The deafening roar of the stadium followed me the entire way up the stairs.
As I walked back up toward the competitor's viewing balcony, I casually tapped into the senses of the Soldiers stationed in the shadows around the spectator stands, taking a quick glimpse of the reactions to my fight.
"Did you see that?! The kid is amazing!" a wealthy merchant from the Land of Lightning gasped.
"If the Leaf produces Genin of this caliber, their military strength is far greater than we estimated," a foreign shinobi murmured to his squad.
"He used four different chakra natures in a single fight," Izumo muttered in disbelief to Kotetsu. "Even Jonin struggle to master two."
"He's completely transformed since his days in the Academy," a veteran Leaf Jonin added, shaking his head.
"Yeah, no kidding," another Jonin commented. "It didn't even look like he struggled at all. He's not just strong... he's transformed into an absolute powerhouse."
On another side of the stands, Kakashi was leaning over the railing, his lone visible eye blown wide open in utter bewilderment. He looked like he could no longer make any sense of me at all.
Beside him, Guy was literally weeping waterfalls, clutching his chest and rambling loudly to anyone who would listen about the "magnificent, burning Flames of Youth."
Meanwhile, Tenten was gripping her hair in the section with the other rookies. "Ugh! Earth, Wind, and Fire natures too?!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the roar of the crowd. "When the hell did he learn all that?! It's completely unfair!"
"It's not just the elements," Lee pointed out, managing to finally get out of Tenten's grip. "His speed and reflexes were enough to perfectly evade Neji's Gentle Fist."
"He's on a completely different level," Kiba agreed, with Akamaru barking in confirmation.
"Naruto is amazing," Hinata beamed.
"Yeah, no kidding!" Ino agreed, before nudging Sakura. "You knew he had it in him, billboard brow?"
Sakura tilted her head upwards. "Of course, pig!" she stated, crossing her arms. "Everyone on Team 7 is just a step above."
I shook my head at their enthused conversations, as I got to the top of the stairs. "They're all getting really rambunctious, aren't they?"
"Well, they did just witness something rare," a dry, drawling voice suddenly replied, pulling me out of my [SHADOW LINK] vision.
I blinked, my focus snapping back to my own physical body. I glanced to see Shikamaru leaning against the stone railing of the balcony, staring at me with his usual lazy, half-lidded expression. But there was a new, analytical glint in his eyes.
"I was already surprised when you pulled out that massive water jutsu in the first round," he continued. "But then you go ahead and use three completely different chakra natures back-to-back," He shook his head. "And here I thought you were one of the unslick guys, just like me," he said. "But then you go ahead and pull something like this off. When did you even have the time to learn all of that?"
"We—unslick?" I questioned, raising a brow before answering his question.
"Yeah, you know, the opposite of the cool guys who always have girls going gaga over them," he responded.
This fucking guy, I thought with a smirk, shaking my head internally.
"We had a whole month off," I said, adjusting my lenses. "You'd be surprised what you can get done with a little free time."
"A month," Shikamaru repeated flatly, clearly not buying the nonchalance. "Right. And I suppose you're going to tell me you somehow learned Lightning nature, too?"
"Nah," I waved a hand dismissively. "I actually unlocked all five basic natures during the first week. The rest of the month was just practicing."
Shikamaru just stared at me for a long, quiet second before letting out a heavy sigh and rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't even know if you're joking or not."
But not everyone on the balcony shared Shikamaru's casual disbelief.
A few feet down the railing, Sasuke was clenching his fists so tightly that I thought his knuckles were going to pop right through his skin. As he stared intensely down at the ruined arena floor, I could sense the dark, vile chakra of Orochimaru's Curse Mark pulsating faintly beneath his high collar. The frustration was practically boiling off of him.
And then there was Gaara.
The Sand Jinchuriki wasn't looking at the arena, the crowd, or the proctor. His focus was directly on me. His bloodshot eyes were wide, and he was quietly muttering to himself.
"So strong... very soon... how exquisite his blood must taste..."
The world just keeps on supplying me with new experiences, huh? I thought, shaking my head.
Up above the arena, the massive electronic screen buzzed loudly. The tournament bracket shifted, moving my name forward into the Final Four block. I was officially slated to fight Ajisai.
I discreetly glanced over my shoulder toward the Rain kunoichi. She was already staring right at me. However, it wasn't a glare of intimidation or fear. Her expression was distant, as if she were actively trying to recall a specific memory or piece of information about me.
