NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Rewards
The world seemed to slow. His eye turned crimson, a single tomoe forming within—the Sharingan. This legendary dojutsu, a derivative and devolution of the Rinnegan, had been passed down since an era predating shinobi and ninjutsu. Known as "the eye that reflects the heart," it drew immense power from its wielder's emotions.
The Sharingan first manifested in Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths and son of Kaguya Otsutsuki. Unlike the Sharingan of later Uchiha generations, Hagoromo's version did not depend on grief or intense emotions to awaken.
This could be attributed to Hagoromo's possession of the Sage Body—a physique closely resembling that of the Otsutsuki clan. However, being part human, he lacked the innate advantage of a pure Otsutsuki lineage and had to awaken his Rinnegan from scratch.
Still, with a physique so closely aligned with the Otsutsuki, known as the Sage Body, it was only a matter of time before he achieved it.
This moment marked the origins of the Uchiha clan, heralded by the birth of Indra Otsutsuki, Hagoromo's firstborn son. Indra inherited the genetic potential to awaken the Rinnegan, but with a body and bloodline further removed from the Otsutsuki, he was ultimately unable to do so.
Indra did, however, reap significant benefits. His Sharingan would reach its pinnacle, allowing his Mangekyo Sharingan to achieve its full potential without the need for transplantation or the risk of blindness. This could be considered the purest and most refined manifestation of the Uchiha bloodline.
Not only did he inherit the purest Uchiha lineage, but he also possessed the Sage Body. The question lingered: could he, too, awaken the Rinnegan one day?
"One tomoe? Right off the bat, not bad," he mused, studying his reflection in a small mirror. For now, he set aside thoughts of the Rinnegan, though the possibility remained in the back of his mind—a tantalizing hint of the power he might one day achieve.
Curiosity stirred within him. If he truly embodied the pure Uchiha bloodline, what would that mean for his Mangekyo Sharingan? "I probably–definitely can't go blind, right?" he muttered, a wild grin spreading across his face at the thought.
Having accessed the Sharingan, he quickly turned his attention to the other abilities and jutsu he had received as compensation. His gaze shifted to the adamantium sealing chains and the adapted tag affixed to them.
It became immediately clear that the skill had been modified, allowing him to wield it without the unique Uzumaki bloodline. The chains were capable of suppressing even the Nine Tails, the strongest tailed beast. Possessing it would grant him the ability to suppress beings even more powerful than him, though the gap couldn't be too wide.
Either way, it was a win-no-lose situation. Without hesitation, he equipped the chains, but another question nagged at him. How would they perform against normal humans or beings whose powers stemmed from entirely different sources?
But yet again, his abilities were no longer powered by chakra, meaning the energy he possessed wasn't derived from mental and physical energy—or was it?
Either way, it was powered by magical energies, similar to what mystic art users or any magic user in this world used. He guessed the effect of the adamantium sealing chains would probably be the same but with different concepts behind it.
The next reward he had received was the All-Mastery Book on Taijutsu. He had to admit, this might be the best possible addition to his arsenal.
With the Sage Body he now possessed, his physical capabilities would naturally soar to incredible heights. Not to even mention his enhanced regeneration.
(A/N: Obviously not on the level of Hashirama yet.)
Being able to harness those capabilities properly and efficiently wasn't just good—it was absolutely perfect. He imagined throwing blows with gods and monsters alike. Driven by curiosity and excitement, he retrieved the book from his inventory. It materialized out of thin air, forming between his palms.
Eagerly, he opened it and began scanning through its contents. The book was massive, to say the least. It had over a thousand pages, and as he turned each one, more pages seemed to appear, expanding infinitely with knowledge.
As he sped through the book in curiosity, he quickly understood why it seemed endless. It contained an extensive array of combat techniques, fighting styles, and martial arts. There was even information on Nin-Taijutsu, along with detailed instructions on how to master it from the ground up. It mostly contained fighting forms and how to utilize magical energies to further enhance physical strength while maximizing outbursts of strength.
Though he hadn't fully delved into its depths, he couldn't help but grin. "This is too perfect," he muttered, barely able to contain his excitement.
He allowed himself a few minutes to bask in the thrill of his new acquisition before finally shifting his focus. His attention now turned to the Justice Points function he had just gained. Even from the name alone, he could guess most of its purpose and potential.
"This function would make me lean more toward being the good guy," he mused, "but as long as it's not mandatory, it should be fine." Still, he doubted he'd invest much energy into it. His fascination lay predominantly with the Ninja World. Its abilities were more than sufficient—for now, at least.
Venturing into other worlds and their power systems felt like a daunting task best saved for the future. On the bright side, they were a free, low-level purchase—whatever that meant.
Once his initial excitement settled, his mind came down from cloud nine, and he turned his focus to a more pressing problem: money. As much as he wanted to explore his newfound abilities, he couldn't ignore the fact that money made the world go round.
After some thought, a sudden realization struck him. Why not write books? Or rather... plagiarize. By publishing famous, best-selling works from his old world, he could not only make money but also gain popularity—exactly what was needed to fuel the Reputation Points function. Another win-win scenario.
However, there was a catch: he wasn't an author. He had no experience writing, and simply copying from memory might not be enough. His thoughts shifted back to the Justice Points function, or more specifically, the shop it powered.
It allowed him to purchase items, abilities, and resources from other worlds and dimensions. Perhaps it could even let him access things from his old world. If so, the possibilities were endless.
Maybe this was where the free first purchase would come into play. As he contemplated exploring the point store, he glanced at the clock—it was 5 p.m. Staring at it, he didn't feel the usual rush. There was no family to care for, no job to worry about. A quiet whisper of loneliness lingered within him, and his expression turned solemn. "I never thought loneliness could be this sad," he muttered lightly before forcefully shifting his attention.
'I still have some money to last me a week or two if I manage. I'll check out the point store tomorrow. For now, it's best to allocate my time properly,' he thought, deciding to push the task to the next day.
He quietly pulled out the Taijutsu Mastery Book, still mulling over what to eat for dinner. As night settled in, he continued reading, engrossed in the techniques and martial arts, losing track of time. By the time he snapped out of his trance, it was nearly midnight.
He paused, suddenly wondering if he might go hungry tonight—until he realized that hunger wasn't a concern. In fact, he felt no hunger at all. Even more curious, there wasn't a hint of drowsiness either, as if the need for rest simply didn't exist.
'Is this part of the effect of the Sage Body?' he thought, a wide grin spreading across his face. 'I wonder how long I can last in battle...'
He couldn't help but marvel at the potential of the Sage Body. Curiosity burned within him—he wanted to test his newfound strength. However, there was no place he knew of that could withstand the outburst of a superhuman, at least not without risking exposure.
Shifting to a more pressing matter, he realized there was little need to hide his abilities when the situation demanded it. While he wouldn't flaunt them recklessly, he also wasn't afraid to use them when necessary.
Unlike the protagonists in some fictional stories he had read, he had no intention of hiding. He believed in the philosophy that absolute strength rendered all schemes futile. While he wasn't the most powerful being on the planet yet and could still theoretically be killed by nuclear weapons, he was confident such measures wouldn't be used recklessly. He had no doubt about that.
Still, he wasn't planning to act like a brute. Every step he took would be calculated and deliberate.
For now, he set those thoughts aside. Slipping into bed, he was surprised at how quickly sleep claimed him, pulling him into its embrace with little resistance.