Inside the barbecue restaurant, Asuka and Mei Terumī sat across from each other, plates of freshly prepared meat laid out before them.
Looking at the food, Mei Terumī sighed softly. "Come to think of it, how long has it been since we had a proper meal together?"
Her words seemed to pull Asuka's thoughts back to when he had first arrived in the Shinobi World.
At that time, he had only just begun using Wolverine's abilities to adapt to Shikotsumyaku. His strength was still weak, and he kept a low profile at the Ninja Academy. In contrast, Mei Terumī was already a rising star.
They first met one evening after school. Asuka had been training alone at the practice grounds, as usual, when Mei Terumī appeared for reasons unknown. After watching him for a while, she suddenly challenged him to a duel.
Asuka had also wanted to gauge the gap between himself and his peers, so he readily accepted.
The result was predictable—he suffered a crushing defeat.
But that battle seemed to spark Mei Terumī's interest. From then on, she frequently sought him out to spar. Through those matches, Asuka steadily adapted to Wolverine's regenerative abilities and the power of Shikotsumyaku. Before long, their fights ended in draws. Later, Mei Terumī was no longer his match.
Strangely enough, her enthusiasm didn't diminish—instead, she began visiting him even more often, to the point where they were nearly inseparable. That, in turn, caused Asuka no small amount of trouble.
…
Returning to the present, Asuka smiled faintly and placed a piece of grilled meat into Mei Terumī's bowl.
"It has been a long time. I don't think we've eaten together since graduating from the Academy."
"Isn't that because you're always avoiding me, Asuka-kun?" Mei Terumī looked at him with mock resentment. "Every time I come looking for you, you find some excuse to turn me down."
"Haha… I've just been busy with missions."
"Hmph." She snorted lightly but let the matter drop.
…
After several rounds of drinks, Asuka spoke first.
"You probably didn't come to see me purely on your own initiative this time, did you?"
"Oh? Why would you say that, Asuka-kun?"
"I know you, Mei. If you truly wanted to see me, you wouldn't have chosen a place this crowded—where so many people could see us."
(P.S. Mei Terumī's given name is Mei. Terumī is her surname.)
As the conversation deepened, the atmosphere at the table gradually grew less relaxed.
"You're right," Mei Terumī admitted calmly. "Seeing you this time was also my clan elders' wish. They hope I can win you over."
"To think I'd attract the attention of the clan behind you… Should I feel honored?"
"Don't belittle yourself, Asuka-kun. 'Undying Asuka' is quite famous these days. The elders see your potential and want to invest in you early."
"Oh? What exactly happened to make your clan eager to recruit me through you?"
"I'm sure you've noticed the Third Mizukage's recent movements. The Shinobi World is becoming increasingly unstable, and it seems he intends to take advantage of that. I've heard he's planning something called the Bloody Mist Policy."
Asuka nodded inwardly.
So the clans have also sensed the Mizukage's intentions and are making preparations ahead of time. I wonder… is the Third Mizukage already under Uchiha Madara's control at this point?
"So," Asuka said evenly, "what advice do you—or rather, your clan—have for me?"
Mei Terumī set down her cup and met his gaze directly.
"They value your talent. They believe your future achievements won't fall short of a Mizukage's."
"Oh? That's quite the vote of confidence."
"Of course. The name 'Undying Asuka' wasn't earned for nothing. Rising from Genin to Jōnin in just a few years, maintaining a one-hundred-percent mission completion rate—someone like that is worth a gamble from the higher-ups, don't you think?" She looked at the sixteen-year-old before her with open admiration.
Asuka's expression remained calm.
"And what exactly can you offer?"
"Ninjutsu, resources, reputation, connections. We can provide support in all of those areas."
"Sounds like I'd be getting quite a bargain. Would your clan really be so generous?"
"An investment always requires some initial capital, doesn't it?"
"Let me think about it." Kaguya Asuka showed no urgency in giving an answer.
For the rest of the evening, both tacitly avoided the topic. The atmosphere gradually lightened once more.
…
After returning home, Asuka took a quick shower before heading to his training room to begin his daily cultivation.
As his chakra steadily condensed, his consciousness sank into the mutant gene bank, examining the gene sequences that remained locked.
After arriving in the Shinobi World, most of the genes within the bank had fallen dormant due to insufficient energy. Unlocking them required an enormous amount of chakra.
Worse still, Asuka had no idea what abilities each sequence contained. Every time he poured chakra into one to awaken it, it felt like drawing from a gacha—completely random, with no guarantees.
As he injected chakra into the selected gene sequence, it finally awakened. The ability revealed itself and merged into his understanding.
A moment later, Asuka opened his eyes with a helpless sigh.
Another useless ability?
With a single thought, numerous pale bone spurs suddenly sprouted from his body.
That was right—the newly unlocked ability belonged to the so-called "Hedgehog Man" from the X-Men, an Omega-level Mutant notorious for his overconfidence and infamous catchphrase.
After merging with Asuka's own abilities, the mutation allowed him to grow sharp bone spikes across his body and launch them outward.
"Sigh… this is hard to accept. Aside from the Wolverine gene I awakened by accident when I first transmigrated, I haven't gained anything truly powerful. Am I really just cursed with bad luck?"
"I wonder when I'll have enough chakra to awaken another sequence…"
Awakening a gene sequence required far more than a small injection of chakra. Each one consumed an enormous amount, and unlocking it took significant time. That was why, despite having been in this world for years, Asuka had only awakened a handful of abilities.
High-quality chakra is essential if I want to unlock more genes, he concluded.
After adjusting to the new mutation, Asuka stood and began incorporating it into his combat training.
"Water Release: Water Clone Technique."
He formed hand seals, creating two water clones and ordering them to attack simultaneously. Drawing a bone blade from his arm, he charged forward. In an instant, all three were locked in combat.
To properly test the new ability, Asuka assigned each clone a role: one focused on taijutsu, the other on ninjutsu. Their coordinated attacks forced him to adapt tactically.
Bone blade and kunai clashed with sharp metallic rings. The taijutsu clone engaged first, sparks flying as bone met steel. Their speed far exceeded that of ordinary shinobi, and dozens of strikes were exchanged within seconds.
As Asuka forced the taijutsu clone back with a punch, the ninjutsu clone—having prepared its technique—completed its hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A roaring water dragon surged toward him.
Asuka leapt aside. At the same time, the taijutsu clone lunged from the flank, creating a pincer attack.
Unfazed, Asuka activated his new mutation. Sharp bone spurs erupted across his body and shot outward, wrapped in chakra.
The taijutsu clone tried to parry with its kunai, but it had underestimated the spikes' force. The blade shattered after blocking several. The remaining spurs pierced straight through the clone's chest, dispelling it in a burst of water.
Using the brief opening, Asuka circled behind the ninjutsu clone. He pulled his own spine free and, with Clematis Dance, struck down the clone before it could react.
When the battle ended, Asuka stood still, carefully replaying the fight in his mind.
"Although this ability doesn't significantly increase my overall strength, it expands my tactical options. These bone spurs deploy faster and more aggressively than Shikotsumyaku techniques. They'll make a solid surprise attack."
After making minor adjustments to his combat style, Asuka ended his training for the day and returned to his bedroom, gradually drifting off to sleep.