NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 8: 627-632
·Chapter 627: Post-War Harvest
As Charles Doyle flipped through the magic book, he had no idea he had caught the attention of someone like Vishanti.
As he continued to read, Charles discovered that the book contained numerous methods for using the Space Stone, including directed teleportation, random teleportation, space channels, and other movement-related methods.
It also detailed attack methods involving space, such as space shattering, space banishment, space distortion, and even magic that could create a small black hole.
This magic book covered almost everything related to space, but the only requirement was that these spells needed to be used in conjunction with the Space Stone.
After a quick skim through the book, Charles didn't immediately start learning the spells.
Instead, he took out the Tesseract and Loki's scepter from his storage space.
Looking at these two items, Charles Doyle realized they were the biggest rewards from the Battle of New York. Staring at the two Infinity Stones in front of him, Charles began to ponder.
Because his universe wasn't Earth-199999, Charles didn't know whether these Infinity Stones were like those in the movie universe—six singularities of different dimensions of energy—or like in the comics, born by the cosmic Entities like Death or perhaps like in Universe 93060, where all Infinity Stones came from the entity known as Nemesis.
In that alternate universe, there was even a seventh Infinity Stone called the Ego Gem, which, when combined with the other six Infinity Stones, would reform into Nemesis.
These three different types of Infinity Stones represented three different power concepts, even though the power of the Infinity Stones remained consistent, their concepts and numbers varied.
Charles Doyle wasn't sure which type of Infinity Stones he had in front of him, but one good reference point was Thanos' dream.
If Thanos' dream was to continue as the universe's population control officer, without any mention of an Ego Gem, then these Infinity Stones were likely the same as those in the movie universe—linked to six dimensions of energy.
However, if Thanos' dream was to gain the attention of Mistress Death through killing, then these six Infinity Stones were born from Death.
If an Ego Gem appeared, then it was the disintegrated parts of Nemesis.
However, Charles Doyle didn't know where Thanos was or what his dream was.
Since he wasn't ready to find Thanos to confirm his dreams, Charles decided to wait and see. In time, he would meet Thanos and learn which type of universe he was in.
Putting these thoughts aside, Charles looked at the Tesseract. Should he use it as a weapon or recharge it?
Recharging it should yield a large amount of gold coins, allowing him to recruit ninjas to strengthen his power and forces. Not recharging it would let him keep it as a powerful weapon.
Moreover, keeping this artifact might slow down his growth, attracting numerous threats.
If his growth slowed down, his enemies would become increasingly difficult to deal with.
Not to mention, the time he had to grow was short. The time gap between the events of Avengers 1 and Avengers 3 was only a few years.
Recalling Odin's words, Charles speculated that he might not be able to fully recharge the Space Stone right away. Perhaps using it first was a better option.
Charles placed his hand on the Tesseract, and a system prompt echoed in his ear.
Ding! A rechargeable item has been detected. Do you wish to recharge it?
Recharge!
As Charles confirmed, the blue cube in his hand disappeared.
Ding! Recharge successful.
Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on obtaining the second artifact: the Seven-Star Sword!
Hearing the system prompt, Charles was taken aback. Did the Space Stone get exchanged for the Seven-Star Sword, a weapon that could cut through spells?
He instinctively clenched his fist.
Wait...
There was still something in his hand. Looking at his palm, Charles saw that while the Tesseract had been recharged, the Space Stone remained.
Ding! A rechargeable item has been detected. Do you wish to recharge it?
Relieved to see the Space Stone still there, Charles realized that exchanging the Tesseract's shell for the Seven-Star Sword wasn't a bad deal.
Looking at the Space Stone in his hand, Charles decided to see if the system absorbs the Infinity Stone's energy or the entire stone itself.
Recharge!
As Charles willed it, a suction force emerged from his palm. However, instead of directly consuming the item as with other objects, the system drew upon the energy within the Space Stone.
Ding! Recharge successful, 6480 gold coins obtained!
Ding! Recharge successful, 6480 gold coins obtained!
Ding! Recharge successful, 6480 gold coins obtained!
Ding! Recharge successful, 6480 gold coins obtained!
"..."
The continuous notifications confirmed that the system was indeed extracting the energy from the Space Stone, providing Charles with a massive amount of gold coins in the process.
When the first system notification sounded, Charles thought the system was malfunctioning.
"A huge Infinity Stone and all I get is 648 coins? I might as well have the Akatsuki raid S.H.I.E.L.D. and steal the energy block manufacturing data. It would be more cost-effective to slowly make energy blocks and recharge with those."
When the second notification sounded, Charles told himself to be patient and see what the system did next. When the third and fourth notifications came, he looked at the Space Stone in his hand.
He saw the energy of the Space Stone being continuously absorbed, flowing through his hand. Unlike other rechargeable items, or even the Tesseract, the Space Stone itself did not disappear.
As the system notifications continued, they finally stopped after the 49th one.
Charles immediately looked at the Space Stone in his hand. It was still there, but it no longer shone as brightly.
He received a message stating that the Space Stone, as an energy source, could only be recharged once a year. After providing 317,520 coins, it would need a year before it could be used again.
Understanding this, Charles realized that each Infinity Stone could only be recharged once a year. He wasn't sure if all the stones would provide 317,520 coins each or if this was unique to the Space Stone.
"Forty-nine times? What kind of logic is that?" Charles mused. "Could it be some principle of the Dao?"
Looking at the Space Stone, Charles saw it slowly regaining its luster. He then stored it in his system space.
…
Elsewhere-
In the dimension linked to the Space Stone's spatial laws, the singularity connected to the Space Stone was drained of energy.
Due to the system's influence, the spatial energy spreading throughout the dimension would take a year to reaccumulate and envelop the singularity again.
…
After storing the Space Stone, Charles glanced at Loki's scepter. He had other plans for it and wouldn't recharge it just yet.
For individuals like Wanda, who had chaos magic, and speedster Quicksilver, he decided to activate their abilities himself rather than letting Hydra do it.
Having made his decision, Charles didn't waste any time and entered his system space.
The moment Charles entered the system space, fireworks lit up the sky over the Konoha village background.
Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on becoming a VIP12!
Ding! VIP12 privilege pack received: 40,000 copper coins, 500 reputation points, 6 ninja recruitment scrolls, 50 servings of delicious ramen!
Ding! Contract Beast Two-Tails Matatabi purchase eligibility unlocked!
Hearing the rewards upon entering the system space, Charles nodded in satisfaction. It seemed he could acquire another tailed beast.
Looking at his resources, Charles saw he had:
- Copper coins: 21,543,500
- Reputation points: 157,210
- Gold coins: 354,375
- Ninja recruitment scrolls: 26
- Jutsu scrolls: 76
- Ninja pearls: 8,830
- Reincarnation stones: 22,110
- Common chests: 166
He then accessed the tailed beast purchase eligibility.
In the new section, he saw an icon labeled "Contract Beast Specials!" Inside was the figure of Two-Tails Matatabi, with a note:
Contract Beast: Two-Tails Matatabi - Purchase limit: 0/1 - Price: 108,000 gold coins
Charles was surprised. He remembered One-Tail Shukaku costing 98,000 gold coins. So, each additional tail cost another 10,000 gold coins?
If this pricing held true, then there is no problem. But if it is based on the increase of Chakra, Eight-Tails would be quite expensive, and Nine-Tails would be astronomical.
Given that half of Nine-Tails' chakra could contend with the other eight tailed beasts, a full Nine-Tails' price would be terrifying.
Despite the high prices, Charles knew he needed all the tailed beasts to form the Chakra Tree and Ten-Tails. Even knowing the cost, he had to buy them.
Fortunately, he could afford it.
After deducting 108,000 gold coins, Charles finally acquired his second tailed beast.
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on obtaining Contract Beast: Two-Tails Matatabi!
Charles examined his new acquisition. Matatabi looked like an enormous cat.
Two-Tails Matatabi
- Level: Max
- Skills: Tailed Beast Bomb, Claw Strike, Fire Release
Seeing the fully leveled tailed beast, Charles nodded in satisfaction.
One of the benefits of purchasing tailed beasts was obtaining them at max level, unlike other summoning beasts that required leveling up with copper coins and reputation points.
As Charles reviewed Matatabi's information, the enormous tailed beast, engulfed in blue flames, descended from the sky into the summoning realm.
"Boom!"
