NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Chapter-13: Sync
*They've been holding back all this time,* Kuro realized, a pang of respect mingling with his surprise. The depth of their concealed abilities was far beyond what he had initially perceived. These were not the same people he had first encountered; these were warriors who had mastered not just physical combat, but the very essence of power itself.
Despite their combined efforts, however, the wolves kept coming. It was as though for every mechanical beast they destroyed, two more emerged from the chaotic periphery of the battle. Their numbers seemed endless, a relentless tide of metal and murderous intent. The wolves moved with a coordinated strategy, suggesting something—or someone—was controlling them with cold, calculating precision. This was no random assault; this was an organized campaign.
Villagers screamed as they fled, their terror creating a backdrop of pure chaos. The air was thick with panic as people scrambled for safety, and the sounds of destruction grew louder and more intense with each passing moment. Kuro could feel the weight of their fear pressing against him, adding a layer of urgency to the already dire situation. It fueled his growing frustration, a mounting tension that seemed to pulse within him like a dormant force seeking release. He had no time to contemplate his next move; there was only the present and the overwhelming need to act.
And then, in the midst of this maelstrom, he saw it—a moment that would change everything.
A young child, no older than five, tripped and fell in the pandemonium. The child's eyes, wide with terror, locked onto the approaching danger. Amid the destruction, a smaller Cerberus pup broke from the main pack, its mechanical jaws opening wide with a hydraulic hiss. The creature lunged toward the defenseless boy, its targeting systems locking onto the most vulnerable target.
Kuro didn't think. His body moved on pure, unadulterated instinct, honed by countless years of training and survival in hostile environments. Time itself seemed to slow, transforming into a viscous medium through which movement became deliberate and crystalline. Every detail sharpened with impossible clarity—the glint of the Cerberus's metallic teeth, the boy's tear-streaked face, the faint, electric scent of ozone hanging in the air.
*Sloth View,* Kuro recognized. A technique that allowed perception to accelerate while the world around him crawled. In that moment, he could see every minute detail of the battlefield as if it were unfolding in slow motion, and with it came a deeper understanding of the flow of events, a way to anticipate and counter his enemies before they even made a move.
In what would have been a mere fraction of a second to an outside observer, Kuro reached the child. His movement was so swift, so precise, that it appeared almost teleportation-like. Grabbing the boy with one arm, he executed a perfect pivot, turning to face the incoming threat. Every movement was calculated, as though the very fabric of time and space had bent to his will.
As the Cerberus pup approached, Kuro unleashed what he would later call the *Kangaro Cut*—an uppercut so powerful that it defied the laws of conventional physics. The force behind the blow was so immense that it sent shockwaves through the immediate environment, causing cracks to form in the ground beneath his feet. The Cerberus didn't merely fall—it disintegrated, its supposedly impenetrable armored body shattering like the most fragile of glass. Sparks flew, and the creature's pieces scattered in all directions, leaving only a trail of smoldering debris in its wake.
Time resumed its normal flow, and Kuro stood there, momentarily breathless. The boy clung to his arm, trembling but unharmed. With gentle care, Kuro set the child down, his eyes already scanning the battlefield, searching for the next threat. He didn't need to look back to know that the child's life was spared, but he also knew that this was far from over. The wolves were relentless, and the battle was still raging.
A smirk tugged at his lips as he turned to face the remaining threats. "Well, it's about time."
The words carried a weight of significance that went beyond the immediate moment. Reika and Xero paused mid-fight, their eyes snapping to Kuro with a mixture of shock and intrigue. They had seen his potential before, but what he had just done transcended anything they had imagined.
"What was that?" Reika demanded, her voice a blend of astonishment and growing respect.
Kuro flexed his fingers, feeling the surge of energy coursing through him like liquid lightning. The *Sloth View* technique had heightened his awareness and reflexes, but it was the *Kangaro Cut*—the technique he had barely begun to master—that had granted him the power to take down the Cerberus pup in a single, devastating strike.
"Just a little something I've been holding back," Kuro said, his voice light despite the ferocity of the battle around him. His confidence was palpable, radiating from every pore. He had tapped into something deeper within himself, something that would tip the scales in their favor.
The remaining wolves, sensing the shift in the tide, turned their attention to him. Their mechanical growls were a threat and a challenge, an acknowledgment that they now recognized him as a force to be reckoned with. But Kuro was beyond intimidation. He stepped forward, his stance unwavering, his eyes locked on the enemy.
"Come on, then," he taunted, raising his fists. "Let's see how tough you really are."
The wolves seemed to hesitate, as though contemplating the challenge before them. But Kuro knew that no matter what they did, the battle was already in their favor. He had unlocked a part of himself that was limitless—a power that would reshape the battlefield and turn the tide in their favor.
Kuro's system, or rather James' system, had been restored. Kuro noticed a message hovering above his head.
> Congratulations! Your current body is now synced with your original power.
> Congratulations! You have gained the ability called "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Your skills have been adapted to the ninja world scale. Your original abilities will now be merged with various chakra elements of this world.
Kuro thought to himself, *That explains why my Kangaro Cut feels slightly different from the original.*