Scarlet.
A blinding, overwhelming red.
It wasn't the red in Crane's eyes, it was the blood-colored warning on the system panel in front of him, pulsing so intensely it felt like it would burn through his retinas.
[WARNING: Host's current physical constitution cannot withstand this ability. Forced copying will result in physical collapse and instant death!]
[Proceed with copying? Please confirm.]
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Just seeing those five words sent shockwaves through Crane's brain.
This was the ultimate eye technique. A legendary kekkei genkai that stood above all visual jutsu, a forbidden power capable of rewriting fate itself and turning the tide of war.
But the greedy fire that flared inside him lasted less than a second.
He extinguished it with cold, merciless logic.
His heart was pounding in his chest. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
Death.
That word… was ten thousand times colder than the temptation of power.
You need to be alive to deal damage. Once you're dead, there's nothing left.
Crane forced his gaze away from Kakashi, the powerful, despair-inducing figure who stood ahead.
And locked it instead onto the blood-scented figure wrapped in mist, holding a massive blade.
Zabuza Momochi.
A target like him, now that was cost-effective.
The fight broke out in an instant.
And Crane didn't even need to act anymore.
That murderous aura, dense and suffocating, was like hundreds of icy needles stabbing into his skin. He couldn't stop shaking even if he wanted to.
He scrambled behind Tazuna, curled into a ball, trying to vanish into the earth itself.
He looked so terrified, so convincingly broken, that even Crane himself was surprised by his own performance.
[Presence Level continues to drop. Chakra recovery rate +10%]
The system notification was like cool water over his chaotic mind, helping him focus again.
The battle was playing out exactly as he remembered.
Kakashi, too confident, was finally caught in Zabuza's seemingly simple but deadly technique:
Water Prison Jutsu.
A massive sphere of water enveloped him. Zabuza pressed one hand against it, maintaining the prison with precision.
"Run! Protect Tazuna! That's an order!"
Kakashi's voice was urgent and sharp, muffled slightly by the swirling water.
Desperation.
For the first time, Naruto and Sasuke's expressions were genuinely panicked and helpless.
Their sensei, the all-powerful Jonin, was trapped like a rat.
And Crane, tucked safely in everyone's blind spot, lifted his head.
Those seemingly terrified eyes held a deep, focused gleam. In his pupils, a single jet-black tomoe spun slowly in a pool of red.
Sharingan, activated.
He peered through the refracted light of the water sphere, watching the chakra flow within the jutsu.
It was a complex structure, both solid and delicate.
He analyzed it furiously, dissecting its movement, seeking the single thread that might unravel it all.
"Damn it! I won't run away!"
Naruto's hot-blooded declaration echoed through the forest.
Like a wild cub, he charged straight at Zabuza.
The outcome was obvious.
Thud!
Zabuza didn't even turn. A casual back-kick sent Naruto flying like a ragdoll.
Straight toward,
Crane.
Perfect.
Crane's pupils contracted. He seized the moment.
Just before impact, he let out a perfectly timed yelp and "got knocked over" by Naruto, tumbling forward in a natural arc,
And rolled, right toward Zabuza.
He landed clumsily near Zabuza's outstretched arm, the one maintaining the Water Prison.
Body limp, unmoving. Like someone who'd completely passed out from terror.
But hidden beneath his shadow, one hand, camouflaged by his body, moved with the precision of a viper.
Silent. Precise. Deadly.
A single fingertip brushed Zabuza's ankle.
A fraction of a second, then withdrawn.
Ding!
Target "Zabuza Momochi" successfully touched. Generating ability list…
Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu (Degraded)
Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu (Degraded)
Silent Killing Technique (Combat Instinct Pack)
Crane's heart nearly leapt into his throat.
He didn't hesitate.
Copy all.
A surge of information exploded in his mind, so vast it felt like his skull might crack open.
The instincts of a lifelong assassin. Techniques for molding chakra into water-based clones. The art of manipulating mist as a battlefield.
His temples throbbed violently. It was like an electric drill boring into his brain.
He bit down on his tongue until it bled, staying conscious, pretending to be a crumpled corpse.
But then-
A chill gaze, sharp enough to pierce the soul, landed on him from above.
Zabuza… looked down.
Those eyes, hidden beneath bandages, locked onto Crane like a shark scenting blood.
A faint, cruel smile tugged at his lips.
"Hm? Another piece of trash…"
"But I could've sworn, you touched me just now?"
Inside the Water Prison, Kakashi's Sharingan sharpened instantly.
His pupil contracted into a pinpoint.
He had heard it.
Something wasn't right.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter