Steve Rogers, though overflowing with a sense of justice, was well aware of his limitations.
He didn’t believe he had what it took to become the guardian of humanity.
Deep down, he yearned to be an “ally of justice.”
Noticing his hesitation, Minato chuckled softly. “Strength and frailty don’t mean much. It’s those with hearts of gold, who dare to stand up for others, that have what it takes to be a guardian.”
Seeing that Steve was still hesitant, Minato added, “If a person only dares to defend fairness and justice when they are strong, what happens when they lose their strength and become weak?”
Minato placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder.
Oddly enough, even though Minato was just a spirit with no physical presence, Steve felt warmth and genuine encouragement.
His confused gaze gradually became firm, and he nodded. “What should I do next?”
“First, discard any thoughts of shortcuts. Be yourself with dignity!”
Minato’s eyes fell on the ring on Steve’s middle finger. “Your bloodline carries the power of your ancestors.”
Future Captain America was bewildered.
He had never felt any of this supposed “power.” All he had known was a lifetime of sickness and frailty.
“It’s dormant in your bloodline. You need to awaken this power.”
The former Fourth Hokage, having been deceived countless times, had finally mastered the divine skill of “persuasion.”
“The secret lies within your ring.”
Hearing this, Steve Rogers was stunned.
He examined the seemingly ordinary ring on his hand.
“It’s solid…”
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t imagine it holding anything.
Minato smiled, gently stroking the ancient metal ring.
A glass vial filled with liquid appeared in Steve’s hand.
The blue liquid, sparkling with silver flecks, was breathtakingly beautiful.
Under Minato’s guidance, the entranced Steve Rogers drank the liquid.
In just a few breaths, his vision darkened, and he lost consciousness.
Minato looked at the unconscious, frail young man, worry etched on his face.
Whether he could complete his mission depended on this man’s performance.
Could he be relied upon?
During his mission, Minato only had temporary access to the Supreme God’s exchange list. The potion he had just used, called “Bane of the Weak,” cost him a full 100 reward points.
Now, the Fourth Hokage’s net worth was—negative 100 points.
He shook his head and smiled wryly. “Do your best and leave the rest to fate.”
…
When Steve Rogers awoke, the blond, blue-eyed guardian spirit was nowhere to be seen.
“Was it all just my imagination…?”
Just as the feeling of loss welled up inside him, he noticed changes in his body.
His arms, legs, and torso had all grown!
This was no illusion!
His once perfectly fitting clothes now felt tight, with some buttons having popped off.
Standing before the mirror, Steve Rogers looked like a grown man in a child’s clothes, comically ridiculous.
However, the excitement and joy inside him completely overshadowed this absurdity.
He found a measuring tape and checked his height.
188.5 centimeters!
It was a complete transformation; he was like a different person!
Though his rapid growth had consumed his body’s nutritional reserves, making him appear very thin, this only accentuated his striking appearance.
With a chiseled, handsome face, resolute eyes, and slightly thin lips…
For some reason, though they looked nothing alike, Minato, hiding in the ring, felt that Steve Rogers bore some of the mature charm of Sasuke.
Steve Rogers lowered his head, his lips almost touching the ring, and whispered, “Guardian spirit… are you still there?”
Minato’s voice echoed in his ear, “Yes, you don’t need to be so close. I can hear you.”
“What should I do now?”
“Every guardian of humanity undergoes numerous trials. To become an ally of justice, you must start with small deeds.”
Minato’s tone was calm as he set a small goal for him: “Join the war against the Nazis, defeat the evil Axis powers.”
…
Meanwhile.
Orochimaru, having squeezed some reward points from his good friend Jiraiya, was back on track.
With some reward points in hand, he immediately resumed his extravagant ways, displaying his true mad scientist colors.
He exchanged a large amount of counterfeit bonds and bank checks, acquiring as many usable funds as possible with minimal investment in a short time.
Purchasing various materials, contacting factories, providing design plans, and personally supervising the construction of a personal submarine…
Then, he crossed the ocean to Japan.
Destroying a nation was simple.
Positron cannons, antimatter bombs, vacuum implosion devices, Gaia energy cannons, nuclear fusion warheads, QP series rays, disintegrator beams, sun ladders, gravity wells, dimensional shock bombs, planet-busting bombs, tectonic disruptors…
But completing the mission given by the Supreme God was much harder, though still with many possible approaches.
T-virus, Blacklight virus, giant serum, RC factor implantation…
After considering many options, Orochimaru finally chose something relatively safer and easier to modify.
Oracle Cells, also known as Aragami Cells.
These cells would prey on all life forms, whether animal, plant, or microorganism.
By devouring and absorbing various life forms, they would quickly mutate into various beings.
Conventional weapons, whether hot or cold, were useless against them.
Orochimaru stared at the black mist-like cells in the inert transparent vial, a cold glint in his golden snake eyes. “Targeted modification to affect only the Japanese… difficult.”
He had used one of his two free consultation opportunities for each mission to ask the support program.
“If I were to destroy most life on this planet, leaving only the universally detested Japanese and some people from other countries, would that count as completing the mission?”
The support program responded within a nanosecond: “That would complete the mission, but only with the lowest rating and basic rewards. Additionally, you have a 0.0012% chance of achieving this scenario.”
“Reincarnator 001, you have one free consultation left for this mission.”
Hearing this, Orochimaru knew what to do.
His mission was challenging, but it only required making the Japanese stand against the rest of humanity, making them despised, hated, and detested by most.
If he escalated it to a world-ending event, it would be a suicide mission.
“So, I’ll use Oracle Cells as a blueprint to create a ‘bioweapon’ that targets only the Japanese…”
It was a tough research topic.
Fortunately, the mission had a long time limit, and Orochimaru had the patience and confidence to see it through.
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