Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Shinobi’s Test
Nightfall had settled over the Land of Fire, painting its forests in shadowy hues of indigo. Beneath the canopy of leaves, the air felt thick with anticipation—like the hush before a storm. On a broad branch of an ancient oak tree crouched Sasuke Uchiha, eyes scanning the moonlit clearing below. A subtle glimmer reflected off the black wristbands secured along his forearms: the Restraining Seal Amplifiers he had purchased from Takashi's strange interdimensional Shop.
Sasuke had been reluctant to trust anyone—least of all some random "shopkeeper" from another dimension. But the moment he laid eyes on the wristbands, he knew they could help him refine his power, perhaps even surpass the limits of his lightning release. Now, perched above an enemy encampment, he was about to see if the item truly warranted the sacrifice he had made in trade.
A Clandestine Mission
Hours earlier, Sasuke had learned of a group of rogue shinobi gathering in the forest near the border. They were rumored to possess a stolen summoning scroll that once belonged to Orochimaru. Not only did Sasuke need to investigate; he was determined to seize the scroll himself. If it contained any secrets about forbidden techniques, it might further his quest for power—power he believed necessary to defeat his greatest enemies.
He'd approached quietly, using his Sharingan to gauge sentries. The clearing below was lit by firelight, revealing four missing-nin in worn flak jackets, each brandishing peculiar weapons. The largest, a burly man with a ragged scar across his face, clutched a scroll in his left hand.
"They don't look like pushovers," Sasuke muttered under his breath. He flexed his hands, feeling the faint hum from the wristbands. Restraining Seal Amplifiers were designed to compress a user's chakra, storing it like a coiled spring. When triggered, that chakra would be released in bursts—potentially amplifying speed or destructive force.
He'd tried them once in a controlled environment, but that was different. Now would be the true test: a live confrontation.
A chilling wind rustled the leaves. Sasuke edged closer to the trunk, channeling a trickle of lightning chakra down his arms. The runes on the wristbands flickered, absorbing part of that energy. He could almost sense the coiling effect in his forearms—like a container being filled, bit by bit.
"I can't be reckless," he reminded himself. The Amplifiers might enhance his capabilities, but poorly timed releases could backfire. "If I keep them half-charged, I can maintain my normal fighting style and have an extra burst when I need it."
He exhaled, steeling his resolve, and dropped silently from the branch.
Clash in the Moonlit Clearing
The moment Sasuke's feet touched the ground, one of the missing-nin whipped around, eyes narrowed. "Who's there?" he barked, brandishing a kunai. The others leapt to alertness, forming a loose semicircle around Sasuke.
He took two measured steps forward, Sharingan swirling to life—a single tomoe in one eye, double in the other, still in that transitional stage. "That scroll," he said quietly, pointing to the battered parchment in the scar-faced man's hand. "Hand it over."
Scar-Face sneered, revealing teeth that reflected the firelight. "A little Uchiha brat, huh? Think you can waltz in and order us around?"
Sasuke didn't reply. He simply raised his arms, letting the swirl of lightning jutsu crackle around his wrists. Immediately, the missing-nin recognized the threat. Two of them dashed in, kunai glinting. Sasuke dodged to the side, weaving hand seals. "Chidori Sharp Spear!" Lightning coalesced in his palm and extended outward like a lance.
The first attacker barely leapt aside in time, but the second wasn't so lucky—he caught the lightning spear across his shoulder and howled in pain, stumbling back. Sasuke retracted the jutsu, feeling the surge of energy feed into the wristbands. Restrain… he thought, focusing on the etched runes.
He could feel them working now, siphoning off a portion of his lightning chakra. Not enough to weaken his technique, but enough that the coiled potential built within the seals. The runic lines glowed faintly, as if thirsting for more.
Scar-Face barked an order, and the ground erupted with clay snakes that slithered toward Sasuke—likely some lesser summoning technique from the stolen scroll. Sasuke leapt upward, twisting in midair to launch two shuriken. The serpentine forms hissed, spitting acid.