In an unclaimed forest within the summoning realm, Matatabi landed heavily, crushing the surroundings. Looking around, Matatabi was puzzled and muttered, "Am I free again?"
After receiving its memories, Matatabi realized it was no longer sealed but had become a contract beast for a powerful entity.
Sensing the atmosphere in the summoning realm, Matatabi noticed the presence of Shukaku and immediately ran towards Shukaku's location.
In the desert, Shukaku sensed Matatabi's presence and said, "I didn't expect Matatabi to be brought out by the master as well. Looks like we can reunite with our old companions."
As Matatabi left, other summoning beasts turned their gaze towards the desert where Shukaku resided.
…
After purchasing Matatabi, Charles immediately opened the ninja purchase shop.
Upon accessing the B-rank ninja purchase page, he saw the following options:
- Drunken Fist Rock Lee Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Shippuden - Choji Akimichi Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Shippuden - Shikamaru Nara Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Swimsuit Ino Yamanaka Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Swimsuit Sakura Haruno Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Swimsuit Anko Mitarashi Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Energetic Hinata Hyuga Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Karin Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
- Chiyo Shards (40), monthly limit (0/1), price 9800 coins.
Charles considered who to purchase first. His gaze fell on Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi.
Kabuto had not only retrieved the Mind Stone for him but also provided valuable intelligence while undercover, making significant contributions.
Deciding to enhance Kabuto's strength, Charles spent 9800 coins to purchase 40 Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi shards.
Next, Charles's attention turned to the other available ninjas. His eyes landed on Drunken Fist Rock Lee.
Lee, Sasuke, and Iruka were the first ninjas to accompany him. Iruka had already been upgraded to a two-star C-rank ninja, and Sasuke had reached Kage level.
Rock Lee, despite fusing cards, was still at the level of a mid-tier Chunin. It was time to strengthen him. He spent another 9800 coins to buy 40 Drunken Fist Rock Lee shards.
After purchasing Rock Lee, Charles evaluated the remaining eight ninjas.
Among them were particularly strong Jonin like Anko Mitarashi, high-ranking Jonin like Shikamaru, Chunin like Choji and Ino, and Karin, who could be a valuable mobile healer despite her lower combat strength.
The strongest among them was the experienced Kage-level ninja, Chiyo.
Considering their strengths, Charles decided to purchase Chiyo as his third ninja. Unlike the previous two, Chiyo required opening a new battle slot, which would cost a total of 60,000 coins. However, having a Kage-level ninja who could be further upgraded was worth the investment.
--1--
·Chapter 628: Crazy Spending Spree
After purchasing Matatabi and three ninjas, Charles checked his remaining balance of 216,975 coins. Deducting the cost for an additional battle slot, he estimated he had around 160,000 coins left.
It was the end of the month, and in a few days, the monthly limited ninja update would arrive, featuring new B-rank and A-rank ninjas.
Charles calculated that he needed to reserve at least 40,000 coins for this update, leaving him with about 120,000 coins to spend.
Looking at the seven remaining B-rank ninjas, Charles knew he couldn't afford to buy all of them now. He needed to save the bulk of his funds to draw his first S-rank ninja, Minato Namikaze.
B-rank ninjas only increased chakra by 5 points each, while S-rank ninjas should logically offer significantly more.
Given that B-rank ninjas provide five times the chakra of C-rank ninjas, and A-rank ninjas provide three times the chakra of B-rank ninjas, an S-rank ninja should at least double that of an A-rank ninja, if not more.
This means an S-rank ninja could potentially offer the chakra equivalent of six B-rank ninjas or more.
With this strategy in mind, Charles decided to hold off on purchasing additional ninjas until he had successfully drawn Minato.
Exiting the system space, he opened the ninja tab to see the newly lit icons of Drunken Fist Rock Lee, Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi, and Chiyo. He first clicked on Drunken Fist Rock Lee's icon, revealing his details.
B-Rank Ninja: Drunken Fist Rock Lee
- Fragments: 40/40
- Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on successfully recruiting 2-star B-rank ninja Drunken Fist Rock Lee.
A scene appeared where Drunken Fist Rock Lee, face flushed from drinking, struck a Drunken Fist pose. Charles then examined Lee's skills.
Drunken Fist Rock Lee: B-Rank Ninja
- Star Level: 2-star
- Basic Attack: Drunken Fist Taijutsu Attack!
- Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills:
- Fierce Kick: Perform a spinning kick followed by a powerful punch.
- Drunken Fist Barrage: Quickly rush forward with a sweeping leg attack, stand on hands for two kicks, and finish with a powerful kick to send the enemy flying.
- Drunken Fist Sky Cannon: Charge energy to spin rapidly and strike with a final powerful punch to send the enemy flying.
Seeing Drunken Fist Rock Lee's skills, Charles found them intriguing. In his drunken state, Lee's strength significantly increased, and his evasion capabilities resembled the Ultra Instinct technique from Dragon Ball.
Charles claimed the ninja, increasing his chakra by another 5 points, bringing his total to 273 points. Additionally, the knowledge of Drunken Fist Taijutsu was imparted to him.
Next, Charles turned his attention to Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi.
B-Rank Ninja: Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi
- Fragments: 40/40
- Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on successfully recruiting 2-star B-rank ninja Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi.
A scene appeared of Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto standing still, a snake wrapped in bandages around him. Charles then examined Kabuto's skills.
Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi: B-Rank Ninja
- Star Level: 2-star
- Basic Attack: Taijutsu with Chakra Scalpel!
- Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills:
- Bandage Bind: Use the snake's bandages to entangle the enemy, then jump and smash them with a Halloween pumpkin.
- Earth Assault: Burrow underground to attack enemies, emerging to strike with a Chakra Scalpel and throw a Halloween pumpkin.
- Forbidden Jutsu: Dead Soul Technique: Summon two corpses that bind the enemy with bandages, then attack with a series of strikes using Chakra Scalpel.
Charles noticed that apart from the Bandage Bind, the other skills had not changed much but included Halloween elements.
However, merging with a similar constitution would significantly enhance Kabuto's strength, doubling his chakra and physical abilities.
Charles claimed the ninja, increasing his chakra by another 5 points, bringing his total to 278 points. Additionally, the knowledge of Kabuto's ninjutsu was imparted to him.
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on successfully recruiting Evil Spirit Shadow Kabuto Yakushi, earning the title "Evil Spirit Shadow" and an additional battle slot!
Surprised by the unexpected title, Charles felt he had made a significant gain.
Finally, Charles focused on the last recruit, Chiyo.
B-Rank Ninja: Chiyo
- Fragments: 40/40
- Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on successfully recruiting 2-star B-rank ninja Chiyo.
A scene appeared of Chiyo in a cave-like setting, seemingly in battle against Sasori, opening a sealed scroll containing puppets.
Charles then examined Chiyo's skills.
Chiyo: B-Rank Ninja
- Star Level: 2-star
- Basic Attack: Attack using the puppets "Father" and "Mother"!
- Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills:
- Dust Light Shield Seal: Puppet "Father" releases a Chakra shield to block certain attacks; touching the shield causes damage. (Note: Can also use Chakra Cannon from Puppet "Father")
- Puppet Performance: Steel Wire: Puppets "Mother" and "Father" dash forward, ensnaring enemies with steel wires and attacking. (Note: If "Father" is using Dust Light Shield Seal, the skill changes to "Mother" spinning attack)
- Three Treasures Crushing: Chiyo summons the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu, with the lead puppet performing Three Treasures Crushing followed by an assault from the other puppets.
Charles saw that Chiyo's abilities made her a formidable puppeteer. He claimed the ninja, increasing his chakra by another 5 points, bringing his total to 283 points.
Additionally, the Knowledge of puppet creation, manipulation, and poison-making was also imparted to him.
Satisfied with Chiyo's three skills, Charles appreciated the strength of a true puppet master.
With twelve powerful puppets in total, she was far superior to Kankuro and would enhance the ranks of the Sand ninjas, also providing an opportunity to train Kankuro.
Recruiting three B-rank ninjas consecutively had increased Charles's chakra by 15 points, enhancing his endurance significantly.
The only downside was not acquiring any powerful ninjutsu or kekkei genkai.
After recruiting the three ninjas, Charles followed his plan and opened the ninja recruitment page.
His goal was to recruit S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze. Currently, he had 20 fragments, and with 120,000 coins, he needed 80 more fragments. This amount should be sufficient.
