Chapter 3 – The Chaotic System
"System, are you messing with me…" A trace of utter helplessness flashed across Izaya's face as he saw the familiar choice appear.
Unless he'd been kicked in the head by a donkey, there was no way he would ever choose the second option, the one leading to rebellion! He didn't even need to think about it. The moment the prompt appeared in his mind, he immediately declared, "I choose option one!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host, Izaya, for obtaining the reward: Chakra Extraction Method."
…
"I'm just an ordinary villager of Konoha," Izaya began, speaking slowly and clearly as he made his choice. Seeing the lingering doubt on Uchiha Itachi's face, he continued, "I'm really not lying to you. You're Uchiha Itachi, right?"
"You know me?"
A flicker of genuine surprise passed through Uchiha Itachi's dark eyes. While he was considered a prodigy within the Uchiha clan and all of Konoha, his constant work for the ANBU meant very few people had actually seen his face.
Furthermore, he had only come out here today to clear his head due to some personal troubles. He never expected to run into someone who recognized him outside the village gates. Combined with this person's previous suspicious loitering, the doubt on Itachi's face only deepened.
"It's true! My name is Izaya, and I'm a villager from Konoha!" Seeing that Uchiha Itachi still didn't fully believe him, Izaya pressed on. "Not only do I know you're Uchiha Itachi, but I also know you have a cute little brother named Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Oh?" The moment Izaya finished speaking, Uchiha Itachi's suspicious expression transformed instantly. His previously serious face softened into a subtle, genuine smile.
In a much lighter, almost joking tone, he said, "Sasuke… he is indeed a cute guy…"
'As expected of the number one brother-con in the entire Hokage world…' Izaya couldn't help but complain inwardly, though he wisely kept the thought to himself. He didn't dwell on it, however. While the anime portrayed Uchiha Itachi as a kind, perfect older brother, Izaya knew the reality was far more complex.
The Uchiha Itachi standing before him was not only an ANBU member but also a double agent caught between his clan and the Konoha higher-ups. Despite his youth, his hands were far from clean. In fact, from the moment they met, Izaya could feel the faint, chilling aura of killing intent emanating from this seemingly young boy.
"Ahem, so… now that my identity is cleared up, I should be free to go, right?" Izaya wasn't stupid. While he admired Itachi, his current priority was to get away from this dangerous situation. But just as he took two steps, Uchiha Itachi's calm, slow voice stopped him.
"It's fine if you go… but you can't leave just yet."
"Huh?!" A cold sweat broke out on Izaya's forehead. "Didn't I just explain who I am?"
"That's not why I'm stopping you."
"Then… why?"
Watching as Uchiha Itachi slowly closed the distance between them, a fresh wave of confusion washed over Izaya. He had thought Itachi wanted to interrogate him further, but judging from the tone, it seemed like something else entirely was on his mind.
"It's about this…" Seeing that he had Izaya's full attention, Uchiha Itachi's expression turned serious. "When you get back to the village, don't tell anyone you saw me out here today."
"Wait, that's it?" Izaya was taken aback. But at that very moment, the system's chime echoed in his mind once more.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for activating a selection—Loose Lips / Tight Lips?"
{Option 1: After returning to Konoha, publicize your encounter with Uchiha Itachi. Reward: Assassination by Uchiha Itachi.}*
{Option 2: Keep your mouth shut about this matter. Reward: Uchiha Itachi's Fire Release Ninjutsu Training Method x1.}*
"'Assassination by Uchiha Itachi' is a reward?!" Izaya felt the system was truly messing with him now. While there were technically two options, he wasn't an idiot! The choice was blindingly obvious.
Without a single moment of hesitation, he selected the second option.
Having made his choice, Izaya turned back to the waiting Uchiha Itachi and spoke in his most serious and sincere tone, "Itachi, don't worry. My lips are sealed. I won't breathe a word of this to anyone."
"Hm. You seem reliable enough." It seemed the identity the system had crafted for Izaya was quite solid. Facing Izaya's earnest promise, Uchiha Itachi didn't press the issue further. With those final words, his body flickered, and he vanished from Izaya's sight using the Body Flicker Technique.
…
"Ding! Congratulations to Izaya for obtaining Uchiha Itachi's Fire Release Ninjutsu Training Method x1."
Half an hour later, Izaya was sitting by the main street of Konoha, holding a simple, white training manual in his hand. A deep sense of melancholy settled over him.
'For heaven's sake! Does this dog system really intend to set me completely on the path of a Fire Release specialist?!'
It wasn't that Fire Release was inherently bad… it was just that this particular branch of ninjutsu had a notoriously terrible track record in the Naruto world. Thinking back through the entire series, the only time Fire Release had truly seemed impressive was when Uchiha Madara used his Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame during the Fourth Great Ninja War. But the truth was, that was only a B-rank technique. The reason it looked so devastating was simple: the person using it was Uchiha Madara himself! The man had monstrous chakra reserves. In anyone else's hands, it was just a flashy, chakra-intensive jutsu that never seemed to actually hit anyone.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully activating the hidden option—Becoming a Member of Konoha. Reward: Tenfold Chakra Cultivation Speed (Limited Edition.)"
Whether the system sensed Izaya's resentment or it was pure coincidence, at the very moment Izaya was sitting on the Konoha main street, feeling melancholic and staring up at the sky… the system delivered a reward that sounded genuinely amazing!
This immediately sparked Izaya's excitement. He quickly focused on the system prompt.
Tenfold Chakra Cultivation Speed (Limited Edition): Congratulations, Host, on completing the hidden option and becoming a member of Konoha. As long as Host Izaya remains within the boundaries of Konoha Village, you will enjoy a tenfold increase in the speed of your chakra cultivation!
"This thing?!" After reading the reward description, Izaya felt a surge of exhilaration.
But along with the excitement, a much larger question bubbled up in his mind.
If he had chosen to become a rogue ninja instead of returning to Konoha… what kind of reward would he have gotten then?