Focus, Sasuke commanded himself. He was used to employing speed in short bursts, but the wristbands offered a new dimension: an internal "reserve." He poured chakra into them, then triggered a release. A rush of power coursed through his limbs—his muscles felt momentarily electrified, reflexes heightened.
In an instant, he vanished from the snakes' strike zone, reappearing behind one of the missing-nin. This shinobi swung a broad-bladed sword, but Sasuke, fueled by the Amplifiers' boost, parried with a blur of motion. The clang of steel echoed.
"W-what was that speed?" the man gasped, eyes wide.
Sasuke's Sharingan flashed red, reading the opponent's next move. He slid a kunai across the man's guard, sending him sprawling, then pivoted to face the scar-faced leader.
"Give me the scroll," Sasuke commanded again, voice icy.
Scar-Face snarled, forming a rapid sequence of hand signs. The ground shook, and a thick column of stone erupted beneath Sasuke, threatening to throw him off balance. But with the Amplifiers partially charged, Sasuke jumped, flipping to land neatly on top of the new stone spire.
With a scowl, Scar-Face unrolled the scroll. He's going to use it, Sasuke realized, eyes narrowing. If that stolen summoning technique was potent, the entire area could be swarming with advanced snakes or other monstrous creatures.
No time to hesitate.
Sasuke raised his arms, feeling the runes burn hot. He poured more lightning chakra into them. Restrain it… compress it… Then he triggered the second release. An even stronger surge roared through his bloodstream. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke channeled a high-powered Chidori—the trademark lightning technique that crackled like a thousand birds.
But it went further. The Amplifiers fed the technique, intensifying the lightning. Flickers of white-hot sparks radiated across his entire body. For a moment, it resembled a partial Chidori Nagashi as arcs of electricity spread outward.
Sasuke launched himself from the spire, aiming straight at Scar-Face. The man tried to finish his summoning, but it was too late. Sasuke slammed the enhanced Chidori into him. The resulting impact lit the clearing in dazzling flashes of blue.
BOOM.
Scar-Face was hurled backward into a tree, the scroll dropping from his grip. The air sizzled with leftover static as the Chidori dissipated. Sasuke panted, adrenaline coursing through him. The release had been more intense than he expected; every muscle in his arms quivered with residual jolts.
"Bastard," Scar-Face wheezed, pinned against the trunk. "How…? A single kid—"
"Don't underestimate an Uchiha," Sasuke hissed. He grabbed the fallen scroll, tucking it away. The other missing-nin, battered and dazed, hesitated, unsure whether to continue the fight. Sasuke's glare was enough to freeze them in place. Slowly, they backed off, unwilling to face another bolt of that terrifying lightning.
Holding the stolen scroll, Sasuke vanished into the dark forest. Victory was his. And in his mind, swirling among bitter triumph, was the realization that the Restraining Seal Amplifiers truly worked—and that he still had to master them further. Each release had left him trembling with a mixture of power and exhaustion, like a dangerously addictive surge.
He gritted his teeth, ignoring the aches. It's a means to an end, he told himself. Nothing more.
A Subtle Aftermath
Sometime later, Sasuke found a secluded clearing near a stream, where he paused to catch his breath. He knelt by the water, glancing at his reflection. With his dark hair hanging around his eyes, he could see the wristbands hugging his forearms—runes no longer glowing, having burned out most of the stored energy.
Carefully, he pressed a hand against the etched metal, noting the faint warmth. "So," he muttered, speaking to the empty night, "that shopkeeper's item isn't worthless after all."
He inhaled, forcing calm. A swirl of conflicting thoughts churned within him. For so long, Sasuke had pursued new jutsu and enhancements from unsavory sources, always chasing the power to enact vengeance. To rely on a random dimension-hopping merchant felt… foreign. Even suspicious.