Konan must have told her something, I mused, turning my attention back to the arena floor. The Akatsuki definitely had some of the Rain Genin keeping tabs on Gaara and me during the exams. I just don't know the specific type of intel they were told to collect before they entered the village.
Before I could dwell on it any further, the crowd's murmurs began to swell into a fever pitch of excitement. The arena floor had been swiftly patched over by the proctors proficient in Earth-style, making the terrain accessible for combat once again
Down in the center of the arena, Genma raised his hand.
"The final match of the second round!" his voice boomed across the stadium. "Sasuke Uchiha versus Gaara of the Sand! Both competitors, make your way to the arena floor!"
This was it. The main event. The match the nobles, the gamblers, the villagers, and the civilians that came from far and wide had been anticipating since the bracket was announced a month ago.
Sasuke didn't say a word. He headed down the stairs with an expression of extreme focus. Gaara immediately followed suit, the sand swirling excitedly around him.
As soon as they were out of sight, I casually slipped my hand into my pockets and equipped my newly acquired loot.
[ITEM EQUIPPED: RING OF THE UNSEEN PATH]
The moment the ring settled on my finger, my vision warped. The world around me seemed to gain a new layer of profound depth. A translucent, 360-degree sensory field washed over my eyes, acting almost like a diluted version of the Byakugan.
My already boosted sensory vision was now a flawless, omnidirectional tracking tool that vividly painted the enemy against the backdrop of the stadium.
It was like having wall hacks. I didn't even need to focus my chakra. Solid walls, concrete tiers, and thick pillars faded into semi-transparency. Through my enhanced visual overlay, the civilian sleeper agents scattered throughout the stands gained distinct, glowing silhouettes.
Now, all I had to do was wait for one of them to cause an action that would give me probable cause to bypass the contract's restrictions.
I highlighted every hostile target in the stands and had my Soldiers stationed directly behind every single sleeper agent's shadow.
After they got into position, I leaned my forearms against the balcony railing as Sasuke and Gaara stepped up to face each other down below.
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a kunai.
Sasuke stood in a low stance as his dark eyes locked onto Gaara. The Jinchuriki in question uncorked his massive gourd, and a thick stream of sand immediately began pouring out, pooling around him like a living, breathing entity.
"Mother..." Gaara whispered, his voice carrying an eerie, hollow pitch that echoed across the quiet stadium. "Are you watching? I will offer him to you… then I'll offer you the other one."
Genma took a step back between them. "Now then. At long last," he said, raising his hand and bringing it sharply downwards. "Begin!"
Sasuke wasted no time and leaped backwards immediately, creating distance between him and Gaara. While in mid-air, he hurled a volley of kunai and shuriken directly at the auburn-haired boy, whose sand automatically surged forward, forming a hardened wall that deflected the projectiles.
Sasuke wasn't deterred. With a burst of speed, he reappeared directly behind Gaara, aiming a devastating roundhouse kick at the back of his head. The sand violently snapped backward, barely blocking the blow in time. Gaara turned and thrust his hand forward. A massive wave of sand surged toward Sasuke, but the Uchiha was able to easily maneuver out of the way, bounding off the arena wall and flipping backward into the air.
He blurred through a sequence of hand signs.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
A dozen small fireballs rained down from the sky. But Gaara was prepared. He raised both arms, and the sand violently erupted, forming a thick, reinforced dome that absorbed the blistering flames. As the smoke cleared, three identical Sand Clones emerged from the dome, rushing Sasuke simultaneously to keep him on the defensive.
Smart, I mused, watching Gaara keep himself anchored in the center of the arena while his sand did the work. After watching his match against Gantetsu, Gaara probably knows better than to let him get into his personal space.
Sasuke wove through the Sand Clones, his Sharingan blazing to life as he perfectly predicted their sluggish attacks. He shattered the first one with a palm strike to the chest, swept the legs out from the second, and vaulted over the third.
Using the momentum, he launched himself directly at the real Gaara like a missile. He slipped past the automatic sand defense by a fraction of a second, driving a heavy, chakra-enhanced punch squarely into Gaara's face.
Gaara's armor of sand cracked, and he was sent skidding backward across the arena floor.
The stadium erupted into cheers, but the Sand Genin just slowly stood back up, the cracked sand on his face flaking away to reveal his unhinged, bloodshot eyes.
Gaara raised his hands, bringing his fingers together. "Shield of Sand!"
