He wanted to confirm the level of her Karate, to see just how talented V was to be noticed by a ninja and taken on as an apprentice... but there was no need for so many excuses!
It was actually jealousy! Why had he never encountered a ninja who would take him as an apprentice? He had never let up on his own Karate training!
Saburo Arasaka's desire to become a True Ninja had already transformed into an obsession.
He called it a spar, and it was indeed a spar, but it was hard to say it didn't contain his jealousy. With these complex emotions, Saburo Arasaka made the first move!
"Yeeart—"
[Intense Karate Exchange]
Even if he was holding back, his strength was not something V could contend with. This also made V understand why he dared to be alone with her in the conference room without a single bodyguard.
Normally, an old man of such status would certainly cherish his life and would never do something like being alone in a room with V. But he was not normal!
Saburo Arasaka's Karate was not inherited from his Ninja Soul. The power boost from that unknown Ninja Soul was very minor; its only function was to keep his body at its peak and prevent it from aging so quickly.
But in exchange, it also made it nearly impossible for him to become a True Ninja!
"Karate of this level... just how long have you been training?"
Their fists locked. Saburo Arasaka was merely confirming V's specific skill level, not trying to kill her.
But even so, dozens of Karate exchanges in the span of a few breaths left V struggling to defend herself, and she had already sustained several wounds.
"About a week." She spent most of her time deciphering the Kojiki. The time she had truly dedicated to training Karate was indeed only one week.
However, most of her progress had been made in the last two days. After receiving mercenary V's memories, she seemed to have inherited her aptitude as well, and her Karate had improved by leaps and bounds in two days.
"Such incredible talent..."
To reach this level in a week, while still no match for a True Ninja, she was already far ahead of ordinary people. At this rate, she would have genin-level Karate in less than two months.
He stopped. Saburo Arasaka had confirmed her talent. It was no wonder that such terrifying talent would be noticed and taken on as an 'apprentice'.
But there was no conflict. What he was interested in was never V herself, or her strength, but rather 'an existence capable of deciphering the Kojiki'.
"Most ninjas are possessed by Ninja Souls, thereby gaining great power, just like me."
"But there are a rare few with immense talent who can 'become' ninjas through training. They are called True Ninjas. Those Ninja Souls are the souls of True Ninjas after they die."
"True Ninjas are the ones who are truly eternal, immortal, and undying. However, once possessed by a Ninja Soul, it becomes nearly impossible to become a True Ninja..."
After Saburo Arasaka explained all this, V quickly understood what he meant.
"So, you want to become a True Ninja?"
She instantly understood why he valued her so highly. Saburo Arasaka was one of those who found it difficult to become a True Ninja precisely because he was possessed by a Ninja Soul.
His talent and fortune were more than enough for him to become a True Ninja, but only on the condition that he did not have a Ninja Soul in his body.
"Correct. Whether it's a method to allow someone possessed by a Ninja Soul to become a True Ninja, or a way to safely extract a Ninja Soul—if you can provide me with the relevant information, you can have anything from Arasaka."
"What if I want the entire Arasaka Corporation?"
"I can give you a fifty-percent stake. Outside of myself, you will be the highest authority in Arasaka."
Half of Arasaka was already a terrifying offer. This was a super-megacorp. V hadn't expected him to have such audacity, to offer half of Arasaka, even if it didn't come with much actual power.
However, at that point, she would be the de facto ruler of Arasaka. No one except Saburo Arasaka himself could refuse her orders.
The great doors opened again. V walked out of the conference room in a daze. She hadn't expected to receive such a promise. For now, however, she had no clue how to make Saburo Arasaka a True Ninja.
She had to find a way to decipher the corresponding method from the Kojiki, or... perhaps she could try asking Schwarzer?
V's intuition told her that Schwarzer definitely knew something. She had yet to find anything that could be hidden from her.
As V walked, she mulled over her strategy. The pie Saburo Arasaka had offered was too big; she couldn't possibly refuse.
No one in Arasaka Tower knew what they had discussed, nor did they dare to inquire. They didn't even know why Saburo Arasaka wanted to see V in the first place.
Beneath all of Night City, a massive ritual array began to activate. Someone was dissatisfied with the current outcome. If Saburo Arasaka truly obtained the method to become a True Ninja and gained eternal life, then the megacorps would remain megacorps forever.
Neither ordinary people nor ninjas would have any chance to turn the tables!
A plan decades in the making, consuming nearly all of his power, a force that enveloped the entire city, emerged silently, unnoticed by anyone.
"We cannot allow V and Saburo Arasaka to cooperate like this. Their plan must be disrupted."
The masked Lord sat in a wheelchair, having lost nearly all mobility. Behind him stood the Model Ninja, his most trusted subordinate.
It was obvious. The technique enveloping all of Night City was the Lord's jutsu—the Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu!
"Then let the plan begin. Burn Night City, activate."
No one realized that reality and illusion had been switched. This was a jutsu that covered the entire city—something the Lord should not have been capable of under normal circumstances.
But by leveraging the unique nature of V, he had glimpsed the existence of 'Destiny' and another parallel world.
By relying on this connection of fate, it was possible to twist everything!
After receiving the order, numerous sounds of breaking air echoed as the ninjas of Zaibatsu Cinema mobilized. Their targets were Arasaka and other ninja groups, such as Yoroshi-san.
Moreover, as the core of the jutsu and the most important person, Corpo V had returned home and was resting, unaware of what had happened, just like everyone else.
Until the next day. When she awoke and opened her eyes again, her disposition had changed. The shrewdness of an intelligent person had vanished, replaced by an air of innocence.
"Good morning, Night City..."
V stretched, turned on the TV to watch her favorite death lottery, but what appeared on the screen was not the familiar broadcast, but the sight of Arasaka Tower... engulfed in flames.
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