[Status Window]
Name: Takeshi Sarutobi
Age: 15 years
Chakra Level: Jonin
Skills: Taijutsu (Level D), Bojutsu (Level C), Katon (Level B), Kenjutsu (Level B), Body Flicker (Level C)
Current Balance: 3000 Merit Points
His gaze lost in the small interface before him, Takeshi let his mind drift slowly. He still wasn't strong enough—not yet ready to face lightning…
"Shop," he whispered. The interface instantly shifted, revealing a new page that made his mouth water.
Faced with the vast array of skills available in the shop section, Takeshi, like a child, dreamed of the day he'd master them all. Would that be when he finally won the game? And the god?
"I doubt it'll be that easy..." he sighed, his fingers scrolling across the screen.
No matter how much he tried to ignore the deity's words, a knot always seemed to linger in his throat. Just a pawn—created to entertain the whims of some bastard who dared call himself a god...
That wasn't the life the young man wanted.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Finally… I found you."
It was the jutsu that earned Minato the name of the Yellow Flash of Konoha—the Flying Thunder God Technique.
A ninjutsu combining instantaneous movement and space-time manipulation, created by the Second Hokage and perfected by the Fourth.
[System] — Does the host wish to purchase the Flying Thunder God Technique?
Yes / No
"Obviously!" he exclaimed, pressing "Yes."
[System] — 2500 merit points have been exchanged for the skill.
With a single click, the reward of days of effort vanished—but it didn't matter. It was worth the price.
Information surged into the young ninja's mind. His first contact with space-time ninjutsu. Multiple spatial coordinates could vaguely be distinguished.
"With this, harvesting shouldn't be too difficult…"
He only needed to get used to the technique. And for that, nothing beat hard work. Takeshi also had to keep something in mind—this jutsu consumed a lot of chakra, especially with repeated use.
"Three... no more," he murmured.
Based on his calculations, three was the number of times he could use the technique. Enough to escape a tight spot—but still too few for a prolonged fight.
He needed more chakra—a lot more than he currently had. His most reliable skill at the moment remained kenjutsu.
If he could increase the amount of natural chakra he could draw in, that might just solve the issue.
Of course, it came with risks. The image of Naruto slowly turning into a toad during his training came to mind. Naruto had a mentor to guide him. Takeshi, on the other hand, was alone in his house. One mistake, and it'd be over.
Still, he was willing to take the chance.
As usual, Takeshi sat in lotus position, preparing for his attempt.
"I'm afraid there's no other choice…"
He could always try to find Orochimaru for a cursed seal but... who knew what that mad scientist might do to him. And besides, it would take too long.
Breathe. Focus. Absorb.
He began his ritual, gradually drawing in the chakra around him.
At first, it was only a whisper. A diffuse warmth enveloping his fingers, climbing up his forearms, following the flow of his veins. His own chakra, usually calm and disciplined, pulsed in response, like it was being pulled toward something greater.
"More..."
The thought came unbidden.
His eyelids grew heavy. His breathing slowed. And before he realized it, he stopped pulling from his own reserves—and tapped directly into the world's telluric flow.
This must be how trees felt—rooted in the earth for centuries.
A warm, fluid peace spread through him. His body was no longer a boundary, but a conduit, a river whose banks widened as the torrent swelled.
He could feel everything.
The heartbeats of mice beneath the floorboards. The sap rising in the pine trees outside. The slow grinding of tectonic plates, far below his palms laid flat on the ground.
"Ah…"
The sound escaped him—raw, almost animal.
Then he looked at his hand—and frowned. A sudden image of Jugo flashed through his mind.
"Shit…"
He tasted iron in his mouth.
Blood.
His blood.
Pain finally pierced the veil of bliss—as though a red-hot wire had been driven straight through his chest.
"Gh—!"
He threw himself backward, breaking the connection with a scream. The natural chakra, once so obedient, roared as it withdrew—like a beast being robbed of its prey.
Silence.
It was clearly a failure. He hadn't turned into a toad, but he could tell—if he had kept going, death would have come for him.
"I was too greedy…" he thought, lying flat on the ground. He needed to think, to find a way to use this power without risking everything.
Apparently, the human brain was their greatest asset. Now was the time to prove it.