"Well... should we actually try breaking out? That way we won't have to deal with the Riddler anymore."
Black Mask asked tentatively.
But Shimizu didn't respond to him—his focus was entirely on his system panel.
The Avatar didn't share all the same abilities as his main body. At most, it retained some similar traits—it was essentially a blank slate. Even the attribute panel was incomplete.
There was no Ninja Stat System here.
However, all the knowledge and skills the main body had learned were still intact.
That's because knowledge exists in memory. But some things couldn't be shared.
For example: chakra capacity, or chakra nature.
Since chakra was the combination of spiritual and physical energy, it was bound to the body and soul. While his main body possessed Wind and Lightning chakra natures, this body might not.
However, he could spend Fate to allow this body to gain chakra natures it normally wouldn't have—but that his main body possessed. He could also spend Fate to strengthen this body's physical strength, spiritual energy, or chakra capacity.
Furthermore, if this body in the DC universe ever underwent some transformation—like receiving Deathstroke-style enhancements and gaining a regeneration ability—then the main body could spend Fate to acquire that regeneration ability too.
Shimizu preferred to call these "Talents."
Talents couldn't be shared—they were inherent to the body.
But skills were different. They were based on knowledge—independent of the body.
Either way, the function of Fate was clear.
Whether you wanted to become stronger or unlock new worlds—Fate played a crucial role.
Unfortunately, he had already been locked in Arkham as a villain, so trying to infiltrate the hero side now would probably be tricky. Otherwise, joining something like the Justice League or Teen Titans could definitely yield a massive amount of Fate.
Step one: figure out how to get out of Arkham first.
"Fortunately, I'm not just some small-time Gotham villain. As Clear Water, a.k.a. Kurīru Woto, the Puppeteer, I'm also a professionally trained puppet master from a top-tier ninja village in the world of Naruto. If I make use of my information advantage, there might be a chance to break out of Arkham. I'll also have to pry some intel out of Black Mask—figure out the current timeline."
Shimizu quietly made his plans, then calmed himself and began his first attempt at extracting chakra from this body.
In the original Naruto series, it's been shown many times that the soul and consciousness can carry chakra—so this avatar had inherited a trace amount from his main body.
He just needed to use that small seed of chakra to begin refining and growing his own chakra reserves.
The DC universe was vast, and its power scaling was incredibly high. There was no way this avatar could spend his entire life cooped up in Arkham, even if the place did provide food and shelter without needing to sew uniforms.
Luckily, while this body was just a small-time villain, its physical strength was above average for a normal human. Spiritually, even though it was guided by a sliver of Shimizu's consciousness, it had its own soul—its strength wasn't high, but it wasn't weak either. The energy that could be drawn from both body and mind wasn't too bad.
...
...
Naruto World.
The next morning.
As the first rays of sunlight touched the desert, a well-rested Shimizu strapped his Fat Puppet to his back, fastened his ninja tool pouch to his waist, and headed for Training Ground No. 1 in Sunagakure.
Though called a "training ground," it was actually a stretch of Gobi desert containing a lush oasis.
An oasis was the most precious resource in a desert.
This one had a poetic name—Emerald of the Wind.
A clear stream flowed from the center of the oasis, cutting through the gobi and the scrubby vegetation on either side, stretching like a silver ribbon to the horizon.
Because of the water source, many animals gathered nearby—and those that could claim an oasis were often top predators. It was said that some ninjas had even made summoning contracts here.
"So this is the training site?"
Shimizu stood at the edge of the oasis, surrounded by barbed wire fencing, surveying his surroundings.
Around him were many other ninjas, all carrying their own puppets on their backs—clearly also puppet masters. A few wealthier ones had sealed theirs in scrolls for easier transport.
Among this group, Shimizu appeared to be one of the youngest.
Only one person seemed younger than him.
A red-haired boy carrying two bundles of sealing scrolls looked two or three years younger.
After about ten minutes, several dark shadows flashed by. Six ninjas, all wearing standard brown-and-black flak jackets and carrying sealing scrolls, appeared in a blur before them.
One of them stepped forward, exuding a strong natural presence.
"All puppet masters, line up by height—thirty seconds. Anyone late will be immediately removed from the training roster."
Before the sentence even ended, the seventy-nine puppet-user genin quickly got into formation.
Those who came here were all elite genin—no loudmouth Naruto-types. In about twenty seconds, the line was more or less in place.
Shimizu was second to last in line—at eleven years old, he was just under 1.5 meters tall.
The very last one was the red-haired boy with the scrolls.
"I am Sayama, vice-captain of the Puppet Corps' First Squad. You can call me Jonin Sayama. The other five here are the captains of the Second through Sixth Squads. Only after completing this training and passing our assessments will you have a chance to join the Puppet Corps."
The bald jonin with a scar on his forehead scanned the genin in front of him. His gaze lingered for a second at the end of the line before he continued in a loud voice.
The Puppet Corps was created by Sunagakure elder Monzaemon and consisted of six squads. Each squad had one main captain and two vice-captains—all joined. The six main captains were elite among the jonin, currently active on the front lines, each assisted by a vice-captain.
For Sunagakure puppet users, the Puppet Corps was the best path to prominence—even for the descendants of elders. Many puppet techniques were secret and unshared, and could only be accessed by achieving sufficient rank within the Corps.
The Puppet Corps possessed the complete legacy of Second Kazekage and Monzaemon, capable of nurturing ninja at the Kage level.
"Your abilities have already been preliminarily assessed by the village. You each possess the basic qualifications of an excellent puppet master. So I won't waste any more time."
Sayama pointed toward the oasis.
"You now have one hour for the first test. Enter the oasis and collect any materials you believe can be used to create a puppet. Each person may carry no more than 15 kilograms. Then, in the following two hours, you are to craft a puppet."
"Now, begin!"
As his command fell, seventy-nine ninjas dashed toward the oasis.
...
...
To be honest, Shimizu found the entire place to be filled with puppet materials.
All the trees here were species that transmitted chakra well. There were beasts' claws, fangs, and hides, venomous insects, poisonous plants, and more.
(End of Chapter)