Kaito was floored when he first saw Arceus and the eighteen plates that came with it.
Even more shocking was the realization that this rainbow-hued space was actually inside his own body.
I have an Arceus inside me. It's probably just a fragment or a clone, but it should still be enough to let me reach the pinnacle of my life and become the strongest in the world, right?
However, this world was no simple place. It was the world of an anime he had once loved—Naruto.
The ninja here could fly through the sky and move through the earth, seemingly capable of anything, which raised the world's danger level by several notches.
From what Kaito had gathered over the past two months, the current time was a little over a decade after the end of the First Great Ninja War. He still had to live through the Second, Third, and Fourth Great Ninja Wars. Forget about marrying a beautiful, wealthy woman and living his best life; the most pressing matter was gaining enough power to simply survive.
The one small comfort was that the village was located within the Land of Waterfalls, bordering the neutral Land of Iron. It was a remote location, so major wars were unlikely to reach it. But there was no guarantee that some lunatic wouldn't show up and do something inhuman. Kaito's desire to become stronger was urgent, and his only hope at the moment was the Arceus inside him.
I guess this makes me an Arceus Jinchuriki, huh?
Over the past month of observation, Kaito discovered that Arceus would periodically emit a golden, unknown energy. This energy passed through the rainbow space and vanished from his sight, only to flow through his own body, constantly reshaping his physical constitution. His strength, speed, and stamina were all continuously improving, even without any training, as if he were on his way to becoming a superhuman like the kid from Pallet Town.
The infusion of energy seemed to have planted a seed within him, allowing his body to produce more of it on its own, even without Arceus's direct intervention.
Beyond that, Kaito found that by touching the plates, he could comprehend and learn Pokémon moves from all eighteen types. Using these moves consumed not only his physical stamina but also that golden energy.
As far as Kaito could remember, there were nearly a thousand Pokémon moves. He didn't need to learn all of them; even mastering half would probably be enough for him to walk all over the world of Naruto.
However, he wasn't always successful in learning a new move. This was especially true for the Ghost, Psychic, Flying, and Dragon types that he coveted most; he hadn't succeeded even once, wasting a great deal of his time. The Normal type, on the other hand, had the highest success rate, which Kaito guessed had something to do with his own elemental affinity. It was similar to how ninja were divided into seven chakra natures: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang. Learning jutsu that matched their natural affinity was often far more effective.
So far, he had managed to master seven moves: Sand Attack, Tail Whip, Harden, Dig, Tackle, Ember, and Growl.
"..."
Looking at this list of moves, Kaito fell into deep thought. "Logically, the next one should be a Water-type move like Water Gun... no, Hydro Pump would be even better."
With that, he walked over to the Splash Plate, which represented the Water type. He slowly reached out and placed his hands on the surface of the deep blue plate.
The next second, a brilliant blue light erupted, bathing Kaito completely in its glow. In that instant, he felt as if he were adrift in a boundless ocean. A sudden feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him, and he began to flail his limbs in a panic.
After what felt like an eternity, Kaito suddenly collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
"Hah... I thought I was going to die. That was even more terrifying than the time I was buried in the dirt," he gasped. He lifted his head, gave the Splash Plate a lingering, fearful look, and exited the rainbow space.
Every attempt to learn a move left him mentally exhausted. He had to rest for a day or two before he could try again, or it would be a complete waste of effort.
Kaito closed his eyes, his mind replaying the new move he had just learned. The effort hadn't been in vain...
In vain my ass!
What the hell was he supposed to do with Water Sport?!
"Ugh, whatever. It's a stepping stone. Maybe I'll get Dive next time," he muttered to himself.
Then again, Dive probably wasn't that useful either...
Lost in self-doubt, Kaito wrapped himself tightly in his only small blanket and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Kaito was up before the sun.
He slung a large wood-cutting axe over his back and jogged to the small creek just outside the village. After washing his face with the ice-cold water, he felt instantly refreshed, all traces of sleepiness gone.
Looking at the handsome face reflected in the water's surface, Kaito shook his head. "I wonder which lucky lady will end up with a handsome guy like this in the future."
With that, he drew the large axe, walked over to a thick tree, and began his great undertaking of chopping it down. It was a way to both train his body and stock up on firewood for the winter—two birds with one stone.
An hour or so later, the large tree had been reduced to a pile of small logs. Kaito hoisted a stack of firewood taller than himself onto his back and returned to the village, piling it inside his house.
By now, many of the villagers were up and at their morning chores, and the village was bathed in the light of the rising sun. He stopped by Granny Hana's food stall at the village entrance and bought two bowls of steaming hot meat broth, downing them in one go before hurrying to an empty lot behind the village.
A dozen or so men, armed with long spears and bows, were already gathered there. Some were young and fresh-faced, while others were fully bearded. They were the village hunters, responsible for supplying most of the meat. Beyond that, they also served as the village's guards.
Kaito, holding his cleaver by the handle, strolled over. The sharp-eared and sharp-eyed hunters spotted him quickly and broke into smiles.
"Heard from Genji you brought back two white wolves with perfect pelts last night?"
"You're making some fast progress, kid. No wonder you dare to go out hunting alone."
"Hahaha, looks like the title of the village's strongest hunter is about to change hands."
Dodging the friendly but rough pats from the men, Kaito shook his head and waved his hands humbly. "No, no, I was just lucky."
"Luck has nothing to do with something like that."
A cool voice sounded from behind him. Kaito turned and saw a man who immediately commanded his respect. "Captain Okihira, good morning."
This was Captain Okihira, the leader of the guard patrol. He was a lean man with a stern face and eyes that held a world-weary look, the kind of man who clearly had a story to tell. He was also a master swordsman, recognized as the most skilled fighter in the village. Nearly all the hunters, including Kaito, had received his instruction at some point, and he was deeply respected by everyone.
The atmosphere immediately shifted, like a classroom when the teacher walks in. The hunters, who had been laughing and joking just a moment ago, now stood ramrod straight, like elementary school students at morning assembly.
Captain Okihira's eyes swept over them. "Now that everyone's here," he said flatly, "let's begin."
"Yes, sir!"
The others automatically spread out, raised their swords, and began to practice their slashes in unison. Every morning they weren't out hunting, they would gather like this to practice their swordsmanship.
Captain Okihira walked among the ranks, occasionally correcting a hunter's improper form. When he passed by Kaito, he stopped and watched him for a long time without saying a word, making Kaito feel immense pressure.
After a hundred or two hundred forceful slashes, they formed a circle and picked two men to spar, using wooden sticks as weapons.
As Kaito was watching with great interest, a hairy arm wrapped warmly around his shoulders, and a face, mostly obscured by a thick beard, leaned in close.
"Hey, Kaito-kid, how about you spar with me in a bit?"
"Uncle Beard, you can't be serious. How am I supposed to fight you with these little arms?"
"What do you mean you can't fight?" the big-bearded man said, his eyes wide. "We're competing in sword skill, not brute strength."
Kaito wiped his face, resigned. "Alright, fine. I'll fight you."
"That's more like it."