Naruto: I Copy Skills

A/N: (2/2) Early Double Release (Will probably do another on Monday). I want to push the story forward, so it gets more interesting. Guys don't be stingy with your powerstones. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! We've been dropping in rank, let's increase our power ranking! Goal: 800 Powerstones.

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Having finished his meal, Goro stood and glanced at Aika. "Aika, could I borrow you for a moment?"

Aika, still wiping her mouth with a napkin, nodded and followed Goro into the kitchen. She looked up at him expectantly.

"First off," Goro began, his tone softer, "thank you for the meal."

Aika waved her hands nervously, vigorously shaking them in dismissal. "Oh no, no, no, Lord Takikage. It's my honor to have you eat in my home," she said, her voice flustered.

Goro smiled under his mask and nodded. "Your grandfather is sleeping right now, I assume?"

Aika's demeanor shifted slightly, and she nodded. "Yes, Lord Takikage, he is."

Goro added, "Tell him I said hello. Anyway, what I wanted to discuss was if you could take care of Tomio for some time while we get things settled."

Concern flashed across Aika's face. "Is something wrong?" she asked, leaning in slightly, her voice tinged with worry.

"No development occurred on the outskirts of the village. The person assigned to this task is probably pocketing the funds for himself. Who did you assign to manage that area?"

Aika flinched, guilt immediately coloring her features. She quickly bowed in remorse. "Lord Takikage, I'm extremely sorry! I didn't know—"

Goro interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "It's fine, Aika. I'm not here to blame you. But I need to know who's responsible."

Aika, still bowed, replied quietly, "A man named Tanaka. He's always handled the village construction."

Goro's eyes narrowed. 'Tanaka... only one man? No wonder the outskirts of the village is in disrepair.' He thought of the large sums of money Tanaka must have siphoned off now that the village was flourishing under Goro's leadership. 'That man's been pocketing the excess funds, and with the influx of resources I've brought in, he's probably made more than he ever thought possible.'

"Guide me to his place," Goro said, his voice low, but his annoyance was unmistakable.

"Yes, Lord Takikage," Aika said quickly, slipping on her shoes and grabbing a robe from her room to shield herself from the cold outside.

As they moved to exit the house, Sasuke glanced up from his seat, his eyes narrowing. "Where are you going?" he asked, suspicion in his tone.

Goro didn't stop, merely glanced back at Sasuke. "Running an errand."

Though Sasuke wasn't convinced, he kept quiet. Aika, sensing the tension, added, "Sasuke, keep an eye on Tomio while we're gone. We'll only be a few minutes."

Sasuke sighed, clearly annoyed by the responsibility, but nodded, glancing at the quiet boy sitting at the table.

Outside, Goro and Aika moved quickly, taking narrow alleys to reach Tanaka's home as fast as possible.

Before long, Goro spotted a house larger than Aika's, standing tall and grand amongst the other homes. 'Of course,' Goro thought, his lips twisting into a smirk beneath his mask. 'This is where the village's money is going.'

"I assume this is his place?" Goro asked, glancing at Aika.

Aika nodded, her face pale as they approached.

Goro paused and turned to her. "You head back. I'll handle things from here."

"But—" Aika started to protest, but Goro shot her a serious look. It was the type of look that silenced all further argument.

"Good luck, Lord Takikage," she finally said, before turning back toward the direction of her home.

Goro grinned beneath his mask. 'Luck? I won't be needing that.'

He approached the grand door and knocked, waiting for a response. When no one answered after a few moments, Goro knocked again, harder this time. Still, there was no reply.

'What's taking so long?' Goro thought, irritation bubbling to the surface.

Finally, after a few more moments, the door creaked open, revealing a large, disheveled man holding a green bottle in one hand. His face was flushed red, clearly intoxicated. His eyes squinted at Goro.

"What's with all the banging?! What do you want, you bastard?" the man slurred, before spitting on Goro's cloak in disdain.

The spit barely had time to settle on Goro's cloak before he reacted. In an instant, Goro delivered a swift sidekick to the drunkard's stomach, sending him flying backward through the doorway. The man crashed into the wall of his living room, the sound of breaking wood echoing through the house.

Aika, who had been a few meters away, heard the loud thud. She paused, momentarily tempted to rush back and see what had happened. "Lord Takikage told me to return," she reminded herself, pushing down the urge to intervene. "I can't disobey his orders."

Suppressing her curiosity, she continued her walk home.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Goro stepped through the threshold, the door creaking as it swung closed behind him. His eyes scanned the surroundings as he walked toward the living room. The house was lavishly decorated, clearly displaying the wealth that Tanaka had stolen from the village.

But it wasn't just the decor that caught Goro's attention.

As he approached the living room, the faint sound of whimpering reached his ears. He turned a corner and saw a woman, cowering in the corner of the room, her face and arms covered in bruises. Her eyes were wide with fear, trembling as she watched Goro approach.

'Beating his wife too?' Goro's eyes narrowed, a grin forming on his face. 'Well, I won't pretend I care about family issues... I'm just annoyed that he had the gall to mess with me. That being said, now I'll look like some sort of hero to that woman, so it all works out.'

Stepping past the woman, Goro grabbed the barely conscious man by the collar, lifting him off the floor with ease. In a blur, he flickered out of the house and into a dark alley in the residential district, far from prying eyes.

Goro slammed the man against the wall, his voice cold. "Embezzling funds? I haven't met anyone stupid enough to steal from me before now. You're a fool, Tanaka, and now you'll pay for it."

Tanaka, despite his pain, laughed weakly, his voice rasping. "Kill me then, you bastard Takikage. You're no leader—nothing but a thug with a title."

"As you wish." Goro's voice was as calm as ever, but deadly serious.

Without another word, Goro pulled his hand back and punched Tanaka squarely in the gut. As his fist made contact, sharp bones sprouted from his arm, piercing through the man's stomach with a sickening crunch.

Tanaka gasped, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes went wide in shock as he slumped forward, dead.

Goro raised a finger, signaling the cleanup. In an instant, a masked ninja dropped down from the shadows, retrieving the body without a word. The cleanup was swift—silent. Only a few drops of blood remained on the ground, and those would disappear within moments.

"Now all that's left is to fire that useless principal for being in league with this scum," Goro muttered to himself.

Goro's expression darkened beneath his mask as he walked away from the scene. "Finally... I can move forward with my plans. Time to reanimate Hashirama."

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Reminder: You guys don't be stingy with your powerstones. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! We've been dropping, let's increase our power ranking! Goal: 800 Powerstones.