Yamanaka Shinno couldn't help but smirk as he imagined the scene—resetting an enemy's trait and leaving them completely dumbfounded. The mere thought of it was amusing.
However, the ability to reset traits carried a bit of a gambler's risk.
If he reset an enemy's red trait and it became purple, blue, green, white, gray, or black, that would be one thing.
But what if he reset a purple trait, and it suddenly turned red instead?
Now that would be a real disaster!
He couldn't exactly expect an enemy who was prepared to fight to the death to suddenly drop to their knees in gratitude just because they got stronger, right?
"This thing…"
Shinno scratched his cheek, hesitating for a moment before ultimately deciding to exclude this ability from his combat strategies.
He wasn't like Tsunade—he wasn't a gambler.
A technique that could make or break a battle with one stroke of luck was better left unused.
For now, he could use it to reset weak white traits, see if he could turn trash into treasure.
Or he could save it as a last resort, in case someone close to him was ever afflicted by a black trait. Then it might come in handy.
Setting aside the trait reset for now, Shinno turned his attention to another new addition—'Concept Trait Draw.'
He'd come across quite a few strange traits before.
Like the one he gave to Danzo—[Open-Minded].
Or [Fragile but Tenacious], which was gathering dust in his inventory.
Then there were the ones he recently acquired—[Nothing to His Name] and [Expired Milk].
Were those considered concept traits?
If so, this reward might not be as valuable as he hoped.
"System, extract a concept trait!"
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the white trait: 'Universal Bad Luck.']
Universal Bad Luck(White): When activated, within the host's sensory range, if a one-on-one duel is initiated and accepted, all fate-related traits on both sides will disappear. Luck will drop to its lowest possible level. The probability of mistakes, last-minute power surges, lucky events, passive abilities, and outside intervention will drastically decrease, while the chances of injury and minor accidents will rise, and the probability of death will slightly increase.
"…Are you kidding me? A true test of manliness in a 1v1?"
Shinno stared at the glaringly white trait, momentarily at a loss for words.
Lowering both his and his opponent's luck to rock bottom.
It weakened his enemy, sure, but it also dragged him down to the same miserable state.
Against an opponent like Jiraiya, who had a fate-related trait like [Destined Mentor]—one that ensured he wouldn't die before fulfilling his destiny—this could actually be useful.
But against a normal enemy? It seemed completely pointless.
Worse yet, the impact of bad luck could introduce too many unpredictable variables into a fight.
"Hm… It can be toggled on and off at will, and it affects everyone within my sensory range?"
Shinno rubbed his chin, considering whether to reset this trait and try his luck again.
This was the first time he'd encountered a trait that functioned like an active skill.
The activation condition was strict, but if used well, it could become a hidden ace up his sleeve.
And besides…
If he reset this trait, wouldn't the next one in the same category have a better effect?
Even just a green trait that inflicted bad luck on the enemy while leaving his own luck untouched would be immensely valuable in battle!
Everyone knew Lancers were cursed with bad luck… just thinking about their tragic fates made Shinno feel like there was potential here.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
"System, reset the white trait 'Universal Bad Luck'!"
[Reset complete. Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the black trait: 'Ominous Duel.']
Ominous Duel (Black): When activated, within the host's sensory range, if a one-on-one duel is initiated, the opponent is forced to accept. All fate-related traits on both sides will disappear, and both combatants will enter a state of extreme misfortune. The likelihood of mistakes, illnesses, misfortunes, and accidents will drastically increase, while the chances of injury and death will significantly rise.
"…Holy—"
Shinno fell silent for a long moment, carefully reading through the details of 'Extreme Misfortune' and 'Curse of Misfortune' before finally giving his verdict.
In simple terms, these two states encompassed every kind of bad luck he could possibly think of—and then some.
If [Ominous Duel] activated, then suddenly, even drinking water could chip a tooth, lifting a foot might result in a cramp, stomachaches could strike before the fight even started, and pants could rip at the worst possible moment!
This wasn't a duel—it was a contest to see who would succumb to misfortune first!
"Forcing the opponent to accept… System, isn't this a bit too ruthless?"
Shinno's expression remained blank, like an old man watching nonsense on his phone.
But inside, his thoughts were already racing.
If he ever faced an enemy he couldn't beat, should he let Jiraiya go in first for an 'Ominous Duel'?
He wasn't particularly durable, but Jiraiya had been through countless battles—he could probably handle it.
And if things went south, Shinno could simply deactivate the trait and step in to save him.
Then he could send Minato in next!
Or even Choza Akimichi—at the very least, that guy was tanky enough to survive.
With enough rounds of this, even an Otsutsuki might have to kneel!
"…This could work."
Shinno scratched his cheek, deciding to conserve his remaining resets for now.
[Ominous Duel] might be a bit hard on his friends.
A few uses, and they might all cut ties with him.
But if he ever faced an enemy that was truly unbeatable, this could be his ultimate trump card.
Friends or victory?
In the end, his duty to protect the peace of the ninja world won out.
Resolving himself to sacrifice his friends for the greater good, Shinno activated the trait without hesitation.
Looking at his system interface, where his sole black trait stood out among the others, he nodded in satisfaction.
Black or not, as long as it didn't backfire on him, it was fine!
"Seems like I need to make more friends after all… Otherwise, I might run out when I really need them."
Shinno muttered to himself, already making plans to reconnect with his fellow ninja once he returned.
Of course, it didn't have to be just his generation.
He had his eyes on a certain Uchiha kid.
Now that Madara was dead, shouldn't Obito be a little more grateful to him?
Oh, and those old geezers in the village who always preached about the 'Will of Fire'—when push came to shove, they wouldn't just sit back and watch, right?
Those guys had a ridiculous knack for staying alive, so they should be able to handle it!
Old guards, young prospects, and childhood friends.
Perfect!
Shinno nodded in satisfaction before turning his attention to his remaining three trait extractions.
The Concept Trait Draw had turned out better than expected.
Now, he wondered if his regular trait draws could bring him any more surprises.
"System, draw all three at once!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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