chapter 12 memories

In the familiar bunk bed that had accompanied Shin for a year in the White Room, Sam lay awake. The cold, sterile environment of the room did nothing to comfort him. The stark white walls and the faint hum of the fluorescent lights added to the eerie, oppressive atmosphere. Shin couldn't sleep; his mind was a tumultuous sea of guilt and torment. He couldn't escape the haunting images of the atrocities he had committed just hours before. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the scene replayed in agonizing detail.

The memory of the little girl, her innocent smile lighting up her face, was burned into his mind. Her eyes, filled with emotion and trust, haunted him. The sound of her voice, the way she had looked at him with such hope and naivety, made his heart ache with a deep, gnawing guilt. He had taken something pure and innocent, and twisted it into a nightmare. The weight of his actions pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

He tossed and turned, his thoughts a relentless barrage of self-recrimination and horror. He could still feel the blood on his hands, the echo of her final, choked sob reverberating in his ears. The sensation of power and control that had surged through him at that moment now felt like a heavy, suffocating shroud.

Realizing that he wouldn't find peace in sleep, Shin decided to push these torturous thoughts aside. He couldn't afford to dwell on his past actions; he needed to focus on the present and the future. Summoning the system.

{Attribute System}

{Name: Shin}

{Rank: Elite Chuunin}

{Skills:}

{Chakra Extraction 30}

{Uchiha 19 (A)}

{Uzumaki 30 (A)}

{Hyuga 26 (A)}

{Senju 20 (A)}

{Transformation Jutsu 100 (A)}

{Substitution Jutsu 100 (A)}

{Shadow Clone Jutsu 90 (A)}

{Clone Jutsu 90 (A)}

{Taijutsu 35 (B)}

{Shuriken and Kunai Throwing Techniques 50 (B)}

{Swordsmanship and Weapon Handling Techniques 35 (B)}

{identity swap jutsu 0 (S)}

{Body Flicker Technique 12 (A)}

{Genjutsu Kai Illusionary Arts: Dispel 40 (B)}

{Water Dragon Bullet Technique 8 (A)}

{Water Clone Technique 60 (C)}

{Water Barrier 17 (A)}

{Great Fireball Technique 20 (A)}

{Phoenix Sage Fire Technique 10 (B)}

{Drilling Air Bullet 14 (A)}

{Wind Cutter Technique 30 (C)}

{False Darkness 19 (A)}

{Lightning Prison 10 (B)}

The system's cold, methodical interface was a strange comfort. It was a reminder of his purpose and his goals. Each skill and attribute listed was a step towards the power he sought, the strength he needed to ensure that he would never be weak again. The numbers and ranks provided a clear path forward, a way to measure his progress and focus his efforts.

But even as he studied the system, the image of the little girl lingered at the edges of his mind, a reminder of the cost of his ambition. He knew he had to be strong, but the question of what kind of strength he was cultivating gnawed at him. The room's silence was oppressive, and the weight of his actions loomed large in the cold, stark light.

The next day, at night, Shin was summoned to the interrogation room. He was apprehensive, as it would be the first time he used the identity swap jutsu, conscious of the fact that he would have to retain the memories of the other's torture.

As he made his way to the interrogation room, his emotions were in turmoil. The narrow, dimly lit corridor seemed to close in on him, each step echoing like a war drum in his mind. The anticipation of suffering made him sweat cold, his heart pounding like a frenetic drum. The weight of the necessary sacrifice oppressed him, but he knew he had no choice.

The interrogation room's atmosphere was somber and oppressive. The walls were a cold gray, without windows, with only a single lamp hanging from the ceiling casting a weak light over the scene. In the center was a chair with metal restraints, and around it, various torture instruments were meticulously arranged. The air was heavy with the smell of blood and fear.

When Shin entered, his supervisor, a man with a hard expression and merciless eyes, asked if he was ready. Shin hesitated for a moment, then nodded, his resolve hardening. The masked ninjas seemed a bit gentler, which aroused his suspicion. Analyzing quickly, he concluded that they were Anbu working for the Hokage, mixed with those from Root.

