Horitake fell silent as the system's voice rang out: "Ding! Task issued: Resolve the negative butterfly effect—Mitsuri Kanroji's crisis!
Mitsuri Kanroji will participate in this Final Selection. In the original story, she passed smoothly, but due to the negative butterfly effect, she faces a major crisis, possibly death. Join the Selection, protect Mitsuri, and help her pass.
Note: With a beauty by your side, saving the day—what more do you need?
Reward: Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Chidori, and its advanced form, Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Raikiri.
Penalty: Mitsuri Kanroji is gravely injured or dies, fate shifts drastically, butterfly effects collapse further, and the future becomes unpredictable."
Horitake mulled it over. Chidori and Raikiri—iconic Naruto lightning techniques. Chidori, a piercing strike with crackling electricity, was devastating. Raikiri, its evolved form, amplified that power through chakra control. Breathing techniques versus ninjutsu? Horitake leaned toward ninjutsu's edge, but adapted as Thunder Breathing forms, these moves would be formidable. Even without the rewards, saving Mitsuri was reason enough. He resolved to join the Final Selection.
Where was Jigoro? And Zenitsu? Probably dodging training, with Jigoro chasing him. Guessing Zenitsu's hideout, Horitake headed to the other side of Peach Mountain.
Sure enough, Zenitsu clung to a tree, sobbing and refusing to train. Jigoro stood below, fuming. "Get a grip, Zenitsu! Stop crying and running—come down and train!"
"No! I'll die from this training! I'll definitely die!" Zenitsu wailed.
"You won't die from this! Get down, you idiot!"
"Grandpa!"
"Call me Master!"
"I love you, Master. You and Aniki saved me when I was desperate. Maybe you just wanted a swordsman… I want to meet your and Aniki's expectations! But I can't! I've trained in secret, but I've got no results, no strength! What's wrong with me? What do I do?"
Horitake, watching, chuckled. Zenitsu's heart was in the right place, despite his cowardice. Then, the sky darkened. Here it comes.
Horitake stepped back, lowering his profile. He was about to witness a legendary moment.
Jigoro softened. "Calm down, Zenitsu. Trust me—you have talent."
Zenitsu, lost in his meltdown, missed the gathering clouds. Crack! A bolt of lightning struck the tree—right at Zenitsu. "Aaaah!" he screamed, tumbling down, smoking.
"Zenitsu!" Jigoro rushed to him.
Horitake eyed the sky. The clouds appeared from nowhere, struck, then vanished. Unscientific. Zenitsu's black hair was now golden. Even less scientific.
Horitake joined Jigoro to check on Zenitsu, who lay singed, eyes rolled back, barely conscious. "Old man, is he okay?"
"Seems fine. Strange—why'd lightning hit him out of nowhere?"
"Maybe he's so dense, heaven sent a spark to enlighten him," Horitake quipped.
Zenitsu stirred, crying again. Jigoro, adept at pep talks, rallied him with encouragement. As the sun set, Horitake grew impatient. "Enough, Zenitsu. Man up—stop crying! The old man's got enough on his plate without worrying about your mental state. Don't let him down."
Zenitsu, more scared of Horitake than Jigoro's scolding, nodded shakily. Horitake could be brutal.
Interrupting Jigoro's consoling, Horitake announced, "Old man, I'm joining this Final Selection."
Jigoro wasn't surprised, but Zenitsu freaked. "What?! Aniki, the one where you survive seven days in a demon-infested mountain?! Too dangerous—don't go!"
Horitake bopped his head. "Quiet! Don't judge me by your cowardice. You know my strength."
Jigoro faced Horitake, now taller than him, his pride and joy. His tone turned somber. "Think carefully, Horitake. You've only mastered Thunder Breathing's First Form."
Horitake rolled his eyes. "Because your Thunder Breathing doesn't suit me. I'm crafting my own. Sure, it's just the First Form, but it's got nine variations. My strongest, Three Hundred Sixty-Five Flashes, even you couldn't block. What's to worry?"
Jigoro stroked his mustache, recalling Horitake's return from Kisatsume Mountain. Challenging Jigoro, Horitake unleashed Thunderclap and Flash up to Three Hundred Sixty-Five Flashes, overwhelming him. Jigoro had been caught off-guard, humiliated. He later deemed the move unbeatable below Hashira level, unstoppable below the Twelve Kizuki.
"And Total Concentration Constant?" Jigoro asked.
"Mastered," Horitake replied.
"Alright. I approve your participation in the Final Selection."