Alone in the cool, echoing silence of her cave, Miria often found her thoughts drifting, not idly, but with a calculated desperation. Her [Observer's Log] was a vast library of the future, filled with names, faces, and, most importantly, abilities. She knew the power scale of this world intimately.
Rasengan. Chidori. Susano'o. Amaterasu. Planetary Devastation. All chakra. All impossible. The mental dismissals came as quickly as the thoughts. Ninety-nine percent of the formidable techniques she knew from her past life were utterly beyond her reach, rendered inert by the gaping void where her chakra network should have been. It was a constant, infuriating reminder of her fundamental flaw.
She pictured the legendary shinobi: Naruto's endless well of chakra and Sage Mode; Sasuke's devastating Sharingan and Rinnegan; Kakashi's ingenuity with his diverse jutsu. Even the simplest Ninjutsu, like a basic Clone Jutsu or the Academy's Transformation Jutsu, required a molding of internal energy she simply didn't possess. Genjutsu, with its reliance on chakra disruption, was equally off-limits.
So, what's left? she mused, her emerald eyes scanning the rough rock walls of her sanctuary as if the answers might be etched there.
Taijutsu: The physical arts. Her mind instantly conjured images of Might Guy and Rock Lee. Eight Gates... unthinkable. But raw speed, strength, skill? Possible. She was already agile, strong for her size, and had decent endurance. But even the strongest taijutsu users were still vulnerable to elemental jutsu or genjutsu if caught off guard. And a single direct hit from a chakra-enhanced punch would be lethal. It was a path, but a razor-thin one.Weaponry: Swords, shuriken, kunai. Standard ninja tools. Useful, but only as good as the wielder. Scientific Ninja Tools? A flicker of hope. She remembered advancements made later in the timeline, devices that could store and release chakra without the user needing to mold it. A brilliant concept, but they were rare, likely prototypes at this stage, and obtaining one would be a monumental, dangerous task. Regular, non-chakra-imbued weapons were an option, but again, easily countered by any competent ninja.Intelligence & Strategy: Shikamaru Nara, a genius. His mind was his weapon. My greatest asset is knowledge of the future. This was her true advantage. But knowledge alone didn't deflect a fireball or stop a charging opponent. It allowed her to predict danger, to evade it, to manipulate subtly, but not to fight.Sensory Abilities: Karin's chakra-based sensory perception was out. But what about heightened natural senses? Keen eyesight, sharp hearing, an almost animalistic sense of smell? Her [Environmental Analysis] system certainly amplified her awareness, but it was information processing, not innate biological enhancement. Could I train my mundane senses to superhuman levels? Maybe, but it's not a direct combat power.Poisons/Chemicals/Traps: This was a viable path. Discreet, insidious, effective against even powerful foes if applied correctly. She recalled figures like Sasori, though his primary strength came from chakra-imbued puppets. But the poisons themselves were purely chemical. Difficult to acquire raw materials without drawing attention. Requires specialized knowledge and equipment I lack.Unique Body Modifications (non-chakra): Her mind briefly touched on ideas from the very fringes of her knowledge, obscure scientific or biological enhancements. But these were almost always extreme, experimental, or required a level of technology that simply didn't exist yet, or would be impossible for her to access.A deep sigh escaped her. The list of possibilities was agonizingly short, a stark reflection of her existence. She couldn't become a powerhouse like Naruto or Sasuke. Her path to "strength" lay not in overpowering, but in outsmarting, outlasting, and exploiting the vulnerabilities of a world utterly reliant on the very force she lacked. It would be a strength forged in desperation, ingenuity, and a terrifyingly precise understanding of the future. The challenge was immense, but the alternative was death
The list of viable options, even after a merciless mental culling, was agonizingly short for Miria. Her [Observer's Log] had given her an exhaustive compendium of powers, but her fundamental flaw, the gaping chakra void within her, rendered almost all of them irrelevant. Yet, in the quiet desperation of her cave, a few truly potent, if seemingly impossible, avenues remained. She weighed them, cold and logical, against her absolute inability to mold chakra.
First, Sage Mode. Her mind replayed the terrifying power of Naruto and Jiraiya, of Hashirama Senju. The ability to draw in natural energy, merge it with one's own, and achieve a state of heightened senses, strength, and durability. It was an overwhelming force, a true path to power that didn't rely solely on inherited bloodlines or vast internal reserves.
Requires: Perfect balance of physical, spiritual, and natural energy. Molding natural energy into Senjutsu chakra. Her [System]'s internal analysis flashed. Chakra molding: Impossible for user. A bitter, familiar taste filled her mouth. The path to Sage Mode, no matter how appealing, was fundamentally closed off. It demanded the very thing she lacked. Training her body to withstand the strain was one thing, but the critical step of combining energies, of molding any chakra, was an insurmountable wall. It was a tantalizing glimpse of power, forever out of reach.
Next, a far more dangerous, almost insane idea: somehow sealing a Jinchuriki inside herself. Her [Observer's Log] listed them as walking, breathing WMDs, possessing unimaginable chakra reserves. If she could contain one, her chakra issue would be solved, spectacularly.