But results speak louder than trust issues, he thought, eyes narrowing. He had never moved quite that fast before, nor had his lightning release ever felt so concentrated. No doubt, the Amplifiers had given him an edge—an edge that might be critical if he confronted truly formidable enemies.
He took out the stolen scroll, scanning the contents by moonlight. His expression soured. Most of this is rubbish—low-grade summoning instructions, some half-baked ninjutsu illusions. Orochimaru wouldn't have parted with anything truly valuable. He closed the scroll in frustration. Perhaps not worthless, he reasoned, but not the goldmine I'd hoped for.
A gust rustled the branches overhead. Sasuke realized how quiet the night had grown. The rogue shinobi might still be prowling around, or they might have fled. Either way, he had no desire for more confrontation tonight. Carefully, he lifted the corner of the stolen scroll, tore off a blank scrap, and wrapped it around a small lock of his hair. If he ever needed to find the Shop again, rumor had it that a piece of personal essence—like hair or blood—could help intensify the dimensional resonance.
He stashed it away. "If I need a better item, or if these wristbands start malfunctioning… I might have to go back." The thought unsettled him, yet a spark of curiosity lingered. In the end, Sasuke was a pragmatist: If the Shop helps me get stronger, I'll use it.
A Quiet Morning in Tokyo
Meanwhile, in a far more ordinary setting, Takashi woke to a bright shaft of sunlight spilling through his bedroom window. He yawned, staring at the digital clock on his nightstand. 7:32 AM. Groggily, he swung out of bed, threw on some clothes, and shuffled downstairs to open the store.
The regular "storefront" faced a normal Tokyo street—neighbors heading to work, students walking to school. As usual, none of them guessed that behind a small door in the back lay a gateway to infinite worlds. Takashi flipped the "Open" sign, greeting a few local customers who dropped by for packaged lunches or cold drinks. Business was modest but steady, enough to maintain the facade of a normal convenience shop.
In the back of his mind, he wondered if any new dimension travelers would show up today. After all, the door had stirred so many times recently. Perhaps it'll stay quiet for a while. He felt a mix of relief and mild disappointment at the thought. Indeed, each cosmic visit brought chaos, but also excitement.
Midway through restocking some snack shelves, Takashi paused. The System interface popped up—a swirl of pale blue code across his vision:
"Item Purchased by Customer #2 Has Been Used in Combat. No Integrity Issues Detected."
Customer #2. That was Sasuke Uchiha. Takashi's heart fluttered. "So he tested the Amplifiers," he murmured, setting aside a box of chips. He opened the System's "Usage Log" to see if there were any reported anomalies. The log indicated the item had been used multiple times in quick succession—maximum discharge. Everything functioned as intended.
A faint wave of relief and curiosity washed over him. "I wonder if he pushed them to their limit," Takashi mused. Then, remembering Sasuke's stern demeanor, he chuckled under his breath. "Probably. That guy doesn't do anything halfway."
He closed the interface, a small smile on his lips. Part of him was glad the items were working properly—his reputation as a trustworthy merchant depended on it. Another part braced for the possibility that Sasuke would reappear, demanding more lethal gear. Or complaining about something. Dealing with him is always going to be tense, Takashi reflected.
Still, he was the Shopkeeper. He'd handle it.
Ripples in the Shinobi World
Some time after his skirmish, Sasuke reached a small hideout at the edge of a rocky plateau. It was little more than a cave with a makeshift bedroll, but it afforded him enough privacy to recuperate. He lit a small lantern, scanning the stolen scroll once more for anything valuable.
A single technique near the end caught his eye: a specialized Earth Release ninjutsu rumored to meld with lightning chakra for amplified destructive force. But the instructions were incomplete. "Tch," Sasuke hissed in annoyance. "Doesn't do me much good if half the details are missing."