Seeing his 26 ninja recruitment scrolls, Charles first spent 12,432 coins to purchase 74 more scrolls, making a total of 100 recruitment attempts. Then he spent another 16,800 coins to buy 100 more scrolls.
This expenditure of nearly 30,000 coins gave him 200 ninja recruitment scrolls, enough for 20 ten-pulls. He hoped these pulls would yield enough S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments.
With the scrolls ready, Charles exited the system space. Before starting the recruitment, he prepared a blessing ritual to increase his luck.
Using magic, he drew a blessing Merlin formation on the ground. From his storage space, he retrieved the recently stored Space Stone, placing it in the upper left corner.
The scepter was positioned in the lower right corner. The other two corners held Ice Crystals and the Heart of the Earth, with a candle lit in the center.
This upgraded blessing ritual, with two enhanced offerings, was hoped to extend the duration of his good luck. When he eventually had four Infinity Stones, the effect should be even more powerful.
After arranging the blessing ritual items, Charles began his invocation.
Upon completing the ritual, Charles felt an even stronger sense of fortune washing over him. Without delay, he re-entered the system space.
Back in the system space, Charles immediately went to the recruitment screen and began the ninja recruitment.
"Ninja Recruitment, Ten-Pull, Go!"
A whirlpool symbol of the Land of Whirlpools appeared, glowing with a peculiar light. After a flash of light, the recruitment results appeared before Charles.
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Rock Lee fragments x2!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragments x5!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Iruka Umino fragments x2!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Rock Lee fragments x4!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Ino Yamanaka fragments x2!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Hanabi Hyuga fragments x1!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragments x4!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragments x1!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragments x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Karui fragments x1!
Charles looked at his recruitment results and was delighted to see four golden shimmering avatars, indicating an extraordinary outcome.
As expected, his luck was at its peak. He received 6 fragments of S-rank Minato Namikaze and 5 fragments of A-rank Young Minato Namikaze, which was a huge gain.
The upgraded ritual offerings indeed boosted his luck significantly. He hoped the blessing's duration would be longer than before.
He counted a total of 23 fragments from this ten-pull:
- 6 S-rank fragments
- 5 A-rank fragments
- 4 B-rank fragments
- 8 C-rank fragments
Satisfied with the results, Charles decided to capitalize on his streak of good fortune and immediately initiated another ten-pull.
"Ninja Recruitment, Ten-Pull, Go!"
The Whirlpool symbol of the Land of Whirlpools appeared again, shining brightly. As the light faded, the results emerged:
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Hanabi Hyuga fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x5!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Sasuke Uchiha fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Choji Akimichi fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Iruka Umino fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Shizune fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragment x4!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Karui fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Kisame Hoshigaki fragment x4!
Charles was very pleased with the results, which were just as good as the previous pull. The quality and quantity of fragments were excellent:
- 6 S-rank fragments
- 8 A-rank fragments
- 2 B-rank fragments
- 8 C-rank fragments
He felt that his luck had not diminished yet and promptly proceeded with a third ten-pull.
"Ninja Recruitment, Ten-Pull, Go!"
The familiar Whirlpool symbol appeared once more, and the results were:
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragment x4!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x5!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragment x4!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Kisame Hoshigaki fragment x4!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Naruto Uzumaki fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Choji Akimichi fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Rock Lee fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Rock Lee fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Sakura Haruno fragment x2!
This pull yielded 25 fragments, the highest yet:
- 6 S-rank fragments
- 12 A-rank fragments
- 2 B-rank fragments
- 5 C-rank fragments
"Ninja Recruitment, Ten-Pull, Go!"
The symbol appeared again, revealing:
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragment x4!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x5!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Choji Akimichi fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Ino Yamanaka fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained A-rank ninja Young Minato Namikaze fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Dosu Kinuta!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Ino Yamanaka fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Naruto Uzumaki fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Sasuke Uchiha fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x1!
Counting this pull, Charles received 26 fragments:
- 5 S-rank fragments
- 5 A-rank fragments
- 3 B-rank fragments
- 4 C-rank fragments
- 1 full C-rank ninja (equivalent to 10 C-rank fragments)
Feeling the last of his luck fading, Charles decided to do one final pull under the blessing's influence.
"Ninja Recruitment, Ten-Pull, Go!"
The results were:
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Ino Yamanaka fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Neji Hyuga fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Iruka Umino fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Sasuke Uchiha fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x5!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Tenten fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Tenten fragment x2!
Ding! Obtained S-rank ninja Minato Namikaze fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained C-rank ninja Choji Akimichi fragment x1!
Ding! Obtained B-rank ninja Shippuden Rock Lee fragment x4!
This final pull gave him 21 fragments:
- 6 S-rank fragments
- 0 A-rank fragments
- 7 B-rank fragments
- 8 C-rank fragments
Charles's luck had resulted in an exceptional haul, bringing him much closer to recruiting Minato Namikaze.
Although his blessing had faded, he still had 150 ninja recruitment scrolls left.
He hoped that even without the blessing, he could gather the remaining fragments without spending all 120,000 coins, potentially needing only 60,000 coins to succeed.
Now, it was time to test his natural luck.
---2---
·Chapter 629: S rank ninja Minato Namikaze
The blessing period had ended, and Charles was still 51 fragments short of recruiting the S-rank Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Assuming a minimum of one fragment per draw, he would need up to 51 ten-draw recruitments, which could cost up to 60,480 gold coins at worst.
Charles didn't believe his luck would be that bad, but even in the worst-case scenario, he could still afford to spend the money.
With this in mind, he didn't waste any time and proceeded with the next five ten-draw recruitments all at once, instantly obtaining a large number of ninja fragments.
In the first ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the second ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 8 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the third ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 16 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the fourth ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 4 A-rank Young Minato Namikaze fragments, 9 B-rank fragments, and 5 C-rank fragments.
In the fifth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 6 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 8 A-rank fragments (4 Young Minato Namikaze and 4 Hoshigaki Kisame), 9 B-rank fragments, and 7 C-rank fragments.
After five ten-draws, Charles had obtained 10 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments.
This result was not surprising; four times he got the minimum guarantee, and once he hit the jackpot. This result was better than expected, and now it was up to his luck in the remaining draws.
Taking a deep breath, he continued with the ten-draw recruitments.
In the sixth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 12 A-rank fragments (8 Young Minato Namikaze and 4 Hoshigaki Kisame), 1 B-rank fragment, and 7 C-rank fragments.
In the seventh ten-draw without blessings, he got 4 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 4 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the eighth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 8 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the ninth ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the tenth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 6 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 4 A-rank Young Minato Namikaze fragments, 9 B-rank fragments, and 5 C-rank fragments.
In the eleventh ten-draw without blessings, he got 5 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the twelfth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the thirteenth ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 16 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the fourteenth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 4 A-rank Young Minato Namikaze fragments, 9 B-rank fragments, and 5 C-rank fragments.
In the fifteenth ten-draw without blessings, he got 6 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 4 A-rank Young Minato Namikaze fragments, 9 B-rank fragments, and 5 C-rank fragments.
After using all 200 ninja recruitment scrolls, Charles had accumulated total 86 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, only 14 short of the recruitment goal.
Seeing this, Charles spent another 16,800 gold coins to buy 100 more ninja recruitment scrolls. He believed that with his current luck, he would definitely collect enough fragments in the next ten draws.
In the sixteenth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the seventeenth ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 4 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the eighteenth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 6 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the nineteenth ten-draw without blessings, he got 1 guaranteed S-rank Minato Namikaze fragment, 8 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the twentieth ten-draw without blessings, he obtained 6 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 8 A-rank Young Minato Namikaze fragments, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
In the twenty-first ten-draw without blessings, he got 4 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments, 2 B-rank fragments, and the rest were all C-rank.
After using the scrolls from the sixth draw, Charles finally collected 100 S-rank Minato Namikaze fragments. He decided not to use the remaining 40 recruitment scrolls.
Charles started tallying up the ninja fragments obtained from the 21 ten-draw recruitments without blessings:
S-rank: Minato Namikaze, 25 times for a total of 51 fragments.
A-rank: Young Minato Namikaze, 9 times for a total of 36 fragments; Hoshigaki Kisame, 2 times for a total of 8 fragments.
