"Tsk tsk… this big lizard looked so cocky before, but who'd have thought? Totally helpless in a fight!"
Ryuuto leaned back, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Originally, I thought I'd just mess around for fun, but looks like no effort is even needed!"
"Captain, wait… isn't this… super strong?" Steel asked, still wiping blood from his armor.
Ryuuto chuckled, eyes gleaming.
"Strong? Pfft. Even the toughest sandbags crumble under my fist. This oversized lizard? Please. I might get my clothes dirty, but that's about it."
Steel and Scott burst into laughter, the tension breaking for just a moment.
But that moment was cut short. A piercing police siren screamed outside. Through the shattered windows, Ryuuto could see an army of officers, rifles glinting, helicopters buzzing overhead, barricades forming like they were prepping for a full-scale siege.
"Captain, maybe I should go out and negotiate with the police, avoid unnecessary chaos?" Scott asked, glancing at him seriously.
Ryuuto raised a brow, unbothered.
"Fine. Go ahead. Just… don't let anyone interfere, got it?"
"Yes, sir!" Steel and Scott straightened, saluted, and sprinted out to parley with the NYPD on behalf of the X-Men.
Meanwhile, Connors, battered and bleeding, had his face slammed by Gwen. The impact twisted him into a grotesque mess, eyes wild, lips splitting. Ryuuto shook his head in mock sympathy.
"Seriously, big lizard… why'd you even try? Now look at you. Didn't even survive a good beating!"
"Jiang Li… I'll eat you alive!" Connors' voice was hoarse, bloodshot eyes blazing.
"Desperate words, but Gwen's got this under control," Ryuuto quipped. "You're fighting with your head, buddy, not your strength."
Connors flailed in panic, useless against Gwen's precise assault. Over days of fighting alongside Ryuuto, Gwen had grown exponentially—her courage and skills fully on display now. Connors' resistance was crumbling.
Ryuuto pulled a system-gifted shuriken from his pocket, its edge gleaming ominously.
He aimed it with a casual flick, the corners of his mouth lifting in mischief.
"What… are you doing!?" Connors groaned, an icy dread crawling up his spine. His claws trembled, clutching his head in panic.
But the shuriken didn't fly for his face. Instead, with a perfect arc, it struck—Connors' tail. A splatter of blood shot out as the lizard shrieked in pain, tail thudding to the ground. He jumped three feet in agony before crashing back, eyes rolling, almost blacking out.
"Hehe… Ryuuto, you're brutal!" Gwen smirked, effortlessly keeping Connors on the defensive.
Ryuuto shrugged, feigning innocence. "Eh… I'll leave this big lizard for you to practice on. My hands are clean this round. Can't be soft forever."
Connors groaned in despair, barely able to breathe through the pain and humiliation.
An idea sparked in Ryuuto's mind. He quickly activated the system, calling out:
"Athena—uh, Shion, you there? Should I open a character data packet now?"
[Hmm… yes!]
[Master, want to activate it now?]
"Yes! I've been waiting forever! Let's hope this one's worth it!" Ryuuto's heartbeat raced with excitement. Soon, he'd wield the skills of a brand-new Konoha Village Hokage—he could almost feel it.
[Congratulations, Master! You've acquired the character Hatake Kakashi!]
"Wait… what? Did I hear that right?!"
[It's true, Master! Kakashi's skills can now be transferred to your mind immediately!]
Ryuuto's fists clenched as joy surged through him. He threw them in the air, laughter booming like a prize-winning celebration. It was surreal, almost unbelievable—yet every bit real.
Information flooded his brain like a tidal wave, every muscle tingling with anticipation and raw potential.
Hatake Kakashi—famed Jōnin of Konoha Village!
Lightning Style: Raikiri!
Tongue Surgery! Summon Ninja Dogs!
Earth Style · Central Decapitation!
Sharingan!
Body Replacement Technique!
Thousand Years of Death!
Ryuuto's mind raced as he imagined Kakashi's silver hair, the Sharingan flashing, that mysterious masked grin. A laugh escaped him, breathless with excitement.
"Gwen, finish off that big lizard. We'll clean him up completely later!"
"Got it! On it!"
Gwen's confidence surged, fingers shooting multiple cobwebs simultaneously. Within moments, Connors was wrapped in a massive, impersonal spiderweb prison, hoisted high into the air like a helpless swing.
Ryuuto's grin widened, eyes shining with the thrill of battle and the limitless potential now coursing through him.