[ Location: Civilian Hotel - Vivan's Room ]
[ Date: Day 3 of 5 - 8:00 AM ]
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie for the fifth time.
My hands were shaking slightly.
"Okay, Calm down. You've negotiated with a demon clown. You can surely handle a ninja doctor with anger management issues."
I glanced at the floor.
The bloodstain from the Root Anbu was gone, scoured away by a quick "Scourgify". The Anbu himself was currently chilling in my Inventory (Status: Unconscious/Stored Object).
'I kidnapped a government agent. That's definitely a felony, Probably treason.'
I checked my appearance. Clothes(cleaned via magic), hair styled, expression: Rich and Mildly Annoyed by Inconvenience.
'Perfect, The ultimate camouflage.'
'System. Occlumency Level 4. Lock it down.'
I visualized a steel vault slamming shut over my thoughts.
"Showtime."
[ Location: The Hokage's Office ]
[ Time: 9:00 AM ]
The office was large, sunny, and smelled of sake and paperwork.
Tsunade Senju, the Fifth Hokage, sat behind the desk. She wasn't looking at me, She was staring at the empty vial of Phoenix Tears I had given Shikamaru.
Shizune stood by the window, holding a pig. Shikamaru was leaning against the wall, looking like he wanted to be literally anywhere else.
"So," Tsunade said, her voice low. She looked up. Her eyes were sharp, intelligent, and terrifying. "You are the merchant."
"Vivan Frostwell," I bowed politely. "At your service, Lady Hokage. I apologize for the... unauthorized distribution of goods. I didn't realize your customs regulations were so strict."
"It's not about customs," Tsunade stood up. She slammed the vial onto the desk. Bang. "This liquid. We analyzed the residue. It stimulated cell division at a rate of 500% without telomere degradation and That is medically impossible."
She leaned over the desk.
"Where did you get it?"
'Lie like your life depends on it. Because it does.'
"It's a family recipe," I lied smoothly. "From the West. 'Phoenix Extract'. My grandfather spent fifty years refining it. Very rare. Very expensive."
"I want it," Tsunade said bluntly. "I want the formula."
"The formula is lost," I said. "Grandfather took it to his grave. But... I have three vials left in my personal stock."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "And I suppose you want to sell them? Name your price. The Leaf pays well."
"I don't need money," I said, glancing at the stacks of ryo on her desk. "I'm a businessman, Lady Hokage. I deal in assets."
"What do you want?"
"Protection," I said. "And efficiency. I travel dangerous roads. I need a way to be in two places at once, You know , to manage my ledger while watching my back."
I pointed to the scroll shelf behind her.
"I heard tales of a technique. A way to create a... physical copy , Not an illusion but A clone."
Tsunade blinked.
Then she laughed. It was a loud, boisterous sound.
"You want the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" she scoffed. "Kid, that's a B-Rank technique. It requires massive chakra reserves. A civilian like you would die from exhaustion before you formed a single seal."
"Let me worry about the exhaustion," I smiled. "Three vials of the ultimate healing medicine For one scroll."
Tsunade looked at the vials I pulled from my pocket (Inventory).
She looked at the scroll.
She was a gambler and this... this was a jackpot.
"Fine," she grabbed a blank scroll and quickly scribbled down the hand seals and chakra molding instructions. "If you pass out and die, don't blame us."
She threw the scroll at me.
I caught it.
"Pleasure doing business," I placed the vials on her desk.
'Sucker. I can make more. You can't.'
[ Location: Outside the Hokage Tower ]
[ Time: 9:30 AM ]
I walked out of the tower, clutching the scroll like it was the Holy Grail.
'I did it. I actually did it.'
I turned the corner—
CRASH.
A blur of orange slammed into me.
"Oof!" I stumbled back, barely keeping my footing.
"Watch it, dattebayo!" a loud voice yelled.
I looked down.
A kid with spiky blond hair, whiskers on his cheeks, and an orange jumpsuit was rubbing his head. He was covered in bandages.
Naruto Uzumaki.
"Sorry!" Naruto yelled, scrambling up. "I'm in a hurry! I gotta see Granny Tsunade! I gotta ask about Sasuke!"
I stared at him.
The protagonist.
The Child of Prophecy.
'System, Observe.'
[ Target: Naruto Uzumaki ]
[ Spirit: ERROR (Too High / Kurama Interference). ]
[ Threat Level: Nuclear Reactor disguised as a teenager. ]
"You're the loud one," I said, dusting off my suit. "Shikamaru mentioned you."
Naruto froze. "You know Shikamaru? Is he okay? Is the team okay?"
"They're alive," I said.
I looked at him. He looked hungry.
"Hey," I said. "Can you show me around the village, I will buy you a lunch."
Naruto's eyes lit up like high beams. "Lunch? You mean...?"
"Ramen," I confirmed. "All you can eat."
"YOU'RE THE BEST, Lunch guy!" Naruto cheered, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward Ichiraku's.
[ Location: Training Ground 44 (Perimeter) ]
[ Time: 2:00 PM ]
After watching Naruto inhale eight bowls of miso ramen (I paid; Teuchi cried tears of joy), I slipped away to a secluded training ground.
I unrolled the scroll Tsunade gave me.
'Shadow Clone Jutsu, Multi-Cloning and Even distribution of Chakra.'
'Theory: Split Spirit and Body energy evenly, to Create a duplicate vessel.'
I closed my eyes.
'My Spirit is 120. My Body is 40. I have plenty of fuel.'
I formed the Tiger Seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF.
Smoke exploded next to me.
When it cleared, another Vivan stood there. He was wearing the same suit and He looked exactly like me.
The clone looked at his hands.
Then he looked at me.
"Damn," the clone said. "We look good."
"Focus," I said. "How do you feel?"
"Solid," the clone said, tapping his chest. "I have... about half your mana."
"Perfect," I grinned. "Okay. Start practicing Telekinesis. Pick up that rock. Keep doing it until you pop."
"You want me to grind for you?" the clone raised an eyebrow. "That's slavery."
"It's self-improvement," I corrected.
The clone sighed. "Fine."
He focused on a rock. It floated.
Ten minutes later, the clone gasped. "Out of mana."
POOF.
He vanished.
And then... it hit me.
The memory.
I remembered lifting the rock, feeling of the weight and the strain.
But I hadn't moved a muscle.
I staggered back, leaning against a tree.
A laugh bubbled up in my throat.
"It works," I whispered. "It actually works."
If I made one clone, I learned twice as fast. If I made ten...
"I can learn years of skills in one year," I realized. "I just broke the system."
[ Location: Hotel Room ]
[ Time: 10:00 PM ]
I returned to my room, exhausted but exhilarated.
[ System Alert: Skill Learned: Shadow Clone Jutsu (Level 1). ]
[ Time Remaining: 48 Hours. ]
I walked to the window.
On the roof across the street, a crow was watching. Root.
On the street corner below, a pug was sniffing. Kakashi.
"The heat is turning up," I muttered, closing the blinds.
They knew I was an merchant who sold phoenix tears vial. Danzo wanted me. Tsunade was curious.
I had 48 hours left.
"Two days," I said to my reflection. "Just keep your head down, grind the clones, and don't get kidnapped by a one-eyed uchiha lover."
I lay down on the tatami mat.
'Next stop: Hawkins. Pennywise And Vecna isn't going to know what hit him.'
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