened. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to adapt to the battlefield so well.
---
Soon after came the day when Ame and Suna were to sign a treaty.
Through the eyes of his crows, Shiratori saw the Suna ninjas approaching the border. Leading them was none other than Chiyo.
Hanzō had already made his preparations.
He gathered the remaining Ame ninjas and marched with them toward the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain.
Shiratori was among them, walking at Hanzō's side. From the corner of his eye, he glanced back at the Ame ninjas following behind—they were all uncharacteristically silent.
Though signing a treaty was supposed to be a good thing, none of them could forget the price that had been paid to reach this day.
How many Ame ninjas, how many comrades, had been sacrificed for this?
The weight of it all was crushing.
The road beneath their feet was paved with the blood and corpses of countless companions.
No one spoke. Shiratori remained silent as well, his expression carrying a trace of sorrow.
And so, as the dark clouds dispersed, they arrived at the border.
In the distance, Chiyo appeared with the Suna ninjas at her back, stepping into his field of vision.
Beneath their masks, the gazes of the Suna ninjas fell upon the Ame ninjas, eyes brimming with bitter hatred.
"..."
It was obvious that if not for sheer necessity, Suna would never willingly agree to a ceasefire with Ame.
The grudge in their eyes was so heavy that he felt he could practically breed a special-grade cursed spirit from it.
He glanced back at the Ame ninjas. Without a doubt, he saw the same raw hatred burning in their eyes as well.
Neither side was putting on an act.
He could only think, Ninjas are far too honest.
And when overly earnest ninjas encounter him, they can only count themselves unlucky.
"So, you are still alive? I never thought you'd survive."
Chiyo stopped, her eyes on Hanzō filled with deep regret.
Hanzō stared back at her. "If someone like you hasn't died yet, of course I wouldn't be dead either."
Shiratori sucked in a sharp breath. His gaze shifted nervously between Chiyo and Hanzō.
Too terrifying!
He quickly averted his eyes.
But still... why did it feel like they were bickering like an old married couple?
Come to think of it, they did seem oddly well-matched.
Chiyo tossed two scrolls toward Hanzō.
Catching both in mid-air, Hanzō's eyes flickered with doubt. He fixed his gaze on her, his voice rasping through the respirator: "What is the meaning of this?"
Shiratori also looked at her curiously.
What exactly was Suna plotting?
Chiyo raised her brows, a trace of hatred flashing in her eyes. "One contract is the ceasefire treaty, acknowledging Ame's status. The other... is an alliance pact, Suna will aid in rebuilding Ame, and together, Ame and Suna will stand united against Konoha."