Chapter 14: The Art of the Exploding Tag
[Adam Yukimura POV]
The world of shinobi was full of fascinating, deadly tools. And among them, the explosive tag stood out as a personal favorite. Simple, effective, and always good for a dramatic boom. With my "Basic Explosion Release" and "Slight Explosive Release Affinity," I was ready to delve deeper into the art of pyrotechnics. And who better to learn from than a true master? Someone who lived and breathed explosions.
"Tenten! My dear!" I called out, finding her in a training field, meticulously practicing her weapon throws. Shurikens, kunai, even giant shuriken – she threw them all with impressive accuracy. "Just the woman I wanted to see! Your weapon mastery! It's truly inspiring! The way you handle all those sharp, pointy things! Do you ever accidentally throw a spoon?"
Tenten sighed, catching a returning kunai with practiced ease. "Adam-san. What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing much!" I chirped. "Just a friendly chat about the art of explosions! I've been dabbling in pyrotechnics lately, and I was wondering if you had any tips on making things go 'boom' with a bit more… flair! You know, for science! And for love! Mostly for love, of course. Imagine, a giant exploding heart-shaped tag for Tsunade!"
Tenten stared at me, then shuddered. "Please don't. The Hokage already has enough headaches because of you."
"Nonsense!" I declared. "She loves my creative expressions of affection! But seriously, your explosive tags! They're so powerful! I've always wondered, what does it feel like to be caught in a really big one? Is it like a sudden, fiery hug? Or more like a very enthusiastic high-five from a giant, angry fireball?"
Tenten looked at me suspiciously. "Why do you want to know?"
"For research, of course!" I insisted. "I'm thinking of writing a highly intellectual, deeply philosophical treatise on the nature of concussive force and the temporary cessation thereof! And I need a practical demonstration! So, if you wouldn't mind, just a quick zap of your explosive prowess?"
Tenten, clearly annoyed, finally snapped. "Fine! If it'll get you to shut up!" She pulled out an explosive tag, infused it with chakra, and threw it at a nearby training dummy. I, with perfectly timed "clumsiness," managed to "trip" right in front of the dummy as the tag detonated. The explosion was loud, concussive, and sent me flying.
[ YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY: TENTEN (UNIQUE DEATH!) ][ SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC EXPLOSIVE TAG APPLICATION (Passive) - A rudimentary understanding of how to apply and detonate explosive tags effectively. ][ DEATHS REMAINING (TENTEN): 1 ]
I gasped, pushing myself up from the smoking crater. My clothes were singed, my hair was a mess, but I was otherwise fine. "Basic Explosive Tag Application! Excellent! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, make my pranks even more explosive! Or, you know, just subtly blow up inconvenient paperwork in Tsunade's office! The possibilities are endless!"
Tenten stared at me, her jaw slightly agape. "You… you just… survived that."
"It's a gift, Tenten-chan!" I chirped. "Now, about your weapon mastery! I've always wondered, what does it feel like to be hit by a really fast, really sharp kunai? Is it like a sudden, piercing tickle? Or more like a very aggressive acupuncture session?"
Tenten, clearly at her wit's end, just grabbed a handful of kunai and threw them at me in a rapid succession. I, with practiced ease, "failed" to dodge, allowing several of them to embed themselves in my chest and limbs. The sensation was sharp, precise, and surprisingly clean.
[ YOU HAVE BEEN KILLED BY: TENTEN (UNIQUE DEATH!) ][ SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC WEAPON RESISTANCE (Passive) - A minor increase in your body's natural resistance to piercing and slashing attacks. ][ DEATHS REMAINING (TENTEN): 0 ]
I sat up, pulling the kunai out of my body (which, of course, instantly healed). "Basic Weapon Resistance! Oh, this is fantastic! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, survive even more aggressive acupuncture sessions! Or, you know, just subtly shrug off minor knife attacks! The possibilities are endless!"
Tenten, utterly bewildered and exhausted, just slumped onto the ground. "I… I don't understand you, Adam-san. You're… you're just a walking contradiction."
"It's a gift, Tenten-chan!" I beamed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some new skills to merge!"
I returned to my apartment, eager to experiment with my new acquisitions. "Basic Explosive Tag Application" and "Basic Weapon Resistance." This was going to be an interesting combination.
"System, merge 'Basic Explosive Tag Application' and 'Basic Weapon Resistance'!"
[ MERGE SUCCESSFUL! ][ NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: EXPLOSIVE DEFLECTION (Active) - The ability to infuse a small amount of chakra into an incoming projectile, causing it to detonate harmlessly or be deflected with a minor explosive burst. ]
"Explosive Deflection! Oh, this is fantastic! Now I can probably, maybe, perhaps, make incoming shurikens explode before they hit me! Or, you know, just subtly make people's pens explode when they try to sign a contract! The possibilities are endless!"
My unique death count was steadily climbing.
[ CURRENT UNIQUE DEATHS: 44 ]
Life as a Special Jonin was a constant stream of opportunities for self-improvement through self-destruction. And with "Explosive Deflection," I was practically a walking, talking, explosive shield. Unless, of course, I wanted to be. Which, let's be honest, I always did.