The sand pooling around him suddenly spiraled upward like a miniature tornado, violently pulling in the surrounding dirt and minerals from the arena floor. It formed a massive spherical dome of hardened sand, completely encasing him inside.
Above the dome, a levitating eyeball made of sand materialized, linking to Gaara's optic nerve to let him see outside.
There it is, I thought, narrowing my eyes. His real Absolute Defense. He's starting his partial transformation. In the canon timeline, this is exactly when the invasion starts.
I quickly glanced up toward the Kage box. Orochimaru was leaning forward in his seat. Oddly enough, I didn't feel any build up of chakra from him that would signify that he was preparing to attack Hiruzen. His eyes were entirely fixated on Sasuke.
I shifted my focus, scanning the stadium, until I found Kabuto's chakra signature. He was positioned near one of the civilian sections, still in his Anbu disguise, just standing there as calm as could be.
What the hell?! I frowned, sensing that he wasn't building up any chakra either. Why isn't he preparing the Nirvana Temple Genjutsu?! What the hell are they waiting for?!
I looked further down our balcony to check on the Sand siblings. Temari was gripping the stone railing, her face entirely pale and slick with terrified sweat as she stared down at her brother's Sand Sphere. Beside her, Kankuro—who had made his way back during the opening of Sasuke and Gaara's fight—was leaning heavily against the wall, breathing raggedly. His chakra coils were completely tapped out from his grueling match against Shino. He was in no condition to fight, but he was still gearing up for the soon-to-be invasion, nonetheless.
I quickly tapped into my stationed Soldiers in the village and found that there was nothing going on there either. The Sand and Sound ninjas were still in specific positions, signifying that there was going to be some kind of attack, but there was nothing I saw that would have been an unshakable threat.
The snake-freak and his assistant are moving extremely weird right now, I thought. And having my Soldiers eliminate those shinobi before I get a clear idea of what's going on could trigger a catastrophic event.
Back down in the arena, Sasuke was growing frustrated. He had thrown explosive tags, unleashed a Great Fireball, and battered the Sand Sphere with high-speed Taijutsu combinations, but the hardened shell hadn't even chipped.
Realizing his standard arsenal was useless, Sasuke backflipped away from the sphere and sprinted directly up the side of the stadium wall, anchoring his feet to the vertical surface with chakra.
He lowered his center of gravity, grabbing his left wrist with his right hand as he channeled a massive surge of chakra into his palm.
CHIRP. CHIRP. CHIRP.
The sound of a thousand screeching birds echoed through the stadium as blue lightning erupted from his hand.
It's more pronounced than when he used it on Gantetsu, I observed, as the sheer density of the chakra began to tear up the stone wall around his feet. I mean it makes sense, but it also means that he's burning through his chakra quickly.
Sasuke pushed off the wall, leaving a crater behind as he rocketed down toward the arena floor. He moved so fast he was little more than a blur of blue lightning, causing the floor to split under the sheer pressure.
He charged headfirst at the Sand Sphere, dodging all the protruding spikes the sand had created. "Chidori!" he yelled, thrusting his lightning-clad hand forward, and violently driving it straight into the impenetrable defense.
The lightning shrieked as it tore through the hardened sand. Sasuke's arm sank in all the way up to his elbow.
For a split second, the entire stadium went dead silent.
And then, a horrific, blood-curdling scream erupted from inside the sphere.
"MY BLOOD!"
The suffocating volume of Shukaku's chakra violently exploded outward, shattering the top half of the sand sphere entirely.
"What the hell is that?!" Shikamaru yelled next to me, taking a step back in sheer horror.
The audience gasped in terror. From the broken shell of the sphere, a monstrous, tan-colored arm covered in blue cursed seals thrust outward.
Alright, there's the arm, but what happens next? I thought, glancing at Orochimaru to find that he was still calmly observing the match.
I looked around and braced myself for something to happen.
But, nothing took place.
"You've been looking around more than you have throughout this whole day," Shikamaru said, looking at me with deep concern. "What's going on?! And why are the proctors letting this continue?!"
"I don't know," I muttered, waving off his concern as I kept my eyes glued to the arena.
What could they be possibly waiting for?! Do they know that the Leaf has planned a counter-strategy for their invasion?
The monstrous arm retracted, and the sand fell away, revealing Gaara. His left arm and the entire left side of his face were now encased in grotesque sand and blood.
