Three months' worth of Chakra Refinement—compressed into a single upgrade.
To Shūyū Hikaru, it felt just like grinding XP. Stack up enough… and ding! Level up.
Of course, that wasn't the point.
What did matter was that through fusing raw materials into [Chakra Fruits], he could keep pushing forward, devouring them to raise his chakra levels again and again.
Sure, now that he'd broken into the Chūnin tier, each fruit was less effective.
But they still worked.
This wasn't some potion with diminishing returns or resistance buildup. As long as he kept eating, he'd keep growing.
That consistency was what made the system so terrifying.
…
Still, his night wasn't over.
He opened his inventory panel again, eyes narrowing at the materials list.
Time to get serious.
This time, he summoned the fusion screen and dragged over a specific item: [Kagura's Mind's Eye (Blue)].
It was time.
Power was everything—but when it came to survival, awareness mattered just as much.
Especially since he'd been hanging around Uzumaki Kushina so much.
That meant the ANBU were always somewhere nearby.
And let's face it—
When you walked by the river every day, you were going to get your feet wet eventually.
If the Hokage, that old schemer Sarutobi Hiruzen, ever decided to spy on him directly… if even a single moment of Chakra Fruit consumption was caught on surveillance…
It would blow the whole damn lid off.
The system was his deepest secret.
If that ever got exposed?
He was finished.
Which meant he needed an early warning system.
And in all of the Shinobi world, there was no better sensory technique than Kagura's Mind's Eye.
Not even close.
It was a top-tier sensory jutsu—even capable of detecting Kage-level chakra signatures within a vast radius.
So Hikaru dragged two [Kagura's Mind's Eye (Blue)] materials into the synthesis slots.
"Start fusion," he murmured.
The grid trembled.
DING! Fusion failed.
"...Tch."
He scowled.
Two whole materials—gone. No residue. No second chances.
That stung.
This was why he hadn't dumped in all nine [Kagura's Mind's Eye] fragments he'd gathered over the month. If that 10% failure chance activated, he'd lose everything.
Why not just wait for one more and fuse all ten?
Because he was human.
And humans? They gambled.
All in for glory, all out if you lose.
That was the game.
So he gambled.
And lost.
Still—he had enough for four attempts.
No way all four would fail… right?
DING! Fusion failed.
DING! Fusion failed.
His face darkened.
"This… This has to be a curse, right?"
Three fails in a row?
It had to be something.
And then it hit him.
"...Crap—I forgot to wash my hands again!"
Hikaru leapt up and sprinted to the sink. Scrubbing like his life depended on it, he muttered every divine name he could think of.
Buddha, Jade Emperor, Nuwa, Sanqing, Fuxi, Shennong, Emperor Xuanyuan, Lord of Mount Tai, Guan Yin…
If they had power? He was begging them now.
Hands cleansed and prayers whispered, he returned to the fusion screen, breath steady.
He dragged in his last two [Kagura's Mind's Eye (Blue)] materials.
"Let's roll."
The grid began to shake again.
DING! Congratulations, Host! Fusion successful—obtained: Kagura's Mind's Eye (Purple).
"...YES!!"
Relief slammed into him like a wave.
Not only had it worked—but by sheer dumb luck, it had even upgraded to a higher rarity. A near-impossible bonus effect had triggered.
Hikaru's fists clenched in triumph.
"So it's true… you really do need clean hands to fuse properly."
He made a silent vow:
From now on, never fuse with dirty fingers again.
…
He turned his eyes toward the item description, eager to see what this miracle had produced.
—Item: Kagura's Mind's Eye (Purple)Effect: With eyes closed, unlock your inner perception. Sense chakra activity within a radius of several dozen kilometers. Even Kage-level opponents cannot escape your notice. If the target's chakra signature is familiar, detect precise location, movements, jutsu nature, and combat characteristics in real-time.—
Hikaru's jaw slackened slightly.
"This… is amazing."
With this?
He didn't have to worry about ANBU tailing him anymore.
If they even breathed near him—he'd know.
Even if the Hokage himself tried creeping up behind him in his jammies, this thing would ping before he got within five blocks.
A real, high-grade sensory tool… in his pocket.
Things were finally lining up.
—Author's Note:Fusion tip: Always wash your hands first! That's canon now. RNG gods like clean palms! 😆 Thanks for reading—please support the novel with flowers and VIP points if you're enjoying it!