B-rank: Shippuden Sakura Haruno, 8 times for a total of 14 fragments; Shippuden Sasuke Uchiha, 9 times for a total of 30 fragments; Shippuden Naruto Uzumaki, 10 times for a total of 25 fragments; Cursed Seal Kimimaro, 6 times for a total of 19 fragments; Gaara, 5 times for a total of 18 fragments; Shippuden Ino Yamanaka, 4 times for a total of 7 fragments; Shippuden Rock Lee, 9 times for a total of 22 fragments.
C-rank: Tsubaki, 6 times for a total of 8 fragments; Naruto Uzumaki, 9 times for a total of 16 fragments; Shizuka, 8 times for a total of 11 fragments; Rock Lee, 9 times for a total of 11 fragments; Sakura Haruno, 10 times for a total of 10 fragments; Tayuya, 9 times for a total of 9 fragments. Neji Hyuga, 10 times for a total of 11 fragments; Hanabi Hyuga, 9 times for a total of 15 fragments; Ino Yamanaka, 10 times for a total of 15 fragments; Choji Akimichi, 8 times for a total of 13 fragments; Zaku Abumi, 4 times for a total of 4 fragments; Shizune, 10 times for a total of 15 fragments; Iruka Umino, 7 times for a total of 7 fragments; Shiho, 4 times for a total of 6 fragments; Karui, 3 times for a total of 5 fragments.
After completing all the recruitments, Charles exited the recruitment screen and opened his ninja roster. To his surprise, five new ninja portraits were lit up:
S-rank: Minato Namikaze
B-rank: Shippuden Rock Lee
C-rank: Zaku Abumi, Dosu Kinuta, Cee
Besides the new ninja portraits, several other ninjas had reached the upgrade threshold:
A-rank: Young Minato Namikaze
C-rank: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Rock Lee
Besides these ninjas, others like Hoshigaki Kisame, Shippuden Sasuke Uchiha, Shippuden Naruto Uzumaki, and Cursed Seal Kimimaro have also made significant progress towards their next star level.
It seemed that using the 300 recruitment scrolls had yielded quite a lot of valuable resources, though it remained to be seen how much these would enhance his overall strength.
Furthermore, for the ninjas who had already been merged, Charles was curious about the impact of upgrading their original versions.
Looking at the highlighted ninjas in his roster, Charles couldn't help but be impressed by Rock Lee.
Previously, he had bought a ninja card to strengthen him, and now he could upgrade him once again. It seemed his strength would see a significant boost.
Among the many ninjas, Charles first selected the S-rank Minato Namikaze. This whole spending spree was aimed at recruiting him, and now he was eager to see how much an S-rank ninja would enhance his power.
He clicked on Minato Namikaze's portrait, and the information appeared on the screen.
S-rank: Minato Namikaze, fragments 100/100. Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting the three-star S-rank ninja, Minato Namikaze.
The next moment, a scene appeared before Charles's eyes.
Against a golden background, Minato Namikaze stood wearing the Fourth Hokage's ceremonial robe, a Konoha forehead protector on his head, and a Hiraishin kunai in hand. ("When there is longing, there will be reunion!")
Charles couldn't help but admire how stylish Minato looked in the Hokage's robe, especially paired with the golden flash of the Hiraishin technique.
He also noticed a significant detail: S-rank ninjas are recruited at three-star level, unlike other ninjas.
Charles opened the ninja's details to check the skills.
Minato Namikaze: S-rank ninja
Stars: Three
Basic Attack: Taijutsu combined with Hiraishin Kunai!
Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills: Lightning Flash, Space-Time Ninjutsu: Godspeed, Space-Time Rasengan Combo.
- Lightning Flash: Throws a Hiraishin kunai forward. If it hits the enemy, continuous teleportation attacks follow. ("Bearing the name of Hokage, I cannot lose!")
- Space-Time Ninjutsu: Godspeed: Teleports and performs a heavy leg kick. After the kick, a teleportation kunai slash follows. ("If peace lies at the end of war, I will fight to the end!")
- Space-Time Rasengan Combo: A double Rasengan attack coordinated with the Hiraishin technique. The first Rasengan is unleashed on the ground to knock the enemy into the air, followed by a second Rasengan in the air to finish them off. ("I will protect it, even at the cost of my life!")
Reviewing Minato Namikaze's skills, Charles felt a bit disappointed. The moves were somewhat similar to those of Young Minato Namikaze, with the ultimate ninjutsu being not much different from Young Minato's ordinary ninjutsu.
However, in terms of overall combat experience, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze was definitely stronger than his younger self.
Besides Young Minato Namikaze and the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, Charles knew there was an even stronger version—Edo Tensei Minato Namikaze, who had Sage Mode and the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
This version represented the peak of Minato's power. However, Charles wasn't sure when the Edo Tensei version would be available for recruitment, but he believed it would happen eventually.
Curious about the boost a three-star S-rank ninja would provide, Charles clicked to receive the ninja.
Instantly, his chakra levels surged dramatically, forming an overwhelming aura, and the magic circle in his room lit up again.
Charles's chakra had increased by a staggering 50 units, not the usual increments of 1, 5, or 15 units.
This brought his chakra level to an impressive 333 units. Simultaneously, Minato Namikaze's ninjutsu knowledge was transmitted to Charles.
At this point, Charles could serve as a formidable ninjutsu artillery. Compared to Hoshigaki Kisame, Charles Doyle had become a true tailless beast.
Feeling the immense chakra within himself, Charles began to control it, preventing it from leaking. As his power stabilized, the magic circle in his room faded away.
If Odin saw Charles's rapid increase in strength, he might reconsider the need for a three-year period. Perhaps, within a year, Charles would meet Odin's standards.
After completing the recruitment, Charles eagerly awaited the title reward.
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting the super-strong S-rank ninja, Minato Namikaze.
You have earned the title "Yellow Flash" and gained one additional battle slot.
Hearing the system notification, Charles was delighted. This wave of ninja recruitment had turned out to be extremely profitable.
Previously, recruiting Kabuto Yakushi had rewarded him with the title "Shadow of Evil Spirits," and now recruiting Minato Namikaze had granted him the title "Yellow Flash."
Together, the two battle slots he received were worth nearly 110,000 gold coins, effectively getting back all the coins he had spent.
Having finished recruiting the S-rank Minato Namikaze, Charles turned his attention to the B-rank Shippuden Rock Lee.
He clicked on Rock Lee's portrait, and the information appeared on the screen.
B-rank: Shippuden Rock Lee, fragments 56/40. Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting the two-star B-rank ninja, Shippuden Rock Lee.
The next moment, a scene appeared before Charles's eyes. Rock Lee stood against a green background, now grown into an adult, wearing a Jonin's vest, signifying his promotion to a Jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Charles opened the ninja's details to check the skills.
Shippuden Rock Lee: B-rank ninja
Stars: Two
Basic Attack: Konoha Whirlwind Taijutsu Attack!
Substitution Jutsu: Wood substitution!
Skills: Front Lotus, Konoha Great Hurricane, Leaf Hot Wind Lotus.
Front Lotus: Quickly jumps back, then dashes forward to kick the enemy into the air, grabs them mid-air, and performs a high-speed rotation slam into the ground.
Konoha Great Hurricane: A full-body spinning kick that finishes by kicking the enemy into the air.
Leaf Hot Wind Lotus: Opens the Gate of Limit, launching a powerful leg combo attack. The final blow is a high-speed leg strike that causes a massive explosion due to air friction. ("Now is the time to defend my way of the ninja!")
Reviewing Shippuden Rock Lee's three skills, Charles frowned slightly.
Rock Lee had been able to open the Gate of Limit three years ago, and it seemed he still relied on it three years later.
The intense battle against Gaara in the original world must have left a significant toll on him.
Charles wondered if Rock Lee, in his current state, could open the Gate of View and use the Morning Peacock technique after fusion.
With the guidance from Guy and his star-level upgrade abilities, Rock Lee's strength should easily surpass previous limitations.
Charles clicked to receive the ninja, and his chakra level increased by another 5 units, reaching a total of 338 units.
At the same time, knowledge about the Eight Gates and Shippuden Rock Lee's ninjutsu was transmitted to Charles.
---3---
·Chapter 630: Ginny's Mission
In a single day, Charles Doyle had recruited five new ninjas, increasing his chakra capacity by a whopping 70 units, nearly a third of his previous total.
This significant boost in chakra power meant that his overall strength had increased by much more than just a third, making Charles Doyle's capabilities even more formidable.
