A/N: Sorry I missed the chapter yesterday. I was busy with family stuff. So, here's a bigger chapter.
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Renji was eager to test out his new skills, but there was one more stop he had to make. His house—soon to double as a salon—was still under construction. He paid extra to have a basement added, the contractor promised it would be finished by the next day. Satisfied, he headed back to Ichiraku.
Ayame saw him and pestered to do her hair, so he tied it into a simple bun, shaping it into a butterfly with her strands. Beaming with joy, she darted off to play.
After greeting Teuchi, Renji slipped quickly back into his room.
'Let's do this!' He rubbed his hands together, barely able to contain his impatience.
Following, Kushina's hair slipped out from his pants and coiled into his hand. He gripped the soft ponytail, and felt the energy within.
'So much… that's Kushina, alright!'
With a thought, he drew out ninety percent of the hair's energy, letting it flood into him. His heart pulsed as the energy replenished the reserves stored within.
Next, he turned to the skill he was most eager to test.
He set Kushina's red hair as the target and activated [Echoes of the Past].
Immediately, a surge of tremendous strength coursed through his body! It felt as if he could crush boulders with his bare hands. And he could tell there was more to it than raw power alone. Further testing would have to wait until later, though.
A flood of abilities rushed into his mind—each one his to wield.
Ninjutsu: Wind Release, Water Release.
Taijutsu.
Basic Genjutsu.
Fūinjutsu.
Sensing techniques—chakra detection, malice perception.
Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Tailed Beast Modes.
Countless other combat skills…
And even lifestyle skills—like her notoriously bad cooking.
'This is basically every ability Kushina had when she was alive! Let's try one.'
He chose a less flashy skill—chakra sensing.
At once, the crimson hair floated from his hand, weaving into Kushina's familiar hairstyle. Directly beneath it, a translucent form slowly took shape, with the hair attached.
He froze, eyes widening in surprise. He didn't recognize the figure at first… but he was certain—it was Kushina.
All of this happened in less than a second. In the blink of an eye, a ghostly Kushina stood before him.
Before he could react, she closed her eyes—her crimson hair lifting, swaying as if there was a wind.
At once, a lot of chakra signatures all around him flared into his senses!
There were several nearby—two inside the ramen shop. Lot of others moving about on the roofs, going about their day. And farther away, a massive signature pulsed from the direction of the Hokage's office.
Only then did he finally react.
'What the hell! Does this skill revive the owner? Is this similar to Edo Tensei?!'
He studied the figure carefully, trying to figure out the situation.
She looked almost identical to her anime counterpart. Her long, vibrant crimson hair flowed down past her waist, with a ghostly black clip that parted her hair to the left, framing a youthful face with fair skin and gentle features. A simple white blouse and dark dress completed her homely look.
Her eyes remained closed, her expression showing deep concentration.
Looking at her ghostly form, a suspicion crept into his mind. Carefully, he reached out to poke her forehead—or at least, he tried. But, his finger slipped through as if there's nothing but air. He tried to touch her hair, it was corporeal. He could even control it if he wants.
He tried to draw her attention in various ways, but no matter what he did, she didn't respond.
His heartbeat, once racing, began to slow.
'I don't think this is the real her… or even her soul. Most likely, it's just an echo, like in the name of the skill [Echoes of Past], shaped by the lingering emotions in her hair. Is that why the System required what it called Bonded Hair?'
He sighed with mixed feelings.
'The visuals are impressive, but I was hoping I could use the skills myself. Instead, it looks like the skill uses Bonded Hair as catalyst—summoning an Echo of the owner to use their abilities for me. If I need to use this in front of others, I won't be able to explain this easily.'
He looked at the crimson hair that's currently on the ghostly Kushina's head.
'Thankfully, it seems that even without holding the hair, the passive abilities remain active. Makes sense… I could sense whatever she was sensing, so there must be some kind of supernatural connection.'
Strength still coursed through his body.
After a while, he let deactivated chakra sensing.
He felt he could maintain the figure if he wants, but there's no need for that now. Kushina's ghostly figure dissolved into nothingness, and the crimson hair slipped back into his hand, coiling neatly around his arm.
He carefully examined the hair for any changes.
'It definitely lost a few dozen strands… not a huge amount. Then again, the skill I used wasn't a powerful one, and it only lasted a short time. If I tried something like the Adamantine Sealing Chains, the consumption would be much higher.'
'The skill used up a bit of my Demonic Energy as well.'
'Let's not use second effect of the skill. It would consume 40% of the hair permanently. And, I don't think the people of Konoha will truly appreciate a giant Kushina showing up all of a sudden, in the middle of the village.'
Satisfied with the test, he guided Kushina's hair to coil around his torso beneath his shirt, forming a soft, hidden layer.
'This way it stays in contact, so I'll still have Kushina's passive abilities… and it can serve as my mobile armory. I can even harden the hair at any time, creating makeshift armor covering my vitals.'
The energy drain in this state was minimal—so low he could maintain it for years without issue.
'Good. From now on, this'll be part of my usual outfit.'
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Next, he examined [Shapeshifting]—the System's alternative to Bayonetta's "Beast Within" skill.
[Skill: Shapeshifting, Lv.1]
[Consume Demonic Energy to transform into any animal you have touched before. In this form, all of your skills remain usable.]
[Cost: 10 units]
[Duration: Infinite]
A list of options surfaced in his mind.
Cat.
Mosquito.
Ant.
'Are these the animals I've come into contact with since I got the skill?'
'Cat, I get—that one I pet on my way back. But mosquito? Ant? What the hell…'
He shook his head in amusement, only to suddenly freeze.
'Wait. They're not actually bad. The skill says I can use all my abilities in a transformed state, so I wouldn't be powerless. And, if I needed to infiltrate somewhere, a big animal would stand out. But an ant? Nobody would even notice.'
'Besides… I can always expand the list. All I need is to touch more animals.'
Satisfied, he triggered the skill—focusing on Cat from the options.
At once, black strands of demonic energy, flowing like Bayonetta's hair, wrapped around him and formed a cocoon.
Five seconds later, the cocoon unraveled… and in its place stood a small, jet-black cat.
Renji was fascinated by his new form. He lifted his tiny paws, flexing the claws, then darted about with the agility of a cat—climbing onto ledges, leaping down, scratching his nails against a wooden post.
After indulging himself for a while, he padded back to where he had started.
'This skill is good. I've got the instincts and senses of a cat… as if I've always been one.'
He glanced down at his pile of clothes on the floor—and the crimson hair that had fallen to the ground.
'It seems I can't bring any possessions with me. And Kushina's hair reverted to its natural state and slipped off. Looks like my other skills get interrupted during shapeshifting process.'
With a single thought, the long red hair scattered across the floor stirred to life, floating back into the air.
'My skills still function, just like the description said. That's good.'
Once he had his fill, he willed the transformation to end. The same black cocoon enclosed him, and after five seconds, he emerged human once more—albeit naked.
With a wave of his hand, the long crimson hair coiled around his torso in a soft layer, reactivating [Echoes of the Past] and then hurriedly put his clothes back on.
One last thing to do. Use the stored Demonic Energy to unlock new skills or upgrade the old ones.
The energy he had drawn from Kushina's hair was massive, but each new skill unlock demanded more than the last. He frowned.
'At this rate… I might not have enough for another skill. Better do it after collecting more.'
So, he chose to upgrade his existing skills first. Following his will, a stream of energy surged from his heart and poured into his mind.
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A/N: I wasn't entirely happy with how the last chapter reads. So, I'm still going to use AI. But, only for grammar, flow corrections. I still wrote every sentence myself. Let me know how it feels.