Haruto Saito heard the system notification, his expression shifting slightly as he asked in his mind, "Legacy Bond? What is that?"
"Ding! Legacy Bond! As the name suggests, it is a special bond in which one party passes their abilities to another. In this bond, the host can only be the recipient of abilities and not the giver. The individual bestowing the abilities must meet the following conditions:
First, they must have the determination to pass all of their abilities to the host. Second, they must be willing to sacrifice their own life to achieve this inheritance. Third, they must designate the host as their sole successor."
"Only when these three conditions are met can a Legacy Bond be formed!" the system spirit concluded.
"Oh?" Haruto blinked and thought to himself, "So this means Terado genuinely wants to pass his abilities to me, to make me the greatest assassin in the ninja world. He sincerely intends to do this and isn't trying to manipulate me?"
"If the grantor harbors selfish motives, then the inheritance is not true, and the Legacy Bond will not form," the system spirit clarified, indirectly confirming Haruto's suspicions.
The formation of the Legacy Bond proved that Terado had no ulterior motives. Haruto had overthought it!
Terado truly wanted to teach him everything, hoping Haruto would inherit his will and aim to become the number one assassin in the ninja world.
"What are you thinking about?" Terado suddenly asked, noticing that Haruto had fallen silent, seemingly lost in thought.
"Oh, nothing," Haruto refocused on Terado. "Actually, there is something. I will be leaving soon on a mission. I'm not sure how long it will take, and I don't know when I'll be back. So, for a while, I might not be able to visit you."
"An assassination mission?" Terado asked.
"Yeah," Haruto nodded.
"Who's the target?" Terado pressed.
Haruto shook his head. That was something he could never disclose to Terado.
"It doesn't matter if you don't tell me." Terado smiled and said, "After all, people are just people—the only difference is between the living and the dead. Every assassin faces multiple reasons for failure, but the reasons for success are always similar. Do you know the three key principles of assassination?"
"No, I don't," Haruto admitted.
"The three principles of assassination: First, never overestimate yourself. Second, never underestimate your enemy. Third, always remain calm."
Haruto pondered Terado's words. They made perfect sense. As the top assassin of the Hidden Rain Village, Terado's insights into assassination were practically gospel.
"Since you're about to embark on a mission, this is the perfect time," Terado continued. "I'll teach you a technique. It's not too complex and isn't particularly difficult to master, but it will greatly aid you in assassination missions. Do you want to learn it?"
"What technique?" Haruto asked.
"The Concealment Technique!" Terado explained. "This technique is rated B-rank in difficulty but is incredibly effective. I created it six years ago. Once activated, it completely suppresses your presence. Even S-rank sensory techniques will struggle to detect you."
"I'll learn it. Teach me!" Haruto immediately responded.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Then I'll start explaining!"
"Go ahead!"
"The Concealment Technique allows you to completely hide your presence, suppressing it within your body. It achieves this by forming a more enclosed chakra pathway in your meridians, preventing any chakra leakage. You should first attempt to slow down your chakra flow and construct these pathways..."
Terado assumed the role of a teacher and began his detailed lecture.
Two hours later.
"Ding! The host has received meticulous guidance from Terado and obtained 36 'Concealment Technique Card Fragments'!"
Holy crap!
Haruto was shocked! Thirty-six card fragments in one go! A hundred fragments would allow him to synthesize the full technique card with 100% certainty. That meant he only needed three more sessions—just six hours total—to fully master the Concealment Technique!
Another two hours passed.
"Ding! The host has received meticulous guidance from Terado and obtained 34 'Concealment Technique Card Fragments'!"
Another two hours later.
"Ding! The host has received meticulous guidance from Terado and obtained 33 'Concealment Technique Card Fragments'!"
That was it!
He now had over a hundred fragments!
Seeing Haruto dazing off again, Terado frowned and said, "Are you even paying attention? I've explained this key point three times already! Can't you grasp it?"
"Uh... it's getting late," Haruto replied. "I should head back. I need to get up early tomorrow."
"Fine. Are you coming back tomorrow?"
"Not sure."
After wrapping up with Terado, Haruto left the prison cell. He didn't mention that he had already 'learned' the Concealment Technique. There was no need to. He didn't want Terado to suspect that he could replicate techniques so quickly.
—
The forests behind Konoha.
Under the moonlight, the dense woods were shrouded in darkness.
It was already late at night. Haruto was feeling a bit drained. After synthesizing the 'Concealment Technique' card, he took it from his inventory, crushed it in his mouth, and swallowed it. Then, while running, he clapped his hands together!
The sound of the wind suddenly lessened!
Normally, when running at high speed, he would generate wind resistance noise. But after activating the Concealment Technique, even that sound was significantly reduced.
He could feel his internal energy being fully sealed—his presence was utterly undetectable.
This technique only required a single hand sign to activate and could be used continuously. Although it consumed chakra over time, the drain was minimal. With Haruto's current chakra reserves, he could maintain it for two to three hours straight.
And yet... this was only a B-rank technique!
Terado had created it!
Terado thought Haruto was a genius, but in Haruto's eyes, Terado was the true prodigy—no, he was an absolute monster!
"Tsk tsk, this really is an assassination technique. It's an enormous help in sneaking up on targets!" Haruto mused as he dashed through the forest. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, "System, what are the special effects of the Legacy Bond?"
"Ding! The Legacy Bond is a beneficial connection that exclusively produces positive effects for the host. These effects are as follows:
At a bond level of 10, the host inherits 10% of Terado's talent.
At a bond level of 30, the host inherits 30% of Terado's talent.
At a bond level of 50, the host inherits 50% of Terado's talent.
At a bond level of 80, the host inherits 80% of Terado's talent.
At a bond level of 100, the host inherits 100% of Terado's talent."
"I can... inherit his talent?!" Haruto's eyes widened, shining with excitement. Terado's abilities were immense! If Haruto could fully inherit his talent, he could become a top-tier powerhouse even without the system.
This bond was insanely overpowered!
"Heh!" Haruto grinned. He had already decided—once he returned from his mission, he would spend plenty of time with Terado to "discuss life."
—
The next morning, at the Hokage's office.
"Sensei, you called for me?" Haruto stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.
"It's about your mission," Hiruzen said, tossing a mission scroll to him. "I approve of your chosen target. You may proceed with this S-rank assassination task. However, you will not be going alone—you'll have company."
"Huh? A team mission?" Haruto frowned. He preferred working alone, as a team would hinder his ability to use certain abilities freely.
"Not exactly a team," Hiruzen clarified. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru are also heading to the Land of Whirlpools for a mission. You will travel with them. They may provide assistance, but you must complete the assassination yourself."
Haruto's expression changed slightly.
He'd be traveling with Tsunade?!