Looking at the ninja roster, Charles noticed three more C-rank ninjas waiting to be recruited. Recruiting them would add roughly three more units of chakra.
Fortunately, they were C-rank ninjas, so adding three units wouldn't be too much pressure on Charles. If they had been three A-rank ninjas, he wouldn't have recruited them right now.
Adding 45 units of chakra at once would likely degrade his chakra control to a point where living a normal life would be difficult.
Such a high level of chakra pressure would mean that only those with elite Jonin-level strength could approach him; everyone else would likely be crushed by the sheer force of his chakra.
Even everyday household items would need to be made from titanium-grade materials to withstand his presence.
Charles glanced at the remaining three C-rank ninjas. Zaku and Dosu Kinuta were both Genin from the Hidden Sound Village.
Their strength was notable, given that they had made it to the one-on-one matches in the Chunin Exams, indicating they had the abilities of Chunin, especially with their soundwave attacks.
However, compared to the third ninja, Cee from the Hidden Cloud Village, they were significantly less powerful.
Although Cee was also a C-rank ninja, he was an elite Jonin, a versatile ninja skilled in genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and sensory abilities, considered the "left hand" of the Fourth Raikage.
Cee would be the first ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village in Charles Doyle's roster and was an exceptionally valuable addition.
Charles clicked on Cee's portrait, and the information appeared on the screen.
C-rank Ninja: Cee, fragments 14/10. Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting one-star C-rank ninja, Cee.
The next moment, Cee appeared before Charles, standing with a thoughtful expression, one hand on his chin, wearing his Hidden Cloud Village forehead protector.
Charles immediately checked Cee's skills.
Cee: C-rank Ninja
Star Level: One Star
Basic Attack: Taijutsu attack combined with throwing electrified kunai!
Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills:
- Lightning Release: Lightning Binding: Channels lightning to strike the enemy, making use of conductive kunai to increase damage. (Note: The lightning strike's point of impact can be altered, increasing damage to enemies hit by special kunai.)
- Lightning Release: Lightning Flash Bullet: Fires a lightning flash to blind enemies temporarily, then attacks with kunai from a distance. (Note: Hits are followed by attacks with special kunai, increasing damage from other ninjutsu.)
- Lightning Illusion: Lightning Pillar: Uses strong light to cast an unnoticed genjutsu, then strikes the enemy with lightning. (This technique even caught Sasuke's Taka Squad off guard.)
Charles was pleased with Cee's skills. As a versatile elite Jonin, Cee's capabilities were indeed impressive, making this recruitment highly worthwhile.
Clicking to receive the ninja, Charles's chakra increased by 1 unit, reaching 339 units. Additionally, knowledge of genjutsu, lightning release, and related techniques was transmitted to Charles.
Charles then focused on the remaining two C-rank ninjas.
He clicked on Zaku's portrait, and the information appeared on the screen.
C-rank Ninja: Zaku, fragments 19/10. Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting one-star C-rank ninja, Zaku.
The next moment, Zaku appeared in the Chunin Exam battle arena, wearing clothing adorned with three large red kanji characters for "death".
Charles immediately checked Zaku's skills.
Zaku: C-rank Ninja
Star Level: One Star
Basic Attack: Taijutsu attack!
Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills:
- Cutting Sound Wave: Raises both hands to gather energy before slashing down to create a sound wave explosion. (Note: After using this technique, enters a ranged state, with basic attacks turning into sound wave releases.)
- Sound Wave Barrage: Injects sound waves into the ground to bind enemies, then leaps into the air to release a barrage of sound waves.
- Ultimate Cutting Sound Wave: Raises both hands to gather energy before releasing a massive cutting sound wave. (This force can easily shatter rocks!)
Charles nodded, acknowledging that Zaku's skills were characteristic of the Hidden Sound Village, focused on soundwave attacks. However, for Charles, these abilities were of limited use.
Clicking to receive the ninja, Charles's chakra increased by 1 unit, reaching 340 units, and Zaku's ninjutsu knowledge was transmitted to him.
With Zaku recruited, Charles turned his attention to the last C-rank ninja.
He clicked on Dosu Kinuta's portrait, and the information appeared on the screen.
C-rank Ninja: Dosu Kinuta, fragments 12/10. Recruit?
Recruit!
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for successfully recruiting one-star C-rank ninja, Dosu Kinuta.
The next moment, Dosu Kinuta appeared before Charles, with his face partially covered by bandages, revealing only one eye, and wearing the Hidden Sound Village forehead protector.
Charles immediately checked Dosu Kinuta's skills.
Dosu Kinuta: C-rank Ninja
Star Level: One Star
Basic Attack: Taijutsu + Cutting Sound Wave!
Substitution Jutsu: Wood Substitution!
Skills:
- Sonic Rush: Dosu Kinuta charges forward at high speed, grabbing the enemy and attacking them with sound waves.
- Soundwave Shock: Slams his fists into the ground, releasing sound waves from his gauntlet to kill surrounding enemies.
- Resonating Sound: Uses the gauntlet on his right hand to release sound waves that pierce the opponent's auditory nerves, followed by a deadly punch.
Clicking to receive the ninja, Charles's chakra increased by 1 unit, reaching 341 units. Additionally, Dosu Kinuta's ninjutsu knowledge was transmitted to Charles.
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for recruiting over 50 ninjas, earning the title "Ninja Collector"!
Reward: one additional ninja deployment slot!
Charles was momentarily stunned by the system prompt, realizing he had recruited over 50 ninjas.
Although most had been fused, reducing the apparent number, this milestone was significant.
The recruitment had been highly profitable, with rewards including three valuable titles worth a combined 160,000 gold coins.
With all ninjas recruited, Charles checked his remaining gold coins: 170,943. He had a substantial reserve of 170,000 coins.
Charles opened the ninja deployment menu, noting three empty slots, and clicked the add button.
Ding! Do you want to spend 52,000 gold coins to unlock a deployment slot?
Unlock.
With enough gold, Charles continued to click the plus button.
Ding! Do you want to spend 54,000 gold coins to unlock a deployment slot?
Unlock.
After spending 106,000 gold coins to unlock two additional slots, Charles still had over 60,000 coins, more than enough for future needs.
He now needed deployment slots for five ninjas: C-rank Zaku, Dosu Kinuta, Shizuka, Cee, and B-rank Chiyo. The newly available slots matched this requirement perfectly.
For S-rank Minato Namikaze, B-rank Yakushi Kabuto, and B-rank Rock Lee (Drunken Fist), fusion was sufficient without needing additional deployment slots.
Charles then opened his summoning beast interface. Noticing that his Kamaitachi was still at level 0, he decided to level it up. With 21.54 million copper coins and 170,000 reputation points, he had ample resources for the upgrade.
Each level required 3,500 reputation points and 300,000 copper coins, increasing the beast's strength with each level.
Using all his reputation points and 20 million copper coins, Charles upgraded Kamaitachi to level 50, reaching its peak strength.
With his copper coins reduced to below a million, Charles decided to recharge, converting $100 million into copper coins, ensuring he had enough for future needs.
As Charles upgraded Kamaitachi, Temari of the Sand Village was playing with it. Suddenly, Kamaitachi's aura surged, and Temari curiously asked:
"Kamaitachi, what happened?"
Kamaitachi, carrying its large scythe, smiled and said, "Temari, my strength has increased. I've become much stronger."
"It's the master. He enhanced my power."
Hearing this, Temari smiled. "It's wonderful that the master increased your strength."
Kamaitachi nodded. "Temari, I can protect you even better now."
Temari nodded with a smile. "I'll be counting on you, Kamaitachi."
Meanwhile, after maxing out Kamaitachi, Charles unlocked a new summoning scroll, revealing the Third Hokage's summoning beast, Enma the Monkey King.
Ding! Congratulations to Charles Doyle for maxing out Kamaitachi, activating a new summoning contract with Enma the Monkey King.
Charles, pleased with the addition of Enma, nodded in satisfaction. As the Third Hokage's summoning beast, Enma's strength was substantial, making it a valuable addition to his summoning army.
After upgrading his summoning beasts, Charles turned his attention to the Seven-Star Sword, an artifact obtained from the Cosmic Cube recharge bonus.
Seven-Star Sword: One of the five great weapons left by the Sage of Six Paths. This weapon can cut and curse the target with words of power.