He rolled the parchment back up, tossing it aside. The Amplifiers on his wrists were silent now, no longer glowing. Yet, the memory of that adrenaline rush stuck with him. He pressed a palm to one band, thinking of the door that had led him to that bizarre Shop.
Could he find it again on his own? Possibly, if his desire was strong enough. But the Shop seemed equally reliant on a kind of cosmic invitation. He knew from experience that forcibly controlling the portal wasn't straightforward.
Sasuke closed his eyes, a swirl of old anger burning in his chest: memories of his clan's demise, of Itachi's face twisted in mockery. I need more power, he thought, fists clenching. I will surpass them all.
A fleeting notion crept in: the Shop might contain technology or spells that dwarfed anything in the shinobi world. He pictured advanced weapons, or even stranger relics that could manipulate space-time. If he truly threw caution to the wind, he could amass unstoppable might.
But a whisper of doubt nagged him. Even a place that sold "everything" wasn't free from consequences. That much was obvious from the Shop's motto. There's nothing free, everything has a price. He'd have to keep that in mind—and weigh each trade carefully. He'd parted with a stolen scroll last time; next time, the price might be steeper.
For now, he told himself, he'd bide his time. He had new tools, new vantage points—and if push came to shove, he could always return. The question was whether fate would draw him back sooner rather than later.
Another Day, Another Visitor?
In Tokyo, Takashi balanced the double life of a mundane shop owner and a cosmic merchant. Morning turned to afternoon, and the swirl of everyday customers came and went. He rang up groceries, greeted regulars, and even helped an elderly neighbor carry her parcels. All the while, the dimension door remained silent in the back.
He was in the midst of scanning bar codes for a bored teenager when his phone vibrated in his pocket, startling him. He rarely received calls. Pulling it out, he saw an unknown number. With a quiet apology to the teenager, he pressed "Answer."
A crackle of static. "Hello? T-Takashi, is that you?" The voice belonged to a friend from his old school—a faint memory from his original life. Or no, wait… in this life, he had a scattering of acquaintances from high school. He barely recalled this person's face.
"It's me, Yuuta," the voice said. "I got your number from a classmate. Listen, do you remember the after-school club meeting next month? We're short on volunteers. Would you, maybe—"
Takashi forced a polite grin, though he felt no spark of connection. This was the mundane reality of his second life: a few acquaintances, a normal upbringing as the wealthy heir of the Nakamura family, and trivial social obligations. He listened for a bit, giving half-hearted responses. The conversation was jarringly normal, a stark contrast to the cosmic drama that occasionally unfolded behind his shop door.
Eventually, he politely ended the call, promising to "consider it." The teenage customer, curious, asked, "Something important?"
Takashi shook his head. "Not really. Just… old acquaintances." He finished scanning the items and handed the teenager a bag. "That'll be 1,280 yen, please."
The teenager shrugged, paid, and left. Takashi let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. I'm living two different lives at once, he mused. Normal day-to-day, and a cosmic store behind the door.
Yet, ironically, neither life felt wholly real to him sometimes. In moments like these, he felt like he was drifting. He recalled Sasuke's intense eyes, Rin's determined scowl. At least in those encounters, everything was real—charged with meaning and consequence.
He rubbed his temple, sinking onto a stool behind the counter. "Am I crazy for wanting more visitors from the dimension door?" he murmured, half-smiling at his own restlessness.
Whispers of a Return
Late that night, after closing the shop's front entrance and turning down the overhead lights, Takashi performed his usual routine: a quick cleaning of the aisles, a check of the locked display cases, and a final glance at the dimension door. He almost expected it to glow again, but it remained dormant, bathed in the soft illumination of a single overhead lamp.
He walked over to the door, resting a hand on the ornate wood. The faint runic inscriptions were inert, no swirl of cosmic energy in sight. "So you're letting me sleep tonight, huh?" he joked quietly, his breath warming the smooth grain of the wood.
