Some rewards might be pure experience, some might be Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limits), and some might simply be raw, stacked talent!
"I only received two 'Legacy Scrolls' myself," the spirit explained. "I had just reached Jonin-level strength, but I carelessly stepped on an Explosive Tag trap and died. A stupid end."
"So that's how it is..." Kiyohara thought.
The 'Legacy Scroll' acted as a temporal anchor. If he died, would he also be packaged as a relic and sent to other possible versions of himself? He now understood why Missing-nin Kiyohara was so eager to explain things.
Even if they were the same person from different timelines, there had to be a mutual interest. He needed Kiyohara to fulfill his dying wish.
Thinking of this, Kiyohara's heart began to pound against his ribs.
One future self could double his potential. What if there were two, three, or even more? Theoretically, through continuous stacking, he could eventually rival an Ōtsutsuki with just his Taijutsu.
One had to remember that even the Eight Inner Gates, after opening the Gate of Death, could grant a user dozens of times the power of the Five Kage. If Kiyohara stacked enough talent, he wouldn't need to burn his life away to reach that level.
"So, what is your dying wish?" Kiyohara asked.
"Hmm... there are two. The first is very simple: Go do what you want to do right now."
To Kiyohara's surprise, the Missing-nin's request was incredibly mundane.
"What I want to do?" Kiyohara blinked.
Of course, he wanted to become stronger. He wanted the strength to survive this war. And with superhuman strength, perhaps he could even be a hero.
"First, it's definitely to become stronger," Kiyohara started.
"No, not the big picture stuff. I mean the small stuff. Specifically... I want you to go to Ichiraku Ramen and get something to eat."
"Ichiraku Ramen?"
"Speaking of which, I haven't had it in a long time," Missing-nin Kiyohara said, his voice heavy with melancholy. "After I defected, I realized that living like a protagonist in a novel isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when your script is written as a tragedy."
"Missing-nin have no legitimate way to accept missions," the spirit continued. "The bounty on your head is lifelong. Unless you are content to live as a hiding rat forever, you have to interact with the Shinobi World to get stronger. And the Shinobi World wants you dead. Once, when I was severely injured by an Anbu pursuit squad and could barely mold Chakra, I almost had to sell my own blood just to buy food."
"You, a Jonin-level ninja, couldn't even eat ramen?" Kiyohara asked, puzzled.
"The taste is different, you know? After I became a Missing-nin, I couldn't even enter the gates of Konohagakure. The village is full of sensors and barriers; how could a civilian-born ninja like me just waltz in?"
"I see..." Kiyohara nodded slowly.
A bowl of Ichiraku Ramen only cost a few dozen Ryō. It wasn't about the money; it was about the freedom.
"Then what's your second wish?"
Kiyohara looked at the spirit body. It was much dimmer than when it first appeared. It wouldn't last long.
"Become a Chunin. A legitimate one," the spirit said.
He looked at Kiyohara and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Originally, I wanted to say 'Become a Jonin,' but clearly, I can't sustain myself that long. I'm not a true soul; I am just a remnant of information that will dissipate when the task is done. If I were a real ghost, I would have tried to use Fūinjutsu to possess a vessel."
"Not being able to become a Jonin legitimately, and eventually defecting... that has always been a pain in my heart. In my timeline, I had the strength of a Jonin, but I died a traitor."
"Alright," Kiyohara said firmly.
Feeling the urgency, he quickly left for the commercial district.
"Teuchi-san! One Miso Chashu Ramen, with all the toppings!"
"Oh, Kiyohara-kun? Back so early today?"
Teuchi, still a young man in his prime, looked up with a warm smile while busily preparing the noodles. He had watched Kiyohara grow up. The boy had lost his parents young, but he was resilient.
"I just couldn't get the taste of your cooking out of my head, Teuchi-san," Kiyohara smiled.
When the steaming bowl arrived, he snapped his chopsticks together. "Itadakimasu!"
He began to devour the noodles.
The spirit of Missing-nin Kiyohara floated out of the mental urn, hovering in the air. He watched quietly as his younger self ate, observing the steam rising from the broth and the peaceful scenery of the village he had lost. In this state, only Kiyohara could see him.
Soon, Kiyohara finished the noodles and drank the broth in one go.
The most important part is the soup. That's where the soul of the ramen lies.
[Wish 1: Completed.]
As the bowl hit the table, Kiyohara saw a ball of light float from the spirit and merge into his chest.
Immediately, he felt a change. It wasn't just memories; it was muscle memory. It was instinct.
That was the Talent.
Kiyohara felt a deeper connection to his Chakra natures. Concepts regarding Wind Release (Fūton) and Lightning Release (Raiton) that had confused him before suddenly clicked into place. It was like a college student looking back at elementary school math—the answers were obvious now.
Along with the talent came a specific technique.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough (Fūton: Daitoppa)!
Kiyohara hadn't known this jutsu before, but now, the hand seals, the chakra molding ratio, and the lung capacity required flooded his brain.
"Teuchi-san, keep the change."
Kiyohara slammed the Ryō on the table and rushed back to his dilapidated house in the southern district.
He stood in his small courtyard and took a deep breath. His hands moved.
Tiger. Horse. Bird.
He guided the Chakra through his internal coil system, converting it in his lungs.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
He exhaled sharply. The breath was imbued with wind chakra, instantly expanding into a violent gale. It slammed into the stone stool in the courtyard, blowing it across the ground and smashing it against the wall with a loud bang, leaving cracks in the stone.
"This power..."
Kiyohara felt the sudden drop in his Chakra reserves, but he was satisfied.
The destructive power of Ninjutsu relied on Chakra volume and mastery. An elite Shinobi using Great Breakthrough could level a forest. For a Genin, cracking a stone wall was impressive.
"It just consumes a lot," Kiyohara panted. The curse of the civilian ninja: low Chakra reserves.
However, as the light from the spirit fully settled, he felt his physical and spiritual energy syncing. His reserves had grown—not by a huge amount, but noticeable.
"It seems you've gained some of my talent and a Ninjutsu," the spirit observed. "You're lucky. In my timeline, the two Legacy Scrolls I found only contained E-rank utility jutsu."
"What is your Chakra nature?" Kiyohara asked.
"Wind and Lightning."
"I'm also Wind and Lightning." Kiyohara nodded. It seemed basic genetics didn't change across timelines.
"Just to become a Chunin, I'll have to complete the Kannabi Bridge mission..." Kiyohara stroked his chin, the grim reality setting back in. "That is going to be difficult."
"Don't be afraid," the Missing-nin said, his ghostly eyes narrowing. "I will act at the critical moment."
"Act?"
"I can possess your body for a short duration," the spirit explained. "I can lend you my combat experience directly. But be warned—doing so will accelerate my dissipation."
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