Requires: Advanced Sealing Jutsu (requires chakra). Compatibility with Bijuu chakra (extremely rare). Sufficient personal chakra reserves to act as container (impossible for user). High risk of immediate death or Bijuu rampage. The system's warnings were stark. Even if she could somehow get a sealing master to perform the jutsu on her (an impossibility in itself, given her desire for secrecy and lack of leverage), her body simply couldn't contain it. She'd explode, or the Bijuu would break free immediately. It was a theoretical solution, but a suicidal one, a fantasy born of desperation. The very notion sent a shiver of pure, pragmatic dread down her spine.
Finally, the most tangible, yet still astronomically difficult, option: acquiring one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades. The legendary tools of Kirigakure. Kubikiribōchō, Samehada, Kiba, Nuibari, Kabutowari, Shibuki, Hiramekarei. Each one monstrously powerful in its own right, some almost sentient.
Miria mentally scrolled through them. Samehada: Absorbs chakra. Will likely drain and kill user with no chakra.Dismissed.Kiba: Conducts lightning chakra. Useless without lightning chakra.Dismissed.Nuibari: Requires chakra threads to pierce and stitch.Dismissed. Kabutowari: A blunt force axe-hammer. No chakra required for basic swing. Brutally heavy.* This caught her attention. Pure physical force. Kubikiribōchō: Giant cleaver, regenerates from blood. No chakra required for basic swing. Immense weight. Also a possibility. Shibuki: Explosive blade. Requires chakra to create explosions.* Dismissed.Hiramekarei: Dual sword. Requires chakra to shape.Dismissed.
Only Kubikiribōchō and Kabutowari remained as remote possibilities for physical tools. But even then, acquiring one meant confronting a Seven Ninja Swordsman – an elite, chakra-wielding specialist, often paired with another. For a chakra-less individual, this was a suicide mission disguised as an opportunity. Even if she somehow managed to steal one, wielding a massive, oversized weapon would limit her agility, a key component of her current survival strategy.
She sighed, the sound echoing softly in the cave. The realization settled heavy and cold. Her options for gaining conventional "strength" were virtually non-existent. The path of direct power was truly and utterly closed. Her strength would have to come from something else entirely, something far more subtle, and far more desperate. Her survival hinged on outthinking, not outfighting.
A harsh, short bark of laughter ripped from Miria's throat, startling a bat clinging to the cave ceiling. It was a sound devoid of humor, laced instead with bitter defeat and a chilling resolve. "There really is only one option, Jinchuriki..." she muttered to the empty air, her voice rough. Her emerald eyes, though focused on nothing, were alight with a desperate, terrifying ambition. "The issue will mostly just be somehow finding and then sealing a Bijuu inside me."
The thought was insane, a desperate gamble bordering on suicide, yet her [Observer's Log] had confirmed it was the only theoretical path to wielding true chakra, a path that bypassed her fundamental flaw by externalizing the energy source. She, who couldn't mold a single drop of chakra, would become the container for a being made of pure, unfathomable chakra. The irony was a cold comfort.
Her [System] immediately began to flash warnings, a frantic mental cascade of red alerts:
ERROR: BIJUU SEALING REQUIRES ADVANCED FUINJUTSU (CHAKRA-BASED). USER: CHAKRA NULL.RISK: IMMEDIATE DEATH UPON SEAL ATTEMPT WITHOUT COMPATIBILITY OR CONTAINMENT CAPACITY.RISK: BIJUU RAMPAGE. GLOBAL THREAT.RECOMMENDATION: ABORT.
Miria ignored the system's frantic protests. She knew the risks. She knew the near-impossibility. But the idea, once conceived, had rooted itself in her mind, a defiant flicker of hope in a world designed to crush her. Every other path led to constant, paralyzing vulnerability. This path, however narrow and perilous, led to true power, to the ability to finally stand on something resembling equal footing.
Finding a Bijuu would be a monumental task in itself. They were either hidden, fiercely protected, or already sealed within powerful Jinchuriki. And sealing one? That required intricate, high-level Fuinjutsu, an art utterly reliant on precise chakra control. She had no chakra, no knowledge of sealing, and no one she could trust to perform such a life-threatening, world-altering procedure on her, even if they knew how.
Yet, the idea persisted, a dark star in her bleak internal landscape. It was the only way to genuinely break the chains of her chakra-less existence. It wasn't about heroism or villainy, not about saving or destroying the world she knew was coming. It was about survival, taken to its most extreme, desperate, and terrifying logical conclusion.
A grim, almost manic determination settled over Miria. The laughter of defeat had faded, replaced by the chilling resolve of absolute conviction. "There is no other way," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper in the silent cave. "If I don't, I die. If I do, I might die. I'll just have to convince said Bijuu." The sheer audacity of the thought, the casual mention of "convincing" a primordial force of nature, was a testament to her unique blend of meta-knowledge and chakra-less desperation.
