บท 200: Chapter 200
Actually, every skill that came up this time is not bad at all.
Of course, the skills that appear for Kaito are never bad; it's just a matter of whether they suit him or not.
For Kaito, there have always been only three directions in choosing skills. First and foremost are skills that enhance his bloodline and eyes.
He has always been clear that his bloodline is a treasure. What he needs to do is continuously develop his bloodline, allowing this treasure to reach its utmost potential.
Next, Kaito would consider developing his physical abilities.
After all, only with a strong enough body can he harness more Yang Release and maintain a prolonged combat stance.
Lastly, Kaito would choose skills that can instantly boost his combat power.
After all, his personal strength is by no means weak. His body techniques and ninjutsu are sufficient for him to face most enemies.
If all else fails, he can directly use Susano'o. Once it's activated, both offense and defense can reach an extreme level.
Although sometimes it might seem like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, the strategic deterrence of this ability is terrifying.
One could say Kaito has a clear understanding of the direction of his strength's enhancement and development.
And every skill he chooses is the one that best fits his usage habits and can most enhance his actual combat power.
The abilities he obtained this time are all excellent, but since he originally had to choose one out of three, and among them appeared something of the highest priority for Kaito.
So Kaito's choice didn't require much consideration. His focus has been on this particular ability from the beginning!
[Acquired Skill: Thousand Grace Mark]
[Marking Method: You can actively mark an enemy, or wait for a passive mark on an enemy]
[Mark Requirement: 0/5]
[Friendly Reminder: Actively marking an enemy has a time constraint and will be influenced by the actual strength of the enemy.
You can mark one enemy every month, with the marking taking half a month to take effect, and the mark remains valid for one year.
Passive marking is when the skill automatically marks one or more ninjas from the enemy camp.
Every time the host resolves a marked enemy, the mark will reset, with the reset taking half a month.
The retention time is infinite, lasting until the enemy is defeated or the host completes the task.
The host needs to hunt five times to upgrade the mark, and during hunting, whether it's a kill or a defeat, a layer of the mark can be obtained.]
When Kaito acquired this skill, in a flash, he found an abundance of information emerging in his mind.
Beyond the basic introduction of the Thousand Grace Mark, this information also informed Kaito about how to actively mark an enemy and how to recognize a passive mark.
Kaito was genuinely hesitant. He considered using the active mark to simply tag five weaker foes and then complete the task.
However, this time the system seemed pretty sharp, as if it knew that Kaito was always tirelessly looking for opportunities to exploit its flaws.
Therefore, in the description of this skill, there was a specific constraint placed on Kaito's wish to exploit any loopholes. While he could still try to game the system, the results might not be particularly good.
If Kaito chose to take his time, then it would be fine. But obviously, the time cost wasn't acceptable to him.
When it came to actively marking, Kaito found it quite challenging. He worried that if he marked a too weak opponent, he might not get a full mark. On the other hand, if he marked a too strong enemy, he might not be able to win and obtain the mark.
After much thought, Kaito felt it might be better to let the system handle the passive marking.
This way, at least, he could understand the system's evaluation of his own strength. Plus, he could determine who he might actively mark in the future.
"After all, the system can mark multiple enemies, while I can only mark one. It's quite unequal."
Kaito was somewhat resigned to this preferential treatment by the system. But with the interpretation of the skill being in the system's hands, there wasn't much he could do.
He was the beneficiary of the rules but not the one setting them. It was inevitable.
So now, in Konoha, not only did he need to benefit from the rules, but he also needed to become one who set the rules.
Children make choices, while adults, regardless of their abilities, always strive to have it all.
After all, if you don't even dare to dream or put in effort, you're really no different from a dead fish.
"There shouldn't be any protective period at the start, right? Then help me mark. I want to see the kind of opponent I'll need to adapt to."
[Matching host with suitable opponents]
[Matching complete. As the enemies appear almost simultaneously and are brothers, the number of marks is: 2]
Two?
Kaito was slightly taken aback when he saw this.
Although he felt fortunate to have two marks right off the bat, considering that the system explicitly stated it would match him with suitable opponents, obtaining these two marks probably wouldn't be a straightforward task.
Appearing together, with a brotherly bond—such opponents plunged Kaito into deep contemplation.
It seemed in his memory, there weren't many such individuals left, especially since many events had changed due to his involvement.
Take, for instance, Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke, or Uchiha Itachi and Shisui. They were either real brothers or as close as brothers could be. Yet now, their relationships, if not problematic, were at the very least, that of sworn enemies.
Given these circumstances, how could they join forces against Kaito?
Among the deceased, renowned brothers were Kin and Gin, those somewhat mindless shinobi from Kumogakure.
Then there were Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, the two who, as revived memories, once attacked Kaito.
"Could it be... has Orochimaru resurrected them using the Edo Tensei technique again?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. Such an occurrence wouldn't be entirely surprising. After all, Orochimaru had ties to the Akatsuki organization.
Otherwise, when Kaito had traveled to the Land of Stars, he wouldn't have encountered Akatsuki members and even brought back someone like Kakuzu.
It's plausible that, to cope with the impending war and minimize his own losses, Orochimaru might actively recruit members from Akatsuki. Hiring the Akatsuki wouldn't come cheap, and they're probably short on funds, especially after losing Kakuzu, their money-making machine who, as long as he remained undead, could be ceaselessly exploited. They would likely not pass on such an opportunity.
"So, I have to be wary of Orochimaru stirring things up, though I can't rule out those guys from Kumogakure either."
Apart from the Akatsuki, who could resurrect the deceased, another pair of brothers that Kaito had to be cautious of were the siblings from Kumogakure.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee. There's no need for Kaito to elaborate on just how dangerous this duo is.
//
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