Ding.
"Congratulations, host, your skill has improved."
Furen, who had returned to his own body from Mizuki's, slowly opened his eyes. After hearing the system prompt, he opened the data panel in his mind. Sure enough, the skill "Mind Transfer Jutsu" had leveled up from LV1 to LV2.
Host: Tsukiya Furen
...
Mind Transfer Jutsu (LV2) (Now with memory deletion ability)
"So, this skill can be improved through my own exploration," Furen muttered, rubbing his chin. He glanced at Mizuki, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, and started pondering the newly acquired memory deletion feature of his Mind Transfer Jutsu.
Earlier, when he used the Mind Transfer Jutsu on Mizuki, it was partly to test the skill and partly to see if he could retrieve and delete Mizuki's memories.
After all, he had just learned forbidden techniques from the Scroll of Seals. Naruto could learn it without any issues because he was the son of the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
But Furen was different. He was an orphan left behind after the war. Konoha had already shown great generosity by accepting him and giving him a pension. As for allowing him to learn forbidden techniques... haha.
When Furen entered Mizuki's body using the Mind Transfer Jutsu, he discovered something different from when Ino used the same technique. His version not only allowed him to control Mizuki's body, but also gave him direct access to Mizuki's brain.
Furen tried extracting memories from Mizuki's brain, and, just like Yamanaka Inoichi from the original series, he successfully pulled out a series of scrolls containing Mizuki's memories.
Without hesitation, Furen located Mizuki's recent memories about him learning the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and promptly deleted them. At the same time, he altered some memories regarding the horrors of war, then exited Mizuki's body.
It wasn't that Furen didn't want to check Mizuki's memories of Orochimaru, but his Shadow Clone, which he had sent out earlier, had dispersed and relayed information to him—Konoha's forces were coming.
Furen looked down at his own body, which hadn't even gotten a speck of dust on it. He kicked Mizuki, who lay motionless on the ground.
"What a waste. I solved you using just Tenten's tool scroll technique. I didn't even get the chance to use my brute strength," Furen muttered, suddenly raising his hand and slowly clenching it.
Waves of chakra began to gather in his hand. Soon, his entire body was enveloped in chakra, causing a powerful surge of wind to burst forth. This level of control over chakra required extreme precision. Along with Sakura's superhuman strength, Furen had also inherited the experience and techniques for using it.
"I'll test the strength next time."
Furen dispersed the chakra covering his body, then picked up a few of the kunai scattered around Mizuki's head. After thinking for a moment, he inflicted a few deep wounds on himself. Thanks to the medical ninjutsu he had learned from Sakura and Ino, Furen knew where his vital points were and how to hurt himself without causing fatal damage.
After completing this self-inflicted damage, Furen deliberately made himself look more disheveled, exhausting his chakra to present the image of someone who had fought a hard battle and was on the verge of collapse.
"Furen!" Naruto's voice called out from afar.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto, Iruka, and several other Konoha Chunin arrived at the scene.
Seeing Mizuki unconscious on the ground and Furen gasping for breath, covered in wounds, they were all shocked.
"Furen... you... defeated Mizuki?!" Iruka asked in disbelief. The scattered kunai and shuriken all over the ground indicated that Mizuki had engaged in a fierce battle with Furen. Mizuki's proficiency with shuriken techniques was even superior to Iruka's.
That Furen had survived Mizuki's assault, let alone defeated him, was something Iruka found hard to believe.
Appearing weak and frail, Furen still tightly held onto the Scroll of Seals, handing it to Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei... I protected it..." Furen said, before collapsing unconscious.
Seeing Furen's exhausted form, having nearly sacrificed himself to protect the village, the surrounding Konoha ninja were deeply moved, some even choking up with emotion.
Holding the scroll in his hands, Iruka glanced at the unconscious Furen and urgently shouted, "Hurry! Take Furen to the Konoha Hospital!"
...
The next day.
Inside Konoha Hospital.
When Furen opened his eyes, it was already noon. Looking at his body, which was now covered in bandages and treated, his eyes shifted to a white figure standing by the window.
"Hokage-sama!" Furen exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah, you're awake, little one," replied the Third Hokage, who wasn't wearing his signature red and white robes or hat. He turned around.
Furen struggled to stand up, but the Third Hokage gently pushed him back down. "No need to get up. I just came to check on you."
Feigning a nervous and alarmed expression, Furen sat back on the bed. "It's an honor that Hokage-sama went through the trouble."
The Third Hokage smiled warmly. "You did well protecting the scroll for the village."
"It's what I should do, Hokage-sama," Furen said, scratching his head awkwardly.
The Third Hokage continued, "Since you protected the scroll for the village, you deserve a reward. Tell me, what do you want?"
Suddenly shifting the conversation, the Third Hokage directly offered Furen a reward.
Furen was stunned. He had expected to be rewarded for safeguarding the Scroll of Seals, but he hadn't anticipated the Third Hokage would be so straightforward about it.
"A reward...?" Furen muttered, repeating the words.
"Yes," the Third Hokage sat down on the bed next to him, lighting his pipe with a cunning, experienced look in his eyes.
The previous night, through his Telescope Technique, the Third Hokage had witnessed Furen's bravery in telling Naruto to run ahead. However, the subsequent events had gone beyond the technique's range.
At the moment, the Third only knew that Mizuki's actions might be linked to the rogue ninja Orochimaru, who had some means of blocking the Telescope Technique's abilities.
As for Furen's chakra, since he had just become a Genin, it had not yet been properly monitored or evaluated.
The Third Hokage had initially planned to let the situation develop further, but he hadn't expected Furen, a mere Genin, to disrupt his plans.
Furen didn't answer immediately, instead pondering in his mind. The fact that the Third Hokage was being so generous made it clear that he was testing him.
If Furen claimed he didn't need anything, it wouldn't match his apparent age and mindset. However, if he asked for too much, it could damage his image in the Third Hokage's eyes. After weighing his options, Furen realized that making a modest request suited his current situation best.
Having thought it through, Furen smiled internally, as he had already anticipated this moment.
Despite his joy, Furen kept his expression neutral, pretending to hesitate before carefully voicing his request.
"Hokage-sama, I would like..."
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A/N:
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