Some might be experience, some might be bloodline, and others might be stacked talents!
"I only received two 'Legacy Scrolls' myself.
I had just reached jonin-level strength when I got careless and triggered an explosive tag trap. That's how I died."
"I see..."
Kiyohara realized internally that the "Legacy Scroll" must be some kind of temporal anchor point.
If he died, would he too be packaged up as a legacy and sent to another version of himself across different possibilities?
He now understood why the rogue ninja Kiyohara had been so eager to explain everything from the start.
Even when a future self cooperates with a present self, there still needs to be a mutual benefit arrangement.
His future self simply wanted him to fulfill his dying wishes!
At this thought, Kiyohara's heart began racing with excitement.
If one future self could stack his talents and double them, what about two people, three people, or even more?
In theory, through continuous stacking, he could eventually punch out an Otsutsuki with three hits and proudly declare himself a true shinobi of this world.
After all, the "Eight Gates" technique, even after opening the Gate of Death, only claimed to grant power tens of times greater than a Kage.
"So what's your dying wish?"
"Well… two wishes. The first? Just do whatever you want at this moment."
Contrary to Kiyohara's expectations, the rogue ninja's request was quite straightforward.
"What I want to do?"
Kiyohara paused.
Of course he wanted to get stronger, to gain Superman-like power so he could survive.
And once he had Superman's power, he could even surpass Superman.
"First, obviously get stronger. Second, right now I want to head to Ichiraku Ramen and grab something to eat."
Kiyohara figured that sometimes going down to the docks for some fries was a pleasure in itself.
"Ichiraku Ramen, huh? Come to think of it, I haven't had that in ages."
The rogue ninja's words carried a note of melancholy.
He actually wanted to see what his younger self was thinking deep down.
After growing up, he'd lived a life like a novel protagonist.
Except his script was written by John Steinbeck. [American novelist known for tragic, harsh realist fiction]
Rogue ninja had no legitimate way to accept missions.
Because bounties were for life.
Unless he was willing to live forever as an ordinary person, getting stronger meant he had to engage with the shinobi world.
When the pursuit squad seriously wounded him, leaving him barely able to use chakra, he'd almost resorted to selling his blood.
"You're a jonin and you can't even afford ramen?"
Kiyohara was confused.
"The taste isn't the same, get it? After I became a rogue ninja, I couldn't even get through Konoha's gates."
The rogue ninja shook his head.
Konoha was full of dangers lurking in every shadow. A civilian jonin like him couldn't just walk in and out freely.
"I see..."
Kiyohara nodded.
A bowl of Ichiraku Ramen only cost a few dozen ryō anyway. It wouldn't break the bank.
"What about your second wish?"
Looking at the rogue ninja's spiritual form, Kiyohara felt it seemed much dimmer than when it first appeared. He wondered how long it could actually last.
"Become a chunin. The legitimate kind."
The rogue ninja said.
He glanced at Kiyohara and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Originally I wanted to say become a jonin, but clearly I can't hold on that long. Right now I'm not really in a soul state either. It's more like I've left behind a message that'll dissipate when the time comes."
The rogue ninja explained.
Otherwise, he'd still be hoping to find a vessel and see if he could stay alive somehow.
Not becoming a jonin and eventually defecting had always been a thorn in his heart.
His current self only had jonin-level strength, but not the official jonin rank.
"Alright."
Sensing the urgency of time, Kiyohara hurried over to Ichiraku Ramen.
"Teuchi, I'll take your most deluxe ramen with all the toppings!"
"Hey, Kiyohara! Back this early today?"
Teuchi looked at Kiyohara, smiling as he busily prepared the ramen.
He'd practically watched Kiyohara grow up.
The kid lost his parents young, but he was pretty resilient and had been able to take care of himself from a young age.
"Couldn't help craving your cooking, Teuchi!"
Kiyohara smiled. When the ramen arrived, he said "itadakimasu" and dug in heartily.
Meanwhile, the rogue ninja's spirit floated out from the urn, hovering in the air, quietly watching Kiyohara eat his ramen while taking in the surrounding scenery.
In his current state, only Kiyohara could see him, so it didn't cause any unnecessary trouble.
Soon, Kiyohara finished the ramen and downed the broth in one go.
The most important part of eating noodles is drinking the soup!
That's where the essence is.
After completing the first wish, Kiyohara saw a glowing orb float from the rogue ninja's body and merge into his own.
Immediately, Kiyohara felt a part of the rogue ninja Kiyohara being absorbed by him.
That must be... talent.
Kiyohara felt that somehow, his understanding of Wind Release and Lightning Release had deepened.
Many things he didn't understand before suddenly became crystal clear.
It was like a high school student going back to do elementary school problems. Practically foolproof.
Along with that came a jutsu.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough"!
Kiyohara hadn't known this Wind Release technique before, but now he felt knowledge about "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" flooding into his brain, making his head feel swollen.
"Teuchi, here's the money."
Kiyohara left the money on the table and hurried back to his run-down little place on the south side of town.
He began forming the Tiger → Ox → Dog → Rabbit → Snake hand seals, guiding his chakra through his body's chakra pathway system.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The next moment, his breath carried Wind Release chakra, instantly transforming into a violent gale that blew a small stone stool in the courtyard, sending it crashing against the courtyard wall with a bang, nearly creating a crater.
"This power..."
Feeling the chakra suddenly depleted from his body, Kiyohara was quite satisfied.
A jutsu's destructive power increases with the amount of chakra used and one's understanding of the technique.
Skilled ninja using "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" could blow down an entire forest.
"The consumption is just a bit high though."
Kiyohara exhaled. One hurdle civilian ninja couldn't avoid was having too little chakra.
However, as the glowing orb from the rogue ninja merged into his body, Kiyohara felt his physical energy and spiritual energy had both increased somewhat, resulting in a rise in his chakra as well.
"Looks like you got some of my talent plus one jutsu."
The rogue ninja said.
This timeline's version of him had better luck. The two Legacy Scrolls he himself had received only contained two E-rank jutsu and nothing else.
"What are your chakra natures?"
Kiyohara asked.
The future held infinite possibilities. Kiyohara wasn't sure if another version of himself would have the same chakra nature.
"Wind and Lightning."
The rogue ninja replied.
"Mine are Wind and Lightning too."
Kiyohara nodded. It seemed the rogue ninja's future didn't differ too much from the present.
He could ask more about future intelligence.
Basic things like chakra should stay constant, right? Maybe there were new jutsu to learn about.
"But if I want to become a chunin, I have to complete the Kannabi Bridge mission..."
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
That was going to be a bit difficult.
"Don't worry. I'll step in when it counts."
The rogue ninja said.
He explained that he could possess Kiyohara for a limited time and help fight in his place, though doing so would accelerate his dissipation.
"You can do that?"