"We're back."
Konoha.
After reporting the mission situation to Hiruzen, Takumi returned to his familiar home and couldn't help but sigh in relief.
This time, he had not only resolved the trouble with B, but also gained Immortality.
And he had even gained a cute girlfriend.
It could be said he had gained a lot.
But now was not the time to let his guard down.
'Let me see if there are any troublesome guys coming next?'
'System, start a targeted simulation, up to tomorrow morning.'
[Simulation Start!]
[One hour later, you go with Kurenai to eat at Ichiraku Ramen.]
[Two hours later, you return home and engage in a two-person workout with Kurenai.]
[Three hours later, as post-meal activity, you go to Training Ground 5.]
[After a brief training session, Kisame, hiding in the shadows, ambushes you.]
[Kisame releases a massive water prison, trapping you inside. You panic due to inability to breathe. Floating in the water prevents you from using your Extreme Speed ability to escape the water prison.]
[Your Explosion ability loses its effect. Numerous abilities fail. The panic from oxygen deprivation causes you to lose composure.]
[You attempt to raise your own body temperature, but then a large number of water-formed sharks tear at your body.]
[Your arms are bitten off. Your legs are bitten off. Your head is bitten off. You are not dead yet but have lost the ability to resist.]
[Kisame continues the attack until your body is reduced to fragments.]
'Holy crap!!!???'
Seeing this sudden simulation result, Takumi's eyes widened!!
'What's going on!?'
'This is... an ambush?'
'And...'
'I actually died?!'
Takumi couldn't believe it.
He already had so many exaggerated skills.
And he had just obtained such an awesome ability as Immortality.
Yet in return, he got killed by Kisame?!
This came too suddenly.
Honestly, Takumi was somewhat caught off guard!
Previous simulations, at most, involved fighting someone, getting seriously injured at worst.
But this time, he actually died?!
Just from an ordinary simulation, he saw his own death ending!
It was too unexpected!
Resting his chin on his hand, Takumi began to replay the simulation scenario in his mind.
Simultaneously, he started thinking.
'Kisame's move is indeed troublesome. An ultra-large-scale water prison is impossible to escape from, and it also causes suffocation.'
Takumi had a headache.
This was an extremely countering technique against him.
'There's not much time left for me.'
'I must find a way to counter this technique!'
Takumi frowned. The simulation cooldown was already over.
After all, the last simulation didn't last long, so the cooldown was fast.
But another problem arose.
'A direct simulation result is too unpredictable.'
'What if I don't get a relevant ability? Then I'm screwed.'
Takumi was about to start a simulation but immediately withdrew the thought.
If the ability obtained from the simulation couldn't solve this trouble, wouldn't he just be wasting time?
'That's it!'
Takumi's eyes lit up as he thought of a great idea.
'If I maximize my luck and then perform the simulation, wouldn't I definitely get the result I want?'
'Think and do! This is currently the best way to save myself!'
Saying he would do it, Takumi immediately activated his Incredible Luck ability!
With the strongest luck boost, he believed the system would also simulate in the most suitable direction!
'System, start the simulation!'
Takumi immediately issued the command.
Then the system's roulette wheel appeared.
He noticed the system's roulette wheel was somewhat different.
It looked exactly the same as before, yet there was something about it that gave Takumi an unusual feeling.
[Ding! Drawing talents for you!]
The system's roulette wheel spun.
Three seconds later, the pointer stopped.
[Ding! Draw successful!]
[You have drawn the talents: Not Human (Black Gold), Devour (Black)]
'Hmm... Two talents that have appeared before. Can they help me solve my current trouble?'
Takumi frowned slightly.
But he had no other choice now.
He could only trust his current top-tier luck.
After glancing at the talent descriptions, the simulation officially began.
[Simulation Start!]
[Carrying Talents: Not Human, Devour]
[Opening your bleary eyes, your vision is filled only with murkiness.]
[Instinct makes you open your mouth, eating the scattered specks of light before you.]
[Instinct drives you, allowing you to survive.]
[When your rationality gradually gains the upper hand, you finally realize: you have turned into a fish.]
'Turned into a fish?'
'To counter Kisame's technique, that's indeed one direction.'
'As long as I can gain the ability to breathe freely underwater, Kisame's water prison will be useless against me!'
Takumi looked excited.
The Incredible Luck ability was indeed the top-tier talent.
This luck could even defy fate!
[A sense of hunger constantly envelops you. You do not let go of any food you can eat before you.]
[Floating debris, eat! Small fry, eat! Tiny shrimp, eat! You are like a bottomless pit, possessing a stomach that cannot be filled.]
[As you eat more and more, your predatory instinct becomes increasingly strong.]
[You start to become dissatisfied with small fish and shrimp. You set your sights on prey similar in size to you, or even larger.]
[You lurk behind aquatic plants. The moment the large fish comes to feed, you suddenly charge forward to attack.]
[Your sharp teeth bite into the opponent's tail fin, but the large fish instantly struggles, throwing you off directly. You crash into a rock, sustaining some injuries.]
[You immediately realize your current attack power is not enough to be lethal. You need to continue growing.]
[You endure and persevere, constantly eating smaller fish and shrimp, never stopping for a moment.]
Devouring equals a huge appetite.
And fish are creatures with straight digestive tracts.
They eat, digest immediately, and excrete, without much complication.
So their body size increases very quickly, especially during the juvenile stage.
Thus, in Takumi's eyes, the little fish in the simulation was growing at an almost visible rate.
And because it had been eating meat all along, it grew sharp teeth from a young age.
[You don't know the specific passage of time. Hunger leaves you no leisure to think about other things.]
[You only know the sky has darkened many times and brightened many times.]
[Unconsciously, your body size has become larger than that big fish that injured you before.]
[Your diet also improves accordingly. Small fish and shrimp can no longer satisfy your current appetite.]
[And at this time, you also encounter dangerous challengers… a school of piranhas.]
'These aren't easy opponents to deal with.'
'Takumi's expression turned serious.'
Piranhas are extremely aggressive, and they attack in groups. In the chaos, they might even attack indiscriminately, targeting anything that's bleeding.
It was indeed a significant challenge.
But danger and opportunity coexist. As long as he could defeat these piranhas and devour them, it would definitely speed up his growth.
It just depended on the specific situation.