Shorai moved toward the central tower with a faint smile. He reactivated the Reality Stone, pulling up the interface to monitor his vitals.
'Construct. Interface. Body condition scan.'
[Host's vessel is in a healthy state. No damage or wounds detected. Residual toxin contained. Traces of restorative compounds detected.]
'My current energy and spiritual signature?'
[Chakra: High capacity of 77%. Soul Integrity: 100%. Abnormal state detected: Spiritual density exceeds local baseline.]
'How is my chakra back above half?' Shorai wondered.
[Probability: Consumption of high-concentration energy sources within the last two hours.]
'Sakura must have fed me my chakra pills while I was out,' Shorai thought as he reached the tower entrance. 'Construct, is it possible this restoration is linked to my elemental affinities, or did staying in the soul space help?'
[Natural restoration is active. Host's vessel is biologically irregular. Verdict: A combination of concentrated medicine and heightened biochemical inheritance.]
'A blessing and a curse,' Shorai mused, shaking his head. 'I'm lucky that poison wasn't more potent.'
He stepped into the spacious hall of the spiral building. Eagle and Boar were already there, waiting. As Shorai approached, the air shimmered—a privacy barrier had been set.
"Why did it take you so long?" Eagle asked, stepping forward. "Did someone try to steal your scrolls?"
"I went back to check on my friends," Shorai sighed heavily. "I stayed at their camp... which turned out to be the right choice. I ended up getting poisoned."
"Poisoned?" Eagle's voice sharpened with concern behind his mask.
"Shorai, do you need medical assistance?" Boar asked, stepping closer. "We have doctors on standby."
"I'm fine now. I treated the wound and had a friend help with the detoxification." Shorai waved them off.
"Good. You had me worried for a second," Boar said, his tone serious as he surveyed Shorai for lingering injuries.
"How is Mitarashi-san?" Shorai asked, changing the subject.
The two masked operatives exchanged a long, silent glance.
"Her condition is... peculiar," Boar finally said, crossing his arms.
"Very strange," Eagle added. "Whatever treatment you gave her... it affected her mentally. Physically, she's healthy and in no pain, but she's not herself."
Shorai blinked. "The hell? All I did was apply the Mystical Palm."
"Perhaps she was poisoned too," Eagle guessed. He looked at Shorai intently. "Do you feel different? Any gaps in your memory?"
"No," Shorai replied firmly. "What exactly was 'abnormal' about her behavior?"
Boar explained that while they were monitoring the cameras, Anko had suddenly become erratic, shouting about Orochimaru's presence as if she were still in the middle of their fight.
Shorai's eyes went wide. 'Shit. I forgot to remove the saving overlay from her. Her mind looped back to the preservation state from when she pinned him to that tree.'
"You know something, don't you?" Eagle noted his expression.
"It depends on what she told you," Shorai said, feeling the weight of their gaze.
"We had to restrain her," Boar sighed. "You should have seen the shift in her personality. It was... exhausting."
Shorai decided to pivot. "I don't know if she remembers what Orochimaru said, but he warned us not to stop the exams—for her sake, mine, and Konoha's."
"That's going to be a nightmare to report," Boar muttered, glancing at Eagle.
Eagle turned back to Shorai. "Anything else to report regarding Orochimaru's teams?"
Shorai detailed the encounter with the Grass ninja and the Sound Genin who surrendered their scroll to Team 7.
"Sound ninja... now they'll have to hunt for two new scrolls, just like you did," Eagle mused. She placed a hand on Shorai's shoulder. "Your performance has been nothing short of amazing, rookie. We're impressed."
Shorai smiled warmly. "Thank you. I'd hate to disappoint the mentors who hold me to such high standards."
"We expect skill and professionalism, yes," Eagle said, his voice softening. "But don't neglect your own limits. Don't let Kakashi-senpai's bar work you into an early grave. He can be... inadequate regarding self-care." He let out a dry, short laugh.
"I felt that during my time on his team," Shorai admitted with an awkward chuckle.
"You should have seen him as a Captain," Boar snickered. "Cat would know best."
"One question," Shorai said, pulling out his two scrolls. "How do I officially pass?"
"We just witnessed it," Eagle replied. "You've made it."
"Good work, rookie," Boar added. "Get some rest. This is the safest spot in the forest."
"Sure. But the exam doesn't end for four days. What am I supposed to do? Climb the walls?"
"There are training rooms, showers, a medical wing, and a dining hall," Boar listed. "You'll find a way to stay busy."
Eagle gestured for Shorai to follow. "I'll give you a quick tour."
"Where's Cat? Is she not with you two?" Shorai asked as they walked.
"Assigned to a special team by the Hokage," Boar replied. "I'll go submit your report now. See you later."
As Eagle led Shorai through the tower, they passed a waiting room. Shorai caught sight of the Sand Trio. Gaara met his gaze with a cold, murderous frown, while Temari and Kankuro looked on with serious glares.
"Shorai!" a voice barked. Kiba was standing with Shino, Hinata, and Kurenai-san.
