บท 15: The Book

!!!

Kuro was completely stunned.

It took him a moment to process what had just happened.

He looked around, confirming multiple times that the information projected on his retinas matched what he had seen before.

"A surveillance ability...?" he murmured, the corners of his mouth twisting slightly.

He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

At first, he had hoped for something spectacular, something dazzling, considering it came from Hiruzen's hair.

But now, it seemed what he had gotten was... different.

Very different.

As the Hokage of the World's No. 1 Ninja Village, Hiruzen possessed many incredible abilities. However, he was also infamous for an unpleasant habit: his fondness for using his crystal ball to spy on women's baths.

This book... it definitely originated from that habit of the old man.

Although it could visualize everything within a 30-kilometer radius, an impressive feat, it wasn't what Kuro needed at the moment.

I need ninjutsu, not surveillance tools.

However, after the initial surprise, Kuro quickly adapted to reality.

"Well, I guess it's not so bad..."

After thoroughly verifying the book's function, he stored it in the system's space. Then, he carefully organized Hiruzen's gifts, placing everything except the Chakra Control scroll inside the cabinet.

When he finished, he sat at his desk and unrolled the scroll.

The better the chakra control, the easier it is to master ninjutsu.

Some high-level ninjutsu required absolute chakra control to be executed correctly, and he understood this perfectly.

He had reached the point where he needed to learn ninjutsu. Improving his chakra control was a priority. If he understood this content today, he could start practicing tomorrow.

What impressed him most about the scroll was its clarity.

"They don't call him the Professor for nothing..."

Hiruzen didn't use complicated technical terms or unnecessarily difficult vocabulary. Each explanation was simple and direct, transforming complex concepts into something easy to understand.

This is completely different from the scroll my parents left.

The difference.

His parents' methods were filled with jargon and technical concepts that, without a solid foundation, were nearly impossible to comprehend.

Hiruzen, on the other hand, clearly understood that Kuro hadn't received systematic training or advanced knowledge.

He had adapted the scroll to be accessible, demonstrating his thoughtfulness.

Time flew by while Kuro was focused.

When he finished reading the scroll, he realized it was already midnight.

The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves filtered through the window.

Kuro yawned deeply, stretched, and then headed to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, he collapsed onto his bed.

...

A wordless night.

At seven the next morning, Kuro woke up on time.

He sat up in bed, opened the window, and looked outside.

The gray sky and falling leaves swayed in the breeze, giving him a sense of freshness.

"Autumn..." he murmured, letting his gaze wander for a moment.

He remembered the first time he opened his eyes in this world, five years ago.

It had been a morning like this: the autumn wind blowing gently, leaves swirling in the sky.

Five years...

Five years since he arrived in this world.

During that time, he had endured a heavy burden, a constant pressure that had often left him suffocated. Even now, recalling those moments sent a slight shiver down his spine.

If it weren't for the system that reappeared three months ago... I would've collapsed by now.

The last three months had been a complete contrast to the previous years.

Everything had flowed surprisingly smoothly.

Like a dream.

Kuro took a deep breath, letting those thoughts dissipate. He got up, headed to the bathroom to wash up, and then dressed in clean training clothes.

Being a ninja isn't easy.

If he truly wanted to become one, he had to practice every day, regardless of rain or shine.

That day, his goal was clear: to train chakra control.

If I work hard enough, I'll master it in a week.

...

Training was monotonous, a repetitive process that required trying over and over again, learning from failures, and eventually succeeding.

Kuro met his goal, mastering the tree-walking technique within the time frame he had set for himself.

However, without more ninjutsu to practice, he decided to dedicate the remaining time to weapons training.

He threw kunai, practiced close combat with the katana, and immersed himself in books from the library to learn basic training methods.

Relying on self-study and hard work, he went from being a complete beginner to someone reasonably competent with weapons.

...

Another month passed.

During that time, Kuro dedicated his mornings to training his body, afternoons to honing his weapon skills, and evenings to wandering through Konoha's center, hoping to find more special materials.

Thanks to his high recovery and the Kurama Ring, he could withstand intense training. The red headband further increased his endurance, and his body, enhanced by his improved physique, progressed at an impressive rate.

In terms of physical condition, he was now at the level of the best Genin, and his chakra reserves had grown tremendously.

By now, his chakra surpasses that of an average Jōnin.

"Hm!"

If I compare my chakra with the commander of the Root unit I saw that day, I'd say I have twice as much as he did.

As for the materials I've obtained during this time...

I can only say my luck hasn't been great.

The village of Konoha was large, and ninjas appeared and disappeared unpredictably, making it difficult to find people with potential materials.

Despite that, not everything had been in vain.

Three days ago, while Kuro was eating ramen at Ichiraku, he noticed a hair in his food.

It was Teuchi's.

Taking advantage of this, he wanted to complain and ask for free food, but when he touched the hair, a sound echoed in his mind.

[Special Material "The Truth" detected.

This material allows the creation of the special accessory "Behind the Scene."

Would you like to proceed with the forging?]

Surprised, he ran to the bathroom to process what he had just discovered. When he was done, he came out with a stunned expression and a completely black spoon in his hand, along with a message in his retinas.

[Special Item "Behind the Scene" detected.

Effect: Allows the user to transform into a being as powerful as the Six Paths. The transformation only activates when everyone perceives the user as an ordinary person.]

Needless to say, it's a very special item...

It was an extremely powerful item, but the conditions for using it rendered it nearly useless.

Making everyone think I'm an ordinary person...

How can I make this possible? I'm not Teuchi Ōtsutsuki.

But it's better than nothing, and something is better than nothing.

...

Konoha, Year 53. October 10th.

That day marked six years since the Nine-Tails' Rampage. It was also the day of commemoration for the fallen.

Kuro didn't train that day. Instead, he dressed in a black yukata and headed to the memorial monument.

It was time to pay homage to his deceased "parents."

________

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