Before Shanks could react, the spherical, glowing light hovering in front of him began to shift. Slowly, it compressed and reshaped itself, condensing into a translucent rectangular panel. Lines of text shimmered into existence, one after another:
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Name: Shanks Uzumaki
Strength: Jōnin
Abilities:
Swordsmanship (Lv. 3)
Armament Haki (Lv. 3)
Observation Haki (Lv. 3)
Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 3)
Shanks's Movement Technique (Lv. 3)
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Swordsmanship (Lv. 3): A master of both gentle and hard styles of swordsmanship. Capable of unleashing chakra-infused sword slashes.
Armament Haki (Lv. 3): Able to coat the entire body in Armament Haki, increasing attack strength by 30%.
Observation Haki (Lv. 3): Can sense life forms and threats within a 1000-meter radius with precision.
Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 3): Causes those with weaker strength to faint instantly, while opponents of similar strength suffer a 10% decrease in combat effectiveness. (Currently affects 50% of Genin for 1 minute, and 30% of Chunin for 30 seconds.)
Shanks's Movement Technique (Lv. 3): A unique movement technique developed by the Red-Haired Emperor himself, allowing swift, unpredictable motions in battle.
----
(Image: AI-generated example in the comments.)
Shanks stared at the panel, his lips curling into a faint, satisfied smile. Not bad... he thought. With this power, I do not need to fear. At least I can protect myself and my clan members.
Just then, the System's voice echoed once more in Shanks' mind.
"Now, you must protect yourself. After all, a battle awaits you. Also, I have prepared a gift for you — it's sealed inside a scroll, placed in your bag."
Shanks raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering across his face. "A gift? What kind of gift—" he began, but before he could finish his question, he felt a sudden force pulling at his consciousness, the same way it had been drawn into this strange mental space moments before.
In the blink of an eye, Shanks snapped back to reality.
The sight that greeted him was grim: masked ninjas — the same ones who had killed his father — were now charging straight toward him and the remaining members of his Clan.
Shanks' hands tightened into fists at his sides. He understood the delicate situation instantly. But if he suddenly displayed overwhelming strength after receiving the Shanks template, his Clan members might grow suspicious. Worse, they might believe he had purposely held back, allowing his father to die.
But the truth was far more painful — when he had first awakened in this world just minutes ago, in the body of Tatsuya's son, his father had already fallen. He hadn't had the power to save him... or even the chance.
He couldn't justify the abrupt surge in his power, so some pretense was required.
Although Tatsuya wasn't his real father — just a man from the memories he inherited — the emotions tied to those memories were real.
His grief wasn't completely fake.
Shanks pushed himself to his feet, rising from where he'd been slumped against the tree. His voice tore through the air, thick with anger and grief.
"How dare you kill my father!"
The surrounding Uzumaki Clan members snapped their heads toward him, startled by the sudden outburst.
Erza, her eyes wide, took a step forward. "Onii-san, you're awake... They killed Uncle Tatsuya," she said, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.
But Shanks didn't even glance her way. His fury boiled over, and with a fierce glare, he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
The overwhelming force burst out from him in a wave. Though his clan members remained unaffected, everyone else immediately felt it.
The fifteen masked ninja, who had been charging toward them, froze mid-stride. An invisible weight slammed into their minds, pressing down with suffocating intensity. Physically, the pressure was bearable, little more than a heavy atmosphere, but mentally—it was crushing, especially for the Chunin among them.
Luckily for them, there were no Genin on their squad; if there had been, the younger ninja would have collapsed unconscious under the force of Shanks' unleashed will.
The other Uzumaki clan members also felt the pressure from Shanks' outburst, but it was only physical—and not enough to cause real discomfort. They experienced no mental strain at all. It was thanks to Shanks' Conqueror's Haki being at Level Three; had it been Level Two or even Level One, even they might have been overwhelmed.
Shanks turned his sharp gaze toward Erza.
"Go to my bag and bring me the scroll on top," he said, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.
Erza hesitated for only a heartbeat, confused about why Shanks would ask for a scroll at a moment like this. But she didn't question him. She sprinted to his bag without a word.
While she rummaged through his belongings, the masked ninjas—still trapped under the pressure of Shanks' Haki—began to falter. The strain grew heavier. One by one, they dropped to the ground, unconscious. Within moments, only eight of the original fifteen remained standing.
Erza rushed back, holding out the scroll with both hands.
"Here, Onii-san!" she said.
Shanks gave a short nod.
"Hmm. Unseal the material inside," he instructed. His voice was calm, but there was a tightness to it. With only one hand now, even performing a basic unsealing technique was beyond him.
Erza acted without hesitation. She knew about Shanks' condition and understood why he needed her help. Quickly, she unfurled the scroll. A sealing mark was inscribed across its surface—familiar and precise. Forming a hand sign, she called out,
"Unseal!"
With a burst of smoke, a weapon materialized before them. A sword—sleek, powerful, and radiating a quiet menace.
It was Gryphon.
Shanks eyed the blade, a thought flickering through his mind.
So this is the gift the system mentioned... I like it.
But outwardly, he remained a statue of rage and grief. His face was cold, blank, the anger simmering beneath showing no cracks in his expression.
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