"Yuki-kun... How is it?"
"Don't be too surprised, I'm just fulfilling my part of the deal... Remember? I said I'd protect you."
Shaking her head, Yuki (clone) sighed. Tsubaki could never detect the Yuki (clone) hiding in her shadow, revealing how little she understood about her powers. However, it hadn't even been 24 hours since she received her powers, so it wasn't surprising if she couldn't use them perfectly.
The real issue was Reisuke...
Unlike Tsubaki, he was using his powers with precision and utility, exploiting his enemy's vitality instead of using his own. For a 5-year-old to think this strategically was terrifying; Reisuke was proving to be the most problematic opponent they had encountered.
"I understand... and thank you, Yuki-kun. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do in this situation."
Bowing slightly, Tsubaki could finally breathe easy. Since parting ways with Yuki, she had been on edge with her unstable bodyguard Yuno and enemies seeking her life. Only Yuki made her feel secure—his aura and power were more than enough.
While not fully trusting Yuki, she knew he wouldn't betray her to the enemy, which would only empower them. As for killing her himself, if Yuki wanted that, he could have done it long ago. There was no need to bother now.
"Don't worry..."
Yuki, on the other hand, casually waved his hand and analyzed the mirrors in front of him—the key to their escape.
"Any idea how to get out of this place? Energy attacks don't seem to work here."
"You're right, energy attacks won't work. Our energy is consumed every second; using them would be wasting valuable power."
"What do we do, Yuki-kun? Do we enter a mirror as Quinto suggested?"
"We have to, but not blindly. There are many variables to consider, and we have limited time."
With hundreds of mirrors moving around, blindly choosing one was not an option. Tsubaki thought it was futile; there were just too many mirrors to choose from.
"After calculating our 'Time,' we have an opportunity to enter a mirror and find Reisuke in the fragment. Beyond that, our time will end, and it'll be game over."
Yuki (clone) credited Reisuke for this interesting use of his powers. While he didn't know what the Original was doing, he had no hope that the Original would solve this problem. Everything rested in their hands, and Tsubaki's death here would only make Reisuke even more dangerous.
"I understand, so... which one do we choose?"
With hundreds of mirrors flying around and changing positions, Tsubaki's head was pounding. Finding the right mirror in this situation was nearly impossible, and the worst part was they only had one chance—if they chose the wrong one, everything would end.
"Let me try something..."
Finding Reisuke among hundreds of mirrors was a problem. The Sharingan wouldn't detect his energy through the fragments, and even the Byakugan, the best eye for sensing energy, wouldn't be useful. His sensory jutsu wouldn't find Reisuke hiding in this time frame.
Rasiel's information tended to be inaccurate when it involved Time. So, he had only one option...
"I don't like using it... but I have no other choice."
With a slight hand gesture, Yuki (clone) activated his jutsu, and the rhombus mark on his forehead expanded like a tattoo.
[Ninpou: Souzou Saisei]
As a Time clone, Yuki (clone) had access to this jutsu, representing his past. Unlike shadow and ice clones, Yuki's clones were different, and this was one of their strengths.
His seal was peculiar, storing four types of energy: Chakra, Spiritual Energy, life force, and Senjutsu Chakra. For Yuki, always having Chakra was essential. Even though Zafkiel could store Chakra, Yuki believed having two places to store his energy was a priority. Luckily, he followed his judgment, and now, after two years of accumulating spiritual energy and Chakra, he could use this jutsu.
However, accumulating three types of energy took a lot of time and effort. Only after absorbing all the power of the Apocalypse virus in Inori's world did his seal form and mutate.
The release of the seal summoned a horned spiritual serpent that crawled over his body, enhancing his chakra flow and creating a protective bubble. At the same time, his white skin cracked, revealing serpent-like scales around him. The Apocalypse virus reacted, providing him with a crystal armor, boosting his defense in his astral suit. His eyes changed, adding snake-like corneas and crimson marks around each eye. His hair grew a few centimeters darker.
[Sennin Mode]
Due to his physical transformation, it would be more accurate to say his Sage Mode was incomplete and more of a Sage Transformation. However, despite disliking it, his abilities received a significant boost, along with all his statistics.
*Hiss*
"Hick?!"
With the serpent crawling over Yuki's (clone) body, Tsubaki screamed in terror. This abrupt transformation surprised her greatly, but more than fear, she was fascinated by it. The horned spiritual serpent had its charm—unlike real snakes, it was made of natural energy.
The same applied to Yuki. He was already a cute child, but in this transformation, his aura and charm transformed. If before he radiated innocence and purity, now he exuded a bad-boy charm, complemented by his astral suit and physical appearance—very similar to a delinquent kid.
Each had its charm, appealing to different women based on taste. Tsubaki was no exception; her eyes couldn't help but shine when she saw him.
(Gasai-san, you have good taste... I love it)
For Tsubaki, Yuki was the embodiment of Yuno's deepest desires, so she could sympathize with her and praised her for having good taste. An innocent child who could also become a bad boy was a terrible combination for a woman's desires.
(Come on, I don't have much time)
Yuki, on the other hand, closed his eyes. He didn't have much time in this transformation. Gathering Senjutsu chakra was challenging, and due to this time frame, Yuki (clone) couldn't access the natural energy of the world. He could only rely on the Senjutsu chakra sealed on his forehead.
In this state, all of Yuki's ninjutsus and extrasensory jutsus drastically increased. Sage Mode provided an incredible perception of energy and the presence of others. In this state, Yuki's consciousness could sense and see beyond what the Sharingan could, even predicting movements more clearly.
And in this state, combined with his sensory jutsus...
"I found you!"
As predicted, finding Reisuke wasn't a problem.
------
Author's Note: Waaaaaaa
TN: This crybaby