Chương 36: Adapting... Evolving... but Faster!

I was currently waiting for Black Zetsu, it shouldn't take him too long to catch up with me, meaning my real body had to stay back in the fortress, meanwhile, a clone was sent towards Orochimaru, traveling at top speed, encountering no obstacles it took it very little time to reach the base.

-----------------------------------

"A war between worlds… is not unrealistic, but that explanation… do you believe it?"

I gave him a weird look from the corner of my eye.

"It's an explanation that anyone ignorant or trusting enough would believe if it came from something that has helped you across years. If I mentioned it to Sasuke, he would believe it on the simple fact that it came from me…. I am not so naïve. I somewhat believe that it's telling the truth to its utmost capabilities."

"So you believe it…. Yet you don't believe it?" – Orochimaru asked, his head tilted sideways.

"Can a book lie?" – I asked back.

"No, but the one who wrote the contents can… I see. You believe the validity of the event but not the true cause of it."

"I'm suspicious if it will even happen in the first place, but I'm taking it for granted, for now, nothing else I can do anyway. Might as well prepare."

I said as I looked at him, Orochimaru still looking a little confused. I didn't blame him, without Kei knowledge of other novels, it would be brain damage to understand

"Let's just say this was meant for someone much more naïve. Someone who would take it in stride. If the change of the timeline could cause such wars, the multiverse would be filled with these types of wars… there is no set timeline, there is merely one where we are and others where we are not."

"So what do you believe to be the cause?"

"An event. It does not mean that someone is necessarily watching and interfering but has set a few conditions for certain events to happen. Something I did triggered this event. Though it does not mean that nobody is watching, they might just simply find me more entertaining than the previous guy." – I said as I shrugged and leaned on the wall.

"Hmm… there are a lot of possibilities since we have barely any information. Regardless of their surveillance, we are inside their sphere of influence… which is not good. I am not an expert in space and time, though I do have some limited knowledge. I will begin searching for some kind of way out."

"Don't let it distract you from our original plan. This is all speculation at this point. It is highly likely that this is simply a premeditated set of events with certain triggers to make the experience more interesting for my old friend."

"Highly likely? Based on what?" – He asked as his eyes rose to meet my red ones.

I grinned largely at him, my face almost splitting in half.

"On the simple fact… that bringing me food is a very, very, very bad decision." - I said, but the voice came out like a beast's growl.

"I don't know if I should agree or just call you narcissistic. There is a fine point between confidence and stupidity." – Orochimaru said seriously

"Indeed there is…" – I said as I looked at him with a smile on my face.

"…You are hiding something… Kukuku… it must be something really good." – he said as a smile appeared on his face.

------------------------------------------

(Meanwhile back at the fort.)

The earth cracked, buildings fell and air pressure expanded from side to side as two figures clashed. Both identical at first sight, but upon closer inspection, they were fundamentally different.

*BOOM*

Another loud noise was heard as the two figures connected with each other, mirroring each other's movement but as their fist collided, one was pushed back, sliding only for a cm, but still highlighting the difference.

-------------------------------------------

(MC POV)

Charging toward my clone, I proved to be a moment faster as my arm fully extended, forcing my clone to match me at a disadvantage, being too slow to fully extend his arm, getting pushed back slightly.

Pulling back our arms, we punched again with the other one, my clone getting pushed slightly further this time. And again, I pushed him further back.

*BANG*

With each punch, I punched even harder. With each step, my body used my weight more effectively, my speed increased even further and so did my advantage.

Seeing as he was on a losing streak, my clone evaded my punch, opting to grab it, pull, and lift me high up, bringing me back down on my back as my legs snapped 90 degrees, crashing into the ground and creating a shockwave, cracks spreading to the far walls of the fortress as I grabbed my clone's arm, used my weight to lift him and bring him down on his back as he tried to use the same method I did, only for me to put so much strength that his legs lodged into the ground and his body slammed into it, dissipating immediately.

Looking at the place where I slammed my clone a grin appeared on my armored face.

"ha…hahaha… hahahahahaha" – I laughed as I finished testing myself once again.

Despite how long it seemed, I was only fighting my clone for 20 seconds. Before it would take multiple shadow clones and up to an hour to see visible improvement on my prowess. I was adapting faster. I was evolving faster and faster.

Sadly even with my durability, the clones would dissipate once the threshold of physical contact was passed. But as long as it was not a definite hit they could be used to improve my fighting style.

From what I experience in Kuro's memories, usually in novels, people considered defeating one's self to be a great feat, but to me, it seemed only a trivial matter. The clone was the past me. From the moment it was created my victory was guaranteed. My goal would be to defeat myself with an overwhelming advantage on the first exchange…

As far as the mental challenge went… my clone was aware that it couldn't beat me even if it tried. It is common knowledge that almost every creature learns faster than it evolves. For me, that depends. Once I get my hands on somebody it doesn't apply. But in the case of fighting a clone, it does apply to me as well. That being the case my clone's chances only stand in a physical fight… however infinitely small these chances are.

As I was thinking to myself, I sensed something move behind me and turned around.

"Very impressive. Not only to evade and sense me… but to also make short work of some of the best the Land of Iron has to offer. Granted, they are not much individually but on an open field, and with these numbers, it is something almost all shinobi would avoid."

As I looked at him I was a little stunned and a thought made its way inside my mind…

White, black, and Asian plant-man… whoever came up with this guy must have really hated racist people…

(A/N: Had some free time so I put up another chapter, hope you enjoyed it. See ya on the next one 😊)