Chapter 107 (Patreon)

The shinobi world had no Root.

Mihawk’s body was not connected to one either.

Every world followed its own laws. Their power systems differed, and even the foundations of their existence were not necessarily the same.

In the Type-Moon world, all things originated from the Root.

But where had everything in other worlds come from?

Mihawk did not know.

Neither did Ryougi Shiki.

That difference placed a clear limit on the template.

Even if Mihawk fully unlocked Ryougi Shiki’s template, he would never surpass her understanding of death within the Type-Moon world.

Ryougi Shiki was connected to the Root, which contained the records of both the birth and death of all things within that world.

Mihawk was not.

Even if he inherited all of her knowledge through the template, his brain could not retain information drawn from a connection he did not possess. Over time, part of that understanding would fade, and his Mystic Eyes would weaken accordingly.

Within the Type-Moon world, Ryougi Shiki would always remain beyond him.

Outside of it, however, the situation was different.

Ryougi Shiki knew nothing about the origins of chakra, ninjutsu, kekkei genkai, or the other powers of the shinobi world.

Mihawk did.

Because of that, there were forms of death in this world that he could understand more easily than she could.

The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception did not create death.

They perceived the death that already existed within a person or object and allowed the user to bring it forward.

For an ordinary person, birth was the cause and death was the inevitable result.

That basic understanding allowed Mihawk to see death as lines and points.

However, the number, size, and clarity of those lines depended on how deeply he understood the target’s possible end.

A person could die from illness, starvation, violence, or countless other causes.

The more possibilities Mihawk understood, the more clearly that person’s death would appear before him.

The same principle applied to objects.

That was why he had been able to destroy the wooden training post even though Ryougi Shiki’s template had not yet reached 0.02%.

He understood the life and death of wood.

A tree began as a seedling.

It could be cut down, burned, broken, or left to rot.

Each outcome represented a possible death.

Because Mihawk understood those possibilities, the death lines on the wooden post appeared clearly enough for him to cut.

The same logic applied to paper, stone, walls, houses, and other objects.

However, something that had already lost its purpose could be considered dead.

A rotten stool, a chair that could no longer be used, or a shattered bamboo sword had already reached its end.

Mihawk could not kill something that was already dead.

Even the world itself possessed death.

A planet could be destroyed by another celestial body, invaders from beyond the stars, or even by the inhabitants living upon it.

In theory, Mihawk could perceive that death.

In practice, it was nearly impossible.

A planet was far too vast.

Even if a death line appeared, it could be hidden anywhere—within the Land of Fire, beneath the ocean, or on a distant continent.

Mihawk could burn out his brain searching for it and still never find it.

That was the true limitation of the Mystic Eyes.

A shallow understanding allowed him to perceive only faint, tiny fragments of death and forced him to place a heavy burden on his brain.

A deep understanding made the lines larger, clearer, and easier to strike.

That was also why the Mystic Eyes suited him so well.

Ryougi Shiki understood the laws of the Type-Moon world.

Mihawk understood the shinobi world.

These were no longer simply Ryougi Shiki’s eyes.

They had become Mihawk’s own Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

They could not match Ryougi Shiki’s ability to use hers without any burden, but Mihawk was satisfied.

He had no intention of killing the world.

As long as the eyes made him stronger, that was enough.

At first, their appearance had made his years of sword training feel meaningless.

The Breath of All Things seemed to have been reduced to little more than a supporting skill.

But after thinking about it carefully, Mihawk realized the opposite was true.

The Breath of All Things allowed him to hear the breath of inanimate objects and understand their existence.

That understanding made their death easier for the Mystic Eyes to perceive.

As long as Mihawk could hear the breath of something, his eyes could reveal its death.

The two abilities did not replace one another.

They complemented each other.

With the Breath of All Things guiding his sword and the Mystic Eyes revealing where death lay, Mihawk’s swordsmanship had entered an entirely new level.

Mihawk remained lost in thought until Hanabi’s breathing became slow and even.

Supporting her waist with one arm, he carefully shifted her from his chest and laid her down beside him. After pulling the blanket over her, he quietly climbed out of bed and left the room barefoot.

He entered the small training hall and glanced at the wooden post scattered across the floor in more than a dozen pieces.

Mihawk sat down on the cushion he used for sword meditation and closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into his mind.

[Ding! Your first template has reached 100%. Completion rewards are now being issued.]

The katana resting beside him suddenly trembled inside its sheath.

Before Mihawk could reach for it, a deep metallic hum echoed through the training hall.

A dark light flowed across the weapon.

[Ding! Your katana has fused with the Supreme Grade Blade—Black Blade Yoru.]

[The weapon’s original form has been retained.]

[Its strength, durability, sharpness, and rank have evolved to those of a permanent black blade.]

Mihawk opened his eyes and drew the weapon slightly from its sheath.

The familiar blade had turned completely black.

Unlike a temporary coating of Armament Haki, the dark surface did not fade. His katana had retained the shape, weight, and balance he had grown accustomed to, but it now possessed the qualities of Hawkeye’s Black Blade Yoru.

The system had not forced him to abandon the sword he had used for years.

Instead, it had transformed that sword into a Supreme Grade Black Blade.

Two more notifications followed.

[Ding! You have obtained Advanced Observation Haki.]

[Ding! You have obtained Advanced Conqueror’s Haki.]

A vast amount of information entered Mihawk’s mind.