Upon examining the Seven-Star Sword, Charles couldn't help but chuckle. Its appearance resembled a fan more than a sword.
Having briefly assessed the Seven-Star Sword, Charles exited the artifact interface and the system.
Exiting the system space, Charles noticed his room had become disorganized due to his recent activities. He called out:
"Red Queen."
"I'm here!"
"Send Ginny to the meeting room; I'll wait for her there. Also, have someone tidy up my room and replace any damaged furniture."
"Understood, master!"
After giving instructions, Charles Doyle headed to the top-floor meeting room. Soon, Ginny arrived, holding a folder, and entered.
"Boss, you called for me?"
"Ginny, I have a mission for you. Locate a pair of twins, Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff. They were born in 1989 in the Eastern European country of Sokovia. Currently, they should be orphans."
Charles recalled the timeline, noting the twins appeared in the end credits of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014, already part of Hydra's experiments.
However, in the absence of Loki's scepter containing the Mind Stone, Hydra's experiments and recruitment of volunteers like the Maximoff twins wouldn't have occurred yet.
After considering this, Charles continued, "Find them and bring them here. If anyone tries to stop you, eliminate them."
"Yes, Boss."
Ginny didn't question why Charles wanted the twins. If he needed them, her job was to bring them back.
She then reported, "Due to the alien invasion, both you and the ninjas have gained significant fame."
"Many manufacturers have contacted our office seeking authorization to produce merchandise like figurines, toys, posters, and cards. How should we handle this?"
"Currently, some unauthorized products have already hit the market, affecting both us and the Avengers..."
Hearing this, Charles pondered for a moment before asking, "Do we have our own toy and figurine factories?"
"Yes, Boss. High Table's businesses cover a wide range of industries."
Realizing he had relevant factories under his control, Charles decided, "Send cease-and-desist letters to them, demanding they pull their products. If they refuse, have the Continental Hotel's assassins pay their Bosses a visit."
"Since we have our own factories, let them handle the production and sales of authorized merchandise. Each person will receive 10% of the profits from their merchandise."
Ginny nodded, "Understood, I'll arrange it."
"Find those twins as soon as possible. Notify me immediately once they are found and brought back."
"By the way, Ginny, how much Vibranium do we currently have in stock?"
"200 kilograms."
"Got it. You can go now."
"Yes, Boss!"
Ginny left the meeting room to carry out her tasks. Charles then issued another order:
"Red Queen, summon all ninjas to the meeting room for a meeting."
"Understood, master!"
…
While Charles was preparing for his meeting, Nick Fury had returned to the Triskelion in New York.
In the director's office, Natasha Romanoff entered with a stack of files.
"Director, I've found some discrepancies."
Nick Fury looked up, "What did you find?"
Natasha laid out several files, revealing profiles for Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake. She also produced several photos from the Battle of New York, showing their Shippuden versions in action.
"Based on my comparisons, these individuals are the same as those in the files, but they've suddenly become adults."
"Either some magic caused them to grow overnight, or each of them has a twin sibling, which is highly unlikely."
Fury examined the photos, then spoke, "During a prior transaction with Charles, Coulson was offered a magical potion called an 'Aging Elixir.'"
"This potion causes the drinker to grow older. The more they drink, the older they get."
"We didn't purchase the elixir, but their transformation is likely due to this."
Natasha frowned, "Why would anyone choose to age themselves?"
Fury shook his head, "I don't know. Perhaps they have different motivations from ordinary people."
"Natasha, with Coulson's death, many of his tasks were left unfinished. I'm assigning you to take over his responsibilities."
---4---
·Chapter 631: Rewards for the Ninjas
Nick Fury took out a transaction record file between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ninja factions, detailing the trades with Charles Agency, Sand Puppet Shop, and Sound Ninja Base, including the items, methods, and prices.
As Natasha examined the file, she quickly noticed that Charles Agncy had the most items available for trade.
Nick Fury spoke up, "Previously, Coulson handled these transactions, but now this task falls to you."
"We need a large amount of physical enhancement serums, but we're running low on Vibranium, with barely enough left to trade with the Sand Puppet Shop."
"However, we still have a batch of energy cubes, around 1,300 units. Your job is to negotiate a deal with Charles Doyle."
"Use 1,000 cubes to purchase five physical enhancement serums and the remaining 300 to buy Felix Felicis potion."
"Charles Doyle isn't easy to meet. Even before the Battle of New York, Coulson tried several times to secure a deal but failed. So, there's no rush; just find an opportunity to make it happen."
"From now on, you'll be in charge of all communications with the ninjas. Don't disappoint me, Natasha."
Seeing Fury's serious demeanor, Natasha immediately agreed, "Yes, sir. I guarantee success!"
At that moment, the door to Nick Fury's office was knocked on, and Agent Hill entered.
Natasha excused herself, "Sir, I'll start preparing."
Nick Fury nodded, "Alright, go ahead."
As Natasha left, Hill approached Fury, noting her departure but focusing on her task.
"Sir, there's an issue with the Chitauri weapons we've acquired."
Nick Fury raised an eyebrow, "What issue?"
"Their equipment seems to be remotely locked. None of the weapons, aircraft, or other devices are operational."
"Our science team has tried to decrypt them, but so far, no success."
"This might not be as big a gain as we anticipated."
Fury pondered for a moment, then asked, "What about the Chitauri soldiers? Any signs of life?"
Hill shook her head, "No, both the soldiers and the giant beast have no life signs."
"They're all dead?"
"Yes, sir. All dead."
"But when we first took custody of those unconscious aliens, they were still alive with detectable bio-signatures."
Fury considered this, then instructed, "Send them all for autopsy and research. Determine their cause of death."
"It can't be that the closure of the space portal cut off their signal and shut them down like robots."
"They aren't chip-controlled machines."
"Understood, sir. I'll have the science team extract as much useful data as possible from them."
With Hill's departure, Fury looked out at the rebuilding New York City before diving back into his work.
…
Meanwhile-
In the meeting room, all the ninjas had gathered, including Orochimaru, who had emerged from his lab for the meeting.
Looking at the assembled ninjas, Charles felt a sense of pride. These were his comrades, all painstakingly summoned through his investments.
"This time, in our battle against the Chitauri, everyone performed excellently. Not a single casualty, and we showcased the might of the ninjas. This deserves praise."
"Aside from the original A-rank mission rewards, I will provide additional rewards based on your ranks: Kage-level ninjas will receive 10 kg of Vibranium, Jonin and Elite Jonin will get 5 kg, Chunin and Elite Chunin will get 2 kg, and Genin will get 1 kg."
As Charles finished speaking, the room filled with a mix of excitement and confusion.
Charles explained, "Some of you might not know what Vibranium is. To put it simply, it's a special metal akin to Chakra Metal in the ninja world."
The ninjas gasped at the mention of Chakra Metal, well aware of its value and rarity. Even Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Hokage, only had a pair of blades made from it.
"Vibranium has a unique property of absorbing and releasing energy, earning it the nickname 'Sound Absorbing Steel.' This means it's not just for making weapons but also armor."
"Armor made from Vibranium won't hinder your ninjutsu or mobility in any way."
The ninjas were intrigued by Charles's explanation.
Although 10 kilograms might not be enough for full body armor, it was certainly sufficient for making protective gear.
Naruto, curious, asked quietly, "Is this stuff really expensive?"
Sakura responded, "Chakra metal in the ninja world costs 70,000 ryo per gram, and it's not always available."
"And Vibranium is clearly a superior material to chakra metal, so it's definitely more expensive."
Naruto did some quick calculations, realizing that 1 kilogram would be worth 70 million ryo, more than twice the bounty on Asuma's head.
Shaking his head, he mused about his rank, unsure whether he was considered a Chunin or Jonin.
"Lord Charles, am I considered a Chunin or Jonin? I can't be just a Genin, right?"
Naruto even considered merging with his future self for a moment, realizing the immense value at stake.
As Naruto spoke up, the rest of the Chunin Exam candidates also looked at Charles Doyle, confident that their strength surpassed that of mere Genin.
Charles pondered for a moment whether to hold a new exam for determining ranks but decided it wasn't necessary.
"Based on your battlefield performance and actual combat strength, I will assign each of you a specific ninja rank."
"Everyone's ninja rank will be reassessed, and it may differ from your current rank."
Charles knew that, while Konoha had a Hokage, there were no official Kage-level rankings.
