"Monkey King…"
The Third Hokage's eyes widened. Even if the Monkey Clan acknowledged Shigure, it shouldn't have been possible for the king himself to appear!
The black-furred ape standing before them was in his prime, larger and more imposing than Enma himself. His body radiated powerful chakra fluctuations, his strength approaching quasi-Kage level.
No weaker than Enma.
If he transformed into a Nyoi-bō (Ruyi Staff), his power would be overwhelming.
The Monkey King's gaze locked on Shigure, paying no mind to Sarutobi Hiruzen standing beside him.
"Contractor, what is your name?"
"Gekkō Shigure."
"Gekkō Shigure… From this moment forward, I am your summoning beast — the current Monkey King of the Monkey Clan."
In other words, today's reigning Monkey King.
"Do you go by 'Monkey King,' or do you have another name?"
The giant ape blinked, clearly not expecting that to be Shigure's first question.
Then he smiled. "All apes take the surname Son. My name is Son Goten."
"Son Goten… Not bad," Shigure nodded.
"But I prefer people to call me Monkey King."
"Then Monkey King it is."
The Monkey King glanced at the Third Hokage. "You're already familiar with our clan's abilities, so there's no need for me to explain. Summon me when you require my strength."
With a bang of smoke, he vanished.
Shigure couldn't hide his satisfaction — he had gained the Monkey King himself as a summon.
Hiruzen, meanwhile, hadn't expected Shigure to win over the Monkey Clan's strongest warrior so easily. Still… if Shigure used the Summoning Technique in the future, people would inevitably associate it with the Sarutobi Clan, further enhancing the Hokage's prestige.
After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already trained three legendary disciples — and now, three more rising prodigies. He might not have surpassed the First or Second Hokage in sheer strength, but as a teacher, his record was unmatched.
"Third Hokage, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."
"Wait, Shigure — one more thing."
"What's the matter?" Shigure asked curiously.
"The Chūnin Exams will begin soon. Many shinobi from other villages will be entering Konoha. As the host, we must remain hospitable, but we also need to ensure these foreign ninja understand and respect our rules."
Hiruzen studied him. He wasn't sure if the young man fully grasped the subtle meaning.
Shigure simply smiled. "Understood, Hokage-sama."
"You really understand?"
"I'll act as I'm ordered — this mission sounds interesting."
The Third was momentarily taken aback. A fitting analogy.
"But…"
"But I'll keep things in moderation — I know my limits."
Satisfied, Hiruzen nodded. "There are still four days until the Exams begin. Use the time to prepare."
Four days — perfect.
Over the next few days, Shigure took it easy. One day was spent with Ino, another with Hinata. He stopped by to visit Uncle Masano, though he wasn't home. He met with Hayate, then briefly caught up with Naruto and Sasuke.
Three days passed in a blink.
On the morning of the final day before the Exams, Konoha's streets were already filling with shinobi from other lands.
Unlike his usual early outings, Shigure stayed home, waiting for word from the Great Sage.
Time ticked by…
Finally, the voice of the Great Sage resonated in his mind.
[Great Sage]: Gluttony's initial restoration is complete. Current functionality: 10%. Skills may now be used.
[Gluttony – Restored Abilities]
Predation: Absorb and devour any object — living beings, plants, even ninjutsu. The stronger the target, the harder it is to consume.
Mimicry: Reproduce absorbed objects and their abilities, limited to targets whose structure or chakra has been fully analyzed.
In short, Shigure could now consume a technique — or even a living being — analyze it, and gain its powers. Unlike the Great Sage, Gluttony could directly swallow an incoming attack.
If he could devour a kekkei genkai, he could obtain it instantly — even unique bloodlines.
For example…
From his inventory, he withdrew a small sample of Hashirama Senju's cells.
"Let's see how Gluttony handles this."
Black, amorphous matter surged from Shigure's palm, wrapping around the cells and consuming them.
Even with such a tiny piece, Gluttony seemed to struggle. It took a full minute before it was gone.
"Tch… too slow."
[Great Sage]: Gluttony is currently at 10% power.
Fair enough — the restoration had only begun.
When the devouring finished, the Great Sage spoke again:
[Great Sage]: Analysis complete.
[Congratulations — you have obtained the bloodline of the Senju Clan.]
A rush of heat surged through his veins. His chakra reserves doubled instantly.
So this is the Senju physique… No wonder they were called oceans of chakra — and he had just doubled his own vast reserves again.
Even standing still, his chakra seemed to overflow. He briefly used Ice Release to cool his body down.
"Next…"
Shigure produced a single Sharingan in a sealed glass vial.
The black substance emerged again, devouring the eye — and the container — in less than a minute.
"I should be getting the Sharingan this time."
[Great Sage: Analysis Complete]
[Congratulations, Host—You have obtained the ocular power of the First Magatama Sharingan.]
…What does this mean? Rather than inheriting the Uchiha clan's bloodline, he directly acquired the Magatama Sharingan itself?
[Great Sage: The Host only devoured the eyes. He did not absorb the Uchiha clan's cells and therefore cannot acquire the clan's full bloodline.]
[Furthermore, the Glutton's current efficiency is only 10%. A significant portion of the power was lost during the devouring process and cannot be fully analyzed.]
...
TN:
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