I swallowed hard, my throat dry despite the stifling humidity that filled the room. Even though the system had just appeared, I still had the mentality of a geek glued to his screen, and damn… this damn war scared the hell out of me. But in front of these men who considered me their supreme leader, I couldn't afford to show the slightest sign of weakness.
I locked eyes with them and barked:
"Form up! And where are the others? If you dare desert… I'll personally cut off your head."
One of the shinobi, tall and lean, bowed his head slightly.
"We wouldn't dare, Lord Hanzo. Most of us are already on the field. That's why there are only about ten of us here…"
Looking at their scarred faces and the total absence of fear in their eyes, I instantly realized they weren't mere foot soldiers. Jōnin… seasoned killers.
"Good. Deal with the small fry. Avoid those three jōnin from Konoha. No need for useless deaths… I'll handle them myself."
"Your orders are absolute, Lord Hanzo!" they answered in unison before disappearing in perfect synchronization, leaving behind a thin mist born from the rain and damp air.
Silence returned, broken only by the steady drumming of raindrops on the tiles. I let out a sigh I would never show in front of them.
I don't even know how to use chakra… or if I can at all. And you think I'm going to let myself be killed by that creepy snake Orochimaru?
"System! Can I summon?" I asked mentally.
> [Complete the secondary quest first!]
I rolled my eyes. "Of course…" I muttered.
I turned back and made my way to my room. The stairs creaked faintly under my weight while the wind whistled through the gaps in the walls. Even with the pounding rain, I could still hear the distant muffled booms of jutsu clashing. Occasionally, orange flashes lit up the horizon — signs that the battle was creeping closer.
I sat heavily on the bed, a simple yet sturdy piece of furniture, and rubbed my hands over my face. I have to finish this damn quest… Kill a Sannin or capture one. Just thinking about it made my stomach knot. "But how… am I going to do that?" I whispered to myself.
"Status!" I ordered aloud.
Instantly, a translucent hologram appeared before my eyes, casting a pale blue glow across my features.
---
[Status]
Name: Hanzo the Salamander (Sung Jin-Woo)
Height: 1m90
Appearance: Medium-length black hair, angular face, violet eyes
Level: Kage
Specialty: Water Style & Poison
Unique Summon: The Salamander
Shadow Monarch Abilities: None
Summoned Waifus: None
…
---
Before I could continue reading, a new notification flashed before me.
> [Ding – The Beginner's Package has arrived! Memory of Hanzo the Salamander. Do you wish to fuse?]
Hanzo's memory? I froze for a moment. I already had Kage-level strength, but without experience or skill, it was useless. And right now, I was nothing more than an impostor in this body.
I bit my lip. If I fuse, I'll gain all his techniques, his strategy, maybe even his combat instincts… A nervous smile tugged at my lips. I'm really lucky.
"Begin memory fusion."
The system responded immediately:
> [Warning: Host's personality may be altered. Fusion starting… 1%… 2%…]
As the percentage rose, an unbearable pain began drilling into my skull. It was as if an invisible hand was crushing my brain, injecting both fire and ice into my neurons.
"Ahhh… FUCK!" I screamed, my voice drowned in the roar of the rain.
Blurred images overlapped in my mind. Battlefields littered with corpses… the sensation of a kunai slicing into a throat… the smell of gunpowder, blood, and poison mixing in the air. I saw the faces of unknown enemies, long-dead comrades, and even a young Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Then came the sensations. I could feel chakra coursing through my meridians — a river of energy, both hot and cold, born from the fusion of physical and spiritual power. It pulsed, alive, seeking release.
But this energy wasn't docile. It churned violently, like a storm trapped in a cage. My muscles trembled, my breathing turned erratic.
I… I can control this… I tried to convince myself, though a part of me knew that if I lost control now, this power could destroy me from the inside out.
The percentage climbed steadily. 38%… 54%… 71%… With each step, a new wave of memories crashed into me, sharper and more vivid. Battles against Konoha's forces. Capturing enemy spies. Bloody negotiations with small villages. Massacres Hanzo had carried out… all of it flooding my mind.
Then came an image that froze my blood: me — or rather, Hanzo — facing the Three Sannin in a torrential downpour, commanding a colossal black salamander with burning red eyes, spewing poison capable of melting steel.
The pain reached its peak as the display hit 99%. My body tensed. This… is what I must do.
100%
I rose slowly from the bed, my hand closing around the shaft of my scythe. The sensation was strange yet familiar, as if I had wielded it for years.
Then…
I put on the mask that would shield me from the salamander's poison.
"Why choose between killing and capturing?" I muttered, my voice dark with resolve. "I can do both."