Naruto : Reborn As Sukuna Haruno

"80% of a sorcerer's true potential lies in his innate talents from birth—his curse technique, his curse reserves, the training he's received, and even the strength of his background, if any.

However, the remaining 20% isn't just pure hard work either.

1% of it is Mentality.

And yet somehow, that 1% makes all the difference," Sukuna muttered, frowning heavily as he looked at the tree in front of him, heavenly slashes carved across it, and yet it barely looked like it was standing.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring it down.

The first time he used his curse technique, the slash felt powerful enough to cleave through mountains. He was even a little afraid the tree would fall on top of him any second. But as his training continued, he realized it was an illusion.

Yes, the cut was there, but it wasn't deep enough. It only looked dangerous. For a month, he had been trying to make the tree fall, but he couldn't do it. This was no ordinary tree either. There were big and strong trees in Konoha, and he had chosen one that looked like it could take some beating. Now it felt like he had overestimated his power.

No doubt this had everything to do with Ryomen Sukuna and what that man was able to achieve with his curse technique. Ryomen could have cleaved mountains if he wished. That gave him the illusion that he could do the same.

Even after a month of hard work, from meditation to curse technique practice, he had done everything and yet saw no improvement. So, in agitation, perhaps impatience, he decided to see what exactly made Ryomen Sukuna so powerful.

It was painful.

Simply painful.

He had been avoiding those memories. Pain, blood, screams, despair didn't even begin to describe what Sukuna really was and what he was capable of.

In the pile of corpses, he stood above everyone, indifferent to the death he caused.

"And yet, I found that it was this mentality, this edge, this danger which made his curse technique so lethal. A sorcerer's mentality affects his domain, his curse technique, and his personality."

He thought it was the time and training gap that limited him.

Wrong. Even after having everything that made Ryomen Sukuna the strongest in the Heian Era, he couldn't be like the King of Curses. It wasn't just the training or the time gap.

It was something much more basic, much more primal. After going through those memories, he learned it.

"I'm just too soft to use a technique like this." He laughed to himself. More like at himself.

Shrine was never a very strong technique, not something like a combination of Six Eyes and Limitless. Any half-hearted user of Limitless who had Six Eyes could easily climb to special grade rank if given enough time.

Just as the manga and anime dictated. They were special.

However, Satoru Gojo wasn't just strong because he was born with the Six Eyes and had Limitless. No... he was strong because he was Satoru Gojo.

Even without any techniques, he would have become strong—not the strongest, but definitely strong—just by his talent and mentality.

Same with Sukuna.

It wasn't Shrine that made Sukuna strong. It was Sukuna who made Shrine strong.

"To wield a technique that is a sword in the hands of its user, how can the sword's wielder hesitate to draw blood?

A dull blade could be lethal if the wielder is sharp. But the opposite is also true." Sukuna slowly sat down in the green grass, eyes fixed on the tree still persistently standing strong, marked with proof of its triumph over him.

However, Sukuna didn't look at the marks left behind by his technique. He looked at the preserved part of the tree trunk.

"I'm too dull. There's no reason to deny it. For someone who has never killed, thinking that killing would be easy was idealistic at best.

Perhaps one kill won't affect me. But what about 10, 20, 50... what about an entire army? Can I slaughter it like Ryomen Sukuna did?

I can't even begin to think about being completely unresponsive and indifferent to death around me like him, let alone doing it.

That's where we differ.

That's exactly what Megumi lacked as well. Since I have Sukuna's memories, since I know the entire story of JJK, I know this.

If I can't overcome this—this mentality to chase power, to be unyielding, to seek challenge, and more than anything, to be as sharp as the blade in my hand—then I would just be another potential man." Falling back, now eyes looking up at the sky, watching the clouds slowly drifting away. He just waited in peace.

Maybe an answer would come to him? He was too lazy to find one for himself.

However, that thought in itself was holding him back.

Because he already knew the answer in front of him. He just didn't want to do it because it's hard. Because it's painful. Because it might change him... NO! It already has changed him.

Becoming more like Sukuna at first sounded cool, as long as the man was just an anime character.

However, for someone who has seen Sukuna's memories, stuff too graphic to even suggest in a show let alone actually animate...