The Three Legendary Sannin were merely elite Jonin in rank but were actually Kage-level ninjas. Even Sasuke Uchiha was now a Kage-level ninja.
"Thank you, Lord Charles!"
The ninjas expressed their gratitude, and Charles nodded in acknowledgment.
"You can collect your Vibranium from Ginny. I'll provide her with the distribution standards. You can either take the Vibranium directly or commission Ginny to have weapons and armor crafted for you."
"For the design of weapons and armor, you'll need to communicate your preferences."
"Rewards in Vibranium won't be a one-time thing. If you feel the material isn't enough, you can save it up and eventually forge a complete set of ninja tools."
Only Hanabi Hyuga seemed a bit downcast, as she wasn't even a Genin yet, merely a ninja trainee.
Seeing her sister's downcast expression, Hinata Hyuga held Hanabi's hand and said, "Don't be sad, Hanabi. I'll give you half of my share so you can have a special kunai made for self-defense."
Feeling her sister's warmth, Hanabi nodded and whispered, "Thank you, sister."
Charles continued, "This battle in New York has also earned everyone quite a reputation. You've all made a name for yourselves among the city's residents."
"I heard from Ginny that you already have a fan website with many citizens showing their support."
"And there's good news: each of you will receive 10% of the profits from the sales of your merchandise. It might not be a huge amount, but it's a steady source of income."
Hearing about this additional income brought smiles to the ninjas' faces.
They all felt fortunate to have followed Charles to this new world, where resources were abundant, money was plentiful, and entertainment options were numerous.
Most importantly, it was safe.
Although there were missions to undertake, the enemies were generally weak. Even the recent battle in New York, despite the large number of foes, wasn't overly challenging.
After these announcements, Charles added, "However, don't let your guard down. This battle was just a test by our enemies. Stronger adversaries are on the horizon."
"Those of you who have faced the demonic invasion of the magical world know the strength and diversity of our foes. This battle wasn't even as intense as the last one, and the final enemy in the last battle was merely an avatar..."
"So, do not underestimate the enemies of this world. More formidable foes await us in the future."
"Yes, Lord Charles!" the ninjas replied.
Those who had experienced the last great battle nodded, while the newer ninjas began asking their peers about it.
"For now, continue as you have been: completing missions and training diligently."
"Tsunade, continue to promote medical ninjutsu. Since everyone can use the Mystical Palm Technique, focus on enhancing this training. Every ninja should at least be able to provide basic medical care to themselves."
Charles then turned to Orochimaru, "Loki isn't an Asgardian god but a Frost Giant from Jotunheim. The abilities of Frost Giants are somewhat similar to the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. You might find some insights by collaborating with Haku from the Hidden Mist."
"Haku possesses the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. See if you can gain any inspiration from him."
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were particularly intrigued by this, recalling their encounter with Haku, who left a lasting impression on them. Especially Sasuke, who remembered Haku's reluctance to kill.
Naruto exclaimed, "Sister Haku is here too?"
Minato and Kushina looked puzzled, while Sakura smacked Naruto on the head, correcting him, "Idiot, didn't you hear? It's 'him,' not 'her'!"
Naruto was puzzled. Wasn't Haku supposed to be a girl? Why did his Lord Charles say Haku is a boy? And why did Sakura hit him on the head again? It was really mean.
Charles Doyle didn't pay much attention to the minor commotion below and instead spoke again, "Today's meeting is mainly about this issue. Tonight, we'll have a party to celebrate our victory over the alien invasion."
"Namikaze Minato, Rock Lee, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Kabuto Yakushi, please stay behind. I have additional plans for you."
Hearing Charles call out their names, everyone else looked on with envy. Those who had been around knew that these individuals were about to get another boost in their strength.
They were especially surprised to see Sakura, who had just received a boost, and Namikaze Minato, who had only recently arrived, being called out.
After the others left, only the five named by Charles remained in the meeting room.
Charles addressed them, "Because of the gains from the New York battle, your strengths will increase."
"Sakura, be ready to feel your power increase."
"Yes, Lord Charles," Sakura responded.
Charles's consciousness entered the system space, and he immediately upgraded the already merged Sakura.
Ding! Would you like to upgrade the merged C-ninja Sakura Haruno to two-star C-ninja Sakura Haruno?
Seeing the system prompt, Charles chose to upgrade.
Ding! Congratulations, Sakura Haruno has been upgraded to two-star C-ninja.
After the confirmation, Charles waved his hand, and a golden light enveloped Sakura. The light came and went quickly.
The others looked on in amazement; this was the first time they'd seen such a scene.
Encased in the golden light, Sakura felt a warm current flow through her body, enhancing her physical strength and chakra.
Charles asked, "How do you feel? How much have you improved?"
After a moment of reflection, Sakura replied, "I feel a slight enhancement in my physical strength, though it's hard to quantify exactly how much."
"My chakra has increased enough to perform the Mystical Palm Technique three more times. Overall, my strength has increased by about ten percent."
Charles nodded internally. Even a ten percent increase was significant. Moreover, upgrading Sakura also increased his chakra by one card.
Naruto congratulated Sakura, "Congrats, Sakura. You've gotten stronger."
Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Naruto."
Charles then said, "Alright, next up are Rock Lee, Naruto Uzumaki, and Namikaze Minato. Be ready for your power increase."
Charles entered the system space again and upgraded the three.
Ding! Would you like to upgrade the merged two-star B-rank ninja Rock Lee to a higher rank?
Ding! Would you like to upgrade the merged two-star B-rank ninja Naruto Uzumaki to a higher rank?
Ding! Would you like to upgrade two-star A-rank ninja Namikaze Minato to three-star A-rank ninja?
Charles selected to upgrade all three. Rock Lee and Naruto were partially merged and upgraded, with no significant change, but Namikaze Minato successfully upgraded from two-star A-rank ninja to three-star A-rank ninja.
As three golden lights enveloped the three, various changes occurred.
Naruto seemed unaffected, as the increase in chakra was insignificant to him. Rock Lee felt stronger, especially in terms of physical enhancement.
Namikaze Minato's aura briefly surged and then retracted, causing the others to widen their eyes in surprise. Kabuto was particularly astonished by the Fourth Hokage.
Kabuto realized that Minato's power increase was substantial, unlike the others.
Charles also felt a significant increase in his chakra, gaining an additional ten cards, raising his total to 351 cards.
After controlling the surge of chakra, Charles asked, "How much have you improved?"
Naruto scratched his head, smiling awkwardly, "I'm not sure. I felt a warm flow, but that's about it."
Minato also seemed a bit embarrassed, and Sakura facepalmed in exasperation.
Charles laughed, "I see. It's normal for you not to notice due to your large chakra reserves."
Rock Lee said, "I think my strength increased by about ten percent, but I feel it could improve more with some training."
Charles nodded, "Very good. It looks like your strength has improved significantly."
Finally, Charles turned to Minato, "Minato, how about you?"
Minato replied seriously, "My strength has increased by about fifty percent."
Everyone was shocked by Minato's response. Kabuto was particularly intrigued, hoping for a similar boost.
---5---
·Chapter 632: Strengthened Shinobi
Charles noted down the data silently in his mind, then said, "Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki, your rewards are completed."
"You may leave now. I have some tasks to discuss with the others."
Sakura and Naruto exchanged glances and replied, "Yes, Lord Charles."
After that, Sakura and Naruto left the meeting room. As they walked out, Sakura asked Naruto:
"Naruto, do you think Lord Charles is going to merge them with their future selves to increase their strength?"
Naruto shook his head, "Maybe it's something else. Both Rock Lee and my father have increased their strength. If they merge with their future selves, they will be incredibly powerful."
Sakura nodded in agreement, thinking to herself that since they had already gained so much strength, they probably wouldn't receive another boost so soon.
Inside the meeting room-
Charles turned to Kabuto Yakushi, Rock Lee, and Minato Namikaze, "Kabuto, Lee, Minato, I've brought your future selves from the river of time. I will now merge you with them to increase your strength."
"Let's start with you, Kabuto."
Hearing that he had a future self to merge with, Kabuto's usually calm face showed a hint of excitement.
He was curious about his future development and eager to increase his strength, knowing that this fusion would be much more significant than the previous enhancements.
"Yes, Lord Charles!"
Namikaze Minato was surprised. He had already increased his strength by fifty percent, yet there was more to be gained from merging with his future self. This would significantly boost his power.
