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Shin experimented with Yomotsu Hirasaka. This technique could be used offensively, to shorten the distance for long-range Jutsu, or to disrupt and ambush opponents. It could also be used defensively, for evasion and escape. It was incredibly versatile.
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The Chakra cost was manageable, but the strain on his eyes was significant. His Mangekyō Sharingan had limited ocular power.
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If he didn''t have the Perfect Sage Body, using these abilities a few times would risk blindness.
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Blindness was caused by depleting ocular power. Once depleted, the Mangekyō Sharingan''s power couldn''t be replenished. There were two ways to overcome this: evolve it into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, or transplant Hashirama''s cells and survive.
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With his Perfect Sage Body, Shin didn''t have to worry about permanent blindness. His ocular power would regenerate, but he was concerned about running out mid-battle.
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Regeneration took time. In a fight, he wouldn''t have time to wait for his eyes to recover.
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If he evolved his Mangekyō Sharingan into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he would have practically unlimited ocular power. The regeneration rate would match the consumption rate.
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He needed to find a way to evolve his Sharingan quickly.
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He wasn''t worried, though. As long as he had time, he could evolve his Sharingan naturally.
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After awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, Shin had sensed a resonance between his eyes and his body.
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Influenced by his Perfect Sage Body, his ocular power was slowly increasing. Once it reached a certain threshold, his Mangekyō Sharingan would evolve into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
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The Sage Body and the Sharingan were indeed complementary, representing Yin and Yang, the perfect balance.
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"Time to head back. Kushina will be looking for me."
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Shin headed towards the Senju compound, his sword strapped to his back.
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This wasn''t just any sword; it was the one he had taken from the Uzumaki Clan Shrine.
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After some research, he discovered it was one of the Kusanagi swords.
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There were eleven Kusanagi swords in the Naruto world. Itachi Uchiha''s Totsuka Blade was one of them.
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Shin''s Kusanagi sword didn''t have the lengthening ability of Orochimaru''s Kusanagi sword or the sealing ability of Itachi''s Totsuka Blade, but it did have the Chakra-conducting ability of Sasuke''s sword.
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Its greatest strengths were its durability and sharpness. It could cut through steel like butter.
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Shin didn''t need any special abilities. He just needed a sword that could withstand his strength and swordsmanship. In his hands, it was the ultimate weapon.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
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Back at the courtyard, he saw a feast laid out on the table. His face paled.
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"Who made this?"
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He looked at Tsunade and Kushina suspiciously. The food looked and smelled delicious, but to him, it was poison.
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"I did," Mikoto said, emerging from the kitchen with a pot of miso soup.
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"Oh, Mikoto. That''s a relief."
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Shin sat down, ignoring Tsunade and Kushina''s glares.
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"Mikoto, you didn''t go home?"
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"Why, Shin? Don''t you want me here?"
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Mikoto''s gentle gaze made Shin feel a strange sense of danger. Was it just his imagination? Mikoto was so sweet; how could she be dangerous?
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"Of course I''m glad you''re here, Mikoto. I was just curious."
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"I asked her to stay," Tsunade said.
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Knowing Mikoto had no family, Tsunade had invited her to stay, hoping she would keep Kushina company and prevent her from sneaking into Shin''s room at night.
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Shin and Kushina were too old to be sharing a bed. Tsunade didn''t want to see that.
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The next morning, Tsunade took Shin, Kushina, and Mikoto to the Hokage''s office to accept a mission.
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They didn''t need to see the Hokage for ordinary missions; he''d be overwhelmed.
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But as new graduates, if they wanted to take on missions above D-rank, they needed his approval.
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"Sandaime, I want to take on a higher-level mission. Please sign this application."
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Tsunade placed the form in front of Hiruzen.
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"A higher-level mission?"
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Hiruzen frowned, glancing at Shin, Kushina, and Mikoto. "No," he said, shaking his head.
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"They''re new graduates. They should start with D-rank missions to gain experience."
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"What kind of experience? How to be better farmers? So they can become farmers or pig breeders if they fail as Shinobi?"
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Hiruzen''s lips twitched. Tsunade had a point. D-rank missions were mostly useless and didn''t provide any real training.
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"But what if they''re in danger?"
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"I''ll take responsibility. Just sign the form."
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Tsunade slammed the form on his desk.
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"Fine."
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Hiruzen sighed and signed the form. With Tsunade leading the team, he wasn''t that worried.
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Tsunade took them to the mission assignment desk.
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"What kind of mission do you want?" she asked.
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"Something with blood," Shin said after exchanging glances with Kushina and Mikoto.
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The type of mission didn''t matter, as long as it helped Kushina and Mikoto grow.
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For a new Genin, the best way to grow was to kill someone.
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If you didn''t have the resolve to kill, you shouldn''t be a Shinobi. It wasn''t a merciful profession; killing was part of the job.
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Tsunade nodded. "Let''s take this C-rank mission: bandit extermination."
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She handed the form to the mission desk clerk and accepted the mission.
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Bandit extermination was a common mission for Genin teams. Being a bandit in the Shinobi world was a tough job.
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New graduates, after completing a few D-rank missions, would move on to higher-level missions.
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Facing enemy Shinobi directly was out of the question. Sending new graduates against experienced Shinobi was suicide.
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But they needed to experience real combat, to kill, to become true Shinobi.
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Killing innocent people was unacceptable. Shinobi weren''t executioners. So, bandits were the next best thing. They were a menace, and killing them was a public service.
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In the Shinobi world, bandits were both hated and pitied. They were constantly being hunted, serving as stepping stones for new graduates.
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Alert: New mission available. View?
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The System''s voice echoed in Shin''s mind.
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Shin opened the mission panel and saw the bandit extermination mission.
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[Bandit Extermination: Eliminate the bandits near Nishi-mura. Reward: One Common Replication Card. Failure: No penalty.]