The interrogated man was unconscious in the chair. Shin looked at him, feeling a wave of apprehension. He knew the sacrifice he was about to make was necessary, but the fear and anxiety could not be ignored. The surroundings seemed to pulse with the expectation of imminent suffering.

Shin then used the identity swap jutsu. His body instantly collapsed unconscious, while his consciousness transferred to the body of the interrogated man. The pain hit him like an unrelenting wave. Every blow, every cut, every electric shock was indescribable agony.

The first sensation was of excruciating burning as a hot blade was pressed against his skin. The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils, and he desperately tried to scream, but no sound came out. Every cut made with precision on sensitive nerves sent shockwaves of pain throughout his body, causing his muscles to contract involuntarily. The pain seemed alive, pulsing through him like an electric current.

Then came the electric shocks. The interrogator used a torture tool that sent electric discharges directly into the nerves. The sensation was like needles of fire being inserted into every cell of his body, causing violent muscle spasms and a pain that felt like it was burning his brain from the inside out.

The despair of being tortured, the feeling of helplessness, the desperate desire to escape – all of this flooded his mind. He felt as if he was being torn apart inside and out. The pain was so intense that he thought he couldn't bear it, that his mind would shatter under the weight of the suffering. The growing despair threatened to consume him completely. But he couldn't stop. He had to continue, had to survive.

Each time the blade cut deeper, he felt as if his sanity was slipping away along with the blood flowing out. The interrogator pressed on specific points, prolonging the torture in a meticulous and calculated manner. Shin felt as if he was being shredded, his body becoming a battlefield of relentless pain.

When he thought he couldn't take it anymore, that his head would explode from the pain, something changed. At the height of the torture, while his mind was on the brink of collapse, Shin felt a new energy pulsing through him. His infinite chakra began to fuel the jutsu, a comforting warmth amidst the intense pain. It was as if a river of strength was flowing within him, filling every cell of his body.

Suddenly, he was pulled into the memories of the interrogated man. The scenes flashed before his eyes as if he were living the life of the ninja from kumogakure He saw the ninja training from childhood, the proud faces of his parents, the first day at the ninja academy. He felt the thrill of first love, the happiness of getting married, and the palpable fear upon receiving the dangerous mission to investigate the death of the Fourth Hokage.

Each memory came with a wave of emotions so intense that it felt like he was being crushed by an avalanche. The sensation of living another life, of feeling the pains, joys, and fears of another man, was overwhelming. He felt the deep love of the ninja for his wife, the pain of separation when leaving for a mission, the constant fear of being discovered. The memories flooded him, filling his mind until he could barely breathe.

Shin began to lose his sense of self. For a moment, he no longer knew if he was Shin or the ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village. The identities mixed, his own memories and feelings blending with those of the interrogated man. He felt a growing panic, as if he were drowning in a sea of fragmented identities. It was a sensation of complete disorientation, as if he were lost in an endless labyrinth.

He felt the despair of the ninja when captured, the physical and emotional pain of the tortures he was now suffering himself. It was an endless cycle of suffering, and Shin felt his sanity unraveling. The pain was constant, but now mixed with the terror of losing his own identity. Every memory of the ninja from the Village was a blow to his already fragile mind.

But then, in the midst of the chaos, something deep and fundamental began to emerge. Amidst the confusion, Shin began to remember his own purpose, the reason he endured so much suffering. He remembered his parents' faces, their love and sacrifice. He saw again the scene of his parents being killed, felt the sharp pain of loss, and the burning rage that followed. He remembered the little girl smiling before being killed by his own hands, and the vow he made to himself to never be weak again.

These memories anchored him, bringing a renewed focus. He clung to these thoughts like an anchor amidst the storm of memories threatening to engulf him. The pain was still there, intense and crushing, but now there was a clarity, a determination that kept him whole. He was not just a vessel for foreign memories; he was Shin, and he had a clear purpose.

When the jutsu finally completed, he felt a mental click, as if a key had been turned. The memories of the ninja from kumogakure were now organized and accessible, but he knew who he was. He was Shin, and his mission had not changed. Even feeling immense pain, both physical and emotional, he knew he had survived something many would not.

The system's notification brought an almost surreal relief.

{Shadow Clone Jutsu +10}

{Clone Jutsu +10}

{Body Replacement Jutsu +5}