What the hell is going on?! I thought, watching as the wound from Sasuke's Chidori bled heavily, pushing Gaara's already fragile psyche completely over the edge.
He let out a crazed roar, launching himself at Sasuke with terrifying ferocity. His chakra was continuously expanding, growing darker and more suffocating by the second.
"You better do something," a resonant voice suddenly said from the inside of my head. "Shukaku's psyche is steadily taking over. If you don't, I don't think I need to tell you of what kind of bloodbath this place will turn into."
I'm aware of that, but there are much worse concerns to be on alert about, I replied mentally, glancing up at the disguised Snake Sannin.
I brought my attention back down to the arena. Gaara had turned into a force of untethered destruction. He swung his grotesque, sand-covered arm, moving with a speed and ferocity that completely defied his earlier fighting style.
Sasuke ducked under a massive, swiping claw, but the sheer wind pressure generated by the attack sent him tumbling across the dirt. The Uchiha scrambled to his feet, panting heavily. Sweat poured down his face, and his chest heaved as his chakra reserves dwindled mightily. Using the high-speed Taijutsu combined with the Chidori had drained his stamina nearly dry.
Gaara didn't give him a second to breathe. He lunged forward again, his bloodshot eyes wide with manic glee. "More... I need more of your blood!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, raising his arms to crossblock—but then he froze.
He suddenly grabbed his neck, letting out a sharp, agonizing cry.
I immediately noticed Orochimaru lean forward, his eyes widening in predatory fascination.
There's no way he really delayed the invasion just to get another front-row view of Sasuke's Curse Mark, right? I questioned internally. Surely there has to be something else planned. That can't be the only reason.
With Sasuke's natural reserves depleted, the vile seal on his neck flared to life. Black, flame-like markings rapidly spread across the left side of his face and down his arm. Sasuke screamed, his Sharingan spinning wildly as the corrosive, dark chakra flooded his system.
Desperate to survive Gaara's incoming attack, Sasuke grabbed his left wrist again and activated his Chidori.
The screeching of a thousand birds returned, but this time the blue electricity of the jutsu was now deeply tainted, crackling with dark streaks of black energy.
Gaara swung his clawed hand downward, while Sasuke thrust his corrupted Chidori upward.
The two attacks collided with a deafening shockwave that rattled the very foundations of the stadium. The dark lightning tore through the sand-encased limb, carving a deep, vicious gash into Gaara's partially transformed arm.
"GAAAAAAAH!" Gaara shrieked in absolute agony, stumbling backward as fresh blood sprayed across the dirt.
"What?! He tore through it?!" Temari gasped with widened eyes.
"Impossible!" Kankuro said next to her with the same level of astonishment in his tone.
The shock of the pain, combined with the sight of his own blood, pushed the auburn-haired Jinchuriki completely over the edge. Gaara threw his head back and unleashed a deafening, demonic roar. Soon after, a massive, suffocating wave of dense chakra erupted from his body, creating a localized hurricane of wind and sand.
The force of the blast slammed into the stadium's boundary walls. The protective, chakra-absorbing barrier scripts flashed violently before short-circuiting.
And the second it dropped, all hell broke loose.
BOOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion suddenly rocked the eastern perimeter of the village, sending a thick plume of black smoke billowing into the sky. Before the crowd could even process the sound, a second, closer explosion violently shattered the roof of the Kage box.
Through the billowing smoke, I saw two blurs—one wearing the Hokage robes and the other wearing the Kazekage robes—leap outward, landing squarely on the tiled roof of the VIP section.
Screams began to ripple through the spectator stands as the civilians finally realized they were under attack.
So that's why they didn't start the invasion when his arm came out, I realized. They needed the barrier to the stadium down. But… why though?! What could they possibly be aiming for in the stadium when I know the snake wants damage done outside of it?
I locked onto my enhanced sensory field.
All around the stadium, dozens of red silhouettes representing the sleeper agents' chakra levels started to ascend quickly. I watched as their chakra began to expand and vibrate rapidly, glowing brighter and brighter by the millisecond.
I quickly put two and two together when I saw some kind of sealing script embedded onto them. They're suicide bombers! I gasped, my eyes widening in horrific realization. That sadist is trying to send a message to Hiruzen by any means. Even if he has to wipe out most of his own army to do it.
I could only watch on helplessly through my visual overlay as the glowing red silhouettes reached their detonation thresholds.
