Chapter 06 Copy space, the first opponent Ice Style: Haku!

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In the evening, Sasuke took Sakura out for dinner and then escorted her home.

Although his demeanor remained cold, his actions were gentle and considerate enough to melt Sakura's heart.

Unfortunately, despite his efforts, Sasuke did not earn any Poseidon points.

After some careful thought, he concluded that the issue was not the level of his consideration but rather the quantity. In simple terms, if he were to extend his gentleness and consideration to three or five girls simultaneously, he might earn One Piece points. Currently, his approach was more aligned with pure love.

"If I had known this earlier, I should have kept Ino around too," he mused.

But it wasn't a significant problem. Anyway, it's difficult to get rid of a loyal dog, and he had plenty of time and opportunities.

"Now, let's go back and study the dungeon space," he thought.

Sasuke quickly returned home, took a quick shower to relax, and then lay down on his bed.

"System, enter the dungeon space!" he commanded silently.

In an instant, the scene before his eyes shifted rapidly, transporting him to a world that resembled chaos.

There was nothing but an expanse of gray.

[Ding! Welcome to the dungeon space. The host can choose an opponent to challenge!]

Following the electronic prompt, a translucent light screen appeared before Sasuke, displaying only the portrait of Ice Release: Haku, who wore a Kirigakure ANBU mask, just like in the original story.

The opponents beyond Haku were still locked, appearing as indistinct silhouettes. Only the first three could be discerned; the others remained unclear.

The three visible silhouettes were somewhat abstract, making it difficult to identify them at a glance.

But there was no need to worry about that for now. These opponents were undoubtedly stronger than the previous ones.

"I am about to graduate from the ninja school. Compared to the time when I fought Haku in the original story, my strength should only lack some tree climbing training," Sasuke thought.

"The strength gap is significant, but let's give it a try first, and then start the tree climbing training tomorrow!"

Sasuke made a quick decision. Although it was a gamble, Haku's strength was manageable as long as he understood the attack patterns.

In the original story, when Zabuza claimed that Haku was stronger than him, it was more to intimidate Kakashi and distract him.

Naruto had only released a bit of the Nine-Tails' chakra to defeat Haku.

At that level, it was just about the level of a special jōnin.

Of course, caution was still needed regarding the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

For those trapped inside, Haku might indeed seem stronger than Zabuza.

"System, challenge Ice Release: Haku!" Sasuke commanded.

Even if he got injured or died in the dungeon, it wouldn't affect reality.

On the contrary, any improvement in combat experience would translate to the real world.

There was no reason to hesitate over such a beneficial setup.

The next moment, the scene around Sasuke shifted, and he found himself in a familiar place.

"Is this... Naruto Bridge?" Sasuke recognized the location after a quick look around.

This was the setting from the original story where Haku fought the Han Dynasty—a partially completed cross-sea bridge.

Soon, a thick white mist began spreading, gradually obscuring visibility until it was difficult to see a few meters ahead.

"Mist Concealment Technique?" Sasuke was confused. This was Zabuza's technique, not Haku's!

But there was no point in overthinking. It might just be an environmental setting or Haku's interpretation of the technique.

"Secret Technique: A Thousand Needles of Death!"

A low shout came from the air before Sasuke could react further.

A fierce murderous intent filled the air, causing Sasuke's heart to tremble.

Being attacked before even seeing the enemy?

Sasuke took several steps back, instinctively wanting to activate his Sharingan.

As he stepped back, he stepped into a small puddle, and a chilling cold spread through his body, making even his blood feel frozen.

His movements slowed, and his mind dulled.

Swish, swish, swish!!

From the puddle under his feet, a large number of ice needles formed rapidly and shot toward Sasuke from all directions.

Already sluggish, Sasuke couldn't dodge the fast-approaching needles.

He saw a flash of cold light and then felt a sharp pain all over his body, causing him to scream in agony.

The next moment, his vision dimmed.

[Challenge failed!]

The words appeared before his eyes, and then he was back in the gray, chaotic space.

"Ugh, ugh!" Sasuke gasped, clutching his chest.

"Is this what death feels like? Complete suffocation!"

After a while, his emotions settled.

"I was careless!" Sasuke thought, looking bewildered.

He had anticipated a significant strength gap between him and Haku but hadn't expected it to be so vast.

Without any mental preparation, he had been defeated instantly, with no chance to defend himself.

The experience had almost left a psychological scar.

"Maybe I should wait until I finish my tree climbing training?" he considered.

Tree climbing training would improve his chakra control, drastically enhancing his combat abilities.

It was akin to the difference between Rock Lee with and without his weights.

"System, can you create a large tree here?" Sasuke asked.

After all, practicing here would have the same effect as in reality.

If he could train here, there would be no need to attract attention in the real world.

[Ding! 10 challenge coins are required. The host's challenge coins are detected to be 0. Request denied!]

Sasuke wasn't disappointed. He had just wanted to try his luck, but the system's response intrigued him.

So, with enough challenge coins, he could customize the dungeon space?

If this continued, could it eventually develop into a real world?

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

He could only earn challenge coins by defeating opponents in the dungeon. To defeat Haku, he needed to complete his tree climbing practice.

"So, should I give up for now?" Sasuke sighed.

But he wasn't ready to quit. Not being able to win didn't mean he couldn't keep fighting. The worst outcome would be experiencing a few more deaths.

Having faced numerous setbacks in his previous life, Sasuke had a strong character and wouldn't give up easily.

"Then I'll aim to gain combat experience!" Sasuke decided to challenge Haku without focusing on winning.

"System, challenge Ice Release: Haku!" he commanded again.

He believed that with more attempts, he would gradually improve his response, eventually adapting to Haku's fighting style, and turning defeat into victory.

This was the advantage of having an opponent to practice with!

The unlimited challenges provided by the system were like a cheat code, and Sasuke was eager to make the most of it.

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