His Observation Haki had undergone a complete transformation. By focusing his perception, he could now glimpse a short distance into the future rather than merely sensing what was happening around him.

His Conqueror’s Haki had also reached a new level.

It was no longer limited to overwhelming the wills of others. Mihawk could now infuse it into his body and blade, greatly increasing the power of his attacks without needing to make direct contact with his opponent.

These were the abilities Hawkeye’s template had withheld until it reached one hundred percent.

Before Mihawk could examine them further, another notification sounded.

[Ding! You have received a precious template reward. Would you like to open it?]

This was presumably the additional reward the system had promised after he fully unlocked his first template.

Mihawk answered silently.

“Open it.”

A stream of light flashed before his eyes.

Three translucent objects appeared in front of him, visible only to Mihawk.

The moment he looked at them, information about each reward entered his mind.

[One-Time Inheritance Card]

[Chakra Capacity Expansion Seal]

[Kekkei Genkai Evolution Catalyst]

The One-Time Inheritance Card allowed Mihawk to pass one of his abilities to another person.

It could not transfer a kekkei genkai or a supernatural ability such as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, nor could it pass on his complete swordsmanship.

However, abilities such as the Breath of All Things, Armament Haki, Observation Haki, the Six Powers, the Body Flicker Technique, or the Shadow Clone Technique could be transferred to whoever broke the card.

If given to someone with enough talent in swordsmanship, the Breath of All Things might even allow another true swordsman to emerge within the shinobi world.

Mihawk could also give Hinata one of his forms of Haki or teach her one of the Six Powers, immediately increasing her combat ability.

The Chakra Capacity Expansion Seal was equally valuable.

Once used, it would permanently expand a person’s chakra reserves while strengthening their chakra network. For an ordinary shinobi, such a reward could remove one of the greatest limits on their future growth.

But Mihawk’s attention remained fixed on the third reward.

The Kekkei Genkai Evolution Catalyst.

According to the information supplied by the system, it could awaken the hidden potential within an existing bloodline and push a kekkei genkai toward a higher form.

It was not medicine in the ordinary sense.

Rather, it was a concentrated mass of special chakra capable of stimulating the source of a person’s inherited ability.

Mihawk’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He raised his index finger and touched the third image without hesitation.

The other two rewards disappeared.

A small white sealing container dropped into his open palm.

When Mihawk removed its cap, he found a pale chakra crystal inside. It was no larger than the tip of his thumb, and faint streams of energy moved beneath its surface like living veins.

Mihawk did not use it.

He had no kekkei genkai of his own.

The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception were produced by the brain’s ability to perceive death as visual information. They were not part of his bloodline and could not be evolved through the catalyst.

Using it on himself would accomplish nothing.

Its value to him personally was far lower than that of the inheritance card or the chakra seal.

But Mihawk had never intended to use it on himself.

He had chosen it for Hinata.

The moment he saw the Kekkei Genkai Evolution Catalyst, he thought of her.

For the past half month, Hinata had devoted nearly all her free time to training.

She was afraid of falling behind.

More than that, she was afraid that one day she would become someone Mihawk had to protect rather than someone capable of standing beside him.

Mihawk had noticed every bit of effort she put in.

That was precisely why he understood the limits she would eventually face.

Hinata possessed considerable talent, but ordinary training alone could only carry her so far. Without a fundamental change to her Byakugan or bloodline, reaching the highest level of the shinobi world would be nearly impossible.

She might eventually reach the level of an elite Jōnin, perhaps even approach Kage-level strength.

But that would still not be enough against the enemies who would appear in the future.

Only if the Byakugan evolved into the Tenseigan would Hinata gain the potential to truly reach that level—as well as the power required to resist techniques such as the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Under normal circumstances, awakening the Tenseigan required the combination of a Hyūga’s Byakugan and Ōtsutsuki chakra.

The surviving members of the Ōtsutsuki clan were extremely rare. Aside from Toneri Ōtsutsuki on the moon, the others would only arrive in the shinobi world from beyond the planet.

Even if Mihawk managed to obtain their cells or chakra, he would never allow Hinata to undergo a dangerous transplant or become the subject of an experiment.

Until now, he had been unable to think of another method.

But the catalyst in his hand offered a new possibility.

If it truly possessed the effect described by the system, it might awaken the deeper power hidden within Hinata’s Byakugan without forcing her to accept foreign cells.

Perhaps it could even help her take the first step toward the Tenseigan.

If Mihawk’s guess was correct, Hinata’s future potential might no longer be inferior to Naruto Uzumaki’s or Sasuke Uchiha’s.

A rare surge of excitement rose within him.

He was not only looking forward to seeing how strong Hinata could become.

He was happy for her.

She would no longer need to train out of fear that she might become a burden. She would have the power to protect herself, protect Hanabi, and stand beside him in battle.

Hinata already took care of countless parts of their daily lives.

With enough strength, she could also become the person Mihawk trusted most at his side.

For a moment, he wanted to find her immediately and have her use the catalyst.

“Mihawk-kun…”

A familiar, gentle voice came from the entrance of the training hall.

Only then did Mihawk notice that the sky outside had grown completely dark.

Moonlight streamed through the doorway, falling across Hinata’s long dark-blue hair. Her pale eyes were filled with their usual warmth as she looked at him.

The corners of Mihawk’s mouth rose slightly.

He lifted one hand and beckoned to her.

“Hinata, come here.”