The explosive scripts on their bodies ignited. Sparks flared. The very first shockwaves of the blasts began to rupture their flesh, unleashing blistering heat into the packed civilian stands.
OH, SHIT! OH, SHIT! OH, SHIT!
In that exact, singular millisecond, a blinding blue screen flashed right across my vision.
[ALERT!: HOSTILE INTENT DETECTED AGAINST KONOHA CITIZENS]
[PROBABLE CAUSE ESTABLISHED. SPIRITUAL CONTRACT RESTRICTIONS LIFTED.]
FINALLY! I thought.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: RULER'S HAND (MAXIMUM OUTPUT)]
With the likes of Shikamaru, the Sand Siblings, and especially Ajisai nearby I couldn't extend my arms for a deeper line of focus like I was used to. So, I simply kept my hands on the railing and stood as still as I could to increase my focus. I was able to form a pressurized vacuum around all of the detonating agents, choking out the oxygen and completely containing the initial bursts of fire and shrapnel before they could touch a single civilian.
Before a single explosive tag could fully breach my invisible hold, I mentally jerked my head upward.
All forty agents were yanked from the stands, soaring high into the sky above the open-air stadium like a flock of disturbed birds.
Two seconds later, the sky ignited in a concussive wave of fireworks.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"What!" Shikamaru let out next to me as shockwaves violently rattled the concrete tiers, plunging the entire arena into even more pandemonium. "What's going on?!"
The invasion has officially begun is 'what's going on', my ninja, I thought, as I rolled my shoulders.
The sky above us was still raining embers as the Sound and Sand shinobi in the stands finally shed their disguises. Battle cries erupted from every corner of the stadium as they clashed with the Konoha Jonin and Anbu. Kunai clashed against shuriken, and ninjutsu explosions began to tear through the stone tiers.
Down in the arena, Gaara was thrashing wildly, completely lost to the bloodlust. His crazed, bloodshot eyes locked onto Sasuke. With another demonic roar, Gaara launched himself at the Uchiha, and proceeded to chase him through an opening created by one of the clashes, heading straight toward the dense forest area.
Temari and Kankuro, watching in terror, didn't hesitate. Even with Kankuro practically wheezing, they followed the duo, hoping to somehow contain the disaster.
In the stands, Sakura watched the chaotic pursuit unfold. "Sasuke!" she screamed, her voice cutting through the sounds of clashing kunai.
Her cry immediately caught Kakashi's attention. The silver-haired Jonin was already a blur of motion, effortlessly dispatching two Sound shinobi with a swift kick before turning to see what had occurred.
When he saw that Sasuke and Gaara were no longer in the stadium, he quickly pieced things together, and shouted a slew of commands. "Sakura! Ino! Kiba! Tenten! Hinata!" he barked over the roaring chaos, while also snagging a completely bewildered Choji by the collar as the heavy-set boy tried to run back with a bag of chips. "Go after Sasuke! Back him up and stall Gaara long enough for the Jonin to secure this area!"
Back on the competitor's viewing balcony, Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he noticed our former classmates mobilizing as a unit across the stadium.
"Looks like they're heading out to back up Sasuke," he muttered, pushing off the stone railing. "How troublesome this day has become. We should probably go too."
He turned to leave, but paused at my unmoving form. "What's wrong? You coming?" he asked with a raised brow.
"I have something I need to take care of," I said, still not moving from my position as I stared up toward the Kage box. "I'll catch up with y'all later."
"Catch up with us later?!" Shikamaru questioned in disbelief. "Don't you see what's happening?! We have to stay toge—"
His words were cut off when I finally turned to look at him, activating my [PRESENCE].
"Shikamaru," I called in a calm, but commanding tone. "The others are waiting for you. They need you. You need to be with them."
Shikamaru's eyes widened before nodding, feeling the sudden shift in aura around me. "Just don't do anything stupid," he muttered, as he dashed away to join the others.
I looked around and found nobody else on the balcony. Ajisai must have dipped, I thought, locking back onto the tiled roof of the Kage box.
Orochimaru, having shed his mask to reveal his pale, serpentine face, already had Hiruzen in a chokehold. But just as he leaned in to taunt his old master, a massive plume of white smoke erupted on the opposite side of the roof.
Jiraiya stood there, his white hair bristling with rage. The Toad Sage didn't even waste time talking. He blurred through hand signs, his cheeks puffing out as he unleashed a massive, blistering torrent of fire directly at the Snake Sannin, attempting to force him away from Hiruzen.