Clunk. He slid the deadbolt in place—more out of habit than necessity. The Shop's cosmic portal didn't really respond to mundane locks, but it felt reassuring to have some semblance of normal security.
Turning away, he headed up the narrow stairs to his modest apartment above. The night air was cool through the open window. Takashi flopped onto his bed, exhaustion tugging at his limbs. Yet, as he stared at the ceiling, the question pestered him: What's Sasuke doing with those wristbands right now? Did he risk his life again? Did they help? Did they cause any side effects?
He tried to push the thoughts aside, but they lingered in the back of his mind. Eventually, weariness won, and he drifted into restless sleep.
In Another World
Back in the shinobi realm, Sasuke stood at the edge of a moonlit ravine, the stolen scroll tucked away. His arms felt sore from the intense chakra releases earlier, but the pain was overshadowed by a grim sense of accomplishment.
He gazed at the Amplifiers. The runic patterns were faint, nearly invisible without active chakra. This is only the beginning, he reminded himself. He had gleaned enough to realize that each usage had the potential to further refine his lightning style. But the risk was there, too—an overcharge could damage his chakra network.
Setting his jaw, Sasuke removed the wristbands, rubbing the reddened skin beneath. I need more time to adapt. One day, he would push them to their limits. Perhaps that day, he'd surpass even the memory of Itachi in raw speed and power. And if he needed more advanced gear… that door was always an option.
Just the memory of stepping through that swirling threshold into Takashi's shop made him uneasy. It was so calm, so unassuming—yet it housed relics powerful enough to rewrite the destinies of entire worlds. Even he, embittered by loss and driven by vengeance, recognized that some cosmic rule was at play.
What a strange place… and that shopkeeper… Sasuke still had trouble reconciling Takashi's casual air with the grand scale of that interdimensional inventory. But if it gave him an advantage, he couldn't ignore it.
With a final look into the starry sky, Sasuke secured the wristbands in his pack and set off down the ravine path. He had many miles to travel, many battles yet to fight, and one day, perhaps, the door would beckon him again. For now, the Amplifiers had served their purpose—and proven that the Shop's wares were no mere gimmick.
The Shop Door Waits
Days passed, and neither Rin Tohsaka nor Sasuke Uchiha returned to the Shop. Takashi carried on with daily customers and quiet nights. Sometimes, he felt a twinge of longing for the dimension door to stir. Other times, he relished the calm.
He managed his credit balance carefully, inching closer to the day he could buy that Shopkeeper's Gate ring. Every transaction with a traveling stranger, every everyday sale to local passersby, contributed to a slow accumulation of Shop Credits (in ways he still didn't fully comprehend, since even real-world currency occasionally got converted into Credits if the System deemed it so).
One evening, as he was sweeping the floor, the System's voice announced a new mission:
"Generate 10,000 Shop Credits in total to unlock advanced merchant privileges."
Takashi paused, lowering the broom. "Advanced merchant privileges?" he repeated. "What does that even mean?" The System, naturally, gave no direct answer, only repeating the target. He sighed. "Fine. I guess that's your way of telling me to keep pushing."
Still, the sense of progress motivated him. A smile ghosted his lips as he finished sweeping and locked up for the night. Perhaps Sasuke, with his unstoppable drive for power, or Rin, with her quest for victory in the Grail War, would show up again soon. Or perhaps the door would open for someone entirely new—someone from a world he had never seen, with a story and stakes all their own.
Either way, he was ready. Ready to greet them with that same calm line: "In this shop, we have everything. But are you willing to pay the price?"
For now, the dimension door stood silent, just an ordinary wooden frame in a quiet shop. Beyond it, however, infinite realities breathed, each containing heroes and villains, lost souls and adventurers, all searching for something they could not find in their own worlds.
And when they were ready, when their desire was strong enough, they would open that door—and Takashi would be there, the invincible shopkeeper, bridging worlds one transaction at a time.