Rock Lee, too, was astonished that he had such an opportunity. Although he had heard many stories about his future self from Tenten, including the near-fatal injuries during the Chunin Exams that Tsunade healed, he was now curious about more detailed memories of his future.
While they were thinking, Charles's consciousness entered the system space and retrieved Kabuto's ninja card.
Ding! Would you like to reclaim Kabuto Yakushi?
Yes!
With Charles's agreement, Kabuto's figure vanished from the meeting room. Rock Lee's eyes widened, and Minato curiously observed Kabuto's disappearance without sensing any spatial fluctuations.
Charles then brought out Kabuto Yakushi and Phantom Shadow Kabuto cards.
Ding! Would you like to merge Kabuto Yakushi with Phantom Shadow Kabuto?
Yes!
Please select the primary card for the fusion.
Kabuto Yakushi!
With Charles's confirmation, the two cards rapidly spun and merged into a new card, Kabuto Yakushi · Fusion.
Since Kabuto Yakushi card was chosen as the primary, the Phantom Shadow appearance became an outfit in Kabuto's ninja gear, while his strength significantly increased.
Examining the new card, Charles noted that the merged skills had strengthened.
He placed the new card back in the battle slot and chose to materialize Kabuto within three meters.
As Charles operated, Kabuto reappeared in the meeting room.
Minato furrowed his brow. He couldn't detect any spatial fluctuations even with Kabuto's reappearance.
Before Charles could ask, Kabuto reported, "Lord Charles, my overall strength has doubled, including chakra and physical attributes."
Charles nodded, "Very good. Your future strength will not stop here. I have high expectations for you."
Kabuto respectfully replied, "Thank you, Lord Charles."
"Rock Lee, it's your turn to merge with your future self."
Rock Lee excitedly responded, "Yes, Lord Charles."
Charles's consciousness reentered the system space, retrieving the two-star B-ninja Rock Lee · Fusion card.
Ding! Would you like to reclaim two-star B-ninja Rock Lee · Fusion?
Yes!
With Charles's agreement, Rock Lee vanished from the meeting room. Kabuto, curious, wondered if he had disappeared similarly.
Despite being prepared this time, Minato still couldn't detect any clues or spatial fluctuations regarding Rock Lee's disappearance.
Charles then looked at two other ninja cards in the system, Drunken Fist Rock Lee and Shippuden Rock Lee.
He decided to test if he could merge all three cards.
Ding! Would you like to merge Rock Lee · Fusion with Drunken Fist Rock Lee and Shippuden Rock Lee?
Yes!
Please select the primary card for the fusion.
After some thought, Charles chose Shippuden Rock Lee as the primary physical form but kept Rock Lee · Fusion as the primary consciousness.
With his confirmation, the three cards rapidly spun and merged into a new card, two-star B-ninja Rock Lee · Fusion.
Since Shippuden Rock Lee was the primary form, the appearance became that of an older, stronger Rock Lee as a jonin in the Shippuden era.
Charles glanced at the newly merged ninja card and noticed that Rock Lee now had significantly more Taijutsu skills, with previous ultimate moves transformed into different ninja techniques.
The merged techniques were also strengthened.
Though uncertain about the exact extent of Rock Lee's strength increase, Charles placed the newly merged card back in the battle slot and chose to materialize Rock Lee within three meters of himself.
With Charles's operation, Rock Lee reappeared in the meeting room. Unlike Kabuto, Rock Lee's appearance and aura had noticeably changed, yet both Kabuto and Minato instantly recognized him as the adult Rock Lee.
At that moment, Rock Lee, with his eyes closed, was absorbing the memories from his merged card.
In his memories, he found that his future self indeed experienced a nearly crippling injury during the Chunin Exams, just as Tenten had mentioned.
Tsunade healed him, and he later supported Shikamaru and others in the battle against Kimimaro.
The memories also included three years of training. After Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, Rock Lee trained under Might Guy, eventually rising to the rank of jonin.
However, he noticed a problem—despite his growth, he hadn't opened the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates technique.
Three years ago, he had already opened the Fifth Gate, but even after becoming a jonin, he was still stuck at the Fifth Gate.
The memories revealed that his leg injury, though healed by Tsunade, had left some lasting impact, preventing him from unlocking the Sixth Gate.
After absorbing all the memories, Rock Lee slowly opened his eyes.
"Thank you, Lord Charles. My strength has increased significantly, possibly more than doubled, though I can't confirm the exact amount yet."
Hearing Rock Lee's words, Kabuto was surprised, but seeing Lee's increased age and physique made him thoughtful.
Charles nodded, "Lee, your strength has indeed increased substantially. You should now be aware of your future self's injuries."
"You have not experienced the same crippling injury here, and with the fusion of multiple future selves, your physique has greatly strengthened."
"Believe me, the Fifth Gate is no longer your limit. Train hard with Guy and aim to open at least two more gates of the Eight Gates technique."
Hearing that the Fifth Gate was not his limit, Rock Lee nodded and said, "Yes, Lord Charles. I will train hard with Guy-sensei to surpass my limits and open more gates."
"Go for it, Lee. Your future should be even more brilliant."
"Yes, Lord Charles!"
With the successful fusion of two members, Charles turned his gaze to Minato Namikaze for the next fusion.
"Next is you, Minato."
"Yes, Lord Charles."
Charles's consciousness entered the system space and retrieved the three-star A-rank young Minato Namikaze ninja card.
Ding! Would you like to reclaim three-star A-rank young Minato Namikaze?
Yes!
With Charles's confirmation, Minato's figure vanished from the meeting room, and both Rock Lee and Kabuto had grown accustomed to such scenes.
Charles looked at the Minato card. Unlike the others, Minato's cards were all three-star, whether it was the S-rank Fourth Hokage Minato or the A-rank young Minato.
He wondered if merging A-rank and S-rank Minato would result in a super Kage-level ninja.
Charles summoned both young Minato and Fourth Hokage Minato cards.
Ding! Would you like to merge young Minato Namikaze with Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze?
Yes!
Please select the primary card for the fusion.
Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze!
With Charles's confirmation, the two cards spun rapidly and merged into a new three-star S-rank Minato Namikaze · Fusion.
Since Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze was the primary card, the jonin vest disappeared, replaced by the signature Hokage robe.
After glancing at the new card, Charles placed it back in the battle slot and chose to materialize Minato within three meters.
Minato reappeared in the meeting room, just like Rock Lee, with his eyes closed, absorbing the merged memories.
Kabuto, observing the change, thought to himself, "So this is the Fourth Hokage who sacrificed himself. I didn't expect Lord Charles to bring back his future self after becoming Hokage."
Minato exuded a powerful aura. From his memories, he learned about the deaths of his disciple Obito and Rin, and how Kakashi gained his Sharingan.
He saw the end of the war and his rise to the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina's pregnancy. He saw his struggle to implement new policies and the attack by the masked man with Uchiha bloodline.
He also witnessed the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, the death of Kushina, and his own sacrifice to seal the Nine-Tails in the newborn Naruto.
With these memories, Minato exuded an aura of surpassing Kage-level and a terrifying killing intent.
The sudden surge of power forced Kabuto and Rock Lee to defend themselves. Lee exclaimed, "Such terrifying strength..."
"This...this is the power of the Fourth Hokage?"
Minato reined in his aura and opened his eyes, slightly red.
He knelt on one knee and said, "Thank you, Lord Charles, for allowing our family to reunite."
"And for giving us new lives in this world, providing a chance to make amends."
Having gone through the memories, Minato valued his family even more. With his wife and child by his side, his only regret was not being able to raise Naruto.
Seeing Minato's gratitude, Charles said, "I accept your thanks. Now that you're here, make sure to make up for Naruto's incomplete childhood in this world."
Mentioning Naruto made Minato's eyes redden further, regretting that his last wishes hadn't been well executed. He vowed, "Lord Charles, Naruto is my child. I will make up for him."
"Alright, no more sadness. Here, you all have bright futures. Tonight, we have a party to celebrate. Prepare yourselves."
"Yes, Lord Charles!" X3
The three left, and Minato's mind was already on his wife and child.
Watching them leave, Charles nodded in satisfaction. The harvest had been fully converted into strength. Next, he would find Wanda and Quicksilver, activate their abilities and recruiting them under him.
As for Vision, Charles thought, "Sorry, but it seems unlikely for you to be born on Earth."