With a decisive nod, Miria rose to her feet. The ache in her muscles from weeks of fortification was ignored. Her small pack, meticulously prepared, felt light on her shoulders. She took one last look around the secure, hidden sanctuary she had painstakingly built, a place designed for long-term concealment. It was now obsolete. This new objective required her to leave the shadows and actively seek out the very things she had spent her life avoiding.
Stepping out of the cave, Miria stood on the precipice of a new, unimaginably perilous journey. The cool mountain air brushed against her face, carrying the familiar scents of pine and damp earth. Her [Threat Assessment] module immediately flickered, registering the ambient dangers of the wilderness, but she paid it little mind. Her focus was now singular, terrifying in its scope.
Her [Observer's Log] began to scroll through possibilities, filtering through all nine of the Tailed Beasts. Her mind raced, sifting through canon knowledge: their locations, their current Jinchuriki, their personalities, their vulnerabilities, and the timeline of their capture or release.
One-Tails, Shukaku: Currently sealed in Gaara. In Suna. Gaara is a major character, powerful. Highly risky.
Two-Tails, Matatabi: Sealed in Yugito Nii. In Kumogakure. Kumo ninja are fiercely protective. Extremely high risk.
Three-Tails, Isobu: Unsealed, wandering. Then captured by Akatsuki. Could be an opportunity, but incredibly dangerous as it's a wild Bijuu.
Four-Tails, Son Goku: Sealed in Roshi. In Iwagakure. Like Kumo, very protective. High risk.
Five-Tails, Kokuo: Sealed in Han. In Iwagakure. Same as above.
ix-Tails, Saiken: Sealed in Utakata. In Kirigakure. Potentially more isolated, but still dangerous.
Seven-Tails, Chomei: Sealed in Fuu. In Takigakure. Hidden village, but smaller. Maybe less security?
Eight-Tails, Gyuki: Sealed in Killer Bee. With Kumogakure. Recently encountered by Sasuke. Absolutely impossible to approach.
Nine-Tails, Kurama: Sealed in Naruto. In Konohagakure. The protagonist. Impossible.
The sheer audacity of her plan, of approaching an unstoppable force without an ounce of chakra, would be laughable if it weren't her only perceived path to survival. "Convincing" a Bijuu would be an exercise in manipulation and luck on a scale never before attempted by a mere human, let alone one utterly bereft of power.
Her most immediate, "least suicidal" options, based purely on accessibility and current status, seemed to be the Three-Tails (if she could find it before Akatsuki) or perhaps a long-shot, high-risk attempt at somehow approaching the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fuu, in the smaller, less prominent Hidden Waterfall Village. Both were needles in a haystack, but one was free, the other potentially less guarded than the others.
The single, defiant laugh echoed in the hollow vastness of Miria's cave as she fully embraced the insanity of her new objective. "There is no other way," she'd declared, the words a grim mantra against her overwhelming vulnerability. The Three-Tails, Isobu. It was the only viable choice. Her [Observer's Log] provided the crucial detail: Isobu was currently unsealed, a wild force of nature wandering the depths of the world's great waters.
Where there is a body of water, there it is. The knowledge from her past life pinpointed Isobu's general preference for vast, isolated lakes or even stretches of the ocean. Specifically, her memories whispered of a massive, secluded lake often linked to the border regions between the Land of Water and the more mountainous, less-traveled parts of the Land of Fire and Land of Hot Water. It was a treacherous journey, far from the relative 'safety' of her current mountain sanctuary, but it was the only lead she had.
Her immediate strategy, stripped of any ninja art, was pure, brutal pragmatism: Track, Locate, Observe, and then... "Convince."
Miria began to plot her course. Her [Environmental Analysis] module became her lifeline, mapping out the most discreet and resource-rich routes through the Land of Fire's wilderness. She needed to bypass Konoha's influence entirely, avoid major river systems that might be used by ninja for transport, and stick to the highest, most desolate mountain passes or the densest, most unexplored forests. It would be a journey measured in weeks, perhaps months, all while meticulously conserving her limited supplies.
Her [Threat Assessment] was set to its most sensitive parameters. She knew that any shinobi, particularly those from Konoha or rogue elements, were likely to be active in the Land of Fire. But a far greater, invisible clock was ticking: the Akatsuki. Her [Observer's Log] screamed warnings of their eventual pursuit of Isobu. Deidara and Tobi would eventually capture the Three-Tails. She had to find it and, impossibly, reach it before they did. This was not merely a race against time, but a race against forces she could not hope to combat.
She left her cave as silently as she had arrived in Kagami Falls. The air outside was crisp, the sky a vast, indifferent canvas. Her pack felt heavier now, weighted not just by supplies, but by the sheer, desperate magnitude of her ambition. Each step was deliberate, a silent promise to herself to survive. She moved with an almost primal instinct, a ghost in the vast, dangerous landscape, guided only by the fading echoes of a future that demanded her impossible gamble. Her path was one of unparalleled stealth, endurance, and a terrifying reliance on a luck she knew rarely favored the chakra-less.