"Hello, Kiba. Shino, Hinata. Kurenai-san," Shorai said, giving a polite bow. He excused himself quickly, citing official business with the ANBU. Kurenai watched them walk away, her eyes lingering on Shorai's white hair and his masked companion.
"I have to say," Eagle said quietly, "the legend is intact. You're becoming quite the infiltrator."
"It has its downsides," Shorai replied.
"Part of the job," Eagle said, his voice turning slightly melancholic. "Close connections always cause problems."
"Does this have something to do with women?" Shorai teased.
"Don't," Eagle snapped. "Navigate your own private life first."
An hour later, Shorai was officially checked in and assigned a private room.
"We part here," Eagle said. "Be at the ground floor sparring hall by 2:00 PM in four days. Good luck."
"Got it. Thanks!" Shorai shook his hand. Then, he remembered something. "May the Will burn brighter..."
He saw the flash of surprise in Eagle's eyes.
"You remembered," he whispered, his tone turning solemn with a change that came. "And the shadows grow longer."
With that, he vanished.
Shorai entered his room, showered, and headed straight to the private training area. He set up his barrier seals and summoned a Shadow Clone.
"Same plan, or are we working on water affinity?" the clone asked, raising a brow.
"We're trying something new. Eat these first." Shorai handed him a pack of chakra pills.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" the clone grumbled, popping a pill.
Shorai sat down, channeling his chakra. 'Let's get to full capacity first.'
"This is going to take forever. You trying to bore me to death?" the clone asked.
Shorai kept his eyes closed, feeling the pulse of their connection. 'Scale the walls for all I care.'
"I heard that!" the clone snapped.
Shorai opened one eye. "Why are you wasting chakra on genjutsu?"
"I knew you were a fool, but not this much," the clone replied, sitting down. "Why would I waste chakra on a genjutsu?"
"You... just heard my thoughts?" Shorai asked, stunned. "That's new."
"Maybe you just never paid attention," the clone shrugged.
Shorai's expression went serious. He activated the Reality Stone and pulled out the scroll for the Kage Bunshin technique.
'Construct. Interface. Explain this. Why are my thoughts transferring to the clone? Is the technique irregular?'
[No abnormality detected. The technique is functioning as intended.]
'Let's try a different angle,' Shorai thought. 'Compare this method—the one I obtained with your help—to the version used by Naruto Uzumaki. Are they the same?'
[Analysis: Data inconsistency found. Naruto Uzumaki utilizes a 'Replica' variant derived from Tobirama Senju. That version is incomplete. The Host's version is the 'Complete' manifestation.]
'Incomplete? A replica?' Shorai's lips curled. 'List the differences.'
[The Complete Shadow Clone is a Yin-Yang manifestation. It is a near-perfect replica of the self. Stability and experience-transfer are five times more potent than the Replica variant. The telepathic link is a byproduct of high chakra saturation and the 'Complete' nature of the tether.]
'So I could have made five replica clones instead of this one perfect one?'
[No. The energy threshold is similar, but the conversion is different. The Replica version sends unused energy back to the source like an antenna. The Complete version intertwines encoded spiritual data with the energy. Upon dispelling, the data returns, while the mass decomposes into the universe.]
'And the drawbacks?' Shorai asked, his gut tightening.
[Physical trauma is transferred 100%. While it may not kill the Host, the shock of the experience can cause unconsciousness, brain damage, or neural shutdown. The clone is a metaphysical extension of the self. It is vulnerable to soul and mental attacks unless it is manually kept 'sensitive to dispelling.']
"What the fuck do you mean 'sensitive to dispelling'?" Shorai shouted.
"What's wrong with you?" the clone asked, looking concerned.
[The danger is multiplied. The clone is so close to the original in reality that it follows the laws of the physical body. It does not 'pop' as easily as a replica.]
"The construct just gave me a warning," Shorai told his clone. "This technique is 'Forbidden' for a reason. You have much more control over the dispelling process than we thought."
"I thought I was imagining things," the clone said, rubbing his chin. "I felt it during the pond training. I could control the severity of the pain I sent back."
"How do you stay intact?" Shorai asked.
The clone closed his eyes. "I just focus on the tether. As long as I hold onto our spiritual connection, I don't revert to chakra mass."
"Which means if you get caught and can't focus..." Shorai mused, a chill running down his spine. "I have to dispel you from my end."
"Scared of me now?" the clone smirked.
"Concerned," Shorai corrected. 'Construct, can I use this connection to bring his consciousness into the Soul Space?'
[Connection valid. Metaphysical transfer of a 'Complete' variant is possible. Replica variants are ineligible.]
"Good." Shorai closed his eyes.
"Huh?" the clone tilted his head.
'Construct. Transfer my mind and the clone's mind to the Soul Space. Now.'
The world spun. A moment later, they were standing in the dark expanse before the swirling black-and-white void.
"What the fuck?" the clone shouted, looking around. "You can bring me here?"
'The Reality Stone confirmed it,' Shorai thought, his voice echoing in the void. 'You are the apex of the Shadow Clone technique—a perfect replication. Here, time moves differently. Now, let's see how much we can learn before we return to our bodies.'