That afternoon, people across the city began noticing a new app recommended in their mobile app stores a curious one named "BattleYing."
Most ignored it, assuming it was just another push notification from the store, but a few curious souls decided to give it a try. After all, if it came from the official app store, it probably wasn't malware, right?
To their surprise, upon opening the app, they didn't find games or ads only a feed of breaking news headlines.
"What the heck? This stuff's real!" one user blurted out.
While Shane Mountain was busy trying to earn money, Noah Blaze's life was taking a different turn.
After surviving the recent chaos, Noah and his girlfriend returned home. The first thing they did without hesitation was get married.
The disaster had taught them something vital: some things in life couldn't wait. Tomorrow wasn't guaranteed, and regrets were the last thing they wanted.
Their families supported the decision wholeheartedly. With no objections and nothing standing in their way, the couple became husband and wife under the law.
However, Noah barely had time to process his new marital status before an unexpected visitor appeared at his door Uncle Tu.
"Young man," Uncle Tu said with a firm but kind voice, "we've all seen your strength. But it seems you lack a proper cultivation technique. Here take this. Train well, and aim for the Heavenly rank. Our people could use someone like you to strengthen our foundation."
Noah blinked in confusion. Before he could even respond, Uncle Tu handed him a small booklet and hurried off with his team, leaving as abruptly as he'd arrived.
"Wait Uncle! What's your full name? Where can I find you later?" Noah shouted after him, but the car was already gone.
When he returned home, Noah told Vivi everything that had happened. She thought for a moment before saying, "Maybe you should ask Shane. He's more experienced with this kind of thing. He might know who that man is."
That made sense to Noah. So, he grabbed his phone and called his cousin.
Meanwhile, Shane had just finished purchasing new equipment for his company. He left the installation to Julian Drake, the genius engineer, while he focused on hiring new recruits.
"Graduated from Tech University? Impressive. Any notable achievements?" Shane asked during an interview.
"I've written a few game mods and small indie projects," the candidate replied nervously.
"You can write mods? Good enough. You start tomorrow."
The applicant blinked, stunned by the simplicity of the process. He had prepared a whole speech but didn't even get the chance to use it.
Shane didn't overthink it. The company was still in its early stages and needed all kinds of people. As long as they weren't lazy or dishonest, he was willing to give them a shot.
Just then, his phone rang. The caller ID showed Noah Blaze.
"Hey, Noah! I heard you just got married. What's this honeymoon's over already?" Shane teased with a grin.
Noah quickly explained his encounter with Uncle Tu, describing the mysterious booklet the Nine Styles of the Godslayer. Shane immediately understood what that meant.
"Ah, Uncle Tu. He's an elder from the First Special Operations Unit," Shane replied casually. "If he gave it to you, just learn it. The 'Nine Styles of the Godslayer' sounds badass enough on its own. Anyway, I'm still swamped over here. Visit sometime when you're free."
Before Noah could respond, Shane hung up and returned to sorting through résumés.
The next day, something unexpected happened.
The new batch of applications included several seasoned experts each with spotless records and impressive credentials.
"Looks like the higher-ups sent some help my way," Shane mused, scanning the list. After a moment of thought, he selected a few wearing plaid shirts the kind that screamed programmer and hired them immediately.
That night, after a long day, Shane finally returned home. Lying on his wooden bed, he slowly closed his eyes.
The familiar pull of the Brotherhood Space began to take effect.
Within that mysterious dimension, Ninja Shane was waiting between exams in his own world. He often visited to stay connected, wary of missing any new version of himself with absurdly strong powers.
As the air shimmered, Scientist Shane appeared beside him.
"Yo! Been a while!"
The two smiled, bumped fists and instantly, their memories intertwined.
In that brief connection, Ninja Shane was stunned. "You've reached god-level already? That was fast!"
"Credit goes to Julian Drake," Scientist Shane replied modestly. "Without his help, I'd still be trailing behind Noah."
In the real world, people saw him as a genius, a prodigy of science. But compared to Julian the kind of man who made the impossible seem routine he felt ordinary.
"You're too humble," Ninja Shane laughed. "With your drive, you'd have discovered the divine gene eventually, even without him. It might've just taken a little longer."
Through the shared link, Ninja Shane now understood the depth of his counterpart's knowledge. Even with just fragments of those memories, he felt confident that he could one day alter his own DNA perhaps even evolve into an Ōtsutsuki-like being.
Meanwhile, Scientist Shane had glimpsed Ninja Shane's timeline: an era still far from its peak. Minato was just a boy. It would be decades before gods walked the earth. Plenty of time for Ninja Shane to grow.
After exchanging what they needed, the two separated. Ninja Shane returned to his world, eager to master his new power before the third round of the Chunin Exams.
He woke in the tower at the center of the Forest of Death. Seeing his teammates still training, he quietly moved to the stairwell to test his abilities.
He discovered he could morph into any creature land, sea, or air. No terrain could hold him back now. His physical strength had also skyrocketed, and his chakra had evolved beyond recognition no longer just chakra, but something higher, limitless.
When he was done testing, Shane rejoined his team. An hour remained before the second round officially ended. Based on their performance, it was likely they wouldn't have to wait long for the next stage.
When the results came in, only four teams had passed. Because of the extra participants thanks to Shane's influence thirteen individuals advanced, forcing the Third Hokage to make a decision: one contestant would be promoted directly to Chunin by random draw.
Luck, after all, was also a form of strength.
Everyone stood before the glowing screen, watching as the names flickered rapidly. Some prayed for their names to appear, while others, like Claw Inuzuka, silently hoped to fight instead of skipping ahead.
Finally, the spinning stopped.
"It's me?" Zhiwei, the quiet strategist, blinked in surprise as his name lit up.
"Wow, Zhiwei got it? Lucky guy!" Shane said, smiling. But he understood why it was Zhiwei's quick thinking that had carried their team through each stage effortlessly.
The Third Hokage stepped forward and announced with a warm smile, "Congratulations, Zhiwei Aburame. As of today, you are officially a Chunin of the Hidden Leaf."
For Shane, hearing those words brought a subtle but comforting sense of peace deep within proof that every version of him, no matter the world, was growing stronger together.
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