It's not cool. Far from it. It's scary. Sukuna was a monster. At one point he killed for fun and enjoyment. And then he stopped—not because he turned a new leaf or needed salvation, but because he completely forsook his humanity.

From then on, he was indifferent to death. It didn't matter to him who lived and who died.

That was even worse than when he was seeking to commit mass murder. Because for someone to completely give up his humanity, to become a cursed spirit... there's no point of return anymore.

"But power often comes at a cost. If I wish to get stronger, then I have to embrace this mentality. Maybe not all of it. Not to that extent. Everyone has their own path. Just because I have Ryomen Sukuna's power doesn't make me another him. However, whether a sword is taken up to kill or to protect, ultimately, if it wavers to draw blood, it becomes dull." Sukuna muttered to himself and with a big sigh, he got up with a jerk.

"From now on, I'll constantly expose myself to his memories. Live the life he lived. See the world from his perspective.

Be like him, but not completely like him. Just at the edge of insanity and complete collapse." He saw no other option.

This was very philosophical, but most things in JJK are.

Unlike Naruto with its simple power system and structured path of advancement,

JJK makes others question their own morality.

"Ego is good. It makes you competitive."

"It teaches us to be selfish."

"Without that 1%, I won't amount to much."

"Forge yourself in fire. That's the only way I see myself getting stronger."

And so that's what he did.

He let himself fall into the abyss.

Let darkness consume him. To sharpen himself so he never wavers to draw his blade, to cut his enemies and any obstacle in front of him.

To never back down from a challenge. To think like a winner.

He had to temper himself.

Think exactly how both Sukuna and Gojo would have.

And time kept on passing. A year went by before he knew it.

Seasons came and went, and once again another peaceful sunny day graced Konohagakure no Sato.

In the academy, students had gathered. Though unlike most times, this time around there was a chorus of excitement among the students.

Because after an entire year, finally, they were going to do something shinobi-like.

For a year, the academy didn't actually teach any fighting to the kids. It was only from the next year that they were taught the shinobi arts.

"Next, take the shuriken or kunai. Make sure you aim for the target in the line of sight," Iruka shouted as another civilian kid came forth, ready to throw the kunai at the target.

\*Swoop.

\*Swoop.

The kunai and shuriken were thrown and out of 4, only 2 hit the target, and those too far from the center.

"Not bad. Next."

"What do you think? Who'll be the top?" Choji asked, still munching on his chips. Somehow, Iruka didn't give two kunai worth of care about what was happening in the class, as long as it wasn't disturbing him or his teaching.

"Me," a pink-haired boy said nonchalantly with a shrug.

"Ah... why even ask at this point," Shikamaru yawned. He didn't care who won. He just wanted to be done with it.

"No way, I'll win for sure!" Naruto shouted. He didn't have to. They were standing next to each other, and now his yell garnered attention from everyone. Though since it was Naruto, that attention was fleeting at best.

A year was enough for everyone to know that Uzumaki Naruto was a knucklehead with a loud mouth.

"Look, it's Sasuke's turn," one of the fangirls pointed out with a squeal.

Everyone's attention was on their golden boy, the genius Uchiha.

It was strange since he was constantly second in class in academics, due to the lack of more physically demanding subjects in the syllabus, by a certain pink-haired student.

And it wasn't Sakura. In fact, the girl was nowhere near the top scorers when it came to academic results.

Very, very strange. Almost suspiciously so.

In the anime, she was top of her class, best Kunoichi of her year. And if anyone had seen Part One of Naruto, they'd know she didn't get that place by being strong.

No, she was a bookworm. Book smarts.

Here though, nowhere close. Something had changed, and Sukuna had an inkling of what might have really happened.

Just... no proof to completely believe his idea.

With style, the Uchiha took the kunai and shuriken and threw them all together, hitting them all on the target.

"10 out of 10." Iruka smiled at the result. Sasuke coolly put his hands back into his pockets, a smug expression playing on his face as he returned to the student body.

"That would be hard to live up to," Sukuna blinked his eyes and said nonchalantly.

"Told you, it's gonna be hard. Just forget about it. It's fine to give up. It's troublesome to compete for first place anyway," Shikamaru stated with a lazy expression on his face.

To which Sukuna just gave a casual smile and offhandedly said...

"Nah... I told you. I'll win."

xxx

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