Chapter 11. Zanpakutō of Kakashi
Konoha.Su Li's residence.
"It's no wonder I've never met Mr. Su Li before… turns out he's been busy drawing manga all this time."
Kakashi stood before the bookshelf, his single visible eye filled with quiet amazement.
Ordinary shinobi might not know the full story.But someone of Kakashi's status certainly did.
He knew that Jiraiya once had another apprentice.However, no one had ever seen that person.
Over the years, the rumors multiplied.
Some believed that the apprentice didn't exist at all.Others whispered that Jiraiya had sent him to another hidden village as a spy.Speculation ran wild. None of it certain.
But now.Standing here, surrounded by shelves of manga.Kakashi realized every rumor had been nonsense.
"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said earnestly, "since you couldn't comprehend any pupil technique from the last manga, why not try another? Maybe there's something even more suitable."
Since Su Li himself had told Kakashi to come here, Sasuke believed it couldn't be a coincidence.By now, Sasuke practically idolized Su Li.A mysterious artist whose creations could change fate itself.
"Alright." Kakashi nodded softly.
He stepped closer to the bookshelf and began to scan the titles.
"Irregular at Magic High School."
Magic? Interesting.But not quite his taste.
He picked another.
"Demon Slayer: Breathing Techniques."
Hmm, intriguing as well.But still not enough to spark that irresistible urge to read.
One by one, Kakashi picked through the shelves until something stopped him cold.
His eye caught a title that seemed to radiate power.
"Zanpakutō of Shinigami."
Zanpakutō?
Kakashi's curiosity sharpened instantly.Something stirred deep inside him. An echo from his past.
The "Copy Ninja," famous throughout the ninja world for mastering over a thousand techniques,was not, in truth, most skilled at ninjutsu.His true inheritance was the blade.
The swordsmanship of his father,Hatake Sakumo. Konoha's White Fang.
But over the years, Kakashi had grown dependent on his Sharingan,and his father's blade arts had faded into neglect.
Yet now, standing before this manga.A story centered entirely around swords.He felt something awaken again.
Without hesitation, he opened the first page.
Time began to blur.
Kakashi was quickly and completely absorbed by what he read.
"Zanpakutō. Its form, nature, and power reflect the Shinigami's own soul.Through learning its name and communing with it spiritually, a Shinigami draws forth its strength."
"Each Zanpakutō can undergo Shikai and Bankai. Two profound transformations."
"The flame of the Zanpakutō Ryūjin Jakka in its Bankai state can reach temperatures equal to the core of the sun!"
Kakashi's eye widened in disbelief."Impossible… if that's true, such power could annihilate the entire ninja world in seconds!"
The more he read, the faster his heart pounded.Every line, every technique, resonated with something deep within him.For a true lover of the blade, this manga felt tailor-made for him.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
Night fell, and the room grew silent.But Kakashi's eyes burned brighter and brighter.
If only… he thought faintly.If only I could have a Zanpakutō.
At that moment, everything changed.
A crushing force surged out of nowhere, freezing him in place.Kakashi couldn't move.And deep within his soul, something began to stir.
Then.
A surge of energy burst through him like a tidal wave.
"Urgh."The pain was unbearable. Pure, soul-rending agony that twisted his face and tore a cry from his lips.
But as suddenly as it came, it faded.
And when it did.Kakashi knew.
Information flooded his mind.A presence awakening inside him.
He could feel it.
"This feeling…" he whispered hoarsely. "Could it be…?"
He swallowed, and with trembling lips, spoke the name echoing in his soul.
"Pierce. Yan Lingwan."
In the next instant,a flash of light erupted before him.
When it faded, a sleek Western-style rapier shimmered in his hand.Its blade hummed faintly with lightning.
The Zanpakutō of the Raiden Kidō series. Yan Lingwan, the Blade of Thunder and Spirit.
[Ding! Hatake Kakashi awakened the Zanpakutō Yan Lingwan by reading your manga 'Zanpakutō of Shinigami'.][Ding! The Host has simultaneously obtained the same Zanpakutō.][Ding! You have gained 50,000 system points.]
At the same time, in another room, Su Li's hand froze mid-stroke on his drawing board.
"…I'm what?!"
His eyes went wide."Zanpakutō… from the world of Shinigami?!"
He immediately pulled up his system interface, eager to see his new acquisition.
And there it was.Yan Lingwan, currently in its Shikai form.
"Ah… only Shikai for now, huh?" he muttered with a wry smile."Guess I celebrated too early."
But that was fine.
If Sasuke could enter the manga world, then Kakashi surely could too.And as Kakashi deepened his bond with Yan Lingwan,Su Li's Zanpakutō would grow alongside it.
Bankai, elemental control, weather manipulation.The possibilities were endless.
Su Li's grin widened.
"And 50,000 system points on top of that. As expected of Konoha's top-tier elite Jōnin. Kakashi's generosity is on another level."
A quick glance at his total made his smile deepen even more.
150,000 system points.
"Perfect." he murmured."That's enough for a full ten-pull at the Gold tier."
Without hesitation, Su Li gave the command in his mind.
"System. Initiate ten consecutive Gold-level draws."
[Ding! Gold-level