But before the flames could even touch Orochimaru, a massive, translucent pink wall appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Jiraiya's flames crashed against it, completely absorbed and deflected by the shimmering, multifaceted barrier.
My eyes widened behind my lenses. Hovering just behind Orochimaru was a massive, glittering dragon made entirely of pink crystal. Riding atop its head was a kunoichi with pale skin, long dark hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a green outfit with striking red lipstick. She looked down at Jiraiya with an expression of absolute arrogance.
She's from the filler episodes, I mused quickly, my mind racing. The one with Crystal Release. What's her name again?! I thought, trying to place her face to a name. Ah, right. Guren. I can't believe they brought her! This is really bad!
While Jiraiya was stalled by the Crystal Release, four Sound ninja violently burst out of the bisected bodies of the Kazekage's disguised guards. They immediately took up the four corners of the roof and slammed their hands down.
A massive, searing purple box violently erected itself into the sky.
To make matters worse, one of my Soldiers suddenly informed me that dozens of high-speed targets were entering the village airspace.
I tapped into my [SHADOW LINK] and checked the vision of my perimeter guards. High above the stadium, dozens of miniature crystal dragons were soaring through the air. And they were rigged with a whole bunch of explosive tags. I quickly pieced together that they were the things that caused the explosive chaos in the village. They were acting as an aerial bombardment squad, relentlessly dropping explosives across the civilian sectors.
I gritted my teeth as Orochimaru's grand plan finally came together. He brought Guren to not only separate Jiraiya—who he must have gotten wind of arriving in the village—from him and Hiruzen, but to make him choose between spending precious time trying to break a high-level barrier or abandoning Hiruzen to save the burning village, I processed quickly. With the village in turmoil and the opportunity to kill Hiruzen in front of his former teammate, he could burn two bridges at once. What a sick bastard. He accounted for every possible variable against him.
I extended my arms. Except for one, I thought, stepping up onto the edge of the balcony railing and flexing my aura. It's time for the world to bear witness to THE MONARCH OF SHADOWS!
Deep within my shadow dimension, I could feel Beru practically vibrating with bloodthirsty excitement. "Yes! My King! On your word!" he cheered.
I raised my hand, my aura flaring to life as the shadows around the stadium began to writhe and bubble.
"Everyone, the time has come," I announced to all my Soldiers in the village."COME FO—"
But before I could get the command out, the world instantly froze.
The falling debris locked in mid-air, the screaming civilians fell silent, and smoke hung motionless in the sky.
Ah man, I didn't even get to finish my monologue, I thought, watching as a massive golden screen materialized directly in front of my face, accompanied by a deafening alarm chime.
[ALERT! WORLD EVENT TRIGGERED: ULTIMATE DECISION!]
[THE SHADOW MONARCH STANDS AT THE PRECIPICE OF WAR. THE CHOICE YOU MAKE HERE WILL PERMANENTLY ALTER THE FATE OF THE HIDDEN LEAF AND THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR REIGN.]
[OPTION A: ONE FOR ALL]:
Action: Unveil your Soldiers and unleash the full might of the Shadow Army to crush the invasion.
Consequence: Major factions (the Akatsuki, Danzo, rival villages) will witness your terrifying, necromantic abilities and may preemptively move to eliminate you.
Rewards:
+350,000 XP (Guarantees +7 Levels)
+5,000,000 Ryo
Skill Book: Legion Exchange (Allows the user to instantly teleport entire squads of Shadows across the battlefield, or swap places with a cluster of Shadows simultaneously.)
[OPTION B: ALL FOR ONE]:
Action: Keep your army hidden. Handle the entire invasion utilizing only your power and skills.
Consequence: Without your army's vast coverage, there is a high possibility of Konoha suffering catastrophic damage, exposing the village to immediate external threats in its weakened state.
Rewards:
+500,000 XP (Guarantees +10 Levels)
+7,500,000 Ryo
Item: Heart of the Abyss (Legendary Item - Core grants infinite chakra regeneration for 1 hour, enabling the continuous casting of devastating abilities without worry of depletion.)
I lowered my hand, staring at the hovering golden texts as the weight of the moment came down on me.
Unleash the troops and expose myself to the entire world? Or keep my secrets, and try to solo an entire army before this place burns to ashes?
I placed a hand to my chin. There's only one way to decide this, I decided, raising a finger back and forth at the two options.
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe."