Chapter 12: The Copy Ninja's Confusion
[Adam Yukimura POV]
Kakashi Hatake. The Copy Ninja. One of Konoha's most powerful and enigmatic shinobi. And, more importantly, a prime target for my unique death collection. His Sharingan, his lightning-based attacks, his overall coolness – all things I wanted to "acquire." With my two deaths per person, I was ready to challenge the legendary Jonin.
"Kakashi-sensei!" I called out, finding him reading his "Icha Icha Paradise" book on a bench, seemingly oblivious to the world. "Just the man I wanted to see! I've been thinking about your amazing Sharingan! It's truly a marvel! The way it copies jutsu! It's like a magical eye that says, 'I can do anything you can do, but better!'"
Kakashi slowly lowered his book, his visible eye crinkling. "Adam-san. What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing much!" I chirped. "Just a friendly spar! You know, for training purposes! I'm a Special Jonin now, and I need to hone my skills! And what better way to do that than by getting utterly annihilated by a true master?"
Kakashi sighed. "I'm not going to go easy on you, Adam-san. You're a Jonin now, even if you are… unique."
"Oh, I'm counting on it, Kakashi-sensei!" I beamed. "Hit me with your best shot! Literally! I'm hoping to learn a thing or two about… well, about getting hit by really powerful jutsu!"
We moved to a training field. Kakashi, despite his initial reluctance, was a serious opponent. He started with basic taijutsu, then escalated to ninjutsu. I, of course, was strategically positioning myself for maximum impact.
My first target: his Lightning Blade. I saw him gather the lightning chakra in his hand, heard the distinctive chirping sound. I "tripped," putting myself directly in the path of his attack. The lightning coursed through me, a searing, electrifying pain that paralyzed my nerves and incinerated my internal organs. Darkness.
[ YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY: KAKASHI HATAKE (UNIQUE DEATH!) ][ SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC LIGHTNING RELEASE AFFINITY (Passive) - A minor affinity for lightning-style chakra, granting slight resistance to electrical attacks. ][ DEATHS REMAINING (KAKASHI HATAKE): 1 ]
I gasped, sitting up, a faint smell of ozone clinging to my clothes. My body felt… tingly. And surprisingly resilient to static electricity. "Basic Lightning Release Affinity! Excellent! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, survive being struck by lightning! Or, you know, just subtly shock people when I shake their hand! The possibilities are endless!"
Kakashi stared at me, his visible eye wide with disbelief. "You… you just… took a Lightning Blade to the chest. And got up."
"It's a gift, Kakashi-sensei!" I chirped. "Now, about that Sharingan! I've always wondered, what does it feel like to be copied? Is it like a sudden brain freeze? Or more like a profound sense of existential dread?"
Kakashi, clearly rattled, activated his Sharingan. His eye swirled, the tomoe spinning. I knew this was my chance. I needed him to try to copy me, to analyze my movements, to engage his unique eye. I started performing a series of absurd, nonsensical movements, combining my "Minor Body Expansion" with "Minor Shadow Manipulation" to create a truly bizarre dance. I even tried to make my shadow do a little jig.
Kakashi's Sharingan whirred, trying to keep up, trying to analyze the utterly illogical movements. He was clearly struggling to process the sheer randomness of my actions. He tried to copy my "Impact Rush," but his movements were slightly off, confused by my erratic form. He was pushing his Sharingan to its limits trying to understand my chaos. And then, as he tried to copy my "Exploding Sand Constructs" (which I was just pretending to do, of course), his eye strained, and he stumbled.
[ YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY: KAKASHI HATAKE (UNIQUE DEATH!) ][ SKILL ACQUIRED: RUDIMENTARY SHARINGAN INSIGHT (Passive) - A very minor ability to perceive subtle chakra flows and predict basic movements. ][ DEATHS REMAINING (KAKASHI HATAKE): 0 ]
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. My vision felt… sharper. I could almost see the faint, shimmering outlines of chakra around Kakashi. And I could predict his next move: a sigh, followed by a dramatic eye-roll. "Rudimentary Sharingan Insight! Oh, this is fantastic! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, win at rock-paper-scissors every time! Or, you know, just subtly predict when Tsunade is about to punch me! The possibilities are endless!"
Kakashi, utterly exhausted and bewildered, just slumped onto the ground. "I… I don't understand you, Adam-san. You're an anomaly."
"It's a gift, Kakashi-sensei!" I beamed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some new skills to merge!"
I returned to my apartment, eager to experiment with my new acquisitions. "Basic Lightning Release Affinity" and "Rudimentary Sharingan Insight." This was going to be an interesting combination.
"System, merge 'Basic Lightning Release Affinity' and 'Rudimentary Sharingan Insight'!"
[ MERGE SUCCESSFUL! ][ NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: CHAKRA PERCEPTION: LIGHTNING (Passive) - Enhanced ability to perceive and understand lightning-style chakra, allowing for slightly improved reaction time against lightning attacks and a minor intuitive grasp of lightning-based techniques. ]
"Chakra Perception: Lightning! Oh, this is fantastic! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, dodge even the fastest lightning attacks! Or, you know, just subtly tell if someone's about to electrocute me! The possibilities are endless!"
My unique death count was steadily climbing.
[ CURRENT UNIQUE DEATHS: 40 ]
Life as a Special Jonin was a constant stream of opportunities for self-improvement through self-destruction. And with "Chakra Perception: Lightning," I was practically a lightning rod for new skills. Unless, of course, I wanted to be. Which, let's be honest, I always did.