Night had settled fully over Konoha.Aside from the cold breeze threading through empty streets, the only sounds were drunkards arguing, stray dogs fighting over territory, and a lone cat in heat screeching somewhere in the dark.
Tobika moved across rooftops under pale moonlight, glancing back once at the Nara district before hopping down to the street. He dug at his nose absently as he walked.
Allies.In this world, allies were more unpredictable than any forbidden jutsu.
Two of the greatest unknown factors in the shinobi world:Black Zetsu's obsession with resurrecting his mother…And allies who change sides the moment it suits them.
Sunagakure had been Konoha's "ally" since both villages were founded.Then they stabbed Konoha in the First Shinobi War.Kicked them twice in the Second.And in the Third War?They marched right up to Kikyo Pass and tried to crack Konoha's skull open.
Now they were coming to sign a new "friendship treaty."Again.
Tobika sighed, thinking of the future—where Suna teamed up with Orochimaru and murdered the Third Hokage.
Some allies were simply professional backstabbers.
A stumbling drunk tripped near him, but Tobika ignored him. His mind replayed Yoshino's last message written in tea on the table:
"Wait."
If Minato were going to live, maybe he could've waited.
But Minato would die young.And Yoshino wanted him to "wait."
Meanwhile he intended to "swap out Shikamaru's future wife."
If she ever found out he planned to match Shikamaru with an Uchiha girl…Yoshino might explode from joy. Or fury. Hard to say.
When Tobika reached home, he summoned the system window.The bold characters "MISSION COMPLETE" were waiting.
He inhaled.
"System."
[Sometimes, whether you can become friends with someone doesn't depend on either child.In childhood, mothers decide who their kids can spend time with.If she approves, the friendship exists.If she disapproves, it dies on the spot.]
(P.S.: Personal experience. My mom banned me from playing with X. X's mom banned him from playing with me. We didn't speak until high school.)
[Congratulations, host. Through wisdom and sweat, you befriended Nara Shikamaru before he even knew what friends were.Your future path as a shinobi strategist has been widened dramatically.From now on, Shikamaru will handle the major schemes.You only need basic literacy and leadership skills.]
[Mission Rewards:
Significant boost to Sharingan progression
One Mysterious Exchange Ticket
One letter from a stranger]
[Due to befriending the target through special means, a hidden side quest is now unlocked.]
[Proceed with reward settlement?]
Tobika stared silently.
Shikamaru's birth was around September.By October he'd recognize his parents.By November he'd recognize letters.By December… he'd recognize candy.
And then Tobika would pull him into the Uchiha via the ancient art of "luring children with sweets."
Friend count: +1Fetus edition.
He closed his eyes.
"Settle."
A surge of heat crashed into his eyes. His Sharingan opened automatically as the warmth swirled, circulated, then finally faded.
The increase was enormous—nearly twenty times the previous progress.
Before any system missions:3000 / 10000 toward Mangekyō.
After his first mission:3000.5 / 10000
After his second:3120.5 / 10000
And 100 of that came from two months of basic training.
He exhaled sharply.
Then his gaze fell on the mysterious exchange ticket.He lifted it, turning it under the moonlight.
"One Mysterious Exchange Ticket: exchangeable for any large-scale, high-power weapon."
High-power weapon?
His mind immediately jumped to nuclear warheads.
Not world-ending, but definitely humanity-ending.
Imagine the day he eventually died…The entire shinobi world would see a giant mushroom cloud bloom over Konoha.
But then again—In a world where bijuu bombs existed, mushroom clouds weren't even impressive.A single Tailed Beast Bomb was practically a mobile nuke.
If the system existed at all, maybe it could conjure something beyond reason.
Tobika crushed the ticket.
A blue panel materialized.
[Please choose weapon type]
He didn't hesitate.
"Six-Pure-World Depleted-Uranium Bomb!"
[No matching weapon found. Please choose again.]
"Six-Barrel Barrett Intercontinental Nuke Cannon!"
[No matching weapon found. Please choose again.]
"Give me a hydrogen bomb. The kind that leaves a crater where Konoha used to—"
[No matching weapon found. Please choose again.]
"No hot weapons? Fine. Give me Mihawk's sword, Black Blade Yoru."
[No matching weapon found. Please choose again.]
Tobika fell silent.
Was he asking for too much?Or was the system simply stupid?Or…
Was it because the system thought this was Year 57 of the Village, but it was actually Year 51?Meaning: on the system's timeline, six-year-old Sasuke should exist right now.So maybe the system filtered based on what a six-year-old considered a "powerful weapon"?
He rubbed his chin.
When he was six, the deadliest weapon he could imagine was…
"A sword that doesn't chip or dull when cutting bones?"
[Weapon matched. Item: Kusanagi Sword]
A long, cold blade manifested on his table.
Tobika stared.
"…Why does this look exactly like Orochimaru's?"
Meanwhile—
In a country bordering Kusa…
Mitarashi Anko jerked upright in her bed.
Her arms groped around wildly.
Blank sheets.
No sword.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"My sword? I was holding it while I slept—where did it go?!"
"Oh no. I lost Orochimaru-sama's sword…"
She threw her bedding aside and ran barefoot out the room.
Bang!
Orochimaru looked up from his work as Anko burst into the lab.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
He gave her a thin smile.
"Anko. What is it?"
"It's bad!"Anko leaned forward, panting."I—I lost the Kusanagi Sword you lent me!"
She gestured frantically.
"I was hugging it in bed just now—and then it disappeared! Like whoosh! Gone! I reached out and—I couldn't find it!"
Orochimaru sifted her words in his mind, then nodded calmly.
He wasn't angry.Not at all.
He patted Anko's head.
"Such weapons can be replaced.Besides… there was no chakra disturbance, no intruder, no trace of any shinobi nearby. Whoever took it is a master of concealment."
His yellow eyes narrowed with amusement.
"Don't waste time on objects.When the sword resurfaces, retrieve it.For now, this base is compromised. Pack your things."
"…Yes, sir."
Anko's shoulders slumped.She kicked a pebble as she walked away.
Seriously… who would infiltrate Orochimaru's base just to steal a sword out of my arms?
Well…It was a good sword.